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centre. Steps were therefore taken early in 1895 to collect statistics of the suburban boroughs as well as of the four chief cities. As regards Auckland and Christchurch, the whole of the area usually recognised as suburban has not yet been brought under municipal government, and the statistics given below do not deal with such portions as still remain in road districts. The omission, however, is not very important, for there are in either case quite enough suburbs included within borough boundaries to give a fair idea of the death-rate of Greater Auckland and Greater Christchurch. As further boroughs are formed the vital statistics will be made to include them. The total number of deaths registered for the four centres in 1905 was 2,388—viz., 2,007 in the cities, and 381 in the suburbs. By including the suburbs the death-rate for last year is lowered at three of the four centres. The rates for the year are : — Death-rates per 1,000 of Mean Population. Auckland City ... ... ■•■ ••• ■•• 12-15 v and five suburban boroughs ... ... 10-52 Wellington City ... ... •■• ••• ••• 105 5 and two suburban boroughs ... ... 10-21 Christchurch City ... ... ■•■ ••• •■• 10 76 n and one suburban borough ... ... 10-89 Dunedin City ... ... ••• ••• ••• H' l3 v and six suburban boroughs ... ... 1012 If the suburbs are included,-the death-rate is found to be highest at Christchurch and lowest in Dunedin ; Auckland and Wellington taking second and third places respectively. The death-rate for the colony was 9-27 per 1,000 of mean population. The four centres might be expected to show a higher average than this. If the number of deaths of infants under one year be excluded, the mortality among the rest of the population is found to have been for 1904 and 1905 in the following ratio to the 1,000 living :— 1904. 1905. Auckland (including suburbs) ... ... ... ■•• 8-11 796 Wellington „ 789 7-38 Christchurch „ ... ••• ••• ••• 7-62 8-25 Dunedin „ 9-60 8.51 The degree of infantile mortality is perhaps best shown in the proportion of deaths of children under one year of age to every 100 births. For 1904 and 1905 the proportions at the chief centres were,— 1904. 1905. Auckland (including suburbs) ... ... ••■ ••• 701 9-15 Wellington „ 9-53 9 6 2 Christchurch „ 10-30 8-90 Dunedin „ 930 671 Thus in 1905 the proportions for Dunedin and Christchurch are less than those found at either of the other two chief cities. Mortality at Four Centres, excluding Suburbs. Excluding suburbs, and dealing with the deaths at all ages in the four cities or central boroughs only, the rates for 1905 are found to be lower than in the previous year at Wellington and Dunedin, but higher at Auckland and Christchurch. The figures for four years are given :— , Deaths per 1,000 of Population. , 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. Auckland (excluding suburbs) 17-21 12-97 11-11 12-15 Wellington „ 12-58 11-30 1075 10-55 Christchurch „ 12-24 11-39 10-50 1076 Dunedin „ 1186 14-77 13-59 11-13 Omitting the deaths of infants under one year, and calculating the rate on the population of one year of age and upwards, two of the boroughs show lower rates for 1905 than for the previous year. Deaths per 1,000 of Population, excluding Infants (under One Year of Age). 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. Auckland (excluding suburbs) 9-93 12-86 9-45 9-24 9-39 Wellington „ 8-12 9-54 8-84 8-42 7-80 Christchurch „ 10-69 9-03 8-83 7-87 8-46 Dunedin „ 10-88 10-35 13-61 11-90 9-64 Subjoined is a table showing the rates of infant mortality in the four cities for each of the past five years, together with the mean rates for the period. Deaths of Children under One Year to every 100 Births. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. p^y",^. Auckland (excluding suburbs) 11-57 15-41 12-08 6-93 10-13 11-22 Wellington „ 10-43 12-97 9-28 955 10-02 10-45 Christchurch „ 11-35 13-32 10-49 10-36 8-60 10-82 Dunedin „ 907 8-60 7-27 8-74 7-21 8-18