THE Evening Star. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24,1869

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1993, 24 September 1869, Page 2

THE Evening Star. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24,1869

Although much of the matter contained in the statistical tables published in anticipation of the annual volume of statistics of New Zealand, has appeared in detached portions and at different times, now that it is reduced to a systematic form it assumes new interest. The population returns bring the estimate to December, 1868, one year later than the date of the last census, and although, through the necessary imperfection of the methods of ascertaining the results, they must unavoidably be only approximate, the amount of error cannot be very serious. The census of 1867 was taken for the night of the 19th of December. The population of 1868 has been arrived at by adding to the then ascertained numbers the excess of births over deaths and of immigration over emigration. In 1867 the population of the Colony, exclusive of the military and their families and of aboriginal natives, was 218,688. Of these 131,929 were males and 86,739 females. In the twelve days from the 19th December to the 31st, the increase was 364—viz., 156 males and 208 females : thus the estimated population on the 31st of December, 1867, was 219,032. During the year 1868 the excess of births over deaths was 6,726, and the excess of immigration over emigration 860, making together an addition of 7,586 persons. Thus the total estimated population on the 31st December, 1868, was 226,618, of whom 134,621 were males, and 91,997 females. Of the sexes the larger increase was of females, and calculated centesimally it will be found that of males the increase was 1-91 percent, and 5-80 per cent, of females. Although the calculation affords a fair estimate of the population taken as a whole, the distribution of it cannot be ascertained. The .Re-gistrar-General explains the reason of this when he says, “The migration “ from one part of New Zealand to an- “ other, even by water communication, “ cannot be ascertained with any ap- “ proximation to accuracy, and there “ are no means whatever of ascertain- “ ing the amount of overland emigra- “ tion.” In the year 1867 the population of the Northern Island was 79,913, and of the Middle Island 138,571, or ccntesinully 36*58 and 63‘42 per cent, respectively. The .Registrar thinks that an accurate census would show a groat change in this respect from “ various causes, of which “ the large accession of numbers to “ the Province of Auckland, conse- “ quent upon the development of the “ Thames Goldfields, is the principal 1” He also considers that the population is actually larger than represented by the totals given, “ as, besides indivi- “ dual omissions through the negli- “ gence of sub-enumerators and from “ other causes, there are almost insuper- “ able difficulties in obtaining a correct “ enumeration of the gold-digging “ population. Had such an euumera- “ tion been practicable, the total would “ have been many hundreds, or even “ several thousands more,” It would be some satisfaction to find that in spite of Maori wars and heavy taxation, the Colony was gaining ground, but contrasted with .Canada and the United States, our growth even in numbers is slow. Those who have noticed the accounts of the emigration going on from Great Britain to America will see that in one week, a line of steamers from Liverpool alone took more passengers across the Atlantic than came into New Zealand from all parts of the world in one year, and the tables before us shew that nearly as many leave us as arrive. The excess of immigration over emigration for 1868 was, in fact, less than in any year since 1853, and scarcely more than one-tenth of the average for fifteen years. From the following figures too, it will be seen that the principal emigration is to the Australian Colonies. Of course this may be to enable those leaving us to find their way to other lands through the increased number of channels open to them there ; but that will not account for the whole exodus. The fair inference is that the Australian Colonies, for some reason or other, offer superior attrac-

tions. Tho immigration in 1868 amounted to 8,723 persons, of whom 6,043 were males and 2,678 females. Of these these there were 3,425 men, 620 boys, 2,211 women, and 467 girls. The emigrants numbered 7,863 —viz., 6,647 males, and 1,216 females. Of these 6,233 were men, 414 boys, 925 women, and 291 girls. It is noticeable that, estimating men to be the producing power of the Colony, our effective strength is therefore actually less by above 800 men than it was in 1867. and as the net immigration over emiaration was 860, to that extent the care and maintenance of non-workers are thrown upon a reduced number of producers. It becomes really a very serious question, whether the pains we take to show the helplessness of our present position has not done us a very serious injury in the eyes of the nations of Europe. From the year 1853 to 1867 inclusive, the average annual excess of immigration over emigration was 9,274. The principal falling off is in the North Island, although the Middle Island population increases so slowly as to be little better than stationary. Thus the excess of immigration over emigration in Auckland was 287, Wellington 348, Hawkes Bay 22, Nelson 162, Marlborough 1, Canterbury 716, Otago 1,432, and Southland 171, while the loss by excess of emigration was to Taranaki 5, and the County of Westland 2,274. If we are to progress there must be a constant increase of population, Without it production languishes, trade stagnates, supply soon overtakes demand, prices recede, and wages fall. While we have been spending money, and wasting time and material to retain lands that will not repay their cost to the colony for tens of years to come, we have neglected those improvements that would have attracted population, added to our strength, and enabled us easily to grapple with every difficulty, financial, military, and social. We commend these facts to the careful study of our representatives.