H.—l2a,

1914. NEW ZEALAND.

STATISTICS OF NEW ZEALAND (REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN ON THE).

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.

The Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs. Registrar-General's Office, Wellington, 25th June, 1914. As requested, I submit the following report in regard to the statistics of the Dominion, and ac to what has been done since the report furnished last year on my return from Australia. Population and Vital Statistics. Migration. A defect in our present immigration and emigration returns is that while we receive particulars as to birthplace and race of arrivals, similar information is not obtained for departures except as regards Chinese. Consequently we have hitherto been unable to distinguish between race aliens (other than Chinese) who may be just passing through the Dominion and those who become permanent settlers. To remedy this, however, the Customs Department have kindly agreed to collect and furnish with the usual monthly returns sent in by Collectors of Customs particulars as to the departures of all race aliens. For the future, therefore, it will be possible to make reliable estimates as to the growth or otherwise of our alien population. This is a very important matter. As a step towards making more accurate estimates of the population for integral parts of the Dominion, arrangements were made with the Customs Department for obtaining records of the inter-island migration. From these returns it was ascertained that for 1913 the increase of population by migration amounted in the North Island to 10,234, and in the South Island to 3,985. Although the total gain to the Dominion by immigration of 14,219 was distributed between the North and South Islands as above, this does not mean that the new immigrants were so apportioned, but that these results have been partly effected by the migration of our own population from one Island to the other. It may be interesting here to state that the natural increase in the North Island was 10,839, and in the South 6,970. After next census, therefore, when we start with accurate figures, there should be no difficulty in making reliable and correct estimates of population for each Island. To further assist in the correct distribution of the increased population within each Island, reports as to the progress in various districts are obtained from Valuation and Postal officers, and these are used as a corrective in the consideration of the other factors by which the estimated population of a district is determined. It is hoped that the accuracy of population estimates for integral parts of New Zealand is thus being improved. Births. Prior to 1912 there were no statistics as to births, except numbers and sexes, but information is now obtained as to ages and birthplaces of parents, occupation of father, duration of marriage, and number, ages, and sexes of previous issue. A number of new tables have been compiled covering the year 1913, which it is proposed to extend next year. Deaths. The examination, on a scientific basis according to age, of the rates of mortality of its people is a matter of obvious importance to a nation, as it illustrates not only the effect of climate, but also the accumulated effect of all those social, medical, and other forces which affect longevity. Hitherto this important work has never been undertaken by the Department, and, in fact, apart from the crude death-rates produced annually, we are quite without any public knowledge of the