TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXV, Issue 74, 30 March 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The census of New Zealand will be taken to-morrow night; -that is to say, the schedules distributed among the people have to be filled in at that time, and all householders have to see that, the forms are properly filled in. It is greatly to be desired that the importance of the event should be fully realised ; in the words of a circular recently issued by the authorities, "the intelligent co-operation of every occupier or person in charge of a dwelling-house is earnestly desired to help in bringing to a success the census work by carefully filling up the schedule." There is, indeed, a penalty of £20 for refusal or neglect, but it is to be hoped that proceedings at law will be found unnecessary, or, at any rate, only needed in most exceptional cases. -It is needless to mention the value of a census as a means of throwing light upon the more important social and economic questions of the day; nor need householders be reminded that the "numbering of the people" is essential to the work of dividing the Colony anew into electorates of even population. In this district very complete arrangements have been made for the occasion. This is a fact to be noted with satisfaction ; for in connection with the last census an impression prevailed that, though the enumerators did their work well, the returns did not fully represent the population.

In referring to the substantial increase in the value of produce exported from Wellington, the annual report of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce acknowledges the fact that the Empire City rea!ly serves a much larger district, represented by the ports of New Plymouth, Waitara, Patea, Wanganui, Wairau, Picton, and Nelson. Adding the recorded exports of these ports to those of the Wellington district, the following totals represent the value of exports that leave the port of Wellington :—Wellington—lß99 1900, £2,411,----940; 1898-9, £1,771,380; 1897-8, ,-£1,775,794 ; 1896-7, £1,519,201. Cook Strait Ports—lß99-1900, £1,144,726 ; 1898-9, £1,019,440 ; 1897-8, £884,839; j 1896-7, £794,194. Totals—lß99-1900, £3,556,666 ; 1898-9, £2,790,820 ; 1997r8, £2,660,633 ; 1893-7, £2,313,385. West Coast Ports—lß99-1900, £382,270; 1898-9, £381,787; 1897-8, £298,040; 1896-7, £293,333. While no doubt true that a proportion of the exports of Cook Strait ports are despatched from those ports, it is also certain that much of those from West Coast ports given above, and even a proportion from more distant and more important places leave the colony from Wellington, It may be added that Marlborough produce contributes largely to Wellington's export trade, and the published statistics of exports from local ports are of no value whatever as a means of garaging the progress of onr export trade. A reliable system of recording the exports of well-defined districts would be welcomed.

France, hitherto the " frightful example" of the civil effects of limiting the birth-rate by mechanical means, or prudential restraint, is beginning to plume herself upon being "less given to these practices than New Zealand is." M. Paul Robin, of Paris, writing in the January number of Regeneration, the organ of the French neo-Malthusian League, thus speaks of the neo-Malthu-sian experiment of New Zealand : —

"The annual number of births in France is 22 per 10C0 inhabitants. France is decreasing more slowly than other nations. In New Zealand the birth-rate in 1879 was 41 per 1000; and in 1899 it was 25 per 1000. In twenty yearsjt has diminished its birth-rate by 16 per 1000. No such decrease has ever occurred in any other country. In 1902 France will be excelled in parental prudence by the wise New, Zealander, unless . * . . Here we hear the great wrath of the patriotards break forth ; that is to say, the false patriots, Tartuffes of patriotism, who are afraid of the foreigner, and are also afraid of" the poorer classes."