FLOW OF POPULATION. «

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 5

FLOW OF POPULATION. «

DEPARTURES EXCEEDING ARRIVALS. An interesting controversy with reference to the numbers of departures and arrivals in connection with tho Dominion took place in tho Hoi! so of Representatives yesterday, the chief participants being Mr. Buchanan, M.P. for Wairarapa, and the Hon. D. Buddo, Minister for Internal Affairs. Mr. Buchanan said that he was surprised that tho Primo Minister had denied a statement to tho effect that the Dominion' was not now ' gaining population as a result of immigration. He went on to point out that from 1900 to 1908 the average balance of arrivals over departures was 978-5 per annum. In 1909 this balance was reduced to 4715—0r less than half tho previous surplus. Then again the return for tho first five months of this year showed a loss of 2375 people. Mr. Masscy: What has tho Prime Minister to say to that?

Mr. Buchanan: What can he say? Sir Joseph Ward: .Oh, keep cool and don't get excited.

The Hon. D. Buddo said that it was a well-known fact that a great many people loft Now Zealand every year at this time to work at slaughtering, etc., in Australia, where the season opened in Juno and was in full swing hy September,

Mr. Buchanan: An examination of the returns for this period of tho year in .each ease will show- that that docs not account for tho loss to which I have referred.

Mr. Buddo added that from the point of. view of genera] population New Zealand held, a very creditable position as compared with tho Australian States. He felt sure that the. trend of population back to the Dominion towards the end of the year would result in tho same excess of arrivals over departures for tho year as had been experienced in previous years.