Table of Contents
THE 1926 number of the Year-book follows generally the same lines as its immediate predecessor, but contains a considerable amount of new matter.
Three entirely new sections have been added—on Trade Unions, Employment and Unemployment, and Industrial Accidents, respectively—the two last - mentioned representing the initiation of fresh branches of statistical inquiry, so far as New Zealand is concerned.
A special article is included on the subject of Cancer in New Zealand, written by Mr. J. W. Butcher, whose previous article on the same subject appeared in the 1917 Year-book.
Other new features in this issue are statistics of causes of Maori deaths (section VIc), statistics of short-time in factories (XX), quarterly statistics of local bodies' loan authorities and borrowings (XXIV), index numbers of export prices (XXXIII), State and local body employees (XXXIX), registrations of motor-vehicles (XXXIX), life tables (special article), and statistics of land and land-tax (Appendix A).
The sections on Native Lands, Forestry, and Prices, and the article on Main Highways, have been entirely re-written, while the Statistical Summary has been re-modelled and extended. Several other sections have been re-written in part, or contain new matter.
MALCOLM FRASER,
Government Statistician.
Census and Statistics Office,
Wellington, N.Z., 15th December, 1925.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
THE Dominion of New Zealand consists of two large and several small islands in the South Pacific. These may be classified as follows:—
Islands forming the Dominion proper, for statistical and general practical purposes:—
North Island and adjacent islets.
South Island and adjacent islets.
Stewart Island and adjacent islets.
Chatham Islands.
Outlying islands included within the geographical boundaries of New Zealand as proclaimed in 1847:—
Three Kings Islands.
Auckland Islands.
Campbell Island.
Antipodes Islands.
Bounty Islands.
Snares Islands.
Islands annexed to New Zealand:—
Kermadec Islands.
Cook Islands.
Niue (or Savage) Island.
Palmerston Island.
Penrhyn (or Tongareva) Island.
Manahiki Island.
Rakaanga Island.
Pukapuka (or Danger) Island.
Nassau Island.
Suwarrow Island.
The Proclamation of British sovereignty over New Zealand, dated the 30th January, 1840, gave as the boundaries of what was then the colony the following degrees of latitude and longitude: On the north, 34° 30' S. lat.; on the south, 47° 10' S. lat.; on the east, 179° 0' E. long.; on the west, 166° 5' E. long. These limits excluded small portions of the extreme north of the North Island and of the extreme south of Stewart Island.
In April, 1842, by Royal Letters Patent, and again by the Imperial Act 26 and 27 Vict., c. 23 (1863), the boundaries were altered so as to extend from 33° to 53° of south latitude and from 162° of east longitude to 173° of west longitude. By Proclamation bearing date the 21st July, 1887, the Kermadec Islands, lying between the 29th and 32nd degrees of south latitude and the 177th and 180th degrees of west longitude, were declared to be annexed to and to become part of the then Colony of New Zealand.
By Proclamation bearing date the 10th June, 1901, the Cook Group of islands, and all the other islands and territories situate within the boundary-lines mentioned in the following schedule, were included as from the 11th June, 1901:—
A line commencing at a point at the intersection of the 23rd degree of south latitude and the 156th degree of longitude west of Greenwich, and proceeding due north to the point of intersection of the 8th degree of south latitude and the 156th degree of longitude west of Greenwich; thence due west to the point of intersection of the 8th degree of south latitude and the 167th degree of longitude west of Greenwich; thence due south to the point of intersection of the 17th degree of south latitude and the 167th degree of longitude west of Greenwich; thence due west to the point of intersection of the 17th degree of south latitude and the 170th degree of longitude west of Greenwich; thence due south to the point of intersection of the 23rd degree of south latitude and the 170th degree of longitude west of Greenwich; and thence due east to the point of intersection of the 23rd degree of south latitude and the 156th degree of longitude west of Greenwich.
By mandate of the League of Nations the New Zealand Government also now administers the former German possession of Western Samoa; and, jointly with the Imperial Government and the Government of Australia, holds the League's mandate over the Island of Nauru.
By Imperial Order in Council of the 30th July, 1923, the coasts of the Ross Sea, with the adjacent islands and territories, were declared a British settlement within the meaning of the British Settlements Act, 1887, and named the Ross Dependency. The Governor-General of New Zealand is Governor of the Ross Dependency, and vested with the administration of the dependency.
The total area of the Dominion of New Zealand, which does not include the territories administered under mandate nor the Ross Dependency, is 103,862 square miles. The areas of the principal islands are as follows:—
| Square Miles. | |
|---|---|
| North Island and adjacent islets | 44,131 |
| South Island and adjacent islets | 58,120 |
| Stewart Island and adjacent islets | 662 |
| Chatham Islands | 372 |
| Total Dominion proper | 103,285 |
| “Outlying” islands | 284 |
| “Annexed” islands | 293 |
| Grand total | 103,862 |
The mountainous character of New Zealand is one of its most striking physical characteristics. In the North Island mountains occupy approximately one-tenth of the surface; but, with the exception of the four volcanic peaks of Egmont (8,260 ft.), Ruapehu (9,175 ft.), Ngauruhoe (7,515 ft.), and Tongariro (6,458 ft,), they do not exceed an altitude of 6,000 ft. Of those four volcanoes only the first-named can be classed as extinct. Other dormant volcanoes include Mount Tarawera and White Island, both of which have, in recent years, erupted with disastrous consequences. Closely connected with the volcanic system are the multitudinous hot springs and geysers.
The South Island contains much more mountainous country than is to be found in the North. Along almost its entire length runs the mighty chain known as the Southern Alps, rising to its culmination in Mount Cook (12,349 feet). No fewer than sixteen peaks of the Southern Alps attain a height of over 10,000 ft. Owing to the snow-line being low in New Zealand, many large and beautiful glaciers exist. The Tasman Glacier (Southern Alps), which has a total length of over eighteen miles and an average width of one mile and a quarter, is the largest, On the west coast the terminal face of the Franz Josef Glacier is but a few hundred feet above sea-level.
The following list of named peaks over 7,000 ft. in height has been compiled from various sources. It does not purport to cover all such peaks, nor is exactitude claimed in respect of the elevations shown, many of which are known to be only approximate.
| Mountain or Peak. | Height (Feet). |
|---|---|
Not available. | |
| North Island— | |
| Ruapehu | 9,175 |
| Egmont | 8,260 |
| Ngauruhoe | 7,515 |
| Kaikoura Ranges— | |
| Tapuaenuku | 9,460 |
| Kaitarau | 8,700 |
| Mitre Peak | 8,532 |
| Whakari | 8,500 |
| St. Bernard | 7,416 |
| Dillon | 7,132 |
| St. Arnaud Range— | |
| Travers | 7,666 |
| Spenser Range— | |
| Franklyn | 7,671 |
| Una | 7,540 |
| Ella | 7,438 |
| Faerie Queen | 7,332 |
| Paske | 7,260 |
| Humboldt | 7,240 |
| Dora | 7,100 |
| Southern Alps— | |
| Cook | 12,349 |
| Tasman | 11,475 |
| Dampier | 11,287 |
| Silberhorn | 10,757 |
| Lendenfeldt | 10,456 |
| David's Dome | 10,443 |
| Malte Brun | 10,421 |
| Teiohelmann | 10,370 |
| Sefton | 10,354 |
| Haast | 10,294 |
| Elie de Beaumont | 10,200 |
| Douglas Peak | 10,107 |
| La Perouse | 10,101 |
| Haidinger | 10,059 |
| De la Beche | 10,058 |
| The Minarets | 10,058 |
| Aspiring | 9,975 |
| Hamilton | 9,915 |
| Glacier Peak | 9,865 |
| Grey Peak | 9,800 |
| Aiguilles Rouges | 9,731 |
| Nazomi | 9,716 |
| Darwin | 9,715 |
| Chudleigh | 9,686 |
| Annan | 9,667 |
| Low | 9,653 |
| Haeckel | 9,649 |
| Goldsmith | 9,532 |
| Conway Peak | 9,519 |
| Walter | 9,507 |
| Green | 9,305 |
| D'Archiac | 9,279 |
| Hochstetter Dome | 9,258 |
| Earnslaw | 9,250 |
| Hutton | 9,200 |
| Nathan | 9,200 |
| Sibbald | 9,180 |
| Arrowsmith | 9,171 |
| Bristol Top | 9,167 |
| Spencer | 9,167 |
| The Footstool | 9,073 |
| Rudolf | 9,039 |
| The Dwarf | 9,025 |
| Burns | 8,984 |
| Nun's Veil | 8,975 |
| Bell Peak | 8,950 |
| Johnson | 8,858 |
| Aylmer | 8,819 |
| Hopkins | 8,800 |
| Brodrick | 8,777 |
| Priest's Cap | 8,761 |
| Halcombe | 8,743 |
| Aurora Peak | 8,733 |
| Meeson | 8,704 |
| Meteor Peak | 8,701 |
| Mannering | 8,700 |
| Ward | 8,681 |
| Brunner | 8,678 |
| Jervois | 8,675 |
| Couloir Peak | 8,675 |
| Whitcombe | 8,656 |
| Sealy | 8,651 |
| Moffatt | 8,647 |
| Thomson | 8,646 |
| Hooker | 8,644 |
| Vampire Peak | 8,600 |
| Aigrette Peak | 8,594 |
| Dilemma Peak | 8,592 |
| Evans | 8,580 |
| Bismarck | 8,575 |
| Glenmary | 8,524 |
| Isabel | 8,518 |
| Dechen | 8,500 |
| Loughnan | 8,495 |
| Pibrac | 8,472 |
| Wolseley | 8,438 |
| Unicorn Peak | 8,394 |
| Forbes | 8,385 |
| Anderegg | 8,360 |
| Strachan | 8,359 |
| Beatrice | 8,350 |
| Jackson | 8,349 |
| Maunga Ma | 8,335 |
| Livingstone | 8,334 |
| Baker Peak | 8,330 |
| Bannie | 8,300 |
| Eagle Peak | 8,300 |
| Conrad | 8,300 |
| Richmond | 8,300 |
| Acland | 8,294 |
| Jukes | 8,289 |
| Darby | 8,287 |
| Centaur | 8,284 |
| Tyndall | 8,282 |
| Macfarlane | 8,278 |
| Victoire | 8,269 |
| Alba | 8,268 |
| Coronet Peak | 8,265 |
| Percy Smith | 8,254 |
| Williams | 8,249 |
| Roberts | 8,239 |
| Malcolm Peak | 8,236 |
| Cumine | 8,223 |
| Huxley | 8,201 |
| Kim | 8,200 |
| Drummond | 8,197 |
| McClure. | 8,192 |
| Blair Peak | 8,185 |
| Huss | 8,165 |
| Louper Peak | 8,165 |
| The Anthill | 8,160 |
| Ansted | 8,157 |
| Dennistoun | 8,150 |
| Dun Fiunary | 8,147 |
| Tyndall | 8,116 |
| Fettes | 8,092 |
| Trent | 8,076 |
| King | 8,064 |
| Glacier Dome | 8,047 |
| Humphries | 8,028 |
| Lucia | 8,015 |
| Graceful Peak | 8,000 |
| Lean Peak | 8,000 |
| Raureka Peak | 8,000 |
| Fletcher | 7,995 |
| Farrar | 7,982 |
| Radove | 7,914 |
| Cooper | 7,897 |
| Ramsay | 7,880 |
| Frances | 7,876 |
| Cloudy Peak | 7,870 |
| Observation Peak | 7,862 |
| Cadogan Peak | 7,850 |
| Blackburn | 7,835 |
| Strauchon | 7,815 |
| Du Faur Peak | 7,800 |
| Turret Peak | 7,800 |
| Dobson | 7,799 |
| Westland | 7,762 |
| Dark | 7,753 |
| Hulka | 7,721 |
| Copland | 7,695 |
| Park Dome | 7,688 |
| Turner's Peak | 7,679 |
| Edison | 7,669 |
| Petermann | 7,664 |
| Montgomery | 7,661 |
| St. Mary | 7,656 |
| Fraser | 7,654 |
| Taylor | 7,641 |
| Sibyl Peak | 7,625 |
| Edith Peak | 7,600 |
| Madonna Peak | 7,600 |
| McKenzie | 7,563 |
| Onslow | 7,561 |
| Novara Peak | 7,542 |
| Proud Peak | 7,540 |
| Nicholson | 7,500 |
| Pyramus | 7,500 |
| Howitt | 7,490 |
| Erebus | 7,488 |
| Eros | 7,452 |
| Rolleston | 7,447 |
| Turnbull | 7,400 |
| Annette | 7,351 |
| Neave | 7,350 |
| Roon | 7,344 |
| Maitland | 7,291 |
| Adams | 7,247 |
| Jollie | 7,232 |
| Enys | 7,202 |
| Potts | 7,197 |
| German | 7,184 |
| Hutt | 7,180 |
| Kinkel | 7,121 |
| Marshman | 7,116 |
| Murray | 7,065 |
| Artist Dome | 7,061 |
| McFettrick Peak | 7,061 |
| Beaumont | 7,035 |
| Ballance | 7,008 |
| Burnett | 7,003 |
| Spence | * |
| Two Thumbs Range— | |
| Thumbs | 8,338 |
| Alma | 8,204 |
| Fox | 7,604 |
| Musgrave | 7,379 |
| Chevalier | 7,339 |
| Sinclair | 7,022 |
| Darran Range— | |
| Tutoko | 9,042 |
| Christina | 8,675 |
| Barrier Range— | |
| Edward | 8,459 |
| Pollux | 8,341 |
| Brewster | 8,264 |
| Castor | 8,256 |
| Liverpool | 8,040 |
| Islington | 7,700 |
| Goethe | 7,680 |
| Cosmos | 7,640 |
| Oblong Peak | 7,600 |
| Somnus | 7,599 |
| Joffre | 7,500 |
| French | 7,400 |
| Head | 7,400 |
| Moira | 7,300 |
| Clarke | 7,300 |
| Plunket | 7,220 |
| Ark | 7,190 |
| Balloon | * |
| The Remarkables— | |
| Double Cone | 7,688 |
| Ben Nevis | 7,650 |
The hot springs of the North Island form one of the most remarkable features of New Zealand. They are found over a large area, extending from Tongariro, south of Lake Taupo, to Ohaeawai, in the extreme north—a distance of some three hundred miles: but the principal seat of hydrothermal action appears to be in the neighbourhood of Lake Rotorua, about forty miles north-north-east from Lake Taupo. By the destruction of the famed Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana during the eruption of Mount Tarawera on the 10th June, 1886, the neighbourhood was deprived of attractions unique in character and of unrivalled beauty: but the natural features of the country—the numerous lakes, geysers, and hot springs, some of which possess remarkable curative properties in certain complaints—are still very attractive to tourists and invalids. The vast importance of conserving this region as a sanatorium for all time has been recognized by the Government, and it is dedicated by Act of Parliament to that purpose.
There are also several small hot springs in the South Island, the best-known being those at Hanmer.
The following article on the mineral waters and spas of New Zealand is by the Government Balneologist, Dr. J. D. C. Duncan, M.B., Ch.B. (Edin.), member of the International Society of Medical Hydrology:—
It has been acknowledged by the leading hydrologists in Europe that New Zealand possesses the most valuable mineral waters in existence. Not only are these mineral waters interesting from a tourist's point of view, but they are, because of their medicinal value, of great therapeutic importance, and, as a Dominion asset, worthy of the deepest scientific consideration.
From the spectacular aspect only a brief mention need be made in this article, as a full description of springs, geysers, and mud-pools has been given in Dr. Herbert's book, “The Hot Springs of New Zealand”—a book that presents a comprehensive and vivid picture of the main manifestations of thermal activity in New Zealand.
Dealing with the medical-scientific aspect of the mineral waters, the space of this article will permit only the shortest account of the treatments; and, as the Rotorua Spa is of premier importance, the article will be confined almost entirely to its operations.
Since and as the result of experience gained during the war the subject of hydro-therapy has been recreated on modern scientific lines, and the actions of thermal mineral waters have been investigated, both chemically and physiologically, in determining their therapeutic value in the treatment of disease.
The mineral waters which have been harnessed for therapeutic use at the Rotorua Spa are of two main varieties—viz., the “Rachel,” which is an alkaline, sulphuretted water, emollient to the skin, and sedative in reaction; and the “Priest,” or free-acid water, which, due to the presence of free sulphuric acid, is mainly stimulating and tonic in reaction. There is, in addition to the foregoing, a valuable silicious mud similar to that found in Pistany, in Czecho-Slovakia, which, in its own sphere in hydrotherapy, exerts its influence as a curative agent.
However, it is in the “Priest” waters that one finds one's most valuable ally in the treatment of arthritis, fibrositis (the so-called rheumatic affections), and cases of nervous debility. The “Rachel” and mud baths are used mostly in those cases of fibrositis where the condition requires a softening effect; and in the types where pain is a manifest symptom these baths are invaluable as soothing and sedative agents.
In these natural acid baths the reactions are mainly stimulating, with increased hyperemia in the parts submerged, and marked lessening of pain and swelling in the affected joints and tissues. Those waters containing free carbonic-acid gas are used for the cases of fibrositis in which the circulation requires the stimulating action of gaseous baths.
The “New Priest” waters, containing approximately 16.80 grains per gallon of free sulphuric acid, are utilized in the form of open pools, deep step-down baths, and slipper baths. They are prescribed at a suitable temperature for the individual case.
The “Old Priest” waters, containing a much lower degree of free acid (3.77 grains to the gallon), and of varying temperatures (from 84° F. to 102° F.), are used for treatment at their source. The waters, percolating through their pumice - bed, are confined in pools, and contain free carbonic-acid gas bubbling through the water.
The very strong “Postmaster” waters are also confined within pools on the natural pumice - bed, and, by a primitive arrangement of wooden sluice-valves, maintained at three ranges of temperature—viz., 104°, 106°, and 108° F. They contain 22.29 grains of free sulphuric acid to the gallon, and are strongly counter-irritant in their reactions.
In such a brief account as this one can only deal in generalizations, and the forms of treatment mentioned must necessarily be subject to wide variations. In any form of hydro-therapeutic treatment the regime must be adapted to the individual manifestations of the disease, and no routine rules or regulations can be laid down in spa operations.
The “New Priest” waters are, for the most part, prescribed for patients suffering from subacute or chrome fibrositis, subacute or chronic gout, and the various forms of arthritis. Except in cases of marked debility, those patients are given graduated baths, at temperatures ranging from 102° to 104° F., from ten to fifteen minutes daily. Most of the baths are fitted with a subaqueous douche having a pressure of 25 lb., which is directed under water on the affected tissues. The bath is usually followed by a light or hot pack, according to the needs of the case.
The subthermal “Old Priest” waters (temperature 84° F.), containing a high degree of free carbonic-acid gas, are particularly valuable in the treatment of functional nervous disease, and the methods of administration are similar to those obtaining at Nauheim. The reactions are markedly stimulating through the sympathetic nervous system, and bring about, by reflex action, a tonic effect on the heart.
The “Postmaster” baths are used in the treatment of the more chronic forms of fibrositis, arthritis deformans, and gout, requiring a more or less heroic type of procedure. They are usually prescribed in combination—i.e., a certain time in each pool, commencing with the lowest temperature. The hyperæmic reaction is most marked, and in many of the oases where pain is a predominant symptom, there is a temporary paralysis of the surface nerves, as well as a strong reflex excitation of the heart. For this reason these baths are not given to patients suffering from cardiac weakness.
The treatment of gout depends entirely on the individual manifestations. In certain subacute and chronic types fairly high temperatures (104° to 106° F., with hot packs) of “Priest” water are employed, in order to hasten the absorption of exudates and the elimination of uric acid. In acute cases of acute gout more sedative measures are pursued, such as “Rachel” baths at neutral temperatures, local mud packs, and rest. As soon as the conditions permit, these patients are changed over to acid water baths. Cases of chronic gout exhibiting metabolic stagnation sometimes receive considerable benefit from the counter-irritant effects of the strongly acid “Postmaster” waters.
Separate establishments, containing the most modern apparatus of sprays, douches, hot steam, &c., are available for wet massage and treatments of the Aix-Vichy type.
The massage-rooms are fitted with the latest installations of electrical equipment—Bristowe tables, diathermy, high frequency, Bergonie chair, X-ray, Schnée baths, Greville hot air, and other apparatus for carrying out the most up-to-date methods of electrical-therapeutic treatments.
The baths are administered by a trained staff of attendants, and the massage, electrical-therapy, and douches carried out by a qualified staff of operators.
In every respect the hydrotherapy treatments aim at a restoration of function, and the measures employed are, for the most part, re-educative.
In connection with the Rotorua Spa is a sanatorium of seventy beds, where patients whose finances are restricted can receive treatment at an exceedingly moderate cost. The institution consists of cubicles and open wards. Thermal baths and massage-rooms in the building provide for the more helpless type of invalid.
From sixty thousand to eighty thousand baths are given annually, and an average of thirty thousand special treatments—massage, electrical therapy, &c.— is administered at the Rotorua Spa.
The usual course of treatment lasts from four to six weeks, and the high percentage of cures and improvements testifies to the value of the thermal mineral waters and the hydro-therapeutic treatments obtaining in this Dominion.
The following account of the rivers of New Zealand has been supplied by Professor 11. Speight, M.Sc., F.G.S., Curator of the Canterbury Museum:—
In a country like New Zealand, with marked variations in topographic relief and with a plentiful and well-distributed rainfall, the rivers must necessarily form characteristic features of the landscape. Mountains, however, exert, an important influence on their adaptability to the necessities of commerce, reducing their value on the one hand while increasing it on the other. Owing to the steep grades of their channels few of the rivers are fitted for navigation except near their mouths, but to compensate for this disability they furnish in many places ideal sites for power plants, which will in all probability be so utilized in the near future that New Zealand may become the manufacturing centre of the Southern Hemisphere. No country south of the Equator, except Chile and Patagonia, possesses such stores of energy conveniently placed, which cannot become exhausted until the sun fails to raise vapour from the neighbouring seas—a contingency to be realized only when life on the earth is becoming extinct.
The only part of the country which possesses rivers capable of being used for navigation is the North Island. The relief is not so marked as in the South, and many streams flow in deep beds, with somewhat sluggish current. There are flowing into the Tasman Sea rivers like the Waikato, Wairoa, Mokau, and Wanganui, which served the Maoris as important means of communication, and which are decidedly useful for the purposes of modern transport. The first-mentioned of these is by far the most important. Rising in the snows of Ruapehu, and receiving numerous affluents from the western slopes of the Kaimanawa Range, it pursues a northerly course for twenty miles with all the features of a mountain torrent till it enters Lake Taupo. Almost immediately on leaving this it plunges over the Huka Falls, formed by a hard ledge of volcanic rock, and then rims first north-east and then north-west till it reaches the sea, the amount of water discharged exceeding 800,000 cubic feet per minute. In certain parts of its course the valley is gorge-like in character and picturesque rapids obstruct its navigation, but in its lower reaches it widens out and flows for long distances through marshes and shallow lakes, and empties into the sea by a wide estuary, which is unfortunately blocked by a bad bar. It receives on the west a large tributary, the Waipa—itself also navigable for small steamers, and a river which may ultimately play no small part in the development of the south-western portion of the Auckland Province.
The Northern Wairoa shows features which resemble those of the Waikato. It rises in the hilly land of the North Auckland Peninsula, and flows south as a noble stream till it enters Kaipara Harbour, a magnificent sheet of water with many winding and far-reaching arms, but with its utility greatly discounted by the presence of a bar which, though with sufficient depth of water for vessels of moderate size, is frequently impracticable. The total estimated discharge from the streams running into the Kaipara Harbour is about 500,000 cubic feet per minute, of which the Wairoa certainly contributes one-half.
The Mokau River, which enters the sea about sixty miles north-east of New Plymouth, is navigable for a considerable distance in its lower reaches. Here it is flanked by limestone bluffs, clad with a wealth of ferns and other native vegetation, forming one of the most picturesque rivers of the country. Higher up, as in the Waikato, there are fine falls, which may ultimately be used for power purposes owing to their proximity to one of the important agricultural districts of the North Island.
The last of the four principal navigable rivers on the west coast is the Wanganui. This river gathers its initial supplies from the western flanks of the volcanic ridge of the centre of the Island, from which numerous streams run west over the Waimarino Plain in somewhat open channels till they coalesce and form the main river. Other tributaries, such as the Tangarakau and the Maunganui-te-ao, subsequently add their quota, and the river then flows in a southerly direction in loops and windings depressed far below the level of the coastal plain, between high papa bluffs clad with rich vegetation, till it reaches the sea as a deep tidal stream, the amount of its discharge being estimated at over 500,000 cubic feet per minute. Through the greater part of its course it has a characteristic trench-like channel, with a fairly even gradient, and with only slight interruptions from rapids. At low water these are most troublesome, but at times of high river-level they are passed without serious difficulty. This fine stream affords communication into a country difficult of access by road or railway, and it may be taken as typical of other smaller streams to the west, such as the Waitotara, the Patea, and the Waitara, which are navigable to a less extent, principally owing to the obstructions of timber in their channels; while the rivers lying more to the east and with courses parallel to the Wanganui—e.g., the Rangitikei and the Wangaehu—are more rapid and have little adaptability to the needs of transport. Further east still, in the neighbourhood of the Ruahine Mountains, the rivers become true mountain torrents, with steep grades and rapid currents.
On the other coast of the North Island the only streams capable of being used for navigation except just at their mouths are those running into the Firth of Thames—the Piako and the Waihou. But no account of our navigable rivers would be complete without a reference to the “drowned rivers” which characterize the northern parts of the Island. The Kaipara may be taken as a typical case of such, for the harbour merely represents the depressed and sunken lower reaches of the Wairoa and other streams. A further notable case is the Hokianga River, which runs for twenty miles between wooded hills and receives numerous tributaries from them, tidal for a considerable part of their courses, and allowing water communication to be used for at least fifteen miles from the point where actual discharge into the open sea takes place.
The remaining rivers of the North Island of any importance rise in the mountain axis that stretches from near Wellington towards the eastern margin of the Bay of Plenty. Towards the southern end, where it lies close to the shore of Cook Strait, the rivers from it are short and swift, the only exception being the Manawatu, which has cut a deep gorge in the mountain barrier and drains an extensive basin lying on the eastern flanks of the Ruahine Range to the north, and of the Tararua Range to the south, as well as a considerable area of country on the slopes of the Puketoi Range, its headwaters in this direction reaching nearly to the east coast of the Island. The Manawatu has an estimated discharge of over 600,000 cubic feet per minute, and judging by this it must be considered the second-largest river in the North Island. Although the Manawatu is the only stream which has succeeded up to the present in cutting through the range at its head, several of the rivers flowing west have eaten their way far back, and in future ages will no doubt struggle with the Manawatu for the supremacy of that tract of land lying to the east of the range. Remarkable changes are likely to occur in the direction of drainage, especially if the earth-movements now in progress in the neighbourhood of Cook Strait continue for any lengthy period.
The central and southern parts of the Tararua and Rimutaka Ranges are drained by the Ohau, Otaki, Waikanae, and other streams flowing into Cook Strait; by the Hutt River, which flows into Wellington Harbour; and by the Ruamahanga and its tributaries, flowing through the Wairarapa Plain. These last include within their basins some amount of papa-country as well as steep mountain-slopes. While in the former they run in deep narrow channels, but when free from it they spread at times over wide shingly beds in a manner more characteristic of the streams of the South Island.
Several large rivers rise in the Ruahine Mountains and their northerly extensions. The chief of these flowing into Hawke Bay are the Ngaururoro, Tukituki, Mohaka, and Wairoa, the first being noteworthy for the enormous amount of shingle it has brought down; while farther north the Waipaoa runs into Poverty Bay and the Waiapu into the open sea, both draining an extensive area of rich papa land. From the north-western side of the range the Whakatane and the Rangitaiki, two considerable streams, flow into the Bay of Plenty.
The chief factor which determines the characters of the rivers of the South Island is the great mountain mass of the Southern Alps, with its extensions and semi-detached fragments. Its general direction is parallel to the west coast of the Island, and nearer to this coast than to the eastern one; it also lies right athwart the path of the wet westerly winds which prevail in these latitudes. The moisture collected during their passage across the Tasman Sea is precipitated in the form of rain on the coastal plain and the hills behind it, while the mountain-tops intercept it chiefly in the form of snow, the amount of annual rainfall varying from about 100 in. at sea-level up to over 200 in. near the main divide. The eastern slopes of the range receive less rain, and are increasingly drier as the coast is approached, but there the amount is slightly augmented by moist winds coming from the open ocean to the east. In the higher mountain valleys on both sides of the range lie numerous glaciers, either of the small cliff type or large ones of the first order, the most notable being the Tasman, Hooker, Mueller, Godley, Rangitata, Lyell, and Ramsay on the east, and the Franz Josef and Fox on the west. The chief large rivers of the central district of the Island rise from the terminals of the glaciers and issue from the ice as streams of considerable volume. They reach their highest level in spring and summer, for not only does the heavier rainfall of that time of the year serve to swell them inordinately, but the snow and ice are melted under the combined influence of the rain itself and of the strong sun-heat. Although they are almost always more or less turbulent and dangerous to the traveller who attempts to ford them—in the warm months of the year they are liable to sudden and serious floods, and formerly they frequently blocked communication for weeks at a stretch—now, however, many of the worst streams have been bridged, and communication is thus easier and less precarious.
The general form of these valleys is of a fairly uniform type. Their heads are usually amphitheatre-like in shape, and for some distance they are occasionally covered by old moraines, and the course of the stream is impeded by huge angular blocks washed out of these or shed from the steep slopes; at times, too, the rivers flow through deep and somewhat narrow gorges. Lower down the valleys open out, with even steep sides, nearly perpendicular at times, and with flat floors covered by a waste of shingle, over which the rivers wander in braided streams. The sides are clad with dense bush for a height of approximately 2,500 ft., that merges into a tangle of subalpine scrub, to be succeeded after another 1,000 ft. by open alpine meadow, gradually passing upward into bare rock and perpetual snow.
After leaving the mountains the streams cross the narrow fringe of aggraded coastal plain, and cut down their channels through old glacial drifts which furnished in former times rich leads of alluvial gold. The mouths of these rivers are usually blocked by shallow bars, but after heavy floods a channel may be scoured out, only to be closed, when the river falls, by the vast quantities of drift material moved along the beach by the heavy seas and the strong shore currents which sweep the open coast. It is only where it is possible to confine the river-mouths and direct their scour that open channels can be permanently maintained, and even these entrances to the river are at times extremely dangerous to shipping.
The chief rivers which flow from the central portion of the Southern Alps to the Tasman Sea are the Taramakau, Hokitika, Wanganui, Wataroa, Waihao, Karangarua, Haast, and Arawata. All rise in glaciers, and their valleys are remarkable for their magnificently diversified bush and mountain scenery. Occasionally lakes, ponded back behind old moraines or lying in rock-bound basins and fringed with primeval forest, lend charm to the landscape, and make a journey along the Westland Plain one of the most delightful in New Zealand from the scenic point of view.
Farther north glaciers are absent, but the heavy rain feeds numerous large streams and rivers, the most notable being the Grey and the Buller, the last being in all probability the largest on the west coast, the amount of its discharge being estimated at nearly 1,000,000 cubic feet per minute.
The general features of the rivers which flow into the West Coast Sounds are somewhat similar, except that, few rise in glaciers, and there is no fringe of plain to the mountains. The valleys have steeper sides, waterfalls and lakes are more common, and are ideally situated for power installations. One of the large rivers of this area is the Hollyford, which flows into Martin's Bay; but the largest of all is the Waiau, which drains the eastern side of the Sounds region, receives the waters of Lakes Te Anau, Manapouri, and Monowai, and enters the sea on the south coast of the Island.
The rivers on the eastern slope of the Alps present features similar to those of the west coast in their upper courses, bat the valleys are broader and flatter, floored from wall to wall with shingle and frequently containing large lakes of glacial origin. In those cases where lakes do not now exist there are undoubted signs that they occurred formerly, having been emptied by the erosion of the rock-bars across their lower extremities and filled at the same time by detrital matter poured in at their heads.
The largest of all these rivers is the Clutha; in fact, it discharges the greatest volume of water of any river in New Zealand, the amount being estimated at over 2,000,000 cubic feet per minute. The main streams which give rise to this river flow into Lakes Wanaka and Hawea, and have their sources in the main divide to the north of the ice-clad peak of Mount Aspiring and in the neighbourhood of the Haast Pass. After flowing as a united stream for nearly thirty miles it receives from the west a tributary nearly as large as itself called the Kawarau, whose discharge has been accurately gauged by Professor Park at 800,000 cubic feet per minute. This great volume of water is due to the fact that the Kawarau drains Lake Wakatipu, which serves as a vast reservoir for the drainage of a considerable area of mountain country, including snow-clad peaks at the head of the lake. The united streams continue in a south-easterly direction, and their volume is substantially increased by the Manuherikia on the cast bank as well as by the Pomahaka on the west. The course of the Clutha lies through the somewhat arid schist region of Central Otago, gorge alternating with open valley and river-flats; but some ten miles or so before it reaches the sea it divides, only to reunite lower down and thus include the island known as Inch-Clutha. It almost immediately afterwards enters the sea, but its outlet is of little use as a harbour owing to a shifting and dangerous bar. Portions of its course are navigable to a very limited extent, but it is more important commercially, since it has yielded by means of dredging operations great quantities of gold; in fact, it may be regarded as a huge natural sluice-box, in which the gold disseminated through the schists of Central Otago has been concentrated through geological ages into highly payable alluvial leads.
The following large rivers belong to the Southland and Otago District, but do not reach back to the main divide—the Jacobs, Oreti, Mataura, and Taieri; and forming the northern boundary of the Otago Provincial District is the Waitaki, which drains a great area of alpine country, and includes in its basin Lakes Tekapo, Pukaki, and Ohau. Its main affluents are the Tasman and the Godley, rising in glaciers of the same names near the axis of the range where it is at its highest. As the river approaches the sea it crosses shingle-plains, through which it has cut a deep channel flanked by terraces, which rise bench-like for some hundreds of feet above the present level of the river. Its general features are similar to those of the rivers of Canterbury farther north, except that a larger proportion of the course of the latter lies across the plains and uninterfered-with in any way by the underlying harder and more consolidated rocks. The four principal rivers which rise in glaciers are the Rangitata, Ashburton, Rakaia, and Waimakariri; while farther north are the Hurunui and Waiau, snow- and rain-fed rivers rising in the main range beyond the northerly limit of glaciers; and there are other streams—such as the Waihao, Pareora, Opihi, Selwyn, Ashley, and Waipara—which do not reach beyond the outer flanking ranges, and are almost entirely rain-supplied.
According to recent investigations the low-water discharge of the Waimakariri is approximately 80,000 cubic feet per minute, but it frequently rises in normal flood to 500,000 cubic feet per minute.
All these rivers carry clown enormous quantities of shingle, but in former times they carried down even more, and built up the wide expanse of the Canterbury Plains by the coalescing and overlapping of their fans of detritus, the depth of shingle certainly exceeding 1,000 ft. Subsequently, when conditions, climatic or otherwise, slightly altered, they cut down deep through this incoherent mass of material, forming high and continuous terraces. Nowhere is the terrace system more completely developed than at the point where the rivers enter on the plains, for there the solid rock that underlies the gravels is exposed, and by the protection that it affords to the bases of old river flood-plains or former terraces it contributes materially to their preservation in a comparatively uninjured condition. The valleys of all these rivers are now almost treeless except in their higher parts, but there the mixed bush of Westland is replaced by the sombre beech forest; it is only in exceptional cases that the totara, which forms an important element of the bush on the hills to the west, crosses the range and covers portions of the sides of the valleys on the east.
Both the Hurunui and the Waiau have cut down gorges through semi-detached mountain masses of older Mesozoic rock, a result probably accelerated by the movements of the earth's crust; and farther north, in the Province of Marlborough, the Clarence, Awatere, and Wairau have their directions almost entirely determined by a system of huge parallel earth-fractures, running north-east and south-west, and the rivers are walled in on either side by steep mountains for the greater part of their length. The Clarence Valley is the most gorge like, since it lies between the great ridges known as the Seaward and Inland Kaikouras, which reach a height of about 9,000 ft. The last river of the three, the Wairau, flows for a considerable distance through a rich alluvial plain, and enters Cloudy Bay by an estuary which is practicable for small steamers as far as the Town of Blenheim. The moat important of the streams on the southern shores of Cook Strait are the Pelorus, Motueka, Takaka, and Aorere, great structural faults being chiefly responsible for the position and characteristic features of the valleys of the last two.
An important commercial aspect of our rivers is their use not only as drainage channels, but as a source of water for pastoral purposes. Hardly any area is without water for stock or with a subsoil wanting in moisture necessary for successful cultivation. Only in Central Otago and on the Canterbury Plains were there formerly wide stretches of arid country, but the deficiency in the water-supply has been remedied by well-engineered systems of races, tapping unfailing streams at higher levels, and distributing a portion of their contents far and wide, so that the districts mentioned are rendered highly productive and absolutely protected from the serious effects of drought. It is, however, the rich alluvial flats and well-drained terrace lands bordering on the rivers that contribute specially to the high average yield per acre year after year for which this country has such a world-wide reputation.
From the brief summary given above it will be evident also that the country possesses enormous stores of energy awaiting exploitation. A beginning has been made in some places, such as at Waipori in Otago, at Lake Coleridge in Canterbury, at the Horohoro Falls and at Arapuni on the Waikato River in Auckland, at Mangahao in Wellington Province, and at a few other places where there are minor installations. These owe their development to their comparative nearness to centres of industry; but they represent an infinitesimal portion of the energy available, and the value of our vast store will be more truly appreciated when our somewhat limited reserves of coal show signs of failure or become difficult to work—unless, indeed, some new form of power is disclosed by the researches of science in the near future.
A list of the more important rivers of New Zealand is given, with their approximate lengths, the latter being supplied by the Department of Lands and Survey.
| Flowing into the Pacific Ocean— | Miles. |
|---|---|
| Piako | 60 |
| Waihou (or Thames) | 90 |
| Rangitaiki | 95 |
| Whakatane | 60 |
| Waiapu | 55 |
| Waipaoa | 50 |
| Wairoa | 50 |
| Mohaka | 80 |
| Ngaururoro | 85 |
| Tukituki | 65 |
| Flowing into Cook Strait— | |
| Ruamahanga | 70 |
| Hutt | 35 |
| Otaki | 30 |
| Manawatu (tributaries: Tiraumea and Pohangina) | 100 |
| Rangitikei | 115 |
| Turakina | 65 |
| Wangaehu | 85 |
| Wanganui (tributaries: Ohura, Tangarakau, and Maunganuite-ao) | 140 |
| Waitotara | 50 |
| Patea | 65 |
| Flowing into Tasman Sea— | |
| Waitara (tributary: Maunganui) | 65 |
| Mokau | 75 |
| Waikato (tributary: Waipa) | 220 |
| Wairoa | 95 |
| Hokianga | 40 |
| Flowing into Cook Strait— | Mill's. |
|---|---|
| Aorere | 45 |
| Takaka | 45 |
| Motueka | 75 |
| Wai-iti | 30 |
| Pelorus | 40 |
| Wairau (tributary: Waihopai) | 105 |
| Awatere | 70 |
| Flowing into the Pacific Ocean— | |
| Clarence (tributary: Acheron) | 125 |
| Conway | 30 |
| Waiau (tributary: Hope) | 110 |
| Hurunui | 90 |
| Waipara | 40 |
| Ashley | 55 |
| Waimakariri (tributaries: Bealey, Poulter, Esk, and Broken River) | 93 |
| Selwyn | 55 |
| Rakaia (tributaries: Mathias, Wilberforce, Acheron, and Cameron) | 95 |
| Ashburton | 67 |
| Rangitata | 75 |
| Opihi | 50 |
| Pareora | 35 |
| Waihao | 45 |
| Waitaki (tributaries: Tasman, Tekapo, Ohau, Ahuriri, and Hakataramea) | 135 |
| Kakanui | 40 |
| Shag | 45 |
| Taieri | 125 |
| Clutha (tributaries: Kawarau, Makarora, Hunter, Manuherikia, and Pomahaka) | 210 |
| Flowing into Foveaux Strait— | |
| Mataura | 120 |
| Oreti | 105 |
| Aparima | 65 |
| Waiau (tributaries: Mararoa, Clinton, and Monowai) | 115 |
| Flowing into the Tasman Sea— | |
| Cleddau and Arthur | 20 |
| Hollyford. | 50 |
| Cascade | 40 |
| Arawata | 45 |
| Haast (tributary: Landsborough) | 60 |
| Karangarua | 30 |
| Fox | 25 |
| Waiho | 20 |
| Wataroa | 35 |
| Wanganui | 35 |
| Waitaha | 25 |
| Hokitika (tributary: Kokatahi) | 40 |
| Arahura | 35 |
| Taramakau (tributaries: Otira and Taipo) | 45 |
| Grey (tributaries: Ahaura, Arnold, and Mawhera-iti) | 75 |
| Buller (tributaries: Matakitaki, Maruia, and Inangahua) | 105 |
| Mokihinui | 30 |
| Karamea | 45 |
| Heaphy | 25 |
The following article on the lakes of New Zealand is also by Professor R. Speight:—
Lakes are features of the landscape which are usually attributable to the filling-up of hollows formed by faulting or warping, or by volcanic explosions, or by the irregular accumulation of material round volcanic vents, or to the interference with river-valleys by glaciers. Seeing that all these agencies have operated on an extensive scale in New Zealand in comparatively recent geological times, it is not surprising that its lake systems are well developed. The remarkable group of lakes lying in the middle of the North island, as well as isolated enclosed sheets of water in other parts of the Auckland Province, are due to volcanic action in its various forms, while those in the South Island are to be credited to the operations of glaciers. We have therefore two distinct types of lake scenery, one for each Island. The relief of the land near the volcanic lakes is not by any means marked, and they therefore rarely have bold and precipitous shores, and their scenic interest depends partly on the patches of subtropical bush which grows luxuriantly in places on the weathered igneous material, and partly on their desolate and forbidding surroundings, everywhere reminiscent of volcanic action, where the softening hand of time has not reduced the outpourings of the eruptive centres to a condition favourable for the establishment of vegetation. The thermal activity which is manifested in numerous places on their shores adds to their interest. In the South Island the lakes lie in the midst of splendid mountain scenery, with amphitheatres of noble peaks at their heads, crowned with perpetual snow, and clad at lower levels with dark primeval beech forest, which affords an appropriate setting for the waters at their base, rendered milky-white at times with the finest of sediment worn from solid rocks by powerful glaciers, and swept down to the quiet waters of the lake by turbulent glacial torrents.
The largest sheet of fresh water in New Zealand is Lake Taupo, which is situated in the very heart of the North Island, at an elevation of 1,211 ft. above the sea. Its greatest length in a S.W.-N.E. direction is twenty-five miles, and its greatest breadth is about seventeen miles, but its shape is somewhat irregular owing to a large indentation on its western side. Its area is 238 square miles, its greatest depth 534 ft., and it has a catchment area of about 1.250 square miles. About 60 per cent. of its water-supply comes from the Upper Waikato River, which drains the northern and eastern flanks of the central volcanoes as well as the western slopes of the Kaimanawa Range and its northern extensions. The lake discharges at its northeastern corner and forms the main Waikato River, which falls within a short distance over the Huka Falls, where the volume of water which passes over is estimated to reach an average of 5,000 cubic feet per second. The surroundings of the lake are picturesque, on the western side especially. Here it is bounded by cliffs of volcanic rock, generally between 100 ft. and 800 ft. in height, but at the Karangahape Bluffs they rise to over 1,000 ft. sheer. The northern shore is bold with promontories terminated with bluffs and intervening bays with gentler slope. The south side is generally fringed with alluvial flats, while the east is bordered in places with pumice cliffs, and is somewhat uninteresting, but relieved from absolute monotony by the graceful extinct cone of Tauhara. About twenty miles to the south rise the great volcanic peaks of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu, with their bush-clad foothills, forming a splendid panorama when seen from the northern shore of the lake.
To the south-east of the middle of the lake lies the Island of Motutaiko, in all probability the summit of a volcanic cone on the line of igneous activity which stretches north-east from the central volcanoes towards Tarawera, White Island, Tonga, and Samoa. The formation of the lake itself is attributable either to a great subsidence after volcanic activity waned, or to a great explosion which tore a vast cavity in the earth's crust and scattered the fragments far and wide over the middle of the Island; and evidence of declining igneous action is furnished by hot springs in the lake itself and near its shore, especially at the north-east corner near Wairakei and on the southern shore near Tokaanu. Earth-movements have in all probability continued down to recent times, for an old shore platform or wave-cut terrace surrounds the lake, indicating that its waters were formerly at a higher level, and changes in level of the ground on the northern shore of the lake, attended by local earthquakes, occurred during the year 1922.
The lake forms an enormous reservoir of power conveniently placed for exploitation; it is estimated that the Huka Falls would develop up to 38,000 horse-power, and its central position renders it peculiarly suitable for supplying a wide district. Although the immediate vicinity docs not hold out much hope for its utilization, the rich agricultural districts which lie at some distance will no doubt rely on it in the near future as a convenient source of mechanical energy.
To the south of Taupo, nestling in the hills between the great lake and the northern slopes of Tongariro, lies Roto-Aira, a beautiful sheet of water, three miles in length and with an area of five square miles. It discharges by the Poutu River into the Upper Waikato. The other lakes of this region are small in size and usually occupy small explosion craters on the line of igneous activity mentioned above.
A most interesting group of lakes lies in the midst of the thermal region to the north-east of Taupo. These comprise the following: Rotorua, Roto-iti, Roto-ehu, and Rotoma, which belong to a system lying to the north-west of the area, and Tarawera, Rotokakahi, Tikitapu, Okareka, Rotomahana, Okataina, Rotomakariri, and Herewhakaitu, which lie to the south-east. The former group is connected either directly or indirectly with the Kaituna River basin, and the latter with the Tarawera River basin, both of which discharge their waters into the Bay of Plenty. All these lakes occupy either explosion craters or depressions due to subsidences of the crust or hollows formed by irregular volcanic accumulations. They lie at an elevation of about 1,000 ft. above the sea. The largest is Rotorua, which is nearly circular in shape, except for a marked indentation on the southern shore. It is 32 square miles in area, and 81 ft. deep, with flat shores; but in the middle, rather towards the eastern side, the picturesque and historical Island of Mokoia rises to a height of 400 ft. The lake discharges at its north-eastern corner by the Ohau Creek into Lake Roto-iti, a shallow and irregular depression, which runs in turn into the Okere River. To the north-east lies the small lake of Roto-ehu, separated from it by low ground, and farther on lies the picturesque Rotoma, of still smaller size.
The largest lake of the south-eastern group is Tarawera, lying to the north and west of the mountain of the same name; discharging directly into it are Rotokakahi, Okareka, and Okataina, the last two by subterranean channels, while Tikitapu and Rotomahana are separated from it by comparatively narrow ridges.
All these lakes owe their interest to the thermal manifestations which occur in their vicinity, and to the remnants of beautiful bush which have survived the eruption of Tarawera in 1886. They are also noted for their fishing, being well stocked with trout. Their water is available for power purposes to a limited extent, and a small installation is placed near the low fall where the Okere River discharges from Lake Roto-iti.
Two small lakes of volcanic origin are situated on the peninsula north of Auckland: these are Takapuna and Omapere. The former lies close to the City of Auckland, and occupies a small explosion crater near the sea; while Omapere is between the Bay of Islands and Hokianga, in a shallow depression, which owes its origin to the obstruction of the Waitangi River by a lava-flow. It is three miles long by two wide, and is placed at a height of 790 ft. above the sea.
About forty miles from the east coast, in the Hawke's Bay District, lies the most important lake of Waikare-moana, twelve miles in length by about six miles and a quarter in breadth at its widest part, but with an extremely irregular outline; it has an area of twenty-one square miles. Its surface is 2,015 ft. above the sea, and it has a maximum depth of 846 ft. It discharges by the Wairoa River to the northern shore of Hawke Bay. This lake is most favourably situated for the development of water-power, and it is estimated that it would generate, owing to its admirable position, as much as 136,000 horse-power. A few miles to the northeast lies the small lake called Waikare-iti, which discharges into the large lake.
The only other inland lakes of any importance in this Island are those situated in the lower course of the Waikato River, the most noteworthy being Waikare and Whangape. The former has an area of nearly eleven square miles and has a depth of 12 ft.; the latter is smaller, with an area of only four square miles and a depth of 9 ft. These owe their origin to flooding of low-lying land alongside the river—in all probability attributable to a slight lowering of the land in this part of the country, with the consequent inability of the river to discharge its surplus water without a proper channel being maintained.
Along the coast-line, especially behind the fringe of dunes, numerous small lakes are found, such as Rotokawa, near Kaipara, and Horowhenua, near Levin; and a large sheet of water occurs near the mouth of the Wairarapa Valley, called the Wairarapa Lake. The lake is very shallow, and is liable to remarkable variations in size owing to heavy floods from the neighbouring ranges. Between it and the sea is a considerable area of swampy ground in which are several small lakes, the largest of which, Lake Onoke, is separated from Palliser Bay by a narrow shingle-spit.
By far the great majority of the lakes of the South Island are dependent for their formation either directly or indirectly on the action of glaciers. They may be either small tarns high on the mountains or large lakes occupying considerable lengths of old stream-valleys which have been overdeepened by the excavating-power of ice during the Pleistocene glaciation, or lakes formed by the filling of hollows in the irregular heaps of debris laid down on a plain at the base of the mountains or in a wide open valley. Accumulations of debris may also assist the first two causes in the formation of lakes, and some may owe the initial formation of their basins to tectonic causes, but these have been modified profoundly by other influences.
Included in the first class are numerous sheets of water from the size of small ponds upwards, found in all parts of the mountain region, but especially in the high plateau regions of western Otago, and to a limited extent in north-west Nelson. To the second group belong the large lakes of the eastern watershed of the Alps and a small number which drain west, such as Rotoroa and Rotoiti in the Buller Basin, while to the last must be assigned the majority of the lakes of Westland: but Brunner and Kanieri should perhaps be assigned to the second class.
Seeing that glaciation was not so intense in the northern portion of the Island, it is not surprising that the lakes of that region are small and few in number. Attention has, however, been drawn to Boulder Lake, in the valley of the Aorere River, since it might be used for power purposes in connection with the great deposit of iron-ore at Parapara. It is only 151 acres in extent, but it lies at an elevation of 3,224 ft., and is conveniently placed for the establishment of an electric-power plant. Farther south, near the head of the Buller, are two larger lakes—Rotoroa and Rotoiti—occupying ice-eroded valleys dammed at their lower ends by moraine. The former has an area of eight square miles, and the latter two and three-quarter square miles; their heights above the sea being respectively 1,470 ft. and 1,997 ft., and the latter being 228 ft. deep.
In the valley of the Grey River are two lakes of considerable size—viz., Brunner and Poerua. These are shrunken and separated parts of a former extensive sheet of water which was ponded back behind a great glacier mossine. Lake Brunner is five miles long by four broad, has an area of 15.9 square miles, is 280 ft. above sea-level, and 357 ft. deep. It is surrounded on two sides by high wooded granite peaks, and on the other two by low ground. It discharges by the Arnold River to the Grey, but a very slight change of level would turn it into the Taramakau.
Lake Kanieri, which lies in the basin of the Hokitika River at the base of Mount Tuhua, is a beautiful sheet of water. It is five miles long by one and three-quarters wide, has an area of eight square miles, is 422 ft. above sea-level, and 646 ft. deep. It owes its origin partly to the hollow formed behind an immense morainic dam, and partly to the erosive action of the valley glacier. Farther south on the coastal plain of Westland are numerous small and picturesque lakes, wooded to the water's edge, lying behind heaps of glacial debris or in ice-eroded basins. The most notable of these are Ianthe and Mapourika, both of small size, the former with an area of only two square miles, at a height of 80 ft. above sea-level, and with a depth of 105 ft., and the latter remarkable for the fine panorama of mountain scenery, with Mount Cook in the background, which can be obtained from the shore of the lake. Along this strip of coast-line there are numerous lagoon-like expanses of water, cut off from the sea by areas of dune or of moraine, the chief of which is Mahinapua, which lies close to the Town of Hokitika. This is but 6 ft. above tide water, and has an area of one and a half square miles. The creek discharging from it is noted for the perfect reflections to be seen in the dark, peat-stained water.
On the eastern side of the main divide lie the great valley likes which belong to the following river-basins: Hurunui—Lake Sumner; Rakaia—Lakes Coleridge and Heron; Waitaki—Lakes Tekapo, Pukaki, and Ohau; Clutha—Lakes Wanaka, Hawea, and Wakatipu; Waiau—Lakes Te Anau, Manapouri, and Monowai; Wairaurahiri—Lake Hauroko; Waitutu—Lake Poteriteri. These are all formed on the same plan; great glaciers have excavated the floor of a river-valley and have piled the debris across its lower portion, leaving a great hollow which was filled with water when the ice retreated. Even in those river-basins where no lakes now exist the traces of their former presence are evident; especially is this the case with the Waimakariri, Rakaia, and Rangitata Valleys. Besides these large lakes each valley has its quota of small ones, usually hidden away among the piles of moraine or ponded back behind shingle-fans. Among these small lakes should be noted the following: Tennyson, in the valley of the Clarence; Taylor, Sheppard, Katrine, and Mason, in the Hurunui; Pearson, Grassmere, and Letitia, in the valley of the Waimakariri; Evelyn, Selfe, Catherine, Ida, and Lyndon, in that of the Rakaia; Clearwater (or Tripp), Howard, and Acland, in the Ashburton; Alexandria, in the Waitaki; Lochnagar, Hayes, and Moke, in the Clutha. In the valley of the Waiau there are numerous lakes of small size hidden away in bush-clad valleys, the chief of which is Mavora, which discharges into the main Waiau by way of its large tributary, the Mararoa. On the west coast of this region are also many insignificant lakes as far as size is concerned, such as Lake Ada, a well-known beauty-spot on the Milford Sound track, while farther north McKerrow, a lake of larger size, discharges into Martin's Bay.
The only other lakes in this Island that are worthy of mention are Waihola, Forsyth, and Ellesmere. The first mentioned occupies the lower portion of the Taieri Plain, and drains to the sea by a deep winding gorge cut through a ridge of rock-covered bills, the gorge being tidal for the greater part of its length. Lakes Forsyth and Ellesmere lie on the coast immediately south of Banks Peninsula, both ponded back behind a great shingle-spit formed by the drift of material brought down the rivers and carried north under the influence of a strong shore current. Both are very shallow and liable at times to be invaded by the sea. Ellesmere is sixteen miles long by about ten broad, and Forsyth is about six miles long by one in breadth.
Among all these lakes three stand pre-eminent for their scenic interest—Wakatipu, Te Anau, and Manapouri. The first-named is walled in on both sides by steep mountains which rise at the head of the lake to over 8,000 ft. in the Humboldt Range, and to over 9,000 ft. in Mount Earnslaw. Te Anau has an uninteresting eastern shore, but its western shore is broken into three great arms, whose impressive scenery is strongly reminiscent of that of Milford Sound and George Sound; while Manapouri, with its many bush-clad islets and its indented shore-line with innumerable sheltered coves and pebbly beaches, belongs to the same type as Dusky Sound, the most beautiful of all in the fiord region.
The lakes of Canterbury lie in a treeless area and owe their scenic interest principally to the background of snowy peaks, while Wanaka and Hawea are intermediate in character between them and the more southern lakes of Otago.
These lakes are enormous reserves of energy awaiting development. Estimates of the amount available are somewhat uncertain in their upward limits, seeing that modifications of proposed schemes may increase the possible power to a marked extent. The only one, however, which has been utilized in an adequate manner up to the present is Lake Coleridge. This yields at present 16,000 horse-power (approximately), and if the scheme be developed to its full capacity the amount will probably reach 90,000. Lake Tekapo would furnish at least 400,000 horse-power; Pukaki, 70,000; Ohau, 100,000; Hawea, 90,000; Wakatipu, 100,000; Te Anau, 90,000; Manapouri, 420,000; and Hauroko, 80,000; and there are many lakes which could very easily be adapted for smaller installations. Especially is this the case in the fiord country, where the heavy and well-distributed rainfall produces an unfailing supply of water, where lakes are placed in ideal situations as reservoirs, and deep and secure harbours provide ample facilities for the transport of manufactured products. When these are properly utilized the now wild and deserted region will become the home of industry in the Dominion, and one of the main centres of manufacture in the Southern Hemisphere. One of these lakes—viz., Monowai, in Southland—is actually being utilized at the present time as a source of energy, and it is estimated to yield a minimum of 10,000 horse-power, with a maximum of 20,000.
