H.—Bl

of that for the year 1904, an increase of 4-02 per cent. From 1882 until the year 1899 there was a regular fall in the birth-rate. The number of births registered in a year reached 19,846 in 1884, and, after falling to 17,876 in 1892, has risen to 23,682 in 1905, as stated above. The figures for each year from 1882 are worthy of notice, especially in connection' with the subsequent particulars given as to marriages solemnised and the growth of population : — V Number of Rate per 1,000 j v Number of Rate per 1,000 Births. of Population. r. Births. of Population. 1882 ... ... 19,009 37-32 1894 ... ... 18,528 2728 1883 ... ... 19,202 36-28 1895 ... ... 18,546 26-78 1884 ... ... 19,846 35-91 1896 ... ... 18,612 26-33 1885 ... ... 19,693 34-35 1897 ... ... 18,737 25-96 1886 ... ... 19,299 33-15 1898 ... ... 18,955 25-74 1887 ... ... 19,135 32-09 1899 ... ... 18,835 25-12 1888 ... ... 18,902 31-22 1900 ... ... 19,546 25-60 1889 ... ... 18,457 3007 1901 ... ... 20,491 26-34 1890 ... ... 18,278 29-44 1902 ... ... 20,655 25-89 1891 ... ... 18,273 ' 29-01 1903 ... ... 21,829 26-61 1892 ... ... 17,876 27-83 1904 ... ... 22,766 26-94 1893 ... ... 18,187 27-50 j 1905 ... ... 23,682 2722 The marriages have increased numerically, and the population of the colony also. ass? sgEfci *-• =r zjgfc. 1882 ... ... 3,600 509,309 1894 ... ... 4,178 679,196 1883 ... ... 3,612 529,292 1895 ... ... 4,110 692,417 1884 ... ... 3,800 552,590 1896 ... ... 4,843 706,846 1885 ... ... 3,813 573,362 1897 ... ... 4,928 721,609 1886 ... ... 3,488 582,117 1898 ... ... 5,091 736,260 1887 ... ... 3,563 596,374 1899 ... ... 5,461 749,984 1888 ... ... 3,617 605,371 1900 ... ... 5,860 763,594 1889 ... .. 3,632 612,716 1901 ... ... 6,095 777,968 1890 ... ... 3,797 620,780 1902 ... ... 6,394 797,793 1891 ... ... 3,805 629,783 1903 ... ... 6,748 820,217 1892 ... ... 4,002 642,245 1904 ... ... 6,983 845,022 1893 ... ... 4,115 661,349 j 1905 ... ... 7,200 870,000 The average number of children to a marriage may be ascertained by comparing the number of legitimate births for a series of years with the marriages, but commencing with the marriages in the year preceding that for which the firsb number of births is taken. " The figures for the twenty-year period 1886-1905 show a decline in the proportion of births to every marriage in the preceding year from 490 to 3 - 24, as below : — Proportion of Births Year. Marriages. Le ßirt,hT° Marriage solemnised in the Preceding Year. 1885 ... ... ... 3,815 1886 ... ... ... 3,489 18,697 4 90 1887 ... ... ... 3,565 18,518 5-31 1888 ... ... ... 3,617 18,325 5-14 1889 ... ... ... 3,632 17,845 4-93 1890 ... ... ... 3,797 17,675 487 1891 ... ... ... 3,805 17,635 464 1892 ... ... ... 4,002 17,283 4-54 1893 ... ... ... 4,115 17,514 437 1894 ... ... ... 4,178 17,824 4-33 1895 ... ... 17,711 4-24 1895 ... ... ... 4,110 1896 ... ... ... 4,843 17,778 4-32 1897 ... ... ... 4,928 17,911 370 1898 ... ... ... 5,091 18,154 3-68 1899 ... ... ... 5,461 18,006 3-54 1900 ... ... ... 5,860 18,640 3-41 1901 ... ... ... 6,095 19,554 334 1902 ... ... ... 6,394 19,734 3-23 1903 ... ... ... 6,748 20,835 3-26 1904 ... ... ... 6,983 21,737 3-22 1905 ... ... ... ... 22,600 3-24 If the average result be taken out for the ten years 1886-95, it will be found to represent 4-73 births to a marriage. ■ Dealing similarly with the figures for 1896-1905 the result is an average of 3-49, so that regarded annually or decennially there is a decided fall to be observed. In the Australian States a similar decrease is noticeable. New Zealand had in 1880 the highest birth-rate (40-78) ; in 1900 the case was reversed ; but in 1905 the New Zealand rate was higher than that of Queensland (1904), New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

vii