OUR POPULATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 368, 10 June 1911, Page 5

OUR POPULATION.

NEW ZEALAND'S GROWTH. The completed returns in connection with the recent census certainly do not justify the gloomy opinions that are being expressed in some quarters with regard to the growth of our population. New Zealand has gained 119,233 citizens since 1906, and 285,092 since 1901, the Maoris being left out of the calculation. The increase during the decade has been at the rate of 39.4 per cent., and a comparison with other countries similarly situated shows that we have no reason to be ashamed of these figures. The results of the census in Canada and in Australia have not been announced, but the most recent estimates give Canada a gain of 41 per cent, between 1900 and 1910 inclusive, while Australia during the same term made an advance of only 19 per cent. Canada's growth between the census of. 1891 and that of 1901 was at the rate of 11 per cent., but since the later date a vigorous immigration policy has been instituted. A comparison of the density of population in the three communities is entirely in favour of New Zealand, and this aspect of the matter is particularly important, because the country which has huge areas of vacant land and has an enormous advantage in the immigration field. Australia has one person and a half to the square mil, Canada has about two, and New Zealand more than nine, exclusive of the natives. Tasmania, it may be noticed, with some seven perons to the square mile, has increased the number of its citizens by only 4.S per cent, during the past ten years. New Zealand may not be growing as rapidly as it could, but at least it can face the most searching comparisons with a considerable measure of equanimity.