D0085: Australian Gallup Poll, February 7 1958
POLLING ORGANISATION Roy Morgan Research Centre SURVEY METHOD Each weekend, 110 trained interviewers were sent to different but randomly- selected "cluster points" spread in proportion to population over cities and country areas throughout Australia excluding the ACT and the Northern Territory. Interviewers were instructed to commence interviewing at the dwelling adjacent to, and at the right of, the random start and to interview one individual there and, moving in a clockwise fashion around the block, in each adjacent dwelling until a cluster of 10 individuals was interviewed. Interviews were conducted during daylight hours, on Saturdays and Sundays when most people were at home. Each weekend, an Australia-wide cross-section of about 2,200 different adults aged 21 years and over from 110 districts were therefore interviewed. This poll is based on 1,707 interviews conducted in February 1958. BACKGROUND VARIABLES age / sex / economic classification / occupation / religion / location / vote at last Federal election / voting intention / car ownership / telephone subscriber / political complexion / sex of interviewer / respondent status / WEIGHTING The responses are unweighted. A weighting variable (WTVAR) is included in the data file to indicate the interviewer workloads selected for duplication. THEMES - NAMES AND RESPONSES 2. The next question is about living standards. Speaking generally, would you say your standard of living - what you can buy and do - is improving, or getting worse, or remaining about the same? Category label Code Count Percent ABOUT SAME 0 803 47.0 WORSE 11 370 21.7 IMPROVING 12 529 31.0 MISSING 13 5 .3 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 3a. And now about living costs. In your opinion, what's the SMALLEST amount a family of four - parents and 2 children - need each week to keep in health and live decently - that is, the SMALLEST amount for all expenses, including rent? Category label Code Count Percent 1 - 9 POUNDS 0 127 7.4 10 - 19 POUNDS 1 18 1.1 20 - 29 POUNDS 2 127 7.4 30 - 39 POUNDS 3 56 3.3 40 - 49 POUNDS 4 134 7.9 50 - 59 POUNDS 5 310 18.2 60 - 69 POUNDS 6 174 10.2 70 - 79 POUNDS 7 70 4.1 80 - 89 POUNDS 8 142 8.3 90 - 99 POUNDS 9 265 15.5 NO IDEA 12 282 16.5 MISSING 13 2 .1 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 3b. How much is food costing your family each week? Category label Code Count Percent 1 1 .1 2 19 1.1 3 26 1.5 4 57 3.3 5 140 8.2 6 147 8.6 7 139 8.1 8 216 12.7 9 108 6.3 10 242 14.2 11 41 2.4 12 86 5.0 13 10 .6 14 20 1.2 15 24 1.4 16 11 .6 17 2 .1 18 2 .1 19 1 .1 20 6 .4 21 1 .1 22 1 .1 NO IDEA; MISSING 98 407 23.8 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 3c. How many are there in your family 16 and over? Category label Code Count Percent 1 PERSON 1 149 8.7 2 PERSONS 2 1067 62.5 3 PERSONS 3 316 18.5 4 PERSONS 4 120 7.0 5 PERSONS 5 32 1.9 6 PERSONS 6 12 .7 7 PERSONS 7 2 .1 8 PERSONS 8 1 .1 11 PERSONS 11 1 .1 MISSING 12 7 .4 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 3d. And how many under 16? Category label Code Count Percent NONE 0 858 50.3 1 PERSON 1 301 17.6 2 PERSONS 2 311 18.2 3 PERSONS 3 144 8.4 4 PERSONS 4 61 3.6 5 PERSONS 5 19 1.1 6 PERSONS 6 5 .3 7 PERSONS 7 1 .1 MISSING 12 7 .4 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 4. And now a question about the Government owning industries. Which of the three things on this card (HAND CARD) comes closest to your ideas about Government ownership of industry? Category label Code Count Percent KEEP OUT 0 831 48.7 NO OPINION 1 197 11.5 OWN 51% 11 207 12.1 OWN SOME 12 463 27.1 MISSING 13 9 .5 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 5a. The next question is on driving signals. When a car is turning to the RIGHT, do you think signal lights are enough, or should the driver also give a hand signal? Category label Code Count Percent LIGHTS ENOUGH 2 225 13.2 ALSO HAND 3 1381 80.9 DON'T KNOW 4 98 5.7 MISSING 5 3 .2 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 5b. And when a car is STOPPING, do you think stop lights are enough, or should the driver also give a hand signal? Category label Code Count Percent LIGHTS ENOUGH 5 140 8.2 ALSO HAND 6 1475 86.4 DON'T KNOW 7 90 5.3 MISSING 8 2 .1 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 5c. Do you favor any other hand signals? Category label Code Count Percent YES 8 582 34.1 NO 9 1119 65.6 MISSING 10 6 .4 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 5e. Are you a car or truck driver? Category label Code Count Percent NO 11 627 36.7 YES 12 1058 62.0 MISSING 13 22 1.