D0166: Australian Gallup Poll, May 21, 1954
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 1,983 interviews conducted in May 1954. 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 / interviewer grade / WEIGHTING The responses are unweighted. A weighting variable (WEIGHT) is included in the data file to indicate the interviewer workloads selected for duplication. THEMES - NAMES AND RESPONSES 1a. The first question is about trams and buses. Which would you rather have in big cities - trams, buses or electric trolley buses? Category label Code Count Percent ELECTRIC TROLLEY 0 536 27.0 NO PREFERENCE 1 64 3.2 NO OPINION 2 81 4.1 BUS 11 755 38.1 TRAM 12 547 27.6 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 2a. HOUSING: Are there any people living (here) (in your home), because of the housing shortage, who would move away, if they could get a place for themselves? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 9 .5 NO 11 1757 88.6 YES 12 217 10.9 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 2b. If YES: How many families would move away? Category label Code Count Percent 1 166 8.4 2 19 1.0 3 7 .4 4 4 .2 5 1 .1 7 1 .1 8 1 .1 NOT ASKED 9 1757 88.6 MISSING 10 27 1.4 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 2c1. How many ADULTS are there (in that family) (altogether in those families)? Category label Code Count Percent 1 14 .7 2 139 7.0 3 16 .8 4 19 1.0 5 4 .2 6 4 .2 7 2 .1 8 4 .2 NOT ASKED 9 1757 88.6 MISSING 10 24 1.2 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 2c2. How many children? Category label Code Count Percent 1 53 2.7 2 40 2.0 3 17 .9 4 4 .2 5 5 .3 6 4 .2 7 1 .1 NOT ASKED 8 1757 88.6 MISSING 9 102 5.1 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 2c3. How many in total? Category label Code Count Percent 1 9 .5 2 52 2.6 3 51 2.6 4 40 2.0 5 19 1.0 6 8 .4 7 8 .4 8 3 .2 NOT ASKED 9 1762 88.9 MISSING 10 31 1.6 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 3. And now a question about the voting age, which, as you know, is now 21. Would you be for, or against, people aged 18 to 20 voting at elections Category label Code Count Percent FOR 3 622 31.4 AGAINST 4 1285 64.8 NO OPINION 5 76 3.8 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 4. CABINET MINISTERS: In your opinion, how should Federal Cabinet Ministers be chosen by the Prime Minister of the day, or by a ballot among Government members of Parliament? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 283 14.3 MEMBERS 11 1258 63.4 PRIME MINISTER 12 442 22.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 5a. The next question is to see who accurately we can forecast the coming Federal election. Judging by how you feel now, which Party - Labor, Liberal, Country, Communist or Independent - are you likely to vote for? IF EVASIVE: Well, which side are you leaning toward at present? Category label Code Count Percent LABOR 5 843 42.5 LIBERAL-CP 6 912 46.0 OTHER 7 12 .6 UNDECIDED 8 98 4.9 UNOPPOSED 9 89 4.5 MISSING 10 29 1.5 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 5b. Have you changed your mind in the last few weeks? IF YES: What made you change it? Category label Code Count Percent YES 1 65 3.3 NO 2 1694 85.4 MISSING 3 224 11.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 5c. Do you think you may change your mind (again) before the election? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 280 14.1 NO 11 1658 83.6 YES 12 45 2.