The government are very keen on amassing statistics. They collect them, add them, raise them to the nth power, take the cube root and prepare wonderful diagrams. But you must never forget that every one of these figures comes in the first instance from the village watchman, who just puts down what he damn pleases.

Summary

This quote highlights the skepticism towards government statistics and the idea that data can be manipulated to meet certain agendas. It suggests that the government relies on figures collected from individuals who may have their own biases or agendas, leading to a potential distortion of information. In essence, it serves as a reminder that behind every statistic lies the subjective interpretation of an individual and that blind trust in data should be avoided.