DOWNWARD TREND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 13 April 1945, Page 4

DOWNWARD TREND

NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL POPULATION

Speaking of the existing trend towards a decline in the ppoulation of New Zealand in common with other western races. Mr L. R. Palmer, in an address at the Nelson Rotary Club’s luncheon yesterday, quoted figures showing the gradual decrease in the enrolments at schools. During the yedi-s from 1936 to 1942 the enrolments of children at schools in New Zealand had decreased by 6260. In the Nelson education district to-day there were approximately 800 fewer childien on the school rolls than there were some 20 years ago As a contrast the eastern races were expanding at a tremendous rate, said Mr Palmer. With the exception of New Zealand all the countries bordering the Pacific basin were the must densely populated of the world, and their birthrate was So high that each year the increase of their peoples totalled 20.000000. In Japan there were 2.000,000 babies born each year, although the extremely high mortality rate there reduced the actual increase to just under 1,000.000 ■lava had a population of 48.000.000 !jvinti in an area less than that of the South Islan-i. Such extreme differences of pressure in population, as in meteorology, were apt to produce a “cyclone” said Mr Palmer.