H.—22.

I also give a statement showing the number of marriages of Natives solemnized during the same period under the Native Land Act, and the number of Maori registrations effected under the regulations relating to the registration of births and deaths of Maoris : —

In addition to the business referred to above, the registration of medical practitioners, dentists, and officiating ministers is undertaken by this Department. The following tables show the additions to and removals from the medical and dentists' registers during the last five years : —

Medical Register.

Dentists' Register.

On the 31st December last there were 1,695 ministers on the list of officiating ministers under the Marriage Act having authority to solemnize marriages in New Zealand, as follows : Church of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England, 453 ; Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, 381.; Roman Catholic Church, 275; Methodist Church of New. Zealand, 243 ; Congregational Independents, 31 ; Baptists, 64 ; Church of Christ, 31 ; Salvation Army, 117 ; other denominations, 100. The number of searches made and certificates issued last year by the Head Office was as follows : For Pensions Department, 6,390 (including 2,994 for war-pension purposes) ; for National Provident Fund, 8,898 ; for Labour Department, 1,458 ; for Education Department, 912 ; other searches (for public, &c), 2,323 ; certificates issued, 6,671 : total searches, &c, 26,652. The revenue for the last five financial years was as follows : 1916-17, £13,684 ; 1917-18, £12,450 ; 1918-19, £12,811 ; 1919-20, £18,439; 1920-21, £19,569. Searches for other Departments of the Service are made free of charge. If these were paid for, the revenue of this Department would be augmented by over £1,000 a year. The expenditure for the last five years was—l9l6-17, £9,175 ; 1917-18, £9,176 ; 1918-19, £11,020 ; 1919-20, £14,348 ; 1920-21, £17,801. W. W. Cook, Registrar-General. The Under-Secretary, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.

11

Year. Maori Births. Maori Deaths. Maori Marriages. .916 917 918 919 920 1,020 1,235 1,171 995 1,001 761 729 1,937 1,194 859 japj 197 205 193 185 198 proximate)

1916. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. umber on register on 1st January (umber added during year by registration .. 'umber added during year by restoration (umber removed during year on evidence of death . . 'umber removed during year by direction of Medical Board — Letter not delivered and returned to Registrar-General umber removed during year by direction of Supreme Court 948 37 5 10 962 27 1 21 969 30 3 17 985 48 3 20 1,015 71* 5 25 18 1 2 'umber on register on 31st December 962 969 985 1,015 1,064 * Includes 36 with New Zeali md qualifii jations.

1916. 1917. 1918. 1919. 1920. 'umber on register on 1st January (umber added during year by registration (umber removed during year on evidence of death .. 767 3 6 764 1 6 759 753 5 7 751 1 5 6 umber on register on 31st December 764 759 753 751 747