The following is a summary of the statistics of the chief lakes of New Zealand:—
| Lake | Length, in Miles. | Greatest Breadth, in Miles. | Area, in Square Miles. | Drainage Area, in Square Miles. | Approximate Volume of Discharge, in Cubic Feet per Second. | Height above Sea-level, in Feet. | Greatest Depth, in Feet. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Island. | |||||||
| Taupo | 25 | 17 | 238 | 1,250 | 5,000 | 1,211 | 534 |
| Rotorua | 7 1/2 | 6 | 32 | 158 | 420 | 915 | 84 |
| Rotoiti | 10 3/4 | 2 1/4 | 14 | 26 | 500 | 913 | 230 |
| Tarawera | 6 1/2 | 6 1/2 | 15 | 75 | .. | 1,032 | 285 |
| Waikaremoana | 12 | 6 1/4 | 21 | 128 | 772 | 2,015 | 846 |
| Wairarapa | 10 | 4 | 27 | 1,250 | .. | .. | 64 |
| South Island. | |||||||
| Rotoiti | 5 | 2 | 2 3/4 | 86 | .. | 1,997 | 228 |
| Rotoroa | 7 | 2 1/2 | 8 | 146 | .. | 1,470 | .. |
| Brunner | 5 | 4 | 16 | 145 | 280 | 357 | .. |
| Kanieri | 5 | 1 3/4 | 8 | 11 | .. | 422 | 646 |
| Coleridge | 11 | 3 | 18 | 70 | .. | 1,667 | 680 |
| Tekapo | 12 | 4 | 32 | 580 | 5,000 | 2,323 | 620 |
| Pukaki | 10 | 5 | 31 | 515 | 6,000 | 1,588 | .. |
| Ohau | 10 | 3 | 23 | 424 | 5,000 | 1,720 | .. |
| Hawea | 20 | 5 | 48 | 518 | 5,700 | 1,062 | .. |
| Wanaka | 30 | 4 | 75 | 960 | .. | 922 | .. |
| Wakatipu | 52 | 3 | 112 | 1,162 | 13,000 | 1,016 | 1,242 |
| Te Anau | 33 | 6 | 132 | 1,320 | 12,660 | 694 | 906 |
| Manapouri | 12 | 6 | 56 | 416 | .. | 596 | 1,458 |
| Monowai | 12 | 1 | 12 | 51 | 700 | 600 | .. |
| Hauroko | 20 | 3 | 25 | 195 | 1,800 | 611 | .. |
| Poteriteri | 17 | 2 | 17 | 162 | .. | 96 | .. |
| Waihola | 4 1/2 | 1 1/8 | 3 1/3 | 2,200 | .. | (Tidal) | 52 |
| Ellesmere | 16 | 10 | 107 1/2 | 745 | .. | (Tidal) | 45 |
The following article on the geology of New Zealand has been prepared by Mr. P. G. Morgan, M.A., F.G.S., Director of Geological Survey:—
The geological history of New Zealand is long and complicated, and is as yet by no means clearly deciphered. Since the beginning of the Palæozoic era that portion of the earth's crust where New Zealand is shown on the map has many times been elevated and depressed. Sometimes the land and the neighbouring ocean-floor as a whole have risen or fallen; at other times movement has been more or less local. Thus from age to age the land has greatly varied in outline, and whilst in one period it becomes a continent, in another it nearly or quite disappears beneath the ocean. The actual surface has been almost equally variable, for the mountain-chains of early periods have been planed down by denudation, and new mountains have risen to take their places. In short, the story of the land has been one of incessant, though as a rule slow-moving, change, and if the student would rightly interpret that story he must over bear in mind that New Zealand in the past has never been quite or even nearly the same as we see it now. With the scanty materials at hand he must endeavour to reconstruct the land as it existed during past ages. A rich field for original research is open to the New Zealand geologist. Little has yet been accomplished in comparison with what remains to be done. There are many absorbing problems—some of great economic importance, some of world-wide interest—awaiting solution by the patient scientific worker.
Professor James Park writes: “Though so isolated, New Zealand contains within its narrow borders representatives of most of the Palæozoic, Mesozoic, and Cainozoic formations. Moreover, its structure is that usually associated with areas of continental dimensions; and for that reason it is often spoken of as an island of the continental type. It is a miniature continent; and the occurrence in its framework of thinogenic (shore or shallow-water) rocks, ranging from the earliest geological epochs to the present day, is undeniable evidence that it stands on a subcrustal foundation of great stability.” (N.Z. Geological Survey Bulletin No. 23, p. 24, 1921.)
The oldest rocks in New Zealand appear to be those of western Otago, where over a large area is exposed a complex of gneisses and schists, intruded by granite and other igneous rocks. The gneisses in the main are altered granites and diorites, hut some of the schists, at any rate, are of sedimentary origin. A pre-Cambrian age was assigned to these rocks by Professor F. W. Hutton, but Professor James Park considers them to be probably of Cambrian age, and includes them in his Dusky Sound Series, the lower part of the Manapouri System.
Perhaps next in age to the western Otago gneisses and schists are the mica, chlorite, and quartz schists of Central Otago. In the absence of fossils, however, the age of these rocks is uncertain. Professor Hutton regarded them as pre-Cambrian, Professor Park assigns a Cambrian age, whilst Dr. P. Marshall considers them to be little, if at all, older than the Triassic. Recent field-work by the Geological Survey, however, strongly suggests that an unconformity separates the Triassic rocks of the Nugget Point district from the greywackes of the Balclutha district, which overlie the Otago schists. In December, 1924, fossils of Permian (if not older) age were discovered near Clinton in greywacke and associated rocks. The horizon of these fossils is far above the schists, and therefore a pre-Permian age for the schists is undeniable. Some schistose rocks in north, central, and western Nelson may be as old as, or even older than, the Otago mica-schists. The gneisses and schists on the western side of the Southern Alps may for the present be classed with the Nelson schists.
The oldest known fossiliferous rocks in New Zealand are the Ordovician argillites ("slates”), greywackes, and quartzites occurring near Collingwood (Nelson), the Mount Arthur district, and Preservation Inlet in south-west Otago. Ultimately these rocks may be found to have a considerable development in other parts of Nelson and in Westland.
Rocks containing Silurian fossils occur in the Mount Arthur, Baton River, and Reefton districts, Nelson. They are principally altered limestone, calcareous shale or argillite, sandstone, and quartzite.
Considerable areas have been assigned to the Devonian period by Mr. Alexander McKay, but owing to the non-discovery of recognizable fossils definite proof of age is wanting. For a similar reason the age of most of the rocks placed in the Carboniferous period ("Maitai Series”) by McKay is uncertain. At Reefton the supposed Carboniferous rocks, which here contain many auriferous quartz-veins, are almost certainly of Ordovician age. In the typical locality near Nelson the fossils found in the Maitai rocks, according to Dr. C. T. Trechmann, indicate a Permo-Carboniferous age.
So far Permian rocks have not been satisfactorily identified in New Zealand, but fossiliferous strata of this age, or slightly older, have lately been found near Clinton, Otago. The Maitai rocks near Nelson ought probably to be classified as Permian rather than as Permo-Carboniferous. Park considers his Aorangi Series to be of Permian age.
During some of the Palæozoic periods it is conjectured that New Zealand formed part of or was the foreland of a large land-mass that extended far to the west. This land-mass possibly persisted to late Palæozoic times, and may have been the now dismembered and all-but-lost continent known to geologists as Gondwanaland.
As yet the early and middle Mesozoic rocks of New Zealand have not been clearly separated by means of unconformities or fossil evidence into distinct formations. What may be called a Trias-Jura system is extensively developed in both the North and South Islands. The most fossiliferous localities are Hokonui Hills (Southland), near Nugget Point (Otago), Wairoa Valley (near the City of Nelson), Kawhia Harbour, and Waikato Heads, the two last-mentioned localities both on the west coast of Auckland. A broad belt of Trias-Jura rocks extends through western Canterbury and Marlborough, and is continued as a somewhat narrower belt on the north side of Cook Strait from Wellington to the Cape Runaway district. Rocks of, much the same age occur in the Mokau River watershed, in the Lower Waikato Valley, in the Coromandel Peninsula, and in North Auckland. Some of the so-called Trias-Jura rocks may be of pre-Mesozoic age, but fossils to settle the point have not yet been found.
Cretaceous rocks extend in a not-quite-continuous belt from Cape Campbell in Marlborough to the neighbourhood of Waipara in North Canterbury. At Amuri Bluff they are richly fossiliferous. To the Cretaceous belongs a somewhat extensive belt of rocks near the east coast of Wellington and southern Hawke's Bay. A continuation of this belt extends from a point north-west of Gisborne to the East Cape district. In North Auckland Cretaceous rocks cover considerable areas.
The oldest known, workable coal-seams in New Zealand occur in Cretaceous rocks. Much controversy, however, concerning the age of our coalfields has arisen. The late Sir James Hector, and with him Mr. Alexander McKay, considered that the coal-measures belonged to a Cretaceo-Tertiary system that extended from the Upper Cretaceous to the Middle Tertiary. For many years Mr. McKay was practically the sole exponent of this theory, but since 1911 Dr. Marshall has advocated a very similar view. The truth, however, seems to be that the coal-measures concerning which there is a dispute are of two different ages. The Kaitangata, Green Island, Shag Point, Malvern Hills, and Broken River (Canterbury) coalfields are probably of Upper Cretaceous age. The other coalfields, as mentioned below, are Tertiary.
Although there is certainly a palæontological break between the Upper Cretaceous (Waipara Series) and the Early Tertiary, the existence of an unconformity, as may be inferred from the previous paragraph, is still a controversial matter. The subdivision of the Tertiary strata, which are well represented in New Zealand, is as yet more or less tentative. To the Eocene may be assigned the coal-measures of the Taratu-Milton, Grey, Buller, and Collingwood districts, and some of the coal-bearing patches of central Nelson. In various other localities possible Eocene coal-measures occur. The Wangaloa beds, near Kaitangata, contain an Early Eocene fauna, which has also been identified at Boulder Hill, North Taieri, near Dunedin, and are underlain by the Taratu-Milton coal-measures.
During the Early Eocene, as some geologists and biologists believe, New Zealand was again part of a continental area that extended far to the north, and was joined, or all but joined, to New Guinea and northern Australia. This continent may have included much of the area in the Pacific now studded with coral islands. Its former existence is inferred mainly from various features in our plant and animal life. According to the late Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, no fewer than 366 New Zealand plants are found also in Australia, but recent botanical work tends to reduce the number. More significant, perhaps, is the occurrence of many closely related species and genera in the two regions, for comparatively few of the 366 species are likely to have persisted since the Eocene. Many of our birds show marked affinities to Australian and Malayan species. In tins connection an interesting line of support for a Tertiary extension of New Zealand to the north is afforded by the annual migrations of the New Zealand cuckoos and of the godwit.
During the Oligocene and Miocene periods New Zealand subsided until little of the present land-surface was above water. Consequently, notwithstanding extensive denudation in later periods, Middle-Tertiary strata are well represented in almost all parts of the country. They are typically developed in the Oamaru district (northeast Otago), and hence Hutton's name of “Oamaru Series” is generally applied to the Oligocene-Miocene strata of New Zealand. There is reason to think, however, that the lowest part of the Oamaru Series is of pre-Oligocene age, but until palæonto-logical work now in progress is completed a definite opinion cannot be expressed. Oamaru rocks are well represented in South Canterbury, in North Westland, in North Auckland, and in many other localities. Brown coal usually occurs at the base of the Oamaru Series, and about its middle a fairly thick fossiliferous limestone is usually developed. This marks the time when the Middle Tertiary sea was deepest. Some of the finest agricultural districts in New Zealand are in areas where Middle-Tertiary rocks predominate.
The present tendency of the Geological Survey is to separate, under various local names, the uppermost Miocene strata from the Oamaru Series, even though this be held to include the Awamoa or Pareora beds. Strata high in the Miocene cover large areas in the North Taranaki, upper Wanganui, and Gisborne-East Cape districts, and are found also in Marlborough, North Canterbury, &c. In North Taranaki they contain valuable scams of brown coal.
In many localities the Miocene rocks pass without detectable angular unconformity into strata considered to be of Pliocene age. In the Hawke's Bay and Wanganui districts these are marine and highly fossiliferous. They give rise to much good agricultural and more, especially pastoral land adapted to sheep-farming or dairying. In Nelson and north Westland the Pliocene strata are largely composed of river-transported material, and are known as the Moutere Gravels. These in places are poorly auriferous. In Nelson they form a poor pastoral soil, but one well adapted for apple-culture.
Towards the close of the Miocene and during the Pliocene period many parts of New Zealand, more particularly in the South Island, underwent elevation. As a result the North and South Islands (then quite different in outline from their present configuration), together with most of the outlying islands now in existence, such as the Chathams, Auckland Islands, &c., must have formed one large land-mass, which probably was united to, or almost reached, an Antarctic continent. Since many New Zealand plants* are identical with, or closely allied to, South American forms, and there are also some striking resemblances in bird and other forms of animal life, it is thought that this Antarctic continent formed a bridge, probably at no time quite complete, between New Zealand and South America. At the time of this continental extension the Southern Alps rose far above their present heights, and were covered with one vast snowfield that fed immense glaciers spreading far and wide over the lowlands to the east and the west. According to Park, during the Pleistocene there was one great sheet of ice over the whole of the present South Island and over part of the North Island. Moreover, this ice-sheet was joined to the Antarctic ice. The extreme views of Professor Park are not shared by other New Zealand geologists, who, however, unanimously agree that a large area in the South Island was glaciated. The great ice-streams of Pleistocene times gave rise to rivers that carried enormous quantities of gravel and finer material derived from the mountains beyond the ice-front, and in great measure built up the lowlands of Canterbury and Westland. In the latter district the gravels sorted by these streams are in many places richly auriferous, but a greater and more permanent source of wealth is furnished by the fertile soil of the Canterbury Plains.
* According to T. F. Cheeseman's “Manual of the New Zealand Flora” (preface, page ix), 108 New Zealand plants extend to South America.
In many parts of Otago, Canterbury, Westland, and Nelson evidences of past glacial action are afforded by huge moraines, perched blocks, ice-worn surfaces (roches moutonnées), rock-benches, rock-basins, and other tokens of glaciation. To ice-action, it may here be mentioned, we owe some of the most magnificent features of the western Otago sounds.
At or before the end of the Pleistocene period the mountains lessened in height, through both denudation and a well-marked subsidence of the land. The climate grew milder, and the lowland ice melted away. The mighty glaciers rapidly retreated, geologically speaking, and are to-day represented only by the comparatively modest valley and mountain glaciers of north-west Otago, Canterbury, and Westland, with which may be included the small but permanent snowfield and glacier on Mount Ruapehu. While the glaciers were retreating, the rivers of Canterbury and Westland, swollen by the melting ice, were unusually active in transporting debris to the lowlands and the sea-coast. At this time, too, as well as at somewhat earlier periods, the volcanoes of the North Island furnished an abundant supply of fragmentary material, much of which was transported by the streams and used in building plains and river-flats. Many of these are fertile, but in those districts where pumice abounded a poor soil, difficult of utilization, has resulted. Thus the land gradually became much as we see it now. In recent times geological changes, such as the lowering of heights by denudation, the filling of lakes by sediment, the outward growth of coastal plains in some places, and the wearing-away of the shores in other places, have slowly proceeded, and are to-day, of course, still going on. Slow movements of the land are probably in progress, but these have not been certainly detected. In 1855, however, as the result of a violent earthquake, the northern shore of Cook Strait, near Wellington Harbour, was raised on the average at least 5 ft., whilst the southern shore near Tory Channel and towards the mouth of the Wairau River was almost correspondingly depressed. The Taupo earthquakes of 1922 also caused a measurable movement of the land surface near Taupo.
In the preceding paragraphs little notice has been given to igneous rocks or to volcanic action. The oldest igneous rocks of New Zealand are probably represented by the gneisses of western Otago, which, as previously stated, are mainly metamorphosed granites and diorites. Plutonic rocks intrude many of the Palæozoic and Mesozoic strata, and some of the formations also show evidence of contemporaneous volcanic action. Of the more ancient plutonic rocks granite is the most prominent. It occurs in many localities in Stewart Island, western Otago, Westland, and Nelson. It has, however, not been found in situ in the North Island, though in at least six localities boulders of granite and allied rocks, probably derived in all cases from ancient conglomerates, have been discovered. Ultra-basic igneous rocks, now largely altered to serpentine, occur in north-west Otago, Westland, and Nelson.
Throughout the greater part of the Tertiary periods volcanic action in New Zealand was probably more intense than in any former age. During the Late Eocene or Early Miocene period eruptions, at first principally of andesitic rocks and later of rhyolite, began in the Coromandel Peninsula, and with little intermission continued throughout Miocene and Pliocene times. These volcanic rocks contain the gold-silver veins which have been extensively worked at Coromandel, Thames, Waitekauri, Karangahake, and Waihi.
There are many areas of Miocene and later volcanic rocks in North Auckland, and near the City of Auckland numerous small volcanoes were in action during the Pleistocene, or even later. Some of these—for example, Mount Rangitoto—have possibly been active within the last few thousand years. In Taranaki the beautiful cone of Mount Egmont was built up during Pliocene and Pleistocene times. It is in the central part of the North Island, however, that the most intense volcanic activity has been displayed. Volcanic rocks, more especially the pumice ejected during the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene, cover large areas. Vulcanism has not yet ceased, for minor eruptions of fragmentary material still take place from Ngauruhoe, a typical volcanic cone near Mount Ruapehu. The most striking evidence of volcanic action, however, is afforded by the numerous steam-vents, hot springs, and geysers found in a belt extending from Ruapehu to White Island (in the Bay of Plenty), itself a volcano in the solfataric stage. It is more than a coincidence that this belt is in line with the Southern Alps. Solfataric action is generally regarded as a sign of dying vulcanism, but that the subterranean forces are still capable of mischief was shown by the eruption of Tarawera, an apparently extinct volcano, on the 10th June, 1886. On that occasion over a hundred lives were lost.
In the South Island vulcanism is apparently quite dead, for the hot springs of Hanmer Plains and the western side of the Alps are due to other causes. During the Miocene, however, volcanic outbursts took place in many localities, in some on a grand scale. Banks Peninsula is formed mainly of basaltic and andesitic rocks Lyttelton and Akaroa Harbours are believed to represent ancient craters or centres of eruption. In the neighbourhood of Dunedin occurs a very interesting series of alkaline volcanic rocks. These were first described by the late Professor G. H. F. Ulrich, and in later years Dr, Marshall has given them much study. Recently alkaline volcanic rocks have been discovered in the outlying Chatham Islands.
In the course of a short article it is impossible to give any adequate idea of what has been accomplished by geological workers in New Zealand, or what remains yet to be done before even the foundation for future work shall be securely laid. The important applications of geology to agriculture and mining have hardly been mentioned, but elsewhere in this volume will be found descriptions of the agricultural and mineral resources of the Dominion. For detailed information the reader is referred to the bulletins of the New Zealand Geological Survey; to Professor Park's “Geology of New Zealand,” which contains an excellent bibliography; and to the treatises on “Geology of New Zealand,” by Dr. P. Marshall, as well as to many other publications too numerous to be here named. Finally it may be mentioned that in each of the University Colleges at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin excellent instruction in geology is being given by capable and enthusiastic teachers, so that in the near future we may expect increased progress in solving the many knotty problems of New Zealand geology.
The following article by the former Government Seismologist, the late Mr. George Hogben, C.M.G., M.A., F.G.S., has been revised and brought up to date by Dr. C. E. Adams, DSc., F.R.A.S., Government Astronomer and Seismologist, with the assistance of Mr. J. Henderson, D.Sc., Mining Geologist:—
The Wellington earthquake of 23rd January, 1855, received a full notice in Sir Charles Lyell's classic work “The Principles of Geology,"* and probably largely on that account the attention of the scientific world was attracted to this feature of the natural phenomena of New Zealand. But since that earthquake, during which the level of the land in the neighbourhood of Wellington Harbour was raised about 5 ft., there has been no shock in the New Zealand region proper which has at all approached the destructive phase. Indeed, of about 2,100 earthquakes recorded as having origins in or near New Zealand, that of 1848† is the only other earthquake comparable in intensity to that of 1855; and the average intensity of all the earthquakes thus recorded is between III and IV on the Rossi-Forel scale—or, in other words, just sufficient to make pictures hung on walls move a little, and to cause doors and windows to creak or rattle slightly. In about twenty instances the force has been sufficient near the origin to overturn some chimneys (for the most part badly constructed ones), and in a very few buildings to crack walls or ceilings of faulty design. In about fifty other earthquakes such phenomena have been noted as the stopping of clocks, without any damage. The great majority of shocks have passed unperceived by the ordinary observer, and have been recorded only by means of instruments.
* Tenth edition, 1868, vol. ii, p. 82. London: John Murray; New Zealand Government Gazette, Wellington, vol. 2, No. 14, 17th October, 1855, p. 116.
† Westminster Review, vol. 51, 1849; Mr. Justice H. S. Chapman, “Earthquakes in New Zealand,” Trans. Aust. Assoc. Adv. Science, vol. 3, 1891; G. Hogben, “The Earthquakes of New Zealand,” p. 37; “Report of Seismological Committee,” p. 505; New Zealand Government Gazette, Auckland, vol. 1, No. 27, 13th November, 1848 and vol. 1, No. 29, 20th November, 1848.
Earthquakes are usually divided into the two classes of volcanic and tectonic earthquakes. The former are those that precede, accompany, or follow a volcanic eruption, whereas tectonic earthquakes are caused by deformation of the earth's crust. The latter are of far greater general importance than those due to volcanic action, which may, indeed, be considered an effect of the same stresses that produce tectonic earthquakes.
A volcanic eruption is in almost all cases preceded by earthquakes, which, although they may be extremely violent, are characterized by the sharpness and brevity of the shock and by the smallness of the disturbed area. The after-shocks of a severe earthquake of the so-called volcanic type continue for a relatively short period. Successive earthquakes of a series have nearly the same place of origin.
Volcanic earthquakes in the past were usually considered to be due to explosions within the mass of the mountain. This hypothesis has been discarded, or at least much modified, by most modern authorities. They are considered rather to arise from the formation of new fractures, from the reopening or extension of old fractures, from the sudden injection of lava into cavities or fissures, and from the displacement of rock-masses adjoining a fracture. Thus they are essentially of the same nature as “tectonic” earthquakes.
Tectonic earthquakes are caused by the deformations of the earth's crust, to which surface features are ultimately due. These deformations arise from the gradual shrinking of the central core or from changes in the load on the crust through denudation and sedimentation. Stresses accumulate in the solid rock until relieved by the formation of fissures, along which movements of adjacent earth-blocks take place. These earth-blocks may be of vast size, end fractures or faults separating them are rarely single planes of rupture, but consist of numerous subparallel breaks extending more or less continuously along elongated belts. Such fault-zones may be hundreds of miles long and many miles wide.
The connection between earthquakes and the formation, extension, or growth of faults is evident in the somewhat rare cases in which the displacement reaches the surface. It is also indicated by the elongated form of the area over which the shock is equally felt, and by the association of these areas with faults traceable on the surface by geological and topographical data. When movement occurs considerable areas of the fracture-plane must be affected, and, since shocks may originate from any part of this area, the seismic focus may be of large size. Again, the foci of successive shocks of a series may migrate to and fro along the fracture or shift to adjacent fractures. Similarly, earthquake series may migrate along a fault-zone.
In New Zealand many great faults and fault-zones have been traced for long distances on geological and topographical evidence, but of these a few only have been active since European occupation. A notable zone extends north-east through the centre of the North Island from Mount Ruapehu to White Island. South of Ruapehu it has not been definitely traced on the surface, although from the positions of the foci of the groups of earthquakes it probably extends past Wanganui, across Cook Strait, and along the south-east shore of Tasman Bay to the South Island. The volcanic phenomena of the Rotorua-Taupo region, together with the recent remarkable earthquakes at Taupo, indicate that earth-stresses are still accumulating along this great fracture-zone.
Another important fault-system extends through North Canterbury, Marlborough, East Wellington, and Hawke's Bay. Its general course is north-east, parallel with the Taupo belt and the principal mountain-ranges of New Zealand. The Marlborough valleys, as well as the lowlands of the Hutt and Wairarapa districts, are directly controlled by fractures of this great system. In addition to many less severe shocks, the Wellington earthquake of 1855 was due to displacement along one of the major fissures. The southern end of the known active portion of the great fracture-belt is crossed by several important east-and-west faults; and the Hanmer earthquake of 1888 was due to the reopening of a fault extending in this direction along the upper valley of the Waiau-ua River.
The edge of the submarine plateau of which New Zealand is the most elevated portion lies about two hundred miles east of the North Island. Thence it extends north-eastward for hundreds of miles in a nearly straight fine. The sea-floor to the east is several thousand feet lower, and the precipitous edge of the plateau probably is the scarp of a great fracture-belt. The most active seismic region of New Zealand is at or near the southern end of this submarine scarp, and here have originated several severe earthquakes.
Another submarine earthquake-zone, presumably also a fracture-zone, extends parallel with and some fifty miles from the east coast of the South Island, from opposite Christchurch to south-east of Dunedin. Numerous unimportant earthquakes have originated from this zone.
Another group of earthquake-foci occurs off the west coast of the North Island, opposite Raglan and Kawhia. This, like the other seismic zones, extends in a northeasterly direction parallel with the main mountain-axis of the Dominion. Few earthquakes have been recorded from this locality, the principal being in 1882 and 1891.
The origins of the New Zealand seismic region will be seen to arrange themselves in groups as follows:—
Group I.—Earthquakes felt most strongly on south-cast coast of North Island; the origins form a strip 180 miles from the coast, parallel to the axis of New Zealand, and to axis of folding of older rocks in Hawke's Bay. Chief shocks: 17th August, 1868; 7th March, 1890; 23rd and 29th July, 1904; 9th August, 1904 (intensity IX on R.-F. scale); 8th September. 1904; prob. 23rd February, 1863 (IX, R.-F.); &c.
According to the late Captain F. W. Hutton, F.R.S., the geological evidence shows that New Zealand rose considerably in the older Pliocene period, and was then probably joined to the Chatham Islands. At a later period subsidence occurred, followed again by elevation in the Pleistocene period, with oscillations of level since. The seismic origins of this group are at the foot of a sloping submarine plateau, about two hundred miles wide, which culminates to the east-south-east in the Chatham Islands. This elevation is separated from the New Zealand coast by a trough from 1,000 to 2,000 fathoms in depth, which is widest and deepest between these origins and the mainland.
Group II.—(a.) South-east of Otago Peninsula. Shocks: 20th November, 1872, &c.
(b.) A strip south-east of Oamaru. Shocks: February, 1876; April, 1876; &c.
(c.) Many short and jerky, but generally harmless, quakes felt in Christchurch, Banks Peninsula, and mid-Canterbury. Chief shocks: 31st August, 1870; 27th December, 1888 (VII, R.-F.); &c. Focus of 1888 shock, sixteen miles long, from west-south-west to east-north-east, twenty-four to twenty-five miles below surface, being the deepest ascertained origin in the New Zealand region.
These origins form a line parallel to the general axis of the land. It is possible that the loading of the sea-floor by the detritus brought down by the rivers of Canterbury and Otago is a contributing cause of the earthquakes of this group.
Group III.—Wellington earthquakes of January, 1855, and Cheviot earthquakes of 16th November, 1901, and of 25th December, 1922 (VIII, R.-F.).
The origin of the earthquake of 1855 was probably the fault that forms the eastern boundary of the Rimutaka Range and the western boundary of the Wairarapa Valley.
The origin of the Cheviot earthquake of 1901 was probably in or near the southern continuation of this fault.
The great earthquakes of October, 1848, probably came from the same region as those of January, 1855. The chief shocks of both series did extensive damage to property, and caused the formation of large rifts in the earth's surface; they are the only seismic disturbances since the settlement of the Dominion that can be assigned to degree X on the Rossi-Forel scale.
Group IV.—(a.) Region about twenty-five to thirty miles in length, and ten miles or less in width, running nearly north-north-east from middle of Lake Sumner, about twenty miles below the surface, whence proceed most of the severer shocks felt from Christchurch to the Amuri, and a large number of minor shocks. Chief earthquakes: 1st February, 1868; 27th August to 1st September, 1871; 14th September and 21st October, 1878; 11th April, 1884; 5th December, 1881 (VIII, R.-F.), when Christchurch Cathedral spire was slightly injured; 1st September, 1888 (IX, R.-F.), when upper part of same spire fell, and still more severe damage was done in the Amuri district.
(b.) A small shallow origin not more than five to ten miles below the surface, a few miles south of Nelson. Earthquake: 12th February, 1893 (VIII to IX, R.-F); chimneys thrown down and buildings injured.
(c.) Origin in Cook Strait, north-north-east of Stephen Island, about ten miles wide, and apparently traceable with few interruptions nearly to mouth of Wanganui River; depth, fifteen miles or more. More than half the earthquakes recorded in New Zealand belong to this region; earthquake of 8th December, 1897 (VIII to IX, R.-F.), -and other severer ones came from south-south-west end. Probably the first recorded New Zealand earthquake, felt by Captain Furneaux on the 11th May, 1773, belonged to this region.
(d.) Taupo Earthquakes.—During June and July, 1922, earthquakes were almost continuous in the Taupo district. The shocks reached intensity VIII on the Rossi-Forel scale, and then gradually subsided. Conditions were practically normal by the end of the year. The shocks were restricted to a small area of country, and were felt most strongly at Taupo, Wairakei, and Oruanui. The disturbances were accompanied by loud rumblings. No effect appeal's to have been produced on the thermal activities of the region. Considerable subsidence was reported along the north side of Lake Taupo in a general north-easterly direction.*
* P. G. Morgan: N.Z. Geological Survey Annual Report for the year 1923, p. 10.
Former smart shocks in this region were reported in September-October, 1897.
(e.) An origin near Mount Tarawera, with a large number of moderate or slight shocks, most, but not all, volcanic and local in character—e.g., those of September 1866, and those of June, 1886, which accompanied and followed the well-known eruption of Mount Tarawera.
These origins of Group IV, (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), are nearly in a straight line on the map; on or near the same line are the origins of earthquakes felt in the Southern Lake District (15th December, 1883, &c.), the volcanoes Ruapehu. Ngauruhoe, Tongariro, Tarawera, and White Island. It is evident that this line, which, like the rest, is parallel or nearly so to the general axis, is a line of weakness or of unstable equilibrium. Hence the adjusting movements that have caused earthquakes may have from time to time relieved the pressure of the rocks that restrained overheated steam and other volcanic agents from bursting out, and so may have led to volcanic eruptions; just as the series of earthquakes in Guatemala and in the Caribbean Sea in April and May, 1902, were the signs of movements in the great folds of that part of the earth's crust, in the course of which, the pressure in the Antillean Ridge being relieved, the volcanic forces below Mount Pelée in Martinique, and Mount Souffriére in St. Vincent, caused the disastrous eruptions of that year.
Group V.—Off the west coast of the North Island near Raglan and Kawhia. Chief shock: 24th June, 1891 (VII to VIII, R.-F.). The line joining this origin to that of the earthquake of 1st February, 1882, is parallel to the other lines of origins (Groups I to IV); but we have no data to establish any connection between them.
Since 1888 there has been established in New Zealand a system of observing local earthquakes at selected telegraph-stations—about eighty in number—distributed throughout the extent of the Dominion.
Whenever a shock occurs and is felt by an officer in charge of one of these stations he fills up a form giving the New Zealand mean time of the beginning of the shock, its apparent duration and direction, and the principal effects observed by him. Some of the officers exhibit considerable care and skill in making up these returns, and the data have been used to determine principal origins of earthquakes within the New Zealand region.
All observers of earthquakes are cordially invited to forward their reports to the Government Seismologist, Dominion Observatory, Wellington, giving all or any of the following particulars:—
Time of beginning of shock (if possible, New Zealand time to nearest quarter-minute).
Whether clock was verified by New Zealand time.*
Apparent direction—e.g., S.E. to N.W., then N.E. to S.W.
Apparent duration of shock.
Effects in terms of the Rossi-Forel scale as under.
Remarks: e.g., previous or subsequent tremors; spilling of liquids, with direction of overflow; rumbling before, during, or after shock.
* A convenient means of verifying the time is provided by the wireless time-signals sent out every day, except Sundays and Government holidays, at 10.30 a.m. N.Z. time, by the Dominion Observatory on a wave-length of 600 metres.
The Rossi-Forel scale of earthquake intensities is as follows:—
Microseismic shock: Recorded by a single seismograph or by seismographs of the same model, but not by several seismographs of different kinds; the shock felt by an experienced observer.
Extremely feeble shook: Recorded by several seismographs of different kinds; felt by a small number of persons at rest.
Very feeble shock: Felt by several persons at rest; strong enough for the direction or duration to be appreciable.
Feeble shock: Felt by persons in motion; disturbances of movable objects, doors, windows; croaking of ceilings.
Shock of moderate intensity: Felt generally by every one; disturbance of furniture, beds, &c.; ringing of swinging bells.
Fairly strong shock: General awakening of those asleep; general ringing of house bells; oscillation of chandeliers; stopping of pendulum clocks; visible agitation of trees and shrubs; some startled persons leave their dwellings.
Strong shock: Overthrow of movable objects; fall of plaster; ringing of church bells; general panic, without damage to buildings.
Very strong shock: Fall of chimneys; cracks in walls of buildings.
Extremely strong shock: Partial or total destruction of some buildings.
Shock of extreme intensity: Great disaster; buildings ruined; disturbance of the strata; fissures in the ground; rock-falls from mountains.
Three seismographs, all with photographic registration, are installed in New Zealand: two are Milne horizontal pendulums, and one is the now Milne-Shaw horizontal pendulum. One Milne and the new Milne-Shaw seismographs are installed at the Dominion Observatory, Wellington, with their booms placed at right angles; and the other Milne seismograph is installed at the Magnetic Observatory, Christchurch.
The records of the New Zealand stations are sent to the General Secretary of the Seismological Committee of the British Association, to the Station Centrale Sismologique, Strasbourg, France, and to the principal observatories of the world, and thus form part of the general system of earthquake-observation being conducted throughout the world since 1890.
The accompanying diagram illustrates graphically the number and intensities of the earthquakes reported to the Seismologist in the years 1922, 1923, and 1924. These reports were supplied by officers of the Post and Telegraph Department, by private observers, and by the newspapers. Each vertical line represents the maximum effect of an earthquake, with the intensities according to the Rossi-Forel scale shown at the sides of the figure. It will be seen that four earthquakes in 1922 reached intensity VIII on this scale. The figure also shows the distribution in time of the earthquakes.
Deaths due to earthquakes in New Zealand are fortunately very few. In the last seventy-five years seven have been recorded.
The shock of October, 1848, threw down a wall in Wellington, and three people were killed.
On the 24th January, 1855, a death occurred at Wellington recorded as “accidental death from the falling of a chimney.” The large earthquake took place during the night of the 23rd January, 1855.
On the 16th November, 1901, a child was killed by the Cheviot earthquake.
On the 12th April, 1913, a Maori was killed at Masterton by material falling from the post-office, due to an earthquake.
On the 7th October. 1914, a shepherd was killed by the Gisborne earthquake.
The following article on the climate of New Zealand has boon prepared by the Dominion Meteorologist, Mr D. C. Bates:—
The climate of New Zealand is spoken of in popular and general terms as equable, mild, and salubrious; but such a summary does not convey an adequate idea of variations that exist in a country stretching, as it does, north and south for nearly a thousand miles, and distinctly differentiated by lofty mountain-chains. Another fact which must also be borne in mind is that the greater part of the North Island is controlled by a different system of circulation from that which dominates conditions in the parts about Cook Strait and in the South Island. The former is subject to ex-tropical disturbances, and the latter more to westerly or antarctic “lows,” which travel along the latitudes of the “forties,” with their prevailing westerly winds.
The climate of the Auckland Province, speaking generally, combines degrees of warmth and humidity agreeable by day and comfortable by night. North of Auckland City conditions are almost subtropical, and in summer balmy easterly breezes prevail, and are responsible for delightful conditions. In winter the winds are more north and west, while changes to the south-west or south-east mostly account for the rainfall. Cumulus clouds are frequently formed in the afternoons, and, while tempering the heat of the day, also cut down sunshine records somewhat, but add considerably to the beauty of the land- and sea-scape. Southward of Auckland the climate is more varied, the west coast experiencing more rain, while the central parts are warmer in the day and considerably colder at night. In the winter months frosts, which are unknown farther north, now and then occur in the hours of darkness. Eastward from Rotorua (the great health resort and the centre of the thermal region) is to be found one of the most genial climates in the world, and Tauranga and Opotiki have charms all their own, especially for their weather and the fruits which ripen to perfection in these regions.
The monthly and annual means of the temperature, rainfall, and sunshine of Auckland and Rotorua are shown in the following tables:—
| Month. | Main Temperatures for 59 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 70 Years. | Mean Sunshine for 13 Years. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | Hr. | min. | |
| January | 773.6 | 59.0 | 66.3 | 2.59 | 10.2 | 216 | 6 |
| February | 74.1 | 59.7 | 615.9 | 3.02 | 9.6 | 176 | 33 |
| March | 71.9 | 57.7 | 64.8 | 3.06 | 11.2 | 171 | 17 |
| April | 67.7 | 54.5 | 61.1 | 3.34 | 14.0 | 141 | 14 |
| May | 62.6 | 50.6 | 56.G | 4.41 | 18.3 | 127 | 56 |
| June | 59.2 | 47.8 | 53.5 | 4.79 | 19.2 | 118 | 3 |
| July | 57.5 | 46.0 | 51.7 | 5.05 | 20.9 | 116 | 4 |
| August | 58.2 | 46.1 | 52.1 | 4.21 | 19.5 | 142 | 57 |
| September | 60.7 | 48.4 | 54.5 | 3.62 | 17.4 | 144 | 50 |
| October | 63.5 | 50.9 | 57.2 | 3.63 | 16.4 | 165 | 1 |
| November | 66.9 | 53.4 | 60.2 | 3.27 | 14.6 | 189 | 10 |
| December | 70.8 | 56.8 | 63.S | 2.86 | 11.6 | 204 | 40 |
| Year | 65.6 | 52.6 | 59.1 | 43.85 | 182.9 | 1,914 | 28 |
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 36 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 37 Years. | Mean Sunshine for 11 Years. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | Hr. | min. | |
| January | 75.1 | 52.3 | 63.7 | 4.00 | 9.6 | 241 | 24 |
| February. | 74.9 | 52.6 | 63.7 | 3.89 | 8.2 | 185 | 21 |
| March | 71.8 | 49.5 | 60.6 | 3.62 | 9.6 | 188 | 48 |
| April | 66.1 | 45.2 | 55.6 | 4.22 | 10.7 | 158 | 34 |
| May | 60.3 | 40.8 | 50.5 | 5.28 | 12.4 | 142 | 53 |
| June | 55.9 | 38.4 | 47.1 | 5.04 | 12.8 | 121 | 32 |
| July | 54.4 | 37.1 | 45.7 | 5.04 | 13.7 | 128 | 0 |
| August | 56.2 | 37.7 | 46.9 | 4.97 | 13.4 | 140 | 10 |
| September | 59.9 | 40.8 | 50.3 | 5.09 | 14.1 | 161 | 52 |
| October | 64.0 | 44.2 | 54.1 | 4.96 | 14.0 | 183 | 37 |
| November | 68.4 | 46.7 | 57.5 | 4.01 | 12.7 | 210 | 32 |
| December | 72.8 | 49.8 | 61.3 | 3.70 | 10.0 | 215 | 26 |
| Year | 65.0 | 44.6 | 54.8 | 53.82 | 141.2 | 2,078 | 14 |
The Hawke's Bay Province is one of the richest in New Zealand, and is favoured with a pleasant climate, being sheltered from westerly winds, though occasionally they are of the warm and dry (Foehn) type. It is rather dry, but ex-tropical disturbances are occasionally responsible for heavy downpours. Though the number of days with rain is less than, and sunshine above, that of other parts, the rainfall is still a good one, and fairly regular throughout the year, though some seasons have been notably dry. The meteorological records of Napier show reliable normals for the coastal districts. Inland the country is rather mountainous and less mild.
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 31 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 18 Years. | Mean Sunshine for 16 Years. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | Hr. | min. | |
| January | 75.5 | 56.8 | 66.1 | 2.44 | 7.6 | 261 | 31 |
| February | 74.3 | 56.7 | 65.5 | 2.56 | 7.0 | 206 | 6 |
| March | 71.3 | 54.6 | 62.9 | 3.40 | 8.7 | 221 | 48 |
| April | 67.1 | 50.1 | 58.6 | 2.17 | 7.4 | 196 | 18 |
| May | 61.6 | 46.1 | 53.8 | 4.14 | 9.4 | 158 | 41 |
| June | 57.9 | 42.3 | 50.1 | 2.45 | 8.5 | 156 | 9 |
| July | 56.5 | 41.5 | 49.0 | 3.82 | 10.6 | 147 | 12 |
| August | 57.9 | 42.0 | 49.9 | 2.96 | 10.9 | 188 | 25 |
| September | 62.2 | 45.1 | 53.6 | 1.75 | 8.3 | 218 | 33 |
| October | 66.4 | 48.7 | 57.5 | 2.50 | 9.7 | 234 | 56 |
| November | 69.7 | 51.7 | 60.7 | 2.08 | 8.3 | 247 | 54 |
| December | 73.2 | 55.3 | 64.2 | 2.04 | 6.9 | 273 | 25 |
| Year | 66.1 | 49.2 | 57.6 | 32.31 | 103.3 | 2,510 | 58 |
As disclosed by its meteorological records, Wellington, the capital city, has a mean climate for the whole Dominion. Wellington occupies a central position, and is situated near Cook Strait, which divides the two main Islands. It has a somewhat changeable but temperate climate, and, though occasionally subject to disturbances from warmer regions, is usually controlled by the terrestrial wind-currents which have a westerly direction round the world in the latitude of the “forties.” It is popularly regarded as a rather windy spot, for high winds are frequently experienced, although they hardly ever reach hurricane force. Its windiness is largely owing to local configuration, for places quite near Wellington experience very little wind; and to compensate for this rather disagreeable element is a bountiful sunshine, averaging 2,022 hours per annum. There is a plentiful rainfall, amounting to nearly 50 in.
The region between Wellington and Taranaki, following the Taranaki Bight, is probably as fertile and agreeable as any in Australia or New Zealand: but inland, though very productive, conditions are not so favourable.
Taranaki has a rather heavy rainfall, and in most parts of this region the grass is always green. Its climate is mild, and cattle winter in the open. Wanganui and Manawatu districts (which lie between Wellington and Taranaki) have less rainfall than either Wellington or Taranaki.
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 60 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 66 Years. | Mean Sunshine for 17 Years | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | Hr. | min. | |
| January | 69.3 | 55.7 | 62.5 | 3.32 | 10.4 | 222 | 13 |
| February | 69.3 | 55.7 | 62.5 | 3.18 | 8.9 | 207 | 51 |
| March | 66.8 | 54.2 | 60.5 | 3.27 | 11.3 | 182 | 35 |
| April | 62.7 | 51.1 | 56.9 | 3.84 | 13.1 | 155 | 10 |
| May | 58.3 | 47.2 | 52.7 | 4.73 | 16.6 | 126 | 39 |
| June | 54.7 | 44.2 | 49.4 | 4.87 | 17.2 | 105 | 19 |
| July | 53.1 | 42.3 | 47.7 | 5.65 | 18.2 | 103 | 37 |
| August | 54.4 | 42.8 | 48.6 | 4.40 | 17.0 | 146 | 37 |
| September | 57.5 | 45.7 | 51.6 | 4.05 | 15.0 | 162 | 44 |
| October | 60.3 | 48.4 | 54.3 | 4.12 | 14.1 | 175 | 9 |
| November | 63.3 | 50.5 | 56.9 | 3.46 | 13.0 | 201 | 30 |
| December | 66.9 | 53.9 | 60.4 | 3.20 | 12.0 | 232 | 47 |
| Year | 61.4 | 49.3 | 55.3 | 48.09 | 166.8 | 2,022 | 11 |
It may be useful to make a comparison between the records of Wellington and those of Camden Square, London.
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 35 Years. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |
| °F. | °F. | °F. | |
| January | 43.5 | 34.0 | 38.8 |
| February | 45.6 | 34.4 | 40.0 |
| March | 50.1 | 35.6 | 42.9 |
| April | 57.4 | 39.4 | 48.4 |
| May | 64.9 | 45.2 | 55.1 |
| June | 70.9 | 51.0 | 61.0 |
| July | 74.1 | 54.4 | 64.3 |
| August | 72.6 | 53.7 | 63.2 |
| September | 67.4 | 49.8 | 58.6 |
| October | 57.5 | 43.9 | 50.7 |
| November | 49.7 | 38.9 | 44.3 |
| December | 45.1 | 35.8 | 40.5 |
| Year | 58.2 | 43.0 | 50.6 |
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 17 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 18 Years. | Mean Sunshine for 16 Years. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | Hr. | in. | |
| January | 70.1 | 52.9 | 61.5 | 3.25 | 9.7 | 235 | 25 |
| February | 70.9 | 53.0 | 61.9 | 2.76 | 7.8 | 187 | 47 |
| March | 69.6 | 52.1 | 60.8 | 3.81 | 10.2 | 177 | 8 |
| April | 64.5 | 47.6 | 56.0 | 3.93 | 13.3 | 150 | 10 |
| May | 58.6 | 43.8 | 51.2 | 4.06 | 14.4 | 118 | 14 |
| June | 54.9 | 41.7 | 48.3 | 4.19 | 14.3 | 100 | 59 |
| July | 53.3 | 40.4 | 46.8 | 4.31 | 16.1 | 109 | 58 |
| August | 55.4 | 41.3 | 48.3 | 3.93 | 15.0 | 143 | 16 |
| September | 58.8 | 44.1 | 51.4 | 3.82 | 13.7 | 151 | 57 |
| October | 62.0 | 46.6 | 54.3 | 4.56 | 15.0 | 161 | 24 |
| November | 64.6 | 48.7 | 56.6 | 3.70 | 13.0 | 173 | 34 |
| December | 68.2 | 50.8 | 59.5 | 3.44 | 12.0 | 229 | 26 |
| Year | 62.6 | 46.9 | 54.7 | 45.76 | 154.5 | 1,939 | 18 |
Nelson and Marlborough are highly favoured regions with regard to sunshine and shelter from marine winds. Long ago Bishop Selwyn said, “No one knows what the climate is till he has basked in the almost perpetual sunshine of Tasman's Gulf, with a frame braced and invigorated to the full enjoyment of heat by the wholesome frost or cool snowy breeze of the night before.”
Pastoral and agricultural industries are thriving, and the Province of Nelson is also famous for its fruit cultures—apples especially being celebrated for their variety colour, and flavour. The rainfall about Nelson is very reliable, and averages from 35 in. to 45 in. per annum. Marlborough is also a sunny province, and its rainfall averages from 25 in. to 30 in.
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 34 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 40 Years. | Mean Sunshine for 8 Years. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | Hr. | in. | |
| January | 75.1 | 53.9 | 64.5 | 2.71 | 8.0 | 277 | 33 |
| February | 74.3 | 54.0 | 64.1 | 2.80 | 9.0 | 225 | 39 |
| March | 71.1 | 51.3 | 61.2 | 2.99 | 8.9 | 202 | 53 |
| April | 66.3 | 47.4 | 56.8 | 2.93 | 9.7 | 193 | 46 |
| May | 60.0 | 42.5 | 51.2 | 3.13 | 10.1 | 170 | 7 |
| June | 56.1 | 38.9 | 47.5 | 3.75 | 10.1 | 143 | 22 |
| July | 54.6 | 37.7 | 46.1 | 3.47 | 11.0 | 146 | 31 |
| August | 56.5 | 38.6 | 47.5 | 3.05 | 10.7 | 196 | 32 |
| September | 60.7 | 42.2 | 51.4 | 3.75 | 12.0 | 202 | 41 |
| October | 64.8 | 45.2 | 55.0 | 3.48 | 11.8 | 220 | 40 |
| November | 68.7 | 48.4 | 58.5 | 2.87 | 11.4 | 248 | 44 |
| December | 72.0 | 51.5 | 61.7 | 2.67 | 8.8 | 261 | 36 |
| Year | 65.5 | 46.0 | 55.5 | 37.60 | 121.5 | 2,490 | 4 |
Following are the rainfall and sunshine records for Blenheim:—
The climate of Westland is influenced by its position with regard to the prevailing westerly winds, its proximity to the sea from which these winds blow, and the mountainous character of its eastern half. The rainfall, as might be expected, is heavy, and ranges from about 70 in. per annum in the north on the coast to as much as 200 in. in the mountainous country. The weather-changes are chiefly due to atmospheric depressions, with lowest pressures passing south of the Dominion. Cyclones centred in the north, while bringing heavy rains to the North Island and the east-coast portions of the South, do not, as a rule, affect Westland, as easterly winds, which then prevail, are not conducive to cloud-formation in this province. Sunshine at Hokitika averages 1,897 hours a year, and, though not so abundant as in east-coast districts, this is a good average amount considering the rainfall. Westland is noted for a clear, beautiful atmosphere during fair-weather periods.
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 44 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 44 Years. | Mean Sunshine for 10 Years. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||||
| °F | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | Hr. | min. | |
| January | 67.4 | 53.1 | 60.2 | 9.87 | 12.6 | 207 | 14 |
| February | 68.1 | 53.2 | 60.6 | 7.20 | 10.9 | 187 | 39 |
| March | 66.0 | 51.2 | 58.6 | 9.72 | 14.1 | 174 | 27 |
| April | 62.3 | 47.2 | 54.7 | 9.31 | 15.1 | 131 | 40 |
| May | 57.9 | 42.1 | 50.0 | 9.79 | 15.5 | 135 | 15 |
| June | 54.4 | 38.8 | 46.6 | 9.72 | 15.3 | 107 | 54 |
| July | 53.0 | 36.9 | 44.9 | 9.10 | 16.1 | 123 | 18 |
| August | 54.6 | 38.1 | 46.3 | 9.45 | 16.1 | 151 | 13 |
| September | 57.6 | 42.4 | 50.0 | 9.14 | 16.5 | 140 | 57 |
| October | 59.6 | 45.7 | 52.6 | 11.88 | 19.1 | 155 | 7 |
| November | 61.7 | 48.0 | 54.8 | 10.73 | 17.6 | 169 | 58 |
| December | 65.3 | 51.4 | 58.3 | 10.60 | 16.0 | 212 | 36 |
| Year | 60.7 | 45.7 | 53.2 | 116.51 | 184.9 | 1,897 | 18 |
The chief health resort of the South Island, Hanmer Spa, is situated on a small plateau in the northern portion of the Canterbury Land District. On account of its altitude, 1,120 ft., it enjoys an invigorating climate, with a mean annual temperature of only about one degree below that of Christchurch. Owing to its elevated position and nearness to the mountains Hanmer is in some winter seasons subject to rather severe snowstorms, such as are never experienced on the Canterbury Plains. The mean annual rainfall is 38.15 in., and the mean total sunshine 1,992 hours.
The district of Canterbury comprises a variety of topographical features. A plain stretches over a hundred miles from north-east to south-west, with a maximum width of about forty miles from the east coast to the foothills to the westward. The latter merge into the mountainous country culminating in the main range of the Southern Alps, which divides the provinces of Canterbury and Westland, and affords a protection from the heavily moisture-laden north-westerly winds. The rainfall of the Canterbury Plains is in consequence much restricted, the average being about 26 in. There is, however, a remarkable progressive increase from east to west, as is shown by the records. At Christchurch the mean is 25.13 in.; at Mount Torlesse Station (near Springfield), 39.86 in. The climate of Canterbury might almost be described as Continental in type, with large extremes of temperature between summer and winter and between day and night. Except in the three summer months frosts are numerous, and even in the early spring and Into autumn they are at times severe enough to damage vegetation of a tender nature. In summer, day temperatures of over 90° in the shade are sometimes experienced. With regard to both climate and soil, the Plains have proved most suitable for agricultural farming, and much of the district is capable of growing splendid cereal and root crops. The prevailing winds in Canterbury are north-east and south-west, while north-westerlies aro not, as often supposed, of frequent occurrence. They are most common in the springtime, and, being dry and warm, they have a somewhat enervating effect, though in winter-time they come as a welcome change from the keen temperatures then generally ruling. The bright sunshine, as recorded at Lincoln, shows a daily average for the year of 5.8 hours.
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 40 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 42 Years. | Mean Sunshine for 15 Years. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | Hr. | min. | |
| January | 71.9 | 51.3 | 61.6 | 2.22 | 9.3 | 217 | 11 |
| February | 71.1 | 51.6 | 61.3 | 1.69 | 7.7 | 199 | 13 |
| March | 68.4 | 49.1 | 58.7 | 2.34 | 10.1 | 184 | 57 |
| April | 63.5 | 44.4 | 53.9 | 1.96 | 9.4 | 164 | 28 |
| May | 57.4 | 39.8 | 48.6 | 2.25 | 11.0 | 139 | 51 |
| June | 52.9 | 36.2 | 44.5 | 2.40 | 11.7 | 113 | 42 |
| July | 51.1 | 35.2 | 43.1 | 2.79 | 13.2 | 117 | 58 |
| August | 53.4 | 36.6 | 45.0 | 1.98 | 11.2 | 153 | 55 |
| September | 58.1 | 40.3 | 49.2 | 1.96 | 9.9 | 180 | 5 |
| October | 63.2 | 43.7 | 53.4 | 1.63 | 9.3 | 212 | 41 |
| November | 66.0 | 46.1 | 56.0 | 1.96 | 10.6 | 218 | 16 |
| December | 70.0 | 49.2 | 59.6 | 2.11 | 10.2 | 216 | 53 |
| Year | 62.2 | 43.6 | 52.9 | 25.29 | 122.6 | 2,119 | 10 |
Otago, the southernmost part of New Zealand, is very diversified as regards both its physical features and its climate. Inland, in Central and North Otago, the climate is dry and clear—hot in summer and cold in winter. The rainfall for this district averages from 13 in. to 20 in. Near the coast, in the Dunedin district, the rainfall is more plentiful, averaging from 30 in. to 40 in. per annum, a good deal of which falls in light drizzling rains.
There are continuous rainfall records from various parts of Dunedin for seventy years, of which the median rainfall is 33.5 in., and the mean in the table following may be regarded as too high.
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 59 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 67 Years. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum | Mean. | |||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | |
| January | 66.3 | 49.5 | 57.9 | 3.41 | 14.1 |
| February | 65.8 | 49.4 | 57.6 | 2.69 | 11.2 |
| March | 63.0 | 47.8 | 55.4 | 2.99 | 13.0 |
| April | 58.6 | 44.7 | 51.6 | 2.72 | 12.8 |
| May | 53.2 | 41.0 | 47.1 | 3.20 | 13.6 |
| June | 49.4 | 38.5 | 43.9 | 3.13 | 12.7 |
| July | 47.7 | 37.0 | 42.3 | 2.99 | 13.0 |
| August | 50.0 | 37.8 | 43.9 | 3.15 | 13.0 |
| September | 55.0 | 40.8 | 47.9 | 2.74 | 12.7 |
| October | 59.2 | 42.8 | 51.0 | 3.03 | 14.3 |
| November | 61.5 | 44.9 | 53.2 | 3.30 | 14.3 |
| December | 64.5 | 47.9 | 56.2 | 3.50 | 14.5 |
| Year | 57.8 | 43.5 | 50.6 | 36.85 | 159.2 |
Queenstown, on Lake Wakatipu, amongst the mountains, at an elevation of over 1,000 ft., furnishes the following averages:—
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 9 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 32 Years. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | |
| January | 70.4 | 49.9 | 60.1 | 2.71 | 8.8 |
| February | 70.2 | 49.6 | 59.9 | 1.76 | 5.6 |
| March | 66.4 | 47.9 | 57.1 | 2.63 | 7.6 |
| April | 59.1 | 43.8 | 51.5 | 2.92 | 7.9 |
| May | 51.8 | 38.6 | 45.2 | 2.71 | 7.5 |
| June | 45.9 | 33.7 | 39.7 | 2.41 | 6.9 |
| July | 43.3 | 31.8 | 37.5 | 2.01 | 6.0 |
| August | 47.3 | 33.8 | 40.6 | 1.80 | 6.4 |
| September | 54.3 | 38.7 | 46.5 | 2.52 | 7.6 |
| October | 59.8 | 42.1 | 50.9 | 3.60 | 9.1 |
| November | 63.2 | 44.5 | 53.8 | 2.77 | 8.7 |
| December | 68.0 | 49.2 | 58.6 | 2.55 | 8.1 |
| Year | 58.3 | 42.0 | 50.1 | 30.39 | 90.2 |
At Invercargill, the chief town of Southland, the averages are as follow:—
| Month. | Mean Temperatures for 13 Years. | Mean Rainfall for 29 Years. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum. | Minimum. | Mean. | |||
| °F. | °F. | °F. | Inches. | Days. | |
| January | 66.1 | 47.8 | 56.9 | 4.14 | 15.5 |
| February | 66.0 | 47.5 | 56.7 | 2.68 | 11.6 |
| March | 63.8 | 46.0 | 54.9 | 3.86 | 14.6 |
| April | 59.2 | 42.4 | 50.8 | 4.43 | 16.7 |
| May | 53.7 | 37.7 | 45.7 | 4.55 | 17.6 |
| June | 49.8 | 35.5 | 42.6 | 3.54 | 15.9 |
| July | 48.8 | 34.0 | 41.4 | 3.41 | 16.0 |
| August | 51.9 | 35.7 | 43.8 | 3.36 | 15.1 |
| September | 56.7 | 38.8 | 47.7 | 3.00 | 13.7 |
| October | 59.9 | 42.5 | 51.2 | 4.57 | 17.3 |
| November | 60.8 | 43.6 | 52.2 | 4.60 | 18.1 |
| December | 63.7 | 46.0 | 54.8 | 4.34 | 16.0 |
| Year | 58.4 | 41.5 | 49.9 | 46.48 | 188.1 |
The average rainfall of Southland is between 40 in. and 50 in., but towards Queenstown the rainfall is between 30 in. and 40 in. The rainfall is well distributed throughout the year, but there is less wind in winter than in summer.
