DRIFT TO THE TOWN.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20572, 14 June 1932, Page 8

DRIFT TO THE TOWN.

RURAL CANTERBURY

SUFFERS.

SMALL INCREASE AMONG

COUNTRY WORKERS.

URBAN POPULATION TREBLED,

Although an examination of the population statistics does not substantiate the claim of a correspondent whose letter was printed on the "Farm and (Station" pago on Saturday, that tho rural population of Canterbury is smaller to-day than it was 40 or 50 years ago, it is true that between 1886 and llwi the rural population has increased to tho relatively small extent of about .U per cent., while tho urban population has increased by some -U0 per cent, in other words, while the country districts accounted for 60 per cent, of tho total provincial population in 1880, to-day they account for only 36 per cent. 'me comparative figures for 1880 and 1931 can bo no moro than approximate, for it is impossible to assess accurately the urban and rural populations in each of these years. In each case the populations in and around Christchurch and in and around Timaru have been taken together as the urban population of Canterbury; and tho rural population has been estimated by subtracting this urban population from the provincial population. Such smaller towns as Ashburton, Itangiora, Kaiapoi, Waimate, and Geraldine —which are nominally urban areas—have necessarily been excluded from tho calculations of urban population, sinco there are not sufficient figures available of their respective populations in 1886, and also since as they lie in country districts, it is impossible to determine to what extent tho population of each is rural or urban. At the same time (as a table below shows) the population of urban areas in New Zealand generally has increased more rapidly than the rural population, so that tho omission from tho urban population figures of the totals for each of these towns in 1886 and 1931 gives actually, in the comparison, an advantage to the rural population figures. Pigures for Christchurch. The population of Christchurch has on several occasions been artificially increased by the inclusion of outside boroughs, town districts, and road districts. To make the comparison fair, the urban area in 1886 was taken to include not only tho borough of Christchurch, but tho boroughs of Sydenham and St. Albans, tho town districts of Linwood and Woolston, and tho road districts of Heathcoto (part), Woolston (part), Riccarton (part), and Spreydon. The population of the whole of this area may fairly bo comparod with the population of ''Greater Christchurch" to-day. The following figures illustrate the relative stagnation of tho rural population in Canterbury:—

TJrtan Population Trebled. Tlio following comparisons may be made between the extromo years 1886 and 1931: — Increase in mral popu- • lation *.. .. 8000 people Percentage increase .. 11 per cent. Increase in urban population .. " .. 97,000 people Percentage increaso .. 200 per cent. Proportions of total population—--1886 1931 (percent.) (percent.) Urban . ■ 40 64 Bural . - 60 30 To make, the comparison as up-to-date as possible, the Government Statistician's estimates of population for 1931 have been used. The actual census figures for 1926 might liavo mado a more accurate comparison, but here again, it will be noted, the use of the 1931 figures has, if anything, favoured the country. The General Drift. Since 1906 there has been a pronounced movement of population towards the cities and towns not only in Canterbury but throughout New Zealand. In successive census reports the Government Statistician drew attention to this urban drift. In tho last of these reports (1926) the following statement appears: — The continuance of a somewhat disturbing feature is revealed by tho census returns in the presence of further evidenco of urban drift. Tho term, urban drift, is used to indicate the gradual abandonment of rural life for that of the city, and tho growth of cities at tho expense of their rural hinterland. It is a condition not peculiar to the Dominion but experienced in practically every country of the world. In a manufacturing country tho tendency is perhaps more natural, but for New Zealand, which is for the greater part a primary producing country, the indications of strong iirban drift are viewed by many with alarm. Tho growth of this • movement is shown in the following table of the percentages of rural and urban populations from 1881 until 1926 (in this caso the census accepts as urban a population living in cities, boroughs, or town districts of over 1000 inhabitants in 1881, 1200 in 1886, increasing to 2750 in 1926: it is assumed that a town of 2750 bore much tho samo relation to tho total population in 1926 as that of 1000 did in 1881): —

Province's Relative Tall. One further movement of interest is the declino in the proportion of the population of Canterbury to the population of New Zealand. In 3881 the Canterbury population was nearly 23 per cent, of the whole; in 1i)26 it was barely 16 per cent. The gradual fall in this percentage is shown below:—

Population. Bural. Census. Provincial. Urban. 1886 - . 121,599 48,442 73,157 1891 . . 128,603 51,514 77,049 392G . . 213,890 135,323 78,567 1931* . . 227,005 * Estimate 145,650 81,355 only.

Percentages of total population. Year. Rural. Urban. J 881 02.34 37.60 18S6 00.47 39.53 1891 61.10 38.84 1890 01.95 38.05 1901 00.87 39.13 1900 57.90 42.04 10 J I 5 7.07 42.93 19.10 54.IS 45.82 192 1. ."1.2;: 48.77 1920 .. 49.42 50.5S

Population per cent Tear. Cantbv: N.Z. 1881 . • 22*95 188C .. 21.02 1891 . . 20.53 1896 .. 19.35 1901 ., 18.54 1906 ., 17.93 1911 17.20 1916 -. 16.39 1921 .. 16.3S 192 <i v 16.01