SOME FACTS AND FIGURES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2326, 11 January 1890, Page 2

SOME FACTS AND FIGURES.

It is a pity that Mr Brown, the Registrar-General, cannot manage to complete his annual statistics earlier than at the expiry cf twelve months after the year to wbich they relate, the lateness of their publication considerably discounting their interest and value, However, very much better late than never, and among the mass of information supplied in Part VI., for 1888, just to hand, we find a number of facts and figures which are worth placing before our readers in concise form. These are culled from the Regietrar-Gensral's Keport appended to and founded upon the statistics for the year of which the present is the closing division.

The total Area of the Colony is given as 104,471 square miles, of which 4SB square miles is set down as practically useless for settlement, being the aggregate area of certain outlying groups of islands. For within the term " Colony of New Zealand " are included—besides the North, Middle, and Stewart Islands —the Chathams, the Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, Bounty, and Kermadec Groups, as well as a number of small islands or islets such as the Barrier Islands, etc. New Zealand has, therefore, an area four times as large as that of Tasmania, and one-fourth greater than that of Victoria, but only one-third that of New South Wales, one-sixth that of Queensland, one-ninth that of South Australia, and one-tenth that of Western Australia; the total area of the Continent of Australia being 3,030,771 square miles, and that of Australasia (including Tasmania and New Zealand) 8,161,617. " The size of these colonies may be better realised by the comparison of their areas with those of European countries. The areas of the following countries— Austria-Hungary, Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Portugal, Spain, Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily), Switzerland, Greece, Ron mania, Bulgaria, tServia, Eastern Roumelia, and Turkey in Europe— amounting in the whole to less than 1,600,000 square miles, are little more than half the area of the Australian Continent. If the area of Russia in Europe be added to those of the other countries the total area would be about one-seventh larger than the Australian Continent, and about one-twelfth larger than that oi the Australasian Colonies, including New Zealand. The area of the Colony of New Zealand is a little more than one-seventh less than the area of the United Kingdom and Ireland, the area of the Middle Island of New Zealand being a little larger than the combined cio»B of lauglimtl-aiiOrWaleß." 1

The population is arrived at by adding to the census figures for 1886 the excess of births over deaths and of immigration over emigration since the date of the census, the total estimated population on 31st December, 1888 being set down as males 324,948, females 282,432, together 607,380 souls. This is exclusive of Maoris, the estimate for the Native race being males 22,840, females 19,129, total 41,969, giving a gross total for the colony of both races of males 347,788, females 301,561, total 649,349. The population at the end of 1888 was greater than that at the beginning of the year by only 4019, this result being due to a great excess of emigration over immigration during that year, a feature previously unparalleled in the history of the colony. The total immigration since 1879 (inclusive) has been 158,575 and the total emigration during the same period 110,796 souls, showings net gain to the colony of 47,779. As regards the Native race, Mr Brown writes :— " The number of the Maori Face at the time of the foundation of the oolony was estimated at about 80,000. Twenty years previonsly the number had been estimated at 100,000. In 1857 the results of an attempted enumeration of the race'gave a total of 56,049 of both pexes. Owing to the objections made by the Natives to stating their numbers, and the difficulties experienced in obtaining information in those parts to which the European wag not allowed access, the subsequent attempts at enumeration have not been altogether i satisfactory. The latest, and probably most accurate,of these enumerations was made in 1886. This gave the number of the males at 22,840, and of the femaleß at 19,}29—a total of 41,969. A consideration of the numbers living at each age-period leads to the conclusion that in all probability the decrease in the numbers of the race is still progressing. The males under 15 years of age were in 1886 in the proportion of 31*82 to every 100 of the male population, and the similar pro portion among the females was 3359, these being less than the proportions in 1881, and considerably less than those among the increasing European portion of the population—an evidence of a low birth-rate or a high juvenile mortality, leading to racial decrease. On comparing the proportions living at each quinquennium under 20 and at each decenninm above that period with the corresponding proportions in the population of England and that of the New Zealand Europeans, it is found that at all ages under 20 the proportions among the Maoris are far less than among the other two populations, and at each age above 40 the Meori proportions are larger. It is, of course, a fair inference that the causes of these larger proportions at the higher age-periods are two-fold—namely, a low birth-rate and j a high death-rate among the younger members of the community. The smaller proportion of females (8375) to males (100) also shows a greater mortality among the adult females — thereby diminishing the reproductive power of the people—than among the males, as 42*29 of the females living were under 20 years of age, bat only 39*73 per cent of the males were under 20. The actually smaller proportion at all ages, with a much higher proportion at ages under 20, indicates, as stated, a greater j morality «(«g# qt« 20 among feniaieg i

than males. The manifest decrease in the numbers of the race is much to be regretted, for the Maoris show great aptitude for civilisation, They possess fine characteristics, mental and physical, and rapidly adopt the manners and customs of their civilised neighbors. The Native members of both the Legis Utive Council and the House of Representatives take a dignified, active, and intelligent part in the debates, especially in those having any reference to the interests of their race. The Maoris contribute largely to the taxation of the country through the Customs duties, and, having regard to the relations now subsisting between the races, they may be regarded as constituting an important element of strength in (he population of the colony."