FALLING BIRTH RATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 171, 21 July 1924, Page 7

FALLING BIRTH RATE.

AND DRIFT TO THE TOWNS. SOME POPULATION FEATURES. MAORI DECLINE STOPPED. New Zealand's population does not : increase naturally anything like' the '. estimates of the people that helped to found the colony, Sir George Grey for instance in his famous address when he i first reached New Zealand predicting a ■ growth that time lias proved all at sea. At one time Xew Zealand's natural , increase was remarkably high, exceeding that of all other countries, but now, however, by the almost continual decline of the birth-rate, which could not be counter-balanced by an equivalent fall in the already low death-rate, the natural increase is little more than half that of former days. At one time we used to point to France as a terrible example of a country that could not. or would not, keep pace with its neighbours, in the matter of population, but New Zealand ha 3 to-day not much need to look round for "'horrible examples." Fortunately for Xew Zealand, however, the defects of her low birth-rate, are neutralised to a great extent by the fact that she enjoys the lowest death-rate in the world,' so this brings her natural increase up to a figure that ie exceeded by few countries. "But according to the "Statistical Report on Population and Buildings" that has just been issued by the Government printer, the ratf of increase of population in New Zealand is not what it should be in comparison with the principle countries of- the Empire. Australia's percentage increase between 1911 and 1921 census enumerations was 22.04, Canada 21.95, New Zealand 20.87, South Africa 19.00, Wales 9.00, England 4.80, and Scotland 2.50. Sex Proportion. The Dominion has passed through the normal stage of a pronounced masculine dominance in numbers and has now reached a stage where males predominate in the proportion 1000 : 902. It seems probable that a feminine preponderance will be asserted in the next twenty years. Females outnumber males in all the larger towns (Hamilton excepted) and in the older and more settled districts generally. New Zealand in common with other countries experiences the deplorable drift to the cities. The total urban population in the 1916 census was 55.25 of the whole population, and the estimate of April, 1924, puts it down at 50.22. In the four big cities the percentage of the 1916 census was 36.54, which, according to the estimate for April, 1924, has now gone up to 37.19. Maori Population. The first attempt at a definite enumeration of the Maori population, says the report, appears to have been the partial 'missionary" census of 1844. A census was taken by the General Government in 1858, prior to which there has been enumerations by some of the Provincial Governments. The census of 1858 supplies a total of 56,049 for the I Maoris of that day. Regular enumerations commenced in 1874, and have since been conducted simultanec nsly with European censuses. Though, in view of the circumstances then prevailing, the correctness of earlier counts must have left much to be desired, a steady improvement has placed the Native census on a plane of accuracy nearer to that of the European enumeration. Early estimates of the numbers of the Native race usually erred on the liberal side, but after the advent of the white man there undoubtedly took place a prolonged and serious decline, continuing to about the begin jing of the present century. At that date the tide . turned, and a gradual improvement has i since been maintained. This is the more i worthy of remark in that it is almost J unique in the annals of the world. ■ Until 1922 no intercensal estimates of ! Maoris were compiled. Since then statistics have been compiled wherever data was sufficiently authentic to warrant it, but in their case the same standard of accuracy as is reached in estimates for "Europeans" is still some distance in the future. At the 31st March, 1924, there ; were 28,450 males and 25,500 females. A i rather curious point is that the move- ' ment towards numerical cquaMty of the sexes, though formerly noticeable, has I been quiescent for the last two decades. I The population ot the four large ; centres is given as follows:—Auckland urban area, 172,935, Wellington, 114,510; Chri«tehurch, 115,360; Dunedin, 75,755; and the largest of the smaller towns is I Wanganui with 24,985. Hamilton is given jat 1ti,120, while Palmerston North, the j place it is often pitted against as an agricultural centre, has a population of 18,310. Buildings. A comparison of the number of building permits issued iit towns of the 1 North and South Islands gives a result entirely in favour of the North. Private ' dwelling permits issued in the North Island for the year 1923-24 were 4503 as against <1742 in the South Island, and the value of new buildings was £3,601.278 and £1,445,615 respectively. Business : premises permits show 760 new buildings i for the North Island, and 282 for the j South; and other buildings were 448 in I the North and t>9 in the South.