MERELY MAINTAINING ITSELE

Chronicle (Levin), 11 May 1946, Page 6

MERELY MAINTAINING ITSELE

•: EVIDENCE ON POPULATION . ,• ... WELLINGTON, May 10. "Economic- oppyrtunities for em■ployment' of incrcasing population - lie #n the new settioineiit und diversLlicu- . ion of far in production, further invreuscs in munufacturing iudustries, and in, ' territory ' iudustries," said the Acting-Gov.ernincut Etatisticiun (Mr. G. Wood ) in evidenee given before tlie 'PuyliamentaVy Soiec.t Conunittee on Dominion Population yesterday on bolialf of tlie. Census and Statistics. jl)epartment. j i- - lie added tliat this last group'. o^'dnlustries, eomprising transport, I.tbbra! professions, personal services, f.A'iiterluijimenl, etc., had for a long timo been growigg in imporlah'ce., "Tho mosl receht cliunges in Ihe" birth rnte have been upvvard, 1ml in Ihe opinion of Ihe deparluient this is most -probably a temporary reversal of the lovvnuard trend in the birthrate? .vhieh eontinued for manv "years before and after tlie depression, namely in 1930 to 1040," said ^Tr. Wood. "The death raio in New Zeafiind, has i'br a very long tinie pasf, loiiqiared most favourably with the death rales in other countries. The leatli rato in New Zealand is so low lint any material reduction cannot be 'loped for; in fact it will be dilKcult ti liold the position at its jiresent fnvourablc levcl; in fact (lie death rato has oeen rising for somo years past. On inmedinte pre-vvar experienco the population was, in Ihe long run, ni'erely i maintnining itself. Our population I ilensity is rolativel.v low; our standard i •if living relativol.v high, the liigh j ■itandard of living being, howevcr, J largelv flependent on the ver.v liigh level of exjiorls in relation to the oopulation and to the national income. Tn sucli circumstances a case for a vigorous population policv scems uns nswerable. "■ Mr. Wood said that tlie financial b'ur.len of many of our communit.v services, roads and harbours. and tlie overliead expenses of the Oovernment would he lessened considorably if we had a greater population to share these expenses. rPlie economic impediments to a fnll cradles policy had been reihoyed to some extent bv the f^ocial Se'•urity scheme. Shonld immigration be resumed in anv magnitucle careful olanning was neeessarv.