STATISTICS FROM THE "GAZETTE."

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8696, 19 January 1894, Page 4

STATISTICS FROM THE "GAZETTE."

During the past year the arrivals in the colony numbered 26,135 persons, and the departures 15,723, leavingabalanceof 10,412 in favour of the colony. In the year 1891 there wa3 anexcessof 3193 departuresover.arrivals, while in 1892 the arrivals exceeded the departures bj 4953. The rainfall for December at different centres was as follows: —Auckland, 4.65 in ; Wellington, 2.49 in; Ohristclvurch, 1.91 in; Duuedin, 4.83 in. At JtJptorua 12.78 in fell, while in the inland districts of Hawke's Bay the register ranged up to 14.25iri. The Customs revenue collected at the various ports in the colony during the past year amounted to £1,666,683 as against £1,654,064 for 1892. ■ ;:.■ During the last year 226,311 ounces of gold, of the value of £913,138, were entered For exportation from tho colony* as compared with 238,079 ounces, of the value of £954,744, for the preceding year. The following are the returns from the various districts for last year :—Auckland 46,7140z, of the value of £186,553; Marlborough 21650z, value £8644.; Nelson 21450z, value £8137; . West Coast 9'9,1270z, value £396,516; Otago 77j6600z, value £313,238. From April Ist, 1857, to December 31st, 1893, the total of 12,535,1070z of gold, of the value of £49,300,999, has been exported from the colony. —

NEW POSTAL NOTES,

The new issue of £5 and #1 postal notes, authorised by the Postal Notes Act Amendment Act of last session, will, says the Wellington correspondent of the Otayo Daily Times, be commenced before the expiration of the financial year. A special design has been prepared for the new Government notes, and the engraved plates will shortly arrive from London, when the printing will commence forthwith. The first issue will be limited to £100,000, as stated Mr Ward in his speech at Win ton, and they will be issued through the various post ofiices of the colony io the usual way.

BAREFOOTED SCHOOL CHILDREN.

At the meeting of the Otago Education Board yesterday. Mr T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., asked if any regulation existed preventing children attending school barefooted and receiving a reply in the negative, said an instance of children being sent home because they had no boots on had come under his notice. Several members thought it was a very good thing to'see children going to school barefooted.

TREE PLANTING AT NEW BRIGHTON.

At the dinner given by the New Brighton Pier Company yesterday, Mr M; Murphy drew attention to the iact that the trees planted in the-streets two years ago had been sadly neglected. Hβ suggested that a small fund should be raised, if necessary, to procure a few stakes and barbed vrire to put round them,?. lie sA&o pointed out that if the residents on those streets made a practice of watering the trees in front of their houses, ,tbey would soon have, a pleasant and beautiful prospect to look upon. .. '■" "■ '■/■■ ■'•' ;;■ ■•;•■ ; V'" >".. '; ■■ :'■ : "

A- USEFUL INSTITUTION.

The residents of New Brighton show an amount of enterprise which is raosfc com* mendable. . They are doing all in their power to attract the public to this sea side resort, and intend taking'care of them when they arrive., Among the large numbers ■who indulge in a bathe in the surf there will always be a proportion of foolish odes who will indiscreetly run into danger, and to provide against loss of life among those the newly-formed Lifeboat Association have all the necessary appliances. At the opening of the extension of the pier yesterday one young man got' into difficulties in the surf among the piles of the structure, and was rescued from hie perilous position by means of a rope thrown to him by a member of the Association. In addition to the lifeboat a supply of ropes, lifebelts, and drags are kept in the Association's shed, which is handy to the pier*

THE HARPER MEMORIAL.

The Harper Memorial Committee got! .themselves into a> rather awkward predicament yesterday. They passed a resolution* which elicited the fullest sympathy of all j present, yet failed to receive unanimous support. It was readily acknowledged that to complete the Cathedral would be providing a monument of the moeb fitting oharacter to perpetuate the memory of one who had done co much for the Church in her earlier day a and who was so universally esteemed, ! but it was felt by the minority that the scheme was not practicable. The motion was, however, so worded that revering the memory of the late Bishop a3 they did, they could not oppose the resolution, while they still felt Borne apprehension for its success. The decision Oα the subject rests with the public meeting, whicli will probably be held on Tuesday.

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

, The weather, after making one or ..two attempts to clear uj» on Wednesday and

yesterday morning with only partial e QC , cesa, relapsed yesterday afternoon, and xa to the time of our writing rain has f*H e j heavily from the East, accompanied with » very faint breeze. The atmosphere W night was warm and oppressive. Iα $.1 country the weather is causing dismay among tho farmers. Among the hcnvv land in Forth Canterbury tall crops q> pate, now fully ripe, are much laid, end in addition to the danger from rust there i> the fey, owing to the heat, of the corn germinating in the ear. As tho barometer had a downward tendency last evening con. siderablo anxiety was felt on account of the grain in stook. The unout grain tnav be Fairly sate from harm. Between the forcing weather and tho heatod state of the soil grass crops have come forward with a frigjj spring since Monday. Our Akaroa correg. pondent writes that the grass seed harvest has now commenced in several uf the Bays, aud there ia a good prospect of au excellent crop, the seed being in some parts very heavy. The weather for tho past few Uayn has been very sultry and rain has now tzt in, which will interfere with the grajj seeding.