THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 207, 7 August 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam."

DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1802.

We latt \y gave a resume of the census of New Zealand for ISGI, confining our remarks chiefly to the industrial and commercial condition of the various Provinces, particularly the Province of Otago. it in our present intention to make an analysis of the social and educational condition cl the Province of Otago, and of its agricultural and pastoral operations, basing our calculations upon the Abstract of the Census for this Province, published in the Provincial O'orennnent Gazette of yesterday. This Abstract is a very valuable and interesting record, and furnishes abundant proof that the gold discoveries have not had any deteriorating influence upon the social condition of the people. Twelve months ago, it was predicted that the gold discoveries, however much they might increase the commercial ■ prosperity of the province, would be the means of introducing a population containing elements of disorder, immorality, and crime. How utterly unfounded th'o.-c anticipations have proved to be, the history of the last twelve months affords abundant evidence, and the tables before us furnish a complete vindication of the intelligent character of the population. The population of the Province of Otago was, in December, ISUI, 30,209, inclusive of about 3000 miners unenuinerated. Of this number. •21,,T28 were males above Hi years of age, and 334G adult females. There were 410:? married males, 233G married females '260 widowers, and 132 widows. The population of the Tarious districts is stated as follows:—City of Dunediu, 5850; Town of Port Chalmers, ,'390; Town of Oamaru, 107; Kastern District, 1293 ; .Western District, 12:54 ; Central District, 1724; Tokomairiro, 1813; Clutha District, 921 ; lUaniototo District, 334 ; Northern District, 1252; Tuapeka District, 11,472; Military in Dunedin, 10(>. Miners'." in gullies, &c, and on the roads, 3000; on board shipping in harbor, -673. Of the adult population of the Province, 714 were members of educated professions, merchants, clerks, &c.; 1,407 were artizaris-and skilled laborers; 955 were unskilled laborers; 1,922 followed other industrial pursuits; 573 were storekeepers and tradesmen ; 1,624 followed agricultural and pastoral pursuits; and 10,826 were gold miners. We will now enquire into the subject of education, and endeavor to show the respective degrees of education of the mining, agricultural and pastoral districts, and the City of Dunedin, including Port Chalmers. In making our calculations we shall compare the number of those who can read, or read and write, with the number of population over six years of age.

Dunedin and Port Chalmers had a population over six years of age of 5,130, of whom 427 could read only; and 4,496 could read and write. The mining district had a population over six years of age, of 11,425, of whom 159 could read only, and 8201 who could read and write. The agricultural and pastoral districts had population of 7117, of whom BG6 could read only, and 6133 could read and write. It will thus be seen that the proportion of educated population, i. c. who could read and write, was in Dunedin and Port Chalmers, about 88 per cent. In the mining district,slightly over 71^ per cent; and in the agricultural and pastoral districts, nearly BG$ per cent. There were being educated in Schools supported by Government aid, 354 male children, and 292 female children ; and 163 male, and 2G5 female children, educated in private schools. 105 children attended Sunday Schools alone, while 455 attended both day and Sunday Schools.

%Of religious denominations, the Presbyterian Church numbered 10,596 ; Church of England 9062; Roman Catholics 2745; Wesleyan Methodist 607; Congregational

Independents 395 ; Baptists 272 ; Lutherans 117 ; Hebrews ilO3 ; Unitarians 26 ; Society of Friends 8; Primitive Methodists 7; other denominations 65; including 2 Mahomedans and 10 Mormons; those under the head of " unknown" numbering 3100. Of the population of the Province, 8849 were born in Scotland, 7494 in England, 3154 in Ireland, 167 in Wales, 2720 in New Zealand, 777 in Australian colonies, 140 in other British possessions, 309 in the United States, 80 in France, 194 in Germany, 366 in other foreign countries, 79 at sea, 2834 unknown, besides 3000 unenumerated miners. The Scotch muster strongest in the City of Dunedin district, numbering 2673, against 1588 English, 313 Irish and 25 Welsh, the balance being made up of other nations. On the diggings the population consisted of 4001 English, 2303 Irish, 1446 Scotch, 94 Welsh—the balance being natives of other countries. In the agricultural and pastoral districts, the Scotch were by far the most numerous of the natives of the United Kingdom. To lodge the population of the Province, there were 1617 wooden houses, 96 houses of stone or brick, 670 houses built of other materials, and 3563 tents. Of these different descriptions of habitations, 4992 had only one or two rooms, 311 had three rooms, 315 had four rooms, 132 had five rooms, and 394 had six rooms and upwards. Comparing the amount of accommodation with the population, we find that there were 6144 houses and tents, or about 11000 rooms, for a population of 27,163. There were 42,254 acres of land fenced in, in the Province, of which quantity the Central District contained 13,708 acres. .In the Tokomairiro district, there were 9,940 acres; Eastern district, 5,351 acres; Clutha district, 5,000 acres; Northern district, 4,687 acres; in Dunedin City, 629 acres; in Oamaru Town, 131 acres; Port Chalmers, 69 acres; and Maniototo district, 69 acres. Of the whole land uuder crop in the Province, 8,220$ acres were sown in grass, 4928$ acres in wheat, 4,518$ acres in oats, 607.^ acres in potatoes, 504$ acres in gardens and orchards, and 248$ acres in other crops. The greatest extent of land under crop was in the Central District, the quantity being 7,020$ acres; Tokomairiro district had 3,690$ acres; the Eastern district, -2915 acres; the Northern district, 2319j acres ; the Western district, 1,575 acres; Clutha district, 1213} acres; Dunedin City, 329 acres; Port Chalmers Town, 1-282 acres; Maniototo district, 4C{ acres ; Oamaru Town, 11 * acres; the Central district, the principal crop grown was wheat, 2870 acres ; grass, 20S8 acres ; mixed oats, 1620] acres. In the Tokomariro district, theprincipalcrop grown was oats, 1328| acres; grass, 115G acres; wheat, 921 acres In the j Eastern district, grass was the "principal crop,! being 1915 acres; next oat?, 570 \ acres; and I wheat, 24GJ' acres. In the Northern district, grass was abotheprincipalerop, ot which there were 1343 \ acres; there were also about 800 acres in wheat and oats. In the Clutha district, wheat was the principal crop, of which there were 456^ acres; next oats, 305 acres ; and grass, 280 acre*. The other districts do not call for any particular definition. The Tokoirmiriro district had ihe largest number of horned cattle, the number being 7913; the Central district had GGli head. The Clutha district, 5355; Northern district, 5259; Maniototo, 4S»OG; Eastern district, 2411); Western district, 1255; Dunciin, 342; Tuapeka, 252; Oamaru, 190; Port Chalmers, 80. 'Ihe greatest number of sheep were in the Northern District, the. number being 212,890. Maniototo had IUG,9-11. Tokomairiro, 85,031 ; Clutha District, 82,922; Eastern District, 1957; Tunpeka, 1512; Western District, 1022. The Northern District contained the most horses—Ss3 ; Tokomairiro had 847 ; Central District, 181G; Clutha District, 541; Dunedin City, 530; Eastern District, 393; Western District, 322; Maniototo, 240; Tuapeka, 160.

From the preceding short review a tolerably correct idea may be formed of the social condition, occupations, and general characteristics of the population of Otago, and also the extent and nature of the agricultural and pastoral operations carried on in the several districts of the Province.