THE OFFICIAL TEAR BOOK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2069, 19 October 1893, Page 24

THE OFFICIAL TEAR BOOK.

The handbook published last year meb wibh so favourable a reception that the Government decided on publishing a similar work annually, and Mr E. J. Yon Dadelszen, the Registrargeneral, in his preface to the "New Zealand Official Year Book 1893," informs us that the volume will be one of a series. Most of the figures in bhe statistical informabion are for 1892, and though we are well on towards the end of 1893 the compiler states that the information is made public at a much earlier date than is the case in the neighbourirg colonies.

The firsb portion of Parb I is devoted bo a slighb historical sketch, followed by whab may be bermed the official directory, giving successive Governors, Ministries, Premiers, &c, including the list of annual pensioners and a list of the newspapers of the colony. Then comes the statistical information, much of which has been made public through bhe press from time to time. The populabion of bhe colony at the end of 1892 was estimated ab 692,4-26, of which 368,007 were males and 324j,419 females. The figures dealing with religious beliefs are for 1891. From these it appears that 40 51 per cent, belonged to the Church of England and undefined Protestant, 22 62 were Presbyterians, 13-96 Roman Catholics, and 849 Wesleyan Methodists.

The New Zealand born population numbers 58 61 per cent, of bhe whole, bhe percenbage of those born in England being 18 71, Scobland B'3o, and Ireland 7*61. Ib appears 7725 per cent, could read and write, 3 98 could read only, and 18"77 could not read. The proportion of females who cannot read is slighbly greater than of males. Of persons of both sexes 6762 per cent, were unmarried, 29*18 married, and 3*20 widowed. The number &i bachelors aged 20 and upwards was 70,197, and of spinsters aged 15 and upwards 67,000, giving 105 bachelors to every 100 spinsters. In Canterbury (notably) and Otago only were spinsters in excess of bachelors. The number of husbands was 90,371, and as there was an excess of 394- wives ib is presumed that as polygamy is nob practised the excess represents deserted wives.

The populabion of provincial disbricts, counties, and boroughs presents nothing worthy of remark, bub the figures dealing with increase of population afford much food for thought. Although the population in 1892 had increased by 20 per cent, as compared with 1883, the excess of birbhs over deaths fell by about 12 per cent. The actual increase of populabion by the excess of births over deaths was ab bhe rate of 2 58 per cent, for 1892. This is an extraordinary state of affairs in a sparsely populated and presumably prosperous colony. The figures dealing with arrivals and departures have been given ad nauseam notwithstanding their proved unreliablene?s, and so a few words may be devoted to the following chapter on vital stabisbics.

The number of births registered in 1892 was 17,876, a decrease of 397 as compared with 1891. The seriousness of the position is best shown by stating that the number of births in 1892 was less than in 1884 by the enormous number of 1970 The rate per 1000 in 1892 was 27 83, which is lower than any on record for England and Wales. It is evident if the steady decline which has taken place since 1882 continues New Zealand is scarcely ever likely to become over-populated except by immigration. There is something so singular in the condition o? the colony in this respect that the statistics of the nexb few years will be wabched wibh intcresb. In 1880 New Zealand wibh 4-0-75 per thousand was the most producbive of the olonie?, while ib is nowtbe lowest of the group. The rate of illegitimate births is less than in any of the other colonies excepb Soubh Australia.

As is well known, the death rate compares most favourably wiih any part of the world. Tne Registrar-general in dealing with this branch desrends V> giving the death rate for the four pri.:oin;%i cities, Duu-idin, of course, having slightly tljo bc-st record. Mr Yon Dadelfzen goes iurthcr, bub lor what reason is not very clear. After 3rating that the death rate in Auckland and Wellington id higher than in Christchurch and Dar.editi he proceeds to ascribe it to a higher b/rlh rate, and points cut that if i lfantile raortglity is eliminated, the death rate in Dunc'clia is highest. The registrar may have had good reasons for thus particularising, but i1;i 1 ; is to be regretted that he has not stated them. It may be a very good thing to show the diffcreuce between the rate in the various u. iii-s with infanti'o mortality included and eliminated. But he admits thab infantile m;,ta!ity is greatest v/hcie the sanitary condifio.s au; unfavourable, and as Dunedin's r.-i- rlii 9 51 1 er cent, of total births to Auck-li-.d'-; U9Q, Wellington's 1150, and Christchurrh'B 16 80, he may have come to the conclusion ttat residents might get too conceited, and to prevent this deemed it only righb to point out that by eliminating infantile mortality Dunedin's death rate was the highest. Jt provts nothing. By the same process it

might be quite correct to say that if deaths from cholera and dirt disease? were excluded from the death rate of Mecca, thab plague spot would compare favourably wibh other places. Having proceeded so far, we should have liked the registrar to go a little further. For instance, in dealing with the causes of death he vouches no information as to the four chief cities. He does give provincial districts in referring to diphtheria, and Wellington is found to have a bad pre-eminence, the number of deaths there from this disease in 1892 having been 74, or 38 per cent, of the total. Strange to say, no particulars are given as to typhoid. These are the only exceptions we can take to an otherwise excellent and valuable publication. The information under "trade and interchange "is full, bub contains nothing new. In dealiDg with wealth and accumulation the registrar appears to have overlooked the fact that the late Professor Main waring Brown entered very fully in our columns, and afterwards rapublished, valuable returns as to the total private wealth. Taking the probate returns, the registrar estimates the private wealth in New Zealand at £154,003.700. This c rresponds closely with Mr Coghlan's results arrived at by a different process. Granting these figures to be approximately correct, we get an average of £237 per head of the population. It would seem therefore that the communist who would go in for an equal division of wealth could with ordinary luck and hard work save out of his surplus earnings the sum he would be entitled to in a much shorter period than would be required to convince a sufficient number of others to join him to justify an attempt at a forcible division.

There are some interesting tables dealing with crime and education. Part II comprises articles on special subjects, such as agriculture, mining, and the various other industries of the colony. Part 111 gives a digest of the land lasvs and descriptions of land districts. Altogether, the Year Book is a most valuable publication, and, if widely circulated, must do the colony great service. Colonists who have friends in the Home country might do worse than invest the modest; shilling, at which the book is sold, and post it to them, leaving it to tell its own tale.

The man John Garroway, who was burned in his hut at Purakanui Beach on Tuesday, died from the effects of his injuries before he could ba rescued. About 6 o'clock in the morning the hub was noticed to be on lire by a settler named Miller. The latter proceeding to the spot saw Garroway, who was a negro, lying in the doorway. He was pulled out of the flames, but life was then exbinct.