Stewart Island has a wonderfully mild and moist climate, especially on its eastern side, with an average rainfall of 65.18 in.
The year's total rainfall was above the average in most parts of the Dominion, deficiencies only occurring in part of South Canterbury and Otago in the South Island.
Following is a short summary for each month of the weather and the chief atmospheric systems which were in evidence:—
January.—Numerous westerly depressions passed in the South during the first half of January, and considerable rainfall was reported at this time in the West Coast districts, while hot and dry conditions were being experienced on the East Coast. Temperatures of over 90° were recorded at many places in the latter districts about the 12th and 13th, and at Masterton on the 12th the maximum was 95.4°.
There was a cold snap for a few days about the middle of the month, and afterwards, until the 25th, an easterly type of weather prevailed when some good rains occurred on the east coast of the North Island, terminating the droughty conditions which had ruled since the middle of October.
The total rainfall was mostly above the average along the western coast and in the high country of the South Island. Isolated places in the northernmost and east-coast districts of the North Island also had an excess, but in most parts of the East Coast the fall was again deficient, but not to any serious extent.
Generally, the month was a typical summer one, with warm and dry conditions ruling.
February.—The east coast districts of the South Island and scattered places along the east coast of the North Island experienced less than the average rainfall for February, while in most other parts of the Dominion the totals were in excess owing to some heavy downpours about the 12th, 17th, and 20th.
The month opened with a small westerly storm, but this was quickly followed by anticyclonic conditions and fair weather, which continued for nearly a fortnight over the North Island. The latter half of the month was more changeable owing to influences outside the Dominion. Two westerly depressions also passed in the South on the 20th and 23rd respectively, causing westerly gales with rain in districts with a westerly aspect.
Generally, the month was remarkable for excessive warmth and humidity, and these conditions, rather than atmospheric changes, accounted for the rains that proved so beneficial to the country, especially about the middle of the month, and also for occasional thunderstorms in various parts.
March.—Warmth and humidity, as in the previous month, characterized the weather during March, particularly in the North. Owing to the effects of several ex-tropical disturbances, nearly all parts of the North Island and the north-east districts of the South Island experienced an excessive rainfall, while in Westland, South Canterbury, and Otago, the total was below the average, and in the two last-mentioned districts-drought conditions prevailed during the latter half of the month.
The most notable disturbance was a cyclone which passed over the northern districts between the 9th and 12th. It accounted for south-east gales and rain generally. On the 11th very heavy rains and floods were experienced in the Hawke's Bay and northern districts, and serious losses of stock and damage to roads and bridges resulted.
During the month, in most parts of the Dominion, conditions were favourable to remarkably good growth of vegetation.
April.—Owing to heavy rainfalls during the first and last weeks, the month's total was considerably in excess of the average generally, but below at most places along the east coast southward of Napier. North Canterbury reported the greatest percentage below the mean. The total at Christchurch—viz., 0.76 in.—was 60 per cent, below the mean, and was in marked contrast to that at Ross, on the West Coast, where 29.52 in. were recorded, an amount exceeding an average year's fall at Christchurch.
The month opened with dull and misty weather, with the barometer reading about normal in all parts of the Dominion. Without change in this respect a deluge of rain fell in several parts of the North Island on the 3rd, and further heavy falls occurred between the 4th and 8th, while atmospheric pressure was at its highest. From the latter date until about the 25th the weather, though somewhat changeable in the West Coast districts, was mostly fair. Thereafter, until the close of the month, squally conditions ruled, particularly in and southward of Cook Strait, under the influence of an intense and extensive westerly disturbance.
Temperatures were mild for the season, and vegetable growth was, in consequence, generally abundant.
May.—The rainfall records for May show totals above the average over the North Island, except about Cook Strait, the excess being considerable in the northern and East Coast districts. In the South Island most of the Nelson district, scattered places along the East Coast, and the south-east portion of Otago recorded above, while elsewhere the rainfall was below, the mean of previous years.
The more generally unsettled periods were the result of three ex-tropical disturbances passing in the north—viz., between the 2nd and 3rd, the 16th and 18th, and from the 24th to the 27th. Of these, the middle storm was the most intense, the barometer falling as low as 28.5 in. at Awanui on the 17th. Easterly gales, heavy rain, and severe floods were experienced about this time in the northern and East Coast districts of the North Island. Similar conditions prevailed between the 24th and 27th, though at this time the centre of the storm passed a considerable distance north of New Zealand, while the barometer was comparatively high over the Dominion, and excessively so in the vicinity of the Chatham Islands.
There were also three westerly low-pressure areas, which culminated on the 1st, 10th, and 31st respectively. They were of moderate intensity only, but afforded rainfall to the West Coast districts, where the northern disturbances had but little effect.
During the month there were several periods of fair weather, but the skies were more cloudy than usual, while temperatures were milder and, in consequence, pasture-land showed a remarkable growth in most parts.
June.—Strong southerly winds and cold, squally, and showery weather, associated with the rear of a westerly low-pressure area, characterized the first three days of June.
There were four distinct westerly disturbances, which culminated on the 8th, 12th, 18th, and 24th, and the weather between the 17th and 27th was very unsettled, with heavy showers in most parts of the country. An ex-tropical cyclone passed in the North on the 14th and 15th, causing easterly gales and very heavy seas on the East Coast, especially about Gisborne and Napier.
Periods when fair weather was most general were the 4th to 6th, on the 10th, 16th to 17th, and 28th to 30th.
Frosts were frequent in the east coast districts of the South Island, but on the whole conditions were milder than usual.
Rainfall was again much above the average in the North Island, except in parts of the east coast districts, and about Cape Egmont and Cook Strait; while in the South Island it was above in the high country and the southern districts and below on both the east and west coasts.
July.—With the exception of three anticyclones, which ruled from the 5th to the 10th, 14th to the 15th, and 24th to the 27th, the month was dominated by atmospheric systems of the westerly type, with lowest pressure passing southward of New Zealand. As a consequence, winds from a westerly quarter generally prevailed, and rainfall was chiefly confined to districts with a westerly aspect. The western half of the South Island recorded a total rainfall above the average, while the eastern half experienced dry conditions. The whole of the North Island, except a small portion in the neighbourhood of Cape Egmont, also had a deficient rainfall.
Generally, July was characterized by mild weather, though the nights were cold and frosty, especially while high atmospheric pressure was in evidence. There were, however, two very cold spells, one from the 3rd to 6th and the other between the 20th and 25th, the latter period being marked by heavy southerly winds, which were accounted for by the development of a storm eastward of New Zealand. Snow fell during these two periods on the high country of both islands.
August.—During the first week of August a westerly disturbance brought squally, unsettled conditions, and on the 6th and 7th a cold snap was experienced, with southerly gales along the east coast, on account of a very intense storm being centred in the vicinity of the Chatham Islands.
High barometric pressure and fair weather followed until about the 12th. From then until about the 18th disturbances from both the west and the north were responsible for changeable and very showery conditions. After this until the close of the month an extensive anticyclone held sway, with fine sunny days and frosty nights, although during the last week there were evidences of low-pressure systems both north and south of New Zealand. On the 27th a severe north-west gale occurred in parts of the South Island.
Except at a few stations in the east coast districts of the North Island, all parts of the Dominion recorded a total rainfall below the average. This deficiency was most marked in Canterbury and Otago. The observer at Nightcaps reported that the August fall was the lowest in the forty years he had been recording.
September.—September was, on the whole, a mild and seasonable month, although there were several periods when stormy conditions prevailed. Between the 7th and 9th a tropical disturbance, passing from north-west to south-east, brought some heavy beneficial rains to the North Island.
Westerly depressions passed on the 15th and Kith, and an extensive one of this type ruling between the 22nd and 25th, besides bringing heavy rain to the West Coast and southernmost districts, resulted in some good falls in Canterbury.
The total rainfall was above the average in most of the West Coast districts, and also in the northern half of the North Island, but elsewhere a deficiency was generally recorded. The high-level stations in the South Island experienced some particularly heavy rainfalls, but an absence of severe snow-storms was again a satisfactory feature of meteorological conditions.
October.—October was characterized mainly by dull and warm weather, it was remarkable for the end of the protracted dry period which had been experienced, particularly in the east coast districts of the South Island. Warm, beneficial rains occurred several times during the month, but snow fell on several occasions on the higher levels, particularly in the rear of a cyclonic storm about the 20th.
On the last two days general heavy rains were again experienced, resulting from a disturbance which moved up the West Coast. Floods occurred about this time in various parts of the North Island.
During the month there were six areas of westerly low-pressure and four ex-tropical disturbances. As a consequence, atmospheric conditions were very unsettled, and there were very few days on which the weather was line over the whole Dominion.
The aggregate rainfall was above the average in nearly all parts, only a few places in Otago and the Bay of Plenty reporting a deficiency. Most of Canterbury experienced over double its mean.
November.—The total rainfall for November was above the average in the Auckland, Taranaki, Nelson, and Marlborough provinces, which was owing to two ex-tropical disturbances—one at the beginning of the month, and the other culminating about the 18th. These did not account for heavy rains in other parts of the Dominion, where records show that the aggregate fall was mostly below the average.
Westerly disturbances passed on the 2nd, 10th, and 27th, but, except for the one about the 16th, they were only of moderate intensity.
Many parts of the country experienced warm and sunny conditions, and phenomenal growth occurred, except in some parts where rain was deficient.
December.—The outstanding feature of December was the frequency of the passage of ex-tropical disturbances in and northward of Cook Strait, particularly in the latter half of the month. Dull, mild, and wet conditions resulted, and some very heavy rains occurred over the North Island and the northern and east coast districts of the South. The highest falls were experienced in the Wairarapa—Masterton had a total for the month of 13.28 in., which is 417 per cent. above the average; Lagoon Hills recorded 17.14 in.; Featherston, 13.41 in.; the Summit, 13.57 in. Wainuiomata had 23.12 in., and Wellington City 11.39 in., which is 256 per cent. above the average for the month and the heaviest December fall since 1884. The only parts of the country having a deficit rainfall were Westland and south-west Otago.
Electrical conditions were prevalent in various parts of the country, chiefly about the 5th, 7th, and 22nd.
The following tables show the difference, above or below the mean, for each month in the year:—
| Monthly Means compared with the Averages for Nineteen Previous Years. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Feb. | March. | April. | May. | June. | July. | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |
+ Above the average. — Below the average. | ||||||||||||
| + | .. | 4.02 | 5.16 | 7.11 | 7.27 | 4.74 | .. | .. | 3.84 | 5.13 | .. | 8.29 |
| Av. | 3.62 | 3.08 | 4.11 | 3.89 | 4.54 | 4.54 | 4.90 | 4.17 | 3.67 | 4.35 | 3.59 | 3.25 |
| — | 2.84 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3.02 | 3.89 | .. | .. | 3.34 | .. |
| Mean Number of Days with Rain, compared with the Averages for Nineteen Previous Years. | ||||||||||||
| Jan. | Feb. | March. | April. | May. | June. | July. | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |
| + | 12.1 | .. | 12.7 | 13 3 | 18.4 | 18.5 | .. | .. | .. | 16.2 | .. | 17.3 |
| Av. | 10.5 | 8.7 | 11.2 | 12.3 | 14.6 | 15.4 | 16.3 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 15.1 | 13.4 | 11.0 |
| — | .. | 8.5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 12.3 | 13.8 | 13.1 | .. | 11.3 | .. |
| Monthly Means compared with the Averages for Nineteen Previous Years. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | Feb. | March. | April. | May. | June. | July. | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |
+ Above the average. — Below the average. | ||||||||||||
| + | .. | .. | .. | 4.60 | 3.84 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6.00 | 4.09 | 5.72 |
| Av. | 3.77 | 2.67 | 3.39 | 3.32 | 3.60 | 3.69 | 3.54 | 3.09 | 3.65 | 3.7 | 3.36 | 3.48 |
| — | 3.48 | 1.93 | 2.9 | .. | .. | 3.44 | 2.70 | 1.80 | 2.89 | .. | .. | .. |
| Mean Number of Days with Rain, compared with the Averages for Nineteen Previous Years. | ||||||||||||
| Jan. | Feb. | March. | April. | May. | June. | July. | Aug. | Sept. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. | |
| + | .. | .. | 11.4 | .. | 16.8 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 15.6 | .. | 15.3 |
| Av. | 12.6 | 9.1 | 11.4 | 11.8 | 12.2 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.3 | 12.9 | 13.91 | 13.5 | 12.2 |
| — | 10.2 | 8.5 | .. | 10.2 | .. | 11.6 | 10.4 | 8.6 | 9.8 | .. | 9.6 | .. |
Continuous line showing the mean monthly rainfall.
Dotted line showing the total monthly rainfall from January, 1924, to January, 1925 (inclusive).
Continuous line showing the mean monthly temperature in shade for past years.
Dotted line showing the mean monthly temperature from January, 1924, to January 1925 (inclusive).
The observations were taken at 9 a.m.
| Stations. | Months. | Temperature in Shade. | Rainfall. | Mean Height of Barometer. | Prevailing Winds. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest. | Lowest. | Mean Max. Temp. | Mean Min. Temp. | Mean Temp. for Month. | Wet Days. | Fall. | ||||
* December records incomplete. * Not recorded. * Mean of 23 days only. | ||||||||||
| °Fahr. | °Fahr. | °Fahr. | °Fahr. | °Fahr. | No. | Inches. | Inches. | |||
| Auckland (lat. 36° 50' S.; long. 174° 50' 4” E.; alt. 125 ft.)— | January | 80.4 | 51.0 | 73.9 | 61.3 | 67.6 | 13 | 3.85 | 29.898 | S, N. |
| February | 79.0 | 57.0 | 74.8 | 62.7 | 68.7 | 11 | 4.77 | 30.031 | S, NW, SW. | |
| March | 78.2 | 53.0 | 73.1 | 61.3 | 67.2 | 16 | 3.63 | 30.032 | E, NE. | |
| April | 77.4 | 51.6 | 71.1 | 60.3 | 65.7 | 19 | 11.55 | 30.062 | N, E, SE. | |
| May | 67.2 | 45.0 | 62.7 | 52.8 | 57.8 | 22 | 10.63 | 29.970 | SW, W. | |
| June | 62.0 | 38.0 | 58.0 | 48.5 | 53.2 | 21 | 6. 60 | 30.057 | NW, W. | |
| July | 61.0 | 36.4 | 56.6 | 45.7 | 51.2 | 17 | 2.96 | 30.175 | W, SE. | |
| August | 64.0 | 40.0 | 58.4 | 46.5 | 52.5 | 14 | 3.72 | 30.116 | W, E. | |
| September | 67.0 | 42.0 | 61.2 | 50.1 | 55.7 | 13 | 4.19 | 30.145 | NW, NE, W. | |
| October | 71.0 | 46.0 | 63.6 | 52.5 | 58.0 | 20 | 5.67 | 29.829 | W, SW. | |
| November | 70.6 | 49.0 | 66.7 | 55.7 | 61.2 | 12 | 4.68 | 30.032 | NE, E, NW. | |
| December | 74.0 | 51.4 | 68.3 | 56.4 | 62.4 | 18 | 4.41 | 29.783 | SW, W. | |
| Ruakura Farm of Instruction, Hamilton E. (lat. 37° 47' S.; long. 175° 20' E.; alt. 131 ft.)— | January | 90.5 | 38.8 | 81.2 | 53.1 | 67.1 | 9 | 2.56 | .. | W, E. |
| February | 86.8 | 39.5 | 80.7 | 52.6 | 66.6 | 7 | 2.46 | .. | W, SW. | |
| March | 84.0 | 40.5 | 77.2 | 53.0 | 65.1 | 11 | 6.77 | .. | NE, SE, N. | |
| April | 80.8 | 37.5 | 72.6 | 50.3 | 61.4 | 15 | 9.79 | .. | SW, SE, NW. | |
| May | 70.5 | 32.0 | 61.6 | 42.7 | 52.2 | 20 | 7.77 | .. | NW, SW, SE. | |
| June | 62.8 | 26.5 | 58.0 | 39.9 | 48.9 | 13 | 6.17 | .. | NW, S, SW. | |
| July | 65.2 | 18.5 | 58.4 | 36.8 | 47.6 | 10 | 311 | .. | SE, SW. | |
| August | 66.0 | 27.0 | 60.4 | 37.2 | 48.8 | 10 | 3.14 | .. | SW, S. | |
| September | 71.0 | 27.0 | 63.7 | 44.3 | 54.0 | 14 | 4.99 | .. | SW, W. | |
| October | 72.5 | 37.8 | 66.2 | 47.3 | 56.7 | 17 | 6.01 | .. | SW, W. | |
| November | 79.0 | 39.5 | 71.8 | 49.8 | 60.8 | 13 | 4.12 | .. | W, NW. | |
| December* | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
| Te Aroha (lat. 37° 32' S.; long. 175° 42′ E.; alt. 46 ft.)— | January | 95.0 | 40.0 | 81.2 | 57.6 | 69.4 | 13 | 2.75 | .. | NE, SW, SE. |
| February | 86.0 | 44.0 | 80.2 | 58.7 | 69.4 | 9 | 3.32 | .. | NE, SW. | |
| March | 83.0 | 43.0 | 77.2 | 56.8 | 67.0 | 10 | 6.95 | .. | NE, SW. | |
| April | 82.0 | 40.0 | 73.2 | 55.4 | 64.3 | 16 | 8.54 | .. | NE, SE. | |
| May | 69.0 | 35.0 | 63.1 | 46.8 | 54.9 | 19 | 15.79 | .. | NE, SE. | |
| June | 68.0 | 27.0 | 59.7 | 44.4 | 52.0 | 18 | 6.91 | .. | NE, SE. | |
| July | 62.0 | 27.0 | 58.6 | 39.3 | 48.9 | 10 | 2.58 | .. | SE, NE. | |
| August | 66.0 | 21.0 | 61.1 | 39.4 | 50.2 | 13 | 4.35 | .. | NE, SE, W. | |
| September | 69.0 | 32.0 | 64.2 | 48.0 | 56.1 | 11 | 5.50 | .. | N, NE. | |
| October | 75.0 | 42.0 | 67.7 | 50.5 | 59.1 | 20 | 5.50 | .. | NW, W. | |
| November | 84.0 | 32.0 | 73.6 | 51.5 | 62.5 | 9 | 3.54 | .. | NW, NE, S. | |
| December | 81.0 | 41.0 | 75.5 | 54.7 | 65.1 | 17 | 7.42 | .. | NW, NE, SW. | |
| Waihi (lat. 37° 28' S.; long. 175° 52′ E.; alt. 340 ft.)— | January | 89.0 | 43.1 | 80.2 | 56.3 | 68.2 | 15 | 3.96 | 29.919 | W, SW. |
| February | 88.1 | 45.2 | 79.6 | 56.1 | 67.8 | 10 | 3.09 | 30.058 | W, NE. | |
| March | 83.1 | 39.7 | 75.2 | 54.3 | 64.7 | 18 | 10.89 | 30.092 | E, NE. | |
| April | 79.0 | 39.2 | 72.2 | 54.4 | 63.3 | 20 | 22.75 | 30.116 | E. N. | |
| May | 68.5 | 34.4 | 62.9 | 47.0 | 54.9 | 21 | 21.12 | 30.012 | W, NW. | |
| June | 65.5 | 30.0 | 59.3 | 43.5 | 51.4 | 13 | 5.44 | 30.079 | W, NW. | |
| July | 63.0 | 23.4 | 57.6 | 36.7 | 47.1 | 11 | 3.97 | 30.207 | NW, E. | |
| August | 68.0 | 25.7 | 60.3 | 38.1 | 49.2 | 14 | 5.36 | 30.150 | W, N. | |
| September | 70.2 | 27.6 | 63.8 | 44.9 | 54.3 | 14 | 6.54 | 30.171 | W, E. | |
| October | 72.6 | 40.2 | 66.4 | 50.1 | 58.2 | 20 | 6.89 | 29.843 | W. | |
| November | 75.5 | 41.7 | 70.5 | 51.2 | 60.8 | 14 | 5.17 | 30.067 | E, SW. | |
| December | 80.1 | 39.5 | 72.8 | 52.5 | 62.6 | 19 | 9.64 | 29.794 | W, SW. | |
| Tauranga (lat. 30° 42' S.; long. 176° 22′ E.; alt. 100 ft.)— | January | 81.0 | 44.0 | 74.5 | 57.6 | 66.0 | 18 | 2.77 | .. | NE, SW. |
| February | 82.0 | 51.0 | 75.6 | 57.7 | 66.6 | 7 | 2.41 | .. | NW, SW. | |
| March | 78.0 | 47.0 | 72.8 | 56.7 | 64.7 | 15 | 7.01 | .. | NE, N, E. | |
| April | 77.0 | 45.0 | 70.2 | 56.8 | 63.5 | 18 | 9.23 | .. | NE, SW. | |
| May | 68.0 | 37.0 | 61.1 | 47.2 | 54.1 | 20 | 7.08 | .. | SW, S. | |
| June | 65.0 | 34.0 | 58.4 | 43.8 | 51.1 | 19 | 4.65 | .. | SW, S. | |
| July | 63.0 | 29.0 | 57.4 | 40.2 | 48.8 | 11 | 2.91 | .. | S, SW. | |
| August | 66.0 | 32.0 | 59.2 | 40.8 | 50.0 | 13 | 3.79 | .. | S, SW. | |
| September | 69.0 | 34.0 | 62.9 | 45.6 | 54.2 | 14 | 4.25 | .. | SW, S. | |
| October | 74.0 | 40.0 | 66.1 | 48.3 | 57.2 | 19 | 4.52 | .. | SW, S. | |
| November | 76.0 | 44.0 | 66.8 | 51.7 | 59.2 | 15 | 5.09 | .. | N, NE. | |
| December | 80.0 | 42.0 | 70.2 | 51.7 | 60.9 | 18 | 8.87 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| Rotorua (lat. 38° 9' S.; long. 176° 15′ E.; alt. 932 ft.)— | January | 82.0 | 40.0 | 75.4 | 55.8 | 65.6 | 18 | 4.58 | .. | S, NE, W. |
| February | 82.0 | 48.0 | 76.4 | 55.6 | 66.6 | 9 | 2.64 | .. | W, N. | |
| March | 79.0 | 43.0 | 72.3 | 55.0 | 63.6 | 15 | 2.47 | .. | S, NE. | |
| April | 78.0 | 39.0 | 69.5 | 52.9 | 61.2 | 14 | 9.35 | .. | W, NE. | |
| May | 78.0 | 32.0 | 59.6 | 43.8 | 51.7 | 18 | 14.35 | .. | SW, S, W. | |
| June | 61.0 | 30.0 | 55.8 | 40.7 | 48.3 | 16 | 5.94 | .. | SW, W, S. | |
| July | 60.0 | 27.0 | 54.7 | 36.3 | 45.5 | 12 | 3.38 | .. | SW, S. | |
| August | 68.0 | 28.0 | 57.0 | 38.4 | 47.7 | 13 | 5.10 | .. | S, SW. | |
| September | 67.0 | 31.0 | 60.8 | 44.1 | 52.4 | 14 | 7.01 | .. | NE, SW. | |
| October | 72.0 | 39.0 | 64.3 | 45.7 | 55.0 | 18 | 6.93 | .. | W, SW. | |
| November | 76.0 | 39.0 | 67.2 | 49.7 | 58.4 | 13 | 4.91 | .. | NE, S. | |
| December | 79.0 | 41.0 | 70.1 | 50.0 | 60.0 | 15 | 7.51 | .. | W, SW, S. | |
| New Plymouth (lat. 39° 3' 35” S.; long. 174° 4′ 58″ E.; alt. 60 ft.)-January | 80.8 | 44.3 | 71.3 | 55.9 | 63.6 | 11 | 3.84 | .. | .. | W. N. |
| February | 75.5 | 45.1 | 71.0 | 57.2 | 64.1 | 9 | 4.46 | .. | N, SE. | |
| March | 76.8 | 51.9 | 70.5 | 58.1 | 64.3 | 13 | 6.56 | .. | SE, N. | |
| April | 72.4 | 45.2 | 69.0 | 55.0 | 62.0 | 14 | 8.29 | .. | SE, E. | |
| May | 63.7 | 38.8 | 60.6 | 48.3 | 54.5 | 23 | 6.91 | .. | SE, SW. | |
| June | 63.0 | 32.6 | 57.2 | 45.2 | 51.2 | 24 | 5.14 | .. | SE, W. | |
| July | 58.6 | 30.3 | 54.8 | 41.9 | 48.3 | 18 | 6.98 | .. | SE, SW. | |
| August | 60.6 | 36.0 | 56.3 | 44.0 | 50.1 | 15 | 2.85 | .. | SE, E. | |
| September | 63.3 | 37.8 | 58.3 | 47.6 | 52.9 | 20 | 5.41 | .. | W, SE. | |
| October | 69.7 | 45.0 | 61.5 | 50.3 | 55.9 | 21 | 6.98 | .. | W, SW. | |
| November | 68.5 | 41.0 | 64.4 | 51.2 | 57.8 | 13 | 5.20 | .. | N, NW. | |
| December | 70.6 | 42.5 | 65.1 | 52.3 | 58.7 | 21 | 9.60 | .. | W, N. | |
| Moumahaki (Taranaki) (lat. 39° 44' S.; long. 174° 40′ E.; alt. 270 ft.)— | January | 90.0 | 44.0 | 76.7 | 53.2 | 64.9 | 9 | 3.67 | .. | NW, SW. |
| February | 82.0 | 46.0 | 75.4 | 53.4 | 64.4 | 5 | 3.97 | .. | NW, N, NE. | |
| March | 80.0 | 42.0 | 69.9 | 55.0 | 62.4 | 10 | 3.40 | .. | SW, NW. | |
| April | 81.0 | 45.0 | 70.1 | 53.1 | 61.6 | 13 | 5.77 | .. | N, SW. | |
| May | 65.0 | 38.0 | 58.9 | 46.5 | 52.7 | 23 | 4.27 | .. | NW, S. | |
| June | 66.0 | 33.0 | 55.7 | 43.4 | 49.6 | 20 | 4.82 | .. | NW, S. | |
| July | 59.0 | 29.0 | 54.9 | 36.3 | 45.6 | 10 | 3.51 | .. | NW, N. | |
| August | 65.0 | 31.0 | 56.1 | 41.7 | 48.9 | 13 | 5.79 | .. | SE, NW. | |
| September | 67.0 | 32.0 | 60.4 | 46.3 | 53.3 | 14 | 3.30 | .. | N W. | |
| October | 71.0 | 43.0 | 63.8 | 48.8 | 56.3 | 13 | 6.06 | .. | NW, N. | |
| November | 77.0 | 41.0 | 68.6 | 49.8 | 59.2 | 9 | 2.99 | .. | N, NW. | |
| December | 78.0 | 42.0 | 69.5 | 51.3 | 60.4 | 16 | 8.90 | .. | NW. | |
| Napier (lat. 39° 29' S.; long. 176° 55″ E.; alt. 5ft.)— | January | * | * | * | * | * | 8 | 1.67 | .. | E, S. |
| February | * | * | * | * | * | 5 | 1.12 | .. | E, NE, NW. | |
| March | 82.0 | 51.5 | 70.5 | 58.0 | 64.2 | 11 | 10.80 | .. | E, SE. | |
| April | 81.5 | 41.0 | 68.2 | 54.7 | 61.4 | 8 | 3.05 | .. | E, NE. | |
| May | 67.5 | 37.0 | 59.9 | 45.2 | 52.5 | 17 | 4.80 | .. | NW, NE. | |
| June | 65.0 | 330 | 56.9 | 43.5 | 50.2 | 10 | 1.72 | .. | W, NE. | |
| July | 64.3 | 30.5 | 56.0 | 39.9 | 47.9 | 6 | 1.27 | .. | W. | |
| August | 63.5 | 32.0 | 56.0 | 42.0 | 49.0 | 10 | 4.32 | .. | W, SW. | |
| September | 76.5 | 32.5 | 63.1 | 46.8 | 54.9 | 6 | 0.90 | .. | E, NE. | |
| October | 74.5 | 43.5 | 65.0 | 49.5 | 57.2 | 11 | 3.00 | .. | W, E. | |
| November | 77.0 | 44.5 | 67.9 | 53.8 | 60.8 | 10 | 1.77 | .. | E, NE, W. | |
| December | 79.5 | 44.5 | 69.9 | 54.1 | 62.0 | 12 | 2.30 | .. | W, E. | |
| Taihape (lat. 39° 40' S.; long. 175° 49′ E.; alt. 2,157 ft.)— | January | 87.3 | 38.8 | 71.9 | 51.6 | 61.7 | 13 | 2.52 | .. | NW, W. |
| February | 77.8 | 45.2 | 71.3 | 52.4 | 61.8 | 7 | 3.92 | .. | W, NW. | |
| March | 77.8 | 42.8 | 66.5 | 51.9 | 59.2 | 14 | 7.35 | .. | NE, NW, W. | |
| April | 75.4 | 42.0 | 64.9 | 50.1 | 57.5 | 14 | 4.10 | .. | NE, NW. | |
| May | 60.0 | 31.8 | 52.5 | 41.8 | 47.1 | 23 | 3.36 | .. | NE, W. | |
| June | 59.0 | 30.6 | 48.3 | 38.6 | 43.4 | 22 | 5.09 | .. | W, SW. | |
| July | 55.0 | 28.0 | 47.4 | 35.1 | 41.2 | 16 | 2.08 | .. | W. | |
| August | 61.8 | 29.0 | 49.6 | 36.9 | 43.2 | 15 | 2.96 | .. | W, S. | |
| September | 64.0 | 30.0 | 54.9 | 41.8 | 48.3 | 14 | 2.89 | .. | NW, W. | |
| October | 66.2 | 35.6 | 58.1 | 42.5 | 50.3 | 18 | 4.51 | .. | W, NW. | |
| November | 71.0 | 36.0 | 63.6 | 45.4 | 54.5 | 12 | 1.75 | .. | NW, NE. | |
| December | 75.0 | 41.0 | 6.7 | 47.0 | 55.3 | 17 | 5.37 | .. | W, S. | |
| Palmerston North (lat. 40° 21′ S.; long. 175° 37′ E.; alt. 100 ft.)— | January | 86.0 | 43.0 | 75.1 | 54.5 | 64.8 | 12 | 2.15 | .. | W, E. |
| February | 79.5 | 44.0 | 73.9 | 56.1 | 65.0 | 9 | 5.08 | .. | W. | |
| March | 80.0 | 46.0 | 71.5 | 55.4 | 63.4 | 11 | 1.24 | .. | W, E. | |
| April | 82.0 | 45.0 | 67.6 | 51.3 | 59.4 | 13 | 4.92 | .. | W, E. | |
| May | 66.0 | 33.0 | 59.9 | 44.6 | 52.2 | 14 | 3.63 | .. | W, E. | |
| June | 62.0 | 30.0 | 55.5 | 41.7 | 48.6 | 18 | 4.56 | .. | W. | |
| July | 60.0 | 25.0 | 53.6 | 36.6 | 45.1 | 10 | 2.42 | .. | W, E. | |
| August | 64.0 | 32.0 | 56.0 | 40.2 | 48.1 | 12 | 2.20 | .. | W, E. | |
| September | 69.5 | 32.0 | 60.7 | 45.9 | 53.3 | 12 | 2.34 | .. | W. | |
| October | 69.0 | 40.0 | 63.5 | 48.2 | 55.8 | 16 | 3.66 | .. | W. | |
| November | 80.0 | 42.0 | 68.7 | 51.5 | 60.1 | 9 | 2.34 | .. | W, E. | |
| December | 81.0 | 41.0 | 70.4 | 53.0 | 61.7 | 15 | 7.00 | .. | W, E. | |
| Oroua Downs (lat. 40° 20′ S.; long. 175° 18′ E.; alt. 5 ft.)— | January | 84.2 | 41.0 | 71.2 | 53.7 | 62.4 | 8 | 2.39 | .. | NW, SE. |
| February | 76.0 | 45.0 | 72.1 | 55.6 | 63.8 | 10 | 5.76 | .. | NW, E. | |
| March | 76.8 | 41.2 | 70.5 | 52.1 | 61.3 | 9 | 1.91 | .. | E, NW. | |
| April | 79.0 | 39.5 | 68.7 | 49.3 | 59.0 | 10 | 4.21 | .. | E, SE. | |
| May | 67.7 | 31.0 | 59.9 | 38.8 | 49.3 | 9 | 2.16 | .. | NW, E. | |
| June | 68.0 | 23.5 | 56.9 | 37.3 | 47.1 | 17 | 4.53 | .. | NW, E. | |
| July | 67.1 | 20.5 | 54.6 | 31.6 | 43.1 | 9 | 3.02 | .. | NW. E. | |
| August | 60.0 | 30.2 | 55.4 | 37.3 | 46.3 | 10 | 2.42 | .. | E. NW. | |
| September | 68.0 | 31.0 | 60.3 | 47.7 | 54.0 | 13 | 2.24 | .. | NW. | |
| October | 67.0 | 42.0 | 63.7 | 49.7 | 56.7 | 6 | 2.54 | .. | NW, W. | |
| November | 79.5 | 38.0 | 68.4 | 48.8 | 58.6 | 8 | 2.10 | .. | NW, E. | |
| December | 75.0 | 40.0 | 68.6 | 51.7 | 60.1 | 15 | 7.59 | .. | NW, E. | |
| Central Development Farm, Weraroa (lat. 40° 38′ S.; long. 175° 17′ E.; alt. 119 ft.)— | January | 84.0 | 40.0 | 72.5 | 54.8 | 63.6 | 10 | 2.01 | .. | W, NW, E. |
| February | 78.0 | 44.0 | 70.2 | 55.9 | 63.0 | 10 | 6.11 | .. | W, E. | |
| March | 76.0 | 40.0 | 69.4 | 53.7 | 61.5 | 10 | 1.92 | .. | NE, N, E. | |
| April | 77.0 | 40.0 | 69.4 | 50.9 | 60.1 | 10 | 4.47 | .. | NW, NE. | |
| May | 65.0 | 32.0 | 59.2 | 43.4 | 51.3 | 16 | 2.41 | .. | W. NW. | |
| June | 61.0 | 30.0 | 55.2 | 42.3 | 48.7 | 20 | 4.86 | .. | NW, E. | |
| July | 59.0 | 28.0 | 53.3 | 37.1 | 45.2 | 13 | 3.37 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| August | 62.0 | 31.0 | 55.0 | 40.8 | 47.9 | 15 | 3.88 | .. | NE, SW. | |
| September | 66.0 | 32.0 | 58.8 | 46.2 | 52.5 | 19 | 3.25 | .. | NW, E. | |
| October | 66.0 | 38.0 | 61.5 | 49.0 | 55.2 | 17 | 4.78 | .. | W, NW, E. | |
| November | 78.0 | 35.0 | 65.1 | 48.2 | 56.6 | 9 | 1.61 | .. | NW, NE. | |
| December | 74.0 | 42.0 | 63.7 | 50.8 | 57.2 | 21 | 7.40 | .. | NW, W, NE. | |
| Masterton (lat. 40° 57′ alt. 377 ft.)— | January | 95.4 | 37.4 | 77.7 | 54.8 | 66.2 | 10 | 1.67 | .. | SW, NW. |
| February | 86.4 | 44.4 | 76.8 | 53.1 | 64.9 | 7 | 3.92 | .. | NE, SW. | |
| March | 85.0 | 43.8 | 69.3 | 54.2 | 61.7 | 15 | 3.36 | .. | SW, N. | |
| April | 80.2 | 32.6 | 70.1 | 50.4 | 60.2 | 11 | 2.08 | .. | NE, N. | |
| May | 70.2 | 31.8 | 59.4 | 40.4 | 49.9 | 18 | 4.23 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| June | 65.8 | 28.4 | 55.5 | 39.8 | 47.6 | 20 | 4.02 | .. | NE, SW. | |
| July | 61.0 | 23.4 | 54.8 | 34.8 | 44.8 | 16 | 1.70 | .. | SW, N. | |
| August | 66.8 | 27.6 | 55.6 | 38.3 | 46.9 | 18 | 4.35 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| September | 70.8 | 29.6 | 62.6 | 42.4 | 52.5 | 11 | 2.53 | .. | N, NW. | |
| October | 73.0 | 36.6 | 65.6 | 45.2 | 55.4 | 16 | 5.43 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| November | 76.0 | 38.2 | 68.2 | 47.5 | 57.8 | 10 | 2.32 | .. | N, NW. | |
| December | 84.4 | 39.4 | 70.2 | 49.3 | 59.7 | 15 | 13.28 | .. | SW, NW. | |
| Wellington (lat. 41° 16′ S.; long. 174° 46′ E.; alt. 10 ft.)— | January | 83.6 | 46.3 | 71.5 | 57.4 | 64.5 | 12 | 2.24 | 29.873 | NW, S. |
| February | 74.9 | 51.6 | 70.9 | 59.5 | 65.2 | 10 | 4.24 | 29.992 | NW, S. | |
| March | 76.4 | 46.1 | 68.1 | 56.2 | 62.1 | 13 | 4.75 | 30.115 | SE, NE, S. | |
| April | 77.8 | 42.8 | 68.4 | 56.3 | 62.3 | 8 | 2.73 | 30.043 | NW, NE, SE. | |
| May | 66.1 | 36.3 | 59.0 | 47.3 | 53.1 | 15 | 3.65 | 29.975 | SE, NW. | |
| June | 62.1 | 32.2 | 55.6 | 44.8 | 50.2 | 21 | 2.96 | 29.986 | NW, SE. | |
| July | 61.3 | 31.8 | 54.3 | 41.9 | 48.1 | 14 | 2.97 | 30.124 | N, NW. | |
| August | 61.0 | 31.5 | 55.0 | 44.8 | 49.9 | 17 | 4.34 | 30.125 | NW, SE. | |
| September | 67.3 | 35.3 | 59.4 | 49.2 | 54.3 | 11 | 2.45 | 30.068 | NW, SE. | |
| October | 67.0 | 44.6 | 62.9 | 51.5 | 57.2 | 15 | 4.56 | 29.727 | NW, N. | |
| November | 73.3 | 43.1 | 64.6 | 52.9 | 58.7 | 12 | 2.93 | 30.002 | NW, SE. | |
| December | 75.1 | 45.8 | 65.6 | 53.7 | 59.6 | 16 | 11.39 | 29.732 | N, SE. | |
| Brightwater (lat. 41° 23′ S.; long. 173° 9′ E.; alt. 89 ft.)— | January | 83.0 | 39.0 | 76.0 | 54.8 | 65.4 | 7 | 1.13 | .. | N, SW. |
| February | 81.0 | 48.0 | 75.4 | 55.2 | 65.3 | 8 | 2.79 | .. | N, S. | |
| March | 81.0 | 45.0 | 71.0 | 54.1 | 62.5 | 11 | 5.30 | .. | N, S. | |
| April | 77.0 | 40.0 | 68.8 | 48.9 | 58.8 | 9 | 5.17 | .. | S, SE. | |
| May | 66.0 | 32.0 | 60.1 | 40.6 | 50.3 | 13 | 4.72 | .. | SW, S. | |
| June | 65.0 | 28.0 | 55.9 | 36.6 | 46.2 | 11 | 30.6 | .. | S, SW. | |
| July | 61.0 | 27.0 | 54.7 | 33.7 | 44.2 | 9 | 2.48 | .. | SW, S. | |
| August | 65.0 | 30.0 | 56.4 | 37.7 | 47.0 | 9 | 2.94 | .. | S. | |
| September | 68.0 | 31.0 | 60.4 | 42.5 | 51.4 | 13 | 3.26 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| October | 73.0 | 35.0 | 63.5 | 46.8 | 55.1 | 14 | 5.06 | .. | SW, S. | |
| November | 72.0 | 37.0 | 65.5 | 47.9 | 56.7 | 13 | 6.95 | .. | SW, NW. | |
| December | 77.0 | 37.0 | 68.0 | 48.7 | 58.3 | 17 | 7.92 | .. | SW, NE, N. | |
| Nelson (lat. 41° 16′ 17″ S.; long. 173° 18′ 46” E.; alt. 13 ft.)— | January | 80.8 | 41.5 | 73.6 | 54.4 | 64.0 | 8 | 1.43 | 29.860 | N. |
| February | 80.3 | 47.0 | 73.2 | 55.9 | 64.6 | 10 | 3.27 | 29.984 | NE, N. | |
| March | 76.8 | 43.8 | 70.0 | 55.5 | 62.7 | 12 | 7.20 | 30.076 | N. | |
| April | 76.3 | 42.6 | 68.5 | 52.1 | 60.3 | 12 | 5.92 | 30.027 | N, SE. | |
| May | 67.4 | 33.4 | 60.6 | 43.0 | 51.8 | 14 | 3.13 | 29.953 | SE, S. SW. | |
| June | 61.7 | 30.7 | 56.4 | 37.5 | 46.9 | 9 | 3.34 | 29.973 | S. | |
| July | 60.9 | 29.3 | 55.2 | 34.2 | 44.7 | 10 | 3.49 | 30.114 | SE, S, SW. | |
| August | 63.1 | 32.2 | 56.6 | 39.5 | 48.0 | 8 | 2.62 | 30.091 | SE, N. | |
| September | 68.7 | 35.3 | 59.5 | 43.5 | 51.5 | 14 | 3.30 | 30.053 | N. | |
| October | 71.5 | 35.8 | 63.7 | 48.2 | 55.9 | 17 | 6.71 | 29.715 | N, SW. | |
| November | 69.8 | 37.3 | 65.7 | 49.2 | 57.5 | 14 | 6.70 | 29.980 | N. | |
| December | 73.7 | 40.0 | 68.0 | 51.6 | 59.8 | 16 | 6.83 | 29.706 | N, NW. | |
| Hokitika (lat. 42° 41′ 30″ S.; long. 170° 49′ E.; alt. 12 ft.)— | January | 77.0 | 42.5 | 66.9 | 52.4 | 59.6 | 20 | 16.72 | 29.823 | SW, NW. |
| February | 72.0 | 46.0 | 68.3 | 54.4 | 61.3 | 17 | 5.47 | 29.964 | E, SW. | |
| March | 79.0 | 46.0 | 69.4 | 54.2 | 61.8 | 14 | 6.30 | 30.034 | SE, E, NW. | |
| April | 74.0 | 42.0 | 66.3 | 51.1 | 58.7 | 19 | 21.22 | 29.995 | NE, E, NW. | |
| May | 67.0 | 33.5 | 58.1 | 41.7 | 49.9 | 20 | 9.38 | 29.913 | E, NE. | |
| June | 62.5 | 31.0 | 54.7 | 38.0 | 46.3 | 15 | 9.54 | 29.922 | SW, E. | |
| July | 59.5 | 28.5 | 52.2 | 35.1 | 43.6 | 19 | 10.46 | 30.089 | NE, E. | |
| August | 64.0 | 30.5 | 54.9 | 39.4 | 47.1 | 15 | 6.63 | 30.072 | SE, NE. | |
| September | 63.0 | 33.0 | 57.5 | 44.1 | 50.8 | 19 | 10.72 | 30.009 | NW, SW. | |
| October | 69.0 | 40.0 | 60.1 | 47.7 | 53.9 | 22 | 15.24 | 29.696 | NW, SW. | |
| November | 70.0 | 41.0 | 63.5 | 49.1 | 56.3 | 16 | 12.61 | 29.943 | NW, E. | |
| December | 71.5 | 41.0 | 64.6 | 50.6 | 57.6 | 20 | 9.49 | 29.705 | NW, SW. | |
| Hanmer Springs (lat. 42° 23′ S.; long. 172° 47′ E.; alt. 1,225 ft.)— | January | 91.0 | 40.0 | 75.3 | 51.1 | 63.2 | 11 | 4.52 | .. | NW, SW. |
| February | 81.0 | 41.0 | 73.2 | 49.8 | 61.5 | 7 | 1.48 | .. | NW, SW. | |
| March | 83.0 | 38.0 | 65.8 | 47.6 | 56.7 | 14 | 5.23 | .. | NW, SW. | |
| April | 76.0 | 32.0 | 67.4 | 45.1 | 56.2 | 8 | 4.21 | .. | NW. | |
| May | 62.0 | 26.0 | 54.1 | 36.2 | 45.1 | 17 | 2.40 | .. | NW. | |
| June | 64.0 | 23.0 | 50.7 | 32.6 | 41.6 | 13 | 4.90 | .. | NW. | |
| July | 60.0 | 21.0 | 51.5 | 31.0 | 41.2 | 8 | 1.47 | .. | NW. | |
| August | 68.0 | 23.0 | 52.2 | 35.4 | 43.8 | 12 | 2.13 | .. | NW. | |
| September | 70.0 | 27.0 | 61.0 | 39.5 | 502 | 7 | 1.43 | .. | NW. | |
| October | 78.0 | 33.0 | 62.5 | 44.0 | 53.2 | 14 | 6.76 | .. | NW. | |
| November | 76.0 | 33.0 | 65.0 | 45.7 | 55.3 | 8 | 4.78 | .. | NW, SE. | |
| December | 81.0 | 33.0 | 64.8 | 47.2 | 56.0 | 19 | 11.00 | .. | NW. | |
| Christchurch (lat. 43° 31′ 30″ S.; long. 172° 38′ 50″ E.; alt. 25ft.)— | January | 92.6 | 43.9 | 73.3 | 53.7 | 63.5 | 10 | 1.92 | 29.783 | NE, NW. |
| February | 89.7 | 42.7 | 72.4 | 53.7 | 63.0 | 6 | 0.45 | 29.932 | NE, SW. | |
| March | 89.8 | 45.4 | 65.5 | 52.6 | 59.0 | 12 | 1.56 | 30.100 | NE, SW. | |
| April | 81.6 | 34.0 | 66.4 | 49.2 | 57.8 | 9 | 0.76 | 29.968 | NE. | |
| May | 70.2 | 29.5 | 56.3 | 40.0 | 48.1 | 19 | 4.79 | 29.931 | SW, NE. | |
| June | 64.8 | 26.6 | 52.8 | 36.0 | 44.4 | 12 | 1.98 | 29.918 | SW, NE. | |
| July | 64.0 | 23.3 | 51.6 | 32.0 | 41.8 | 10 | 1.49 | 30.037 | SW, NE. | |
| August | 67.2 | 28.0 | 53.4 | 37.2 | 45.3 | 10 | 1.21 | 30.076 | SW, NE. | |
| September | 70.3 | 29.3 | 60.2 | 41.5 | 50.8 | 7 | 0.98 | 29.974 | NE, SW. | |
| October | 83.4 | 34.6 | 63.8 | 46.0 | 54.9 | 15 | 3.78 | 29.667 | NE, SW. | |
| November | 80.6 | 38.8 | 66.7 | 48.7 | 57.7 | 7 | 2.47 | 29.931 | NE, S. | |
| December | 81.5 | 37.5 | 66.6 | 50.3 | 58.4 | 18 | 3.94 | 29.719 | SW, NE. | |
| Kisselton (Lake Coleridge) (lat. 43° 22′ S.; long. 171° 33′ E.; alt. 1,220 ft.)— | January | 84.0 | 37.0 | 73.5 | 49.0 | 61.2 | 8 | 3.14 | .. | NW, SE. |
| February | 85.0 | 40.0 | 73.8 | 49.7 | 61.8 | 5 | 1.03 | .. | NW, SE. | |
| March | 82.0 | 39.0 | 68.5 | 47.3 | 57.9 | 7 | 1.31 | .. | NW, SE. | |
| April | 83.0 | 30.0 | 68.9 | 45.0 | 56.9 | 8 | 6.59 | .. | NW, SE. | |
| May | 67.0 | 23.0 | 56.2 | 35.3 | 45.7 | 12 | 1.77 | .. | NW, SE. | |
| June | 69.0 | 22.0 | 54.6 | 35.0 | 44.8 | 9 | 4.05 | .. | NW, NE. | |
| July | 73.0 | 26.0 | 60.5 | 37.1 | 48.8 | 9 | 3.24 | .. | NW, SE. | |
| August | 85.0 | 28.0 | 61.4 | 37.3 | 49.3 | 2 | 0.35 | .. | NW, SE. | |
| September | 77.0 | 31.0 | 63.5 | 45.0 | 54.2 | 6 | 3.35 | .. | NW. | |
| October | 74.0 | 40.0 | 61.9 | 47.9 | 54.9 | 15 | 5.81 | .. | NW, SW. | |
| November | 77.0 | 43.0 | 66.1 | 50.2 | 58.1 | 9 | 2.65 | .. | NW, SE. | |
| December | 84.0 | 41.0 | 68.9* | 49.9 | 59.4 | 11 | 3.04 | .. | NW, SE. | |
| Timaru (lat. 44° 25′ S.; long. 171° 18′ E.; alt. 56 ft.)— | January | 91.8 | 43.0 | 75.0 | 52.1 | 63.5 | 8 | 0.84 | .. | NE, SW, NW |
| February | 87.0 | 44.0 | 73.0 | 53.0 | 63.0 | 6 | 0.69 | .. | E, NE. | |
| March | 74.4 | 43.6 | 64.7 | 51.0 | 57.8 | 12 | 1.42 | .. | SW, SE. | |
| April | 78.0 | 36.2 | 65.7 | 46.8 | 56.2 | 8 | 1.90 | .. | NF, SW. | |
| May | 75.0 | 33.0 | 58.8 | 40.1 | 49.4 | 18 | 1.82 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| June | 62.4 | 26.6 | 53.1 | 34.8 | 43.9 | 6 | 0.55 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| July | 62.0 | 26.0 | 51.9 | 32.1 | 42.0 | 6 | 0.29 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| August | 73.0 | 26.8 | 53.6 | 36.0 | 44.8 | 4 | 0.74 | .. | SW, NE. | |
| September | 75.2 | 31.4 | 61.0 | 40.2 | 50.6 | 5 | 0.99 | .. | NE, E. | |
| October | 85.0 | 39.0 | 64.3 | 46.4 | 55.3 | 14 | 4.02 | .. | NE, E. | |
| November | 85.2 | 41.6 | 67.7 | 48.7 | 58.2 | 9 | 1.5 | .. | E, SW. | |
| December | 77.8 | 39.6 | 67.1 | 50.9 | 59.0 | 16 | 4.7 | .. | SW, SE, E. | |
| Waimate (lat. 44° 44′ S.; long. 171° 14′ E.; alt. 200 ft.)— | January | 89.0 | 42.0 | 73.1 | 50.6 | 61.8 | 8 | 2.01 | .. | NE, NW. |
| February | 87.0 | 45.0 | 72.4 | 52.0 | 62.2 | 10 | 1.27 | .. | NE. | |
| March | 75.0 | 41.0 | 64.8 | 50.1 | 57.4 | 14 | 1.30 | .. | NE, SE. | |
| April | 80.0 | 36.0 | 65.7 | 46.4 | 56.0 | 7 | 1.71 | .. | NE, SE. | |
| May | 70.0 | 33.0 | 57.4 | 42.3 | 49.8 | 15 | 1.62 | .. | SW, NW, NE. | |
| June | 63.0 | 26.0 | 52.9 | 34.7 | 43.8 | 9 | 0.80 | .. | SW. | |
| July | 63.0 | 27.0 | 52.3 | 33.3 | 42.8 | 7 | 0.31 | .. | SW. | |
| August | 72.0 | 28.0 | 54.1 | 35.3 | 44.7 | 8 | 1.02 | .. | NE, SE. | |
| September | 72.0 | 33.0 | 60.6 | 40.1 | 50.3 | 8 | 1.02 | .. | NE, SE. | |
| October | 84.0 | 35.0 | 62.0 | 46.7 | 54.3 | 14 | 4.55 | .. | NE, SE. | |
| November | 80.0 | 39.0 | 65.4 | 48.0 | 56.7 | 9 | 2.81 | .. | NE, SE. | |
| December | 75.0 | 38.0 | 64.7 | 49.8 | 57.3 | 18 | 4.72 | .. | NE, SW. | |
| Dunedin (lat. 45° 52′ S.; long. 170° 31′ E.; alt. 300 ft.)— | January | 81.0 | 44.0 | 70.4 | 51.9 | 61.1 | 12 | 2.49 | 29.735 | NE. SW. |
| February | 88.0 | 44.0 | 70.4 | 53.6 | 62.0 | 8 | 1.37 | 29.881 | NE, SW. | |
| March | 74.0 | 45.0 | 64.0 | 51.7 | 57.8 | 9 | 1.13 | 30.121 | NE, SW. | |
| April | 83.0 | 41.0 | 65.8 | 49.5 | 57.6 | 7 | 1.97 | 29.934 | NE, SW. | |
| May | 66.0 | 35.0 | 54.9 | 43.2 | 49.0 | 18 | 4.29 | 29.938 | NE, SW. | |
| June | 61.0 | 34.0 | 51.9 | 39.0 | 45.4 | 11 | 2.85 | 29.883 | NE, SW. | |
| July | 64.0 | 30.0 | 51.4 | 38.5 | 44.9 | 11 | 2.13 | 30.021 | SW, S. | |
| August | 70.0 | 35.0 | 54.5 | 40.3 | 47.4 | 7 | 0.58 | 30.024 | NE, SW. | |
| September | 71.0 | 36.0 | 61.4 | 44.1 | 52.7 | 9 | 2.55 | 29.967 | NE, SW. | |
| October | 82.0 | 38.0 | 60.3 | 47.3 | 53.8 | 16 | 7.20 | 29.663 | NE, W. | |
| November | 79.0 | 40.0 | 65.0 | 48.4 | 56.7 | 8 | 1.69 | 29.914 | NE, SW. | |
| December | 79.0 | 38.0 | 64.0 | 49.8 | 56.9 | 14 | 4.65 | 29.719 | NE, SW | |
| Gore (lat. 46° 6′ S.; long. 168° 57′ E.; alt. 245 ft.)— | January | 91.0 | 38.0 | 73.8 | 47.6 | 60.7 | 12 | 2.51 | .. | E, SW. |
| February | 87.0 | 39.0 | 73.7 | 49.3 | 61.5 | 11 | 2.70 | .. | NE, SW, E. | |
| March | 81.0 | 30.0 | 68.6 | 44.7 | 56.6 | 9 | 1.11 | .. | E, SW, NE. | |
| April | 79.0 | 30.0 | 65.8 | 42.0 | 53.9 | 13 | 2.11 | .. | E, SW. | |
| May | 70.0 | 24.0 | 53.9 | 37.0 | 45.4 | 16 | 3.25 | .. | SW, E. | |
| June | 66.0 | 25.0 | 49.6 | 32.7 | 41.1 | 15 | 2.79 | .. | SW, NE, E. | |
| July | 58.0 | 21.0 | 48.6 | 32.5 | 40.5 | 14 | 2.90 | .. | NE, SW. | |
| August | 67.0 | 21.0 | 53.6 | 32.8 | 43.2 | 7 | 0.61 | .. | NE, E, SW. | |
| September | 73.0 | 27.0 | 60.7 | 38.5 | 49.6 | 13 | 1.73 | .. | E, NE, SW. | |
| October | 76.0 | 27.0 | 63.1 | 43.5 | 53.3 | 15 | 2.07 | .. | E, NW, | |
| November | 82.0 | 34.0 | 70.2 | 44.2 | 57.2 | 9 | 1.13 | .. | E, SW. | |
| December | 87.0 | 31.0 | 68.3 | 45.9 | 57.1 | 19 | 3.85 | .. | E, SW. | |
| Invercargill (lat. 46° 25′ S.; long. 168° 21′ E.; alt. 12 ft.)— | January | 88.0 | 39.0 | 69.1 | 47.9 | 58.5 | 14 | 4.30 | .. | SW, NW. |
| February | 85.0 | 41.0 | 70.2 | 49.4 | 59.8 | 12 | 2.47 | .. | NW, SW, E. | |
| March | 85.0 | 32.0 | 65.9 | 45.1 | 55.5 | 14 | 0.97 | .. | SE, SW. | |
| April | 75.0 | 32.0 | 64.2 | 44.4 | 54.3 | 17 | 2.96 | .. | NW, SW. | |
| May | 71.0 | 26.0 | 54.7 | 39.2 | 46.9 | 20 | 5.85 | .. | E, SW. | |
| June | 63.0 | 24.5 | 51.3 | 34.4 | 42.8 | 19 | 4.16 | .. | NW, E. | |
| July | 60.0 | 29.0 | 50.9 | 35.9 | 43.4 | 22 | 2.95 | .. | NW, SW. | |
| August | 67.0 | 27.0 | 54.0 | 34.8 | 44.4 | 14 | 1.07 | .. | NW, E. | |
| September | 71.0 | 32.0 | 59.9 | 40.9 | 50.4 | 16 | 3.39 | .. | NW, SW. | |
| October | 75.0 | 28.0 | 62.0 | 44.9 | 53.4 | 18 | 3.08 | .. | SW, E. | |
| November | 78.0 | 32.0 | 66.9 | 45.0 | 55.9 | 12 | 0.87 | .. | E, SE. | |
| December' | 87.0 | 32.0 | 66.7 | 46.9 | 56.8 | 19 | 4.66 | .. | E, SE. | |
| Stations. | Temperature in Shade. | Rainfall. | Mean Height of Barometer. | Prevailing Winds. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest and Date | Lowest and Date. | Mean Max. Temp. for Year. | Mean Min. Temp. for Year. | Mean Temp. for Year. | Days on which Rain fell. | Total Fall. | |||
* Observations incomplete. | |||||||||
| °Fahr. | °Fahr. | °Fahr. | °Fahr. | °Fahr. | No. | Inches. | Inches. | ||
| Auckland | 80.4 Jan. 31 | 36.4 July 26 | 65.7 | 54.5 | 60.1 | 196 | 66.66 | 30.011 | W, NW, SW. |
| Te Aroha | 95.0 Jan. 27 | 21.0 Aug. 25 | 69.6 | 50.2 | 59.9 | 165 | 73.15 | .. | NE, SE. |
| Waihi | 89.0 Jan. 14 | 23.4 July 26 | 68.4 | 48.8 | 58.5 | 189 | 104.82 | 36.042 | W, E. |
| Tauranga | 82.0 Feb. 19 | 29.0 July 26 | 66.3 | 49.8 | 58.0 | 187 | 62.58 | .. | SW, S, NE. |
| Rotorua | 82.0 Jan. 2, 4, 29, and Feb. 11 | 27.0 July 22 and 26 | 65.3 | 47.3 | 56.3 | 175 | 74.17 | .. | W, S. |
| New Plymouth | 80.8 Jan. 22 | 30.3 July 6 | 63.3 | 50.6 | 56.9 | 202 | 72.22 | .. | SE, W. |
| Moumahaki | 90.0 Jan. 13 | 29.0 July 10 | 65.0 | 48.2 | 56.6 | 155 | 56.45 | .. | NW, N. |
| Napier* | * | 30.5 July 10, 25, and 26 | * | * | * | 114 | 36.72 | .. | E, W. |
| Taihape | 87.3 Jan. 12 | 28.0 July 26 | 59.4 | 44.6 | 52.0 | 185 | 45.90 | .. | W, NW. |
| Palmerston N. | 86.0 Jan. 12 | 25.0 July 26 | 64.7 | 48.3 | 56.5 | 151 | 41.54 | .. | W, E. |
| Oroua Downs | 84.2 Jan. 22 | 20.5 July 25 | 64.2 | 46.1 | 55.1 | 124 | 40.87 | .. | NW, E. |
| Weraroa | 84.0 Jan. 22 | 28.0 July 9 and 26 | 62.8 | 47.8 | 55.3 | 170 | 46.07 | .. | NW, W. |
| Masterton | 95.4 Jan. 12 | 23.4 July 15 | 65.5 | 45.9 | 55.7 | 167 | 48.89 | .. | SW, N. |
| Wellington | 83.6 Jan. 22 | 31.5 Aug. 10 | 62.9 | 51.3 | 57.1 | 164 | 49.21 | 29.980 | NW, SE. |
| Brightwater | 83.0 Jan. 2, 3, 21 | 27.0 July 6 and 25 | 64.6 | 45.6 | 55.1 | 134 | 50.78 | .. | SW, S. |
| Nelson | 80.8 Jan. 2 and 20 | 29.3 July 25 | 64.2 | 47.0 | 55.6 | 144 | 53.94 | 29.961 | N, SE. |
| Hokitika | 79.0 Mar. 3.0 | 28.5 July 23 | 61.4 | 46.5 | 53.9 | 216 | 133.78 | 29.930 | NW, SW. |
| Hanmer Springs | 91.0 Jan. 12 | 21.0 July 25 | 62.0 | 42.1 | 52.0 | 138 | 50.31 | .. | NW. |
| Christchurch | 92.6 Jan. 13 | 23.3 July 9 | 62.4 | 45.1 | 53.7 | 135 | 25.33 | 29.920 | NE, SW. |
| Kisselton | 85.0 Feb. 18 and 21 | 22.0 June 3 and 14 | 64.8 | 44.9 | 54.4 | 101 | 36.33 | .. | NW, SE. |
| Timaru | 91.8 Jan. 2 | 26.0 July 23 and 26 | 63.0 | 44.3 | 53.6 | 112 | 19.55 | .. | SW, NE. |
| Waimate | 89.0 Jan. 11 | 26.0 June 17 | 62.1 | 44.1 | 53.1 | 127 | 23.14 | .. | NE, SW. |
| Dunedin | 88.0 Feb. 10 | 30.0 July 24 | 61.2 | 46.4 | 53.8 | 130 | 32.90 | 29.900 | NE, SW. |
| Gore | 91.0 Jan. 27 | 21.0 July 26 and Aug. 9. | 62.5 | 40.9 | 51.7 | 158 | 26.76 | .. | E, SW, NE. |
| Invercargill | 88.0 Jan. 27 | 24.5 June 16 | 61.3 | 42.4 | 51.8 | 197 | 36.73 | .. | NW, SW. |
The following article on the flora and vegetation of New Zealand has been prepared by Dr. L. Cockayne, F.R.S.:—
Owing to its long isolation and diverse elements (Malayan, Australian, Sub-antarctic, and endemic), the flora of New Zealand is of special interest. Ferns, fern-allies, and seed-plants number, so far as is at present known, about 1,800 species, of which more than three-fourths are endemic. Many hundreds of algæ, fungi, mosses, and liverworts have been described, but these certainly do not represent the total number of such. With regard to the seed-plants, one family (the daisy) contains more than 250 species, three (sedge, figwort, and grass) each more than a hundred, and ten (carrot, orchid, buttercup, madder, epacrid, willowherb, pea, rush, and forget-me-not) between thirty and seventy. The ferns and' fern-allies, though not of the overwhelming importance in the flora that many think, still number 162 species. The genera Veronica (Hebe), Carex, Celmisia, Coprosma, Ranunculus, Olearia, Senecio, Epilobium, Myosotis, Poa, Dracophyllum, and Aciphylla contain many species, no few of which are difficult to exactly define. This is especially the case with Veronica, which embraces more than a hundred species. Such uncertainty in their delimiting lies in what is usually called their “variability,” which is due partly to more than one distinct true-breeding entity being joined together as one species, partly to the frequent occurrence of hybrids, and to some extent to differences in appearance and form caused by different environments.
