XN000022-1976-06-15 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1976

PUBLIC URGED TO CO-OPERATE IN COMING BY-CENSUS

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS, MR. D.S. WHITELEGGE, TODAY CALLED ON MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CO-OPERATE IN NEXT MONTH'S BY-CENSUS,

SPEAKING AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON EAST, HE SAID THAT THE COMING BY-CENSUS WOULD NOT MERELY BE THE COUNTING OF HEADS.

+AS IN COMMON PRACTICE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS HOUSEHOLD-BASED SURVEY TO LEARN AS MUCH ABOUT YOU ALL AS IS CONSISTENT WITH RESOURCES AND VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION,+ MR. WHITELEGGE SAID.

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+SO, WE ARE ASKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S AGE, SEX AND MARITAL STATUS, THEIR LIVING CIRCUMSTANCES, INCOME, OCCUPATION, PLACE OF WORK AND HOW THEY GET THERE.+

SINCE THE QUESTIONS WERE +PRETTY PERSONAL ONES+ HE SAID, THERE WOULD BE RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF THE PUBLIC TO DIVULGÉ INFORMATION TO A STRANGER APPEARING ON THE DOORSTEPS.

HOWEVER, MR. WHITELEGGE REASSURED THE PUBLIC THAT ALL INFORMATION WOULD BE TREATED WITH STRICT CONFIDENCE AND THAT IT WOULD BE DESTROYED IMMEDIATELY AFTER USE.

THE COMMISSIONER POINTED OUT THAT IN 1976/77, EXPEND I TURE

OUT OF THIS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR WOULD AMOUNT TO $7,200 MILLIÓN. TOTAL, MORE THAN $3,000 MILLION WAS TO BE SPENT ON PROJECTS IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATION, MEDICAL AND HEALTH AND ROAD SYSTEMS.

ALL THESE, HE SAID, REQUIRED DETAILED PLANNING WHICH WOULD HAVE TO BASE ON REASONABLY UP-TO-DATE AND ADEQUATE INFORMATION.

+IT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS BY-CENSUS TO GET THE BASE OF AGREEMENT ON INFORMATION AS SATISFACTORY AS IT CAN BE, SO THAT DISCUSSION AND DECISION CAN BE AS EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE TO THE BROAD BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG,+ MR. WHITELEGGE SAID.

THE BY-CENSUS, HE ADDED, CONSISTED OF TWO SEPARATE OPERATIONS THE MARINE CENSUS AND THE LAND CENSUS. THE MARINE CENSUS WHICH COVERED THE BOAT POPULATION, HAD BEEN COMPLETED DURING THE PERIOD OF MAY 29 TO JUNE 1. THE LAND CENSUS WOULD TAKE PLACE FROM JULY 30 TO AUGUST 8, COVERING ABOUT 100,000 HOUSEHOLDS SELECTED AT RANDOM WITH REFERENCE TO GEOGRAPHICAL ÁREAS AND TYPES OF HOUSING.

MR. WHITELEGGE SAID THE MARINERS HAD GIVEN 100 PER CENT CO-OPERATION.

HE HOPED THAT THE LAND CENSUS WOULD RECEIVE THE SAME RESPONSE

SO THAT +PEOPLE HERE CAN HAVE THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE BETTERED BY REFERENCE TO DECISIONS BASED ON AS RELIABLE INFORMATION AS CAN BE OBTAINED.+

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