POPULATION AND BUILDING

Hokitika Guardian, 29 November 1930, Page 2

POPULATION AND BUILDING

The annual statistical report of populations and buildings, just issued uum the Census and/Statist.es U.nce, contains inhumation of such ime rest and value as to suggest again how unwise it is to interrupt the regularity ol anj siirevy, as the government is interrupting tlie regularity of the quinquennial census, due next year. Uno cU the laets revealed by the report is that the present depression is not- without mmieiice on the giowtii oi population ‘'Tlie rate ol increase dining‘the “three'years is virtually the lowest “since, and is comparaoie on y witn, the “level m the late ‘eighties’ aim early “ ‘nineties,’ at which period the “Dominion passed through perhaps “tile most set ere depression in its “History.”

Both in natural increase and the excess of arrivals over departures, theic has been a decline; but New Zealand’s growth is still as fast as all but a few countries,, and faster than most, Statistics covering the latest live-yeai period show the percentages oi increase to be: Argentina 14.4, South Africa 9.8, Australia 9.2, New ' Zealand 1.9, Netherlands 7.2, United States 7, Canada 6.1, Japan 6.1, Denmark 4.6, Italy 4.5, Belgium 4.3, France 3.5, b .nlaiui 3.3, .Germany 3.1, Norway 3, Great Britain 2, and Sweden 1.7. 'me actual increase in poulation in New Zealand for the year ended March 81st last was 17,941, equal to 1.22 per cent, of the population at the beginning of the fiscal yepr, The estimated populntop (inclusive oi Maoris) at '"March 31st last, was 1,488,1)95 (759,963 males and 758.C32 females), The net gain of population in the North Island for the year was J 0,235 and in the South Island 13.-2; but as the excess of births over deaths in tlie North was 9330 and in the South 4950, the Northern ga.n in population over and above the natural increase, was 5905, while 3568 leit the Sonin Island.

x lie statistics show that the South Island has been losing population to the North for several years past; and they also reveal a steady urban drift since about 1906. The 1916 census showed that 55.25 per cent, of ttie population was urban and 44.75 rural. When the 1926 census was taken the urban population had risen to 57.99 per cent. The 1931 figures, of course, will not be taken.

Building statistics ifor the Dominion depend print: pally upon data furnished by the census, and these also will suffer an interruption. Tlie 1926 census showed that since 1921 the total number of buildings in the dfferent categories in the Dominion had increased from 266,736 to 306,945, private dwellings showing the highest number and the largest increase, The only classes to show a decline were educational institutions, prisons, and “others,”

Statistics of building permits issued by local authorities are however collected and calculated annually, arid for the past year the value qf new building and alterations to existing buildings totalled £0,959,877, Tin's, although an improvement qn tfie proceeding two years, is much below tlie record totals for 1026 and 192 J. Most of tlie new building was carried out in Wellington where the value of the permits issued t0ta11ed.£2,017,641. Auckland City followed with £1,310,686, Christchurch City with £822,378, nnd Dunedin City with £567,421,