WAR CENSUS.

No. 20 of 1915.

An Act relating to War Census.

[Assented to 23rd July, 1915.]

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the War Census Act 1915.

Operation of Act.

2. This Act shall continue in operation during the continuance of the present war, and no longer.

Definition.

3. In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—

“Officer” includes—

(a) any officer, whether temporary or permanent, employed under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1902-1913 who is declared by the Governor-General by proclamation to be an officer for the purposes of this Act, or whose office is declared by proclamation to be an office to which this Act applies; and

(b) any person rendering services gratuitously in connexion with any matter under this Act.

Taking of war census.

4.—(1.) A census or censuses shall be taken in such States territories or parts of the Commonwealth, and on such day or days, or within such period or periods, as the Governor-General appoints by proclamation.

(2.) The persons or classes of persons who are required to furnish particulars for the purpose of any such census, and the nature of the particulars required to be furnished by them, shall be specified in the proclamation.

Preparation and issue of forms.

5.—(1.) It shall be the duty of the Statistician, subject to any proclamation and to the directions of the Minister, to prepare forms and instructions, and take all necessary steps, for the taking and collection of the census.

(2.) The forms so prepared shall be made available at post offices and postal receiving offices throughout the Commonwealth, and at such other place or places as the Minister directs.

Persons required to fill in and supply war census forms to Statistician.

6. Every person who is included among the persons or classes of persons specified in any proclamation under this Act shall—

(a) obtain, or cause to be obtained, a copy of any form which he is required to fill up;

(b) fill up and supply in a form, in accordance with the instructions contained in or accompanying it, all the particulars specified therein;

(c) sign his name to the form; and

(d) within the time specified in the proclamation in which he is included, transmit the form to the Statistician in accordance with the instructions contained in or accompanying the form.

Separate form for each trust estate.

7. Every person, who is the trustee of more than one estate, shall fill up and transmit to the Statistician a separate form containing the information set forth in the Second Schedule to this Act in respect of each estate of which he is trustee.

Particulars to be specified in war census forms.

8. The forms which may be required to he filled up shall be in accordance with the forms in the First and Second Schedules to this Act, with such modifications or additions as are prescribed.

Power to officers to ask questions and require production of documents.

9. For the purpose of any inquiries or observations necessary for the proper carrying out of this Act, all persons shall, when required by the Statistician or by any officer authorized in that behalf in writing by the Statistician, answer questions and produce documents within such time as the Statistician or the authorized officer thinks fit.

Powers under Census and Statistics Act.

10. Every person or authority who exercises any powers under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 may exercise the like powers for the purposes of this Act.

Power to search premises.

11.—(1.) For the purposes of this Act any officer authorized in writing by the Minister may, at any time, enter upon and search any premises.

(2.) The power of an officer to search shall extend to every part of the premises and shall authorize the opening of any safe, vault, or place.

(3.)  No person shall obstruct, molest, resist, or hinder any officer in the performance of his duty under this section.

Penalty: Fifty pounds.

Declaration by officers.

12. Every officer executing any power or duty conferred or imposed on any officer under this Act shall, before entering upon his duties or exercising such power, make before a Justice of the Peace or a Commissioner for Declarations or a Commissioner for Affidavits a declaration in the form prescribed.

Officers to observe secrecy.

13. An officer shall not, except as allowed by this Act or the Regulations, divulge the contents of any form filled up in pursuance of this Act or any information furnished in pursuance of this Act.

Penalty: Fifty pounds or imprisonment for three months or both.

Disclosure of information contained in forms when disclosure authorized by Minister.

14. The Statistician shall not, unless the Minister certifies that it is necessary in the public interest that the information contained in any form filled up in pursuance of this Act should be divulged, divulge the contents of that form, and then only to the Minister or to such other person or persons as the Minister directs.

Change of address to be notified.

15.—(1.) Any person who has furnished a form under this Act and who changes his postal address after the date upon which the form was furnished, shall, within three days after the date upon

which his address was so changed, forward to the Statistician a statement in writing specifying—

(a) his full name;

(b) his postal address at the time at which the return was furnished; and

(c) his new postal address.

(2.)  In the event of any such person again changing his postal address, he shall, within three days after such change, forward to the Statistician a further statement specifying—

(a) his full name;

(b) his postal address at the time at which the return was furnished;

(c) his postal address contained in any statement subsequently forwarded to the Statistician; and

(d) his new postal address.