Variability is not concerned merely with adult plants, but often there are species with juvenile forms quite distinct from the adults which may persist for many years. This strange procedure is seen, more or less, in a hundred species. Familiar examples amongst trees are the lacebark, lowland-ribbonwood, lancewood, kowhai, pokaka, and kaikomako.
Many of the growth-forms of New Zealand plants are characteristic of the life-conditions. These are, for example — climbing-plants with long, woody, ropelike stems; shrubs with stiff, wiry, interlaced branches forming close masses; cushion-plants sometimes of immense proportions, as in the vegetable sheep (species of Haastia and Raoulia); leafless shrubs with round or flattened stems (species of Carmichaelia and Notospartium); species of Veronica looking exactly like cypresses; trees with leaves bunched on long trunks; grasses and sedges forming tussocks. The ligneous plants are almost all evergreen, only some twenty being deciduous or semi-deciduous. Herbs that die to the ground in winter and bulbous plants are rare.
The plant associations are of quite as great interest as the species; indeed, to find an equal variety a continent extending to the tropics would have to be visited. The northern rivers and estuaries contain a true mangrove association, an unexpected occurrence outside the tropics. Lowland and montane forests are generally of the subtropical rain-forest type. They are distinguished by their wealth of tree-ferns, filmy ferns, woody climbing-plants, massive perching-plants, deep carpets of mosses and liverworts, and trees provided at times with plank-like buttresses. The kauri forest in the North, the dicotylous broad-leaved forests, and the assemblages of taxads (rimu, miro, totara, and matai) are different rain-forest associations. Another forest is that where species of the southern-beech (Nothofagus), incorrectly termed “birch,” are dominant. Such are subantarctic rain-forests, and constitute the greater part of the high-mountain forests, though in Wellington, Marlborough, and Nelson they are common in the lowlands. Shrubland in which the manuka is dominant is common in the North, South, and Stewart Islands, but is specially abundant on the Auckland gumfields, where it is an obstacle to agriculture. Fern heath of tall bracken is also widespread. Swamp characterized by Phormium, raupo, toetoe, and niggerhead was once common, but draining has greatly reduced its area, though where the association is not burned or the ground ploughed Phormium has greatly increased. Bogs and moorland support a peculiar vegetation. Here hummocks of bog-moss are abundant, and a small wiry umbrella-fern may cover wide areas. Grassland with brownish-leaved tussock-grasses is a great feature of parts of the volcanic plateau of the North Island, and especially of the east of the South Island. Species of Poa and Festuca form the principal tussocks of the lowlands and lower hills, but at higher altitudes and in Southland at low levels tall species of Danthonia dominate. This name is not to be confused with the turf-making species (D. pilosa) of the same genus used in artificial pastures.
The alpine vegetation is of great scientific importance. It contains, exclusive of lowland plants which ascend to the mountains, about 500 species, most of which never descend below 1,500 ft. altitude, while some are confined altogether to the highest elevations. The most beautiful of the New Zealand flowers, with but few exceptions, belong to this mountain-flora. Here are the great buttercups, white and yellow; the charming ourisias; the marguerite-flowered celmisias; the dainty eyebrights; forget-me-nots, yellow, bronze, and white; and many other delightful plants. The growth-forms, too, are often striking or quaint. Cushion-plants, rosette-plants, stiff-branched shrubs, and mat-forming plants are much in evidence. Hairiness, leathery texture, and great rigidity, perhaps accompanied by needle-like points, as in the spaniard (Aciphylla Colensoi), are common characters of leaves.
The floras of the following groups of islands, far distant from the mainland, are distinctly part of that of New Zealand. The Kermadecs contain 115 species of ferns, fern-allies, and seed-plants, only twelve of which are endemic, while eighty-nine belong also to New Zealand proper. The largest island (Sunday Island) is covered with forest in which Metrosideros villosa, a near relation of the pohutukawa, is the principal tree. The Chatham Islands possess 240 species, thirty-two of which are endemic, though several of the latter are trivial varieties merely, while the remainder of the flora is, with one exception, found on the mainland. Forest, moor, and heath are the principal plant associations. The leading tree is the karaka, but by the Moriori called kopi. On the moors are great thickets of a lovely purple-flowered shrub, Olearia semidentata. There are two remarkable endemic genera, Coxella and Myosotidium, the former belonging to the carrot family, and the latter a huge forget-me-not, now nearly extinct. The subantarctic islands (Snares, Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, Macquarie) have a dense vegetation made up of 189 species, no fewer than fifty-six of which are endemic, the remainder being found in New Zealand, but chiefly in the mountains. Forest is found only on the Snares and the Aucklands, with a species of Olearia and the southern-rata as the dominant trees respectively. Extremely dense scrubs occur on the Auckland and Campbell Islands, and moors, sometimes with huge tussocks, are a characteristic feature of all the islands, thanks to the enormous peat-deposit and the frequent rain. Several herbaceous plants of stately form (species of Pleurophyllum, Anisotome, and Stilbocarpa) and with beautiful flowers occur in great profusion.
The Cook Islands, though a part of the Dominion, possess a Polynesian flora quite distinct from that of New Zealand, and are excluded from this notice, while, on the contrary, the flora of the Macquarie Islands (belonging to Tasmania) is a portion of that of New Zealand.
Besides the indigenous, an important introduced element, consisting of about 560 species, mostly European, has followed in the wake of settlement. These aliens are in active competition with the true natives. There is a widespread but quite erroneous opinion that the latter are being eradicated in the struggle. This is not the case. Where the vegetation has never been disturbed by man there are no foreign plants; but where man, with his farming operations, stock, and burning, has brought about European conditions, then certainly the indigenous plants have frequently given way before artificial meadows, with their economic plants and accompanying weeds. But in many places associations not present in primitive New Zealand have appeared, owing to man's influence, composed principally, or altogether, of indigenous species. On the tussock-grassland invader and aboriginal have met, and though the original vegetation is changed there is no reason to consider the one class or the other as the conqueror. Finally, in course of time, a state of stability will be reached, and a new flora, composed partly of introduced plants and partly of those indigenous to the soil, will occupy the land, and, save in the national parks and scenic reserves, if these are kept strictly in their natural condition, this new flora will build up a vegetation different from that of primeval New Zealand.
The above brief sketch of the flora and vegetation is obviously most incomplete. Those wishing to dive deeper into the fascinating matter can consult the following works: “The Manual of the New Zealand Flora,” by T. F. Cheeseman (a new edition is in the press); “Plants of New Zealand,” by R. M. Laing and E. W. Blackwell; “The Vegetation of New Zealand” (a second edition is being prepared), “New Zealand Plants and Their Story (second edition), and “The Cultivation of New Zealand Plants"—the last three by L. Cockayne.
The fauna of New Zealand is briefly described in the following article by Mr. James Drummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S.:—
New Zealand's native fauna has attracted the attention of investigators in nearly all parts of the world. Its special interest lies in its manifold peculiarities, in the incongruous characters possessed by some of its members, and in the ancient types found in different classes of its animals.
Beginning with the mammalia, the Dominion is surprisingly inadequately represented. Its only land-mammals, except seals, are two bats. One of these, the long-tailed bat, belongs to a genus (Chalinolobus) which is found in the Australian and Ethiopian zoological regions, and to a species (morio) found in the south-east of Australia as well as in New Zealand; but the other, the short-tailed bat (Mystacops tuberculatus). belongs to a genus peculiar to this Dominion. At one time it was believed that the Maori dog (Canis familiaris, variety maorium, the “kuri” of the Maoris) and the Maori rat (Mus exulans, the Maoris' “kiore “) were indigenous to New Zealand, but it is now generally believed that these two animals were introduced by the Maoris when they made their notable migrations from their legendary Hawaiki (probably Tahiti, in the Society Group). The dog was highly prized as a domestic pet, and the rat as an article of diet. Both could easily be taken across the sea in the large canoes used in those days. The dog, without doubt, is extinct. Statements by Captain Cook, J. R. and G. Forster, Sydney Parkinson (the artist), the Rev. W. Colenso, and early visitors to New Zealand show that the Maori dog was a very ordinary animal. It was small, with a pointed nose, pricked ears, and very small eyes. In colour it was white, black, brown, or parti-coloured, and it had long hair, short legs, a short bushy tail, and no loud bark, but only a whine. The Maoris lavished upon it an abundance of affection. When dead its flesh was used for food, its skin for clothing, and its hair for ornaments. Opinions differ in regard to the approximate date of its extinction, and investigations in this respect are made somewhat difficult by the fact that for some years “wild dogs,” as they were called—probably a cross between the Maori dog and dogs brought by Europeans—infested several districts in both the North Island and the South Island, and were confused with the Maori clog. It is probable that the pure Maori dog became extinct about 1885. The Maori rat, a forest-dweller, is not as plentiful as it was when Europeans first came to New Zealand, but it still lives in the forests.
The long-tailed species of bat was once fairly plentiful, especially in the forests, where it makes its home in hollow trees. Large numbers also at one time were found under old bridges across streams, notably at the River Avon, in Christchurch. It is not very rare now, and specimens sometimes are found in the forests and in caves. The short-tailed species is not extinct, but rare. Most bats are exceptionally well adapted for life in the air, feeding on flying insects, and even drinking on the wing. But the short-tailed species of New Zealand possesses peculiarities of structure which enable it to creep and crawl with ease on the branches and leaves of trees, and probably it seeks its food there as well as in the air. Few naturalists, however, have had opportunities to observe it, and little is known of its habits.
The sea-lion, the sea-elephant, the sea-leopard, and the fur-seal are found on islands in the Dominion's boundaries. In the early days of colonization sealing was a great industry, and yielded large profits to some of the adventurous men who took part in it.
Amongst the sea-mammals whales are the most important. For some years New Zealand held the record for the largest known mammal in the world, living or extinct. This was the Okarito whale, whose skeleton is in Canterbury Museum. It was found dead on the sea-beach near Okarito, a small village in South Westland, in February, 1908. A very careful and conscientious measurement showed that its length, in the flesh, was 87 ft., or 99 ft. measured, over the curves of its back. It held the record until September, 1918, when a whale was found stranded at Corvisart Bay, near Streaky Bay, at the eastern extremity of the Australian Bight, South Australia, which measured in a straight line 87 ft. 4 in. Both competitors for the record were females, and both were blue whales, which usually are known as Balaenoptera sibbaldi, but which now bear the name Balaenoptera musculus.
At one time extensive whaling was carried on in New Zealand waters, three hundred vessels, chiefly from America, sometimes visiting the country in one year. The industry began about 1795, reached the height of its prosperity between 1830 and 1840, and then began to dwindle. In recent years there has been an effort to revive the industry, but it will never attain the position it held in former years. Porpoises are plentiful, and the dolphin (Delphinus delphis) also is found in these waters. Mention should be made here of “Pelorus Jack,” a solitary whale which for some years met vessels near Pelorus Sound, and which was protected by an Order in Council under the name of Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus). He was the only member of the species reported from New Zealand waters.
In contrast with the species of land-mammals, the members of the next class, Aves, were remarkably plentiful when settlement began. Bush and grass fires, cats, stoats and weasels, and the ruthless use of the gun have reduced their numbers, but they still stand as probably the most interesting avifauna in the world. They include a comparatively large number of absolutely flightless birds. No living birds in New Zealand are wingless, but the kiwi (Apteryx), the weka (Gallirallus), the kakapo parrot (Strigops), and the takahe (Notornis hochstetteri)* cannot use their wings for flight, while a duck belonging to the Auckland Islands (Nesonetta) is practically in the same plight. There are also several species of birds whose wings are so weak that they can make only short flights. Other notable birds are the kea (Nestor notabilis), which is accused of killing sheep on stations in the South Island; the tui (Prosthemadera novae-zealandiae), which affords one of the most beautiful Bights in the New Zealand forests, and charms visitors with its silvery notes; the huia (Heteralocha acutirostris), the only species known in which there is a wide divergence in the shape of the bills in the two sexes, the male's being short and straight, while the female's is curved, pliant, and long; and the wry-billed plover (Anarhynchus frontalis), the only bird known to possess a bill turned to one side. Cormorants or shags (Phalacrocorax) and penguins (Impennes) are exceptionally well represented in the avifauna. New Zealand, indeed, may be regarded as the headquarters of the penguins, as all the genera except one are found within the boundaries of this Dominion. The oldest fossil penguin known is from the Eocene and Oligocene rocks of New Zealand. New Zealand probably was the centre from which penguins were dispersed to other countries.
* This bird is better known as Notornis mantelli. That name was first given by Sir Richard Owen to an extinct bird, represented by a fossil found at Waiogongoro, in the North Island, by Mr. W. Mantell in 1847. When the first living specimen of the Notornis was found in 1849 scientists concluded that it was identical with the fossil, and it bore the same name; but when Dr. Meyer, of Dresden examined the skeleton of the third specimen he found that it was different from the fossil, and he changed the specific name from Mantelli to Hochstetteri, thus honouring Dr. Hochstetter, a naturalist who visited New Zealand in the early days. Messrs. G. M. Mathews and T. Iredale, in “Reference List” of 1913, give Mantellornis hochstetteri as the name of this interesting rail.
Several species of birds make notable migrations to New Zealand. The godwit (Vetola lapponica baueri) breeds in the tundras of Eastern Siberia and in Kamchatka and Western Alaska, and spends the summer months in New Zealand, arriving about October, and leaving in March or April. The knot (Canutus canutus) breeds in circumpolar regions and migrates to New Zealand; and two cuckoos—the shining-cuckoo (Lamprococcyx lucidus) and the long-tailed cuckoo (Urodynamis taitensis)—come from Pacific islands in the spring, and leave for their northern homes about April. Both, like most members of the Cuculidæ family, are parasitical, and impose upon small native birds the duty of hatching and rearing young cuckoos. The kiwi, already mentioned, belongs to the same subclass as the ostrich, the emu, and the cassowary, all struthious birds, and has several peculiarities besides its flightlessness. One of these is the position of its nostrils at the tip of its bill, instead of at the base as in all other birds. Its plumage is peculiarly hair-like in appearance. It possesses a very generalized structure; as Sir Richard Owen once suggested, it seems to have borrowed its head from one group of birds, its legs from another, and its wings from a third. It was once believed to be almost extinct, but in recent years has been shown to be fairly plentiful in some districts where there is little settlement.
The takahe (Notornis) is one of the world's very rare birds. Only four specimens nave been found. Two of the skins are in the British Museum, one is in the Dresden Museum, and one in the Otago Museum, in Dunedin. The fourth specimen was caught by two guides (Messrs. D. and J. Ross) at Notornis Bay, Lake Te Anau, in 1898. Although at the present time (1924) it is twenty-six years since the Notornis was last seen, there is reason to believe that individuals still exist in the wild districts of the southern sounds.
The interest of the living avifauna is surpassed by the interest of the extinct birds. These include the great flightless moa (Dinornis), a goose (Cnemiornis minor), a gigantic rail (Aptornis otidiformis), and an eagle (Harpagornis moorei).
Reptilian life is restricted to about fifteen species of lizards, and to the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). This is a lizard-like creature, the only surviving representative of the order Rhynchocephalia, otherwise extinct. The tuatara is found in no other country. Its nearest ally is Homœosaurus, whose remains have been found in Jurassic rocks in Germany. It has been destroyed to a large extent by wild pigs, cats, and dogs, and is now seldom found except on a few islands off the coast of the mainland.
The amphibians are represented by two species of frogs. One, Liopelma hochstetteri, has been recorded from only a few districts in the Auckland Province. The other, Liopelma hamiltoni, has been recorded from only Stephen Island, a small island in Cook Strait, notable as one of the refuges of the tuatara.
About 250 species of fish have been found in New Zealand waters. Many of these are used for food. Several species, notably the mudfish (Neochanna apoda), which is sometimes discovered buried 4 ft. deep in clay in places where rivers have overflowed in flood, and in swampy places, are interesting. Some of the genera are peculiar to New Zealand, but some also occur in Australian and South American waters.
Amongst the invertebrates one of the peculiarities is the fact that the Dominion has few butterflies, although it is well supplied with moths. It has a red admiral butterfly (Vanessa), named after the European species, which it resembles, and a copper butterfly (Chrysophanus), which is very plentiful. In the forests there is that strange growth the “vegetable caterpillar.” The Dominion has native bees and ants, dragon-flies, sober-coloured beetles, and representatives of other orders of insects. The katipo spider (Latrodectes katipo), which lives mostly on or near the sea-beach, is well known locally. Amongst the mollusca there is a large and handsome land-snail (Paryphanta), and Amphibola, an air-breathing snail, peculiar to the Dominion, which lives in brackish water, mainly in estuaries. There are about twenty species of univalves and twelve of bivalves in the fresh-water shells, and about four hundred species in the marine shells, including the paper nautilus (Argonauta). Perhaps the most interesting of all the invertebrates is the Peripatus, an ancient type of creature which survives in New Zealand and in parts of Australia, Africa, South America, the West Indies, New Britain, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra. Zoologically, it belongs to the air-breathing division of the phylum Arthropoda, and has been placed in a special class, Prototracheata or Onychophora. It is about 3 in. long, has many feet, loves moisture, shuns light, and moves slowly. Two genera have been found in New Zealand. One genus, Peripatoides, contains two species, novae-zealandiae and suteri, and the other, Oöperipatus, contains only one species, viridimaculatus. The Peripatus is viviparous. It is claimed that one New Zealand genus, Oöperipatus, is oviparous, but that has not been fully proved.* Professor A. Dendy, F.R.S., has made special investigations in regard to the New Zealand species.
* Professor Adam Sedgwick, F.R.S., late Professor of Zoology at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, in the new Encyclopaedia Britannica.
With the arrival of Europeans the whole face of the fauna was changed. The first European animal introduced was the pig, liberated by Captain Cook in Queen Charlotte Sound in 1773. With settlement, sheep, cattle, horses, and other domestic animals were brought, some for utility, some for pleasure, such as song-birds, and some for sport, such as deer, trout, pheasants, and quail. In the work of acclimatization several great and irretrievable blunders were made. The worst of these was the introduction of rabbits, stoats, and weasels.
Table of Contents
THE history of New Zealand prior to the seventeenth century is shrouded in mythology and tradition. When the country was discovered by Europeans in 1642 it was found to be inhabited by a race of Polynesians called Maoris, who had discovered these islands many centuries previously. Papers written in 1874 by Mr. (afterwards Sir) William Fox and Sir Donald McLean state that at what time the discovery of New Zealand was made by the Maoris, and from what place they came, are matters of tradition only, and that much has been lost in the obscurity enveloping the history of a people without letters. Nor is there anything on record respecting the origin of the Maori people themselves, beyond the general tradition of the Polynesian race, which seems to show a series of successive migrations from west to east, probably by way of Malaysia to the Pacific. Little more can now be gathered from their traditions than that they were immigrants, and that they probably found inhabitants on the east coast of the North Island belonging to the same race as themselves—the descendants of a prior migration whose history is lost. The tradition runs that, generations ago, the Maoris dwelt in a country named Hawaiki, and that one of their chiefs, after a long voyage, reached the northern island of New Zealand. Returning to his home with a flattering description of the country he had discovered, this chief, it is said, persuaded a number of his kinsfolk and friends to set out with a fleet of double canoes for the new land. The names of most of the canoes are still remembered, and each tribe agrees in its account of the doings of the people of the principal canoes after their arrival in New Zealand; and from these traditional accounts the descent of the numerous tribes has been traced. The position of the legendary Hawaiki is unknown, but many places in the South Seas have been thus named in memory of the motherland. The Maoris speak a very pure dialect of the Polynesian language, the common tongue, with more or less variation, in all the eastern Pacific islands.
It was on the 13th December, 1642, that Abel Jansen Tasman, a Dutch navigator, discovered New Zealand. Tasman left Batavia on the 14th August, 1642, in the yacht “Heemskercq,” accompanied by the “Zeehaen” (or “Sea-hen”) fly-boat. After having visited Mauritius and discovered Tasmania, named by him “Van Diemen's Land,” in honour of Anthony van Diemen, Governor of the Dutch possessions in the East Indies, he steered eastward, and sighted the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand, described by him as “a high mountainous country.”
Tasman, under the belief that the land he saw belonged to a great polar continent, and was part of the country discovered some years before by Schouten and Le Maire, to which the name “Staten Land” had been given, gave the same name “Staten Land” to New Zealand; but within about three months afterwards Schouten's “Staten Land” was found to be merely an inconsiderable island. Upon this discovery being announced, the country that Tasman had called “Staten Land” received the name of “New Zealand,” by which it has ever since been known. Tasman sailed along the coast and anchored in Golden Bay, called by him “Murderers' Bay” on account of an unprovoked attack on a boat's crew by the Natives and the massacre of four white men. Thence he steered along the west coast of the North Island, and gave the name “Cape Maria van Diemen” to the north-western extremity thereof. After sighting the islands of the Three Kings he finally departed without having set foot in the country.
There is no record of any visit to New Zealand after Tasman's departure until the time of Captain Cook, who, after leaving the Society Islands, sailed in search of a southern continent then believed to exist. He sighted land on the 6th October, 1769, at Young Nick's Head, and on the 8th of that month cast anchor in Poverty Bay. After having coasted round the North Island and the South and Stewart Islands—which last he mistook for part of the South Island—he took his departure from Cape Farewell on the 31st March, 1770, for Australia. He visited New Zealand again in 1773, in 1774, and in 1777.
Several other explorers also visited New Zealand during the latter portion of the eighteenth century, amongst whom may be mentioned—
M. de Surville, in command of the “Saint Jean Baptiste,” who sighted the north-east coast on the 12th December, 1769, only two months after Cook's arrival at Poverty Bay.
M. Marion du Fresne—1772.
Captains Vancouver and Broughton—1791.
Captain Raven—1792 and 1793.
Alejandro Malaspina and José de Bustamente y Guerra—1793.
Lieutenant Hanson—1793.
So far as is known, the first instance of Europeans being left in New Zealand to their own resources occurred in 1792, when Captain Raven, of the “Britannia,” landed a sealing-party at Facile Harbour, on the west coast of the South Island, where they remained a little over twelve months before being called for by the “Britannia.”
The next few years saw the establishment of whaling-stations at several points on the coast, and in 1814 the first missionaries—Messrs. Hall and Kendall—arrived in New Zealand. After a short stay they returned to New South Wales, and on the 19th November of that year again embarked in company with Mr. Samuel Marsden, chaplain to the New South Wales Government, who preached his first sermon in New Zealand on Christmas Day, 1814. He returned to Sydney on the 23rd March, 1815, leaving Messrs. Hall, Kendall, and King, who formed the first mission station at Rangihoua, Bay of Islands.
In 1825 three separate attempts were made to found colonies in various parts of New Zealand, but none of these was successful, and for some years the only settlements were those round the principal whaling-stations. A number of Europeans gradually settled in different parts of the country, and married Native women.
The first body of immigrants under a definite scheme of colonization arrived in Port Nicholson on the 22nd January, 1840, and founded the town of Wellington. During the few succeeding years the settlements of Nelson, Taranaki, Otago, and Canterbury were formed by immigrants sent out by associations in the United Kingdom.
As early as 1833 a British Resident (Mr. Busby) was appointed, with headquarters at Kororareka (now called Russell), on the Bay of Islands. Seven years later—namely, on the 29th January, 1840—Captain William Hobson, R.N., arrived at the Bay of Islands, empowered, with the consent of the Natives, to proclaim the sovereignty of Queen Victoria over the Islands of New Zealand, and to assume the government thereof. A compact called the Treaty of Waitangi, to which in less than six months 512 names were affixed, was entered into, whereby all rights and powers of sovereignty were ceded to the Queen, all territorial rights being secured to the chiefs and their tribes. The seat of Government was established at Waitemata (Auckland), and a settlement formed there.
The record of formal Government of New Zealand under the British Crown begins with the following Proclamation issued by Captain Hobson on the 21st May, 1840:—
In the name of Her Majesty VICTORIA, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. By WILLIAM HOBSON, Esquire, a Captain in the Royal Navy, Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand.
WHEREAS by a treaty bearing date the sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty, made and executed by me, William Hobson, a Captain in the Royal Navy, Consul and Lieutenant-Governor in New Zealand, vested for this purpose with full powers by Her Britannic Majesty of the one part, and the Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand, and the separate and independent Chiefs of New Zealand not members of the Confederation, of the other, and further ratified and confirmed by the adherence of the principal Chiefs of this Island of New Zealand (commonly called the “Northern Island”), all rights and powers of sovereignty over the said Northern Island were ceded to Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland absolutely and without reservation:
Now, therefore, I, William Hobson, Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand, in the name and on behalf of Her Majesty, do hereby proclaim and declare to all men that from and after the date of the above-mentioned treaty the full sovereignty of the Northern Island of New Zealand vests in Her Majesty Queen Victoria, her heirs and successors for ever.
Given under my hand, at Government House. Russell, Bay of Islands, this twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.
WILLIAM HOBSON,
Lieutenant-Governor.
By His Excellency's command.
WILLOUGHBY SHORTLAND, Colonial Secretary.
British sovereignty over the South Island was formally proclaimed at Cloudy Bay on the 17th June, 1840, by Major Bunbury, H.M. 80th Regiment, and Captain Nias, R.N.
From the date of Hobson's Proclamation until the 3rd May, 1841, New Zealand remained a dependency of New South Wales, and on the latter date it was created a separate colony by Royal Charter dated the 16th November, 1840.
The Government of the colony was first vested in a Governor, who was responsible only to the Crown; there was an Executive Council, with advisory powers only, as well as a Legislative Council.
On the 30th June, 1852, an Act granting representative institutions was passed by the Imperial Parliament, and published in New Zealand by Proclamation on the 17th January, 1853. Under it the constitution of a General Assembly was provided for, to consist of a Legislative Council and a House of Representatives.
The first session of the General Assembly was opened on the 27th May, 1854, but the members of the Executive were not responsible to Parliament. During the session of that year there were associated with the permanent members of the Executive Council certain members of the House of Representatives, who, however, held no portfolios. The first Ministers under a system of responsible government were appointed in the year 1856.
On addresses from both Houses of the General Assembly, His Majesty the King, by Order in Council dated 9th September, 1907, and by Proclamation issued 10th September, 1907, was graciously pleased to change the style and designation of the Colony of New Zealand to “The Dominion of New Zealand"; the change taking effect from Thursday, the 26th September, 1907.
By Letters Patent dated 11th May, 1917, the designation of Governor and Commander-in-Chief which had hitherto been hold by the Royal representative in New Zealand was altered to “Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief.”
Prior to the establishment of responsible government the Executive Council for New Zealand consisted, in addition to the Governor, of the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, and the Colonial Treasurer, seniority being in the order named. The Governor, or in his absence the senior member present, was to preside, and two members exclusive of the Governor or member presiding were to form a quorum. The Governor was commanded to in all things consult and advise with the Executive Council, and not to exercise the powers and authorities vested in him except by and with the concurrence and advice of the Executive Council, unless in cases of an urgent and pressing nature which would not admit of delay. In such cases he was, with all convenient speed, to bring the measures so adopted by him before the Executive Council for its revision and sanction. Nothing in these instructions, however, was to prevent the Governor exercising any or all of the powers and authorities vested in him, without the advice and concurrence of the Executive Council, in cases not considered of sufficient importance to require their assistance or advice, or in cases which were of such a nature that in his judgment material prejudice might be sustained by consulting the Executive Council thereupon. No questions were to be brought before the Council except those proposed by the Governor, who in any case in which he saw sufficient cause to dissent from the opinion of the major part or the whole of the Council was further empowered to exercise the powers vested in him in opposition to such opinion.
The powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Governor-General and the Executive Council under the present system of responsible government are set out in Royal Letters Patent and Instructions thereunder of the 11th May, 1917, published in the New Zealand Gazette of the 24th April, 1919 (p. 1213). The relationship between the powers of the Governor-General and the Executive Council is indicated in paragraphs V and VII of the Instructions, which read as follows:—
In the execution of the powers and authorities vested in him the Governor-General shall be guided by the advice of the Executive Council, but, if in any case he shall see sufficient cause to dissent from the opinion of the said Council, he may act in the exercise of his said powers and authorities in opposition to the opinion of the Council, reporting the matter to Us without delay, with the reasons for his so acting.
In any such case it shall be competent to any member of the said Council to require that there be recorded upon the minutes of the Council the grounds of any advice or opinion that he may give upon the question.
The Governor-General shall not pardon or reprieve any offender without first receiving in capital cases the advice of the Executive Council, and in other cases the advice of one at least of his Ministers; and in any case in which such pardon or reprieve might directly affect the interests of Our Empire, or of any country or place beyond the jurisdiction of the Government of the Dominion, the Governor-General shall, before deciding as to either pardon or reprieve, take those interests specially into his own personal consideration in conjunction with such advice as aforesaid.
The present Executive Council consists of eleven members in addition to the Governor-General. Two members, exclusive of His Excellency or the presiding member, constitute a quorum.
Prior to the establishment of responsible government the Legislative Council of New Zealand consisted of the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, the Colonial Treasurer, and the three senior Justices of the Peace. The Governor, or in his absence the senior member present, was to preside at all meetings of the Council; four members in addition to the Governor or the member presiding to form a quorum. No law or Ordinance was to be enacted by the Legislative Council which was not first proposed by the Governor, and no question was to be debated unless submitted by him for that purpose. The laws and Ordinances of the Council were to be designated “Ordinances enacted by the Governor of New Zealand with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof.” No laws were to be made to continue for less than two years except only in cases of unforeseen emergency requiring provision for temporary service, and the Governor was specially enjoined not to propose or assent to Ordinances or laws dealing with certain matters, some of which were,—
Restricting public worship, although not conducted according to the Church of England.
Reducing revenue or infringing prerogative or affecting the salaries or allowances of public officers without special leave.
Issuing bills of credit or other negotiable securities in lieu of money on the credit of the colony, or paper currency, or any coin save the legal coin of the realm.
By which persons not of European birth or descent might be subjected or liable to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of European birth or descent would not also be subjected.
Raising money by public or private lotteries.
Naturalizing aliens without leave.
Divorcing persons joined together in holy matrimony.
Granting money, land, or other donation or gratuity to the Governor.
The Legislative Council assembled for its first session at Auckland on the 24th May, 1854, and comprised fourteen members.
The Councillors had been designated a year earlier by the Governor, and their names submitted for the Royal approval; and they were gazetted in New Zealand in December, 1853. Until 1868 the rule was that the appointment of members should be made by an instrument under the Royal Sign-manual, but the rule was not strictly observed after 1861. An Act of the Imperial Parliament in 1868 validated any appointments of Councillors that might have been made irregularly in the past, and provided that future appointments should be made by the Governor (not by the Sovereign).
Until 1891 members were appointed for life, but since that year appointments have been made for seven years only, members, however, being eligible for reappointment. The last remaining life appointee, the late Hon. W. D. H. Baillie, died on the 24th February, 1922, after holding office for nearly sixty-one years. Prior to 1891 the Speaker was appointed by the Governor, but the Council now elects its own Speaker, who holds office for five years. A Chairman of Committees is elected every session, and holds office till the election of his successor. Speaker and Chairman are both eligible for re-election. The Imperial Act under which the earliest appointments were made did not fix a minimum number of members, though it provided that the first appointees should be not less than ten in number. The number actually summoned was sixteen, of whom only fourteen attended and were enrolled. The number increased irregularly for thirty years. In 1885 and 1886 it stood at fifty-three, but has not since reached that limit. The number on the roll at present is thirty-eight.
Provision for an elective Legislative Council is contained in the Legislative Council Act, 1914, which was originally intended to come into operation at the first general election of members of the Lower House after the end of 1915. The introduction of the new system has, however, been postponed from time to time, and at present the position is that the Act is to be brought into operation at a date to be specified by Proclamation. Under the system outlined in the Act the Dominion is to be divided into four electoral divisions, two in the North Island and two in the South, and the number of members is to be forty, divided between the two Islands on a population basis. The Governor-General is empowered to appoint not more than three Maori members to the Council.
The qualifications for membership of the Legislative Council are the same as for the House of Representatives, referred to below, with the proviso that a person may not at the same time be a member of both Houses.
Before the year 1892 the honorarium of Councillors was understood to be for the session, not for the year, and formed the subject of a special vote every session, the amount varying in different sessions. By the Payment of Members Act, 1892, the honorarium was made annual, not sessional, and was fixed at £150 a year. The amount was raised in 1904 to £200, and in 1920 to £350, but was reduced in 1922 to £315. Besides the honorarium, members are allowed travelling-expenses actually incurred in going to and from Parliament.
Subject to certain exemptions, members not attending the Council are liable to be fined.
The number of members constituting the House of Representatives is eighty—seventy-six Europeans and four Maoris. They are now designated “Members of Parliament.” The number was originally fixed by the Constitution Act as not more than forty-two and not loss than twenty-four, and the first Parliament called together in 1854 consisted of forty members. Legislation passed in 1858 fixed the number of European members at forty-one; in 1860, at fifty-three; in 1862, at fifty-seven; in 1865, at seventy; in 1867, at seventy-two; in 1870, at seventy-four; in 1875, at eighty-four; in 1881, at ninety-one; in 1887, at seventy; and in 1900, at seventy-six. By the Maori Representation Act, 1867, which is still in force, as embodied in the Legislature Act, 1908, four Maori members wore added, three for the North Island and one for the South.
The North Island at present returns forty-six European members, and the South Island thirty. Quinquennial Parliaments, instituted under the Constitution Act, were abolished by the Triennial Parliaments Act, 1879, which fixed the term at three years. General elections have been held at three-yearly intervals since 1881, with the exception that the term of the nineteenth Parliament was extended to five years by special legislation.
Every registered elector of either sex who is free from any of the disqualifications mentioned in the Legislature Act, 1908, is eligible for membership. All contractors to the public service of New Zealand to whom any public money above the sum of £50 is payable, directly or indirectly, in any one financial year, as well as the public servants of the Dominion, are incapable of being elected as, or of sitting or voting as, members.
The payment made to members of the House of Representatives is £450 per annum, subject to certain deductions for absence not due to sickness or other unavoidable cause. Travelling-expenses to and from Wellington are also allowed. The rate of payment for several years prior to 1920 was £300 per annum, but was increased in that year to £500, a 10-per-cent. reduction, however, being made in 1922 by the Public Expenditure Adjustment Act, 1921-22.
The election of a Speaker in the first business of a now House after the members have been sworn. A Chairman of Committees is elected as soon after as is convenient. Both Speaker and Chairman of Committees hold office until a dissolution, and receive payment until the first meeting of a new Parliament.
Twenty members, inclusive of the Speaker, constitute a quorum.
The three cardinal principles of the franchise in New Zealand are (1) one man one vote, (2) female suffrage, and (3) adult suffrage.
Thero are, of course, slight exceptions to the last-mentioned, the following classes of persons not being entitled to register as electors or to vote:—
An alien;
A person of unsound mind;
A person convicted of an offence punishable by death or by imprisonment for one year or upwards within any part of His Majesty's dominions, or convicted in New Zealand as a public defaulter, or under the Police Offences Act, 1908, as an idle and disorderly person or as a rogue and vagabond, unless such offender has received a free pardon, or has undergone the sentence or punishment to which he was adjudged for such offence.
To be registered as an elector a person must have resided for one year in the Dominion, and for three months in the electoral district for which he claims to vote. A system of compulsory registration of electors was introduced at the end of 1924.
The system of “one man one vote” has been in operation since 1889, and women's suffrage since 1893. The qualifications for registration are the same for both sexes.
Side by side with the general government of the country, but subordinate to it, there has existed a system of local government since the early years of New Zealand's annexation as a British colony. The history of local government divides naturally into two periods representing two distinct systems—viz., the provincial, which was in operation up to 1876, and the county, which superseded the provincial in that year.
On the 23rd December, 1847, a Charter was signed dividing the colony into two provinces—New Ulster and New Munster—and this was proclaimed in New Zealand on the 10th March, 1848. The Province of New Ulster consisted of the whole of the North Island with the exception of that portion adjacent to Cook Strait and lying to the south of a line commencing at the centre of the mouth of the Patea River and running thence due east to the east coast. The Province of New Munster consisted of the South and Stewart Islands and of the portion of the North Island excluded from New Ulster. Each province had a Lieutenant — Governor, an Executive Council, and a Legislative Council, while the Governor-in-Chief for the whole colony was also Governor of each province. Provision had also been made for a House of Representatives in each province, but this portion of the Charter was suspended for five years, and before it came into operation a new Constitution was obtained.
Under the new Constitution the Provinces of New Ulster and New Munster were abolished and the colony was divided into six provinces—Auckland, New Plymouth (later altered to Taranaki), Wellington, Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago. Each province was to be presided over by an elective Superintendent, and to have an elective Provincial Council empowered to legislate, except on certain specified subjects. The franchise amounted practically to household suffrage. In each case the election was for four years, but a dissolution of the Provincial Council by the Governor could take place at any time, necessitating a fresh election both of the Council and of the Superintendent. The Superintendent was chosen by the whole body of the electors of the province, and each member of the Provincial Council by the electors of a district. The boundaries of the new provinces were gazetted on the 2nd April, 1853, and the boundaries of the electoral districts on the 14th May following, the first general elections for the House of Representatives and the Provincial Councils being held during 1853 and the beginning of 1854. The Provincial Governments, afterwards increased to nine by the formation of Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, and Southland, later reduced to eight by the merging of Southland with Otago, and again increased to nine by the formation of Westland, remained as integral parts of the Constitution of the colony until the 1st November, 1876, when they were abolished by an Act of the General Assembly, that body having been vested with the power of altering the Constitution Act.
Even before the division of New Zealand into the two provinces of Now Ulster and New Munster, local government had its inception, Wellington having been created a borough in 1842 under the authority of the Municipal Corporations Ordinance of that year. The Ordinance was disallowed by the Home Government, but was re-enacted, with necessary alterations, in 1844. Wellington, which lost its status on the original Ordinance being disallowed, did not become a borough again until 1870, Auckland (constituted in 1851) remaining the only borough in New Zealand for several years.
Wellington, which had boon the first borough in the country, also became the first town district, with a form of government not differing greatly from that of a municipality. Gradually the more important towns adopted the status of boroughs, while the loss important remained town districts. In Otago, however, between 1865 and 1875, several small towns were created boroughs under the authority of an Ordinance of the Otago Provincial Council, nineteen of the thirty-six boroughs in existence at the date of the abolition of the provinces being in Otago, all formed under the provisions of the Ordinance referred to.
Another form of local government which came into existence in the provincial days was that of the road districts, or, as they were called in certain parts of the country, highway districts. As the names imply, the road and highway districts were formed for the purpose of extending and maintaining roads. Each district was controlled by an elected Board, which had power to levy rates. The first Road Boards were formed in 1863, and by 1875 their number had risen to 314.
Among the instructions given Captain Hobson on his appointment as the first Governor of New Zealand was one directing that the colony was to be divided into counties, hundreds, and parishes. In accordance with this instruction, the boundaries of the County of Eden, in which Auckland—the then capital—is situated, were proclaimed in 1842, and some years later the county was divided into hundreds. Very little further was done towards giving effect to the instructions, and the first administrative county was Westland, separated from Canterbury Province in 1867, and granted a system of local government in the following year.
It was not until the abolition of the provinces in 1876 that a scheme of division of the whole country into counties was introduced. The Counties Act, 1876, which, in conjunction with the Municipal Corporations Act of the same year, provided a comprehensive scheme of local government in lieu of the provincial governments, divided New Zealand into sixty-three counties. With the exception of six, which were exempted from the operations of the Act, each county was placed under the control of an elected Chairman and Council, possessed of fairly full powers of local government—considerably less, however, than these formerly enjoyed by the Provincial Councils. The Counties Act specially excluded boroughs from the counties within which they geographically lie, and a similar provision has since been made in the case of town districts having a population of over 500.
Since the abolition of the provinces and the passing of the Counties and Municipal Corporations Acts of 1876 there has been considerable extension of local government. Many of the road districts have merged with the counties within which they lie, while others have become boroughs and town districts. On the other hand, counties, boroughs, and town districts have increased in numbers, while several entirely new classes of local districts, formed for definite purposes—as, for instance, land drainage or electric-power supply—have come into existence. In most cases the Boards of these districts have borrowing and rating powers.
The numbers of local districts of each class in the Dominion at present are as follow:—
| Counties | 129 |
| Boroughs | 118 |
| Town districts— | |
| Not forming parts of counties | 40 |
| Forming parts of counties | 31 |
| Road districts | 35 |
| River districts | 45 |
| Land-drainage districts | 60 |
| Harbour districts | 41 |
| Hospital districts | 46 |
| Electric-power districts | 40 |
| City and suburban drainage districts | 3 |
| Tramway district | 1 |
| Local railway districts | 6 |
| Water-supply districts | 5 |
| Main-highway districts | 18 |
| Fire districts | 37 |
| Rabbit districts | 37 |
| Gas-lighting district | 1 |
Information as to the origin and development of each class of local body is contained in the 1925 number of the Year-Book (pages 846 et seq.), and Section XXIV of this issue contains particulars as to the constitution, functions, &c., of each class now in existence.
Table of Contents
Captain William Hobson, R.N., Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand under Sir George Gipps, Governor of New South Wales, from January, 1840, to 3rd May, 1841, and Governor of New Zealand from 3rd May, 1841, until date of death, 10th September, 1842.
Lieutenant Willoughby Shortland, Administrator from 10th September, 1842, to 26th December, 1843.
Captain Robert Fitzroy, R.N., Governor from 26th December, 1843, to 17th November, 1845.
Captain George Grey, who became Sir George Grey, K.C.B., in 1848, Governor from 18th November, 1845, to 1st January, 1848; Governor-in-Chief over the Islands of New Zealand, Governor of the Province of New Ulster, and Governor of the Province of New Munster from 1st January, 1848, to 7th March, 1853: Governor of New Zealand from 7th March, 1853, to 31st December, 1853.
Edward John Eyre, Esquire, Lieutenant-Governor of New Munster from 28th January, 1848, until duties of Lieutenant-Governor ceased on 7th March, 1853.
Major-General George Dean Pitt. Lieutenant-Governor of New Ulster from 14th February, 1848, until date of death, 8th January, 1851.
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Henry Wynyard, C.B., Lieutenant-Governor of New Ulster from 26th April, 1851, until duties of Lieutenant-Governor ceased on 7th March, 1853.
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Henry Wynyard, C.B., Administrator from 3rd January, 1854, to 6th September, 1855.
Colonel Thomas Gore Browne, C.B., Governor from 6th September, 1855, to 2nd October, 1861.
Sir George Grey, K.C.B., Administrator from 3rd October, 1861: Governor from 4th December, 1861, to 5th February, 1868.
Sir George Ferguson Bowen, G.C.M.G., Governor from 5th February, 1868, to 19th March, 1873.
Sir George Alfred Arney, Chief Justice, Administrator from 21st March to 14th June, 1873.
Sir James Fergusson, Baronet, P.C., Governor from 14th June, 1873, to 3rd December, 1874.
The Marquis of Normanby, P.C., G.C.M.G., Administrator from 3rd December, 1874; Governor from 9th January, 1875, to 21st February, 1879.
James Prendergast, Esquire, Chief Justice, Administrator from 21st February to 27th March, 1879.
Sir Hercules George Robert Robinson, G.C.M.G., Administrator from 27th March, 1879; Governor from 17th April, 1879, to 8th September, 1880.
James Prendergast, Esquire, Chief Justice, Administrator from 9th September to 29th November, 1880.
The Honourable Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon, G.C.M.G., Governor from 29th November, 1880, to 23rd June, 1882.
Sir James Prendergast, Chief Justice, Administrator from 24th June, 1882, to 20th January, 1883.
Lieutenant-General Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, G.C.M.G., C.B., Governor from 20th January, 1883, to 22nd March, 1889.
Sir James Prendergast, Chief Justice, Administrator from 23rd March to 2nd May, 1889.
The Earl of Onslow, G.C.M.G., Governor from 2nd May, 1889, to 24th February, 1892.
Sir James Prendergast, Chief Justice, Administrator from 25th February to 6th June, 1892.
The Earl of Glasgow, G.C.M.G., Governor from 7th June, 1892, to 6th February, 1897.
Sir James Prendergast, Chief Justice, Administrator from 8th February to 9th August, 1897.
The Earl of Ranfurly, G.C.M.G., Governor from 10th August, 1897, to 19th June, 1904.
The Right Honourable William Lee, Baron Plunket, K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., Governor from 20th June, 1904, to 8th June, 1910.
Hon. Sir Robert Stout, K.C.M.G., Chief Justice, Administrator from 8th June to 22nd June, 1910.
The Right Honourable John Poynder Dickson-Poynder, K.C.M.G., Baron Islington, D.S.O., Governor from 22nd June, 1910, to 2nd December, 1912.
Hon. Sir Robert Stout, K.C.M.G., Chief Justice, Administrator from 3rd December to 19th December, 1912.
The Earl of Liverpool, P.C., G.C.M.G., G.B.E., M.V.O., Governor from 19th December, 1912; Governor-General from 28th June. 1917, to 7th July, 1920.
Right Hon. Sir Robert Stout, P.C., K.C.M.G., Chief Justice, Administrator from 8th July, 1920, to 26th September, 1920.
Viscount Jellicoe of Scapa. G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O., Governor-General from 27th September, 1920, to 25th November, 1924.
Right Hon. Sir Robert Stout, P.C., K.C.M.G., Chief Justice, Administrator from 26th November, 1924, to 12th December, 1924.
General Sir Charles Fergusson, Baronet, LL.D., G.C.M.G., K.C.B., D.S.O., M.V.O., Governor-General from 13th December, 1924.
His Excellency, General Sir Charles Fergusson, Baronet, LL.D., G.C.M.G.. K.C.B., D.S.O., M.V.O.
Private Secretary—George J. Little.
Official Secretary—A. Cecil Day, C.M.G., C.B.E.
Military Secretary and Aide-do-Camp—Major L. P. Haviland.
Aide-de-Camp—Captain C. J. Vernon-Wentworth.
Assistant Private Secretary—David J. Keswick.
Honorary Aides-de-Camp—Colonel J. Findlay, C.B., D.S.O.; Lieutenant-Colonel M. M. Gard'ner, D.S.O.; Lieutenant-Colonel F. Symon, C.M.G., D.S.O.; Lieutenant-Colonel N. S. Falla, C.M.G., D.S.O.; Lieutenant-Colonel S. S. Allen, C.M.G., D.S.O.; Lieutenant-Colonel J. Hardest, D.S.O., M.C.
Honorary Physician—Colonel R. Tracy-Inglis, C.B.E., M. B.
Honorary Surgeon—Colonel P.C. Fenwick, C.M.G., M.D.
| Name of Ministry. | Name of Premier. | Assumed Office. | Retired. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bell-Sewell | Henry Sewell | 7 May, 1856 | 20 May, 1856 |
| 2. Fox | William Fox | 20 May, 1856 | 2 June, 1856. |
| 3. Stafford | Edward William Stafford | 2 June, 1856 | 12 July, 1861 |
| 4. Fox | William Fox | 12 July, 1861 | 6 Aug., 1862. |
| 5. Domett | Alfred Domett | 6 Aug., 1862 | 30 Oct., 1863. |
| 6. Whitaker-Fox | Frederick Whitaker | 30 Oct., 1863 | 24 Nov., 1864. |
| 7. Weld | Frederick Aloysius Weld | 24 Nov., 1864 | 16 Oct., 1865. |
| 8. Stafford | Edward William Stafford | 16 Oct., 1865 | 28 June, 1869. |
| 9. Fox | William Fox | 28 June, 1869 | 10 Sept., 1872. |
| 10. Stafford | Edward William Stafford | 10 Sept., 1872 | 11 Oct., 1872. |
| 11. Waterhouse | George Marsden Waterhouse | 11 Oct., 1872 | 3 Mar., 1873. |
| 12. Fox | William Fox | 3 Mar., 1873 | 8 April, 1873. |
| 13. Vogel | Julius Vogel, C.M.G. | 8 April, 1873 | 6 July, 1875. |
| 14. Pollen | Daniel Pollen, M.L.C. | 6 July, 1875 | 15 Feb., 1876. |
| 15. Vogel | Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G. | 15 Feb., 1876 | 1 Sept., 1876. |
| 16. Atkinson | Harry Albert Atkinson | 1 Sept., 1876 | 13 Sept., 1876. |
| 17. Atkinson (reconstituted) | Harry Albert Atkinson | 13 Sept., 1876 | 13 Oct., 1877. |
| 18. Grey | Sir George Grey, K.C.B. | 15 Oct., 1877 | 8 Oct., 1879. |
| 19. Hall | John Hall | 8 Oct., 1879 | 21 April, 1882 |
| 20. Whitaker | Frederick Whitaker, M.L.C. | 21 April, 1882 | 25 Sept., 1883. |
| 21. Atkinson | Harry Albert Atkinson | 25 Sept., 1883 | 16 Aug., 1884. |
| 22. Stout-Vogel | Robert Stout | 16 Aug., 1884 | 28 Aug., 1884. |
| 23 Atkinson | Harry Albert Atkinson | 28 Aug., 1884 | 3 Sept., 1884. |
| 24. Stout-Vogel | Sir Robert Stout, K.C.M.G. | 3 Sept., 1884 | 8 Oct., 1887. |
| 25. Atkinson | Sir Harry Albert Atkinson, K.C.M.G. | 8 Oct., 1887 | 24 Jan., 1891. |
| 26. Ballance | John Ballance | 24 Jan., 1891 | 1 May. 1893. |
| 27. Seddon | Rt. Hon. Richard John Seddon, P.C. | 1 May, 1893 | 21 June, 1906. |
| 28. Hall-Jones | William Hall-Jones | 21 June, 1906 | 6 Aug., 1906. |
| 29. Ward | Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph George Ward, Bart., P.C., K.C.M.G. | 6 Aug., 1906 | 28 Mar., 1912. |
| 30. Mackenzie | Thomas Mackenzie | 28 Mar., 1912 | 10 July, 1912. |
| 31. Massey | Rt. Hon. William Ferguson Massey, P.C. | 10 July, 1912 | 12 Aug., 1915. |
| 32. National | Rt. Hon. William Ferguson Massey, P.C. | 12 Aug., 1915 | 25 Aug., 1919. |
| 33. Massey | Rt. Hon. William Ferguson Massey, P.C. | 25 Aug., 1919 | 14 May, 1925. |
| 34. Bell | Hon. Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell, G.C.M.G., K.C. | 14 May, 1925 | 30 May, 1925. |
| 36. Coates | Hon. Joseph Gordon Coates, M.C. | 30 May, 1925 | .. |
1924, June 25.—Hon. David Henry Guthrie resigned appointment as Minister of Lands, remaining a member of the Executive Council without portfolio. Hon. Alexander Donald McLeod appointed a member of the Executive Council and Minister of Lands.
