H— 31

20

complying with the provisions of the Marriage Act, although at liberty to take advantage thereof. Twenty-one marriages in which both parties were Maoris were contracted in 1907 in terms of the Act: 13 by Registrars, 3 by clergymen of- the Church of England, I by a Methodist minister, Iby a minister of the Congregational Church, and 3 by ministers of the Church of the Latter-day Saints. BACHELORS AND SPINSTERS IN NEW ZEALAND. The results of three censuses in respect of the number of bachelors of 20 years and upwards, and spinsters of 15 years and upwards, show some interesting features. In 1891 there was an excess of bachelors over spinsters amounting to 3,497 men. But in 1896 not only had the preponderance of the male element been lost, but an excess of spinsters over bachelors was reported amounting to 1,786 women, while in 1901 this excess had risen to 3,572 women. The census of 1906 disclosed the fact that there was a considerable excess of bachelors, amounting to 9,633. This result, no doubt, is largely due to the arrivals from abroad of numbers of young men who have settled in New Zealand. It is noticeable how differently the numbers for the provincial districts have been affected by the process in operation. An excess of bachelors was preserved in Auckland, Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, and AVestland from 1891 to 1906. In Canterbury, however, an excess of spinsters was found in 1891 of 2,516, which increased to 3,997 in 1896 and to 4,918 in 1901, but decreased to 2,117 in 1906; while in Otago an excess of 773 spinsters in 1891 increased to 2,066 in 1896, diminished in 1901, when there were 1,899 more spinsters than bachelors, and again in 1906, when the number of spinsters was 954 greater than the number of bachelors. These two important districts of the South Island have lost large numbers of bachelors by departures to the North Island. The following table exhibits the particulars for each provincial district : —

MARRIAGES BY MINISTERS OP VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Of the marriages in the year 1907, 24 - 38 per cent, were solemnised by ministers of the Church of England, 2623 per cent, by ministers of the Presbyterian Churches, 1495 per cent, by ministers of the Methodist Churches, 11 "22 per cent, by ministers of the Roman Catholic Church, 799 per cent, by ministers of other denominations, and 1523 per cent, by Registrars. The following shows the proportions of marriages by ministers of the principal denominations in the past eight years, and the percentages of these denominations to the total population in 1907 :—

Marriage by Registrar is found to be less frequent than it was eight years ago, the percentage falling from 1669 in 1900 to 15-23 in 1907.

Census, 1891. Census :, 1896. Census, 1901. Census i, 1906. Districts. O 2 siWPP & t> o Hi Wod S3 o I -2 § S !•« HB S3 l> o Cβ 111 o t» Jβ Hffl S3 «»S3 i> P o ! o 13 if s % w p> o 13 s-i 111 o Total excess .. 3,497 1,786 3,572 9,633 Auckland Taranaki Hawke's Bay Wellington Maryborough Nelson Westland Canterbury Otago Chatham Islands Kermadec Islands 156 121 1,337 2,129 644 1,486 900 703 524 1,142 637 183 580 501 521 805 425 |32 158 637 666 3,383 754 i,151 4,389 532 1,550 935 2,516 773 3,997 2,066 4,918 1,899 2,117 954 15 7 1 10 2

Denomination. P 1900. 1901. 1902. Percentage of Marriages. 'eroentage of Marriages. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. 1907. llll Church of England Presbyterians Methodists Eoman Catholics Other denominations By Registrars 22-68 26-38 13-23 10-82 10-20 16-69 24-91 24-48 13-19 10-53 10-20 16-69 24-58 25-95 12-95 9-94 1007 16-51 25-52 25-31 13-32 10-08 9-87 15-90 24-12 25-46 16-30 11-14 6-54 16-44 24-24 26-43 16-76 10-22 6-75 15-60 24-93 25-75 14-94 11-11 6-3f 16-9| 24-38 26-23 14-95 11-22 7-99 15-23 41-51 22-96 10-06 14-31 11-16 100-00 100-00 10000 10000 10000 10000 10000 100-00 1000