A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46
CREDIT SYSTEMS USED AND THE AMOUNT PAID WEEKLY
Question 3. “Which credit system do you use? How many systems do you use at the same time?
The next table shows how many people use providence cheques, how many street or factory clubs, and how many other credit possibilities; these are summarised under the heading “others”, including tallyman, shopclubs, straight credit, hire purchase, etc. This summarising was necessary as the informants were so vague in describing the system they used, that the interviewers were not able to distinguish with certainty which system was actually in use. Some people, of course, used more than one system.
What credit system do you use?
| No. | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Providence cheques | 378 | 12.3 x |
| Street or factory clubs | 129 | 4.2 |
| Others (tallyman, shop-clubs, straight credit, hire purchase etc.) | 868 | 28.2 |
| Not answered | 28 | 0.9 |
| People not buying on credit | 1918 | 62.4 |
| SAMPLE | 3076 |
No. of systems being used at the same time
| No. of systems | No. | % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 890 | 76.9 |
| 2 or more | 216 | 18.6 |
| Not answered | 52 | 4.5 |
| SAMPLE | 1158 | 100.0 |
No. of systems being used at the same time, by class
| No. of systems | Class C | Class D |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 80.9 ± 3.6 | 74.1 ± 3.4 |
| 2 or more | 13.8 ± 3.2 | 21.9 ± 3.2 |
| Not answered | 5.3 | 4.0 |
| SAMPLE | 471 | 670 |
Class D uses 2 or more systems at the same time most frequently.
Question 4 . How much do you pay weekly?
| Amount | No. | % |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1/- | 186 | 6.0 |
| Up to 2/- | 187 | 6.1 |
| Up to 3/- | 198 | 6.4 |
| Up to 5/- | 231 | 7.5 |
| More than 5/- | 295 | 9.6 |
| Not answered | 69 | 2.2 |
| Not using Easy Payments | 1910 | 62.1 |
| SAMPLE | 3076 | 99.9 |
The number who pay the different amounts from 1/- to more than 5/- per week is steadily increasing, though the statistical differences are not significant.
In class D a much higher percentage than in class C pay 5/- and more a week on credit instalments, as will be seen in the following table.