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1911. NEW ZEALAND.

CENSUS OF THE MAORI POPULATION (PAPERS RELATING TO).

Presented l<, both Houses of the Cum,! Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

. Memorandum for the Hon. the Native Minister. 1 lIAVK ""' ' ~r to la 7 b efor e you the preliminary results of the census of the Native population which was taken during the month of March last. It is not possible to take the Maori census in one night, as is done in the ease oi the European census, nor is the same degree of accuracy to be expected m the enumeration ; but I believe the work has been done as thoroughly as circumstances would permit The total Maori population amounted to 49,350 persons, an increase for the five years of 1,617 persons hut these figures are liable to readjustment, being only the first rough results taken from the Enumerator's summaries. The first Native census was taken in the year 1874; but in 1867. and again in 1871 the various olhcers residing in Native districts had been instructed to furnish estimates of the number of Maoris in their respective districts. These estimates were, however, admittedly merely approximate and must l.c regarded as imperfect. Since 1874 a census of the Native population lias been taken coincidently with the European census. The following table shows the population at these respective periods : — * ear ' Persons. Increase. Decrease. 1867 (approximate estimate) .. 38540 is7l .. .... 37,502 ;; ;; 1874 (first census) ... .. . $5470 1878 ■ • • • • • • • '.'. 1 875 1881 •• •• ■• .. .. 44,097 502 JBB,i •■ •• •• .. 41,969 .. 2 128 l ' s!)| •• •• ■■ .. .. 41,993 21 1896 •• •• •• •• •■ 39,854 .. 2 13!) L9Ol •• •• •• .. .. 43,143 3,289 1906 .. .. .. .. .. 47 ;7 ;i| , - (88 19U •• ■• •• .. .. 49,350 1,617 The fluctuations exhibited in the above table cannot: be regarded as normal, and conclusions deduced from the figures must be regarded to a large degree as conjectural. It was doubted whether the large decrease shown by the census of 1896 was a. real decrease, or merely due to the non-inclusion of a, number of Natives either by accident or through refusals to give proper information to the subenumerators. However, the increase shown by the present census may he taken as a fair index of the position. The figures quoted for 1911 do not include the Maori population of the Chatham Islands which have not yet come to hand. In 1906 the total number of persons was 202. In addition to the oregoing totals, there were enumerated with the European census tin' following half-castes- Males 1,475; females, 1,402. It may be assumed that to arrive at the true census of the Maori people it is necessary that all half-castes and intermediates between a half-caste and a. Maori should he under one enumeration. If this were done, the figures for 1911, assuming that the population of the Chatham Islands has been stationary, would read 52,429 persons. It is obvious that any real increase in the Maori population must arise from an excess of births over deaths—in other words, the Maoris must reproduce themselves, as, unlike the European population they cannot be recruited from outside. It is therefore necessary to ascertain whether there is any increase in the number of children since the previous census. The table attached hereto shows the number of persons under the age of fifteen at the present census to be 19.866, while in 1906 it was 18,417, an increase of 1,449 persons during the five years. In further support of this contention, it will he noticed that there are 6.968 persons under the age of five years.

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