Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, FEB. 26, 1898.

Manawatu Herald, 26 February 1898, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, FEB. 26, 1898.

Is Our Colony Going Ahead ? ■ ♦— —

The Premier is never tired of giving statistics which, from his point of view, show that under his Government the Colony is making rapid strides in the path of prosperity ; but then other facts which ca3t considerable doubt on these assertions are left unsaid. This may arise from the Premier not having had his attention called to them, but that there are facts pointing to the colony making haste to «o backwards is painfully true. What do we all desire to see ? Is it not to view only our land flowing vmh milk and honey, and with a population that is capable of purchasing such good things, at remunerative prices, from the tiller of the ground who has judiciously tickled the soil to obtain these results ? If so, the question is one of very much moment as to whether our population is increasing as it should do, both naturally and by immigration. We will not touch upon the vexed question of immigration at this time, as it is fenced around with so many objections as to the advisability of there being any immigration at all, as our young people have lately uttered the cry of " New Zealand for the New Zsalanders," calmly oblivious of the position so many of them would be in had the sturdy pioneers of the Colony thought similarly. It will, however, be granted by the present colonists that there is ample land for the people and their successors, and that more population would tend to hasten the progress and development of the Colony. Unless this is seriously combatted why is our natural increase come to a standstill ? That it is woi'3e than stationary we shall show by quoting figures which cannot be challenged, and we are thus forced to the conclusion that either the people are worse off pecuniarily than they were ten years ago, or they fear that the limits of the due development of the colony has been reached. The value of a nation is . shown by its v natural increase, for an example cf which we have only to view the present position of Great Britain, after the children she has given to populate the great American Continent and Australasia, compared with the position of France, which is departing gradually as a nation owing to the births being Ics3 than the deaths, to prove the wellknown fact. Thug tha grave importance of the following figures will be made perfectly manifest. The Government statistician of New South Wales publishes annually statistics of the seven colonies of Australasia, and it is from his work we take the figures we quote: — The population of New Zeaiand in 1860 was only 79,711, and in 1896 it had risen to 714,162, and as colonists we like to refer to our three quarter of a million of inhabitants. From 1851 60 the increase was 57,608 ; from 1861 70 it was 168,689 ; from 1871---80, 236,464 ; then from 1881 90, it fell to 141,184 ; and 1891 96 the increase was only 88,114. In the periods 1861-70 the increase of arrivals over departures numbered 118,637, and for the 1871-80 period 132,976 ; but in the 1881 90 period it only numbered 9,451. We had then reached the time when those who were here thought that they would like to remain, but discouraged the idea that other outsiders should bo made welcome. Our population does not increase, even by the natural manner, in the way it should, for in 1880 there was a population of 484.864. and the birth-rate for 1881 was 18,732. Now the facts which must surprise all who have noticed them is this, that at a period ten years later, that i 3 in the year 1891, ths birth rate was only 18,273, being 457 less than in 1881, whilst the population had increased by 141,184. From other sources we have gathered that in the year 1881 the birth rate equalled 3795 per 1000 of the population, but had fallen in 1891 to 29 01. In the year 1881 there were 5*72 births to every marriage in the previous year, and in 1896 the proportion had fallen to 4-32 births to each marriage, and the rate stands for the latter year at 26 38. This colony in 1880 had the highest birth rate of all the Australian Colonies, but now the proportion is just the reverse. The low birth rate, 26 38, is getting perilously close to the French rate of 21 -9, and with exception of that country and Ireland, is lower than that of any European country ! The root of the evil lies tangled up in matters which are hardly of the nature for newspaper comment, but that some reason for the astonishing position exists beyond the actual disinclination

to marry on the part of the sexes is apparent from the fact that the marriage rate per 1000 of the population hag increased^ having been . 5-97 in 1887, and had risen to 685 .in 1896, and thus these figures are worthy the attention of politicians and others.

In another column Mr W. B. Rhodes announces that he has a choice selection of fresh fruits, inoluding apples, peaches, quinces, and tomatoes. The Whangaroa has completed her loading of timber from Messrs Gamman & Co.'s sawmill, and will be towed to sea by the Queen of the South to-morrow (weather permitting.) Tenders are invited by the Borough Council for leasing the Wirokino Ferry. A German Antarctic expedition has been arranged to explore the west coast oi Victoria land, piscovered and named by Sir James Boss in 1842. The Wanganui Herald understands that a local syndicate has sent Home for a large steamer for the up-river trade. Mr Randall, an inventor, has used the telegraph lines between London and Stockport, via Liverpool and Manchester, for telephoning purposes. The experiments were fairly successful. The correspondent of the Rotorua Chronicle in. the Uriwera Country writes : " Trouble here over crops. All potatoes and maize destroyed by heavy frost out as far as Galatea. As. far as I can see, there will be no crops to gather this year." Judge Williams, at Dunedin, refused to grant an order of discharge to a bookmaker named McMillaD, on the ground that his was not a commercial business, and that bookmaking was rash and hazardous within the meaning of the Act. British soldiers on actual service in the Soudan are to be served with ftn emergency ra'ion sufficient to sustain them thirty-six houi'B if lost, wounded, or cut off from supplies. Not put so nicely as it might have been. A paper, in chronicling a recent fire, says : Mr Hight and his family had barely time to escape with their lives consequently nothing of value was saved. At Plymouth a deaf-mute woman connected with the Salvation army conducts evangelistic work amongst deaf and dumb children. Certainly Hie moist offec'ive medicine in the vrorld is Sanders aud Son's Eucalypfi Extract. Test its eminently powerful effect in Coughs, Colds, Influenza; the relief instantaneous. In serious cases and accidents of all kinds, be they wounds, burns, scaldings, bruises, sprains, it is the safest remedy — no swellings — no inflammation. Like surprising effects produced in Group, Diphtheria, Bronchitis, Inflammation of the Lungs, Swellings, Ac, Diarrhoea, Dysentery, Disease of the Kidneys and Urinary Organd. In use At all hospitals and medical clinics ; patronised by His Majesty the King of Italy ; orowned with medal and diploma at International Exhibition, Amsterdam. Trust in this approved article and eject all others. — [advt.] To The Dead and those troubled with Noise 3 in the Head or other Aural Troubles. Dr Nicholson, of London, the world famed Aural Specialist and inventor of Artificial Ear Drums, has just issued the 100 th edition of his illustrated and descriptive book on Deafness and Aural Troubles. This book may be had from Mr Colin Campbell, 160, Adelaide Boad, Wellington, N.Z. Mr Campbell was cured of hi? deafness by Dr Nicholson's system, and takes pleasure in spreading the news of the great specialist in New Zealand. A little boook on the cure of Rheumatism Corpulence, Lumbago, and Indigestion by the same author may be had from Mr Campbell, also free.