The Advocate. [Established 1888.] SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1908. NOTES

Bush Advocate, Volume XX, Issue 1028, 16 May 1908, Page 4

The Advocate. [Established 1888.] SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1908. NOTES

♦ The statistics of New Zealand for 1907 supply some interesting particulars concerning the numbers of births, deaths, and marriages registered during the year. During the period named there were 25,094 births, 10,066 deaths, and 8525 marriages. Danneyirke's contribution to the total comprised births 2^o, deaths 61, and marriages 57. "Some peculiar anomalies are revealed by a perusal of these figures. For instance, at Napier, with a population of 10,00u, the births numbered 379, while the deaths reached 178, or almost one-half of - the natural increase. This high ratio of deaths to births appears to be peculiar to Napier, so far as the southern part of the North Island is concerned. We havo already given the Dannevirke figures. At Gisborne 490 births were recorded, as against 133. deaths. At Waipawa the, returns were 118 births and 37 deaths. At Feilding 217- -49; Palmerston North, 477— 157; Wanganui, 460—188 (at both of these towns the birth rat© is apparently greatly higher than Napier) Masterton, 290—80. In the Auckland district the comparison is decidedly unfavorable. While the births numbered 2635, the deaths were 1266. At Onehunga, the figures were even worse, the births being only 125, as against 79 deaths. At Hamilton the figures read much better, the births being 228, as against 88 deaths. . A comparison of the marriages with the deaths reveals the singular fact that all over the dominion the one set of figures approximates those of the other with a closeness that is remarkable. Thus, at Dannevirko the deaths were 61, and the marriages 57. A few more returns are appended. Thus, at Rotorua the figures were 26 — 24, Hamilton 88—64, Awhitu 16—16, Tau- . ranga 17—16, Stratford 55—60', Waitara 20—24, Hastings 51—85, Waipawa 37—38, Feilding 49—46, Masterton 80—84, Sanson 9—9, Wanganui 188—182, New Plymouth 164— 125, Geraldine 32—32, Temuka 38— 40. Amongst the several matters of local interest brought under the notice of, the Minister for Lands by the Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday evening, there was none with "such potentialities for good to the town and

district as the acquisition by the Government of the Hawke's Bay Timber Company's interest, in the remaining Tamaki lands. There are, wo understand, from ten to eleven thousand acres in this block on this side of the Ruahine range, of which the company have an unexpired lease of some six and a -half years, and the only issue between the Government and the company is the amount to be paid for the goodwill of ' the company's rights under this lease^ The company having exhausted the purpose for which .they took the land up. namely, the milling of the timber, are now prepared to surrender it back to the Government, on terms which they consider reasonable. The Government on the other hand require land for settlement, and the question they have to consider is whether the sum they are asked to pay is not so excessive, that they will be able to recoup themselves during the six. years. We understand that the negotiations on this point have in the past broken down because there was no possibility of approximating the valuations made by the Land Purchase Commissioner and the company, and it remains to be seen whether the Minister is likely to be more successful in dealing with this important aspect of the,-. -subject; On one point all must be agreed, that the land is hot giving the district the return it ought, to be giving, nor is it likely to do so as long as it remains in the hands of. the company—for they have- no incentive to improve it—^and therefore the sooner a bargain fair to both parties can be struck the sooner will this undesirable and unprofitable state, of affairs be terminated. An important statement on the sub-, ject of church union was made at Miiburn on Wednesday last .by the Rev, Mr Weir, the new Moderator of the Presbyterian Assembly. Dealing with the question of church" union, he said one of the principal hindrances ti> union was the existence of two divergent types of Christian life, the emotional and the contemplative. The emotional type dominated the Methodists and the contemplative the Presbyterian, and they could only be fused under considerable pressure. Ho added : "As to the Church of England, we can see no i-mmediate prospects of union with that branch of the church as a church. We can scarcely expect that clergy who believe they have priestly power would join with those who put their cherished tenets on a par with belief in witchcraft or alchemy." He believed that to obtain even partial union no sacrifice except that of conscientious principles would be too great. .