D0177: Australian Gallup Poll, September 26, 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 1,736 interviews conducted in September 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 / 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 the call-up of 15,000 young men each year for military training. What do you think we should do - continue to call up 15,000 a year - or give ALL young men military training - OR - abolish military training altogether? Category label Code Count Percent ABOLISH 0 173 10.0 UNDECIDED 1 90 5.2 ALL YOUNG ME 11 1103 63.5 15000 A YEAR 12 367 21.1 MISSING 13 3 .2 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 2a. And now a question about the Means Test, which stops people with a certain amount of income or property getting old apply for invalid pensions. In your opinion, should that means test for pensions continue or be abolished? Category label Code Count Percent CONTINUE 2 497 28.6 ABOLISH 3 1137 65.5 UNDECIDED 4 100 5.8 MISSING 5 2 .1 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 2b. If 'ABOLISH' ask: Should it be abolished now, or over a number of years? Category label Code Count Percent NOW 5 669 38.5 OVER YEARS 6 379 21.8 UNDECIDED 7 58 3.3 NOT ASKED/MISSING 8 630 36.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 2c. If 'YEARS' Over how many years? Category label Code Count Percent 10 YEARS 0 55 3.2 1 5 .3 2 24 1.4 3 39 2.2 4 19 1.1 5 137 7.9 6 5 .3 7 6 .3 8 5 .3 NOT ASKED/MISSING 9 1364 78.6 CANT SAY 11 13 .7 OVER 10 YEARS 12 64 3.7 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 3. ASK EVERYONE: If the means test IS abolished, should the EXTRA cost come from increased taxes - OR - from everyone with an income contributing something (each week)? Category label Code Count Percent BOTH 0 94 5.4 NO OPINION 1 142 8.2 CONTRIBUTIONS 11 796 45.9 TAXES 12 676 38.9 MISSING 13 28 1.6 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 4a. On this card (HAND CARD) are some things often brought on time-payment, or hire-purchase, as its called. Which of them would you say is REASONABLE for the average person to buy on hire-purchase? Category label Code Count Percent CAR Q4A1 484 28.1 WASHER Q4A2 939 54.5 DISHWASHER Q4A3 178 10.3 VACUUM Q4A4 595 34.6 SEWING MACHINE Q4A5 945 54.9 RADIO Q4A6 658 38.2 TV Q4A7 296 17.2 REFRIGERATOR Q4A8 1275 74.0 FURNITURE Q4A9 999 58.0 CARPET Q4A10 414 24.0 MOVER Q4A11 258 15.0 NONE Q4A12 155 9.0 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 4b. Have you (or your husband) bought any of those items on hire-purchase in the last 2 or 3 years? 4c. If "YES": Which of them have you bought? Category label Code Count Percent CAR Q4B1 149 9.0 WASHER Q4B2 183 11.1 DISHWASHER Q4B3 7 .4 VACUUM Q4B4 76 4.6 SEWING MACHINE Q4B5 86 5.2 RADIO Q4B6 91 5.5 TV Q4B7 104 6.3 REFRIGERATOR Q4B8 320 19.4 FURNITURE Q4B9 152 9.2 CARPET Q4B10 56 3.4 MOVER Q4B11 50 3.0 NONE Q4B12 965 58.4 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 5. The next question is about off-the-course bookmakers and totes. Of the four lines on the back of the card, which would you prefer to be legal? Category label Code Count Percent ONLY BOOKIES 5 168 9.7 ONLY TOTES 6 322 18.5 BOTH 7 603 34.7 NEITHER 8 217 12.5 NO OPINION 9 423 24.4 MISSING 10 3 .2 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 6. And now a question about rail and (tram) fares. Do you think rail and (tram) fares should cover ALL the running costs - OR - should PART of the cost of running trains and (trams) come from taxes Category label Code Count Percent COVER ALL 2 879 50.6 PART TAXES 3 688 39.6 NO IDEA 4 159 9.2 MISSING 5 10 .6 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 7a. The next question is about political parties. 