The Waipawa Mail. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tuesday, May 1, 1900. VITAL STATISTICS.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXII, Issue 4046, 1 May 1900, Page 2

The Waipawa Mail. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tuesday, May 1, 1900. VITAL STATISTICS.

The Registrar-General’s report on the vital statistics of the principal towns in New Zealand during March is of special interest in the present state of the public mind. Taking the four principal centres and their suburban boroughs, the proportion of deaths to the 1000 of population was as follows :—Auckland and suburbs, 1.16 ; AVellington and suburbs, 0.90 ; Christchurch and suburbs, 0.82 ; Dunedin and suburbs, 0.88. In Auckland and its suburban boroughs there were seventeen deaths from specific febrile or zymotic diseases, 14 of the deceased being under five years of age. In regard to deaths of children under this head, Auckland and its suburban boroughs show a very much higher total than the other centres and their suburbs. The particular complaints which were so fatal at Auckland were of a diarrhoeal nature. In all these there were thirty deaths at the four chief centres and their suburbs from specific febrile or zymotic diseases during March. It is a fairly accurate statement to make, that zymotic diseases are preventable diseases. For that reason it is useful to pick out the figures in regard to them. The total for March differed but little from that of the two previous months, when the deaths were twenty-nine and thirty-one respectively.

ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. There has been a good deal of dissatisfaction expressed recently at the methods adopted by those who are responsible for the administration of the Advances to Settlers Act. At the last meeting of the Wellington Land Board, Mr J. Stevens M.H.R., voiced this opinion. He said it was surprising that the department was no longer advancing money upon leasehold securities which, in his opinion, furnished first-class security. The result would be to inflict great hardship on many deserving men. Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., also regretted that the Advances to Settlers Office was not affording settlers in the bush the assistance they had a right to expect. Though many selectors had considerably improved their holdings, they were unable to obtain advances. In one instance a Pongoroa settler, whose name he mentioned, informed him that last Christmas he was offered £2OO for his section. He had fifty acres in grass, twenty-five acres just sown down, twenty-nine chains of fencing, a whare covered with iron, and with an iron chimney, and when he applied for £IOO in order to buy sheep and fell more bush, he was refused any assistance whatever. Other

similar representations had been made, and the only conclusion Mr Hogg could arrive at was that while the Superintendent was doing his duty, the settlers were probably suffering owing to the unfortunate illness of the Minister of Lands, and the consequent absence of anyone with a practical knowledge of their position and requirements.