VITAL STATISTICS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 39, 15 January 1943, Page 5

VITAL STATISTICS

WHAKATANE'S EXPANSION TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS GROWTH j 344 BIRTHS LAST YEAR Something of Whakatane's remarkable growth over the past twenty-eight years is furnished! by the vital statistics since 1914, the first year of _fhe Greiat War. In 1914 for instance th'ere were but 40 births registered locally, as against 344 births (Maori and Pakeha) which were notified 1 to the Registrar last year for the district. The vital statistics for the town are but a further index to the wonderful expansion an.d' the steady increase i!n population which has taken place over the years, Births' The position of registering Maori births in a district such as this is complicated by the fact that every Native school teacher s in. effect an official registrar to Avliom Maori births must be reported. Thus Poroporo, Paroa, Ruatoki, T'e Tcko, Waiohou and Galatea compile their OAvn figures which are in their turn forwarded in to the central rcgistar's office. Pakeha figures mainly from the Borough are hqwe\ T er easily available and it is from the registered figures that aa'c are able to draw our comparison. Although last year the number of births registered at the local Courthouse was 198, the total of them actually notified, (inclusive of Maoris) Avas 344, which figure covers the Avholc district. Maori births in the Borough of Whakatane last year totalled a bare 24. Marriages In this department the same gradual increase is shown. The figures for the Avhole district slioav 14 in 1914, and 45 for last year or nearly one a week. All Pakeha marriages are notifiable at Whakatane for the purpose of securing the necessary certificate. Native marriages; are again separately registered. The great; bulk of the marriage ceremonies have, been carried, out in the church by religious formula, only a fraction being performed in the registered office over the whole 28 years; under review. This fraction however, if anything has a growing tendency. The year shoAving the greatest number of marriages in the history of the toAvn Avas 1940 Avhen there were no less than 79 for the year— over an average of 1 % AA'eddings per week. This was probably explained by the number of men going aAvay to the front Avho desired to get married before leaving. The very antithesis of this argument however appears, to be furnished by the lowest on record Avhich stands, opposite 1918, the final year of the. last A\'ar when only 10 certificates; AA*ere issued.

Deaths For a population of nearly 2500 the death toll for Wliakatane is relatively light, the maximum lor any one year being -18 (1940-42). These figures of course would be increased by the addition of district and Maori figures. The lowest on record was 13, in 1915. Wliakatane seems to have "weathered the 'flu' 1 years of 1918-1919 relatively well as there is but. a small fluctuation in the general average. Maori deaths in the Borough last year totalled 1.1, a little over half the number of Maori births in tbo same. area. Relative Figures The following table shows the pakeha records only for Whakatanfi .since 1914: — Births Deaths Marriages

In passing it. is interesting to notethat ths revenue from registrations of all the above classes last year, produced fees amounting to £82 16s*,

1914 10 1(5 14 1915 -10 30 1916 74. 22 12 1917 SO 19 13 1918 79 30 , 10 1919 (58 -1 IS 1920 HI -5 19 1921 114 17 '2'J> 1922 105 22 18 1923 128 19 30 1924 90 *2(5 34 1925 104 IS 34 J 926 108 22 17 1927 120 "25 18 1928 lift 26 30 1929 138 23 23 1930 128 32 19 1931 125 33 23 1932 109 24 39 1933 90 30 30 1934 108 30 -15 (Continued in next columrt)

1935 119 23 46 1936 130 45 4& 1937 1-!5 38 55 3938 158 38 45 1939 156 41 60 1940 188 48 79 1941 187 45 53 1942 198 48 45