THE GAZETTE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 2926, 3 February 1899, Page 3

THE GAZETTE.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, February 2. An Order-in-Council notifies that the payment of capitation allowance to Education Boards for the quarter ending on the 3lßt day of March, 1893, shall be according to the "working" average attendance of the quarter ending 31st day of December, 1898, as the wording average was defined by Order-in-Conncil dated sth July, 1887. The Gazette contains regulations re spec ting the register of homing pigeons. Mr A. E. Ke*rce is recognised as acting-Consul at Wellington for Norway and Sweden. Promotions for volunteer officers are gazetted aa follows : — '.'aptains Robin and Smith, J)unedin, and Chicken, Napier, to be Majors. The estimated population of the colony on the 31st December last was 783,?17 persons, including 39,854 Maoris ; males 413,797, females 369,520. Chinese are included m the population given above. The number of Chinese m New Zealand on 3lßt December, 1898, was estimated to be 3464, of whom 31 were femalea. Excluding. Maoris, the population of the colony had increased by 14,407, or at the rate of 1 98 per cent, during the year. To this increase the excess of births over deaths contributed 1711, and the excess of arrivals over departures 2693. The birth rate for the colony for 1898 was 25.74 per cent, per 1000 of the mean population, and the death rate 9.84, as against 25.96 and 9.14 respectively m 1897. The number of births registered m 1898(13,955) slightly exceeded those m 1897 (18,737), but with increased population the rate p°r 1000 for 1898 is lower. The deaths m 1898(7244) exceeded those registered m 1897 (6595) by 649, and thuß increased the rate per 1000. The number of marriages (including those contracted between Maoris) solemnised m 1898 is estimated at 5020, giving a rate of 682 ppr ICOO of Hip mean population, against. 4928 and 6.83. the actual number and rate m 1897.