1970 HUNGARIAN CENSUS OF POPULATION Information on the data collection and processing (1977)

I. THE COMPREHENSIVE REWIEV OF THE DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING - 5. The performing of the registration

After the preparation of the recapitulation sheet of the community or the town, the form entitled "Report on the conclusion of the census" has been filled in and forwarded, in a special delivery registered letter addressed to the County Directorate on the 20

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h January 1970. h/ EXPERIENCES OBTAINED DURING THE PERFORMING OF THE CENSUS The secretaries of the executive committees of the councils holding the post of the person in charge of the census cared for the execution of the duties, and gave assistance in the respect that in spite of the difficulties arising on account of the severe winter, the registration be finished in due time and with acceptable accuracy. In addition to the difficulties due to the weather conditions, the influenza epidemics caused difficulties in several communities, as for instance in the southern parts of the counties Tolna and Békés as well as in certain parts of Vas and Zala. It necessitated the employment of a number of census-takers belonging to the reserve staff. The great majority of the census-takers had performed their duties conscientiously. That ensured the conclusion of the operations dealing with data collection in time and with acceptable accuracy.The census-takers had to go from door to door even in the late evening hours, or on Saturdays and sundays within their district. Mainly the census-takers performing duties in communities did a careful and unselfish job. The performing of the duties required, mainly in several counties of the Transdanubian region and in the dispersed settlements of the Great Hungarian Plain physical efforts too. In greater towns, mainly among the pedagogues, it happened sometimes that they were unwilling to engage themselves as census-takers or supervisors, since it deprived them of their winter holidays; neither did they consider the pay - although it was by 30-40 per cent higher than in 1960 convenient enough. The inspection services organized both centrally and on the county-level - performing duties from the early morning hours to late in the evening - ensured the uniform treatment of the problems and the quick dispatch of the affairs. The central and the county-wide inspection services continually received questions requiring information and instructions as well as registration forms from the different local councils on the one hand, and coUected reports and information as to the performance of the duties, on the other. On account of the good information service, mainly as the result of the calm, consolidated social and political atmosphere, the cooperation of the population with the census-takers - certain rare exceptions left out of consideration - was extremely good. The census-takers have been received, mainly in the villages, with utmost hospitality. 41