GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1921, Page 10

GENERAL NEWS.

THE AUSTRALIAN CENSUS. ’ According to the provisional returns of the census taken in Australia on April 4, the increase in population exclusive of full-blooded aboriginals, has been numerically the largest in any decade of its history. With the figures •for the Northern and Federal territories to be'added (they represent about 51X10), the increase has been 909,721, compared wtih 081,204 in 1901-11, 599,409 in 18911901, and 924,198 in 1881-1891. The centesimal increase has also been' higher than in the two previous decades, having been 21.79 per cent., against 18.05 per cent, in 1901-11 and MBB in 1891-1901, but the figure for 1881-1891 was 41.07 per cent. The figures for the various States are as follows:

Totals 969,721 21.79 The ratio of expansion of New Zealand’s population during the 10 years has been slightly less than the averagefor Australia— 20.67 per cent., but that of the North Island alone, 31.03 per cent., is greater than the ratio for any of the Australian States. On the other hand the populaion of the South Island has increased in the decade by less than 7 per cent.

GERMANY’S FORCED ECONOMY. In considering Germany’s “ability to pay,” one important point is the great annual saving forced upon her by the rigid curtailment of naval and military expenditure imposed by the Allies, says a correspondent of the Naval and Military Record. We hear much about the price of defeat; nothing about the economy of defeat. Our naval budget for the current year, with the addition of certain inevitable supplementary estimates, will not be far short of £lOO,OQO,OVO. America is spending £160,000,000 (and possibly considerably more); Japan has embarked upon a programme of new construction which involves an i outlay of £68,000,000 and. France is committed to spending £49,440,000 upon the maintenance and expansion of her seapower during 192 H. What is Germany’s position? Her Government has been authorised to spend about £lOO,OOO upon the building of a small light cruiser. This is as far as she is permitted to go in the way of new warship construction. Who can doubt that were Germany free to do so enormous sums would be found readily enough for the regeneration of the fleet? While her war creditors are pouring out millions in this direction, Germany is compelled to keep her pockets buttoned A

Per Number. Cent. New South Wales ... 449,059 27.30 Victoria ... 214,503 13 31 Queensland .... ... 149709 24 7'2 ►South Australia .. 80 309 2112 Western Australia ... 47,114 16.70 Tasmania .... 22,316 11.63