THE PREMIER ON TWENTY YEAR'S PROGRESS IN NEW ZEALAND.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 143, 27 February 1886, Page 7

THE PREMIER ON TWENTY YEAR'S PROGRESS IN NEW ZEALAND.

(Extracts from '* on the Progress of the Colony for Twenty Years, 1864 to 1884.") The population in 1864, was 184,131 persons, including 913G officers and men of military service, but not including Maoris. In 1884 the population, exchmve of Mam is, was 564,304> including drilled volunteers amounting to 10, 110 made up as follows :—8530: — 8530 adults and 1580 cadets. The Maoris were estimated in 1881 at 44,097, and the Chinese in New Zealand at 5033. In 1864 there were in the colony 247 clergy ;in 1884, 84G. The irm> riages in 1864 were 1878 in 1884, 3800. The Premier regards it as the most satisfactory thing in the statistics of New Zealand that, of persons between 15 md 20 years of age, 97.48 per cent, are able both to read and write. There is one policeman in New Zealand to 1239 of the population as compared with one to 425 in Queensland and one to 774 in Victoria. The proportion of conviction before magistrates in 1884 was 31 in every 1000, as compared with 65 in 1864. New Zealand stands the lowest of all the colonies in its criminal record, the cases being, for offences again°t the person and against property 5.71 in every 1000. whilst in Victori.i the proportion in every 1000 is 4.8H, in South Australia 4.05, in Tasmania 6.08, Queensland 7.80, New South Whiles 10.67. Of 3i3 vagrant and destitute c.ildren commiUed last year (1884)

only 37 wore guilty of punis'mblo offences. Of every hundred birt'is in -Now Zealand 2 32' were illegitimate. In Victoria the peicent.'ige wan -\ 2.~>, in Kew South Wales 4. 82, .-nil in Qiu'cmi"lantl 3.70. In 1864 the imports oi New Zealand nnmnnted to £70.)'G55, and in 1884 to £7,663,588 ; but in 18" 4 the exports, which in in 186^-i amounted to only £3,401,0(57, stood at £7,091,607. The trade of New Zealand with Groat Britian amounted in IPB4 to £4,934,498 ; with Australia and Tasmania to £1,634,762. The trade with Cuina and Japan stood at £607 in 1864 ; in 1884 it was £138,892. With India in 1864 it stood at £433 ; in 1884 it was £73,467. There was no trade with the Phillipine Islands in 1864 ; in 1884 the trade with those islands stood at £144,005. The trade with the Pacific Islands has increased from £15,000 to £100,800, and the trading value of the Southern whale fishery to New Zealand has arisen in the same period from £1482 to £3763. The produce of coal mines in 1864 was 10,000 tons, in 18d4 480,831 tons. The timber exported in 18G4 was £241,771 ; in 1884 it amounted to £152,471. There was no export of grain worth mention in 1864 j in 1884 the colony exported 2.706,775 bushels of wheat, 2,474,613 bushels of oats, and 128,450 bushels of barley. Upwards of 1,60!),OOOlbd ot wool haee been manufactured in 1884. The total value of real property held by colonists is £75,000,000, and the amount of real property hold by municipalities, churches, and reserves is £11,750,000. The number of letter* carried in 18^.4 was 16j61 1,959) nnd the number of telegrams scut 1,054,305. The number of money orders has increased from 16)592 in 18G4 to 188,502 ii\ 1884, and the amounts from £78,557 to L 572.006. The revenue of the colony has been considerably augmented. The revenue in 1864 was £1,712,951 ; in 1884 it was £3,955,188. In 1864 the expenditure was £1,522,046 ; in 1884 it was £4, 1 01, 3 18. The expenditure has been increased by the fact that large sums have been borrowed for the prosecution of public worLs. New Zealand has ajso been placed in a position different from most colonies by having bad a large war expenditure. The total public debt is £30,649,099, but of this amount large sums have been expended in public works, which are now Returning a considerable interest. The average interest on all the railways open for traffic in 1884 was 3 per cent, on £11,810,194.