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 EVATT 1 680 39.2 DLP 2 415 23.9 NO OPINION 3 627 36.1 MISSING 4 14 .8 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 7b. And now to see if we can forecast the coming Federal election. If a Federal election were being held today, which Party do you think you would probably vote for - Liberal, Country, Australian Labor, Democratic Labor, Communist, or Independent? Category label Code Count Percent LIBERAL CP 4 738 42.5 ALP 5 670 38.6 DEM LABOR 6 119 6.9 COMMUNIST 7 2 .1 INDEPENDENT 8 20 1.2 UNDECIDED 9 164 9.4 MISSING 10 23 1.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 7c. Do you think there's any chance you'll change your mind and vote for another Party? Category label Code Count Percent YES 4 174 10.0 NO 5 1361 78.4 MISSING 6 201 11.6 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 7d. If 'YES': Which Party is that? Category label Code Count Percent MISSING 0 33 1.9 LIBERAL CP 6 55 3.2 ALP 7 67 3.9 DEM LABOR 8 17 1.0 COMMUNIST 9 2 .1 NOT ASKED 10 1562 90.0 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 8b. UNLESS 'DON'T KNOW' ASK: Would you be for, or against, Australia changing to a decimal coinage? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 135 7.8 AGAINST 11 378 21.8 FOR 12 637 36.7 NA 13 586 33.8 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 9a. The next question deals with the size of families. For a family, how many children do you think is ideal? Category label Code Count Percent 0 4 .2 1 5 .3 2 295 17.0 3 434 25.0 4 719 41.4 5 71 4.1 6 65 3.7 7 6 .3 8 6 .3 9 1 .1 NO OPINION 12 130 7.5 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 9b. Do you think parents are entitled to plan for themselves how many children they will have? Category label Code Count Percent YES 1 1486 85.6 NO 2 137 7.9 UNDECIDED 3 109 6.3 MISSING 4 4 .2 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 9c. To help classify answers to this question, would you mind telling me your religion? Category label Code Count Percent ROMAN CATHOLIC 1 339 19.5 CHURCH ENGLAND 2 757 43.6 PRESBYTERIAN 3 245 14.1 METHODIST 4 242 13.9 BAPTIST 5 25 1.4 PROTESTANT 6 7 .4 OTHER CHRISTIAN 7 62 3.6 NON-CHRISTIAN 8 15 .9 NO RELIGION 9 15 .9 MISSING 10 29 1.7 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 10. And now about H-bombs. In your opinion, should Britain and America agree with Russia to ban H-bomb tests - OR - should Britain and America continue to explode experimental H-bombs. Category label Code Count Percent AGREE TO BAN 7 1108 63.8 CONTINUE 8 454 26.2 UNDECIDED 9 172 9.9 MISSING 10 2 .1 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 11a. And lastly a question about China. Do you think Australia should, or should not, recognise the Communist Government in Peking as the Government of China? Category label Code Count Percent UNDECIDED 0 374 21.5 DONT 11 616 35.5 YES RECOGNIZE 12 737 42.5 MISSING 13 9 .5 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 11b. Do you think we should or should not TRADE with Communist China? Category label Code Count Percent YES TRADE 1 1093 63.0 NO 2 423 24.4 UNDECIDED 3 206 11.9 MISSING 4 14 .8 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 11c. The Chinese Government in Peking has NOT been admitted to the United Nations. Do you think it should be admitted, or not? Category label Code Count Percent YES ADMIT 4 849 48.9 NO DONT 5 522 30.1 UNDECIDED 6 339 19.5 MISSING 7 26 1.5 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0 11d. If 'ADMIT': If that meant the Chinese Government in FORMOSA had to leave UN, would you STILL favor admitting the Peking Government to UN? Category label Code Count Percent MISSING 0 4 .2 STILL FAVOR 7 466 26.8 NO 8 240 13.8 UNDECIDED 9 139 8.0 NOT ASKED 10 887 51.1 ------- ----- Total responses 1736 100.0
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