THE MAORI POPULATION.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8047, 2 November 1906, Page 2

THE MAORI POPULATION.

THE CENSUS RETURNS. The total native population of the colony 'Ccording to the last cmsus returns, which • ere presented to Parliameut reoeatly, is 17,731, being an increase of 4,538 on the previous census. With regard to the natives in the Waikato, the following extracts from the reports of enumerators will prove of interest : Mr If. Dunbar Johnson, enumerator for the Auckland - Taupo - Waikato district says: " The total number of persons taken in ray district (so far as returns are in) is 9,941, which, compared with the oensus taken in the same district in 1001, shows an increase of 429 persons, to which, of coarse, will have to be added the number of persons in the northern portion of West Taupo C unty when the missing returns come to hand. (Kawhia County, as it xisted in 11)01, has sine-) been divided into Kawhia (minor), Awakino, and Waitomo Counties. I fully believe that some few persons have been omitted, either owing to movements from one place to another, and so being misßed, or to refusal to give information. lam glud to fiad that very tew now refuse on the ground that they •ire adherents of Mahuta or Te Whiti. Some of the refusals were baaed upon supposed grievances, and in such cases the sub-enumerators had to do the be-.t that theyc uidto arrive at a fdirly accunte estimate of numbers, sexos, and ages." Ue draws attention to the loss of stock mentioned by Mr Gerring, one of the sub'numurators, caused by the reok : ess way in which poisia has been laid by the Uovi rnmi nt rabbiter at Osauia and Whakaaratai aiti, Piako Cuunty. Mr Gerring, in the course of Ins report, says:—''l have much pleasure iu stating that the general health < f the Maoris in my district is very good. Jn all the places visited by me I saw only one case ot sickness—it the Morriniville rlix-tnill—and the man looked to me to have ben overworked. In no other place did I see any one ailing, with the exception of one or two cases of colds. 1 particularly inquired as to the state of health for some months back, but was everywhere informed that there had been no epidemic or sickness for some considerable time past In all my round I found the greatest willingness on the part of the Native* to give the required information, *nd in no case was the slightest objection made after I had stated my mission. Of course, there were always the usual questions OS to why pirtieuiars were wanted, etc, but, alter briefly explaining matters, the work went on without any discussion."

The remarks of Mr Gerring as to the general health of the natives, and theii willingness to supply information, applies generally to this locality, all the sub-enu-munit ra remarking on this.