CENSUS OF THE EMPIRE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13173, 25 May 1906, Page 8

CENSUS OF THE EMPIRE.

(London Times.) / The first census of the British Empire: has just been issued from the General Register Office, and by a pleasing freak of fortune the first Minister to whom such a document has^ ever been addressed is Mr John Burns. Hts origin is due to a desire expressed by Mr Chamberlain when at tihe Colonial Office; and there is a certain humour in the circumstance that the resulting practical admonition to "think Imperially" is launched at the head oi a Minister immersed in the more cir.cum'scribed duties of the Local Gcxvernmient Board, and a follow-

er of the leader who ■ has publicly expressed his dislike of the term Imperial

The King has in Asia more than 300 millions of subjects; in America 7£ millions ; in Africa about 43 millions; in Australasia over five millions; and ,in Europe over 42 mil* lions. Classifying them broadly by religions, there are 208 millions of Hindus, 94 millions of Mahoanedans, 58 millions- of, Christians, 12 millions of BuddMsts, and 23 millions of various pagan or non-Ohristian religions. It should be said that this last item represents a very wide/ generalization, since it contains Parsees, Sikhs, Jains, Jews, and Confuicia'ns, as well as very primitive forms of superstition. Eivery a'tifcempt in this country to Add a column for religions to the census returns has been met with an opposition hrtliertio sucteetesfuL It would seem 'that a large part of our population are possessed by an unaccountable reluctance to declare the' faith I that is in them. There does not seem to be mtach of fthis singular reticence in other portions 1 of the Empire. There is no difficulty in getting people to say what liheir religion is, but there is a good deal in classifying t-bem after the inform artian is oWtfiined. People havse the courage •iio • declare themselves CaWthHnnpian, Casnopist, Hoite, Hlylozoji^t, Tij/on, Thesian, Sung Quong, Millennial Dawnite, and so on. Their particular fanicies make good reading, but Hhey are apparently so distracting to a serious statistician as rather to" destroy his humoitfous enjoyinetot. Bven among what he hesitatingly describes ais minor Christian sect's, slueh tftles as Dipper, Tuhker, Fonward Moviement, and Tolstoranian ChristiSn nwislt cause misgivings.

Mx BtUrns and his fxieoa'ds nray be directed to that portion of the rettdrns which shows , at least a million and a (quarter oi Chinamen aire reckoned among British subjects. $f they will pursue the line of inquiry., lihiis suggested they will learn from other, though; not more recondite, sources of information that these Chinese are exemplary subjects, merchants, bankers, amd country gentlemen, as well as industrious and efficient .workmen. [A.! curious fact brought out in the rethirns is that during the last decennial period tKere has been a falling off in the rate of increase of the population thirougihourt tine wftxxto iEmpire. It is well marked even when India, whose . cix'cuimstances have been exceptional, is excluded. The fact would seem to call for revision of theories founded upon the same phenomenon in these islands.