POPULATION OF THE COLONY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4411, 10 May 1875, Page 3

POPULATION OF THE COLONY.

We have to thank the Registrar-General for courteously supplying us with the following information regarding the population of the colony, on the 31st December, 1874, in anticipation of the annual volume of statistics compiled by his department:— Auckland .. .. .. .. .. 73,362 Taranaki 6,373 ■ Wellington 35,607 Hawke's Bay 11,122 Marlborough 0,533 Nelson •• 23,971 Westland 15,377 Canterbury 71,310 Otago 98,007 Chatham Islands 132 Total 341,800 Thus it will be seen that the European population increased by 42,350 souls during the last ten months of 1874—-a rate of progress which no other colony in Australasia at all approaches. This is clearly attributable to the success of the Public Works and Immigration policy, and is a sufficient reply to all that dismal croakers have said about impending min. The fact is, that not only have these people been quietly absorbed into the population; but they have created increased demand for labor of all kinds, which is now higher paid and scarcer than it was four years ago, before the initiation > of tho colonising policy by Mr. Vogel. The foregoing figures demonstrate the fact that Canterbury is rapidly overhauling Auckland, and if we mistake not, it will stand second on the list of provinces, as regards population, at the close of 1875.

THE CENSUS OE NEW ZEALAND. We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the New Zealand Census for 1874, from the Registrar-General. Our space does not enable us to analyse it in to-day's issue. Suffice it to say, that it is well and carefully compiled, and contains much new and valuable information. The following figures will, no doubt, be found interesting :—Population of the colony, Ist March, 1874, 299,514, of whom 4816 were Chinese. Of these 170,981 were males and 128,533 females. The provincial returns of population are as under : Auckland 07,451 Taranaki 5,405 Wellington 29,700 Hawke’s Bay 9,228 Marlborough 0,145 Nelson ~ ~ .. .. .. 22,558 Westland 14,800 Canterbury 68,775 Otago 85,113 The increase to our population, however, has been so great since the census was taken, that it is in some respects valueless, except for purposes of comparison. And, indeed, so rapid is the access to our population, and so general the progress of the country, that nothing short of an annual stock-taking will suffice. Of course, in the annual statement by the Regis-trar-General, which has been laid before Parliament hitherto, the population can only be approximately stated, but it will be sufficiently

near the mark for oil practical purposes. The following was the population of the chief towns at the date in question :—Auckland, without suburbs, 12,755 ; with suburbs, Parnell and Newton, 21,590 ; Wellington, 10,547 ; Napier, 3514 ; New Plymouth, 2044 ; Wanganui, 1134 ; Nelson, 2800 ; Hokitika, 3352 ; Greymouth, 2551 ; Christchurch, without suburbs, 10,294; including suburbs, 16,959; Lyttelton, 2974 ; Timaru, 1969 ; Dunedin, 18,409 ; Port Chalmers, 1535 ; Invercargill, 2479 ; Oamaru, 2819.