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 6a. Now, about election prospects. Whether you vote Labor or not, which group in the Labor Party do you think is right - the Evatt group, or the new group called the Democratic Labor Party? Category label Code Count Percent DON'T KNOW 0 702 41.1 DEM. LABOR 11 422 24.7 EVATT 12 575 33.7 MISSING 13 8 .5 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 6b. If a Federal election were being held today, which Party do you think you would probably vote for - Liberal, Country, Australian Labor, Democratic Labor, or something else? Category label Code Count Percent LIBERAL - C.P 4 747 43.8 A.L.P 5 618 36.2 DEMOCRATIC LABOR 6 124 7.3 COMMUNIST 7 1 .1 INDEPENDENT 8 9 .5 UNDECIDED 9 203 11.9 MISSING 10 5 .3 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 7a. Recently a churchman said there was nothing wrong with DRINK, used with sense and moderation. Do you agree with that, or not? Category label Code Count Percent UNDECIDED 0 21 1.2 DON'T AGREE 11 214 12.5 AGREE 12 1471 86.2 MISSING 13 1 .1 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 7b. He also said there's no harm in having a few shillings on the TOTE. Do you agree with that, or not? Category label Code Count Percent AGREE 1 1308 76.6 DON'T AGREE 2 322 18.9 UNDECIDED 3 75 4.4 MISSING 4 2 .1 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 7c. Another thing he said was that church-leaders should point out any MORAL issues involved in POLITICAL situations. Do you think church-leaders should do that, or not? Category label Code Count Percent SHOULD 4 601 35.2 SHOULD NOT 5 969 56.8 UNDECIDED 6 129 7.6 MISSING 7 8 .5 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 8a. Now, about divorce laws. In your opinion, should we have ONE Federal divorce law for ALL of Australia - or should we continue to have SEPARATE divorce laws in each State? Category label Code Count Percent FEDERAL 7 1342 78.6 STATE 8 157 9.2 UNDECIDED 9 186 10.9 MISSING 10 22 1.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 8b. In New South Wales, a divorce can be obtained if an order for restitution of conjugal (matrimonial) rights is not complied with within 21 days. Do you favor, or oppose, allowing divorce for that? Category label Code Count Percent UNDECIDED 0 438 25.7 OPPOSE 11 661 38.7 FAVOR 12 497 29.1 NOT ASKED, MISSING 13 111 6.5 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 8c. To help classify answers to this question would you mind telling me your religion? Category label Code Count Percent MISSING 0 85 5.0 ROMAN CATHOLIC 1 344 20.2 CHURCH OF ENGLAND 2 645 37.8 PRESBYTERIAN 3 188 11.0 METHODIST 4 242 14.2 BAPTIST 5 23 1.3 OTHER PROTESTANT 6 65 3.8 OTHER CHRISTIANS 7 81 4.7 NON-CHRISTIAN 8 16 .9 NO RELIGION 9 18 1.1 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 9a. The next question deals with the United States and us. Do you feel the United States is influencing our Australian way of life too much, or not? Category label Code Count Percent TOO MUCH 7 493 28.9 NO 8 1061 62.2 CAN'T SAY 9 152 8.9 MISSING 10 1 .1 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 11a. And some questions about Russia. Do you think Australia and Russia should, or should not, again have ambassadors and trade officials in each other's country? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 220 12.9 NO 11 333 19.5 YES, SHOULD 12 1151 67.4 MISSING 13 3 .2 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 11b. Do you think a new non-aggression pact between the British Commonwealth and Russia, promising not to fight each other, would be of real value, or not? Category label Code Count Percent YES, REAL 1 640 37.5 NO 2 865 50.7 UNDECIDED 3 198 11.6 MISSING 4 4 .2 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0 11c. And what about an agreement with Russia to END atom bomb and hydrogen bomb tests. In your opinion, would that be of real value, or not? Category label Code Count Percent YES, REAL 4 684 40.1 NO 5 833 48.8 UNDECIDED 6 183 10.7 MISSING 7 7 .4 ------- ----- Total responses 1707 100.0
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