1925, May 10.—Right Hon. William Ferguson Massey, P.C., Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Stamp Duties, died at Wellington.
1925, May 14.—Hon. Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell, G.C.M.G., K.C., appointed Prime Minister; and Hon. William Nosworthy appointed Minister of Finance and Minister of Stamp Duties. In other respects all Ministers confirmed in their then existing offices and as members of the Executive Council.
1925, May 30.—All Ministers, with exception of Hon. William Downie Stewart (absent in America), resigned their offices and their seats in the Executive Council. All Ministers, with the exception of Hon. William Downie Stewart and Hon. Sir Maui Pomare, K.B.E., C.M.G., reappointed to Executive Council with same offices as before, except for following changes:—
Hon. Joseph Gordon Coates, M.C., succeeded Hon. Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell, G.C.M.G., K.C., as Prime Minister.
Hon. Sir Christopher James Parr, K.C.M.G., succeeded Hon. Joseph Gordon Coates, M.C., as Postmaster-General and Minister of Telegraphs.
Hon. William Downie Stewart confirmed as a member of the Executive Council and in office as Minister of Customs and Minister of Industries and Commerce.
1925, June 1.—Hon. Sir Maui Pomare, K.B.E., C.M.G., appointed a member of the Executive Council and Minister of Health and Minister for the Cook Islands.
| Name. | Office | From | To | Remarks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* Continued in offices previously held, | ||||
| Joseph Gordon Coates, M.C. | Prime Minister | 30 May, 1925 | ||
| Minister of Public Works | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Minister of Railways | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Minister of Native Affairs | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Sir Francis Henry Dillon Bell, G.C.M.G., K.C. | Attorney-General | 30 May, 1925 | ||
| Minister of External Affairs | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| David Henry Guthrie | Member of Executive Council without portfolio | 30 May, 1925 | ||
| William Downie Stewart | Minister of Customs | 30 May, 1925* | ||
| Minister of Industries and Commerce | 30 May, 1925* | |||
| William Nosworthy | Minister of Finance | 30 May, 1925 | ||
| Minister of Stamp Duties | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Minister of Agriculture | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Minister of Immigration | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Sir Christopher James Parr. K.C.M.G. | Minister of Education | 30 May, 1925 | ||
| Minister of Justice | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Postmaster-General | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Minister of Telegraphs | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| George James Anderson | Minister of Labour | 30 May, 1925 | ||
| Minister of Mines | 30 May. 1925 | |||
| Minister of Marine | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Alexander Donald McLeod | Minister of Lands | 30 May, 1925 | ||
| Sir Robert Heaton Rhodes, K.B.E. | Minister of Defence | 30 May, 1925 | ||
| Commissioner of State Forests | 30 May, 1925 | |||
| Sir Maui Pomare, K.B.E., C.M.G. | Minister of Health | 1 June, 1925 | ||
| Minister of Cook Islands | 1 June, 1925 | |||
| Richard Francis Bollard | Minister of Internal Affairs | 30 May, 1925 | ||
Hon. J. G. Coates, M.C., Prime Minister, Minister of Public Works, Minister of Railways, Minister of Native Affairs, Minister in Charge of Electoral Department, Public Trust, Native Trust, Roads, and Public Buildings.
Hon. Sir F. H. D. Bell, G.C.M.G., K.C., Attorney-General, Minister of External Affairs, and Leader of the Legislative Council.
Hon. D. H. Guthrie, Member of the Executive Council without portfolio.
Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Minister of Customs, Minister of Industries and Commerce, and Minister in Charge of Board of Trade.
Hon. W. Nosworthy, Minister of Finance, Minister of Stamp Duties, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Immigration, and Minister in Charge of Land and Income Tax, State Advances, Valuation, Tourist and Health Resorts, and Legislative Departments.
Hon. Sir C. J. Parr, K.C.M.G., Minister of Education, Minister of Justice, Postmaster-General, Minister of Telegraphs, Minister in Charge of Police and Prisons Departments.
Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Labour, Minister of Mines, Minister of Marine, Minister in Charge of Pensions, Printing and Stationery, Publicity, and Inspection of Machinery Departments.
Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Lands, Minister in Charge of Land for Settlements, Discharged Soldiers Settlement, and Scenery Preservation Departments.
Hon. Sir R. H. Rhodes, K.B.E., Minister of Defence, Commissioner of State Forests, Minister in Charge of War Pensions, Government Life and Accident Insurance, State Fire Insurance, National Provident Fund, Friendly Societies, and Public Service Superannuation Departments.
Hon. Sir Maui Pomare, K.B.E., C.M.G., Minister of Health, Minister for Cook Islands, Minister in Charge of Hospitals and Charitable Aid and Mental Hospitals Departments, Member of the Executive Council representing the Native Race.
Hon. R. F. Bollard, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister in Charge of High Commissioner's, Audit. Museum, Registrar-General's, Census and Statistics, Laboratory, and Advertising Departments.
Clerk of the Executive Council—F. D. Thomson, B.A., C.M.G.
| Parliament. | Dates of Opening of Sessions. | Dates of Prorogation. | Dates of Dissolution. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 27 May, 1854 | 9 Aug., 1854 | 15 Sept., 1855. |
| 31 Aug., 1854 | 16 Sept., 1854 | ||
| 8 Aug., 1855 | 15 Sept., 1855 | ||
| Second | 15 April, 1856 | 16 Aug., 1856 | 5 Nov., 1860. |
| (No sess., 1857) | .. | ||
| 10 April, 1858 | 21 Aug., 1858 | ||
| (No sess., 1859) | .. | ||
| 30 July, 1860 | 5 Nov., 1860 | ||
| Third | 3 June, 1861 | 7 Sept., 1861 | 27 Jan., 1866. |
| 7 July, 1862 | 15 Sept., 1862 | ||
| 19 Oct., 1863 | 14 Dec., 1863 | ||
| 24 Nov., 1864 | 13 Dec., 1864 | ||
| 26 July, 1865 | 30 Oct., 1865 | ||
| Fourth | 30 June, 1866 | 8 Oct., 1866 | 30 Dec., 1870. |
| 19 July, 1867 | 10 Oct., 1867 | ||
| 9 July, 1868 | 20 Oct., 1868 | ||
| 1 June, 1869 | 3 Sept., 1869 | ||
| 14 June, 1870 | 13 Sept., 1870 | ||
| Fifth | 14 Aug., 1871 | 16 Nov., 1871 | 6 Dec., 1875. |
| 16 July, 1872 | 25 Oct., 1872 | ||
| 15 July, 1873 | 3 Oct., 1873 | ||
| 3 July, 1874 | 31 Aug., 1874 | ||
| 20 July, 1875 | 21 Oct., 1875 | ||
| Sixth | 15 June, 1876 | 31 Oct., 1876 | 15 Aug., 1879. |
| 19 July, 1877 | 10 Dec., 1877 | ||
| 26 July, 1878 | 2 Nov., 1878 | ||
| 11 July, 1879 | 11 Aug., 1879 | ||
| Seventh | 24 Sept., 1879 | 19 Dec., 1879 | 8 Nov., 1881. |
| 28 May, 1880 | 1 Sept., 1880 | ||
| 9 June, 1881 | 24 Sept., 1881 | ||
| Eighth | 18 May, 1882 | 15 Sept., 1882 | 27 June, 1884. |
| 14 June, 1883 | 8 Sept., 1883 | ||
| 5 June, 1884 | 24 June, 1884 | ||
| Ninth | 7 Aug., 1884 | 10 Nov., 1884 | 15 July, 1887. |
| 11 June, 1885 | 22 Sept., 1885 | ||
| 13 May, 1886 | 18 Aug., 1886 | ||
| 26 April, 1887 | 10 June, 1887 | ||
| Tenth | 6 Oct., 1887 | 23 Dec., 1887 | 3 Oct., 1890. |
| 10 May, 1888 | 31 Aug., 1888 | ||
| 20 June, 1889 | 19 Sept., 1889 | ||
| 19 June, 1890 | 18 Sept., 1890 | ||
| Eleventh | 23 Jan., 1891 | 31 Jan., 1891 | 8 Nov., 1893 |
| 11 June, 1891 | 25 Sept., 1891 | ||
| 23 June, 1892 | 12 Oct., 1892 | ||
| 22 June, 1893 | 7 Oct., 1893 | ||
| Twelfth | 21 June, 1894 | 24 Oct., 1894 | 14 Nov., 1896. |
| 20 June, 1895 | 2 Nov., 1895 | ||
| 11 June, 1896 | 19 Oct., 1896 | ||
| Thirteenth | 7 April, 1897 | 12 April, 1897 | 15 Nov., 1899. |
| 23 Sept., 1897 | 22 Dec., 1897 | ||
| 24 June, 1898 | 5 Nov., 1898. | ||
| 23 June, 1899 | 24 Oct., 1899 | ||
| Fourteenth | 22 June, 1900 | 22 Oct., 1900 | 5 Nov., 1902. |
| 1 July, 1901 | 8 Nov., 1901 | ||
| 1 July, 1902 | 4 Oct., 1902 | ||
| Fifteenth | 29 June, 1903 | 25 Nov., 1903 | 15 Nov., 1905. |
| 28 June, 1904 | 8 Nov., 1904 | ||
| 27 June, 1905 | 31 Oct., 1905 | ||
| Sixteenth | 27 June, 1906 | 3 July, 1906 | 29 Oct., 1908. |
| 21 Aug., 1906 | 29 Oct., 1906 | ||
| 27 June, 1907 | 25 Nov., 1907 | ||
| 29 June, 1908 | 12 Oct., 1908 | ||
| Seventeenth | 10 June, 1909 | 17 June, 1909 | 20 Nov., 1911. |
| 7 Oct., 1909 | 29 Dec., 1909 | ||
| 28 June, 1910 | 5 Dec., 1910 | ||
| 27 July, 1911 | 30 Oct., 1911 | ||
| Eighteenth | 15 Feb., 1912 | 1 Mar., 1912 | 20 Nov., 1914. |
| 27 June, 1912 | 8 Nov., 1912 | ||
| 26 June, 1913 | 16 Dec., 1913 | ||
| 25 June, 1914 | 6 Nov., 1914 | ||
| Nineteenth | 24 June, 1915 | 15 Oct., 1915 | 27 Nov., 1919. |
| 9 May, 1916 | 9 Aug., 1916 | ||
| 28 June, 1917 | 2 Nov., 1917 | ||
| 9 April, 1918 | 17 April, 1918 | ||
| 24 Oct., 1918 | 12 Dec., 1918 | ||
| 28 Aug., 1919 | 7 Nov., 1919 | ||
| Twentieth | 24 June, 1920 | 12 Nov., 1920 | 15 Nov., 1922. |
| 10 Mar., 1921 | 24 Mar., 1921 | ||
| 22 Sept., 1921 | 13 Feb., 1922 | ||
| 28 June, 1922 | 1 Nov., 1922 | ||
| Twenty-first | 8 Feb., 1923 | 19 Feb., 1923 | .. |
| 14 June, 1923 | 30 Aug., 1923 | ||
| 26 June, 1924 | 7 Nov., 1924 | ||
| 25 June, 1925 | .. |
Speaker—Hon. Sir W. C. F. CARNCROSS, Kt.
Chairman of Committees—Hon. John Barr.
Clerk of the Legislative Council—A. F. LOWE, C.M.G.
| Name. | Provincial District | Date of Appointment. |
|---|---|---|
| Alison, Hon. Ewen William | Auckland | 7 May, 1925. |
| Barr, Hon. John | Canterbury | 22 January, 1921. |
| Bell, Hon. Sir Francis Henry Dillon, G.C.M.G., K.C. | Wellington | 21 May, 1919. |
| Campbell, Hon. James Palmer | Auckland | 2 September, 1921. |
| Carncross, Hon. Sir Walter Charles Frederick, Kt. | Taranaki | 17 March, 1924. |
| Carroll, Hon. Sir James, K.C.M.G. | Auckland | 2 September, 1921. |
| Clark, Hon. Edward Henry | Otago | 25 June, 1920. |
| Cohen, Hon. Mark | Otago | 25 June, 1920. |
| Collins, Hon. Colonel William Edward, C.M.G. | Wellington | 14 July, 1921. |
| Craigie, Hon. James | Canterbury | 1 June, 1923. |
| Earnshaw, Hon. William | Wellington | 25 June, 1920. |
| Fleming, Hon. David Thomas | Otago | 7 May, 1925 |
| Garland, Hon. George Joseph | Auckland | 7 May, 1925. |
| Geddis, Hon. William John | Hawke's Bay | 7 May, 1925. |
| Gow, Hon. James Burman | Auckland | 7 May, 1925. |
| Hall-Jones, Hon. Sir William, K.C.M.G. | Wellington | 6 October, 1920. |
| Hawke, Hon. Archibald Fotheringham | Otago | 7 May, 1925. |
| Hislop, Hon. Thomas William | Wellington | 2 September, 1921. |
| Izard, Hon. Charles Hayward | Wellington | 7 May, 1925. |
| Lang, Hon. Sir Frederic William, Kt. | Auckland | 22 February, 1924. |
| MacGregor, Hon. John | Otago | 14 July, 1921. |
| McIntyre, Hon. William Henderson | Nelson | 2 September, 1921. |
| Mackenzie, Hon. Sir Thomas, G.C.M.G. | Otago | 12 March, 1921. |
| Malcolm, Hon. Alexander Scott | Otago | 16 June, 1924. |
| Mander, Hon. Francis | Auckland | 1 June, 1923. |
| Michel, Hon. Henry Leslie | Westland | 7 May, 1925. |
| Mitchelson, Hon. Sir Edwin, K.C.M.G. | Auckland | 25 June, 1920 |
| Moore, Hon. Richard | Canterbury | 14 July, 1921. |
| Newman, Hon. Edward, C.M.G. | Wellington | 1 June, 1923. |
| Reed, Hon. Vernon Herbert | Auckland | 16 June, 1924. |
| Rikihana, Hon. Wiremu | Auckland | 1 June, 1923. |
| Scott, Hon. Robert | Otago | 25 June, 1920. |
| Sinclair, Hon. Sir John Robert, Kt. | Otago | 7 May, 1925. |
| Smith, Hon. Colonel George John, C.B.E. | Canterbury | 25 June, 1920. |
| Snodgrass, Hon. William Wallace, M.B.E. | Nelson | 2 September, 1921 |
| Stewart, Hon. William | Auckland | 7 May, 1925. |
| Thomson, Hon. George Malcolm | Otago | 7 May, 1925. |
| Triggs. Hon. William Henry | Canterbury | 7 May, 1925. |
Speaker—Hon. C. E. STATHAM.
Chairman of Committees—J. A. YOUNG, M.P.
Clerk of the House—E. W. KANE.
| Name. | Electoral District. |
|---|---|
| For European Electorates. | |
| Anderson, Hon. George James | -Mataura. |
| Armstrong, Hubert Thomas | -Christchurch East. |
| Atmore, Harry | -Nelson. |
| Bartram, Frederick Natley | Grey Lynn. |
| Bell, Allen | Bay of Islands. |
| Bitchener, John | -Waitaki. |
| Bollard, Hon. Richard Francis | Raglan. |
| Buddo, Hon. David | -Kaiapoi. |
| Burnett, Thomas David | -Temuka. |
| Coates, Hon. Joseph Gordon, M.C. | Kaipara. |
| Corrigan, James Randall | Patea. |
| De la Perrelle, Philip Aldborough | -Awarua. |
| Dickson, James McColl | -Chalmers. |
| Dickson, James Samuel | Parnell. |
| Edie, John | -Clutha. |
| Field, William Hughes | Otaki. |
| Forbes, George William | -Hurunui. |
| Fraser, Peter | Wellington Central. |
| Girling, William James | -Wairau. |
| Glenn, William Spiers | Rangitikei. |
| Guthrie, Hon. David Henry | Oroua. |
| Hanan, Hon. Josiah Alfred | -Invercargill. |
| Harris, Alexander | Waitemata. |
| Hawken, Oswald James | Egmont. |
| Hockly, Frank Franklin | Rotorua. |
| Holland, Henry Edmund | -Buller. |
| Horn, James | -Wakatipu. |
| Howard, Edwin John | -Christchurch South. |
| Hudson, Richard Phineas | -Motueka. |
| Hunter, Sir George, Kt. | Waipawa. |
| Isitt, Leonard Monk | -Christchurch North. |
| Jordan, William Joseph | Manukau. |
| Langstone, Frank | Waimarino. |
| Lee, John Alexander | Auckland East. |
| Linklater, Joseph | Manawatu. |
| Luke, Sir John Pearce, Kt. C.M.G. | Wellington North. |
| Lye, Frederick | Waikato. |
| Lysnar, William Douglas | Gisborne. |
| McCombs, James | -Lyttelton. |
| McIlvride, Lewis | Napier. |
| McKay, Gilbert | Hawke's Bay. |
| McKeen, Robert | Wellington South. |
| McLennan, Ewen Donald | Franklin. |
| McLeod, Hon. Alexander Donald | Wairarapa. |
| Macmillan, Charles Edward de la Barca | Tauranga. |
| Macpherson, John Andrew | -Oamaru. |
| Masters, Robert | Stratford. |
| Monteith, Alexander Lammont | Wellington East. |
| Munro, James Wright | -Dunedin North. |
| Murdoch, Alfred James | Marsden. |
| Nash, James Alfred | Palmerston. |
| Nosworthy, Hon. William | -Ashburton. |
| O'Brien, James | -Westland. |
| Parr, Hon. Sir Christopher James, K.C.M.G. | Eden. |
| Parry, William Edward | Auckland Central. |
| Poland, Hugh | Ohinemuri. |
| Potter, Vivian Harold | Roskill. |
| Ransom, Ethelbert Alfred | Pahiatua, |
| Rhodes, Hon. Sir Robert Heaton, K.B.E. | -Ellesmere. |
| Rhodes, Thomas William | Thames. |
| Rolleston, Francis Joseph | -Timaru. |
| Rolleston, John Christopher | Waitomo. |
| Savage, Michael Joseph | Auckland West. |
| Sidey, Thomas Kay | -Dunedin South |
| Smith, Sydney George | Taranaki. |
| Statham, Hon. Charles Ernest | -Dunedin Central. |
| Stewart, Hon. William Downie | —Dunedin West. |
| Sullivan, Daniel Giles | -Avon. |
| Sykes, George Robert | Masterton. |
| Thomson, John Charles | -Wallace. |
| Veitch, William Andrew | Wanganui. |
| Wilford, Thomas Mason | Hutt. |
| Williams, Kenneth Stuart | Bay of Plenty. |
| Witty, George | -Riccarton. |
| Wright, Robert Alexander | Wellington Suburbs. |
| Young, James Alexander | Hamilton. |
| For Maori Electorates. | |
| Tau Henare | Northern Maori. |
| Ngata, Hon. Apirana Turupa | Eastern Maori. |
| Pomare, Hon. Sir Maui Ngatata, K.B.E., C.M.G. | Western Maori. |
| Uru, Henare Whakatau. | Southern Maori. |
| Department. | Permanent Head. | |
|---|---|---|
| Title. | Name. | |
| Agriculture | Director-General | C. J. Reakes, C.B.E., M.R.C.V.S., D.V.Sc. Melb. |
| Audit | Controller and Auditor-General | G. F. C. Campbell, C.M.G. |
| Crown Law | Solicitor-General | A. Fair, LL.B., K.C. |
| Customs | Comptroller | G. Craig, LL.M. |
| Defence | General Officer Commanding N.Z. Military Forces | Vacant. |
| Education | Director | J. Caughley, M.A. |
| External Affairs and Cook Islands | Secretary | J. D. Gray. |
| Government Insurance | Commissioner | A. T. Traversi, F.I.A. Lond. |
| National Provident Fund | Superintendent | |
| Friendly Societies | Registrar | W. M. Wright. |
| Public Service Superannuation | Secretary | |
| Health | Director-General | T. H. A. Valintine, C.B.E., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.P.H. |
| Industries and Commerce | Secretary | J. W. Collins. |
| Immigration | Under-Secretary | H. D. Thomson. |
| Internal Affairs | Under-Secretary and Chief Electoral Officer | J. Hislop, M.V.O., O.B.E. |
| Registrar-General's | Registrar-General | W. W. Cook. |
| Census and Statistics | Government Statistician | M. Fraser, O.B.E. |
| Justice (including Patents) | Under-Secretary | R. P. Ward. |
| Labour | Secretary of Labour, Chief Inspector of Factories, and Registrar of Industrial Unions | F. W. T. Rowley. |
| Land and Income Tax | Commissioner | A. E. Fowler. |
| Land for Settlements | Land Purchase Controller | J. D. Ritchie. |
| Lands and Survey | Under-Secretary | J. B. Thompson, M.N.Z. Soc. C.E. |
| Marine | Secretary | G. C. Godfrey. |
| Mental Hospitals | Inspector-General | Dr. Sir F. Truby King, Kt., C.M.G. |
| Mines | Under-Secretary | A. H. Kimbell. |
| Native | Under-Secretary | R. N. Jones. |
| Native Trust | Native Trustee | W. E. Rawson. |
| Naval | Naval Adviser | Commodore A. F. Beal, C.M.G., R.N. |
| Pensions | Commissioner | G. C. Fache, O.B.E. |
| Police | Commissioner | A. H. Wright. |
| Post and Telegraph | Secretary | A. T. Markman. |
| Printing and Stationery | Government Printer | W. A. G. Skinner. |
| Prisons | Controller-General of Prisons | M. Hawkins. |
| Public Trust | Public Trustee | J. W. Macdonald. |
| Public Works | Under-Secretary and Engineer-in-Chief | F. W. Furkert, A.M.I.C.E. A.M.I.M.E. |
| Railways | Chairman of Railways Board | F. J. Jones. |
| Stamp Duties | Deputy Commissioner | J, Murray. |
| Land and Deeds | Registrar-General of Land, and Assistant Secretary for Land and Deeds | C. E. Nalder. |
| State Advances | Superintendent | W. Waddel. |
| State Fire and Accident Insurance | General Manager | J. H. Jerram. |
| State Forest Service | Director | L. McIntosh Ellis, B.Sc. (F.), C.S.F.E. |
| Tourist and Health Resorts | General Manager | B. M. Wilson. |
| Treasury | Secretary | R. E. Hayes. |
| Valuation | Valuer-General | F. W. Flanagan, O.B.E. |
By an Act passed during the year 1912 and intituled the Public Service Act, 1912, the Public Service of New Zealand was placed under the direct and sole control of a Commissioner and two Assistant Commissioners, who are appointed for a term of seven years, are responsible only to Parliament, and can be dismissed from office only for misbehaviour or incompetence.
The Act, which became operative on the 1st April, 1913, applies to all members of the Public Service with the exception of the Controller and Auditor-General, officers of the Railway Department, members of the Police and Defence Forces, Judges and Magistrates, officers of the House, certain officers of the Legislative Departments, and persons paid only by foes or commission, as well as any officer to whom the Governor-General in Council declares the Act shall not apply.
By the Post and Telegraph Act of 1918 the Post and Telegraph Department was exempted from the control of the Commissioner, with the exception that the Commissioner makes all appointments.
Public Service Commissioner: P. D. N. VERSCHAFFELT.
High Commissioner for New Zealand in London—Hon. Sir James Allen, K.C.B., New Zealand Offices, 415 Strand, London W.C. 2.
Official Representative of Customs Department in United Kingdom—F. W. Lawrence, New Zealand Offices, 415 Strand, London W.C. 2.
New Zealand Trade Commissioner for Australia and Government Agent, Melbourne—H. J. Manson, Dominion Chambers, 59 William Street, Melbourne.
New Zealand Government Agent, Sydney—W. R. Blow, London Bank Chambers, corner of Pitt and Moore Streets, Sydney.
Honorary New Zealand Tourist Agent, Brisbane—T. G. Dewar, King's Building, 79 Queen Street, Brisbane.
Honorary New Zealand Tourist Agent, Adelaide—D. T. Lawes, Pirie Street, Adelaide.
Honorary New Zealand Representative in India—R. L. B. Gall, 11 Clive Street, Calcutta.
Honorary New Zealand Representative, Johannesburg—B. R. Avery, P.O. Box 1378, Johannesburg.
Honorary New Zealand Tourist Agent, Durban— H. Middlebrook, 20 Union Castle Buildings (P.O. Box 1822), Durban.
New Zealand Government Agent, Vancouver—W. A. James, 1,017 Metropolitan Building, 837 Hastings Street West, Vancouver.
Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco—H. Stephenson Smith, 311 California Street, San Francisco.
Official Representative of Customs Department in Canada and United States—W. J. Stevenson, 44 Whitehall Street, New York.
Honorary New Zealand Government Agent, Honolulu—H. C. Tennant, care of Messrs. Henry Davies Audit Company (Limited), Honolulu.
Honorary New Zealand Representative, Marseilles—The Secretary, British Chamber of Commerce, 2 Rue Beauvau, Marseilles.
Honorary Commercial Correspondent for New Zealand, Antwerp—J. P. H. Mertens, 32 Rue Oudaen, Antwerp.
United Kingdom.—H.M. Trade Commissioner: Noel Elmslie, 11 Grey Street, Wellington.
Canada.—Trade Commissioner: C. M. Croft (acting), Customs Street, Auckland.
Argentine Republic.—Consul-General: Humberto Bidone, Wellington. Vice-Consuls: F. S. Battley, Auckland; E. S. Baldwin, Wellington; J. A. Johnstone Dunedin.
Belgium.—Consul-General (with jurisdiction over New Zealand): H. Segaert, Sydney. Consuls: A. M. Ferguson, Auckland; G. F. Johnston, Wellington; Sir J. J. Kinsey, Christchurch; G. L. Denniston, Dunedin. Vice-Consuls: C. R. J. Ward. Christchurch; W. A. Moore, Dunedin; R. A. Anderson, Invercargill.
Brazil.—Vice-Consul: A. H. Miles. Wellington.
Chile.—Consul-General for Australia and New Zealand: Senor Don Manuel Gundelach, Sydney. Consuls: E. A. Craig, Auckland; J. Montgomery, Christchurch: H. L. Nathan. Wellington.
China.—Consuls: Li Kwang Heng, Wellington; Lee Fong Ahlo, Samoa.
Czecho-Slovakia,—Consul-General (with jurisdiction over New Zealand): Dr. Rudolph Svetik, Sydney. Consul: E. J. Hyams, Wellington.
Denmark.—Consul-General for Australia and New Zealand: Ove Lunn, Melbourne. Consul for North Island: S. A. Longuet, Wellington. Consul for South Island: H. D. Acland (acting), Christchurch. Vice-Consuls: S. P. Anderson, Auckland; W. E. Perry, Hokitika; O. H. Möller, Dunedin; Charles Dahl, Palmerston North.
Finland.—Consul (with jurisdiction over New Zealand): Harald Tanner, Sydney. Vice-Consuls (honorary); Robert Burns, Auckland: Vaino Sarelius, Christchurch.
France.—Consul: Paul Serre, Auckland. Consular Agents: George Humphreys, Christchurch; O. R. Bendall, Wellington; S. E. D. Neill, Dunedin; Gordon Hay-Mackenzie, Samoa.
Germany.—Consul-General (with jurisdiction over New Zealand); Dr. Hans Busing, Melbourne. Consul: W. Penseler, Wellington.
Greece.—Honorary Consul for New Zealand: J. F. Dyer, Wellington.
Honduras.—Consul-General for Australia and New Zealand: Frederic Walsh, Sydney.
Italy. — Consul for Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji: Commendatore A. Grossardi, Melbourne. Consular Agents: Joseph Wallace, Christchurch; L. O. H. Tripp, O.B.E., Wellington; J. A. Roberts, Dunedin: Geraldo Perotti, Greymouth; Giovanni (J. H.) Pagni, Auckland.
Japan.—Consul-General (with jurisdiction over New Zealand): Sakae Yamasaki (acting), Sydney. Honorary Consuls: A. B. Roberton, Auckland; A. Young, Wellington.
Jugo-Slavia (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes).—Consul: M. Simitch, Auckland.
Latvia.—Consul-General (with jurisdiction over New Zealand): Edward Birin, London.
Liberia.—Consul: Dr. A. W. Izard, Wellington.
Mexico.—Consul: (Vacant).
Netherlands. — Consul — General for Australia and New Zealand: P. E. Teppema, Sydney. Consul (with jurisdiction over New Zealand): W. G. Johnston, Wellington. Vice-Consuls: George Ritchie, Dunedin; M. Copeland, Auckland: C. J. Cooper, Christchurch.
Norway.—Consul-General for Australia and New Zealand: E. K. B. Arentz, Melbourne. Consul: A. W. Newton, Wellington. Vice-Consuls: Robert Millar, Auckland; George Jameson, Christchurch; M. E. Wiig, Invercargill; J. H. Enright, Westport; John Scott, Timaru; W. F. Edmond, Dunedin (honorary).
Paraguay.—Consul: A. E. Kernot, Auckland.
Peru.—Consul-General for Australia and New Zealand: J. M. Paxton, Sydney. Consul: G. H. Baker, Auckland.
Poland.—Consul-General (with jurisdiction over New Zealand): Hon. George Earp. Sydney.
Portugal.—Vice-Consuls: Alfred Nathan, Auckland; A. D. S. Duncan, Wellington, C. W. Rattray, Dunedin.
Spain.—Consul-in-Chief (with jurisdiction over Australia and New Zealand): Senor Don Mario Pinies y Bayona, Melbourne. Hon. Vice-Consul: C. W. D. Bell, Wellington.
Sweden.—Consul-General for Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji: E. H. Lindquist Sydney. Consul: J. T. Martin, Wellington. Vice-Consuls: C. I. Nathan Auckland; W. H. Cheesman, Christchurch; J. S. Ross, Dunedin.
Switzerland.—Consul (with jurisdiction over New Zealand): M. Stahel, Melbourne.
United States of America.—Consul-General: W. L. Lowrie, Wellington. Consul: W. F. Boyle, Auckland. Vice-Consuls: M. I. Mays, Wellington; J. C. Hudson, Wellington; A. R. Preston, jun., Auckland. Honorary Vice-Consul: L. A. Bachelder, Auckland. Consular Agents: H. P. Bridge, Christchurch; H. Reeves. Dunedin
Uruguay.—Vice-Consul (Acting-Consul): W. J. Prouse. Wellington.
Table of Contents
NEW Zealand was proclaimed a British Crown colony in 1840. Official statistical records of the country commenced with the following year, 1841, in the shape of reports compiled for the information of the Colonial Office, and known by immemorial custom as “blue-books.” These reports, which continued until 1852, were prepared in manuscript form in triplicate, and several copies repose to this day in the custody of the Registrar-General, their careful penmanship still legible despite the faded ink. A collection of tables, compiled by various Government authorities and illustrating the work of their Departments, composed the annual blue-book.
Two factors retarded the development of the statistics of the blue-books: in the first place, they were not intended for general publication; secondly, there appeared a lack of co-ordination between the Departments furnishing the returns and the office collating and ultimately issuing them.
It was not long, however, before the need of authoritative statistics was felt, both for present use and also as a record of the development of the country and its various provinces and settlements. Accordingly we find that, in 1849, “Statistics of Now Munster,” compiled under the superintendence of Alfred Domett, were printed by order of the Legislative Council. Again, “Statistics of Nelson” covering the period 1843-54 were issued in 1855. Various other publications were issued dealing with some individual province or settlement. In the year 1853 a Constitution granted by the Imperial Parliament came into force, and from this date the fragmentary and inchoate statistical works find a new complexion. Five years later the Registrar-General, who had been entrusted with the task of compiling annually statistics of the whole colony, produced a volume dealing with the years 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856.
One of the many ways in which statistics may be classified is as to source from which obtained, and in this respect they naturally divide into two classes—i.e., as to whether they are compiled from the records (obtained primarily for some other purpose) of a Government Department or other similar authority, or whether the data require to be specially collected from individual persons, &c.
As has been indicated above, the statistics included in the early blue-books belong in the main to the first of these two categories. Certain items, however, notably population figures, would be more correctly placed in the second category, though the system of collection was exceedingly crude and the scope of inquiry very limited. As a matter of fact, the population figures prior to 1851 appear to have been compiled in each settlement by the local Resident Magistrate by the simple method of ascertaining from the head of each house the number of persons in the household. From such small beginnings, however, has grown the Dominion's present comprehensive system of collection of statistical data.
The proper collection of statistics from the public on the voluntary basis which appeared to exist in the “forties” could be maintained only with a very small population, and with the simplest of inquiries. With the increase of population and the desire to obtain fuller information than in the past it was found advisable as early as 1851 to pass an Ordinance providing for the collection of statistics in the form of recurrent censuses.
Following on the passing of the Census Ordinance of 1851 by the General Government several of the provinces into which New Zealand was divided passed Census Ordinances of their own, the necessity for which is not apparent, as other provinces took censuses under the authority of the 1851 Ordinance.
This Ordinance gave way in 1858 to the Census Act of that year, which was amended in 1860, 1867, 1873, and 1876, and was in its turn repealed in 1877, when a new Act was passed, consolidating and extending the law relating to census-taking. The Act of 1877 was amended in 1880 and again in 1890; also, in effect, in 1895, when the Agricultural and Pastoral Statistics Act was passed, making provision for the annual collection of agricultural and pastoral statistics, which had formerly been collected quinquennially under the Census Act. In 1908 the Census Act and amendments and the Agricultural and Pastoral Statistics Act were consolidated in the Statistics Act, 1908, as part of the general consolidation of statutes. The Statistics Act, 1908, was replaced two years later by the Census and Statistics Act, 1910, which was amended in 1915 by the Census and Statistics Amendment Act of that year.
It would be out of place here to recapitulate the various alterations and extensions involved in the successive enactments referred to. Suffice it to say that they reflect the growth of the world-wide realization of the importance and value of statistics.
The Census and Statistics Act, 1910, with the amendment of 1915, provides not only for the taking of the quinquennial population census, but also for the collection of statistical information under numerous specific heads, and contains a general authority to the Governor-General to extend the system of collection to cover any other items in respect of which statistical information may be found necessary or advisable.
The early “blue-books” appear to have been compiled by the Colonial Secretary After the granting of responsible government the Registrar-General was entrusted with the collection of statistics, a function which he retained until 1910. The Census and Statistics Act, 1910, provided for the appointment of a Government Statistician, who has since been the authority charged with the administration of the Act. The 1910 Act laid down that the Government Statistician was to be an officer of the Registrar-General's Department, but this proviso was cancelled in 1915 by the amending Act of that year, whereupon the Census and Statistics Office came into existence as a separate branch of the Department of Internal Affairs.
Until quite recent years there was very little statistical collection apart from the quinquennial census, the annual collection (on legislative authority) of the agricultural and pastoral statistics, the collection on a voluntary basis of returns of private schools, savings-banks, &c., and the obtaining of statistical information from other Government Departments. It should be noted, however, that the census was formerly the means used for the collection of certain data (as, for instance, concerning factory production). now obtained independently of the census.
Since the passing of the Census and Statistics Act in 1910, and more especially since the formation of the Census and Statistics Office in 1915, the system of statistical collection has expanded considerably, not only in regard to the regular activities of the Office, but also for the obtaining of data required for some special purpose. During the war and post-war periods, for instance, the provisions of the Census and Statistics Act were utilized for the collection of information as to stocks, consumption, requirements, &c., of numerous commodities, including flour, wheat, oats, coal, oils, wire, iron, steel, copper, twine, turnip-seed, and medical requisites.
Branches of statistical inquiries now regularly pursued by the Census and Statistical Office include the following:—
From private sources: Agricultural and pastoral statistics (main collection); areas sown in wheat and oats; threshings of wheat and oats; stocks of wheat, flour, and oats; sheep returns; detailed statistics of live-stock; detailed statistics of commercial orchards; eggs and egg-pulp in cool store; factory production; fire insurance; life insurance; finances of local governing bodies; loans of local governing bodies (quarterly); building permits; building societies; port cargo statistics; private savings-banks: prices; wages; consumption and stocks of coal; hospital patients; benevolent institutions.
From Government Departments in the form of individual cards, &c.: Births; marriages; deaths; orphanhood; migration; naturalization; inquests; civil and criminal cases in Court; prisons; divorce; bankruptcy; port shipping returns; deceased persons' estates; State advances to local bodies; incomes and income-tax; land-tax; industrial disturbances; industrial accidents.
The above refers only to statistical compilation from the original data. In many other branches of statistics, as, for instance, trade and public finance, detailed figures compiled by the Departments concerned are utilized in the Census and Statistics Office for the further compilation of statistics.
When New Zealand ceased to be a Crown colony in 1853 the annual despatch of the blue-books to the Colonial Office in London was discontinued. During the next few years several volumes of statistical tables appeared, compiled by various Provincial Governments, and in 1858 the Registrar-General published a volume for the colony as a whole, covering the years 1853, 1854, 1855, and 1856. This volume was the first of a regular annual series which, developed and expanded, were issued, formerly by the Registrar-General's Department, and from 1915 to 1920 by the Census and Statistics Office. As indicating the expansion of the country and of its statistical organization it may be mentioned that while the statistics of the four years 1853-56 were contained in a single small volume, the statistics for 1920, the last year of publication in the old form, occupied four volumes aggregating nearly 1,200 pages.
Closely allied to the annual volumes of Statistics were the volumes of Census Statistics which were regularly compiled and published after each census of New Zealand from 1858 to 1916, for the first four occasions as part of the Statistics, but later (commencing with 1871) as separate publications.
With each volume of Statistics, commencing with that for 1853-56, went a brief report on the statistics presented. Developing slowly at first, the ultimate result was a fairly comprehensive report on the statistics—not only those presented, but the whole statistics (so far as compiled) of the colony. A similar report on census matters was included in each volume of Census Statistics.
Parallel with the statistical reports came, in 1875, an issue of another type—"The Official Handbook of New Zealand, a Collection of Papers by Experienced Colonists on the Colony as a Whole, and on the Several Provinces,” edited by Julius Vogel, C.M.G. (afterwards Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G.), at that time Premier of the colony. The purpose of this book differed from that of the statistical reports. Its aim was to give “a New Zealand view of New Zealand to those who may think of making the colony their home or the theatre of business operations.” Its well-written articles, generously illustrated with woodcuts and photographs, make this early volume interesting reading. Printed in London, it was circulated largely in England.
In 1884 a new and revised edition of this Handbook was compiled by Mr. William Gisborne, and edited by the Agent-General of the day (Mr. F. D. Bell, afterwards Sir Francis Bell). The purpose of this edition was similar to that of its predecessor, although in form it approximated more closely to the modern type.
Another example of a handbook composed for some special purpose was that of Dr. Hector, issued for the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880.
By the year 1889 the annual report on the statistics had reached considerable proportions, and it was decided by the Registrar-General to issue it as a separate publication. He remarks in the preface to the 1889 volume of Statistics as follows: “The report has now reached about the size of the original Victorian Year-book, and it has been deemed desirable to publish it in octavo size to make it more convenient for general reference.” A similar decision, it may be added, was come to in regard to the quinquennial Census Report.
For 1889 and 1890 the Report on the Statistics was accordingly issued as a separate publication with several new features. The following year (1891) was a census year, and the place of the usual statistical report for that year was taken by a separate “Report on the Results of a Census of the Colony of New Zealand taken for the Night of the 5th April, 1891,” the first of a series of reports which have been published after each census since.
In 1892 the Report on the Statistics reappeared, remodelled and considerably enlarged, and under the title of the “New Zealand Official Handbook.” The Handbook achieved a very considerable success, and the Government gave instructions for the preparation annually of a similar volume, to be called the “New Zealand Official Year-book.” The compilation remained in the hands of the Registrar-General until 1910, when on the passing of the Census and Statistics Act of that year the Year-book and other statistical publications came under the control of the Government Statistician.
The demy octavo size adopted in 1889, when the Report on the Statistics was first issued as a separate publication, was retained for the Official Handbook, and, up to the 1920 number, for the Year-book. This size, however, was not altogether satisfactory from the point of view of economy of space or for the display of tabular matter, and in the next issue gave way to the royal octavo size.
A change was also made at the same time in the year-number of the book. Formerly the book had been designated by the year of compilation, though in recent years it had not appeared until early in the following year. The book now bears the year of publication.
It has been shown above how the annual volume of Statistics included in each year up to 1888 a prefatory report, which gradually grew in bulk until it was deemed advisable in 1889 to publish it as a separate volume, which shortly afterwards developed into the “New Zealand Official Year-book.” From 1889 to 1920 the Statistics were accordingly issued without any accompanying letterpress.
A new policy adopted in 1921 in regard to the publication of the Annual Statistics involved the reintroduction of the report to accompany the tabular matter. In lieu of presenting the statistics in one comprehensive publication, these now form the tabular matter for ten separate annual reports, each covering a definite branch of statistical inquiry, and including explanatory letterpress in addition to the tables.
A similar policy is being followed in the case of the census results. In addition to the complete report published separately after the completion of the census tabulation, each volume of tables contains also an introductory discussion of the results disclosed.
The full list of the regular statistical publications of the Census and Statistics Office is as follows:—
| Title. | Periodicity of Issue. |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Official Year-book | Annual. |
| Annual Statistical Reports— | |
| Population and Buildings | Annual. |
| Migration | |
| Vital Statistics | |
| Justice | |
| Trade and Shipping | |
| Agricultural and Pastoral Production | |
| Factory Production | |
| Local Government | |
| Insurance | |
| Miscellaneous (Prices, Building Societies, Bankruptcy, Incomes, Meteorology, Statistical Summary) | |
| Municipal Handbook of New Zealand | Biennial. |
| Monthly Abstract of Statistics | Monthly. |
| Census Statistics— | |
| Vol. I. Population | Quinquennially. |
| Vol. II. Ages | |
| Vol. III. Birthplaces | |
| Vol. IV. Allegiance | |
| Vol. V. Length of Residence | |
| Vol. VI. Race Aliens | |
| Vol. VII. Religions | |
| Vol. VIII. Industries, Occupations, and Unemployment | |
| Vol. IX. Conjugal Condition | |
| Vol. X. Fertility | |
| Vol. XI. Orphanhood | |
| Vol. XII. Dependency | |
| Vol. XIII. Life Insurance | |
| Vol. XIV. Households | |
| Vol. XV. Dwellings | |
Appendices:
| |
| Report on the Census | |
| Published in New Zealand Gazelle and also as extracts:— | |
| Vital Statistics of Urban Areas | Monthly and annual. |
| Estimated Population of New Zealand | Quarterly. |
| Agricultural and Pastoral Statistics— | |
| Estimated Yields of Wheat and Oats | Annual. |
| Estimated Spring Areas under Wheat and Oats | Annual. |
| Stocks—Flour, Wheat, and Oats | Annual. |
The principal publication of the Census and Statistics Office is the “New Zealand Official Year-book,” which, as its title implies, is the official book of general reference on the various branches of the Dominion's activities and the various aspects of her social and economic characteristics and progress. Necessarily, however, much of the information given in the Year-book is of a condensed character, owing to the wide range of subjects covered. The annual Statistical Reports, the census publications, and the Municipal Handbook contain much more detailed information on the particular subjects they deal with, while the Monthly Abstract of Statistics contains the latest statistical information available on a variety of subjects, giving monthly or quarterly figures in most cases.
In addition to the publications of the Census and Statistics Office, many parliamentary reports contain statistical information, often of a detailed nature. The full list cannot be given here, but the principal of these annual reports are mentioned below, arranged in the order of subjects followed in the Year-book:—
| Subject. | Report. | |
|---|---|---|
| Number. | Title. | |
| Public health, hospitals, &c. | H.-31 | Report on Public Health, Hospitals, and Charitable Aid. |
| H.-7 | Report of Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals. | |
| Education | E.-1 | Report of Minister of Education. |
| E.-2 | Report on Primary Education. | |
| E.-3 | Report on Education of Native Children. | |
| E.-4 | Report on State Care of Children, Special Schools, and Infant-life Protection. | |
| E.-5 | Report on Technical Education. | |
| E.-6 | Report on Secondary Education. | |
| E.-7 | Report on Higher Education. | |
| Justice | H.-16 | Report of Commissioner of Police. |
| H.-2.0 | Prisons Report. | |
| H.-20A | Report of Prisons Board. | |
| Defence | H.-19 | Report of General Officer Commanding Defence Forces. |
| H.-5 | Report on New Zealand Naval Forces. | |
| Shipping | H.-15 | Report of Marine and Inspection of Machinery Department. |
| Railways | D.-2 | Railways Statement. |
| D.-1 | Public Works Statement. | |
| Postal and telegraphic | F.-1 | Report of Post and Telegraph Department. |
| Lands | H.-3 | Report of Land Transfer and Deeds Registration Department |
| Crown lands | C.-1 | Report on Settlement of Crown Lands. |
| C.-5 | Report on Land for Settlements Act. | |
| C.-9 | Report on Discharged Soldiers' Settlement. | |
| Native lands | G.-9 | Report on Native Land Courts, Maori Land Boards, and Native Land Purchase Board. |
| Agricultural and pastoral production | H.-29 | Report of Department of Agriculture. |
| H.-23 | Sheep Returns. | |
| Forestry | C.-3 | Report of State Forest Service. |
| Fisheries | H.-15 | Report of Marine and Inspection of Machinery Department. |
| H.-22 | Report of Internal Affairs Department. | |
| Mining | C.-2 | Mines Statement. |
| C.-2A | Report on State Coal-mines. | |
| Water-power | D.-1 | Public Works Statement. |
| Public finance | B.-1 | Public Accounts. |
| B.-6 | Financial Statement. | |
| D.-1 | Public Works Statement. | |
| State Advances | B.-13 | Report of State Advances Office. |
| Pensions | H.-18 | Report of Pensions Department. |
| Superannuation | H.-26 | Report of Public Service Superannuation Board. |
| E.-9 | Report on Teachers' Superannuation Fund. | |
| D.-5 | Report on Government Railways Superannuation Fund. | |
| National Provident Fund | H.-17 | Report of National Provident Fund Board. |
| Banking | F.-4 | Report on Post Office Savings-bank. |
| Insurance | H.-8 | Report of Government Insurance Commissioner. |
| H.-6. | Report of General Manager of State Fire Insurance Office. | |
| Friendly societies | H.-1 | Report of Registrar of Friendly Societies. |
| Industrial disputes | H.-11 | Report of Labour Department. |
| Public Trust Office | B.-9 | Report of the Public Trust Office. |
| B.-9A | Accounts of the Public Trust Office. | |
| Patents, designs, and trademarks | H.-10 | Report of Registrar of Patents. |
| Inspection of machinery | H.-15 | Report of Marine and Inspection of Machinery Department. |
| Islands attached to New Zealand | A.-3 | Report on Cook and other Islands. |
| A.-4 | Report on Western Samoa. | |
Table of Contents
IN common with almost all countries, the chief instrument in compiling population data in New Zealand is the census, which in this country is taken quinquennially. Details of the latest enumeration (1921) will be found in the 1924 number of the Year-book and in the special publications devoted to the census: here it is sufficient to refer to the following aspects. In the first place, the comparative shortness of the interval between census enumerations mitigates the danger of serious intercensal error. Secondly, owing to the high standard of intelligence of the population, and to the political, geographical, and social conditions prevailing in the Dominion, the data compiled as a result of the census are both remarkably free from error and unusually complete.
The basis adopted for the census—and indeed, practically universally throughout population statistics in New Zealand—is that of the population de fait, as opposed to the population de sejour habituel, the population de droit, and other bases adopted in various countries. For the benefit of those not conversant with the terms current in statistical usage, it may be explained that the population de fait is the basis perhaps most common in international use, and comprises simply all persons present at the place of enumeration at the time of enumeration, irrespective of habitual residence, legal domicil, and so forth.
Intercensal figures of total population are based on the customary equation:—
Population = Population (census) + Births and immigration — Deaths and emigration.
Compulsory registration of births and deaths was instituted throughout the Dominion in 1855, and the present system of recording such particulars may be confidently asserted to afford statistics exceptionally complete. A point of minor importance which may be noted is that births and deaths registered during a year are considered as actually occurring during that year.
The fact that all migration to and from the Dominion must be waterborne over lengthy distances, and that it centres in a few ports, facilitates the compilation of accurate statistics of external migration. Records of migration between the North and South Islands are also maintained. Population statistics of lesser internal divisions and of towns are based upon a variety of data collected annually.
Residents of the Cook Islands, Niue, and Western Samoa are not included in the population statistics quoted throughout this section, except in the first table on the next page and in the paragraphs devoted to these islands at the end of the section. A similar course was formerly followed in regard to Maoris, but figures are now given both inclusive and exclusive of Maoris where possible, in accordance with a decision of Cabinet. In tables covering a long period of years, however, and in the part of the section dealing with distribution of population in areas smaller than provincial districts, Maoris have of necessity been omitted, on account of lack or insufficiency of data.
Separate statistics of the Maori population are given towards the end of the section.
The population of the Dominion of New Zealand and the mandated territory of Western Samoa at 31st March, 1925, is quoted:—
| — | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated population (exclusive of Maoris) of New Zealand proper | 676,477 | 648,560 | 1,325,037 |
| Estimated Maori population of New Zealand proper | 28,684 | 25,766 | 54,450 |
| Estimated population (inclusive of Maoris) of New Zealand proper | 705,161 | 674,326 | 1,379,487 |
| Estimated population of Cook Islands and Niue | 6,983 | 6,744 | 13,727 |
| Estimated population of the mandated territory of Western Samoa | 19,750 | 18,115 | 37,865 |
| Totals | 731,894 | 699,185 | 1.431,079 |
The outstanding note of the history of population movement in New Zealand is that of unbroken growth. That it has not been invariably regular is well attested by the accompanying table setting forth the increase at successive census enumerations from 1858 onwards. To carry the investigation farther back were at once unnecessary and unprofitable, for prior to the census of 1858 we have only one New Zealand census, together with divers provincial enumerations of earlier dates, few of the records of which are now available.
| Date of Enumeration. | Population (excluding Maoris). | Numerical Increase. | Percentage Increase. | Equivalent Annual Percentage Increase. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December, 1858 | 59,413 | |||
| December, 1861 | 99,021 | 39,608 | 66.67 | 22.36 |
| December, 1864 | 172,158 | 73,137 | 73.86 | 24.97 |
| December, 1867 | 218,668 | 46,510 | 27.01 | 8.86 |
| February, 1871 | 256,393 | 37,725 | 17.25 | 5.40 |
| March, 1874 | 299,514 | 43,121 | 16.82 | 5.60 |
| March, 1878 | 414,412 | 114,898 | 38.36 | 9.58 |
| April, 1881 | 489,933 | 75,521 | 18.22 | 5.91 |
| March, 1886 | 578,482 | 88,549 | 18.07 | 3.63 |
| April, 1891 | 626,658 | 48,176 | 8.33 | 1.66 |
| April, 1896 | 703,360 | 76,702 | 12.24 | 2.44 |
| March, 1901 | 772,719 | 69,359 | 9.86 | 1.99 |
| April, 1906 | 888,578 | 115,859 | 14.99 | 2.95 |
| April, 1911 | 1,008,468 | 119,890 | 13.49 | 2.74 |
| October, 1916 | 1,099,449 | 90,981 | 9.02 | 1.63 |
| April, 1921 | 1,218,913 | 119,464 | 10.87 | 2.42 |
As might be expected, the rate of increase in the earlier years was exceedingly high compared with the experience of later years, for a young country, endowed with fertile soil and moderate climate, and in the opening stages of development, presented glowing attractions sufficient to overcome the less alluring considerations of pioneering in a distant country more or less occupied by a race of warlike Natives.
In the “sixties” the gold rushes brought large numbers of people to New Zealand, many of whom stayed to become permanent citizens. This source of increase, however, was eclipsed during the vigorous immigration policy of the “seventies,” when in one year alone (1874) 32,118 assisted immigrants were brought into the country.
The rate of increase gradually subsided as the country became settled and the land available for settlement became less. At the present time the annual increment of population is less than 2 1/2 per cent. The respective annual increases during the four years ended March, 1922, to 1925, inclusive, may be stated as 30,476 (2.50 per cent.), 23,543 (1.89 per cent.), 22,162 (1.74 per cent.), and 31,134 (2.41 per cent.).
Subjoined is a diagram which illustrates the population movement of the past and permits a speculative glimpse at the future. The arithmetic average of the percentage increases of population, as ascertained by census enumerations during four decades (1881-1921), has been approximately 12.11 per cent. per quinquennium. Plotting this constant ratio as a logarithmic “curve,” and producing it both forward and backward in point of time, it is contrasted with the logarithmic “curve” expressing the actual populations. The two “curves” coincide greatly of recent years, thus indicating the steadying of the rate of growth and giving some confidence to the projection of the constant ratio as supplying an approximation of the probable population in the future.
The final criterion of the Dominion's growth in respect of population is supplied by a comparison of the rates of increase of other portions of the British Empire and of various foreign countries. In the table appended are shown the intercensal ratios of increase for such countries. In all cases the movements shown are those for the intercensal periods approximating as closely as possible to the decades chosen. Contrasted with the European countries shown, the Dominion is experiencing a rapid growth, for they are “emigration” countries, while New Zealand is an “immigration” country. Contrasted on the other hand with Canada and Australia, the comparison is not altogether favourable to New Zealand, although the former countries are much older in point of settlement. Canada is, of course, comparatively close to the sources of immigrant population, while both Canada and Australia still have vast areas undeveloped.
| Country. | Population (latest Census). | Intercensal Increase per Cent. in Decennial Periods approximating to | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers. | Year. | 1910-1920. | 1900-1910. | 1890-1900. | 1880-1890. | 1870-1880. | 1860-1870. | |
* Excluding Maoris. † Decrease. | ||||||||
| New Zealand* | 1,218,913 | 1921 | 20.87 | 30.51 | 23.31 | 25.87 | 91.09 | 158.93 |
| Great Britain | 42,767,530 | 1921 | 4.74 | 10.36 | 12.03 | 11.17 | 13.95 | 12.73 |
| Australia | 5,436,794 | 1921 | 22.04 | 18.08 | 18.88 | 41.07 | 32.30 | 45-61 |
| Canada | 8,788,341 | 1921 | 21.95 | 34.17 | 11.13 | 11.76 | 17.23 | 19.37 |
| Cape of Good Hope | 2,782,719 | 1921 | 8.49 | 6.44 | 57.79 | 111.82 | 45.25 | |
| Norway | 2,649,775 | 1920 | 12.38 | 6.14 | 11.02 | .. | .. | 6.22 |
| Sweden | 5,904,489 | 1920 | 6.92 | 7.51 | 7.35 | 4.78 | 9.53 | 8.00 |
| Netherlands | 6,865,314 | 1920 | 17.19 | 14.77 | 13.14 | 12.43 | 12.10 | 7.87 |
| France | 39,209,518 | 1921 | 0.03 | 1.93 | 0.83 | 1.95 | 3.61 | †-3.43 |
| Germany | 59,858,284 | 1919 | †-7.81 | 15.01 | 14.04 | 9.28 | 10.17 | .. |
| Italy | 38,835,941 | 1921 | 12.01 | 6.45 | .. | .. | 6.19 | 7.20 |
| United States of America | 105,710,620 | 1920 | 14.94 | 21.02 | 20.73 | 25.50 | 30.08 | 22.63 |
Up to the “seventies” New Zealand was dependent on migration for the greater portion of her increase of population, but since then natural increase—i.e., excess of births over deaths—has been the principal factor. For a few years, indeed (1888-91), there was actually an excess of departures over arrivals.
During the forty-nine years that have elapsed since 1875 natural increase has accounted for 72 per cent. of the total increase of population, as against only 32 per cent. during the fifteen years preceding 1875.
A table is appended showing for each five-yearly period since 1860 the excess of births over deaths and of immigration over emigration.
| Quinquennium. | Excess of Births over Deaths. | Excess of Arrivals over Departures. | Total Increase. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | |
* Decrease. † Departure and return of troops of Expeditionary Force not included in migration figures. ‡ Single year. | |||||||||
| 1861-65 | 7,625 | 8,985 | 16,610 | 63,285 | 29,884 | 93,169 | 70,910 | 38,869 | 109,779 |
| 1866-70 | 15,663 | 17,779 | 33,442 | 11,167 | 9,369 | 20,536 | 26,830 | 27,148 | 53,978 |
| 1871-75 | 19,409 | 21,129 | 40,538 | 46,501 | 35,445 | 81,946 | 65,910 | 56,574 | 122,484 |
| 1876-80 | 30,143 | 32,808 | 62,951 | 31,870 | 22,917 | 54,787 | 62,013 | 55,725 | 117,738 |
| 1881-85 | 32,362 | 35,046 | 67,408 | 15,958 | 13,001 | 28,959 | 48,320 | 48,047 | 96,367 |
| 1886-90 | 30,781 | 33,544 | 64,325 | -4,911* | -3,791* | -8,702* | 25,870 | 29,753 | 55,623 |
| 1891-95 | 27,255 | 30,630 | 57,885 | 9,917 | 5,403 | 15,320 | 37,172 | 36,033 | 73,205 |
| 1896-1900 | 28,097 | 31,437 | 59,534 | 7,320 | 3,318 | 10,638 | 35,417 | 34,755 | 70,172 |
| 1901-05 | 32,515 | 36,223 | 68,738 | 31,223 | 14,223 | 45,446 | 63,738 | 50,446 | 114,184 |
| 1906-10 | 38,681 | 43,067 | 81,748 | 25,454 | 15,512 | 40,966 | 64,135 | 58,579 | 122,714 |
| 1911-15† | 42,323 | 46,682 | 89,005 | 17,656 | 17,905 | 35,561 | 59,979 | 64,587 | 124,566 |
| 1916-20† | 35,248 | 41,359 | 76,607 | 6,979 | 7,875 | 14,854 | 42,227 | 49,234 | 91,461 |
| 1921‡ | 8,477 | 9,408 | 17,885 | 5,947 | 6,891 | 12,838 | 14,424 | 16,299 | 30,723 |
| 1922‡ | 8,766 | 9,263 | 18,029 | 3,718 | 3,684 | 7,402 | 12,484 | 12,947 | 25,431 |
| 1923‡ | 8,093 | 8,363 | 16,456 | 3,944 | 3,424 | 7,368 | 12,037 | 11,787 | 23,824 |
| 1924‡ | 8,189 | 9,058 | 17,247 | 5,702 | 4,004 | 9,706 | 13,891 | 13,062 | 26,953 |
| Totals, 1861-1924 | 373,627 | 414,781 | 788,408 | 281,730 | 189,064 | 470,794 | 655,357 | 603,845 | 1,259,202 |
The diagram which follows shows much more clearly the irregularity of the migration increase and the steadiness of the natural increase, the latter, however, broken by a sharp fall on account of the low birth-rate of the late war years and the influenza epidemic of 1918. The curves represent five-yearly moving averages.
