STATUTORY RULES.
1937. No. 114
REGULATION UNDER THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS ACT 1905-1930.*
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulation under the Census and Statistics Act 1905-1930.
Dated this Fifteenth
day of December, 1937.
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
Treasurer.
Amendment of the Statistics Regulations. †
1. After Form XXXV. in the First Schedule to the Statistics Regulations, the following Form is inserted:—
*Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on , 1937.
† Statutory Rules 1927, No. 1, as amended by Statutory Rules 1928, No. 3; 1935, Nos. 22 and 126; 1936, Nos. 109 and 127 ; and 1937, No. 95.
6235.—6/2.12.1937.—Price 3d.
“Form XXXVI.
| CENSUS AND STATISTICS ACT 1905-1930. | | | | |
| Office No…. | Office No…. | Office No…. | Office No…. | Office No…. |
| State.........................Sheet No.... | Sheet No…. | Sheet No…. | Sheet No..... | Sheet No…. |
| Town................. | | | | |
| Weekly House Rents. | | | | |
| Name of Agent........... | 4 (5 or 6) Room Houses of Wood (or Brick). | 4 (5 or 6) Room Houses of Wood (or Brick). | 4 (5 or 6) Room Houses of Wood (or Brick). | 4 (5 or 6) Room Houses of Wood (or Brick). |
| Address................ ..................... |
| The perforated slips are to be completed and handed to the representative of the Commonwealth Statistician, in accordance with the instructions. | Weekly Rent as at 15th February, 193 . | Weekly Rent as at 15th May, 193 . | Weekly Rent as at 15th August, 193 . | Weekly Rent as at 15th November, 193 . |
| (b) Address of House (a) (State name of tenant if house not street-numbered.) | ........ ........ | ........ ........ | ........ ........ | ........ ........ |
| Ref. No. | Ref. No: s.d. | Ref. No. s. d. | Ref. No. s. d. | Ref. No. s. d. |
| | | | | |
| [Do not use these lines.] (a) | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ |
| (b) | ........ | ........ | ........ | ........ |
Note.—it rent is not quoted for any house, enter the reason briefly, e.g., withdrawn by owner”, “destroyed”, unoccupied”, “under repair”, &c. | Signed— | Signed— | Signed— | Signed— |
........ | ........ | ........ | ........ |
........ | ........ | ........ | ........ |
| Date............ | Date............ | Date............ | Date..........”. |
By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.
Overview
The Census and Statistics Regulations 1937 were enacted under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act 1905-1930. This legislative instrument was introduced to amend the existing statistics regulations, specifically by adding a new form to the schedule of those regulations. The regulation was made by the Governor-General in Council, acting on advice, and it was gazetted on 15 December 1937. The policy objective behind these amendments was to facilitate the collection of more detailed and specific data regarding weekly house rents, which would in turn assist in providing a more comprehensive statistical overview of housing conditions during that period. This was a crucial step in improving the accuracy and utility of the census and statistical data collected by the Commonwealth Statistician's office.
Scope and Application
The Regulation under the Census and Statistics Act 1905-1930 applies to persons and entities involved in the collection and reporting of statistics related to weekly house rents. This includes agents responsible for gathering data on residential properties within specified parameters such as the number of rooms and building material. The geographic reach of this regulation is nationwide, as it pertains to the collection of data across different states and towns within Australia. The regulation introduces a new form, Form XXXVI, which must be completed and submitted by the relevant agents to the Commonwealth Statistician, ensuring uniformity and accuracy in the reported data. This regulation extends the application of the Census and Statistics Act by providing additional mechanisms for data collection through the specified form, which supplements the existing regulatory framework.
Key Provisions
The regulation introduces a new form, Form XXXVI, to be used for the collection of data on weekly house rents. This form is inserted after Form XXXV in the First Schedule to the Statistics Regulations (s. 1). The new form requires agents to record weekly rents of 4 to 6 room houses made of wood or brick in specific locations as of certain dates: 15th February, 15th May, 15th August, and 15th November of the year 1937. The form is to be completed and submitted to the representative of the Commonwealth Statistician, following the instructions provided.
Agents are obligated to accurately complete and submit Form XXXVI, ensuring that all pertinent details are recorded, such as the weekly rent, the address of the house, and the name of the tenant if the house is not street-numbered. The form also mandates that agents enter reasons if the rent is not quoted for any house, such as if the property has been withdrawn by the owner, destroyed, unoccupied, or under repair. This ensures that the data collected is comprehensive and reflective of the current status of the properties.
Failure to comply with the requirements of Form XXXVI may result in legal consequences. Although the specific penalties are not detailed in the regulation, breaches of the Census and Statistics Act 1905-1930 can lead to civil or criminal penalties. Historically, penalties for non-compliance with census and statistics regulations could include fines or imprisonment, depending on the severity and intent of the breach. It is essential for agents to adhere to the instructions to avoid any legal repercussions.