CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7866, 31 July 1911, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS

PTJBUO SERVICE SHFBBANNUATiON. The pensions paid last year out of the Public Service Superannuation Pond to contributors who had retired or to the dependents, of contributors who had died, amounted to over of which .£l3!'l went to widows and children. New. pensions for .£SB-10 were granted during the year to forty-two members for ago or length of service, to thirteen members for medical 'unfitness, and to twenty-one widows and seventeen children. The largest retiring allowance granted during the year was .£521 • 13s, and the smallest ja 17s; while the average was £95 8s 3d. The officers who retired would have been entitled -to J814,854i accrued compensation under the Civil Service Act if they had not become participants in the fund. Nineteen retiring allowances were discontinued by death and four for other causes. Paring, the year the Police Provident Fund was merged in the larger fund, carrying 773 members contributing .£7838 por annum, while the funds transferred amounted to .£32,785. The total income for the year, including the police fund, was .£156,008. to which the members contributed 3389,290 by ordinary subscriptions, and the Government .£22,500. The public servants contributing to the fund total 8371, of whom 7435 are males and 906 females. SMOKING AND DRINKING. There is some interesting information as to the consumption of articles in common use in a paper which was presented to Parliament last week. It shows, for instance, that every member of the adult male population (including Maoris) consumed—or else someone else consumed it for Wi™—3.37 gallons of spirits and 7.10 pounds of tobacco, as compared with 226 gallons of spirits and 7.17 pounds of tobacco in 1909-10. The total consumption of spirits increased from 719,138 gallons to 767,620 gallons, and of tobacco’ from 2,278,035 pounds to 2,293,777 pounds. Tho average consumption of tobacco was lower than for many years past with the exception of 1906, when it was 7.06 pounds. Tho consumption of wine was at the rate of 0.21 gallon per head of the whole population over fifteen years of age, a very slight increase on tho pro-

vious year. Tho total demand was 715,908 gallons, as against 702,379 gallons in 1909. There was also a slight increase in the importations of ale and beer, which was used at tho rate of 0.38 gallon par head of the adult population. The total consumption was 271.594 gallons, as, against 352,320 gallons.the previous year. New Zealand brewed beer was drunk at exactly the same rate per head as in 1009, 13.1 gallons. Tho total consumption was 9,393,-1-10 gallons. Nearly seven and a quarter pounds of tea are credited to every man, woman and child in the Dominion, an in crease of .14 pound per head in the year. Tho total importation was 7,532,530 pounds, as against 7,302,310 | pounds in 1909. Sugar was used at tho rate of 107.9 pounds per head last year, a decrease of nearly seven pounds since 1909. Tho actual , importation totalled 113,337,875 pounds, compared with 118,274,912 pounds tho year before. Of coffee, cocoa and chicory, which are lumped together, only a little over half a pound jier head was used. ALMOST SELF-SUPPORTING. The Valuation Department’s expenditure last year was 9130,931, but the revenue from sources other than the Consolidated Fund was so substantial that the department became almost selfsupporting. Fees for* valuers' reports amounted to .216,478, and local authorities' contributions for preparing and correcting rolls totalled ,£5806. The Land Tax Department paid .£7OOO to the Valuation. Department for land-tax rolls, and tho Government Advances to Settlers’ Department paid .£750 for agency work, leaving about 26885 to he- made up from the Consolidated Fund. NATIVE SCHOOLS. At tho end of last year there were, in addition to public schools giving instruction to Maori children, 114 schools in operation for the primary purpose of giving instruction to the Maori. Of these .99 w cro native village schools, . 6 were mission schools subject to inspection by the Education Department, and 9 were boarding schools affording secondary education to Maoris. The number of scholars on tho rolls of the native village schools rose from 4121 to 4280 during tho year, the average attendance being 3714. The percentage of regularity of attendance was higher last year than, it has been for at least ten years, a result which must ho considered highly satisfactory when it is remembered that all tho native schools are situated in rural districts having, in most cases, a sparse and widely-scattered population. In many of the village schools, notably To Kao in the far north, the attendance is remarkably good, tho regularity in fully onethird of them reaching over 90 per cent. There were 3SI Maori boys, and girls receiving higher education, '378 of whom wore attending tho various secondary native schools, while tho remaining 3 boys were pupils of other secondary schools. Of these 5-1 boys and 83 girls were holders of free places provided by tho Government. The number of European children attending native schools rose from 391 to 427. Tho total number of children of Maori or of mixed race' on the rolls of primary native schools, public schools, native mission schools, and secondary native schools, together with such pupils as wore receiving special technical training at tho end of tho year 1910, was 9355. On tho staffs of the village schools were 78 masters, 21 mistresses in charge, 109 assistants, and 4 sewing teachers. Three ,sohools are in charge of teachers who are themselves members of tho Maori race, and the inspectors speak very highly of their efficiency. Several Maori girls who have completed their course in tho secondary schools are employed as junior assistants, and are on tho whole doing satisfactory ■ work. Tho total expenditure on native schools- during the year 1910 was .£33,387 Is lid. Included in this amount is the sum of 224,305 paid from revenues, from national endowments. New buildings and additions involved an expenditure, of 262,814; maintenance and repairs J21.2C9.