In respect of the relative proportions of the sexes in the population, New Zealand has since the first settlement of the Islands differed materially from the older countries of the world. Although in the latter the composition of the populations has been no doubt to some extent affected by migration, yet, in general, natural increase would appear to be the main determining factor, the numbers of males and females being in most of these countries approximately equal, with a more or less marked tendency, however, for the females slightly to exceed the males. The excess of females in such older countries arises from a variety of causes, amongst which the most potent are probably (a) higher rate of mortality amongst males. (b) the fact that males tend to emigrate to a greater extent than females.
Very different is the case with newer countries such as New Zealand, where the rule is (in the early years of colonization especially) for the male population to outnumber the female.
The following table is interesting as showing the early excess of males and the gradual equalization of the sexes in New Zealand, the number of females to 1,000 males having risen from 622 in 1861 to 896 in 1911. The proportion rose to 993 in 1916, mainly on account of the absence of so many men at the war. and fell again in 1921 to 956, a figure appreciably higher than in pre-war years. The figures quoted are exclusive of Maoris.
| Census Year. | Males. | Females. | Females to 1,000 Males. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 | 61,062 | 37,959 | 622 |
| 1871 | 150,356 | 106,037 | 705 |
| 1881 | 269,605 | 220,328 | 817 |
| 1891 | 332,877 | 293,781 | 883 |
| 1901 | 405,992 | 366,727 | 903 |
| 1906 | 471,008 | 417,570 | 887 |
| 1911 | 531,910 | 476,558 | 896 |
| 1916 | 551,775 | 547,674 | 993 |
| 1921 | 623,243 | 595,670 | 956 |
| 1925 (estimated) | 676,477 | 648,560 | 959 |
The preponderance of males in the early years of New Zealand was doubtless due to the fact that the difficulties of pioneering and the remoteness of the country from Europe were such as to deter female immigration to a greater extent than male. This was accentuated by the character of the early industries. Gold-mining and coal-mining, for instance, would attract large numbers of men, but few women. The effect of this early preponderance of males no doubt still exists, but in an ever-diminishing degree, its gradual elimination being effected by the dying-off of the earlier settlers.
Of the two sources from which the Dominion's population has been recruited—viz., migration and natural increase—the effect of the former has hitherto been to give in the aggregate a considerable preponderance of males, and of the latter to give a regular preponderance of females. Between 1860 and 1924 the gain of males by migration totalled 92,500 more than that of females. This excess was only partly offset numerically by a female surplus of 41,000 in the figures of natural increase, but the net excess of approximately 51,500 males is not nearly sufficient to maintain the former high ratio of males to females in the population. It is highly probable that within two or three decades the female population will outnumber the male, unless considerable changes occur in the character of immigration.
As already noted, the intercensal estimates of population prepared from the records of vital statistics and of migration are, by virtue of the favourable position of the Dominion in this respect, remarkably accurate. Indeed, as regards the statistics of total population the term “estimate” is scarcely correct, for the system in use should give, and to a great extent does give, the actual figures. With the exception of the years of the Great War, when the movement of troops was not ascertained exactly, the census totals invariably showed the quarterly returns of population to be highly accurate. There is always a difference in date between the census enumeration and the nearest quarterly statement, for no two of the seventeen general census enumerations in the history of the Dominion have been taken on the same day of the year, and this in itself usually accounts for the greater part of what disparity actually is shown.
The population at the end of each of the last ten years is quoted in the appended table, together with the movement in each year and the mean population for the year:—
| Calendar Year. | Estimated Population (excluding Maoris) at End of Year. | Increase during Year. | Mean Population for Year. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Numerical. | Per Cent. | ||
* Decrease. ‡ Census population. | ||||||
| 1915 | 563,963 | 538,831 | 1,102,794 | 6,800 | 0.62 | 1,099,394 |
| 1916 | 549,895 | 550,668 | 1,100,563 | -2,231* | -0.20* | 1,099,449‡ |
| 1917 | 537,360 | 560,312 | 1,097,672 | -2,891* | -0.26* | 1,099,117 |
| 1918 | 542,046 | 566,327 | 1,108,373 | 10,701 | 0.97 | 1,103,022 |
| 1919 | 601,888 | 575,517 | 1,177,405 | 69,032 | 6.23 | 1,142,889 |
| 1920 | 617,756 | 590,079 | 1,207,835 | 30,430 | 2.58 | 1,192,620 |
| 1921 | 633,040 | 606,926 | 1,239,966 | 32,131 | 2.66 | 1,223,901 |
| 1922 | 645,524 | 619,873 | 1,265,397 | 25,431 | 2.05 | 1,251,895 |
| 1923 | 657,561 | 631,660 | 1,289,221 | 23,824 | 1.88 | 1,274,551 |
| 1924 | 671,452 | 644,722 | 1,316,174 | 26,953 | 2.09 | 1,298,635 |
As the year ended 31st March is for most of the administrative functions of the Government the period most in use, similar figures are given for March years:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Estimated Population (excluding Year ended 31st March. | Increase during Year. | Mean Population for Year. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Numerical. | Per Cent. | ||
* Decrease | ||||||
| 1916 | 559,023 | 541,383 | 1,100,406 | -136* | -0.01* | 1,100,474 |
| 1917 | 547,629 | 553,533 | 1,101,162 | 756 | 0.07 | 1,099,449 |
| 1918 | 542,096 | 562,687 | 1,104,783 | 3,621 | 0.33 | 1,102,972 |
| 1919 | 559,887 | 568,743 | 1,128,630 | 23,847 | 2.16 | 1,116,706 |
| 1920 | 607,555 | 579,584 | 1,187,139 | 58,509 | 5.18 | 1,157,884 |
| 1921 | 622,719 | 595,003 | 1,217,722 | 30,583 | 2.58 | 1,202,430 |
| 1922 | 636,956 | 611,242 | 1,248,198 | 30,476 | 2.50 | 1,232,960 |
| 1923 | 648,545 | 623,196 | 1,271,741 | 23,543 | 1.89 | 1,258,017 |
| 1924 | 659,570 | 634,333 | 1,293,903 | 22,162 | 1.74 | 1,280,299 |
| 1925 | 676,477 | 648,560 | 1,325,037 | 31,134 | 2.41 | 1,305,896 |
The figures given in the two preceding tables show the population exclusive of Maoris. The following table shows the population inclusive of Maoris at 31st December and at 31st March of the last ten years, with the means for the various twelve-monthly periods:—
| — | Estimated Population (including Maoris) at End of Year. | Mean Population for Year. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | ||
| Years ended 31st December, | ||||
| 1915 | 590,436 | 562,202 | 1,152,638 | 1,149,238 |
| 1916 | 575,835 | 574,504 | 1,150,339 | 1,149,225 |
| 1917 | 563,300 | 584,148 | 1,147,448 | 1,148,893 |
| 1918 | 567,986 | 590,163 | 1,158,149 | 1,152,798 |
| 1919 | 627,828 | 599,353 | 1,227,181 | 1,192,665 |
| 1920 | 643,696 | 613,915 | 1,257,611 | 1,242,396 |
| 1921 | 660,948 | 631,769 | 1,292,717 | 1,276,652 |
| 1922 | 673,772 | 645,112 | 1,318,884 | 1,305,126 |
| 1923 | 685,951 | 657,070 | 1,343,021 | 1,328,193 |
| 1924 | 700,033 | 670,370 | 1,370,403 | 1,352,618 |
| Years ended 31st March, | ||||
| 1916 | 585,496 | 564,754 | 1,150,250 | 1,150,318 |
| 1917 | 573,569 | 577,369 | 1,150,938 | 1,149,225 |
| 1918 | 568,036 | 586,523 | 1,154,559 | 1,152,748 |
| 1919 | 585,827 | 592,579 | 1,178,406 | 1,166,482 |
| 1920 | 633,495 | 603,420 | 1,236,915 | 1,207,660 |
| 1921 | 648,659 | 618,839 | 1,267,498 | 1,252,206 |
| 1922 | 664,979 | 636,272 | 1,301,251 | 1,285,711 |
| 1923 | 676,825 | 648,476 | 1,325,301 | 1,311,381 |
| 1924 | 688,020 | 659,833 | 1,347,853 | 1,334,029 |
| 1925 | 705,161 | 674,326 | 1,379,487 | 1,359,995 |
Records of external migration have been kept in New Zealand since 1860. Prior to the 1st April, 1921, the statistics were compiled from returns furnished monthly by Collectors of Customs, but since that date they have been compiled from individual statements obtained from each person entering or leaving the Dominion, and much detailed and important information is consequently now available. The year 1924 is the third complete twelve months for which figures under the new system are available, and direct comparisons are therefore possible with the two previous periods.
The numbers of arrivals and departures during the last ten years are given in the table following. The figures for the five years 1915-19 do not include members of the Expeditionary Force, nor have crews of vessels been taken into account.
| Year. | Arrivals. | Departures. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1915 | 14,487 | 11,064 | 25,551 | 13,318 | 9,158 | 22,476 |
| 1916 | 11,959 | 9,840 | 21,799 | 11,932 | 9,231 | 21,163 |
| 1917 | 9,159 | 6,490 | 15,649 | 7,597 | 6,272 | 13,869 |
| 1918 | 6,356 | 5,550 | 11,906 | 6,097 | 5,563 | 11,660 |
| 1919 | 10,772 | 10,159 | 20,931 | 11,377 | 8,500 | 19,877 |
| 1920 | 23,687 | 20,375 | 44,062 | 17,951 | 14,973 | 32,924 |
| 1921 | 22,446 | 19,436 | 41,882 | 16,019 | 12,540 | 28,559 |
| 1922 | 18,811 | 16,422 | 35,233 | 15,643 | 12,746 | 28,389 |
| 1923 | 19,445 | 17,043 | 36,188 | 16,037 | 13,631 | 29,668 |
| 1924 | 21,719 | 18,096 | 39,815 | 16,489 | 14,104 | 30,593 |
The monthly figures for 1923 and 1924 are as follows, the excess of arrivals or of departures for each month being also shown:—
| Month. | Arrivals. | Departures. | Excess of Arrivals. | Excess of Departures. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | 1924. | 1923. | 1924. | 1923. | 1924. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| January | 4,909 | 3,432 | 1,982 | 2,207 | 2,927 | 1,225 | .. | |
| February | 2,903 | 4,145 | 2,815 | 3,273 | 88 | 872 | .. | |
| March | 2,384 | 2,385 | 3,629 | 3,765 | .. | .. | 1,245 | 1,380 |
| April | 2,127 | 2,897 | 3.344 | 3,431 | .. | .. | 1,217 | 534 |
| May | 2,776 | 2,438 | 2,776 | 3,311 | .. | .. | 873 | |
| June | 1,919 | 2,381 | 3,223 | 2,765 | .. | .. | 1,304 | 384 |
| July | 2,088 | 2,506 | 2,025 | 2,337 | 63 | 169 | .. | |
| August | 2,586 | 2,273 | 2,013 | 1,849 | 573 | 424 | .. | .. |
| September | 2,151 | 3,347 | 1,973 | 1,929 | 178 | 1,418 | .. | .. |
| October | 4,635 | 3,358 | 1,905 | 1,713 | 2,730 | 1,645 | .. | .. |
| November | 3,057 | 4,798 | 2,002 | 1,731 | 1,055 | 3,067 | .. | .. |
| December | 4,953 | 5,855 | 1,981 | 2,282 | 2,972 | 3,573 | .. | .. |
| Totals | 36,488 | 39,815 | 29,668 | 30,953 | 6,820 | 9,222 | .. | .. |
The statistics for the twelve months ended 31st December, 1924, show that during that period 39,815 persons, excluding members of crews of vessels, arrived in the Dominion. Of these 14,314 were immigrants intending permanent residence in the country, as compared with 11,762 of a similar class in 1923. The remainder of the arrivals, 25,501 in number, as compared with 24,726 in 1923, were classified as shown below. Corresponding figures for 1923 are also given with percentages in each case.
| — | 1923. | 1924. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (both Sexes). | Per Cent. of Total. | Total (both Sexes). | Per Cent. of Total. | |
* Includes 248 naval ratings. † Includes 10 naval ratings. ‡ Includes 156 naval ratings. | ||||
| Immigrants intending permanent residence | 11,762 | 32 | 14,314 | 36 |
| New Zealand residents returning from abroad | 13,073 | 36 | 14,076† | 35 |
| Tourists | 7,522 | 21 | 7,425 | 19 |
| Persons on commercial business | 2,166 | 6 | 2,080 | 5 |
| Persons visiting the Dominion in connection with entertainments, sport, &c. | 911 | 3 | 1,009 | 3 |
| Persons in transit | 562 | 1 | 483 | 1 |
| Others (officials, &c., of other countries) | 457* | 1 | 328‡ | 1 |
| Not stated | 35 | .. | 100 | .. |
| 24,726 | 68 | 20,501 | 64 | |
| Grand totals (excluding crews) | 36,488 | 100 | 39,815 | 100 |
The departures recorded during 1924 numbered 30,593, as compared with 29,668 in 1923. Of these, 2,256 were shown to be New Zealand residents departing permanently, as against 2,474 in 1923. The figures which follow show the different classes of emigrants for 1923 and 1924, with percentages in each case:—
| — | 1923. | 1924. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (both Sexes). | Per Cent. of Total. | Total (both Sexes). | Per Cent. of Total. | |
| New Zealand residents departing permanently | 2,474 | 8 | 2,256 | 7 |
| New Zealand residents departing temporarily | 14,104 | 48 | 15,006 | 49 |
| Visitors to the Dominion departing | 13,086 | 44 | 13,320 | 44 |
| Persons regarding whom no information is available | 4 | .. | .. | 11 |
| 27,194 | 92 | 28,337 | 93 | |
| 29,668 | 100 | 30,593 | 100 | |
New Zealand residents going abroad temporarily on business or pleasure represented 49 per cent. of the total departures, as against 48 per cent. in 1923, while of the arrivals 35 per cent. were New-Zealanders returning to their homes after temporary absence, compared with 36 per cent. in 1923. The elimination of this class of migrant reduces the arrivals during 1924 to 25,739, and during 1923 to 23,415, and the departures respectively to 15,587 and 15,564.
Tourists and other temporary visitors comprised 28.7 per cent. of the arrivals and 43.5 per cent. of the departures, as compared with 31.9 and 44.1 per cent. respectively in 1923. The bulk of the temporary visitors each year came from Australia, the British Isles, and the United States of America. The following table shows for the years 1923 and 1924 the principal countries of residence of temporary visitors, classified according to their purpose in coming to the Dominion:—
| Country of last Permanent Residence. | Purpose in coming to Dominion. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourists. | On Business. | Theatrical, &c. | Official, &c. | In Transit, &c. | ||||||
| 1923. | 1924. | 1923. | 1924. | 1923. | 1924 | 1923. | 1924. | 1923. | 1924. | |
*Includes 246 naval ratings. † Includes 156 naval ratings. | ||||||||||
| Australia | 5,087 | 4,972 | 1,468 | 1,342 | 743 | 693 | 48 | 16 | 238 | 224 |
| British Isles | 1,097 | 1,003 | 329 | 358 | 119 | 197 | 321* | 254† | 135 | 102 |
| United States of America | 369 | 389 | 152 | 58 | 27 | 74 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 12 |
| Fiji | 241 | 247 | 47 | 59 | 1 | .. | 14 | 11 | 35 | 67 |
| Canada | 142 | 99 | 50 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 7 |
| South Africa | 128 | 90 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 1 | .. | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| China | 47 | 82 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Other | 411 | 543 | 111 | 122 | 9 | 26 | 50 | 39 | 117 | 59 |
| Totals | 7,522 | 7,425 | 2,166 | 2,080 | 911 | 1,009 | 457 | 328 | 562 | 483 |
Having eliminated the two classes of migrants whose movements only temporarily affect the population of the Dominion, there remains the important residue which represents the permanent additions and losses of population. During the year 1924 14,314 persons landed in the Dominion with the intention of making their future homes here, compared with 11,762 in 1923, while during the same period 2,256 permanent residents of New Zealand were attracted to other countries, as against 2,474 in 1923, the result being a net gain to the Dominion, in 1923 and 1924 respectively, of 9,288 and 12,058. These figures, which represent the permanent gains to the population of the Dominion through migration during 1923 and 1924, exceed the nominal excess of total arrivals over total departures for the same years by 2,468 and 2,836 respectively. This is due to the excess of departures over arrivals in what may be called the temporary migration.
In a young country such as New Zealand it would not be surprising to find that the proportion of males to females among the new immigrants was considerably in favour of the former, but the figures for the years 1923 and 1924 show that the male preponderance is not as great as might be expected. As a matter of fact, females comprised 47 and 44 per cent. of the total immigrants in the respective years. No doubt the propaganda work curried out by the New Zealand and Imperial Governments in connection with the scheme for assisting domestic servants and also the wives and families of immigrants to the Dominion is largely responsible for this comparatively high proportion of females.
Of the New-Zealanders who transferred their homes to other countries during the years 1923 and 1924 51 per cent. and 50 per cent. respectively were females and 49 per cent. and 50 per cent. males.
Of the total arrivals recorded during the year 1924 14.45 per cent. were under fifteen years of age. Among the immigrants intending permanent residence, however, the proportion was much higher—viz., 23.73 per cent. The corresponding percentages for all departures and for New Zealand residents departing permanently were 10.41 and 24.83. The higher percentages under fifteen years of age in the case of permanent settlers and emigrants is, of course, due to the fact that this class of person brings or takes his family, if any, with him, whereas the remainder of persons coming to and going from the Dominion, consisting for the most part of tourists and persons on business, travel almost exclusively without at least the younger members of their families. The higher percentage of persons of forty-five years and over amongst the departures would appear to confirm to a certain extent the general impression that many immigrants return to their native land later in life. The following table shows the percentage of new permanent immigrants who arrived during 1923 and 1924, and the New Zealand residents who departed during the same period, by age-groups, and also for the same period the permanent gain through migration in the population of the Dominion:—
| — | Under 15 Years. | 15 and under 45 Years. | 45 Years and over, Years. and Age not stated. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923. | 1924. | 1923. | 1924. | 1928. | 1924. | |
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| Immigrants intending permanent residence | 23.18 | 23.73 | 65.31 | 65.04 | 11.51 | 11.23 |
| Permanent departures | 26.39 | 24.83 | 57.48 | 54.56 | 16.13 | 20.61 |
| Permanent gain to population of Dominion | 22.32 | 23.53 | 67.40 | 66.99 | 10.28 | 9.48 |
From the above it will be seen that approximately 90 per cent. of the permanent gain in population through migration consists of persons under forty-five years of age
Of the 14,314 new immigrants during 1924 intending to settle in the Dominion the vast majority, 13,386, or 93.5 per cent., came from British countries, mainly from the British Isles, Australia, Canada, South Africa, and India. The majority of immigrants from foreign countries came from China, the United States of America, and Jugo-Slavia. The following table shows for the years 1923 and 1924 the principal countries whence arrived new immigrants who intended permanent residence in the Dominion:—
| Country whence arrived. | 1923. | 1924. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| British Isles | 4,548 | 4,594 | 9,142 | 5,819 | 5,263 | 11,082 |
| Australia | 907 | 679 | 1,586 | 954 | 622 | 1,576 |
| Canada | 170 | 100 | 270 | 229 | 132 | 361 |
| South Africa | 74 | 40 | 114 | 68 | 42 | 110 |
| India | 66 | 19 | 85 | 80 | 31 | 111 |
| China | 90 | 17 | 107 | 96 | 16 | 112 |
| United States | 40 | 30 | 70 | 55 | 31 | 86 |
| Italy | 18 | 7 | 25 | 38 | 12 | 50 |
| Jugo-Slavia | 74 | 20 | 94 | 393 | 74 | 467 |
| Switzerland | 18 | 8 | 26 | 21 | 13 | 34 |
| Denmark | 16 | 4 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 14 |
| Other | 124 | 99 | 223 | 192 | 119 | 311 |
| Totals | 6,145 | 5,617 | 11,762 | 7,957 | 6,357 | 14,314 |
With the exception of 117 persons (of whom 53 departed for the United States. 19 for China, 24 for European countries, 13 for South American countries, 3 for foreign islands of the Pacific, and 5 for other foreign countries), the whole of the New Zealand residents who permanently left the Dominion during 1924 went to British countries. The figures for the principal countries for 1923 and 1924 are as follows:—
| — | 1923. | 1924. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| United Kingdom and Ireland | 214 | 278 | 492 | 221 | 249 | 470 |
| Australia | 803 | 853 | 1,656 | 730 | 740 | 1,470 |
| Canada | 59 | 41 | 100 | 64 | 56 | 120 |
| South Africa | 13 | 12 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 25 |
| India | 3 | 4 | 7 | .. | 2 | 2 |
| Other British countries | 25 | 21 | 46 | 29 | 23 | 52 |
| United States of America | 58 | 40 | 98 | 22 | 31 | 53 |
| Denmark | .. | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| China | 14 | 6 | 20 | 17 | 2 | 19 |
During 1924 some 833 persons (males 669, females 164) of foreign nationality, out of the total of 14,314, arrived as new immigrants intending permanent residence in the Dominion, as compared with 350 (268 males, 82 females) out of a total of 11,762 in 1923, the remaining persons (13,481 in 1924 and 11,412 in 1923) being British subjects. This reveals a very considerable increase over the previous year, and it is worthy of note that this influx of foreign nationals is chiefly from the Southern European countries of Jugo-Slavia, Italy, and Greece. The figures for subjects of these countries arriving to take up permanent residence in New Zealand during 1924 were: Jugo-Slavia, 447; Italy, 52; and Greece, 19—compared with 79, 25, and 6 respectively in 1923. The chief nationalities represented among the alien immigrants for the last two years were as follows:—
| Nationals of | 1923. | 1924. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| China | 91 | 8 | 99 | 81 | 7 | 88 |
| Italy | 19 | 6 | 25 | 42 | 10 | 52 |
| Denmark | 19 | 4 | 23 | 16 | 2 | 18 |
| Switzerland | 20 | 7 | 27 | 22 | 11 | 33 |
| United States | 13 | 11 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| Greece | 4 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 19 |
| Jugo-Slavia | 66 | 13 | 79 | 381 | 66 | 447 |
| Other countries | 40 | 33 | 73 | 101 | 51 | 152 |
It is worthy of note that of the 88 Chinese immigrants intending permanent residence 85 (79 males, 6 females) were under 40 years of age, 1 male and 1 female were between the ages of 40 and 55, and 1 male was between 80 and 85. In 1923 95 (males 87, females 8) were under 40 years of age, the remaining 4 males being between the ages of 40 and 55 years.
Foreign nationals constituted a very small proportion of the total number of New Zealand residents who departed permanently during 1924. The following table shows, in regard to permanent residents departing permanently for the years 1923 and 1924, the total departures and departures of foreign nationals, by age-groups, all countries, and principal foreign countries:—
| Nationality. | 1923. | 1924. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 Years. | 15 and under 45 Years. | 45 Years and over. | Under 15 Years. | 15 and under 45 Years. | 45 Years and over. | |
| All countries | 653 | 1,422 | 394 | 558 | 1,230 | 468 |
| Principal foreign countries— | ||||||
| United States | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 6 |
| Denmark | .. | 1 | .. | 6 | 13 | .. |
| Germany | .. | 2 | 2 | .. | 1 | 3 |
| China | .. | 5 | 11 | .. | .. | 17 |
| Italy | .. | 6 | 2 | .. | 3 | 1 |
| Russia | .. | 3 | 1 | .. | 4 | 2 |
| Totals, all foreign countries | 1 | 29 | 24 | 10 | 42 | 34 |
Information pertaining to the occupations of immigrants intending permanent residence is of general interest. It should be clearly understood, however, that the occupations stated are those followed by such immigrants prior to their arrival in the Dominion, and the figures do not necessarily indicate even approximately the occupations that will be followed in New Zealand. The following table shows for the years 1923 and 1924 the number of male and female immigrants over fourteen years of age intending permanent residence and the principal classes of occupations followed prior to arrival:—
| Occupation. | 1923. | 1924. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| All occupations | 4,778 | 4,258 | 6,197 | 4,722 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 1,029 | 15 | 1,549 | 20 |
| Mining and quarrying | 417 | 1 | 385 | .. |
| Processes relating to metals, machines, tools, conveyances, jewellery, &c. | 625 | 6 | 651 | 4 |
| Processes relating to fibrous materials, textiles, and dress | 153 | 179 | 163 | 231 |
| Public administration — clerical and professional | 405 | 316 | 468 | 351 |
| Commerce and finance | 426 | 125 | 497 | 149 |
| Personal and domestic service | 79 | 1,048 | 116 | 1,032 |
| Dependants on public or private support | 60 | 2,302 | 65 | 2,661 |
| General labourers and other general occupations | 731 | 236 | 942 | 243 |
Persons claiming occupations connected with agricultural and pastoral pursuits comprised a considerable proportion of the total male immigrants under discussion, representing 25 per cent. in 1924, and 21.5 per cent. in 1923. Of the female immigrants “personal and domestic service” claims the majority of the breadwinners, If dependants are eliminated women with occupations coming within this class comprise 50 per cent. of the total in 1024 and 53.5 per cent. in 1923. No doubt the special concessions granted to “farm workers” and “domestics” under the assisted immigration scheme largely account for the figures quoted.
Although race aliens comprise comparatively small proportions of the total arrivals and departures, they are by no means unimportant. As a matter of fact, the entry of race aliens, especially Chinese and Indians, into the Dominion has been regarded with concern for some years. The definition of the term “race alien,” as used in connection with these statistics, is “a person of other than European race.”
The following table shows the number of race aliens who arrived as immigrants intending permanent residence, the number who were permanent New Zealand residents departing permanently, and the permanent increase in each case to the population of New Zealand through migration for the years 1923 and 1924:—
| — | 1923. | 1924. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese. | Indians. | Others. | Total. | Chinese. | Indians. | Others. | Total. | |
| Immigrants intending permanent residence | 100 | 32 | 44 | 176 | 93 | 44 | 67 | 204 |
| New Zealand residents departing permanently | 16 | .. | 7 | 23 | 17 | 1 | 17 | 35 |
| Permanent increase of race aliens in Now Zealand through migration | 84 | 32 | 37 | 153 | 76 | 43 | 50 | 169 |
The total arrivals and departures of race aliens during each of the last ten years are as follows:—
| Year. | Arrivals. | Departures. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese. | Indians. | Others. | Total. | Chinese. | Indians. | Others. | Total. | |
| 1915 | 265 | 13 | 44 | 322 | 237 | 68 | 24 | 329 |
| 1916 | 327 | 92 | 594 | 1,013 | 216 | 39 | 314 | 569 |
| 1917 | 272 | 92 | 360 | 724 | 313 | 12 | 383 | 708 |
| 1918 | 256 | 138 | 523 | 917 | 214 | 19 | 171 | 404 |
| 1919 | 418 | 193 | 97 | 708 | 238 | 18 | 66 | 322 |
| 1920 | 1,477 | 225 | 32 | 1,734 | 380 | 54 | 9 | 443 |
| 1921 | 255 | 137 | 249 | 641 | 368 | 100 | 239 | 707 |
| 1922 | 345 | 32 | 172 | 549 | 362 | 125 | 213 | 700 |
| 1923 | 365 | 115 | 249 | 729 | 378 | 66 | 188 | 632 |
| 1924 | 648 | 128 | 341 | 1,017 | 451 | 128 | 332 | 911 |
The pending alteration of the law was the cause of a huge influx of Chinese in 1920, with a view to anticipating the tightening of the restrictions, which actually came into operation on the passing of the Immigration Restriction Amendment Act of that year. A limit on the number of Chinese permitted to enter the Dominion is now imposed.
During the war years the number of race-alien arrivals was swelled by the unavoidable inclusion of natives of the British and French Pacific islands who came to New Zealand to embark for the seat of war.
Estimates of the number of race aliens in the Dominion at 31st March, 1925, are as follows: Chinese, 3,229; Syrians, 698; Indians, 642; other races, 957; total, 5,526.
At the census of 1881, the year in which taxation was first imposed on Chinese landing in New Zealand, the Chinese population numbered 5,004 persons, which fell to 4,542 in 1886, and further to 3,711 in 1896. During the period 1881-96 the poll-tax was £10 per head, and this seemed sufficient for the purpose of preventing a large influx of Chinese. During the years 1894 and 1895, however, the arrivals shown by the Customs returns were found to be somewhat greater than the departures, and in 1896 an Act was passed raising the poll-tax on Chinese immigrants to £100 per head, and limiting the number of Chinese passengers that may be carried by vessels to New Zealand to one for every 200 tons burthen. According to the census of 1901, the Chinese population was 2,857; in 1906 it was 2,570; in 1911, 2,630; in 1916. 2,147; and in 1921, 3,266, of whom 156 were half-castes.
Permanent residents of the Dominion and bona fide New-Zealanders visiting the United Kingdom may nominate any person, not a prohibited immigrant within the meaning of the Immigration Restriction Act, 1908 (N.Z.), and its amendments, or of the Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion Act, 1919 (N.Z.), residing in the United Kingdom, for an assisted passage to New Zealand under the following conditions:—
The person nominated must be under the age of fifty years. Although assisted passages cannot be granted to persons who have attained the age of fifty years, the Immigration Department can arrange full-fare passages for any such persons proceeding as members of a family or of a party the remainder of which is travelling at assisted rates. Full fares (subject to alteration by the shipping companies) are as follows: Third-class six-berth, £37; four-berth, £39; two-berth, £43 per adult.
The person nominated must not have resided in the Dominion or in Australia for a period of at least five years immediately preceding nomination.
He must supply to the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London satisfactory medical certificate and certificate of character.
In the case of a married person, nomination must include husband, wife, and family (if any), except where a judicial separation exists or desertion is proved.
The nominator must undertake to make provision for maintenance and employment for the nominee after arrival in the Dominion, and must also guarantee that the nominee will reside in the Dominion for at least five years.
All questions as to suitability of any person nominated for an assisted passage are decided by the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London.
Provided that the above conditions are complied with, an assisted passage will be granted at the following rates, which are subject to revision:—
| Third Class. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-berth. | Four-berth. | Two-berth. | |
| Married or widowed adults, 19 and under 50 years | £11 | £13 | £17 |
| Single adults, 19 and under 50— | |||
| Males | £13 15s. | £15 15s. | £19 15s. |
| Females | £11 | £13 | £17 |
| Farm labourers, 19 and under 45 | £11 | £13 | £17 |
| Domestics, 19 and under 40 | Free | Free | Free |
| Boys, 17 and under 19, not travelling with parents | £5 10s. | £7 10s. | £11 10s. |
| Children, 12 and under 19 (other than boys 17 to 19 not travelling with parents) | Free | £2 | £6 |
| Children, 3 and under 12 | Free | £1 | £3 |
| Children, under 3, if not more than one | Free | Free | Free |
The full amount of passage money must be paid before a passage is booked. The money can be paid in New Zealand by the nominator, or in London by the nominee, or partly by both.
In any case where nominees are unable to pay the cost of six-berth passages the Imperial and New Zealand Governments, acting in concert, will, on the approval of the High Commissioner, advance the necessary amount by way of loan, repayable within a reasonable time after their arrival in the Dominion.
Nominations can be cabled at an extra cost of £1. Remittances can be forwarded to nominees at time of nomination without fee.
Passages are granted on vessels belonging to the Shaw-Savill and Albion Company, the New Zealand Shipping Company from London or Southampton, and the Federal Steam Navigation Company from Liverpool. Passages can be booked to the following ports in Now Zealand: Auckland, Gisborne, Napier, Wellington, Lyttelton, Timaru, Oamaru, and Port Chalmers. Nominated passages are granted by direct route only.
In addition to the conditions set out as governing the general nominated passages, the following apply to single men nominated as farm labourers.
The person nominated must be a bona fide farm labourer employed as such at the time of nomination, and a written undertaking to follow such calling for at least twelve months after arrival in the Dominion is required. He must also be under forty-five years of age.
The following special conditions apply to nominated domestics:—
The person nominated must be a bona fide domestic and employed as such at the time of nomination, and a written undertaking is required that such calling will be followed for at least twelve months after arrival in the Dominion, and that marriage will not be contracted during that period.
A person nominated as a domestic must be under the age of forty years.
“Domestic” moans general servant, cook, housemaid, parlourmaid, waitress, laundress, or nursemaid.
Passages at reduced rates will not be granted to unhealthy persons. When cases of lung, chest, or other like complaints are discovered in any member of a family by the Medical Officer at London. Liverpool, or Southampton, the whole family will be prevented from sailing.
In the case of immigrants under twenty-one years of age special arrangements have to be entered into for their protection on the voyage where deemed necessary or advisable.
The High Commissioner is authorized to grant to suitable and healthy farmers, farm labourers, and domestic servants, who apply to him in London, a third-class passage to New Zealand at the same rates as nominated migrants.
As their respective Governments do not subscribe to the provisions of the Empire Settlement Act, 1922, residents of the Irish Free State or the Channel Islands (except Guernsey) are not eligible for nomination. As far as Ireland is concerned only residents of the following counties are eligible for nomination, viz.: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone.
Various systems of assisted immigration have been in force since 1871, with the exception of the period 1892 to 1903 (inclusive). Up to 1884, free passages were granted in the majority of cases. The numbers of assisted immigrants during each year are as follows:—
| Year. | Number. |
|---|---|
| 1871 | 303 |
| 1872 | 4,736 |
| 1873 | 8,754 |
| 1874 | 32,118 |
| 1875 | 20,370 |
| 1876 | 9,677 |
| 1877 | 5,344 |
| 1878 | 6,618 |
| 1879 | 10,311 |
| 1880 | 2,689 |
| 1881 | 103 |
| 1882 | 726 |
| 1883 | 5,902 |
| 1884 | 3,888 |
| 1885 | 1,072 |
| 1886 | 917 |
| 1887 | 1,286 |
| 1888 | 485 |
| 1889 | 91 |
| 1890 | 144 |
| 1891 | 44 |
| 1904 | 1,058 |
| 1905 | 2,191 |
| 1906 | 3,682 |
| 1907 | 2,959 |
| 1908 | 4,667 |
| 1909 | 3,299 |
| 1910 | 2,341 |
| 1911 | 3,070 |
| 1912 | 3,535 |
| 1913 | 5,151 |
| 1914 | 3,716 |
| 1915 | 1,300 |
| 1916 | 695 |
| 1917 | 231 |
| 1918 | 421 |
| 1919 | 3,569 |
| 1920 | 7,615 |
| 1921 | 8,085 |
| 1922 | 7,773 |
| 1923 | 6,181 |
| 1924 | 8,091 |
The total to 31st December, 1924, is 196,208, of which number all have come from the United Kingdom, with the exception of 3,909 from the Continent of Europe spread over the five years 1874 to 1878 (inclusive).
On arrival in New Zealand the immigrants are met on board by officers of the Immigration Department, who accompany the Port Health Officer to the ship. Whilst the vessel is in the stream it is the special duty of such officers to afford to the assisted immigrants all necessary information as regards transhipment, &c. Arrangements are made for the safety and transhipment of luggage.
Each immigrant is seen as he passes towards the doctor for examination, and is handed an official letter containing information as to where his ticket will be arranged for, and the place and time of departure of his connecting train or boat (if any). It is the practice of the Department to send out advices, by wire if necessary, to friends and relatives of immigrants about to arrive, and to get back information as to where the newcomers will be met. These messages, often together with private letters, &c., are given out on board to those to whom they are addressed.
As regards the female assisted domestic workers who are sent to New Zealand under the supervision of one or more responsible matrons, the Government advertises the fact that the books of the Department are open to record the names of those people in the Dominion desirous of securing the services of an assisted girl. Such advertisements bring in many applications, especially pending the arrival of the ship.
Each matron in charge on board is instructed to classify the girls under two heads: (a) Those with work already arranged or friends to go to; (b) those without either friends or work. On arrival they are met by the Girls' Superintendent of the Immigration Department. Arrangements are made for sending to their destinations those girls who are going to friends or to definite positions. Those requiring accommodation are directed to homes or hostels approved by the Minister of Immigration for this purpose. The Superintendent then separately considers the case of each girl, and arranges to place her with an applicant for a Government-assisted girl. After a girl has been placed the Department endeavours to keep in touch with her by correspondence.
With certain specified exceptions, no person over the age of fifteen years may land in New Zealand unless in possession of a passport or some other document satisfactorily establishing his or her nationality and identity. Exemption from this requirement (which is additional to the requirements of the Immigration Restriction and Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion Acts), may be granted by the Minister of Internal Affairs.
In the case of a person coming from a foreign country the passport must, with certain exceptions, have been issued or viséd by the British Ambassador or a British Consul in that country, and in the case of a person coming from any part of the British dominions the issue or visé must have been by some public official duly authorized in that behalf.
Certain exceptions are made with respect to persons coming to New Zealand from the Cook Islands and Samoa. In their case the only requirement is the possession of a permit to visit New Zealand granted by the Resident Commissioner of the Cook Islands or the Administrator of Samoa, as the case may be. The regulations, further, do not apply to a British subject arriving in New Zealand as the master or a member of the crew of the vessel in which he arrives, or to a British subject arriving from the Commonwealth of Australia.
With the exception of British subjects travelling to the Commonwealth of Australia, Cook Islands, and Samoa, all persons travelling to places beyond the seas are required to be in possession of a passport or similar document to facilitate landing thereat. British passports are issued, under the direction of His Excellency the Governor-General, by the Department of Internal Affairs. They are valid for five years and may be renewed for any number of years not exceeding five. Subject to the Immigration Regulations in force in the various countries of the Empire, they are valid for travelling anywhere within the British Empire.
The British Nationality and Status of Aliens (in New Zealand) Act of 1923, which came into operation on the 13th May, 1924, and the regulations made thereunder, provide that an alien friend residing in New Zealand may apply to the Minister of Internal Affairs setting forth—
His name, age, birthplace, residence, occupation, and nationality;
The length of his residence in New Zealand, and his desire to settle therein, either permanently or for a limited period, stating such limited period (if any);
A request that a certificate of naturalization may be granted to him.
If the Minister is satisfied—
That the applicant has either resided within New Zealand for a period of not less than three years, or has been in the service of the Crown in any part of His Majesty's dominions for not less than five years within the last eight years; and
That the applicant is of good character and has an adequate knowledge of the English language; and
That the applicant intends, if his application is granted, to continue to reside in His Majesty's dominions, or to enter, or continue in, the service of the Crown; and
That in all other respects the applicant is a person fit to hold and exercise the rights of a British subject in New Zealand—
he may, in his absolute discretion, give or withhold the certificate as he thinks most conducive to the public good, and no appeal shall lie from his decision.
The Act also applies to the Cook Islands and to Western Samoa in the same manner in all respects as if those territories were for all purposes part of New Zealand, but the power to grant certificates of naturalization in these cases is vested in the Governor-General, and in the case of a person resident in the Cook Islands shall be exercised on the recommendation of the Minister for the Cook Islands, and in the case of a person resident in Western Samoa shall be exercised on the recommendation of the Minister of External Affairs. It shall not be a condition of the naturalization of any Samoan as defined in the Samoa Act, 1921, that he has an adequate knowledge of the English language.
The Minister of Internal Affairs is required to enrol for safe custody a duplicate of all certificates of naturalization issued under the Act.
Acquisition by any person of the status of a British subject by naturalization granted in the United Kingdom, or in any of the dominions, colonies, possessions, or territories of His Majesty other than New Zealand, shall not be deemed to have conferred, and shall not confer upon such person the status of a British subject in New Zealand.
The regulations made by Order in Council dated 13th May, 1924, prescribe the following fees:—
| £ | s. | d. | |
| Certificate of naturalization issued to a woman who was a British subject previous to her marriage with an alien | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Certificate of naturalization granted to any person who served with any New Zealand Expeditionary Force or with any Imperial Force or Allied Force in the Great War | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Certificate of naturalization granted to a native of the islands of Western Samoa | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Certificate of naturalization granted in other cases, provided that in any case of indigence (to be determined by the Minister of Internal Affairs) the fee shall be 5s. | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| The registration of a declaration of alienage | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Certified copy of any declaration or certificate | 0 | 10 | 0 |
The Minister of Internal Affairs is empowered to revoke a certificate of naturalization that has been obtained by false representation or fraud, or by concealment of material circumstances, or where the person to whom a certificate is granted has shown himself by act or speech to be disaffected or disloyal to His Majesty. The Governor-General in Council is also empowered to revoke a certificate of naturalization where he is satisfied that this course is advisable, either generally in the public interest or for special reasons affecting the person to whom such certificate has been granted. The duty and discretion imposed and conferred upon the Minister and upon the Governor-General in Council are declared to be absolute, and no order of the Minister or Order in Council therein shall be questioned in any Court or by any proceeding on any ground whatsoever.
During the year 1924, letters of naturalization in New Zealand were granted to 206 persons of the following birthplaces:—
| Country of Birth. | Males. | Females. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Includes one person naturalized under changed name. | |||
| Norway | 3 | .. | 3 |
| Sweden | 9 | .. | 9 |
| Denmark | 12 | .. | 12 |
| Russia | 11 | .. | 11 |
| Finland | 3 | .. | 3 |
| Netherlands | 3 | .. | 3 |
| Poland | 5 | .. | 5 |
| Belgium | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Germany | 29* | 1 | 30* |
| France | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Portugal | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Switzerland | 10 | .. | 10 |
| Austria | 5 | .. | 5 |
| Jugo-Slavia:— | |||
| Dalmatia | 72 | .. | 72 |
| Croatia | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Serbia. | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Hungary | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Italy | 7 | .. | 7 |
| Greece | 4 | .. | 4 |
| Syria | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| United States of | 10 | .. | 10 |
| America | .. | .. | .. |
| Samoa | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Totals, all countries | 201 | 5 | 260 |
In 1858 the North Island had a larger population than the South, this position being reversed at the succeeding enumerations until 1901, in which year the North Island was found to have slightly the larger total, a position which it has since considerably improved upon. The Maori War which broke out in 1860 retarded settlement in the North, while a large area of land reserved for the Maoris was for many years a serious hindrance to the development of this portion of the Dominion. The South Island was practically free from Maori troubles, and settlement was more rapid, though much of the land was disposed of in large areas. The discovery of gold in Otago in 1861 and on the West Coast in 1864 attracted to these localities considerable numbers of miners.
The population of the two Islands at successive censuses is given in the table following, together with the percentage that each Island bears to the total. The figures are exclusive of Maoris.
| Census Year. | Population (excluding Maoris). | Proportions per Cent. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Island. | South Island.* | Total. | North Island. | South Island.* | |
* Including Stewart Island and Chatham Islands. | |||||
| 1858 | 34,094 | 25,319 | 59,413 | 57.38 | 42.62 |
| 1861 | 41,641 | 57,380 | 99,021 | 42.05 | 57.95 |
| 1864 | 65,263 | 106,895 | 172,158 | 37.91 | 62.09 |
| 1867 | 79,913 | 138,755 | 218,668 | 36.55 | 63.45 |
| 1871 | 96,875 | 159,518 | 256,393 | 37.78 | 62.22 |
| 1874 | 111,934 | 187,580 | 299,514 | 37.37 | 62.63 |
| 1878 | 158,208 | 256,204 | 414,412 | 38.18 | 61.82 |
| 1881 | 193,047 | 296,886 | 489,933 | 39.40 | 60.60 |
| 1886 | 250,482 | 328,000 | 578,482 | 43.30 | 56.70 |
| 1891 | 281,474 | 345,184 | 626,658 | 44.92 | 55.08 |
| 1896 | 340,638 | 362,722 | 703,360 | 48.43 | 51.57 |
| 1901 | 390,579 | 382,140 | 772,719 | 50.54 | 49.45 |
| 1906 | 476,737 | 411,841 | 888,578 | 53.65 | 46.35 |
| 1911 | 563,733 | 444,735 | 1,008,468 | 55.90 | 44.10 |
| 1916 | 651,072 | 448,377 | 1,099,449 | 59.22 | 40.78 |
| 1921 | 741,255 | 477,658 | 1,218,913 | 60.81 | 39.19 |
It was estimated that at the 31st March, 1926, the population (inclusive of Maoris) of the North Island was 866,630, and that of the South Island 512,857, and with Maoris excluded, North Island 814,351, and South Island 510,686. A feature of recent years has been the steady drift of population to the North Island.
The populations of the various provincial districts, as disclosed by the censuses of 1891, 1901, 1911, and 1921, and as estimated at the 1st April, 1925, are as follows:—
| Provincial District. | Census Population (excluding Maoris). | Estimate, 1st April, 1925. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1891. | 1901. | 1911. | 1921. | Excluding Maoris. | Including Maoris. | |
| Auckland | 133,178 | 175,946 | 264,524 | 369,618 | 411,921 | 451,887 |
| Hawke's Bay | 28,506 | 35,424 | 48,546 | 60,925 | 66,105 | 69,202 |
| Taranaki | 22,065 | 37,855 | 51,569 | 61,911 | 66,630 | 69,761 |
| Wellington | 97,725 | 141,354 | 199,094 | 248,801 | 269,695 | 275,780 |
| Marlborough | 12,767 | 13,326 | 15,985 | 17,788 | 19,365 | 19,886 |
| Nelson | 34,770 | 37,915 | 48,463 | 47,628 | 49,365 | 49,476 |
| Westland | 15,887 | 14,506 | 15,714 | 14,181 | 14,890 | 14,965 |
| Canterbury | 128,663 | 143,248 | 173,443 | 199,034 | 217,271 | 218,243 |
| Otago— | ||||||
| Otago portion | 116,088 | 125,341 | 132,402 | 136,880 | 144,155 | 144,345 |
| Southland portion | 37,009 | 47,804 | 58,728 | 62,147 | 65,640 | 65,942 |
| Totals | 626,658 | 772,719 | 1,008,468 | 1,218,913 | 1,325,037 | 1,379,487 |
During the thirty years from 1891 to 1921 the population of the Dominion increased by 95 per cent., and each of the four North Island provinces showed a higher rate of increase—viz., Taranaki, 181 per cent.; Auckland, 178 per cent.; Wellington, 155 per cent.; and Hawke's Bay, 114 per cent. Among the South Island provinces Southland led with a percentage increase of 68, followed by Canterbury (55), Marlborough (39), Nelson (37), and Otago (18), while Westland showed a decrease of 11 per cent.
Although over the thirty years Taranaki showed the greatest rate of increase, nevertheless, if a comparison is made between 1911 and 1921, it is found that this province, while increasing in population at a greater rate than any South Island province, was lowest of the four North Island provinces with a rate of 20 per cent., as against 40 per cent. in the case of Auckland, and 26 and 25 per cent. respectively for Hawke's Bay and Wellington.
On 1st April, 1925, somewhat over one-third (37 per cent.) of the population of the Dominion (excluding Maoris) was included in the four principal urban areas—Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin—and over one-half (50.68 per cent.) in these and in the ten secondary urban areas. The urban areas, which are of quite recent origin, have no legal status, but were formed for statistical purposes, with a view to obviating difficulties formerly experienced through alterations of boundaries of cities and boroughs. Each urban area contains, in addition to the central city or borough and any suburban boroughs or town districts, a considerable non-municipalized area adjacent to and contingent on the centre. The boundaries, which will remain unaltered for a long period, thus allowing of definite comparisons being made over a series of years, have been fixed with a view to providing for probable expansion.
Including those cities and boroughs which form parts of urban areas, the borough population at the census of 1921 aggregated 681,988, or 56 per cent. of the total population of the Dominion. Prior to 1900 there was no statutory limitation to the number of inhabitants necessary to constitute a borough, and consequently many small centres became municipalities. The Municipal Corporations Act now imposes a limit as to area, and provides that no new borough may be constituted unless the proposed area contains at least 1,000 inhabitants.
The counties contain what is generally regarded as the rural population, though this is only approximately correct, some of the boroughs, as stated above, having small populations mainly engaged in rural occupations. On the other hand, some of the non-municipalized towns, which include town districts suburban to the cities and principal boroughs and lying within the urban areas referred to above, have populations more urban than rural.
The town districts are of two classes, which may be referred to as “dependent” and “independent,” the former being in some matters under the jurisdiction of the Council of the county within which it lies, while the latter is entirely independent of county control. A town district may attain its independence of the county when its population exceeds 500, and may become a borough on reaching a population of 1,000.
For population purposes dependent town districts have their figures included in the totals of the counties within which they lie, while independent town districts are excluded, as is also the case with boroughs. Under the old method of computing urban and rural population, however, both classes of town districts are included in the county totals, as in the following table showing the urban and rural population at each census since 1881:—
| Census Year. | Counties. | Boroughs. | Percentage. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counties. | Boroughs. | Shipboard, &c. | |||
| 1881 | 291,238 | 194,981 | 59.44 | 39.80 | 0.76 |
| 1886 | 327,328 | 245,612 | 56.58 | 42.46 | 0.96 |
| 1891 | 352,097 | 270,343 | 56.18 | 43.14 | 0.68 |
| 1896 | 391,735 | 307,294 | 55.69 | 43.69 | 0.62 |
| 1901 | 417,596 | 350,202 | 54.04 | 45.32 | 0.64 |
| 1906 | 458,797 | 424,614 | 51.63 | 47.79 | 0.58 |
| 1911 | 496,779 | 505,598 | 49.26 | 50.14 | 0.60 |
| 1916 | 501,259 | 585,306 | 45.59 | 53.24 | 1.17 |
| 1921 | 530,852 | 681,988 | 43.55 | 55.95 | 0.50 |
In view of the public attention which has recently been bestowed upon the question of urban drift, the subject merits some further discussion. In the first place, although most references to this phenomenon are couched in condemnatory terms, it is far from certain that the weight of evidence supports this view. The many arguments both pro and con are outside the scope of the present subject, which proposes merely a brief measurement of the extent of urban drift in New Zealand.
A measure of very fair accuracy is provided by the proportion of “county” and “borough” population in the table immediately preceding. Its drawback is perhaps that it slightly overstates the proportion of urban inhabitants and recent movements of the urban drift. A better criterion is contained in the next table, although perhaps the effects are here slightly understated.
For reasons indicated above, it is not altogether correct to regard the county population as rural and the borough population as urban. It is perhaps preferable to consider the question in the light of the following figures, in the computation of which the urban population is considered as that living in cities, boroughs, or town districts of over 1,000 inhabitants in 1881, 1,200 in 1886, 1,300 in 1891, 1,450 in 1896, 1,600 in 1901, 1,800 in 1906, 2,050 in 1911, 2,250 in 1916, and 2,500 in 1921. Here the basic town has been given a rate of increase approximately equivalent to that of the country as a whole, it being assumed that a town of 2,500 bears much the same relationship in the present day as one of 1,000 inhabitants did in 1881. The results are as under:—
| Census. | Rural Population: Per Cent. | Urban Population: Per Cent. |
|---|---|---|
| 1881 | 62.34 | 37.66 |
| 1886 | 60.47 | 39.53 |
| 1891 | 61.16 | 38.84 |
| 1896 | 61.95 | 38.05 |
| 1901 | 60.87 | 39.13 |
| 1906 | 57.96 | 42.04 |
| 1911 | 57.07 | 42.93 |
| 1916 | 54.18 | 45.82 |
| 1921 | 51.23 | 48.77 |
The increasing proportion of urban population in recent years is plainly manifest. It is noteworthy that the “urban drift,” either non-existent or quiescent up to 1906, in that year commenced a swift rise, which is apparently gaining in momentum.
Consideration of urban population would be incomplete without a reference to the size of the towns dealt with. To that end a table has been compiled which shows the grouping of the residents of cities, boroughs, and town districts according to the size of their municipality. The total may be taken as corresponding sufficiently well to the urban population. The table shows some very interesting movements in urban distribution, but it is necessary to utter a caution against comparisons made without due consideration. Adjoining boroughs frequently amalgamate, and thus a large borough or city is at once in existence, although there may well be little or no change otherwise. Again, boroughs or town districts are often created out of what prior to such creation is considered rural territory, and the change in status automatically places them within the number of the urban population without any corresponding change in the industries, &c., characteristic of the respective towns. Furthermore, the number of alterations in the boundaries of local districts is most marked.
| Boroughs and Town Districts with Populations of | 1925. | 1901. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Boroughs, &c. | Population. | Per Cent. of | Number of Boroughs, &c. | Population. | Per Cent, of | |||
| Urban Population. | Total Population. | Urban Population. | Total Population. | |||||
| Over 50,000 | 4 | 333,472 | 40.67 | 25.17 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 26,000-50,000 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 77,851 | 21.19 | 10.08 |
| 10,000-25,000 | 12 | 184,095 | 22.45 | 13.89 | 3 | 53,821 | 14.65 | 6.96 |
| 5,000-10,000 | 12 | 82,135 | 10.02 | 6.20 | 10 | 66,269 | 18.03 | 8.58 |
| 2,500-5,000 | 20 | 75,405 | 9.20 | 5.69 | 20 | 74,489 | 20.27 | 9.64 |
| 1,000-2,500 | 63 | 103,895 | 12.67 | 7.84 | 38 | 59,117 | 16.09 | 7.65 |
| Under 1,000 | 78 | 40,926 | 4.99 | 3.09 | 63 | 35,882 | 9.77 | 4.64 |
| Totals | 189 | 819,928 | 100.00 | 61.88 | 136 | 367,419 | 100.00 | 47.56 |
An important characteristic of the distribution of urban population in New Zealand is what may be termed its decentralization. In place of one great metropolis containing a huge proportion of the population, as in the case of the Australian States—e.g., Victoria, whose capital city, Melbourne, contains over 50 per cent. of the total population of the State—the more highly urbanized portion of the community is localized in four widely separated centres. These four centres have always existed more or less on the same plane, a fact which has played no small part in the development of the country.
