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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4987, 17 March 1877, Page 2

J’hk . KegiatfarrGeneral’s report on the vital tatisticSjOl the colony for the year 1876 has just been published. The total number of Jnrtha, the actual mortality of males and females, and 'the percentage of deaths to the population in the principal boroughs, are shown in the following table :

An analysis of the registered causes of death shows that 3l 5l were attributable to zymotic diseases; 14T2 to constitutional diseases ; 35’62 to localdiseases ; 13*252 to developmental diseases ; 5 - 06 to violent deaths ; while o'l7 are not specified. Dunedin stands highest in the list, of zymotic diseases, being credited

with 122 ; Wellington comes next with 109 ; Auckland, 107 ; Christchurch, 85 ; while the Thames, Nelson, and Hokitika managed 44 amongst them. Measles, which caused 126 deaths in the boroughs in 1875, was not the cause of one death last year ; but scarlet fever (including scarlatina), which caused only 7 deaths in 1875, caused 78 in 1876, the majority of the oases occurring at Dunedin. Dysentery and diarrhoea were most fatal last year in Wellington and Christchurch. Typhus and typhoid fevers only caused 44 deaths in 1876, against 134 in 1875. Of the deaths in 1876, the largest numbers occurred in Auckland (14) and Wellington (12). ■ During 1876, 93 persons died in these boroughs at the age of 66 or upwards. The number in each borough was as follows :—Auckland, 25 ; Thames, 3 ; Wellington, 20 ; Nelson, 20 ; Christchurch, 11 ; Dunedin, 13 ; and Hokitika, 1. Five deaths occurred at the higher ages of 85 and upwards ; of these, 2 males (of 85) and 1 female (of 88) died at Auckland, and 2 females (of 86 and 93) died at Nelson. The violent deaths- were 75 in 1876, against 79 in 1876. Of these, 4 were homicides, and 13 suicides. The estimates of population given in the above table differ materially from the numbers published in the monthly reports for 1876, which Mr. Brown explained by saying:—The increase of births over deaths since the census did not sufficiently show the great alteration that had taken place in the populations of the different boroughs; and as the Census Act of 1876 postponed the time at which the next census is to be taken, it became necessary to endeavor otherwise to obtain more correct estimates of the populations. The numbers estimated for the end of 1876 have been bassd upon the numbers of inhabited houses returned by the officers of the boroughs, and the respective densities of population that obtained in 1874. A proportionate increase or decrease for the difference of time has been made in estimating populations for the middle of the year. The births in the boroughs increased from 3407 in 1875 to 3637 in 1876. During the same period the deaths decreased from 1885 to 1482 —a decrease in the year of 403. The increase however in 1875 had been exceptionally large, amounting to §ll, or 37‘2 per cent, on those in the previous year. The deaths have decreased in numbers .in all the boroughs except Wellington, where the number has increased, but only slightly, viz, 14, This increase may only be the natural consequence of the rapidly increasing population of Wellington. The reduction in the total number of deaths may be partially attributable to the fact that in 1875 all the deaths in the respective hospitals were included, whereas in 1876 only the deaths of residents of the boroughs are included. The deaths in the boroughs of children under 1 year amounted in 1876 to 501, or 1377 per cent, of the births, against 18 per cent, in 1875, and 14’6 per cent, in 1874. The deaths under 1 year amounted to 33’8 per cent, of the total deaths, the proportions having been 30 - 8 per cent, in 1875, and 347 per cent, in 1874.

The monthly report on the vital statistics for February of the Registrar-General in brief is as follows :

The deaths of persons not residents of the boroughs, occurring at hospitals, have been excluded in all [cases. The estimates of the populations of the boroughs given here are not as' before merely ah addition of the excess of births over deaths to the census figures for March, 1874, as it has become evident that such estimates are not sufficiently accurate. The number of persons to a house has been assumed to be the same as when the census was taken, and the 'population calculated on the number of inhabited houses in each borough'at the present time, as shown in returns .supplied by the municipal authorities. The births were 61 lessthan in January. The deaths were 27 less in number than the deaths in January. Of the deaths, males contributed 59; females, 61; 62 of the deaths were of children under 5 years of age, being 51'67 per cent, of the whole number ; 48 of these were of children under 1 year of age. There were 7 deaths of persons of 65 years of age and over; 4 of these persons were males and 3 females—of these, 1 male aged 81, and 2 females aged 74 and 78, died at Auckland ; 1 :female over 70 at Wellington ; 1 male aged 75 iat Christchurch ; and 2 males aged 66 and 68 at Dunedin.

The agricultural statistics of the Provincial District of Canterbury show the difference between the estimated crops of 1876 and 1877 ito be as follows: ! : Bushels. 1876. 1877. Bushels. Wheat .. 1,770,363 ~ 2,707,626 .. Inc’se, 937,262 Oats .. .. 2,788,688 .. 2,106,800 .. Deo’se, 681,883 Barley ; .. 620,699 .. 605,700 s . Dec’se, 114,999 Potatocs(tons) 17,806.. .19,886 ;. In. ,1991 (tons). Dot it has been calculated in the Registrar- . General’s office, that the above figures for 1877 are in excess of the actual yield by the undermentioned amounts, as in several of the. districts considerable damage has been done to the crops by bad weather since the collectors obtained their returns. These amounts have been calculated on the estimated proportions bf damage sustained, and the loss is set down as follows:—Wheat 84,513 bushels, oats 74,895 bushels, barley 19,101 bushels, hay 963 tons, potatoes 293 tons. The statistics for the Provincial District;of Taranaki show the differences between the estimated crops of 1876 and 1877 to be as follows: Bushels. 1878. 1877. Bushels. Wheat .. 13,487 .. 25,293 .. Increase, 11,806 Oats .. .. 21,695 .. 20,764 .. Decrease, 841 Barley .. 430 .. 1,035 .. Increase, 605 Potatoes (tons) 2,106 .; 2,871 .. Increase,766(tons). In view of the two vacancies which have occurred in the City Council, a suggestion may fairly be made. There is la-ge discussion at present on two questions. First, the adoption pf certain plans for the Town Hall. Second, the procedure in the building of the Town Hall itself. The elections about to be made might well be resolved into a test of public feeling on both these points, Let' both questions as it were be “ hung up” by the City Council until after the elections. In the meantime, let each be made a test with the candidates who may come forward. The result of the elections will give a fair idea of the opinions of the ratepayers, both as to the plans and as to the building of the Town Hall itself.

1 1* ' Boroughs. Estimated Mean Population for.' , 1876. , Total Births. Total Deaths. Proportion of Deaths to ] the 1000 of Population. Auckland .. 12,160 '593 303 2493 Thames 5,105 246 60 11-76 Wellington .. .. 16,146 821 299 • 1974 Nelson 5,673 261 98 17-68 Christchurch 12,371 597 . 280, 22 03 Dunedin .. 22,667 996 •889 17-24 Hokitika 2,983 124 53 17T7 1 Total 8,687 1,482

Boroughs. Estimated Population Jan., 1877. Total Births. Total ' Deaths. Proportion of Deaths to ! the 1000 of Population. Auckland .. 12,024 ■45 17 ■1-41 Thames .4,466 19 5 112 Wellington .. 16,130 62 24 1-49 Nelson 4,664 11 6 1'08 Christchurch 12,815 47 23 1-79 Dunedin 29,365 77 38 1-63 Hokitika 2,905 17 7 2'41 Total .. 278 120