When I accepted the suggestion of my friend, Mr. Woods, that I should open a discussion on this subject, I was in hopes that I should do so before the passage of the Bill for the Census of next year. As, however, that measure was added to the Statute Book at the end of last month, I have been compelled to approach my subject in a somewhat different manner. I shall, therefore, endeavour to set forth briefly my own views on the requisites of a successful Census and then examine the present Act to see how far the approaching Census promises to fulfil those conditions. That I shall have anything new to tell you, I do not for a moment expect, but I venture to hope that, as I regard the subject from a totally different standpoint to that which an actuary would adopt, I may be able to suggest points which will serve for an interesting, if not particularly useful discussion.

It would appear, from some of the answers given by candidates in the recent Final Examination for the Fellowship of the Institute of Actuaries, that considerable misapprehension exists as to the effect of the latest decision of the Courts with reference to the subject of this note. It may, therefore, be useful to deal briefly with the question in the pages of the Journal.