Urban and rural communities are not evenly distributed. The South Island, for example, contains proportionately more rural population than does the North Island. Of the Northern provinces Taranaki is the only one in which rural population predominates. The actual distribution is set forth in the accompanying table:—
| Provincial District. | Boroughs, &c., of over 10,000. | Boroughs, &c., of 2,500-10,000. | Boroughs, &c., of under 2,500. | Total Population of Boroughs, &c. | Remainder of Population. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Population. | Number. | Population. | Number. | Population. | |||
| Auckland | 5 | 150,040 | 12 | 57,595 | 48 | 50,325 | 257,960 | 153,961 |
| Hawke's Bay | 2 | 26,335 | 1 | 4,095 | 9 | 9,271 | 39,701 | 26,404 |
| Taranaki | 1 | 14,010 | 2 | 8,250 | 9 | 8,500 | 30,760 | 35,870 |
| Wellington | 3 | 139,040 | 5 | 31,540 | 23 | 26,285 | 196,865 | 72,830 |
| Marlborough | .. | .. | 1 | 4,850 | 2 | 1,670 | 6,520 | 12,845 |
| Nelson | 1 | 10,135 | 1 | 3,830 | 6 | 6,000 | 19,965 | 29,400 |
| Westland | .. | .. | 1 | 5,085 | 4 | 3,935 | 9,020 | 5,870 |
| Canterbury | 2 | 98,852 | 5 | 21,770 | 11 | 12,300 | 132,922 | 84,349 |
| Otago— | ||||||||
| Otago portion | 1 | 62,315 | 3 | 16,700 | 19 | 16,950 | 95,965 | 48,190 |
| Southland portion | 1 | 16,840 | 1 | 3,825 | 10 | 9,585 | 30,250 | 35,390 |
New Zealand is not alone in experiencing the modern tendency towards urban aggregation: it is, in fact, occurring in almost all countries. Accurate data on this point are not readily available, but the next table, which gives a comparison with England and the United States, removes this deficiency to some extent. Neither of these two countries, however, represents the same stage of development as the Dominion, so that the comparison suffers to that extent. The urban population quoted for England is that of the total of “urban districts": that for the United States is the total population in towns of over 2,500 inhabitants.
| Census nearest to | New Zealand. | England and Wales. | United States of America. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban. | Rural. | Urban. | Rural. | Urban. | Rural. | |
| 1880 | 37.7 | 62.3 | 67.9 | 32.1 | 28.6 | 71.4 |
| 1890 | 38.8 | 61.2 | 72.0 | 28.0 | 35.4 | 64.6 |
| 1900 | 39.1 | 60.9 | 77.0 | 23.0 | 40.0 | 60.0 |
| 1910 | 42.9 | 57.1 | 78.1 | 21.9 | 45.8 | 54.2 |
| 1920 | 48.8 | 51.2 | 79.4 | 20.6 | 51.4 | 48.6 |
| Urban Area. | Population (excluding Maoris). |
|---|---|
| Auckland. | |
| Auckland City | 90,540 |
| Birkenhead Borough | 2,805 |
| Northcote Borough | 2,310 |
| Takapuna Borough | 5,275 |
| Devonport Borough | 9,745 |
| Avondale Borough | 4,000 |
| Newmarket Borough | 3,165 |
| Mount Eden Borough | 16,790 |
| Mount Albert Borough | 14,510 |
| Onehunga Borough | 8,360 |
| Otahuhu Borough | 3,245 |
| New Lynn Town District | 1,940 |
| Ellerslie Town District | 1,980 |
| Remainder of urban area (including portions of Henderson and Glen Eden Town Districts) | 16,125 |
| Total | 180,790 |
| Wellington. | |
| Wellington City | 97,370 |
| Lower Hutt Borough | 6,770 |
| Petone Borough | 8,740 |
| Eastbourne Borough | 1,735 |
| Johnsonville Town District | 1,090 |
| Remainder of urban area | 2,785 |
| Total | 118,490 |
| Christchurch. | |
| Christchurch City | 83,247 |
| Riccarton Borough | 4,430 |
| New Brighton Borough | 4,950 |
| Sumner Borough | 3,310 |
| Lyttelton Borough | 3,865 |
| Remainder of urban area | 18,468 |
| Total | 118,270 |
| Dunedin. | |
| Dunedin City | 62,315 |
| St. Kilda Borough | 6,845 |
| Green Island Borough | 2,030 |
| West Harbour Borough | 1,760 |
| Port Chalmers Borough | 2,610 |
| Remainder of urban area | 1,920 |
| Total | 77,480 |
| Hamilton. | |
| Hamilton Borough | 14,525 |
| Remainder of urban area | 2,545 |
| Total | 17,070 |
| Gisborne. | |
| Gisborne Borough | 13,675 |
| Remainder of urban area | 2,025 |
| Total | 15,700 |
| Napier. | |
| Napier Borough | 15,870 |
| Taradale Town District | 1,065 |
| Remainder of urban area | 1,975 |
| Total | 18,910 |
| Hastings. | |
| Hastings Borough | 10,465 |
| Havelock North Town District | 1,260 |
| Remainder of urban area | 2,865 |
| Total | 14,590 |
| New Plymouth. | |
| New Plymouth Borough | 14,010 |
| Remainder of urban area | 1,350 |
| Total | 15,360 |
| Wanganui. | |
| Wanganui City | 23,745 |
| Remainder of urban area | 2,195 |
| Total | 25,940 |
| Palmerston North. | |
| Palmerston North Borough | 17,925 |
| Remainder of urban area | 1,315 |
| Total | 19,240 |
| Nelson. | |
| Nelson City | 10,135 |
| Tahunanui Town District | 585 |
| Remainder of urban area | 930 |
| Total | 11,650 |
| Timaru. | |
| Timaru Borough | 15,605 |
| Remainder of urban area | 1,505 |
| Total | 17,110 |
| Invercargill. | |
| Invercargill Borough | 16,840 |
| South Invercargill Borough | 1,975 |
| Remainder of urban area | 2,175 |
| Total | 20,990 |
(NOTE.—The column headed “Administrative” does not include boroughs or town districts independent of county control, but includes dependent town districts. The heading “Geographic” includes all cities, boroughs, or town districts geographically situated in a county.)
| County. | Population (excluding Maoris). | |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative. | Geographic. | |
| North Island— | ||
| Mongonui | 3,520 | 4,160 |
| Whangaroa | 965 | 965 |
| Hokianga | 2,915 | 2,915 |
| Bay of Islands | 4,575 | 4,575 |
| Whangarei | 9,175 | 15,395 |
| Hobson | 5,085 | 7,265 |
| Otamatea | 3,985 | 3,985 |
| Rodney | 3,495 | 3,920 |
| Waitemata | 9,240 | 33,733 |
| Eden | 12,730 | 152,075 |
| Great Barrier | 240 | 240 |
| Manukau | 6,530 | 14,185 |
| Franklin | 10,325 | 13,885 |
| Raglan | 5,125 | 5,125 |
| Waikato | 8,760 | 27,425 |
| Waipa | 8,920 | 12,405 |
| Otorohanga | 2,890 | 3,480 |
| Kawhia | 1,120 | 1,120 |
| Waitomo | 5,055 | 7,470 |
| Taumarunui | 1,060 | 3,405 |
| Matamata | 5,400 | 6,360 |
| Piako | 6,655 | 10,545 |
| Ohinemuri | 2,725 | 8,335 |
| Hauraki Plains | 3,255 | 3,255 |
| Thames | 1,820 | 6,780 |
| Coromandel | 2,110 | 2,110 |
| Tauranga | 4,965 | 8,425 |
| Rotorua | 2,130 | 6,540 |
| Taupo | 830 | 830 |
| Whakatane | 3,270 | 5,085 |
| Opotiki | 2,175 | 3,355 |
| Matakaoa | 680 | 680 |
| Waiapu | 1,785 | 1,785 |
| Uawa | 970 | 970 |
| Waikohu | 3,370 | 3,370 |
| Cook | 6,175 | 19,850 |
| Wairoa | 2,525 | 4,690 |
| Hawke's Bay | 12,325 | 40,985 |
| Waipawa | 3,330 | 4,490 |
| Waipukurau | 1,050 | 2,635 |
| Patangata | 2,135 | 2,135 |
| Dannevirke | 4,720 | 8,815 |
| Woodville | 1,900 | 3,090 |
| Weber | 430 | 430 |
| Ohura | 2,855 | 2,855 |
| Whangamomona | 1,315 | 1,315 |
| Clifton | 2,140 | 2,140 |
| Taranaki | 5,205 | 20,875 |
| Inglewood | 3,230 | 4,475 |
| Egmont | 2,770 | 3,350 |
| Stratford | 5,290 | 8,510 |
| Eltham | 3,650 | 5,800 |
| Waimate West | 2,460 | 3,120 |
| Hawera | 5,115 | 10,145 |
| Patea | 3,280 | 5,140 |
| Kaitieke | 3,095 | 3,955 |
| Waimarino | 3,240 | 6,345 |
| Waitotara | 2,965 | 26,710 |
| Wanganui | 2,690 | 2,690 |
| Rangitikei | 8,670 | 15,065 |
| Kiwitea | 2,465 | 2,465 |
| Pohangina | 1,365 | 1,365 |
| Oroua | 3,725 | 8,515 |
| Manawatu | 4,530 | 6,250 |
| Kairanga | 5,035 | 22,960 |
| Horowhenua | 5,680 | 10,245 |
| Pahiatua | 3,125 | 4,500 |
| Akitio | 1,210 | 1,210 |
| Eketahuna | 2,190 | 3,090 |
| Mauriceville | 840 | 840 |
| Masterton | 2,980 | 11,555 |
| Castlepoint | 550 | 550 |
| Wairarapa South | 3,095 | 4,860 |
| Featherston | 3,590 | 6,895 |
| Hutt | 7,450 | 26,465 |
| Makara | 3,415 | 101,875 |
| Total | 291,655 | 809,405 |
| South Island— | ||
| Sounds | 1,030 | 1,030 |
| Marlborough | 7,920 | 14,190 |
| Awatere | 1,740 | 1,740 |
| Kaikoura | 2,265 | 2,265 |
| Amuri | 2,200 | 2,200 |
| Cheviot | 1,240 | 1,240 |
| Waimea | 9,720 | 23,045 |
| Takaka | 1,995 | 1,995 |
| Collingwood | 1,110 | 1,110 |
| Buller | 5,535 | 9,365 |
| Murchison | 1,360 | 1,360 |
| Inangahua | 3,545 | 3,545 |
| Grey | 5,395 | 12,275 |
| Westland | 4,345 | 7,750 |
| Waipara | 2,440 | 2,440 |
| Kowai | 2,080 | 2,080 |
| Ashley | 845 | 845 |
| Rangiora | 3,180 | 5,300 |
| Eyre | 1,985 | 3,730 |
| Oxford | 1,805 | 1,805 |
| Tawera | 955 | 955 |
| Malvern | 3,055 | 3,055 |
| Paparua | 5,410 | 5,410 |
| Waimairi | 11,565 | 15,995 |
| Heathcote | 4,100 | 99,472 |
| Halswell | 1,805 | 1,805 |
| Mount Herbert | 460 | 460 |
| Akaroa | 1,790 | 2,440 |
| Chatham Islands | 220 | 220 |
| Wairewa | 1,045 | 1,045 |
| Springs | 1,895 | 1,895 |
| Ellesmere | 3,470 | 4,065 |
| Selwyn | 1,595 | 1,595 |
| Ashburton | 12,490 | 18,425 |
| Geraldine | 5,925 | 8,825 |
| Levels | 5,395 | 21,575 |
| Mackenzie | 3,275 | 3,275 |
| Waimate | 7,1335 | 9,845 |
| Waitaki | 10,015 | 17,580 |
| Waihemo | 1,430 | 2,255 |
| Waikouaiti | 4,240 | 9,220 |
| Peninsula | 1,795 | 1,795 |
| Taieri | 5,805 | 78,840 |
| Bruce | 4,810 | 7,985 |
| Clutha | 7,455 | 8,990 |
| Tuapeka | 4,955 | 6,365 |
| Maniototo | 2,665 | 2,855 |
| Vincent | 3,835 | 5,190 |
| Lake | 1,630 | 2,735 |
| Southland | 25,870 | 53,500 |
| Wallace | 9,190 | 11,410 |
| Fiord | 10 | 10 |
| Stewart Island | 445 | 445 |
| Total | 217,970 | 508,842 |
| Grand total | 509,625 | 1,318,247 |
| Borough. | Population (excluding Maoris). |
|---|---|
| North Island— | |
| Whangarei | 5,250 |
| Dargaville | 2,180 |
| Birkenhead | 2,805 |
| Northcote | 2,310 |
| Takapuna | 5,275 |
| Devonport | 9,745 |
| Auckland (City) | 90,540 |
| Avondale | 4,000 |
| Newmarket | 3,165 |
| Mount Eden | 16,790 |
| Mount Albert | 14,510 |
| Onehunga | 8,360 |
| Otahuhu | 3,245 |
| Pukekohe | 2,195 |
| Ngaruawahia | 1,200 |
| Hamilton | 14,525 |
| Cambridge | 2,315 |
| Te Awamutu | 1,720 |
| Te Kuiti | 2,415 |
| Taumarunui | 2,345 |
| Morrinsville | 1,530 |
| Te Aroha | 2,360 |
| Paeroa | 1,765 |
| Waihi | 3,815 |
| Thames | 4,960 |
| Tauranga | 2,535 |
| Rotorua | 4,410 |
| Whakatane | 1,816 |
| Opotiki | 1,180 |
| Gisborne | 13,675 |
| Wairoa | 2,165 |
| Napier | 15,870 |
| Hastings | 10,465 |
| Waipawa | 1,160 |
| Waipukurau | 1,586 |
| Dannevirke | 4,095 |
| Woodville | 1,190 |
| Waitara | 1,660 |
| New Plymouth | 14,010 |
| Inglewood | 1,245 |
| Stratford | 3,220 |
| Eltham | 2,150 |
| Hawera | 5,030 |
| Patea | 1,200 |
| Ohakune | 1,630 |
| Raetihi | 1,045 |
| Taihape | 2,220 |
| Wanganui (City) | 23,745 |
| Morton | 2,665 |
| Feilding | 4,790 |
| Palmerston North | 17,925 |
| Foxton | 1,720 |
| Shannon | 1,065 |
| Levin | 2,250 |
| Otaki | 1,250 |
| Pahiatua | 1,375 |
| Eketahuna | 900 |
| Masterton | 8,575 |
| Carterton | 1,765 |
| Greytown | 1,230 |
| Featherston | 1,090 |
| Lower Hutt | 6,770 |
| Petone | 8,740 |
| Eastbourne | 1,735 |
| Wellington (City) | 97,370 |
| Total | 487,865 |
| South Island— | |
| Picton | 1,420 |
| Blenheim | 4,850 |
| Nelson (City) | 10,135 |
| Richmond | 1,105 |
| Motueka | 1,500 |
| Westport | 3,830 |
| Brunner | 530 |
| Runanga | 1,265 |
| Greymouth | 5,085 |
| Kumara | 475 |
| Hokitika | 2,465 |
| Ross | 465 |
| Rangiora | 2,120 |
| Kaiapoi | 1,745 |
| Christchurch (City) | 83,247 |
| Riccarton | 4,430 |
| New Brighton | 4,950 |
| Sumner | 3,310 |
| Lyttelton | 3,865 |
| Akaroa | 650 |
| Ashburton | 5,215 |
| Geraldine | 1,030 |
| Temuka | 1,870 |
| Timaru | 15,605 |
| Waimate | 2,210 |
| Oamaru | 7,245 |
| Hampden | 320 |
| Palmerston | 825 |
| Waikouaiti | 610 |
| Port Chalmers | 2,610 |
| West Harbour | 1,760 |
| Dunedin (City) | 62,315 |
| St. Kilda | 6,845 |
| Green Island | 2,030 |
| Mosgiel | 1,845 |
| Milton | 1,430 |
| Kaitangata | 1,745 |
| Balclutha | 1,535 |
| Tapanui | 290 |
| Lawrence | 700 |
| Roxburgh | 420 |
| Naseby | 90 |
| Alexandra | 715 |
| Cromwell | 640 |
| Arrowtown | 315 |
| Queenstown | 790 |
| Gore | 3,825 |
| Mataura | 1,230 |
| Winton | 810 |
| Invercargill | 16,840 |
| South Invercargill | 1,975 |
| Bluff | 1,615 |
| Riverton | 890 |
| Total | 285,732 |
| Grand total | 773,597 |
| Town District. | Population (excluding Maoris). |
|---|---|
| (a.) Town Districts not forming Parts of Counties. | |
| North Island— | |
| Kaitaia. | 640 |
| Hikurangi | 970 |
| Warkworth | 425 |
| Helensville | 955 |
| Henderson | 715 |
| Glen Eden | 750 |
| New Lynn | 1,940 |
| Ellerslie | 1,980 |
| Howick | 525 |
| Papatoetoe | 1,490 |
| Manurewa | 1,025 |
| Papakura | 1,370 |
| Waiuku | 805 |
| Tuakau | 560 |
| Huntly | 1,825 |
| Leamington | 565 |
| Otorohanga | 590 |
| Manunui | 860 |
| Matamata | 960 |
| Te Puke | 925 |
| Taradale | 1,065 |
| Havelock North | 1,260 |
| Opunake | 580 |
| Manaia | 660 |
| Rangataua | 430 |
| Mangaweka | 350 |
| Hunterville | 645 |
| Waverley | 660 |
| Bull's | 515 |
| Martinborough | 985 |
| Upper Hutt | 1,770 |
| Johnsonville | 1,090 |
| Total | 29,885 |
| South Island— | |
| Tahunanui | 585 |
| Leeston | 595 |
| Tinwald | 720 |
| Pleasant Point | 575 |
| Lumsden | 625 |
| Wyndham | 710 |
| Otautau | 765 |
| Nightcaps | 565 |
| Total | 5,140 |
| Grand total | 35,025 |
| (b.) Town Districts forming Parts of Counties. | |
| North Island— | |
| Kohukohu | 330 |
| Rawene | 320 |
| Russell | 340 |
| Kawakawa | 405 |
| Kaikohe | 365 |
| Kamo | 460 |
| Onerahi | 415 |
| Mercer | 325 |
| Raglan | 355 |
| Ohaupo | 280 |
| Kihikihi | 275 |
| Kawhia | 205 |
| Turua | 390 |
| Patutahi | 310 |
| Te Karaka | 345 |
| Otane | 351 |
| Norsewood | 165 |
| Ormondville | 330 |
| Ohura | 205 |
| Kaponga | 430 |
| Normanby | 370 |
| Leth bridge | 265 |
| Rongotea | 300 |
| Total | 7,536 |
| South Island— | |
| Havelock | 250 |
| Takaka | 420 |
| Cobden | 1,125 |
| Amberley | 350 |
| Southbridge | 435 |
| Outram | 345 |
| Clinton | 445 |
| Edendale | 400 |
| Total | 3,770 |
| Grand total | 11,306 |
New Zealand has numerous townships and more or less closely settled rural localities with considerable population, but without local self-government as boroughs or town districts. A list of such townships, &c. (other than those included in urban areas), with more than 500 inhabitants, as at the census of 17th April, 1921, is here given. In each case the population quoted covers not only the township proper or the centre of the locality but also the immediate vicinity.
| Aorangi | 522 |
| Ashhurst | 762 |
| Auroa | 513 |
| Blackball | 804 |
| Bunnythorpe | 754 |
| Clevedon | 546 |
| Clive | 648 |
| Coromandel | 801 |
| Denniston | 566 |
| Dunsandel | 539 |
| Flat Creek | 538 |
| Granity | 641 |
| Halcombe | 639 |
| Kaikoura | 619 |
| Kakahi | 579 |
| Kimbolton | 576 |
| Lincoln | 500 |
| Makarewa | 611 |
| Mamaku | 569 |
| Manawaru | 525 |
| Mangatainoka | 552 |
| Matangi | 561 |
| Maungaturoto | 504 |
| Methven | 1,141 |
| Midhirst | 674 |
| Millerton | 672 |
| Morven | 536 |
| Nolantown | 541 |
| Okaiawa | 618 |
| Orepuki | 721 |
| Ormond | 537 |
| Owaka | 600 |
| Owhango | 703 |
| Oxford | 1,022 |
| Porirua | 1,813 |
| Prebbleton | 534 |
| Putaruru | 654 |
| Rakaia | 966 |
| Reefton | 1,603 |
| Riwaka | 737 |
| Seacliff | 1,433 |
| Springston | 560 |
| Tariki | 514 |
| Taupiri | 542 |
| Te Kopuru | 667 |
| Templeton | 781 |
| Te Rapa | 517 |
| Toko | 542 |
| Tokomaru | 547 |
| Trentham | 1,051 |
| Tuatapere | 723 |
| Waihou | 709 |
| Waikari | 520 |
| Waikino | 560 |
| Waipu | 518 |
| Waitati | 634 |
| Wakefield | 787 |
| Weraroa | 528 |
Adjacent to the main Islands are many smaller islands, some of which are of considerable area, and are under cultivation; others are but islets used as sites for lighthouses, while others again are barren and unfitted for human habitation. Some of these islands are included within the boundaries of counties, and their populations are included in the county figures. The following adjacent islands not attached to any county were inhabited at the census of 1921:—
| Island. | Population (excluding Maoris). | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | Total. | |
| Pakatoa | 1 | 23 | 24 |
| Rotoroa | 71 | 14 | 85 |
| Little Barrier | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Tiritiri | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| Rakino | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Brown's | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Pahiki | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| Mokohinau | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Ponui | 9 | 16 | 25 |
| Waiheke | 119 | 123 | 242 |
| Rangitoto | 53 | 28 | 81 |
| Motutapu | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| Motuihi | 16 | 3 | 19 |
| Kawau | 21 | 17 | 38 |
| Motuhora | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Moturekareka | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Motuketekete | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Rangiahua | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Puketutu | 9 | 12 | 21 |
| Slipper | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Cuvier | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Great Mercury | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Motiti | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| East Cape | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Kapiti | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Somes | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Arapawa | 32 | 30 | 62 |
| Long Island | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Maud | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Forsyth | 10 | 5 | 15 |
| Blumine | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Motuanauru | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Brothers | 3 | .. | 3 |
| D'Urville | 47 | 25 | 72 |
| Stephen | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| Quarantine | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Dog | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Centre | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Totals | 485 | 357 | 842 |
The total area of the Dominion of New Zealand, including Cook and other annexed islands, is 103,861 square miles. Omitting the annexed islands and certain uninhabited outlying islands, the area of the land-mass remaining is 103,285 square miles. This calculation, it should be explained, includes all inland waters.
Using the latter figure as a base, the density of population may be quoted as 12.83 persons to the square mile, or, if Maoris be included, 13.36 persons to the square mile.
A truer statement of average density can be ascertained by applying not the total area as used above, but subtracting the area occupied by rivers, lakes, roads, State forests, higher portions of mountain-ranges, &c. The remaining area, amounting to about 84,500 square miles, which may be considered as the total inhabitable or usable land, carries a population of approximately 16 persons to the square mile.
Reverting to the area first used above, as being the one in common use for this purpose, the progress of development is illustrated in the appended statement:—
| — | Persons to Square Mile. | |
|---|---|---|
| Excluding Maoris. | Including Maoris. | |
| 1881 | 4.74 | 5.17 |
| 1886 | 5.60 | 6.01 |
| 1891 | 6.07 | 6.47 |
| 1896 | 6.81 | 7.20 |
| 1901 | 7.48 | 7.90 |
| 1906 | 8.60 | 9.07 |
| 1911 | 9.76 | 10.25 |
| 1916 | 10.64 | 11.13 |
| 1921 | 11.80 | 12.31 |
| 1925 | 12.83 | 13.36 |
Of interest also is the relative distribution of the population, and to this end the density is quoted for provincial districts as at 31st March, 1925:—
| Provincial District. | Persons per Square Mile. | |
|---|---|---|
| Excluding Maoris. | Including Maoris. | |
| Auckland | 16.25 | 17.83 |
| Taranaki | 17.85 | 18.69 |
| Hawke's Bay | 15.59 | 16.32 |
| Wellington | 24.96 | 25.52 |
| Marlborough | 4.58 | 4.71 |
| Nelson | 4.54 | 4.55 |
| Westland | 3.05 | 3.07 |
| Canterbury | 15.68 | 15.75 |
| Otago—Otago portion | 10.33 | 10.34 |
| Southland portion | 5.78 | 5.81 |
| Dominion | 12.83 | 13.36 |
The South Island provinces, it should be noted, contain on an average much more mountainous country than those of the North Island.
The various cities, boroughs, and town districts in New Zealand occupy a total of approximately 510 square miles. Considering their population as “urban,” the urban population has a density of 1,607.7 per square mile, and the rural population a density of 4.9 per square mile.
A useful comparison is possible with various countries from the succeeding table. Inasmuch, however, as the geographical character of countries varies, the real density may differ largely from the nominal.
| Persons per Square Mile. | |
|---|---|
* Inclusive of Maoris. | |
| Newfoundland (1923) | 1.58 |
| Australia (1924) | 1.96 |
| Canada (1924) | 2.47 |
| New Zealand (1925) | 13.36* |
| Union of South Africa (1924) | 14.67 |
| Norway (1920) | 21.20 |
| Sweden (1923) | 34.70 |
| United States (192) | 34.93 |
| China (1923) | 101.91 |
| Spain (1923) | 111.70 |
| France (1921) | 184.38 |
| Denmark (1921) | 196.81 |
| India (1921) | 225.72 |
| Switzerland (1920) | 242.90 |
| Japan (1923) | 309.52 |
| Germany (1919) | 328.48 |
| Italy (1924) | 331.54 |
| Great Britain (1924) | 489.98 |
| Netherlands (1923) | 573.00 |
| Belgium (1923) | 652.32 |
While not directly constituting a division of population statistics, the subject of buildings, and in particular housing, is so closely cognate to it that it must be treated under the same head. Fuller statistical treatment of building operations from various aspects is presented in the Census volume on “Dwellings,” and in the “Annual Statistical Import on Population and Buildings.”
According to the census enumerations of 1916 and of 1921 the number of inhabited dwellings, exclusive of those occupied by Maoris, was—
| Census, 1916. | Census, 1921. | |
|---|---|---|
| Private dwelling | 229,423 | 250,074 |
| Tenement in private dwelling | 8,643 | 9,973 |
| Hotel | 1,220 | 1,322 |
| Boardinghouse | 3,009 | 3,846 |
| Religious institution | 118 | 127 |
| Educational institution | 147 | 144 |
| Charitable institution | 95 | 119 |
| Hospital | 298 | 437 |
| Prison | 27 | 50 |
| Other | 106 | 443 |
| Totals | 243,086 | 266,535 |
The number of persons per inhabited building in 1916 was 4.52, and in 1921 was 4.57. Considering only inhabited private dwellings and tenements, the figures are— 1916. 4.25; 1921, 4.27.
Building statistics are now collected annually for all cities, boroughs, and town districts. A summary of building permits issued for the last three years is quoted.
| 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1921-25. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private dwellings,— | |||
| New buildings— | |||
| Number | 5,025 | 6,245 | 5,805 |
| Value | £3,960,513 | £5,046,893 | £4,916,425 |
| Value of alterations and additions | £435,620 | £783,864 | £755,126 |
| Business premises,— | |||
| New buildings— | |||
| Number | 942 | 1,042 | 907 |
| Value | £1,455,038 | £1,884,859 | £1,876,696 |
| Value of alterations and additions | £364,006 | £456,229 | £583,266 |
| Total, including other buildings,— | |||
| New buildings— | |||
| Number | 6,563 | 7,804 | 6,907 |
| Value | £6,124,439 | £7,708,933 | £7,823,331 |
| Value of alterations and additions | £977,242 | £1,437,546 | £1,480,829 |
The average value of private dwellings erected was £725 in 1921-22, £788 in 1922-23, £811 in 1923-24, and £847 in 1924-25. For business premises corresponding figures are £987 (1921-22), £1,546 (1922-23), £1,818 (1923-24). and £2,069 (1924-25). The total value of building permits issued in 1924-25 (£9,304,160) constituted a record for the four years for which figures have been compiled. The number of new buildings is, however, less than in the year preceding.
Of the £4,916,425 representing the cost of new dwellings contemplated in 1924-25, £3,712,045 was designed for wooden residences and £569,325 for houses in other materials. This excludes cases where the material was unspecified. The proportion of wooden houses shows a slight tendency towards a decrease.
The following figures show the total value of all buildings or alterations for which permits were issued (including also Government operations) in towns where a level of £100,000 was exceeded:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Auckland City | 1,575,377 |
| Wellington City | 1,060,137 |
| Christchurch City | 837,100 |
| Dunedin City | 752,673 |
| Mount Albert Borough | 358,366 |
| Wanganui City | 314,181 |
| Palmerston North Borough | 266,042 |
| New Plymouth Borough | 261,550 |
| Invercargill Borough | 233,651 |
| Mount Eden Borough | 186,559 |
| Hamilton Borough | 163,823 |
| Timaru Borough | 151,005 |
| Onehunga Borough | 150,333 |
| Hastings Borough | 147,431 |
| Napier Borough | 133,891 |
| Takapuna Borough | 132,532 |
| Lower Mutt Borough | 124,929 |
| Whangarei Borough | 119,293 |
In reference to the severe housing shortage which has prevailed for some years it is worthy of notice that the houses for which permits were issued during the year ended 31st March, 1925. would, at 4.27 persons per house, provide accommodation for approximately 24,750 people. The actual increase in the total population of cities, boroughs, and town districts during the year (exclusive of net absorptions from rural districts) is estimated at 25,000. It would seem from the foregoing that the shortage has not been alleviated by the year's operations. Allowance must be made for houses destroyed by fire or otherwise demolished, and also for a small percentage of cases where houses were not built although permits were obtained.
A census of the Maori population is taken every five years, the information being obtained by the collectors either directly or through the chief or head of the tribe or hapu. The name, sex, and age, so far as can be ascertained, of each Maori are entered; but, owing to the nomadic habits of the race and lack of definite knowledge in some particulars, it has been a difficult task in the past. The results of the last seven enumerations are as follows:—
| Census Year. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | 22,861 | 19,132 | 41,993 |
| 1896 | 21,673 | 18,181 | 39,854 |
| 1901 | 23,112 | 20,031 | 43,143 |
| 1906 | 25,538 | 22,193 | 47,731 |
| 1911 | 26,475 | 23,369 | 49,844 |
| 1916 | 25,933 | 23,843 | 49,776 |
| 1921 | 27,908 | 24,843 | 52,751 |
While it is probable that in the earlier years covered by the table there was a slight understatement of numbers, yet a comparison of the figures for the last three or four censuses establishes the fact that the Maori race retains its virility and is on the increase. The position is the more satisfactory in that it presents an almost unique spectacle of a Native race living with a white race of overwhelmingly superior numbers and yet able to preserve its own individuality and strength.
Further evidence on the subject is borne by the following table, which shows the increasing proportion of children under fifteen years of age:—
| Census Year. | Males. | Females. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15. | Over 15. | Under 15. | Over 15. | |
| 1891 | 33.22 | 66.78 | 35.22 | 64.78 |
| 1896 | 35.28 | 64.72 | 36.82 | 63.18 |
| 1901 | 35.75 | 64.25 | 37.89 | 62.11 |
| 1906 | 38.26 | 61.74 | 39.20 | 60.80 |
| 1911 | 39.10 | 60.90 | 40.97 | 59.03 |
| 1916 | 41.35 | 58.65 | 41.43 | 58.57 |
| 1921 | 39.48 | 60.52 | 40.56 | 59.44 |
The number of half-castes is given in the next table for seven census periods. Those under the first heading are included in the Maori totals, the others being classed among the European population. It is a matter of some difficulty to ascertain the number of half-castes living as Maoris. There has been no definite rule to guide collectors in deciding when a half-caste should be classified as living as a Maori—indeed, it might be said that all the half-castes and a large proportion of the Maoris in the South Island live in European fashion. They mostly have separate holdings of land and separate homes, and have adopted the habits of the Europeans. At the censuses of 1916 and 1921 the old method of enumerating the South Island Maoris was discarded, the same methods and forms being utilized as for the European population. By the census of 1926 it is hoped that much of the necessity for distinction between the two races will have disappeared.
| Census Year. | Halt-castes. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living as Members of Maori Tribes. | Living as and among Europeans. | ||
| 1891 | 2,681 | 2,184 | 4,865 |
| 1896 | 3,503 | 2,259 | 5,762 |
| 1901 | 3,133 | 2,406 | 5,539 |
| 1906 | 3,938 | 2,578 | 6,516 |
| 1911 | 4,181 | 2,879 | 7,060 |
| 1916 | 3,529 | 3,221 | 6,750 |
| 1921 | 3,116 | 4,236 | 7,352 |
Estimates of the Maori population are now prepared quarterly, and a summary of recent data is quoted below:—
| — | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maori population as at 31st December, 1924 | 28,581 | 25,648 | 54,229 |
| Maori population as at 31st March, 1925 | 28,684 | 25,766 | 54,450 |
| Mean Maori population, 1924 | 28,468 | 25,515 | 53,983 |
| Mean Maori population, 1924-25 | 28,521 | 25,578 | 54,099 |
During the year 1901 the boundaries of the Dominion were extended to include the Cook Group and certain other of the South Pacific islands. No record of the population of these islands was then obtainable, but at each subsequent census a record of various particulars was obtained. In April, 1921, the population was 13,209, of whom 12,849 were Natives. The figures for each census from 1906 onwards are as follows:—
| Census Year. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | 6,224 | 6,116 | 12,340 |
| 1911 | 6,449 | 6,149 | 12,593 |
| 1916 | 6,553 | 6,244 | 12,797 |
| 1921 | 6,692 | 6,517 | 13,209 |
As in the case of Maoris, quarterly estimates of population are now prepared for the Cook Islands. Figures for the last year are—
| — | Cook Islands and Northern Group. | Niue. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males | Females. | Total. | |
| Population at 31st December, 1924 | 5,163 | 4,736 | 9,899 | 1,817 | 2,023 | 3,840 |
| Mean population, 1924 | 5,128 | 4,682 | 9,810 | 1,797 | 2,012 | 3,809 |
| Population at 31st March, 1925 | 5,161 | 4,716 | 9,877 | 1,822 | 2,028 | 3,850 |
| Mean population, 1924-25 | 5,144 | 4,703 | 9,847 | 1,807 | 2,018 | 3,825 |
At the census of 17th April, 1921, the population of the mandated territory of Western Samoa was 36,343, made up as follows:—
| — | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| European population | 1,128 | 938 | 2,066 |
| Native Samoan population | 16,568 | 15,954 | 32,522 |
| Chinese indentured-contract labour | 1,290 | .. | 1,290 |
| Melanesian and Polynesian indentured-contract labour | 456 | 9 | 465 |
| Totals | 19,442 | 16,901 | 36,343 |
It should be explained that what is for the sake of convenience called the “European” population includes also those Chinese, South-Sea-Islanders, &c., who are not indentured-contract labourers.
A proper comparison with previous enumerations is not possible, owing to indentured-contract labour not having been included in these. A census taken in July, 1917, showed the European population to then number 1,927, and the native Samoans 35,404. The latter have not yet fully recovered from the losses of the disastrous influenza epidemic of 1918-19.
Quarterly estimates of population are also prepared for the mandated territory of Western Samoa. Figures for the year 1924-25 are appended.
| — | Population, 31st December, 1924 | Population, 31st March, 1925. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| European and half-castes | 1,180 | 949 | 2,129 | 1,222 | 954 | 2,176 |
| Samoan natives | 17,663 | 17,164 | 34,817 | 17,795 | 17,345 | 35,140 |
| Chinese indentured labour | 727 | .. | 727 | 723 | .. | 723 |
| Chinese non-indentured labour | 29 | .. | 29 | 29 | .. | 29 |
| Melanesian and Polynesian indentured labour | 161 | 2 | 163 | 160 | 2 | 162 |
| 19,750 | 18,115 | 37,865 | 19,929 | 18,301 | 38,230 | |
| — | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean population of Western Samoa, 1924 | 19,606 | 17,834 | 37,440 |
| Mean population of Western Samoa, 1924-25 | 19,676 | 17,973 | 37,649 |
Table of Contents
REGISTRATION of births in New Zealand dates as far back as 1847, in which year was passed a Registration Ordinance which made provision for a record of births and deaths being kept by the State. Under this Ordinance many registrations were effected, some of births as far back as 1840. Compulsory registration did not, however, come into force until 1855.
The earlier Registration Acts and their amendments provided for very little information being given in the case of births, the register containing merely date and place of birth, name and sex of child, names of father and mother, and occupation of father. In 1875, however, a more comprehensive Registration Act was passed, under which information was recorded as to ages and birthplaces of parents, and in 1912 the sexes and ages of previous issue of the marriage were added to the items required to be shown in the birth entry.
The law as to registration of births is now embodied in the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1924, a consolidation of the then existing legislation. The provisions generally as to registration are that a birth may be registered within sixty-two days without fee. After sixty-two days and within six months a birth is registrable only after solemn declaration made before the Registrar by the parent or some person present at birth, and on payment of a late fee of 5s., which may, however, be remitted at the discretion of the Registrar-General. When six months have elapsed a birth may be registered with a Registrar of Births within one month after conviction of one of the responsible parties for neglect, but an information for such neglect must be laid within two years of date of birth. Power is given by the Act of 1924 for the Registrar-General to register an unregistered birth which occurred in New Zealand, irrespective of the time that may have elapsed, a fee of five shillings being payable and satisfactory evidence on oath and such other proof as the Registrar-General may deem necessary being required.
There is also provision in the Births and Deaths Registration Act for the re-registration of the births of adopted children, with particulars of the adopting parents in place of those of the natural parents.
Registration of still-births, previously not provided for, was made compulsory from the 1st March, 1913.
Although sixty-two days are allowed for the registration of a birth, it is compulsory to notify the birth to the Registrar within a much shorter interval—viz., forty-eight hours if in a city or borough, and twenty-one days in every other case.
In the successive Registration Acts special provision was made for exemption from the necessity of registration in the case of births and deaths of Maoris, though registration could be effected if desired. Section 20 of the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Act, 1912 (now section 60 of the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1924), empowered the making of regulations to provide for the registration of births and deaths of Maoris. Regulations were made accordingly, and Maori births and deaths became registrable as from the 1st March, 1913. The number of Registrars of Maori Births and Deaths in the Dominion is over 200, most of these being in the North Island, where the great majority of the Maori population is located. Every Native settlement of any size is within easy reach of one of these Registrars. Maori registrations are entered in a separate register, and the figures of births given in the following pages do not include those of Maoris, which are dealt with towards the end of this subsection.
The number of births registered in 1924 (28,014) is 47 more than the total for 1923 but 324 less than the figure for 1914, in spite of an increase of over 200,000 in population during the ten years. The rate per 1,000 of mean population (21.57) is lower than in any preceding year with the solitary exception of 1919, the rate for which was adversely affected by conditions brought about by the war.
The numbers and rates of births in each of the last twenty years are as follows:—
| Year. | Number. | Rate per 1,000. |
|---|---|---|
| 1905 | 23,682 | 27.22 |
| 1906 | 24,252 | 27.08 |
| 1907 | 25,094 | 27.30 |
| 1908 | 25,940 | 27.45 |
| 1909 | 26,524 | 27.29 |
| 1910 | 25,984 | 26.17 |
| 1911 | 26,354 | 25.97 |
| 1912 | 27,508 | 26.48 |
| 1913 | 27,935 | 26.14 |
| 1914 | 28,338 | 25.99 |
| 1915 | 27,850 | 25.33 |
| 1916 | 28,509 | 25.94 |
| 1917 | 28,239 | 25.69 |
| 1918 | 25,860 | 23.44 |
| 1919 | 24,483 | 21.42 |
| 1920 | 29,921 | 25.09 |
| 1921 | 28,567 | 23.34 |
| 1922 | 29,006 | 23.17 |
| 1923 | 27,967 | 21.94 |
| 1924 | 28,014 | 21.57 |
There is a noticeable fall in the rate in the later years of the period covered by the table, as compared with the earlier. This fall, however, is small when compared with the tremendous decline between the “seventies” and “nineties” disclosed by the following diagram, which shows also the course of the rates of deaths, natural increase, and marriages from 1855 to 1924:—
Comparisons of birth-rates over a series; of years or between different countries are usually made on the basis of the crude rates—i.e., the number of births per. 1,000 of the mean population, irrespective of sex or age.
The crude rates do not permit of allowance being made for variations in the proportion of women of the child-bearing ages, and it is advisable and of interest to supplement the table of crude rates with a computation of the legitimate-birth rate per 1,000 married women between 15 and 45 years of age, or the total-birth rate per 1,000 of all women of these ages. The following table gives both rates for New Zealand in each census year from 1878 onwards.
| Year. | Number of Women 15 and under 45. | Number of Births. | Birth-rate per 1,000 Women 15 and under 45. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Married. | Total. | Legitimate. | Total. | Legitimate. | Total. | |
| 1878 | 50,999 | 80,313 | 17,341 | 17,770 | 340.0 | 221.3 |
| 1881 | 57,461 | 96,144 | 18,198 | 18,732 | 315.0 | 194.8 |
| 1886 | 62,709 | 117,895 | 18,697 | 19,299 | 298.2 | 163.7 |
| 1891 | 63,172 | 131,271 | 17,635 | 18,273 | 279.2 | 139.2 |
| 1896 | 69,816 | 158,214 | 17,778 | 18,612 | 254.6 | 117.6 |
| 1901 | 79,420 | 183,387 | 19,554 | 20,491 | 246.2 | 111.7 |
| 1906 | 98,249 | 212,598 | 23,120 | 24,252 | 235.3 | 114.1 |
| 1911 | 119,390 | 240,714 | 25,276 | 26,354 | 211.7 | 109.5 |
| 1916 | 141,322 | 267,300 | 27,363 | 28,509 | 193.6 | 106.7 |
| 1921 | 150,400 | 288,477 | 27,309 | 28,567 | 181.6 | 99.0 |
The legitimate rate per 1,000 married women between the ages of 15 and 45 is seen to have fallen by nearly 50 per cent. between 1878 and 1921, while an even greater fall is shown for the total rate on the basis of all women of the ages mentioned. The greater fall in the latter rate than in the former is due to the fact that among women of the child-bearing ages, the proportion of married women is considerably lower nowadays than in the earlier years covered.
Women formerly married at younger ages in general than they do at present, and a study of the figures for successive censuses reveals considerable changes in the age-constitution of married women within the child-bearing ages. As the birth-rate varies with age, the change in age-constitution over the period is a factor which should be taken into account. For recent years statistics are available from which to calculate the birth-rate for women of different ages, and by applying the 1921 rate for each quinquennial age-group to the numbers of women in the corresponding groups in earlier years, it is possible to ascertain the total births that would have been recorded in these years on the basis of the rates ruling in 1921. From a comparison of the resultant figures with the numbers of births actually recorded in the respective years weighted index numbers can be compiled, taking the year 1921 as base. Index numbers are given below, together with the corresponding unweighted index numbers and those representing the crude rates.
(Base: 1921 = 1,000.)
| Year. | Crude Rate. | Legitimate Rate on Basis of Married Women 15 and under 45. | Total Rate on Basis of all Women 15 and under 45. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unweighted. | Weighted. | Unweighted. | Weighted. | ||
| 1878 | 1797 | 1872 | 1588 | 2235 | 2204 |
| 1881 | 1626 | 1735 | 1510 | 1968 | 1990 |
| 1886 | 1420 | 1642 | 1448 | 1654 | 1722 |
| 1891 | 1243 | 1537 | 1385 | 1406 | 1442 |
| 1896 | 1128 | 1402 | 1284 | 1188 | 1211 |
| 1901 | 1129 | 1356 | 1245 | 1128 | 1120 |
| 1906 | 1160 | 1296 | 1179 | 1153 | 1104 |
| 1911 | 1113 | 1166 | 1091 | 1106 | 1050 |
| 1916 | 1111 | 1066 | 1037 | 1078 | 1041 |
| 1921 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
A comparison of the five sets of index numbers shows that the fall in the rate is somewhat overstated by the crude-rate figures when compared with the rates for married women corrected for age-distribution. Even on this latter basis, however, the figures for which show the least fall, the birth-rate was over 50 per cent. higher forty years ago than it is now. The fall disclosed by the rates for all women between 15 and 45 is much greater than that shown for married women.
The effect of correcting the figures for age-distribution is seen to be very substantial in the case of the legitimate rate for married women, but insignificant in the case of the general rate for all women of the child-bearing ages. It is apparent that, while there have been considerable changes in the sex-constitution of the population and in the age-distribution of married women, there has been little movement in the age-distribution of women in general at the child-bearing ages.
Reference is made farther on in this subsection to the effect on the birth-rate in recent years of changes in the age-distribution of the male population since the war.
The effect of the declining birth-rate is shown in the following table giving the numbers of children under one year of age and the proportions which those numbers represent in the total population as recorded in past census years:—
| Total Population (all Ages). | Children under One Year. | Children under One Year per 1,000 of Population. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Census 1886 | 578,482 | 18,355 | 31.73 |
| census 1891 | 626,658 | 16,443 | 26.24 |
| census 1896 | 703,360 | 17,070 | 24.27 |
| census 1901 | 772,719 | 18,381 | 23.79 |
| census 1906 | 888,578 | 22,289 | 25.08 |
| census 1911 | 1,008,468 | 24,340 | 24.14 |
| census 1916 | 1,099,449 | 27,021 | 24.57 |
| census 1921 | 1,218,913 | 27,264 | 22.37 |
The decline of the birth-rate in New Zealand has been partially compensated for by a decrease in the death-rate. Nevertheless the rate of natural increase of population has fallen from 31.19 per 1,000 of mean population in 1870 to 13.28 in 1924. The following table shows the fall in all three rates:—
| Period. | Annual Rates per 1,000 living. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Births. | Deaths. | Natural Increase | |
* Four years. | |||
| 1871-1875 | 39.88 | 12.67 | 27.21 |
| 1876-1880 | 41.21 | 11.80 | 29.41 |
| 1881-1885 | 36.36 | 10.95 | 25.41 |
| 1886-1890 | 31.15 | 9.85 | 21.30 |
| 1891-1895 | 27.68 | 10.15 | 17.53 |
| 1896-1900 | 25.75 | 9.55 | 16.20 |
| 1901-1905 | 26.60 | 9.91 | 16.69 |
| 1906-1910 | 27.06 | 9.75 | 17.31 |
| 1911-1915 | 25.98 | 9.22 | 16.76 |
| 1916-1920 | 24.32 | 10.73 | 13.69 |
| 1921-1924* | 22.50 | 8.70 | 13.80 |
In spite of the fact that the birth-rate in New Zealand is low compared with other countries, yet so low is the Dominion's death-rate that New Zealand ranks high among the nations as regards the rate of natural increase.
The rates of births and of natural increase for the principal countries for which recent statistics are available are as follows:—
| Country. | Quinquennium. | Annual Rates per 1,000. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Births. | Natural Increase. | ||
* Exclusive of Quebec. † Registration area. ‡ Decrease. | |||
| Quebec | 1918-22 | 36.5 | 20.1 |
| South Africa | 1920-24 | 27.6 | 17.5 |
| Egypt | 1919-23 | 41.9 | 15.0 |
| Netherlands | 1919-23 | 26.4 | 14.9 |
| Australia | 1920-24 | 24.4 | 14.6 |
| Uruguay | 1919-23 | 26.3 | 14.3 |
| Canada* | 1920-24 | 25.0 | 14.2 |
| New Zealand | 1920-24 | 23.0 | 13.9 |
| Jamaica | 1919-23 | 36.9 | 12.6 |
| Norway | 1919-23 | 24.0 | 11.7 |
| Denmark | 1918-22 | 23.7 | 11.3 |
| Japan | 1919-23 | 34.4 | 11.2 |
| Italy | 1919-23 | 28.6 | 10.8 |
| Scotland | 1919-23 | 24.3 | 10.1 |
| United States† | 1918-22 | 23.5 | 10.0 |
| England & Wales | 1920-24 | 21.3 | 9.1 |
| Hungary | 1919-23 | 28.8 | 8.8 |
| Germany | 1919-23 | 23.6 | 8.4 |
| Spain | 1919-23 | 29.9 | 8.0 |
| Finland | 1919-23 | 23.2 | 7.8 |
| Sweden | 1919-23 | 20.6 | 7.7 |
| Northern Ireland | 1919-23 | 23.5 | 7.5 |
| Chile | 1918-22 | 38.5 | 7.1 |
| Ceylon | 1919-23 | 38.4 | 7.0 |
| Switzerland | 1918-22 | 19.7 | 5.0 |
| Irish Free State | 1919-23 | 19.4 | 4.9 |
| Portugal | 1917-21 | 29.7 | 4.1 |
| Belgium | 1918-22 | 18.4 | 2.9 |
| France | 1919-23 | 18.7 | 0.9 |
| Austria | 1918-22 | 20.0 | .. |
| British Guiana | 1919-23 | 30.1 | -0.8‡ |
For twenty years prior to 1885 the New Zealand birth-rate was higher than that of Australia, but in that year the positions were reversed, and except for the seven years 1903-9 the Australian rate has been somewhat higher than that of New Zealand. It is interesting to note that the rates of the two countries have shown practically the same movement, New Zealand, however, reaching in 1899, and Australia not till four years later, the temporary limit of the rapid fall which had been steadily in progress since the “seventies.” In each country the check in the decline of the birth-rate was succeeded by a moderate but steady rise for ten years, followed by a fall commencing in New Zealand in 1909 and in Australia in 1913, an interval of four years again separating the movements of the two countries. The movement over the last ten years is us follows:—
| State. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland | 29.35 | 27.59 | 28.96 | 28.00 | 25.85 | 27.15 | 26.64 | 25.59 | 24.89 | 23.87 |
| Now South Wales | 28.33 | 27.53 | 27.55 | 26.11 | 24.27 | 26.09 | 25.93 | 25.67 | 24.68 | 24.11 |
| Victoria | 24.55 | 24.20 | 23.40 | 22.19 | 21.47 | 23.95 | 2316 | 23.10 | 22.31 | 22.01 |
| South Australia | 26.81 | 26.84 | 25.62 | 25.16 | 23.62 | 24.72 | 24.08 | 23.71 | 22.60 | 21.88 |
| Western Australia | 27.97 | 27.37 | 25.76 | 23.06 | 21.68 | 24.69 | 23.39 | 23.94 | 22.55 | 23.09 |
| Tasmania | 29.32 | 29.03 | 27.68 | 26.64 | 25.91 | 27.29 | 26.98 | 27.08 | 26.27 | 25.07 |
| Commonwealth | 27.25 | 26.56 | 26.27 | 25.00 | 23.53 | 25.45 | 24.95 | .24.69 | 23.77 | 23.24 |
| New Zealand | 25.33 | 25.94 | 25.69 | 23.44 | 21.42 | 25.09 | 23.34 | 23.17 | 21.94 | 21.57 |
It is of interest to note the quarterly fluctuations in the numbers of births registered. Some fairly sharp movements are disclosed by the figures for the last ten years, the most noticeable being the sudden increase (consequent on the termination of the war) from 5,832 in the third quarter of 1919 to 6,454 in the fourth quarter of that year and 7,522 in the first quarter of the next year. The quarterly figures for each of the last ten years are—
| Year. | Quarter ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31st March. | 30th June. | 30th September. | 31st December. | |
| 1915 | 6,912 | 6,865 | 6,902 | 7,171 |
| 1916 | 6,837 | 7,064 | 7,431 | 7,177 |
| 1917 | 7,282 | 7,093 | 7,043 | 6,821 |
| 1918 | 6,354 | 6,647 | 6,526 | 6,333 |
| 1919 | 6,061 | 6,136 | 5,832 | 6,454 |
| 1920 | 7,522 | 7,405 | 7,684 | 7,310 |
| 1921 | 6,829 | 7,051 | 7,304 | 7,383 |
| 1922 | 7,444 | 7,220 | 7,318 | 7,024 |
| 1923 | 6,823 | 6,951 | 7,105 | 7,088 |
| 1924 | 7,081 | 6,583 | 7,159 | 7,191 |
The extreme range of quarterly totals over the ten years is from 5,832 in the third quarter of 1919 to 7,684 in the third quarter of 1920. The first-mentioned figure represented an annual rate of 20.15 per 1,000, and the second an annual rate of 25.56.
Urban areas have been created at each of the four chief centres and at ten of the more important secondary centres, each area including in addition to the central borough and any suburban boroughs a considerable non-municipalized area adjacent to and contingent on the centre. The creation of these areas allows of vital and other statistics being compiled over a series of years for a definite area with fixed boundaries, and obviates the disabilities formerly arising from frequent alterations of boundaries of boroughs. The birth statistics of urban areas for each of the last five years are as follows:—
| Urban Area. | Number of Births. | Rate per 1,000 of Mean Population. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* Not available. † Excluding Hamilton and Hastings. | ||||||||||
| Auckland | 3,260 | 3,178 | 3,162 | 3,205 | 3,387 | 22.17 | 20.15 | 19.23 | 19.10 | 19.58 |
| Wellington | 2,402 | 2,249 | 2,353 | 2,155 | 2,155 | 23.64 | 20.92 | 21.26 | 19.23 | 18.82 |
| Christchurch | 2,357 | 2,144 | 2,173 | 2,132 | 2,186 | 22.44 | 20.29 | 19.73 | 18.80 | 18.95 |
| Dunedin | 1,602 | 1,472 | 1,374 | 1,336 | 1,307 | 21.72 | 20.37 | 18.70 | 17.80 | 17.25 |
| Totals of principal areas | 9,621 | 9,043 | 9,062 | 8,828 | 9,035 | 22.51 | 20.41 | 19.74 | 18.85 | 18.88 |
| Hamilton | * | * | 384 | 412 | 443 | * | * | 25.69 | 26.84 | 27.48 |
| Gisborne | 349 | 369 | 358 | 343 | 338 | 23.82 | 25.54 | 23.99 | 22.69 | 22.00 |
| Napier | 452 | 372 | 351 | 348 | 388 | 27.22 | 21.64 | 19.86 | 19.47 | 21.31 |
| Hastings | * | * | 353 | 279 | 298 | * | * | 26.09 | 20.32 | 21.23 |
| New Plymouth | 390 | 320 | 339 | 312 | 362 | 35.27 | 25.31 | 25.09 | 22.40 | 25.12 |
| Wanganui | 600 | 586 | 528 | 527 | 522 | 27.02 | 24.91 | 21.85 | 21.55 | 20.89 |
| Palmerston North | 402 | 405 | 403 | 385 | 358 | 26.25 | 23.99 | 23.02 | 21.62 | 19.55 |
| Nelson | 225 | 224 | 216 | 242 | 206 | 21.47 | 21.07 | 19.85 | 21.53 | 18.07 |
| Timaru | 348 | 328 | 348 | 289 | 280 | 23.16 | 21.15 | 21.70 | 17.57 | 16.76 |
| Invercargill | 477 | 414 | 473 | 455 | 469 | 24.97 | 21.55 | 24.14 | 22.55 | 22.85 |
| Totals of secondary areas | 3,243† | 3,018† | 3,753 | 3,592 | 3,664 | 26.06† | 23.21† | 23.10 | 21.62 | 21.55 |
| Grand totals | 12,864† | 12,061† | 12,815 | 12,420 | 12,699 | 23.31† | 21.04† | 20.62 | 19.58 | 19.58 |
In most countries it is found that the cities and larger towns have a somewhat higher birth-rate than the general average of the country, owing largely if not entirely to the natural tendency for people in the country districts to avail themselves of the better medical and nursing facilities provided in the population centres. In New Zealand, however, the effect of this on the birth-rates of the urban areas is obviated by information as to the domicile of the parents being obtained in the case of all births registered in the areas, and the births allocated accordingly. The result is to give for each of the four principal areas a birth-rate somewhat lower than the Dominion average. The average rate for the ten secondary areas, however, varies little from that of the Dominion as a whole.
An examination of the figures shows that, with the exception of one year, there has always been a preponderance of males in the number of children born in New Zealand. The proportions are usually shown by stating the number of births of male children to every 1,000 female births. This number has been as high as 1,113 (in 1859), and as low as 991 (in 1860). The year 1923 had an exceptionally high proportion of male births—viz., 1,081 for every 1,000 female births. The figure for 1924 (1,042), however, is below the average of recent years.
But little significance can be attached to any figures prior to 1870, on account of the comparatively small number of births. The period preceding 1870 exhibits violent fluctuations in the proportion of males, which tend to disappear as the total of births grows larger. The extreme range since 1870 has been from 1,016 male per 1,000 female births in 1878 to 1,081 in 1923.
The number of births and their sex-proportion for twenty years are given below:—
| Year. | Number of Births of | Proportion of Births of Males to every 1,000 Females. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | ||
| 1905 | 12,109 | 11,573 | 1,046 |
| 1906 | 12,397 | 11,855 | 1,046 |
| 1907 | 12,835 | 12,259 | 1,047 |
| 1908 | 13,369 | 12,571 | 1,063 |
| 1909 | 13,502 | 13,022 | 1,037 |
| 1910 | 13,442 | 12,542 | 1,072 |
| 1911 | 13,532 | 12,522 | 1,055 |
| 1912 | 13,996 | 13,512 | 1,036 |
| 1913 | 14,433 | 13,502 | 1,069 |
| 1914 | 14,535 | 13,803 | 1,053 |
| 1915 | 14,415 | 13,435 | 1,073 |
| 1916 | 14,669 | 13,840 | 1,060 |
| 1917 | 14,329 | 13,910 | 1,030 |
| 1918 | 13,124 | 12,736 | 1,030 |
| 1919 | 12,587 | 11,896 | 1,058 |
| 1920 | 15,434 | 14,487 | 1,065 |
| 1921 | 14,576 | 13,991 | 1,042 |
| 1922 | 14,897 | 14,109 | 1,056 |
| 1923 | 14,531 | 13,436 | 1,081 |
| 1924 | 14,295 | 13,719 | 1,042 |
The gradual increase in the proportion of males born is illustrated by taking the average ratios of successive decennial periods. The apparent cessation in the increase, as shown by the figures for the nine-year period 1916-24, as compared with the preceding decennium is due to the low masculinity recorded in the last two war years, when (it may be remarked in passing) the proportion of first births to total births was abnormally low.
| Period. | Male Births to 1,000 Females. |
|---|---|
* Nine years. | |
| 1856-1865 | 1,062 |
| 1866-1875 | 1,043 |
| 1876-1885 | 1,045 |
| 1886-1895 | 1,045 |
| 1896-1905 | 1,054 |
| 1906-1915 | 1,055 |
| 1916-1924* | 1,052 |
It would appear that the proportion of males is somewhat higher for first births than for the general average of all children. Of 42,725 first births registered during the five years 1920-24 (excluding plural births), 22,173 were of males and 20,552 of females, the proportion of males per 1,000 females being 1,079. The high proportion does not appear to be due to the youth of the mothers, there being a lower rate in cases where the mother was between the ages of twenty and twenty-five than where the mother was between twenty-five and thirty-five. It should be added that in some of the groups the results for the five years, taken separately, do not altogether coincide.
