HAMILTON'S RECORD YEAR FOR BIRTHS

Chronicle (Levin), 20 December 1947, Page 5

HAMILTON'S RECORD YEAR FOR BIRTHS

Press Ass'dciatibn)

(Per

fiAxMijyruA, Dec. 19.. The contention that Hamilton Is still growing fhster than any other 'city of comparable sixe is -proved by the ligures for the numbOr of births so fhr' this year. Up 'to yesterdav,' 1141 births had be'en registered in Hamilton this yekr, compki'ed with 1102 births in Invercargill up to Deeember 12. The estimated population of the two cities is 28,400 and 29,300 respectively. Falmerston -North, with a population of -2-9-, 200, passed 1000 births for this year a littie earlier this month, but i't appears that when the final figures are available in a few days' time for births for ,the full vear, Hamilton 's totkl will eclipse those of the other two cit-ies. The extraordinarilv rapid^growth 0t Hamilton in comparison with the othei cities is exem'pliliod in the figures f ot . tlve mtmb'er of births i'6gistered in tFe' city since 1939. In 1939, 679 births wkr.e registered and in 1940 and 1941 an* appreciable increase was recorded. , HoWeVer, in 1942 and 1943, oWing to the big drain oh man power to sustkin the w'ar effort, the figures begau to ueclihe. From 1944 onward's, however,the figutes have shown a laf-g'e i'ncte'kse ekch year 'until noW they are neany • double what they were 10 years ago.