D0172: Australian Gallup Poll, July 27, 1957
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 2,144 interviews conducted in July 1957. BACKGROUND VARIABLES age / sex / economic classification / occupation / location / vote at last Federal election / voting intention / car ownership / telephone subscriber / political complexion / sex of interviewer / 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 1. The first question is about fluorine, which is added to water supplies in some countries, to try to stop tooth decay. Do you think fluorine should, or should not, be put in water supplies here? Category label Code Count Percent UNDECIDED 0 296 13.8 NO 1 457 21.3 YES QUALIFIED 11 212 9.9 YES SHOULD 12 1179 55.0 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 2a. The next question is about the 'birthday ballot', used to call up 15,000 young men each year for military training. Marbles are drawn from a barrel to decide which birth-dates will be called up. Do you think that's the fairest way, or not? Category label Code Count Percent YES FAIR 4 1168 54.5 NO 5 783 36.5 NO OPINION 6 191 8.9 MISSING 7 2 .1 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 3a. The next question is about the ideal age to marry. What would you say is the best age for a MAN to marry? Category label Code Count Percent 20 0 17 .8 21 1 102 4.8 22 2 99 4.6 23 3 156 7.3 24 4 229 10.7 25 5 695 32.4 26 6 203 9.5 27 7 139 6.5 28 8 142 6.6 29 OR 30 9 179 8.3 LESS THAN 20 11 4 .2 CANT SAY 12 179 8.3 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 3b. And for a woman, what age? Category label Code Count Percent 20 0 175 8.2 21 1 429 20.0 22 2 375 17.5 23 3 387 18.1 24 4 194 9.0 25 5 232 10.8 26 6 33 1.5 27 7 17 .8 28 8 17 .8 29 OR 30 9 19 .9 LESS THAN 20 11 114 5.3 CANT SAY 12 152 7.1 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 3c. What do you think is the ideal size for a family - how many children? Category label Code Count Percent 0 4 .2 1 12 .6 2 349 16.3 3 503 23.5 4 879 41.0 5 128 6.0 6 85 4.0 7 10 .5 8 12 .6 9 3 .1 11 3 .1 CANT SAY 12 156 7.3 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 4. PENSIONS: How much do you think the old age and invalid pension should be each week? Category label Code Count Percent 3 POUNDS 3 2 .1 4 POUNDS 4 86 4.0 5 POUNDS 5 373 17.4 6 POUNDS 6 490 22.9 7 POUNDS 7 417 19.4 8 POUNDS 8 228 10.6 9 POUNDS 9 70 3.3 10 POUNDS 10 135 6.3 MORE THAN 10 11 189 8.8 MISSING 12 154 7.2 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 5a. And now a question about a shopping night. Do you think a plan should be worked out for shops to open ONE evening a week - or are you against night shopping Category label Code Count Percent UNDECIDED 0 113 5.3 AGAINST 11 685 31.9 PLAN IT 12 1346 62.8 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 5c. How do you think they should then keep the 40 hour week - work shorter hours on week-days - close on a week-day afternoon - or close Saturday morning? Category label Code Count Percent SHORTER HOURS 1 507 23.6 AFTERNOON 2 468 21.8 SAT MORNING 3 838 39.1 NO PREFERENCE 4 279 13.0 MISSING 5 52 2.4 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 5d. Does anyone here, in your family, work in a shop, either as employer or employee? Category label Code Count Percent EMPLOYER Q5D7 121 5.7 EMPLOYEE Q5D8 284 13.4 NEITHER Q5D9 1717 81.3 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 6a. FEDERAL ELECTIONS: If a FEDERAL election were being held today, which Party do you think you would probably vote for? IF 'LABOR': THE ALP, or the Democratic Labor Party? Category label Code Count Percent LIBERAL 4 844 39.4 COUNTRY 5 114 5.3 ALP 6 788 36.8 DEM LABOR 7 84 3.9 INDEPENDENT 8 20 .9 UNDECIDED 9 287 13.4 MISSING 10 7 .3 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 6b. If a STATE election were being held today which Party do you think you would probably vote for? Category label Code Count Percent 21 SINCE LAST ELECTION 0 789 36.8 LIBERAL 1 113 5.3 INDEPENDENT OR MINOR PARTY 2 15 .7 COMMUNIST 3 274 12.8 ANTI-COMM ALP 11 130 6.1 ALP 12 823 38.4 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 7a. The next question is about extra Government money. Which of these (HAND CARD) do you think should have FIRST claim for MORE Government money? Category label Code Count Percent HOME BUILDING FIRST Q7A1 723 34.1 ROADS FIRST Q7A2 180 8.5 SCHOOLS FIRST Q7A3 258 12.2 UNIVERSITY FIRST Q7A4 21 1.0 SCIENTIFIC FIRST Q7A5 70 3.3 HOSPITALS FIRST Q7A6 481 22.7 DEFENCE FIRST Q7A7 44 2.1 PENSIONS Q7A8 335 15.8 DENTISTS Q7A9 16 .8 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 7b. Which second? Category label Code Count Percent HOME BUILDING FIRST Q7B1 368 17.4 ROADS FIRST Q7B2 236 11.2 SCHOOLS FIRST Q7B3 376 17.8 UNIVERSITY FIRST Q7B4 57 2.7 SCIENTIFIC FIRST Q7B5 88 4.2 HOSPITALS FIRST Q7B6 537 25.4 DEFENCE FIRST Q7B7 54 2.6 PENSIONS Q7B8 368 17.4 DENTISTS Q7B9 39 1.8 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 8. TAXING ROAD TRANSPORTS: To help pay for road repairs, some States want road hauliers to pay a special tax - as well as the usual registration fee for trucks. Are you for, or against, an extra tax on road hauliers? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 236 11.0 AGAINST 11 662 30.9 FOR 12 1246 58.1 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 9. And now a question on whether the Government airline and the private airlines should join together, or not, in your opinion, should they amalgamate, or continue to compete? Category label Code Count Percent AMALGAMATE 1 273 12.7 COMPETE 2 1600 74.6 UNDECIDED 3 264 12.3 MISSING 4 7 .3 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 10a. Have you formed an opinion yet, about the effect on Australia of the new trade agreement with Japan? Category label Code Count Percent YES, OPINION 0 1224 57.1 NO 4 920 42.9 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 10b. IF 'YES': Do you think it will be a good thing for Australia, or not? Category label Code Count Percent GOOD 5 836 39.0 NOT GOOD 6 348 16.2 NOT ASKED 7 920 42.9 MISSING 8 40 1.9 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0 11. And now a really big subject - atom bombs - which Britain may offer to Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Are you for, or against, equipping our air force with atom bombs? Category label Code Count Percent FOR 7 1353 63.1 AGAINST 8 568 26.5 UNDECIDED 9 222 10.4 MISSING 10 1 .0 ------- ----- Total responses 2144 100.0
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