STATISTICS OF NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 5020, 18 December 1877, Page 6

STATISTICS OF NEW ZEALAND.

We have to acknowledge the receipt from the Government printer of the second division of the statistics of New Zealand for the.year 18-76. The present volume embraces three parts—linauce, accumulation, and productiou; law, crime, and. education 9 and miscellaneous tables, &c. On the 31st December last, the estimated population of the colony, exclusive of Maoris and halfcastes, was 399,075, being ail increase of 23,219 during the year, or at the rate of 6 - per cent for the 12 months. This is a lower increase than during any of the two previous Years, consequent upon diminished immigration. The natural increase of population, however, by the excess of births over deaths, is a happy feature in our annual records, being not fewer than 1],2G4 or 2 5 3S m or C than the similar increase in 18;5. At this rate the population of the colony will rapidly increase, even though the aysteni of immigration should cease. The births in Zealand last year were at the rate ot 41 *73 per thousand of the population, a rate far in advauco of that of any of the Australian colonics, including Tasmania, except that of Queensland. New Zealand s birthrate exceeds even that of Austria, which, of all the European countries of which there are any records kept, is the most proline. In that-country the birth rate is 40-125, or less than that of New Zealand by l'6oi> per 1000 of the population. When contrasted with the various Australian colonies, New Zealand compares very favourably m this respect. The birth rate in Victoria per 1000 of the population in IS7i> was 32'23, and for the live years, IS7I to 15715, the average birth rate was only 31'28 per 1000 of the whole -population. The birth-rate in New South Wales in 1575, on the Bame basis, was 39 "73; Western Australia, 31 - 56; South Australia, 39'22 ; and Tasmania, the lowest of all, 29'91. Queeuslaud is the only one of the group, warm though the climate is where the birth-rate exceeds that of New Zealand, and there, in 1875, it was 42'21 per 10U0 of her population, or I'4S in excess of the rate in New-Zealand. But when we come to consider the question of the comparative birth-rates of the several colonies for the last few years, we find that none of these is so expansive, or promises greater internal vitality than that of .New Zealand. In 1873 the total number of births in Auckland was 5720, and in 1576 0903, or an increase in the course of the four years of 1183 per annum. In New Zealand in 1573 there ivere registered 11,222 births, which in IS7O had swelled to It>,ICS, or an iucrease of 4940 per annum. Victoria, the premier colony of the group, had in 1573 25.100 births registered, but in IS7O this number had decreased to 2(5,709, or 1331 per annum fewer than four years before. New South Wales, on the other hand, shoW3 a small increase, though not near so large lelatively, and actually much less even thau that of New Zealand In 1573 the "northern colony" registered 21,444 births, which number increased in IS7O to 23,295, or 1,554 per anuutu more thau four years previously. The annual birth rate of South Australia has increased during the same period her birth-rate about I.UOo per annum, the exact number being 7107 ill IS;3, and [224S in 1870. Tasmania increased about IUO, the figures being in her ease 304S in IS/3, and 3149 iu 1870. Western Australia made fair progress ill this direction during this period, SO9 children being born iu 1873, and in IS7O the births registered were 91S. Viewed iu this most vital of points, New Zealuud thus appears to an envious advantage as compared with her sister colonies iu the feouth Pacific, and though her burthens may be heavy, such vigorous vitality on the part of her people speak well for the future, and also lor the healthiness of the New Zealand climate.

This is also shown when the birth-rate is compared with the death-rate. In Victoria in 1870 the deaths were over 50 per cent, of the births, in New South Wales they were almost 50 per cent of the births, in Queensland iu the same year the deaths were slightly over 50 per cent of the births, in Tasmania they were considerably over 50 per cent, of the births, but in genial New Zealaud the death-rate was about 30 per cent, of the births, or only 12 00 per IUOO of tho population. As compared with this, the death rate in Victoria last year was 10-33 per 1000 of the population, aud for the last eleven years the average death rate in that colony has beeu as high as 15 S9 per 1000 of the mean population.

The total shipping inwards at the various ports in New Zealand last year was 393, ISO tons, being a decrease of 23,54/ as compared with the returns for 1875. The shipping outwards aggregated 393,3.14 tons, together making a total tonnage of 780,514. Aucklaxd, as a port, stands at the top in the matter of shipping, 15,379 tons of shipping belonging to it as compared with 12,003 tons (the next highest) belonging to Dunedin. All the other ports are far behind even Dunedin, Wellington being the next highest with 8,023 tons, aud Lyttelton with 0,100 tons.

Tlie total value of the imports for the year was £0,905,171, and exports £5,455,1)i>1. The gold exported during last year was valued at £1,2U5,559. The wool is rapidly on the increase. During the last five yeat-3 the export of wool from this colony has amounted to nearly two huudred and forty millions of pounds weight. The exports for the last live years show the following ratio of progress : — V. -ir endititr Wool exported. aatu lbs. 40.378.8.19 IS7U 43.233,470 1574 47,4'i4.afc!2 187 a 40 'J4 J.I4S fS7t! if>,'J75,177 It will thus be seen that the increase in the export of wool last year was U,033,0'291b5. in excess of the previous year, the gross pro - duction having increased in four years by no less than 15,593,6351b5., or 3SO per cent. This rate of increase shows the value oE our pastoral interests. The total value of the trade of the colony as represented by the imports and exports amounted in IS7O to £12,578,030, or £32 9s 3Jd per head of the mean population, excluding the aboriginal natives. These figures indicate that the commercial enterprise of the people of the colony is as active as tht physical constitution and vital lorces are strong and vigorous. The aggregate of the accumulation of the colonists is surprising wheu it is considered the fewness of them, the trials they have to endure, the paralyzing effects often produced by the hostility of the native population, and the short period New Zealand has been under an established and orderly Government. The average liabilities of the boroughs within the colony during last year amounted to £7,221,399 Qi lid, and the total aggregate cf assets .to £11,770,070 12s 51. The paid-up capital of the proprietory banks at the close of last year was £4,520,032 Os 9d, and the total amount of last dividends was £325,500. The reserved prolits, when these dividends were declared, amounted to £1,736,936 15s Id. Besides the above, o,t the close of the year there was a sum of £723,910 17s 5d at the credit of depositors in tlie i'ost oilice Savings Banks, and a further sum of £151,235 5s 5d at the credit of depositors in the other savings banks; making together a sum of £905,146 2s lOd. There were 7,19S mortgages executed on laud in the same year, representing £4,230.95S 14s Sd. The releases were 2,995, representing £1,050,104 12s; the excess of mortgages over releases amounted to £2,530,794 2s Sd. To the above has to be added the value of the 13,044,900 acres of land which have been sold since the foundation of the colony. To estimate the value of these broad acres would be a difficult and tedious work, but some idea may be formed when it is stated that throughout the colony at the end of March last there were 45 fullblown municipalities, four of tliein so newly formed that they had not had time to prepare an estimate of thevalueof the property within their boundaries, and to levy rates accordingly. Of the 41 boroughs left, which were in full working order, the estimated annual (or renting) value of the rateable property within them was on the 31st of March last no less than £1,235,723 10s. If this estimate of annual value he taken, as it may fairly be, to represent about 10 per cent, of the selling value of the various properties, we have in the boroughs alone an accumulation of saviugs aggregating 110 less than £12,337,237. When the sums of the various accumulations of the people of New Zealand are added together, they represent a total which would give such an average sum to each member of the community as would fairly justify their claim to rank aa one of the richest countries of the world.