§ 50. Lieut.-Colonel ACLAND-TROYTEasked the Minister of Health the extra cost of taking the census every five years; and whether any part of this cost will fall on the rates?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe cost of any census depends, not only upon the scope of the inquiries which it may include, but also upon the rates of remuneration which may be current at the time that the census is taken for the kind of services which it is necessary to employ. It is very difficult, therefore, to furnish any estimate of the cost of census-taking over any future period, either on the quinquennial system or, indeed, on the present decennial system. But it may be assumed that the average cost per census under the quinquennial system will fall considerably short of the average cost on the present system, other things being equal; and in any event no part of the cost will fall upon the rates.