POLITICAL NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 October 1908, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Statistics show that during each year since 1886 male babies born in New Zealand have been in excess of females. It appears, however, that this excess of male births is not sufficient to compensate for the heavier mortality which occurs amongst the males. At the present time there arc just over 88 females to every 100 males. Of the 282 aliens naturalised in New Zealand last year one hundred were Austrians, twenty-nine Germans, twen-ty-two Norwegians, eighteen Swedes, twenty-nine Danes, twenty-two Russians, twelve Chinese, ten Syrians and eight Italians. During the last twenty-live years 6708 aliens have boon naturalised, the persons concerned being chiefly Gormans 1742, Norwegians 1375, Danes 954, Russians 310, Austrians 778, Chinese 416, and Italians 256. It is a singular fact that of the men married last year twenty-two signed the register by mark and of the women twenty-five had to resort to the same expedient. Most of those who had to “make their mark” were mar-' riod before the registrar. No fewer than two hundred and forty-four cases of twin births were registered in the dominion in 1907. On an average one mother in every onehundred and two gave birth to twins. Of the persons married in 1907, 131 bridegrooms and 1296 brides were under 21 years of age. One of the bridegrooms was between 16 and 17 and ten between 18 and 19. Of the brides, ten wore between 15 and 16 and thirtyfour between 16 and 17 years of ago. Seven males and seven females died from venereal diseases, in New Zealand last year,