D0180: Australian Gallup Poll, August 7, 1959.
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 1,691 interviews conducted in August 1959. 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 minimum age for a driver's licence. In your opinion, what should be the LOWEST age for anyone to get a licence to drive a private car? Category label Code Count Percent 20 YEARS 0 92 5.4 21 YEARS 1 141 8.3 22 YEARS 2 1 .1 24 YEARS 4 1 .1 25 YEARS 5 9 .5 16 YEARS OR LESS 6 145 8.6 17 YEARS 7 291 17.2 18 YEARS 8 914 54.1 19 YEARS 9 68 4.0 NO OPINION 12 29 1.7 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 2a. And a question about (the proposed) on-the-spot fines - STANDARD fines for traffic offences, with the police having power to issue tickets to offending motorists on the spot. The motorist then has the option of either paying the standard fine at the local police station, or defending the case in Court, in the usual way. Would you be for, or against, having those on-the-spot fines here? Category label Code Count Percent FOR 1 954 56.4 AGAINST 2 574 33.9 UNDECIDED 3 156 9.2 MISSING 4 7 .4 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 2b. Are you a car or truck driver? Category label Code Count Percent YES 4 1016 60.1 NO 5 564 33.4 MISSING 6 111 6.6 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 3a. Next, about Sunday baking. In your opinion, should the baking and selling of bread on Sunday be legal, or not? Category label Code Count Percent LEGAL 7 825 48.8 NO LEGAL 8 743 43.9 NO OPINION 9 123 7.3 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 3b. To help us analyse answers to this question, would you mind telling me your religion? Category label Code Count Percent ROMAN CATHOLIC 1 349 20.6 CHURCH ENGLAND 2 662 39.1 PRESBYTERIAN 3 238 14.1 METHODIST 4 238 14.1 BAPTIST 5 34 2.0 PROTESTANT 6 7 .4 OTHER CHRISTIAN 7 85 5.0 NON-CHRISTIAN 8 14 .8 NO RELIGION 9 15 .9 MISSING 10 49 2.9 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 4a. And a question about the marrying age. What would you say should be the YOUNGEST LEGAL age for a GIRL to marry? Category label Code Count Percent 20 YEARS 0 142 8.4 21 YEARS 1 331 19.6 22 YEARS 2 20 1.2 23 YEARS 3 9 .5 24 YEARS 4 5 .3 25 YEARS 5 8 .5 16 YEARS OR LESS 6 193 11.4 17 YEARS 7 102 6.0 18 YEARS 8 693 41.0 19 YEARS 9 95 5.6 26 YEARS OR MORE 11 2 .1 NO OPINION 12 91 5.4 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 4b. And for a boy? Category label Code Count Percent 20 YEARS 0 224 13.2 21 YEARS 1 635 37.6 22 YEARS 2 82 4.8 23 YEARS 3 65 3.8 24 YEARS 4 41 2.4 25 YEARS 5 83 4.9 16 YEARS OR LESS 6 46 2.7 17 YEARS 7 24 1.4 18 YEARS 8 333 19.7 19 YEARS 9 61 3.6 26 YEARS OR MORE 11 18 1.1 NO OPINION 12 79 4.7 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 4c. Apart from the minimum age, what would you say is the BEST age for a woman to marry? Category label Code Count Percent 20 YEARS 0 188 11.1 21 YEARS 1 397 23.5 22 YEARS 2 255 15.1 23 YEARS 3 243 14.4 24 YEARS 4 136 8.0 25 YEARS 5 237 14.0 16 YEARS OR LESS 6 15 .9 17 YEARS 7 11 .7 18 YEARS 8 40 2.4 19 OR LESS 9 45 2.7 29 OR MORE 11 27 1.6 NO OPINION 12 97 5.7 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 4d. And the best age for a man? Category label Code Count Percent 20 YEARS 0 30 1.8 21 YEARS 1 150 8.9 22 YEARS 2 101 6.0 23 YEARS 3 154 9.1 24 YEARS 4 268 15.8 25 YEARS 5 510 30.2 16 YEARS OR LESS 6 139 8.2 17 YEARS 7 89 5.3 18 YEARS 8 68 4.0 19 OR LESS 9 11 .7 29 OR MORE 11 85 5.0 NO OPINION 12 86 5.1 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 5. And now, about election prospects. If a Federal election were being held today, which Party do you think you would probably vote for? IF 'LABOR': Would it be ALP or DLP? Category label Code Count Percent LCP 4 728 43.1 ALP 5 637 37.7 DLP 6 73 4.3 COMMUNIST 7 3 .2 INDEPENDENT 8 17 1.0 UNDECIDED 9 233 13.8 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 6a. Next, a question about State Parliaments. In your opinion, should OUR State Parliament have one House, or two Houses. Category label Code Count Percent UNDECIDED 0 374 22.1 TWO 11 499 29.5 ONE 12 818 48.4 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 7. And about elections for local Councils. Do you think voting at elections for your local municipal Council should be voluntary, or compulsory? Category label Code Count Percent VOLUNTARY 1 707 41.8 COMPULSORY 2 914 54.1 UNDECIDED 3 70 4.1 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 8. Next, about money for roads. As you probably know, each year the Federal Government gives the States money to spend on roads. Now, of each one million pounds received by a State, how much do you think should be spent on roads in the COUNTRY, and how much on roads in the capital city? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 357 21.1 2 1 .1 10 4 .2 12 1 .1 20 2 .1 25 98 5.8 30 29 1.7 33 28 1.7 34 1 .1 35 7 .4 40 89 5.3 45 7 .4 50 434 25.7 55 4 .2 60 194 11.5 65 11 .7 66 39 2.3 67 3 .2 70 54 3.2 75 234 13.8 80 56 3.3 85 4 .2 90 24 1.4 95 2 .1 99 8 .5 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 9. Now, about teaching first-aid to senior pupils in schools. Would you be for, or against, teaching them first-aid during ordinary school hours? Category label Code Count Percent NO OPINION 0 22 1.3 AGAINST 11 129 7.6 FOR 12 1540 91.1 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 10. Next a different kind of question, about space travel. Which of these statements (HAND CARD) comes closest to what YOU yourself, think about rockets, satellites and space travel? Category label Code Count Percent STICK TO EARTH 1 680 40.2 EXPLORE SPACE 2 898 53.1 NO OPINION 3 113 6.7 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0 11a. And lastly, a question on international tensions. Which country - the United States, Russia or Britain - would you say is being most DIFFICULT in international affairs? Category label Code Count Percent COMBINATION OF ANSWERS 3 2 .1 USA 4 129 7.6 RUSSIA 5 1000 59.1 BRITAIN 6 18 1.1 US AND RUSSIA 7 172 10.2 ALL OF THEM 8 152 9.0 NO OPINION 9 218 12.9 ------- ----- Total responses 1691 100.0
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