H.—4o.

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An'attempfc has been made in the subjoined statement to classify the population in the Dominion into certain areas, the object of the classification being to show the distribution of the population in the various districts and the volume of passenger transport that might be expected to_ be found : —

Distribution of Population.

Broadly speaking, the outstanding difference between the population distribution in the two Islands is the clusteringjaround certain definite areas in the North Island, against one great rural area in the South Island, extending from north of Christchurch to Invercargill, more or less definitely constituting part of the same distribution of population, and converging at certain points along the coast in bigger clusters. (id) Industrial. As pointed out previously in this report, the outstanding point in the industrial structure of New Zealand is the almost complete dependence on the farming industries. As the population grows, and as the process of urbanization continues, it is probably certain that the secondary industries will occupy a gradually increasing position from the point of view of production. The percentage of urban population has increased from 39-1 in 1900 to 51-62 in 1926. The two principal farming industries are sheep and dairy farming. The sheep-farming covers the mutton, wool, and by-products industries, while the cattle industry covers cattle-raising and dairying. In the case of both industries New Zealand has to compete in the world's markets with competitors who are better favoured in point of nearness to the markets. There is a constant struggle to maintain our position on these markets, which involves a very careful control of developments in the various industries. Sheep-farming is a relatively large-scale industry in this country, and does not involve a large volume of traffic, with the result that a typical sheep-farming district can generally be adequately served with a smaller mileage of roads of relatively lower standards than a locality supporting an industry such as dairying, which demands a high mileage of roads of reasonably good standard to support the volume of traffic necessary to the welfare of this industry. In the case of both sheep and dairying industries there is a marked seasonal tendency. In the case of the former the transportation of the wool and the animals for mutton takes place from about the middle of summer up till about the end of March. Carting wool generally requires a high standard of road, but, as it occurs in the dry months, this traffic does not cause a great deal of damage to the roads. The following graphs, reproduced from the Railways Statement, 1926, show the seasonal movement in (a) frozen meat, and (6) sheep and lambs, on the New Zealand railways during the year ended 31st March, 1925 : —

T Tji • a Centres with over 1,000 Location. Economic Areas. Population North Island. North Auckland .. .. Mangonui, Whangaroa, Hokianga, Bay of Islands, Dargaville, Whangarei. Whangarei, Hobson, Otamatea, and Rodney Counties. Total population, 60,850 ; even distribution, rural areas Surrounding Auckland City Waitemata, Manukau, Franklin, and Eden Counties. Auckland City and surrounding Total population, 247,870 : densely populated boroughs. Waikato .. .. Hauraki Plains, Piako, Waikato, Waipa, and Thames, Morrinsville, Matamata, Matamata Counties. Total population, 68,225 ; Te Awamutu, Hamilton, Ituntly. dense rural population Bay of Plenty coastal region Ohinemuri, Tauranga, and Whakatane Counties. Waihi, Tauranga, Whakatane, OpoTotal population, 27,810 ; sparsely populated tiki. Gisborne .. .. Wairoa, Cook, Waikohu, Kawa, and Waiapu Wairoa, Gisborne. Counties. Sparsely populated rural areas Taranaki .. .. Dense rural areas with a relatively large number of New Plymouth, Inglewood, Stratthickly populated centres ford; Eltham, Hawera, Patea. Hawke's Bay .. .. Dense rural areas .. .. .. .. Napier, Hastings. Wellington west coastal area This area may be said to extend from Wellington Wellington City and surrounding to Wanganui, and comprises a fairly evenly and areas, Palmerston North, Wangadensely populated rural area with a number of nui, Otaki, Levin, Shannon, larger centres Feilding, Marton. Wellington east or central This area extends from Featherston in the south Featherston, Greytown, Carterton, region to approximately Waipawa, and consists of a Masterton, Pahiatua, Woodville, relatively long stretch of sparsely populated Dannevirke, Waipukurau, Wairural region pawa. South Islakd. Northern Marlborough .. Fairly densely populated rural area with Blenheim Pieton, Blenheim. as centre Nelson .. ... .. Fairly densely populated rural area extending Nelson, Motueka, Richmond. along the coast from Motueka to Nelson and inland West Coast .. .. This ia a region extending along the coast from Hokitika, Greymouth, Runanga, just south of Hokitika to a strip running along Westport, Reefton. the coast northwards from Westport Eastern region .. .. This region extends from just north of Rangiora Rangiora, Christchurch, Ashburton, to an area on the western side of Invercargill. Timaru, Temuka, Waimate, Throughout the whole region the rural and urban Oamaru, Dunedin, Balclutha, population is scattered along the coast, being Mataura, Gore, Invercargill. densest at four points around Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill. Behind each of these centres the population runs inland a considerable way. The same movement is also found at Ashburton, Waimate, and Balclutha