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death-rate at the 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 1906 was 2,480 —viz., 2,066 in the cities and 414 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 ... ' 1251 „ and six suburban boroughs ... ... 9-90 Wellington City ... ... ... ... ... 945 „ and three suburban boroughs ... ... 9-19 Christchurch City ... ... ... ... ... IM2 „ and one suburban borough ... ... 11-25 DunedinCity 1270 „ and six suburban boroughs ... ... 11-35 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 1905 and 190R in the following ratio to the 1,000 living:— 1905. 1906. Auckland (including suburbs) ... ... ... ... 7 - 96 7-63 Wellington „ ... ... ... ... 7-38 723 Christchurch „ 8-25 915 Dunedin „ 8-51 9-39 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 1905 and 1906 the proportions at the chief centres are, — 1905. 1906. Auckland (including suburbs) ... . ... ... 9-15 858 Wellington „ ... ... ... ... 962 7-19 Christchurch „ ... ... ... ... 8-90 7-44 Dunedin „ 6-71 7-26 Again, the percentage of deaths of children under 5 to the total deaths is—Auckland, 28-13; Christchurch, 23-00; Wellington, 24-03; Dunedin, 22-27. 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 1906 are found to be lower than in the previous year at Wellington, but higher at Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The figures for five years are given:— , Deaths per 1,000 of Population. . 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. Auckland (excluding suburbs) 17-21 12-97 11-11 12-15 1251 Wellington „ 12-58 11-30 1075 10-55 9-45 Christchurch „ 12-24 11-39 10-50 1076 11-12 Dunedin „ 11-86 14-77 13-59 11-13 12-70 Omitting the deaths of infants under one year, and calculating the rate on the population of one year of age and upwards, Wellington again shows a lower rate for 1906 than for the previous year. Deaths per 1,000 of Population, excluding Infants, (under One Year of Age). 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. Auckland (excluding suburbs) 1286 9-45 924 9-39 984 Wellington „ 9-54 8-84 8-42 780 7-68 Christchurch „ 9-03 883 7-87 8-46 9-34 Dunedin „ 1035 13-61 1190 964 1076 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. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1906. j^y"^, Auckland (excluding suburbs) 15-41 1208 6-93 10-13 9-92 1089 Wellington „ 12-97 9-28 955 10-02 7-11 9-79 Christchurch „ 13-32 10-49 10-36 8-60 7-24 1000 Dunedin „ 8-60 7-27 8-74 7-21 7-76 7-92

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