OCCUPATIONS OF THE PEOPLE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8359, 20 February 1913, Page 6

OCCUPATIONS OF THE PEOPLE

The Government Statistician is steadily putting into useful shape the results of the census taken in April, 1911. The information to be extracted from the census papers under intelligent treatment is almost inexhaustible, and for this reason we could wish that the blue-books issuing from the national printing office had a much wider circulation than merely to filter among politicians, a few students of economic questions, and journalists. A most informing volume, for example, is just to hand dealing with, the occupations of the people. Th« Government Statistician, Mr M. Fraser, has compiled and arranged the facta and figures in an able manner, enabling us to get a valuable insight into the very important facts concerning the distribution of the people from the industrial standpoint. The population is first divided into two sections, breadwinners and non-bread-winners. The latter, the " dependants,” consist, of course, very largely of children. The section embraces all persons dependent upon relatives or natural guardians, including wives, children, and others not otherwise engaged in pursuits for which remuneration is paid, and all persons dependent upon charity, it eeemft a little arbitrary to classify wives as “ dependants," since the average working man's “ better half ” is an industrious woman, and is often, the hardestworked member of the family. Certainly she contributes very considerably, if indirectly, to the national income. However, for the purposes of this article the point is unimportant, though worth mentioning. The breadwinners are separated into seven classes, of which the most numerous is that engaged in secondary industries. 133,555, of whom 19,871 are females. The primary classification of the whole population (excluding Maoris) on the census date is as under: Professional .. Domestic Commercial — : —65>7(52 Transport and communication 36,400 Industrial Agricultural, pastoral, mineral and other primary producers 130,581 Indefinite (included * among breadwinners) 10,803 Dependants Occupations not stated _... 300 Total , 1,008,468 The centesimal proportions are shown to be; Per cent. Professional - 3-25 Domestic ——— 4.39 Commercial .........—.. 6.62 Transport, —■ 3.62 Industrial 13.25 Primary producers .— — 12.95 Indefinite - - - 1-07 Dependants 54.95 100.00 It is, we venture to assert, grievously disappointing—although not surprising in view of the monopoly of land that exists—to find such a small section of the community engaged in the primary industries, in winning wealth from the soil. We are also grieved to see the secondary industries outstripping the primary. This ought not to be in a country Eke New Zealand. Nothing offers such attractive returns as the occupation and tillage of the land, ©specially such prolific land as ours—well watered, favourably treated in every possible consideration of quality and climatic conditions. The outdoor Hfe involved in farming (taking this word in its broad, sense) is the healthiest and most natural to mankind, and New Zealand in this respect holds enormous possibilities. It is the duty of statesmanship to arrest the drift of the people from the country to the towns, to see that a far greater proportion of the community is given opportunity to engage in agriculture. The lesson of the census in this important respect is surely beyond all chance of mistaking.