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—representing one home in about 5,218—andthese were plotted on a map. Then twenty-fiveinterviewers canvassed the opinions of theoccupant of the selected house and of nineadjoining houses. This poll, taken within aweek of the McNair Survey, found that 49per cent wanted the arch to stay, 35 per centwanted it demolished, 5 per cent were in favourof removal to a new site, and only 11 per centhad no opinion. But again the Premier was notpersuaded, he concluded that the poll produced,"yet another indecisive resulf'.asThe Premier's interpretation of the pollfound many dissenters. "The government appearsto have engaged in a sort of two-waybet," claimed the Daily News. "If the poll hadfavoured demolition the government wouldhave said it was following the wishes of thepeople. Because the poll did not produce thisresult we get woolly statements to the effectthat the result was indecisive. ... If the governmentgot the same degree of support at thepolls, it would be delighted".^®The Premier, however, still held the initiative,and his next move was to take the issue toParliament and seek an institutional decision.He seemed unperturbed that the institution ofParliament was an interested party in the dispute,and that as one of the contenders forthe award of "the fitting climax to the Terrace"it could be biased in its judgments. ThePremier initiated a motion in the LegislativeAssembly which expressed an apparent contradictionof his earlier assurances. It read:"That in the opinion of this House the Barracks'Archway should be removed so thatParliament House and its surroundings canbecome the focal point to the western endof St. George's Terrace."And, in recognition of the fact that this wasa, "very vexed and controversial matter" theparty whips were called off. The Premier explained,"It has been decided that there shallbe a free vote . . . and no doubt the positionis the same so far as the Opposition is concerned.. . . everyone who is at all interestedis quite free to vote according to his conscience"30The Premier's motion sparked some spiritedresponses in the press. One letter to the Editor,of unusual bitterness, was published under thenames of an employee of the State Governmentand his wife (both renowned defendersof the Barracks); it provoked the Premier intoa written and benign reply. The letter claimedthat the Premier was "... breaking his promiseto be guided by public opinion on this issue"and that—58"He and his planners have done everythingthey could by their brutal treatment of theold building to discredit it in the eyes ofthe public, and were confident they wouldsucceed. Now that they have failed theycannot take their defeat manfully, but aredetermined to go down in history as thedespoilers of the character and beauty ofPerth."The letter then urged—"... all those who wish to retain the archwayto inform their members of parliamentthat they will withdraw their support at thenext election unless they follow the expressedwill of the people by voting in Parliamentfor retention of the Barracks archway.We also urge that they attend theparliamentary session to see how their electedrepresentatives vote."^'The Premier's retort was—"It is grossly unfair to claim that a differenceof opinion on what is beautiful or historicmakes one side enlightened and the otherside despoilers . . . ."^^Just prior to the parliamentary debate theBarracks Defence Council engaged in an energeticpublicity campaign. Some seventy largeand colourful posters were printed and appearedat strategic points around the city. Designedby an art master at a local, and private,High School, the poster warned the populace,"Don't be bulldozed: Save the Arch". Replicasof the poster appeared as car stickers. Andlapel badges, carrying the cry "Preserve Democracy",were distributed widely in the city.Moreover, in getting favourable publicityfor their cause, the Barracks Defence Councilcould not have asked for a better fillip thanthat given by the Postmaster General's Departmentwhen it fronted the 220,000 copies of theWestern Australian Telephone Directory witha colourful and flattering picture of, "The OldBarracks, Perth". The decision to do this hadbeen taken by the relevant committee manymonths beforehand, but the distribution wasmade throughout the month of August—animportant month in the matter of opinionmakingon the Barracks. So with posters, stickers,lapel badges, press, letters to the Editor,T.V. and the telephone directory, an emotionaland tense atmosphere developed for the parliamentarydebate.The Parliamentary Debate:Free vote or not, the Editor of The WestAustralian on the morning of the debate (18thOctober) was cynical about its purpose. HeWESTERLY, No. 1 of 1967