The Waipawa Mail WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1934. PASSING NOTES.

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXII, Issue 76, 14 March 1934, Page 2

The Waipawa Mail WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1934. PASSING NOTES.

LEGAL ANOMALY. An extraordinary anomaly in the Municipal Corporations Act has been revealed by the failure of the burgesses of Woodville to fill two vacancies which have occurred on the Borough Council. When two of the councillors resigned nominations were called for in due form, but there was no response. The process was re- . prated, with a like result, and also for the third time. Meanwhile the Minister of Internal Affairs had been approached to ascertain whether it would not be possible to alter the constitution of the Council by reducing the number of members from nine to seven. The Council have been • advised that the only way out of the j difficulty appears to be for the Coun- • cil to pass a special order reducing the total number of members, and i this could take effect at the next 1 general election. But what is to h. (fine meantime"? Are the Council to keep on calling for nominations from burgesses who do not appear to have any interest in the welfare of their ' town ? The position is unique, and will no doubt form the subject of some comment at the Municipal Conference this week. BIRTHS & DEATHS. Vital statistics for the last year provide a basis both for congratulation and for speculation—the former for the smallness of the death rate, {lie latter for the lowness of the birth rate. While the decrease in our population by death makes a new record, the rate being the lowest in the world, the increase through births is by no means as large as could be expected; since the same conditions of public health and hygiene which make for low mortality should he an important factor in a higher birth rafr. appreciable drop over a ten-year peiiod. in the decade from 1923 (o 1933 fhe rate fell from 21.94 to 16.57. | Nor has the marriage rate increased to any maiked degree in Hie past few siiui lias had, perhaps is still having, its effect on the late, though I lie laid of an increase last year is evidence that men and women have a greater confidence in the future. With a lower hit Mi i ate, a marriage rate but slightly increased, and the balance of migration against us—statistics show that, actually more persons leave the Dominion than remain here—any inci.use in or population fheatens to be small. Our natural increase* last yeai was 10,000 in round figures, about the same as the previous year. These facts open up the larger question of the means whereby New Zealand is ultimately to he peopled in proportion ' > its resources—and its debts.