Penalty for any offence under this section: Five pounds.

Offences.

16.—(1.) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any provision of this Act, or of any proclamation or regulation made in pursuance of this Act, shall be guilty of an offence:

Provided that no prosecution for any contravention of this Act shall be instituted without the consent of the Minister.

(2.) Any person, included among the persons or classes of persons specified in any proclamation or regulation made in pursuance of this Act, who fails to transmit to the Statistician, within the time specified in any proclamation in which he is included, a form filled up in accordance with the instructions contained in or accompanying it, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

(3.) Any person who knowingly makes in any form or document filled up or supplied in pursuance of this Act, or in answer to any question asked of him under the authority of this Act, any statement which is untrue in any material particular shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

(4.) Any person who forges, or utters knowing it to be forged, any form or document under this Act shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.

Punishment of offences.

17.—(1.) Any offence against this Act may be prosecuted either summarily or upon indictment, but an offender shall not be liable to be punished more than once in respect of the same offence.

(2.) The punishment for an offence against this Act shall, where no other penalty is provided, be as follows:—

(a) If the offence is prosecuted summarily—a fine not exceeding Fifty pounds or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or both;

(b) If the offence is prosecuted upon indictment—a fine not exceeding Five hundred pounds or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or both.

Regulations.

18 The Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, prescribing all matters which by this Act are required or permitted to be prescribed, or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed, for the carrying out or giving effect to this Act.

THE SCHEDULES

THE FIRST SCHEDULE.

Commonwealth of Australia.

WAR CENSUS.

To be filled in by all MALES aged 18 and under 60.

1. Name in Full………………………………………………………………………………………………

(Underline Surname.)

2. Full usual Postal Address including State………………………………………………………………....

………………………………………………………………….……………………………………..

(If away from usual residence when filling in card the postal address to be given here is that of your usual residence.)

3. Date of Birth ………………………… Month …………………………………….Year………………..

State Age last Birthday………………………………………years.

4. State whether Married (M), Widower (W), or Single (S)…………………………………………………

5. State Number and Relation of Dependent Relatives (if any)………………………………………...……

…………..................................................................................................................................................

6. State whether your General Health is Good, Bad, or Indifferent…………………………………………

7. If suffering from Blindness, Deafness, or Loss of a Limb, give particulars………………………………

8. What is your present occupation?................................................................................................................

8a. State Grade of Occupation………………………………………………………………………...

(If employing labour other than domestic, insert E; if working on own account but not employing labour, insert O; if assisting but not receiving salary or wages, insert A; if in receipt of salary or wages, insert W; if out of work for more than a week immediately prior to 30th June, 1915, insert N.)

8b. If you are an Employee, what is the occupation of your Employer?..............................................

9. What other Occupation (if any) could you undertake?...............................................................................

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

10. What Military Training (if any) have you had?.........................................................................................

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

11. State number and description of fire-arms and quantity of ammunition you possess………………….........................................................................................................................

12. State Country of Birth of:—

(i.) Yourself………………………………………………………………………………………….

(ii.) Your Father……………………………………………………………………………………..

(iii.) Your Mother……………………………………………………………………………………

13. If born in a Foreign Country of Foreign Parentage, are you a Naturalized British Subject?...............................................................................................................................................

14. If so, When and Where was Naturalization Effected?...............................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Date………………………………………... Signature……………………………………..........................

THE SECOND SCHEDULE.

Commonwealth of Australia.

WAR CENSUS.

To be filled in by all persons aged 18 and upwards possessed of, or holding on trust, property or in receipt of income.

1. Name In Full……………………………………………………………………………………………....

(Underline Surname.)

2. Sex………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

3. Full usual Postal Address………………………………………………………………………………….

(If away from usual residence when filling in card the postal address to be given here is that of your usual residence.)

4. If you own Motor Cars or Motor Cycles, or other Motor Vehicles, state Number and Horse-power of each, also Character and Number of any other Vehicles owned by you…………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5. If you own Horses, Mules, Working Bullocks, Camels, Cattle, Sheep, or Pigs, state Number of each……………………………………………………………………………………………….

6. Property.—What was the Approximate Value of Real and Personal Property owned or held by you in Australia at 31st December, 1914, comprising:—

7. Income.—What was the amount of Income received by you during the twelve months ended 31st December, 1914, from—

8. If acting as Trustee, give on another sheet names and addresses of beneficiaries and co-trustees.

Date ………………………………………………..Signature…………………………………………….