E.—lc

2

This table was a little surprising in its results, and regretfully so, as it showed that the natural increase had not for many years past been by any means so great as it had been generally supposed to be. It was desirable, then, to ascertain in which districts the child population had increased, and in which it had remained stationary, or nearly so, and for that purpose the figures were put into this form :—

Table B. Showing the estimated Numbers of Children under Five Years of Age in the different Provincial Districts of New Zealand as on the 31st December of the Years 1877 to 1887, inclusive.

The numerical increase since 1877, the date when the Education Act came into operation, is shown in a separate column, and in some districts the increase appears to be considerable; but it should be borne constantly in mind that the object of the tables is if possible to arrive at an accurate estimate of the present school-building requirements of the colony ; and if a period shorter than the whole range of the table be taken, say a five-years period, from 1883 to 1887, or a seven-years period, from 1881 to 1887, it will be observed that only in one or two districts has there been any considerable increase. It becomes clear, then, that the cause of any extensive demand for increased school-accommodation does not take its rise in this direction. The extreme urgency, however, with which the building claims of the Wellington Education District were presented led to an annual test, ranging over seven years, of the number of children of five years and under in that district. The comparison stands thus : —•

Table C. Showing the Approximate Distribution of the Estimated Population under Five Years of Age of the Wellington Provincial District for the Years 1881 to 1887, inclusive.

It will thus be seen that in the Wairarapa and in the Borough of Wellington, the school districts to which the representations of the Wellington Education Board specifically referred, the increase in the number of children of five years old and under for the past seven years has been,—

Provincial Districts. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. Numeric. Increase since 1877. Auckland Paranaki Wellington 3awke's Bay Marlborough .. kelson /Vestland Canterbury .. )tago 13,708 1,696 8,974 2,614 1,201 4,169 2,897 16,182 19,220 14,107 1,900 9,429 2,705 1,389 4,093 •■ 2,705 16,958 19,809 15,029 2,192 10,255 2,896 1,643 4,149 2,583 18,395 121,135 15,613 2,534 10,872 3,024 1,798 4,087 2,370 19,455 21,995 15,996 2,694 11,449 3,115 1,852 4,043 2,188 20,374 22,480 16,549 2,800 11,627 3,309 1,867 4,073 2,121 20,114 22,411 17,292 2,940 11,932 3,545 1,902 4,150 1,988 20,148 22,566 18,038 3,080 12,230 3,696 1,848 4,223 1,936 20,238 22,701 18,567 3,183 12,378 3,801 1,857 4,244 1,945 19,981 22,456 19,108 3,184 12,473 3,980 1,857 4,246 1,946 19,462 22,210 19,534 3,270 12,551 4,154 1,856 4,244 1,856 19,092 21,835 5,826 1,574 3,577 1,540 655 75 -1,011* 2,910 2,615 Total children under 5 years 70,661 73,095 ,78,277 81,748 84,191 84,871 86,463 87,990 88,412 88,466 88,392 17,731

1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. Patea County (part) ... \ Waitotara ... ... I Wanganui ... ... J Borough of Wanganui Eangitikei County Borough of Marton ... Oroua County ... \ (Including Borough of Feilding) Manawatu County ... Horowhenua County... J Borough of Palmerston North... Hutt County Borough of Wellington Wairarapa East County ) Wairarapa West County ) Borough of Masterton Borough of Greytown 823 824 589 124 1,579 796 803 580 129 1,616 768 782 572 134 1,653 740 761 565 139 1,715 712 740 558 144 1,750 684 716 551 148 1,766 650 690 542 152 1,780 285 1,516 3,660 327 1,586 3,704 369 1,656 3,875 446 1,756 3,923 455 1,826 3,989 495 1,865 4,014 532 1,911 4,040 1,344 1,374 1,404 1,459 1,471 1,491 1,501 517 188 528 184 539 180 550 176 561 172 574 169 587 166 Totals 11,449 11,627 11,932 12,230 12,378 12,473 12,551