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 6a. PENSIONS: How much do you think old-age and invalid pensions should be each week, for each person? Category label Code Count Percent 0 10 .5 2 2 .1 3 80 4.0 4 438 22.1 5 641 32.3 6 276 13.9 7 91 4.6 8 56 2.8 9 147 7.4 MISSING 12 242 12.2 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 6b. And how much do you think a pensioner should be allowed to earn each week, before the means test begins to REDUCE the pension? Category label Code Count Percent 0 44 2.2 1 37 1.9 2 236 11.9 3 301 15.2 4 186 9.4 5 270 13.6 6 85 4.3 7 40 2.0 8 30 1.5 9 71 3.6 11 468 23.6 MISSING 12 215 10.8 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 6c. Do you think ALL means tests for old-age pensions should be abolished or not? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 182 9.2 NO 11 848 42.8 YES 12 953 48.1 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 7. TAXES: If taxes can be reduced this year, which ONE of these (HAND CARD) would you like reduced first? Category label Code Count Percent IMPORT P1Q71 172 8.7 SALES P1Q72 731 36.9 INCOME P1Q73 900 45.5 PETROL P1Q74 62 3.1 ENTERTAINMENT P1Q75 41 2.1 BEER ETC P1Q76 31 1.6 TOBACCO P1Q77 38 1.9 NO OPINION P1Q78 55 2.8 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 8a. BOOKS: Which of these books do you happen to have in your home? (CIRCLE AFTER ALL NAMED) Category label Code Count Percent DICTIONARY P1Q81 1742 88.2 GARDENING P1Q82 1324 67.0 ENCYCLOPEDIA P1Q83 1064 53.8 STREET DIRECTORY P1Q84 876 44.3 BIBLE P1Q85 1727 87.4 COOK P1Q86 1788 90.5 ATLAS P1Q87 1398 70.7 NONE P1Q88 35 1.8 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 8b. How long is it since you've read the Bible, for 10 minute or more? 8b1. How many weeks? Category label Code Count Percent 0 763 38.5 1 118 6.0 2 127 6.4 3 50 2.5 4 31 1.6 5 92 4.6 6 20 1.0 7 14 .7 8 12 .6 9 10 .5 10 119 6.0 11 2 .1 12 8 .4 13 1 .1 14 2 .1 15 34 1.7 16 4 .2 17 6 .3 18 2 .1 20 80 4.0 23 1 .1 24 1 .1 25 10 .5 26 1 .1 27 1 .1 28 1 .1 30 28 1.4 31 1 .1 34 1 .1 35 6 .3 38 1 .1 39 2 .1 40 20 1.0 45 1 .1 50 7 .4 55 3 .2 60 1 .1 MISSING 99 402 20.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 8b2. How many years? Category label Code Count Percent 0 1021 51.5 1 348 17.5 2 100 5.0 3 39 2.0 4 77 3.9 5 11 .6 6 24 1.2 7 3 .2 8 42 2.1 9 1 .1 10 10 .5 12 25 1.3 13 4 .2 16 2 .1 18 1 .1 20 12 .6 24 11 .6 25 7 .4 26 34 1.7 30 2 .1 32 2 .1 34 1 .1 40 1 .1 42 1 .1 MISSING 99 204 10.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 8c. Have you seen any new modern translations of the Bible? Category label Code Count Percent YES 1 365 18.4 NO 2 1563 78.8 MISSING 3 55 2.8 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 8d. To help classify answers to this question would you mind telling me your religion? Category label Code Count Percent ROMAN CATHOLIC 1 378 19.1 CHURCH ENGLAND 2 855 43.1 PRESBYTERIAN 3 240 12.1 METHODIST 4 256 12.9 BAPTIST 5 37 1.9 PROTESTANT 6 37 1.9 OTHER CHRISTIAN 7 113 5.7 NON-CHRISTIAN 8 8 .4 NO RELIGION 9 23 1.2 MISSING 10 36 1.8 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 9. STANDARD OF LIVING: Speaking generally would you say your standard of living - the things you can buy and do - is going up - or down? Category label Code Count Percent UP 6 1052 53.1 DOWN 7 289 14.6 NO CHANGE 8 565 28.5 CANT SAY 9 72 3.6 MISSING 10 5 .3 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0 10. COMMUNISM IN ASIA: It's been suggested Britain, America and Australia should form an alliance to stop Communism over-running South-East Asia. Are you for, or against Australia joining such an alliance? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 257 13.0 AGAINST 11 188 9.5 FOR 12 1538 77.6 ------- ----- Total responses 1983 100.0
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