THE STATE OF THE STATE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3778, 12 April 1928, Page 3

THE STATE OF THE STATE.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. Vital statistics, 1927:—Numbers: births 27,881; marriages 10,477; deaths 11,613; deaths of infants under one year: 1,080. Rates per 1,000 of mean population—births: 20.29; marriages 7.62; deaths 8.45; infantile mortality, rate per 1,000 births, 38.74.

Live stock in Dominion, 1927: — Horses, 303,713; cattle, 3,257,729; sheep, 25,649,016; pigs, 520,143. Factory production, 1925-26: — Number of establishments, 4,791; total number of employees: 81,700; salaries and wages paid: £16,876,881; value of products: £84,792,434; value of land, buildings, machinery and plant: £59,069,001. Taxation by General Government, year ended 31st March, 1927: — Customs revenue (including tyretax) £8,395,049; beer duty : £621,813; land-tax: £1,229,067; incometax: £3,422,216; death duties: £l,690,374; other £2,079,308; totaL £17,437,827, or £l2 5/6 per head of population, including Maoris. Taxation by local governing bodies, year ended 31st March, 1927:' Rates £5,311,260; licenses, etc. £576,761; total £5,888,021. Gross indebtedness of general Government as at 31st March, 1927 £245,850,889, or £l7O 19/6 per head of population, including Maoris.

•Indebtedness of local governing bodies, 31st March, 1927: —On debentures and stock —gross £56,412759; net, £50,107,464. On , loans from State Advances Office —gross £6,293,835; net £5,409,861. On loans from Ti’easury (inscribed debt)- —gross £2,189,627; estimated net indebtedness (actuarially computed), £1,006,254. iCapital value of land and improvements, Ist April, 1927—North Island: £411,974,243; South Island

.£201,980,568; Counties, £345,391,796; boroughs, £259,295,02.6; and independent town districts £9,267,989; total £613,954,811. Unimproved value of land —North Island, £219,932,942; South Island, £119,525,707.; Counties, £228,293,122; boroughs, £107,394/708; and independent town districts, £3,770,819; total £339,458,649. Divorce, 1927: —Petitions filed, 722; decrees absolute, 540; decrees nisi, 629. Bankruptcy, 1926: —Number of bankruptcies, 752; liabilities, £605,188; assets, £236,915; amount secured to creditors (not included in liabilities or assets shown) £758,029.

Civil cases tried in Magistrate’s Courts: —Year 1926 —Plaints entered 81,061; amount claimed £i,333,941; eases tried 54,010; amount claimed is eases tried £933,269; amount recovered, £762,172. Year 1927»—Paints entered, 83,363; amount claimed £1,399,050; cases tried: 55,673; amount claimed in cases tried £960,421; amount recovered £786,356.

Summary convictions in Magistrates’ Courts:; —Year 1927, 45,930. Articles posted and delivered, year 1926: —Letters and lettercards, 298,617,089-; post-cards, 8,740,171; books and pattern-packets 126,523,544; parcels 7,135,938; newspapers 45,364,274; post offices open 1,999. Telegraphic and telephonic wire at 31st March, 1927:—-Telegraphic, 61,732 miles; telephonic, 440,253 miles.

Bank rate of discount (best mercantile paper of a currency not exceeding three months), February 1928, 7 per cent. Overdraft interest rate (charged on best accounts), February, 1928, 7 per cent. Roads in Dominion (formed to not less than dray width) as at 31st March, 1927—paved or surfaced, 31,288 miles; not paved or surfaced, 16,857 miles; total 48,145 niiies. Bridges (over 25 feet): number, 4,647; total length, 449,016 ft. v