The figures for various age-groups for the five years in conjunction are as follows:—
| Age of Mother, in Years. | Males. | Females. | Males per 1,000 Females. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 1,431 | 1,315 | 1,088 |
| 20 and under 25 | 8,319 | 7,838 | 1,061 |
| 25 and under 30 | 7,471 | 6,861 | 1,089 |
| 30 and under 35 | 3,394 | 3,049 | 1,113 |
| 35 and under 40 | 1,217 | 1,181 | 1,030 |
| 40 and over | 341 | 308 | 1,107 |
| Totals | 22,173 | 20,552 | 1,079 |
In the five years covered there were 407 plural first births, and in 153 cases the children were both males, in 123 both females, and in the remaining 131 of opposite sex. Triplets (all females) were recorded for one first birth during the period.
Further light on the question of sexes of children may be thrown by some figures extracted from the records of births registered in the six years 1919-24 in cases where the child was shown to be the fourth-born of a family in which the three previously born children were still living. In New Zealand the birth entries give particulars of numbers and sexes of previous issue of the parents, with the ages of the living issue, and the following interesting statement showing the sex-nativity order up to the fourth child has been compiled. Families in which plural births occurred among the first four children have been excluded.
| First-born. | Second-born. | Third-born. | Fourth-born. | Number of Cases. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Male | Male | Male | 999 |
| ” | ” | ” | Female | 945 |
| ” | ” | Female | Male | 910 |
| ” | ” | ” | Female | 880 |
| ” | Female | Male | Male | 832 |
| ” | ” | ” | Female | 775 |
| ” | ” | Female | Male | 849 |
| ” | ” | ” | Female | 824 |
| Female | Female | Female | Female | 758 |
| ” | ” | ” | Male | 790 |
| ” | ” | Male | Female | 816 |
| ” | ” | ” | Male | 831 |
| ” | Male | Female | Female | 731 |
| ” | ” | ” | Male | 802 |
| ” | ” | Male | Female | 815 |
| ” | ” | ” | Male | 856 |
Of the 13,413 families covered, in 7,014 the first child was a male and in 6,399 a female, the number of males per 1,000 females being thus 1,096. This proportion is considerably reduced for subsequent births, the figures being as follows:—
| Child. | Males. | Females. | Males per 1,000 Females. |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | 7,014 | 6,399 | 1,096 |
| Second | 6,938 | 6,475 | 1,072 |
| Third | 6,869 | 6,544 | 1,050 |
| Fourth | 6,869 | 6,544 | 1,050 |
It is interesting to note that not only are males in preponderance among firstborn, but also that in cases where the first-born is a male there appears to be a greater probability of the second child being a male also. Where the first-born is a female, however, the second child appears to have a more even prospect as to sex.
The numbers dealt with are small, and too much weight cannot be attached to the proportions. It is significant, however, that the figures of first-borns registered in the five years 1920-24, and those of first-borns in cases where the fourth child of the family was registered in the last six years, give similar results, and the two sets of figures taken in conjunction support the conclusion that there is a higher masculinity rate among first-born children than among later issue.
The conclusion arrived at by these figures, so far as they go, would serve to explain the increasing masculinity of births in successive decennia referred to previously, when it is remembered that the average number of children to a family has fallen heavily during the period, and the proportion of first-born children correspondingly increased.
The sex-proportions of illegitimate births are generally supposed to be more nearly equal than those of legitimate births. Although little reliance can be placed on the figures for New Zealand by reason of the small numbers represented, it may be stated that the average for the period 1915-24 was 1,022 males per 1,000 females—a rate considerably lower than that for all births (1,055) for the same period. The proportions in 1922 (1,089) and 1923 (1,156), however, were much higher than the proportions for all births, while the figure for 1924 (1,037) has again dropped below that for all births.
Counting only cases where both children were born alive, there were 296 cases of twin births (592 children) registered in 1924. There were also three cases of triplets.
The number of children born alive was 28,014; the number of mothers was 27,712: thus, on an average, one mother in every 93 gave birth to twins (or triplets), against one in 95 in 1923, one in 87 in 1922, and one in 80 in 1921.
The number of cases of multiple births and the proportion per 1,000 of the total cases of births during the last ten years were—
| Year. | Total Births. | Total Cases. | Cases of Twins. | Cases of Triplets. | Multiple Cases per 1,000 of Total Cases. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including one case of quadruplets. | |||||
| 1915 | 27,850 | 27,546 | 302 | 1 | 11.00 |
| 1916 | 28,509 | 28,184 | 323 | 1 | 11.50 |
| 1917 | 28,239 | 27,927 | 312 | .. | 11.17 |
| 1918 | 25,860 | 25,560 | 294 | 3 | 11.62 |
| 1919 | 24,483 | 24,206 | 270 | 3* | 11.15 |
| 1920 | 29,921 | 29,552 | 365 | 2 | 12.42 |
| 1921 | 28,567 | 28,210 | 347 | 5 | 12.48 |
| 1922 | 29,006 | 28,678 | 328 | .. | 11.44 |
| 1923 | 27,967 | 27,672 | 289 | 3 | 10.55 |
| 1924 | 28,014 | 27,712 | 296 | 3 | 10.79 |
The following table shows the sexes in individual cases of twin births for the last ten years:—
| Year. | Total Cases. | Both Males. | Both Females. | Opposite Sexes. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 302 | 93 | 88 | 121 |
| 1916 | 323 | 99 | 98 | 126 |
| 1917 | 312 | 90 | 105 | 117 |
| 1918 | 294 | 87 | 95 | 112 |
| 1919 | 270 | 81 | 79 | 110 |
| 1920 | 365 | 128 | 105 | 132 |
| 1921 | 347 | 125 | 90 | 132 |
| 1922 | 328 | 114 | 90 | 124 |
| 1923 | 289 | 110 | 90 | 89 |
| 1924 | 296 | 77 | 108 | 111 |
During the ten years 1915-24 there were twenty cases of triplets. In four cases all three children were males, in five cases all were females, in two cases there were two males and one female, and in each of the remaining nine cases two of the three children were females. There occurred in 1919 one case of quadruplets, all male children.
Information as to the relative ages of parents of legitimate living children whose births were registered in 1924 is shown in the following table:—
| Age of Mother, in Years. | Age of Father, in Years. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 21. | 21 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 35. | 35 and under 40. | 40 and under 45. | 45 and under 50. | 50 and under 55. | 55 and under 65 | 65 and over. | Total. | |
* Including twenty cases where plural births would have been registered had not one child been still-born. | |||||||||||
| Single Births. | |||||||||||
| 14 and under 15 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| 15 “ 16 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. |
| 16 “ 17 | 4 | 6 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 13 | .. |
| 17 “ 18 | 15 | 26 | 18 | 8 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 69 |
| 18 “ 19 | 41 | 88 | 68 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 213 |
| 19 “ 20 | 39 | 167 | 142 | 49 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 410 |
| 20 “ 21 | 35 | 262 | 214 | 65 | 23 | 8 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 610 |
| 21 “ 25 | 60 | 1,161 | 2,156 | 948 | 288 | 105 | 34 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 4,769 |
| 25 “ 30 | 6 | 387 | 2,929 | 2,606 | 1,310 | 423 | 124 | 39 | 16 | .. | 7,840 |
| 30 “ 35 | 2 | 41 | 571 | 2,281 | 2,089 | 1,018 | 278 | 75 | 20 | 3 | 6,378 |
| 35 “ 40 | 1 | 5 | 68 | 384 | 1,562 | 1,277 | 534 | 164 | 58 | 5 | 4,058 |
| 40 “ 45 | .. | .. | 4 | 32 | 211 | 624 | 495 | 186 | 53 | 9 | 1,614 |
| 45 “ 46 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 14 | 33 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 65 |
| 46 “ 47 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 34 |
| 47 “ 48 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 | 5 | 2 | .. | 13 |
| 48 “ 49 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11 |
| 49 “ 50 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 4 | .. |
| Totals | 205 | 2,144 | 6,174 | 6,383 | 5,497 | 3,484 | 1,528 | 507 | 161 | 22 | 26,105* |
| Multiple Birth. | |||||||||||
| 20 and under 21 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| 21 “ 25 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 6 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 37 | .. |
| 25 “ 30 | .. | 2 | 36 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 89 |
| 30 “ 35 | .. | .. | 7 | 37 | 24 | 11 | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | 83 |
| 35 “ 40 | .. | .. | 1 | 7 | 23 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 1 | .. | 59 |
| 40 “ 45 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | .. | 12 | .. |
| 45 “ 47 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 |
| Totals | 1 | 12 | 64 | 81 | 63 | 39 | 15 | 6 | 3 | .. | 284 |
| Grand totals | 206 | 2,156 | 6,238 | 6,464 | 5,560 | 3,523 | 1,543 | 513 | 164 | 22 | 26,389* |
An indication of the direct effect on the birth-rate caused by the loss of men in the war is obtained by a comparison of the above figures with similarly compiled figures for 1912, the first year for which such statistics are available. A summary is here given, showing for the two years the age-groups of the fathers and mothers of legitimate children whose births were registered in the respective years. Multiple-births are counted once only.
| Age-group. | Fathers. | Mothers. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912. | 1924. | 1912. | 1924. | |
| Under 21 | 81 | 206 | 1,107 | 1,321 |
| 21 and under 25 | 1,606 | 2,156 | 4,547 | 4,806 |
| 25 “ 30 | 6,452 | 6,238 | 8,166 | 7,929 |
| 30 “ 35 | 7,510 | 6,464 | 6,820 | 6,461 |
| 35 “ 40 | 6,457 | 5,560 | 3,888 | 4,117 |
| 40 and over | 4,900 | 5,765 | 1,478 | 1,755 |
| Totals | 26,006 | 26,389 | 26,006 | 26,389 |
A study of the individual age-groups shows in the case of the lathers a considerable decrease at ages 30 to 35, the group which at present is more particularly affected by the loss of men in the war. A smaller decrease is shown for the age-group 25 to 30, which also had its present numbers affected by the war. All other groups, however, show fairly substantial increases, amounting in the aggregate to 1,643, or 13.64 per cent., as compared with an increase of only 1.47 per cent. if all births are taken into account. The mean population for 1924 showed an increase of 24.99 per cent. over that for 1912.
It would appear that the considerable decrease in the birth-rate in the later year as compared with the earlier is partly accounted for by the loss of young men in the war, and to a less extent in the influenza epidemic, ft should be added that even in the age-groups which show increases war and epidemic losses have tended to restrict these increases, while, on the other hand, the post-war tendency (referred to in the next subsection) for men to marry younger would normally act in the opposite direction.
Information as to the previous issue of the parents is now required in connection with the registration of births. Tables are given showing for the year 1924 information as to number of previous issue in conjunction with (1) age of mother, and (2) duration of marriage.
(a.) Age of Mother and Number of Previous Issue.
| Age of Mother. | Number of Previous Issue. | Totals. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0. | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6 and under 10. | 10 and under 15. | 15 and over. | ||
* This number represents 26,105 single cases and 284 multiple cases. | ||||||||||
| 14 and under 15 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| 15 “ 16 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| 16 “ 17 | 13 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 13 |
| 17 “ 18 | 66 | 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 69 |
| 18 “ 19 | 187 | 25 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 213 |
| 19 “ 20 | 333 | 65 | 12 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 410 |
| 20 “ 21 | 453 | 134 | 22 | 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 612 |
| 21 “ 25 | 2,594 | 1,448 | 559 | 163 | 39 | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | 4,806 |
| 25 “ 30 | 2,602 | 2,339 | 1,621 | 771 | 343 | 175 | 77 | 1 | .. | 7,929 |
| 30 “ 35 | 1,172 | 1,508 | 1,357 | 950 | 601 | 376 | 489 | 8 | .. | 6,461 |
| 35 “ 40 | 425 | 605 | 700 | 605 | 513 | 412 | 757 | 103 | .. | 4,120 |
| 40 “ 45 | 127 | 130 | 159 | 211 | 192 | 180 | 480 | 140 | 4 | 1,623 |
| 45 “ 46 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 8 | .. | 68 |
| 46 “ 47 | 3 | .. | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 35 |
| 47 “ 48 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | .. | 13 |
| 43 “ 49 | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| 49 “ 50 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 4 |
| Totals | 7,984 | 6,262 | 4,443 | 2,711 | 1,703 | 1,163 | 1,844 | 273 | 6 | 26,389* |
(b.) Duration of Marriage and Number of Previous Issue.
| Duration of Marriage, in Years. | Number of Previous Issue. | Totals. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0. | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6 and under 10. | 10 and under 15. | 15 and over. | ||
* This number represents 26,105 single eases and 284 multiple cases. | ||||||||||
| Under 1 | 3,997 | 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4,000 | .. |
| 1 and under 2 | 2,127 | 721 | 12 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,860 |
| 2 “ 3 | 833 | 1,788 | 181 | 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,805 |
| 3 “ 4 | 440 | 1,469 | 747 | 53 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,711 |
| 4 “ 5 | 242 | 897 1,065 | 276 | 29 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,509 | .. |
| 5 “ 6 | 94 | 497 | 647 | 348 | 58 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 1,646 |
| 6 “ 7 | 61 | 244 | 391 | 320 | 111 | 17 | 3 | .. | .. | 1,147 |
| 7 “ 8 | 37 | 175 | 307 | 284 | 169 | 55 | 5 | .. | 1,032 | .. |
| 8 “ 9 | 45 | 160 | 314 | 314 | 232 | 96 | 35 | .. | .. | 1,196 |
| 9 “ 10 | 31 | 99 | 205 | 257 | 187 | 133 | 56 | .. | .. | 968 |
| 10 “ 15 | 60 | 180 | 458 | 684 | 682 | 590 | 790 | 14 | .. | 3,458 |
| 15 “ 20 | 15 | 26 | 105 | 157 | 201 | 225 | 717 | 120 | 1 | 1,567 |
| 20 “ 25 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 31 | 41 | 222 | 117 | 2 | 442 |
| 25 and over | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 22 | 3 | 48 | .. |
| Totals | 7,984 | 6,262 | 4,443 | 2,711 | 1,703 | 1,163 | 1,844 | 273 | 6 | 26,389* |
The next table gives information as to the number of previous issue of parents of living legitimate children whose births were registered during each of the last eight years:—
| Number of Previous Issue. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 6,949 | 5,328 | 5,439 | 9,244 | 9,387 | 8,549 | 7,969 | 7,984 |
| 1 | 6,037 | 5,289 | 4,536 | 5,641 | 5,541 | 6,545 | 6,513 | 6,262 |
| 2 | 4,811 | 4,707 | 4,247 | 4,258 | 3,827 | 4,052 | 4,245 | 4,443 |
| 3 | 3,147 | 3,146 | 3,084 | 3,077 | 2,830 | 2,739 | 2,633 | 2,711 |
| 4 | 2,064 | 2,207 | 2,146 | 2,074 | 1,952 | 1,943 | 1,745 | 1,703 |
| 5 | 1,407 | 1,344 | 1,286 | 1,418 | 1,269 | 1,333 | 1,166 | 1,163 |
| 6 | 900 | 940 | 886 | 915 | 812 | 840 | 791 | 775 |
| 7 | 586 | 548 | 588 | 605 | 521 | 571 | 531 | 511 |
| 8 | 345 | 397 | 383 | 377 | 337 | 367 | 354 | 366 |
| 9 | 227 | 217 | 216 | 214 | 230 | 234 | 219 | 192 |
| 10 | 151 | 119 | 116 | 150 | 120 | 128 | 131 | 128 |
| 11 | 75 | 74 | 61 | 86 | 67 | 74 | 59 | 62 |
| 12 | 44 | 29 | 40 | 45 | 40 | 53 | 34 | 46 |
| 13 | 25 | 22 | 19 | 23 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 30 |
| 14 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| 15 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| 16 | 2 | 2 | 3 | .. | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 18 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| 19 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 26,786 | 24,391 | 23,070 | 28,138 | 26,965 | 27,466 | 26,420 | 26,389 |
Of a total of 135,378 legitimate births registered during the five years 1920-24, no fewer than 43,133, or nearly 32 per cent., were of first-born children, and of these 21,659, or 50 per cent., were born within twelve months, and 33,763, or 78 per cent. within two years after the marriage of the parents. In the remaining 22 per cent. of cases where there was any issue to the marriage two years elapsed before the birth of the first child.
The number of first births and the proportion of these to total births vary considerably from year to year in sympathy with variations in the annual number of marriages. The proportions of first births occurring within the first and second years after marriage, however, have shown remarkably little variation since the cessation of the war. The figures for each of the last five years are—
| Year | Total Legitimate Cases. | Total Legitimate First Cases. | Proportion of First Cases to Total Cases. | First Cases within One Year after Marriage. | First Cases within Two Years after Marriage. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Proportion to Total First Cases. | Number. | Proportion to Total First Cases. | ||||
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |||||
| 1920 | 28,138 | 9,244 | 32.85 | 4,684 | 50.67 | 7,094 | 76.74 |
| 1921 | 26,965 | 9,387 | 34.81 | 4,880 | 52.00 | 7,753 | 82.59 |
| 1922 | 27,466 | 8,549 | 31.13 | 4,206 | 49.20 | 6,705 | 78.43 |
| 1923 | 26,420 | 7,969 | 30.16 | 3,892 | 48.84 | 6,087 | 76.38 |
| 1924 | 26,389 | 7,984 | 30.26 | 3,997 | 50.06 | 6,124 | 76.70 |
| Total for live years | 135,378 | 43,133 | 31.86 | 21,659 | 50.21 | 33,763 | 78.28 |
In the next table the figures of first births within one year after the marriage of the parents are dissected into monthly periods:—
| Duration of Marriage. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 month | 69 | 82 | 78 | 86 | 77 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | 125 | 140 | 104 | 93 | 120 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | 167 | 177 | 144 | 171 | 188 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | 220 | 228 | 244 | 227 | 220 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | 295 | 253 | 255 | 266 | 262 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | 347 | 341 | 319 | 374 | 383 |
| 6 months and under 7 months | 445 | 456 | 413 | 401 | 414 |
| 7 months and under 8 months | 377 | 370 | 364 | 317 | 328 |
| 8 months and under 9 months | 407 | 382 | 340 | 277 | 296 |
| 9 months and under 10 months | 859 | 979 | 762 | 674 | 682 |
| 10 months and under 11 months | 802 | 804 | 654 | 568 | 537 |
| 11 months and under 12 months | 571 | 668 | 529 | 438 | 490 |
| Total under 12 months | 4,684 | 4,880 | 4,206 | 3,892 | 3,997 |
| Total 12 months and over | 4,560 | 4,507 | 4,343 | 4,077 | 3,987 |
| Grand totals | 9,244 | 9,387 | 8,549 | 7,969 | 7,984 |
The great majority of the children born between the seventh and ninth month of marriage are obviously prematurely-born infants. Omitting these, and assuming that all infants born alive within seven months after marriage have been extra-maritally conceived, it would appear that during the five years, out of a total of 43,133 first-born children, 8,184, or 19 per cent., were extra-maritally conceived.
During the five years 6,446 cases of illegitimate births were registered, and if these are all regarded as first births (which is not the case) a total of 14,630 extra-marital conceptions is recorded, which represents 29 1/2 per cent. of the total of legitimate first births, plus illegitimate births. The figures for each of the last five years are—
| Year. | Total Legitimate First Births. | Illegitimate Births. | Legitimate Births within Seven Months after Marriage. | Proportion of Legitimate First Births within Seven Months after Marriage. | Proportion of Extra-marital Conceptions to Total of Legitimate First Births and Illegitimate Births. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | ||||
| 1920 | 9,244 | 1,414 | 1,668 | 18.04 | 28.92 |
| 1921 | 9,387 | 1,245 | 1,677 | 17.87 | 27.48 |
| 1922 | 8,549 | 1,212 | 1,557 | 18.21 | 28.37 |
| 1923 | 7,969 | 1,252 | 1,618 | 20.30 | 31.12 |
| 1924 | 7,984 | 1,323 | 1,664 | 20.84 | 32.09 |
| Totals for 5 years | 43,133 | 6,446 | 8,184 | 18.97 | 29.50 |
The corresponding percentages for Australia in the year 1923 were slightly lower than those for New Zealand, 19 1/2 per cent. of legitimate first births occurring within seven months after marriage, and 31 per cent. of all first births being either illegitimate or within seven months after marriage. The New Zealand figures for 1924 were higher than either the Australian or New Zealand percentages for 1923.
The births of 1,338 children (681 males, 657 females) registered in 1924 were illegitimate: thus 48 in every 1,000 children registered were born out of wedlock, a proportion slightly higher than in any of the preceding ten years.
The numbers for each of the last ten years, with the percentages they bear to the total births registered, are as follows:—
| Year. | Number. | Percentage to Total Births. |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 1,152 | 4.14 |
| 1916 | 1,146 | 4.10 |
| 1917 | 1,159 | 4.56 |
| 1918 | 1,179 | 4.65 |
| 1919 | 1,138 | 4.65 |
| 1920 | 1,424 | 4.76 |
| 1921 | 1,258 | 4.40 |
| 1922 | 1,224 | 4.22 |
| 1923 | 1,260 | 4.51 |
| 1924 | 1,338 | 4.77 |
Included in the total of 1,338 illegitimate births in 1924 were 15 cases of twins, the number of accouchements being thus 1,323. From the following table it will be seen that of the 1,323 mothers, 432, or 33 per cent., were under twenty-one years of age.
| Age. | Cases. |
|---|---|
| Years. | |
| 13 | 2 |
| 14 | 8 |
| 15 | 7 |
| 16 | 31 |
| 17 | 63 |
| 18 | 90 |
| 19 | 115 |
| 20 | 116 |
| 21 | 111 |
| 22 | 76 |
| 23 | 91 |
| 24 | 77 |
| 25 | 55 |
| 26 | 51 |
| 27 | 44 |
| 28 | 52 |
| 29 | 45 |
| 30 | 39 |
| 31 | 18 |
| 32 | 47 |
| 33 | 31 |
| 34 | 17 |
| 35 | 28 |
| 36 | 16 |
| 37 | 18 |
| 38 | 16 |
| 39 | 17 |
| 40 | 12 |
| 41 | 12 |
| 42 | 9 |
| 43 | 4 |
| 44 | 4 |
| 45 | 1 |
| Total | 1,323 |
The proportion of illegitimate births per 1,000 unmarried women—i.e., spinsters, widows, and divorced women — at the reproductive ages, covering a period of thirty years, is shown in the following table:—
| Year. | Unmarried Women aged 15-45 Years. | Illegitimate Births. | Illegitimate-birth Rate per 1,000 Unmarried Women. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | 68,990 | 638 | 9.25 |
| 1896 | 89,722 | 834 | 9.30 |
| 1901 | 105,420 | 937 | 8.89 |
| 1906 | 116,506 | 1,132 | 9.72 |
| 1911 | 116,726 | 1,078 | 9.24 |
| 1916 | 125,461 | 1,159 | 9.24 |
| 1921 | 136,539 | 1,258 | 9.21 |
The rates of illegitimacy in Australia and New Zealand are quoted. The average rate for New Zealand for the ten years (4.37 per 100 of all births) is somewhat lower than that of the Commonwealth (4.93 per 100).
| Year. | Queensland. | New South Wales. | Victoria. | South Australia. | Western Australia. | Tasmania. | Commonwealth. | New Zealand. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 5.77 | 5.29 | 5.56 | 3.87 | 4.22 | 5.90 | 5.26 | 4.59 |
| 1915 | 5.36 | 4.97 | 5.74 | 4.00 | 4.24 | 5.32 | 5.12 | 4.14 |
| 1916 | 5.11 | 4.73 | 5.15 | 3.80 | 3.75 | 5.05 | 4.77 | 4.10 |
| 1917 | 5.01 | 4.74 | 5.53 | 3.96 | 4.15 | 5.28 | 4.91 | 4.56 |
| 1918 | 5.46 | 5.18 | 5.85 | 4.02 | 4.02 | 5.28 | 5.23 | 4.65 |
| 1919 | 5.76 | 5.14 | 5.77 | 3.92 | 4.21 | 6.14 | 5.30 | 4.65 |
| 1920 | 5.10 | 4.79 | 5.25 | 3.74 | 3.89 | 5.28 | 4.84 | 4.76 |
| 1921 | 5.22 | 4.83 | 4.85 | 3.15 | 4.03 | 5.53 | 4.75 | 4.40 |
| 1922 | 4.66 | 4.83 | 4.41 | 2.97 | 4.14 | 4.56 | 4.49 | 4.22 |
| 1923 | 5.40 | 4.95 | 4.45 | 3.08 | 3.63 | 4.44 | 4.64 | 4.51 |
An important Act was passed in 1894 and re-enacted in 1908, intituled the Legitimation Act. Under this Act any child born out of wedlock, whose parents afterwards intermarry, is deemed to be legitimized by such marriage on the birth being registered in the manner prescribed by the Act. For legitimation purposes Registrars must register a birth when called upon to do so by any person claiming to be the father of an illegitimate child; but such person is required to make a solemn declaration that he is the father, and must also produce the evidence of his marriage to the mother of the child. Registration thus becomes the test of legitimacy.
Prior to the passing, on the 6th February, 1922, of the Legitimation Amendment Act, 1921-22, legitimation could be effected only if at the time of the birth of the child there existed no legal impediment to the intermarriage of the father and mother, but the legal-impediment proviso was repealed by that amendment.
The amendment of 1921-22 also provides for legitimation by the mother in the event of the death of the father after the intermarriage of the parents. In such a case the application for legitimation is heard by a Magistrate, and upon his certifying that it has boon proved to his satisfaction that the husband of the applicant was the father of the child, the child is registered as the lawful issue of the applicant and her husband.
The following is the number of legitimations in each year, and the total to 1924, since the Act of 1894 came into force:—
| Year. | Number of Children legitimized. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Previously registered. | Not previously registered. | Total | |
| 1894 | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| 1895 | 55 | 13 | 68 |
| 1896 | 45 | 11 | 56 |
| 1897 | 34 | 14 | 48 |
| 1898 | 32 | 27 | 59 |
| 1899 | 28 | 13 | 41 |
| 1900 | 30 | 32 | 62 |
| 1901 | 28 | 19 | 47 |
| 1902 | 55 | 41 | 96 |
| 1903 | 41 | 24 | 65 |
| 1904 | 44 | 43 | 87 |
| 1905 | 48 | 36 | 84 |
| 1906 | 73 | 52 | 125 |
| 1907 | 75 | 39 | 114 |
| 1908 | 84 | 35 | 119 |
| 1909 | 67 | 62 | 129 |
| 1910 | 75 | 46 | 121 |
| 1911 | 76 | 46 | 122 |
| 1912 | 86 | 51 | 137 |
| 1913 | 89 | 72 | 161 |
| 1914 | 99 | 66 | 165 |
| 1915 | 100 | 67 | 167 |
| 1916 | 190 | 91 | 281 |
| 1917 | 213 | 96 | 309 |
| 1918 | 128 | 76 | 204 |
| 1919 | 100 | 66 | 166 |
| 1920 | 109 | 85 | 194 |
| 1921 | 74 | 95 | 169 |
| 1922 | 193 | 106 | 299 |
| 1923 | 211 | 99 | 310 |
| 1924 | 194 | 81 | 275 |
| Totals | 2,685 | 1,606 | 4,291 |
The high total of legitimation entries in 1916 and 1917, as compared with preceding and subsequent years, was no doubt due almost entirely to the continued duration of the war and the passing of the Military Service Act. The prospect of a. prolonged absence abroad, and the uncertainty as to whether he would ever return, naturally caused many a reservist to make proper provision for his illegitimate issue. The effect of the Legitimation Amendment Act, 1921-22, is seen in the high figures for the last three years.
The Births and Deaths Registration Act contains provision for the registration of adopted children. The Clerk of the Court by which any adoption order is made is required to furnish to the Registrar-General particulars of the order, including the full name and place of birth of the child, as well as the full names and addresses of both the natural and the adopting parents. If the child's birth has been registered in New Zealand a note of the adoption order is made on it. In any case a new entry is made in the prescribed form in the register of births, particulars of the adopting parents being substituted for those of the natural parents.
During the year 1924 the registration of 185 adopted children (84 males and 101 females) was effected, as compared with 398 in 1923, 379 in 1922, 584 in 1921, and 501 in 1920.
The registration of still-births was made compulsory in New Zealand as from the 1st March, 1913. A still-born child is defined as one “which has issued from its mother after the expiration of the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy and which was not alive at the time of such issue.” Still-births are not included either as births or as deaths in the various numbers and rates shown in this subsection and in that relating to deaths.
The registrations of still-births during each of the last ten years are as follows:—
| Year. | Male. | Female. | Not stated. | Total. | Percentage of Still-births to Living Births. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 382 | 340 | 6 | 728 | 2.61 |
| 1916 | 383 | 295 | 4 | 682 | 2.39 |
| 1917 | 375 | 305 | 14 | 694 | 2.46 |
| 1918 | 396 | 300 | 5 | 701 | 2.71 |
| 1919 | 377 | 288 | 15 | 680 | 2.78 |
| 1920 | 467 | 363 | 10 | 840 | 2.81 |
| 1921 | 493 | 402 | 8 | 903 | 3.16 |
| 1922 | 469 | 364 | 9 | 842 | 2.90 |
| 1923 | 487 | 400 | 7 | 894 | 3.19 |
| 1924 | 495 | 348 | 12 | 855 | 3.05 |
An unsatisfactory feature of the statistics for the ten years is the definite tendency towards an increase in the percentage of still-births to living births.
It is a well-known fact that masculinity is much higher among still-births than among living births. The figures for the ten years covered by the above table show the rate for still-births to have been 1,270 males per 1,000 females. The rate for individual years has ranged between 1,726 (in 1914) and 1,124 (in 1915).
A table is added, showing relative ages of parents in cases of still-births registered in 1924.
| Age of Mother, in Years. | Age of Father, in Years. | Illegitimate Case | Total. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 21. | 21 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 35. | 35 and under 40. | 40 and under 45. | 45 and under 50. | 50 and under 65. | 65 and over. | |||
* This number represents 841 single cases and 7 plural cases. The total number of still-born children was 855. | |||||||||||
| 15 and under 16 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| 17 and under 18 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 |
| 18 and under 19 | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 |
| 19 and under 20 | .. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 | 11 |
| 20 and under 21 | .. | 4 | 5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 14 |
| 21 and under 25 | 1 | 32 | 52 | 21 | 8 | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | 5 | 122 |
| 25 and under 30 | .. | 10 | 76 | 80 | 29 | 16 | 2 | .. | .. | 12 | 225 |
| 30 and under 35 | .. | 1 | 29 | 60 | 61 | 34 | 10 | 4 | .. | 5 | 204 |
| 35 and under 40 | .. | .. | 4 | 13 | 63 | 52 | 23 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 172 |
| 40 and under 45 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 10 | 31 | 21 | 15 | .. | 3 | 80 |
| 45 and under 46 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
| 46 and under 47 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | 3 |
| 47 and under 48 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | 3 |
| 48 and under 49 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 2 |
| Totals | 2 | 53 | 167 | 175 | 172 | 137 | 62 | 35 | 2 | 42 | 848* |
In the next table the 806 cases of legitimate still-births registered in 1924 are classified according to number of previous issue in conjunction with age of mother:—
| Number of Previous Issue. | Age of Mother, in Years. | Total. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 20. | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 35. | 35 and under 40. | 40 and over. | ||
| 0 | 10 | 83 | 116 | 69 | 37 | 16 | 331 |
| 1 | 1 | 24 | 39 | 35 | 19 | 7 | 125 |
| 2 | .. | 18 | 24 | 33 | 14 | 6 | 95 |
| 3 | .. | 1 | 13 | 19 | 19 | 10 | 62 |
| 4 | .. | .. | 10 | 16 | 22 | 13 | 61 |
| 5 | .. | .. | 6 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 37 |
| 6 | .. | .. | 4 | 6 | 19 | 8 | 37 |
| 7 | .. | .. | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 18 |
| 8 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 12 | 1 | 15 |
| 9 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 10 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 11 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 13 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 3 |
| 14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 |
| 18 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 11 | 126 | 213 | 199 | 168 | 89 | 806 |
Of the living legitimate births registered in 1924, 30 per cent. were first births, while of legitimate still-births no less than 41 per cent. were first births. It would thus appear that there is a considerably greater probability of a still-birth occurring at the first accouchement than at the average of subsequent accouchements.
The following table, based on the figures for the two years 1923 and 1924, indicates that this is so, and further demonstrates the effect of the increasing age of the mother in the causation of still-births. While for women between 20 and 25 the proportion of still-births to living births was only a little over 2 per cent., for women over forty it was 5 2/3 per cent.
| Age of Mother, in Years. | All births. | First Births. | Percentages of Still to Living. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living. | Still. | Living. | Still. | All Births. | First Births. | |
| Under 20 | 1,369 | 21 | 1,171 | 20 | 1.53 | 1.71 |
| 20 and under 25 | 10,843 | 238 | 6,072 | 161 | 2.19 | 2.65 |
| 25 and under 30 | 15,978 | 402 | 5,208 | 220 | 2.52 | 4.22 |
| 30 and under 35 | 12,843 | 423 | 2,342 | 167 | 3.29 | 7.13 |
| 35 and under 40 | 8,308 | 367 | 907 | 68 | 4.42 | 7.50 |
| 40 and over | 3,468 | 197 | 253 | 28 | 5.68 | 11.07 |
| Totals | 52,809 | 1,648 | 15,953 | 664 | 3.12 | 4.16 |
The next table shows the percentage of still-births to living births according to nativity order of legitimate births registered in the two years 1923 and 1924. The column for mothers of all ages shows a definite gradation, the second child having the best chance of being born alive, and the probability of a still-birth increasing thereafter. Whether this is due only to the greater age of the mother or in part to the effects of continued child-bearing it is impossible to say from the small numbers considered, but the column for women between 35 and 40 years of age would appear to suggest that, up to the sixth accouchement, at any rate, the number of previous issue is not an important factor.
| Nativity Order. | Living Births. | Still-births. | Percentage of Still to Living. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mothers of All Ages. | Mothers aged 35-40. | Mothers of All Ages. | Mothers aged 35-40. | Mothers of All Ages. | Mothers aged 35-40. | |
| First | 15,953 | 907 | 664 | 68 | 4.16 | 7.50 |
| Second | 12,775 | 1,187 | 256 | 47 | 2.00 | 3.96 |
| Third | 8,688 | 1,360 | 192 | 43 | 2.21 | 3.16 |
| Fourth | 5,344 | 1,236 | 128 | 39 | 2.40 | 3.16 |
| Fifth | 3,448 | 1,002 | 121 | 40 | 3.51 | 3.99 |
| Sixth | 2,329 | 846 | 84 | 34 | 3.61 | 4.02 |
| Seventh | 1,566 | 631 | 66 | 37 | 4.21 | 5.86 |
| Eighth | 1,042 | 457 | 43 | 19 | 4.13 | 4.16 |
| Ninth | 720 | 309 | 31 | 19 | 4.31 | 6.15 |
| Tenth | 411 | 171 | 22 | 10 | 5.35 | 5.85 |
There can be no doubt that age of the mother is the principal factor in the case of accouchements subsequent to the first. This being so, it is of some significance that even when no allowance is made for the younger age-constitution in general of mothers of first-born, the first-born child has a greater probability of being still-born than any subsequent child up to the seventh.
The number of births of Maoris registered during 1924 under the provisions of section 20 of the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Act, 1912, was 1,222 (617 males, 605 females). The births of twelve males and twelve females were registered under the main Act, and the total of 1,246 represents a rate of 23 per 1,000 of Maori population.
Registrations of Maori births in each of the five years, 1920-1924 were as follow:—
Regulations under the Cook Islands Act, 1915, providing for compulsory registration of births and deaths in the Cook Islands and Niue from the 1st July, 1916, were gazetted on the 29th June, 1916.
In the case of a birth a month is allowed in which to furnish the following particulars to a Registrar: The place and date of birth; the Christian name and sex of the child; the names and residence of both father and mother, and also (if Natives) whether of full blood, or quarter-, half-, or three-quarter caste.
Duplicates of all entries are kept by the Registrars of the High Court at Rarotonga and Niue respectively. A fine not exceeding £5 is imposed on persons supplying false information. No fees ate payable for registration.
The following are the figures of birth-registrations in each Island during the twelve months ended 31st December, 1924, or 31st March, 1925:—
During the twelve months ended 31st December, 1925, 2,020 births were registered in Western Samoa. Of the children 119 were born to Europeans and 1 to a Melanesian, the remainder being native Samoans. The figures in regard to the last-mentioned cannot be relied on as accurate.
MARRIAGE may be solemnized in New Zealand only on the authority of a Registrar's certificate, either by a person whose name is on the list of officiating ministers under the Marriage Act, or before a duly appointed Registrar or Deputy Registrar of Marriages. Marriage by an officiating minister can be solemnized only between 8 o'clock in the forenoon and 8 o'clock in the evening. Marriage before a Registrar can be celebrated at any time during the hours the office of the Registrar is open for the transaction of public business. Prior to the passing of the Marriage Amendment Act, 1920, the limits in all cases were 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Notice of intended marriage must be given to a Registrar of Marriages by one of the parties to the proposed marriage, and one of the parties must have resided for three full days in the district within which the marriage is to be solemnized. In the case of a person under twenty-one, not being a widow or widower, the consent of parent or guardian is necessary before the Registrar's certificate can be issued. Provision exists for application to a Judge of the Supreme Court in cases where a parent or guardian is non compos mentis, or unreasonably or from undue motives refuses or withholds consent.
If a declaration is made in any case that there is no parent or lawful guardian resident in the Dominion, then a certificate may be issued after the expiration of fourteen days following the date on which the notice of intended marriage was given.
The ages at which persons may contract binding marriages are the same as in England—twelve years for females and fourteen for males. Marriage may be contracted at earlier ages than those stated, but would be voidable at the discretion of either of the parties upon reaching the age of twelve or fourteen, as the case may be, and without the necessity of proceedings in Court.
The system of notice and certificate has obtained in New Zealand since 1855. By this system it is ensured not only that marriages are in order, but that no legally solemnized marriage escapes registration. Officiating ministers and Registrars are required to send to the Registrar-General returns of all marriages solemnized, and as the returns come in they are checked off with the entries in the Registrars' lists of notices received and certificates issued. In case of the non-arrival of a marriage return corresponding to any entry in the list of notices, inquiries are made as to whether solemnization has been effected.
The marriage of a man with his deceased wife's sister was legalized in New Zealand in the year 1881, and the marriage of a woman with her deceased's husband's brother in 1901.
An important provision is contained in section 7 of the Marriage Amendment Act, 1920, which reads as follows:—
Every person commits an offence against this Act, and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one hundred pounds, who—
Alleges, expressly or by implication, that any persons lawfully married are not truly and sufficiently married, or
Alleges, expressly or by implication, that the issue of any lawful marriage is illegitimate or born out of true wedlock.
“Alleges” in this section means making any verbal statement, or publishing or issuing any printed or written statement, or in any manner authorizing the making of any verbal statement, or in any manner authorizing or being party to the publication or issue of any printed or written statement.
A person shall not be deemed to make an allegation contrary to the provisions of this section by reason only of using in the solemnization of a marriage a form of marriage service which at the commencement of this Act was in use by the religious denomination to which such person belongs, or by reason only of the printing or issue of any book containing a copy of a form of marriage service in use at the commencement of this Act by any religious denomination.
The movement of the marriage-rate since 1855 is shown by the diagram on p. 109. The numbers and rates of marriages during each of the last twenty years are here given:—
| Year. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 of Population. |
|---|---|---|
| 1905 | 7,200 | 8.28 |
| 1906 | 7,592 | 8.48 |
| 1907 | 8,192 | 8.91 |
| 1908 | 8,339 | 8.82 |
| 1909 | 8,094 | 8.33 |
| 1910 | 8,230 | 8.30 |
| 1911 | 8,825 | 8.70 |
| 1912 | 9,149 | 8.81 |
| 1913 | 8,813 | 8.25 |
| 1914 | 9,280 | 8.51 |
| 1915 | 10,028 | 9.12 |
| 1916 | 8,213 | 7.47 |
| 1917 | 0,417 | 5.84 |
| 1918 | 0,227 | 5.65 |
| 1919 | 9,519 | 8.33 |
| 1920 | 12,175 | 10.21 |
| 1921 | 10,635 | 8.69 |
| 1922 | 9,556 | 7.63 |
| 1923 | 10,070 | 7.90 |
| 1924 | 10,259 | 7.90 |
The normal tendency towards a gradual increase in the marriage-rate was disturbed by the war. Taking the years seriatim, 1914 is little affected, the influences being of a counterbalancing nature. The succeeding year, 1915, in spite of the increasing diminution in the number of males of marriageable age, established a new record in point of number of marriages and—by comparison with the previous half-century—of rate also. This may be regarded as resulting almost wholly from the passing of the National Registration Act in 1915, and the desire of many men to be shown in the register as married, with a view to obtaining certain advantages or escaping certain obligations. Many marriages which would ordinarily have taken place in later years were thus celebrated in 1915. The result was to adversely affect the marriage-rate in 1916. The Military Service Act of 1916, which took into account only marriages taking place before May, 1915, had a further depressing influence. The absence of a large and increasing proportion of the men of marriageable age was felt still more severely in 1917 and 1918. In 1917 the rate descended to a level never previously reached, and in 1918 reached an even lower position.
With the cessation of hostilities at the end of 1918, and the return of the troops in 1919, a great increase in the marriage-rate set in. Many of the Dominion's soldiers had married while abroad, and apparently thousands more married shortly after their return to New Zealand, the marriages in 1919 being over 50 per cent. in excess of those for 1918, with a further huge increase in 1920, which year easily holds the record for number of marriages, and has the highest rate since 1864.
The high numbers and rates experienced in 1920 continued into the early months of 1921, but a falling-off then occurred, presumably due in the main to adverse economic conditions. A slight improvement was shown for the latter half of 1922 and continued during 1923 and 1924, but the rates for all three years are low by comparison with the decennium immediately preceding the war.
In a country like New Zealand, where the age-constitution of the population has altered considerably, the crude marriage-rate based on the total population does not disclose the true position over a period of years. Even if only the unmarried (including widowed and divorced) population over twenty in the case of men and over fifteen in the case of women be taken into account, the rates so ascertained would still not be entirely satisfactory for comparative purposes, owing to differences in sex and age constitution, divergences between rates for different age-groups, and variations in the proportions of marriageable persons in the community. A better plan is to ascertain the rate among unmarried females in each age-group and to standardize the results on the basis of the distribution of the unmarried female population in a basic year.
This has been done for each census year from 1881 to 1921, the year 1911 being taken as the standard. The course of the standardized rates as shown in the following table varies materially from that of the crude rates:—
| Year. | Marriage-rate per 1,000. | Index Numbers of Marriage-rates taking 1911 as base = 100. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population. | Unmarried Female Population 15 and over. | Total Population. | Unmarried Female Population 15 and over. | |||
| Crude. | Standardized. | Crude. | Standardized. | |||
| 1881 | 6.6 | 73.9 | 80.7 | 76 | 125 | 137 |
| 1886 | 6.0 | 55.1 | 60.4 | 69 | 93 | 102 |
| 1891 | 6.0 | 48.3 | 50.3 | 69 | 82 | 85 |
| 1896 | 6.8 | 47.3 | 48.0 | 78 | 80 | 81 |
| 1901 | 7.8 | 50.2 | 49.0 | 90 | 85 | 83 |
| 1906 | 8.5 | 55.6 | 53.7 | 98 | 94 | 91 |
| 1911 | 8.7 | 59.1 | 59.1 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 1916 | 7.5 | 50.7 | 54.3 | 86 | 86 | 92 |
| 1921 | 8.7 | 59.7 | 63.9 | 100 | 101 | 108 |
The index numbers of the three classes of rates over the series of years enable the effect of standardization to be shown at a glance. Comparing, for instance, the years 1881 and 1911, it is seen that whereas the crude rate per 1,000 of total population was nearly one-fourth less in 1881 than in 1911, the crude rate when only the unmarried female population of fifteen or over is considered was one-fourth greater, and the standardized rate more than one-third greater. Similar though less noticeable results are recorded for years subsequent to 1881.
Taking the standardized rates as a test, the true marriage-rate is shown to have fallen heavily between 1881 and 1896, and to have risen thereafter, the tendency to rise, however, being temporarily disturbed by the war.
A comparison of the marriage-rate for each State of the Australian Commonwealth with New Zealand for the ten years 1915-24 is given. For several years prior to 1919 the Commonwealth rate had been higher than that of this country, but was lower than the New Zealand rate in four of the next five years. In 1924 the rates for the two countries were equal.
| Year. | Queensland. | New South Wales. | Victoria. | South Australia. | Western Australia. | Tasmania. | Commonwealth. | New Zealand. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 8.93 | 9.68 | 9.00 | 9.02 | 8.01 | 8.02 | 9.14 | 9.12 |
| 1916 | 7.60 | 8.62 | 8.02 | 8.15 | 7.56 | 7.37 | 8.14 | 7.47 |
| 1917 | 7.13 | 6.96 | 6.73 | 7.36 | 5.30 | 5.86 | 6.80 | 5.84 |
| 1918 | 6.88 | 6.79 | 6.43 | 7.07 | 5.23 | 5.71 | 6.59 | 5.65 |
| 1919 | 7.51 | 7.91 | 7.95 | 8.23 | 6.86 | 7.38 | 7.80 | 8.33 |
| 1920 | 8.94 | 9.75 | 9.85 | 10.03 | 8.88 | 9.50 | 9.62 | 10.21 |
| 1921 | 7.82 | 8.79 | 8.90 | 8.81 | 7.96 | 7.82 | 8.59 | 8.69 |
| 1922 | 7.52 | 8.18 | 8.27 | 8.19 | 7.20 | 7.79 | 8.03 | 7.63 |
| 1923 | 7.24 | 8.00 | 8.16 | 7.92 | 6.82 | 7.39 | 7.83 | 7.90 |
| 1924 | 7.65 | 8.11 | 8.10 | 7.78 | 7.22 | 7.12 | 7.90 | 7.90 |
A comparison of the latest available rates in various countries is given in the next table. During the war, probably owing to their distance from the scene of operations, Australia and New Zealand had their rates more seriously interfered with than was the case even with other combatant countries, but have now regained the high positions in the list which they held in pre-war years. The rates of some of the principal European countries are highly inflated as a result of the large number of belated marriages that were solemnized in 1919 and 1920.
| Country. | Quinquenuium. | Average Yearly Rate. |
|---|---|---|
* Excluding Quebec. | ||
| Hungary | 1919-23 | 12.7 |
| France | 1919-23 | 12.1 |
| Germany | 1919-23 | 12.0 |
| Austria | 1918-22 | 11.3 |
| Belgium | 1918-22 | 11.2 |
| Italy | 1919-23 | 10.5 |
| Japan | 1919-23 | 9.0 |
| Netherlands | 1919-23 | 8.8 |
| South Africa | 1919-23 | 8.6 |
| New Zealand | 1920-24 | 8.5 |
| England and Wales | 1920-24 | 8.4 |
| Australia | 1920-24 | 8.4 |
| Scotland | 1919-23 | 8.2 |
| Denmark | 1918-22 | 8.1 |
| Switzerland | 1 1918-22 | 7.9 |
| Canada* | 1920-24 | 7.8 |
| Spain | 1919-23 | 7.8 |
| Quebec | 1918-22 | 7.7 |
| Portugal. | 1917-21 | 7.0 |
| Northern Ireland | 1919-23 | 6.9 |
| Finland | 1919-23 | 6.7 |
| Sweden | 1919-23 | 6.6 |
| Norway | 1919-23 | 6.4 |
| Chile | 1918-22 | 6.2 |
| British Guiana | 1919-23 | 5.6 |
| Ceylon | 1919-23 | 5.3 |
| Uruguay | 1919-23 | 5.2 |
| Irish Free State | 1919-23 | 5.0 |
| Jamaica | 1919-23 | 3.9 |
It is interesting to dissect the year into shorter periods and to notice the fluctuations of the marriage totals. The following table shows the number of marriages solemnized during each quarter of the last ten years:—
| Year. | March Quarter. | June Quarter. | September Quarter. | December Quarter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 1,984 | 2,728 | 2,247 | 3,069 |
| 1916 | 2,214 | 2,393 | 1,773 | 1,833 |
| 1917 | 1,511 | 1,805 | 1,505 | 1,596 |
| 1918 | 1,457 | 1,756 | 1,593 | 1,421 |
| 1919 | 1,631 | 2,432 | 2,450 | 3,006 |
| 1920 | 2,981 | 3,329 | 2,843 | 3,022 |
| 1921 | 2,872 | 2,849 | 2,330 | 2,584 |
| 1922 | 2,249 | 2,555 | 2,214 | 2,538 |
| 1923 | 2,406 | 2,760 | 2,224 | 2,680 |
| 1924 | 2,348 | 2,976 | 2,283 | 2,652 |
| Decennial average | 2,165 | 2,558 | 2,146 | 2,440 |
It will be seen that the June quarter is apparently considered the most propitious for the solemnization of marriage. The three years exceptional in this respect are 1915, 1919, and 1921. In 1915 the total for December quarter was swelled by the influence of the National Registration Act passed in October; the high figure for December quarter, 1919, is explained by the celebration of many marriages postponed until the return of soldiers from abroad; while in 1921 the results for March quarter showed promise of a continuation of the standard set in 1920, but the adverse financial and economic conditions evidently caused a falling-off in marriages after Easter.
The Easter and Christmas seasons are apparently regarded as the most suitable times of the year for entering the matrimonial state, and, judging by the quarterly figures for an average year, Easter would appear to slightly predominate. In 1919, however, one of the three years for which monthly figures have been extracted, 1,282 marriages were celebrated in December, as against only 932 in April, the explanation of this being, of course, the fact that it was not until the latter portion of 1919 that the effect of the return of men from the war was felt. In 1923 April led by a small margin, and in 1924 this margin was more than doubled.
The marriages contracted in each month of 1919, 1923, and 1924 were as follows:—
| 1919. | 1923. | 1924. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 558 | 810 | 800 |
| February | 501 | 772 | 757 |
| March | 572 | 824 | 791 |
| April | 932 | 1,150 | 1,333 |
| May | 590 | 646 | 640 |
| June | 910 | 964 | 1,003 |
| July | 833 | 743 | 788 |
| August | 798 | 768 | 731 |
| September | 819 | 713 | 764 |
| October | 923 | 814 | 742 |
| November | 801 | 771 | 720 |
| December | 1,282 | 1,095 | 1,190 |
| Totals | 9,519 | 10,070 | 10,259 |
Wednesday claims three-sevenths of the total marriages, as will be seen from the following figures:—
| 1919. | 1923. | 1924. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 54 | 48 | 57 |
| Monday | 1,109 | 1,220 | 1,226 |
| Tuesday | 1,645 | 1,530 | 1,690 |
| Wednesday | 4,109 | 4,266 | 4,446 |
| Thursday | 1,279 | 1,484 | 1,310 |
| Friday | 476 | 478 | 454 |
| Saturday | 847 | 1,044 | 1,076 |
| Totals | 9,519 | 10,070 | 10,259 |
Sunday marriages are rare, and Friday is evidently regarded as unlucky, as evidence of which it may be mentioned that only 31 marriages were celebrated on Boxing Day of 1924—a Friday—as compared with 112 on Boxing Day of 1923.
The 13th of the month also appears to be treated with respect, the average number of marriages on that day during 1924 being only 13, as against a general average of 28. The days of the year 1924 on which 100 marriages or over were performed were—
| 16th April | 165 |
| 23rd April | 152 |
| 21st April | 144 |
| 30th April | 136 |
| 17th December | 130 |
| 4th June | 125 |
| 25th June | 118 |
| 26th March | 109 |
| 18th June | 109 |
| 11th June | 107 |
| 31st December | 105 |
| 27th August | 103 |
| 24th December | 102 |
| 27th February | 101 |
Easter Monday ranked third in favour. All other days on which more than 80 marriages were celebrated were Wednesdays, with the solitary exception of Tuesday, the 23rd December, which had 97 marriages.
The table which follows gives information as to the conjugal condition of persons married in each of the last ten years.
| Year. | Marriages between Bachelors and | Marriages between Divorced Men and | Marriages between Widowers and | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinsters. | Divorced Women. | Widows. | Spinsters | Divorced Women. | Widows. | Spinsters | Divorced Women. | Widows. | |
| 1915 | 8,955 | 94 | 316 | 60 | 15 | 21 | 372 | 22 | 173 |
| 1916 | 7,138 | 102 | 316 | 73 | 10 | 13 | 386 | 22 | 153 |
| 1917 | 5,439 | 100 | 268 | 64 | 10 | 16 | 351 | 18 | 151 |
| 1918 | 5,157 | 86 | 268 | 118 | 9 | 16 | 404 | 23 | 146 |
| 1919 | 8,079 | 154 | 372 | 88 | 16 | 31 | 532 | 40 | 207 |
| 1920 | 10,328 | 208 | 529 | 181 | 19 | 48 | 591 | 58 | 213 |
| 1921 | 9,000 | 196 | 421 | 178 | 26 | 36 | 538 | 58 | 182 |
| 1922 | 8,018 | 199 | 364 | 170 | 54 | 37 | 474 | 43 | 197 |
| 1923 | 8,479 | 208 | 381 | 180 | 40 | 40 | 489 | 53 | 200 |
| 1924 | 8,708 | 217 | 337 | 199 | 27 | 39 | 473 | 60 | 199 |
The figures reveal considerable increases, especially in the last five years, in the numbers of widowed and divorced persons remarrying. Out of every 1,000 persons married in 1915, 11 were divorced and 54 widowed, the corresponding figures for 1924 being 28 and 64 respectively. The increase in the one case is a reflex of the large number of divorce cases since the war, while as regards widowers and widows the obvious explanation lies in the war and the influenza epidemic.
Taking the whole period covered by the tables it is found that while 1,834 divorced men remarried, the corresponding number for women was 2,187. In the case of widowed persons, however, in spite of the fact that the number of widows caused by the war and the epidemic must greatly have exceeded the widowers caused by the latter, only 5,690 widows remarried, as compared with 6,828 widowers. It would appear that in the case of divorced persons women are more likely to remarry than men, while in the case of widowers and widows the converse holds.
Included amongst widows in 1924 were eighteen women, and amongst the widowers eight men, who elected to go through the form of marriage with other persons under the protection of the provisions of section 224, subsection (5), of the Crimes Act, which reads: “No one commits bigamy by going through a form of marriage if he or she has been continually absent from his or her wife or husband for seven years then last past, and is not proved to have known that his wife or her husband was alive at any time during those seven years.”
The numbers of persons married under the protection of the above subsection during the last tun years are as shown in the following table:—
| Year. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| 1916 | 2 | 11 | 13 |
| 1917 | 8 | 21 | 29 |
| 1918 | 3 | 11 | 14 |
| 1919 | 11 | 18 | 29 |
| 1920 | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| 1921 | 7 | 16 | 23 |
| 1922 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| 1923 | 4 | 9 | 13 |
| 1924 | 8 | 18 | 26 |
Of the persons married in 1924, 384 bridegrooms and 1,837 brides were under twenty-one years of age. Of the bridegrooms, 4 were between seventeen and eighteen, and 47 between eighteen and nineteen. Of the brides, 1 was between fourteen and fifteen, 7 were between fifteen and sixteen, and 48 between sixteen and seventeen years of age. A table is given showing relative ages of bridegrooms and brides in groups of years.
| Age of Bridegroom, in Years. | Age of Bride, in Years. | Total Bridegrooms. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 21. | 21 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 35. | 35 and under 40. | 40 and under 45. | 45 and over. | ||
| Under 21 | 266 | 101 | 16 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 384 |
| 21 and under 25 | 833 | 1,416 | 408 | 45 | 10 | 5 | .. | 2,747 |
| 25 and under 30 | 480 | 1,462 | 1,089 | 199 | 38 | 6 | 3 | 3,277 |
| 30 and under 35 | 157 | 484 | 601 | 299 | 109 | 25 | 8 | 1,683 |
| 35 and under 40 | 54 | 159 | 274 | 230 | 156 | 41 | 16 | 930 |
| 40 and under 45 | 10 | 44 | 115 | 112 | 113 | 94 | 40 | 528 |
| 45 and over | 7 | 19 | 49 | 99 | 123 | 140 | 273 | 710 |
| Total brides | 1,837 | 3,685 | 2,552 | 984 | 550 | 311 | 340 | 10,259 |
The following are the proportions of men and women married at each age-period to every 100 marriages in the years 1904, 1914, and 1924:—
| Age, in Years. | 1904. | 1914. | 1924. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Under 21 | 1.73 | 17.61 | 2.10 | 15.49 | 3.74 | 17.91 |
| 21 and under 25 | 24.95 | 38.25 | 22.04 | 33.89 | 26.78 | 35.92 |
| 25 and under 30 | 40.03 | 28.03 | 37.34 | 28.44 | 31.94 | 24.88 |
| 30 and under 35 | 17.40 | 8.90 | 20.42 | 11.82 | 16.41 | 9.59 |
| 35 and under 40 | 7.90 | 3.57 | 8.57 | 5.63 | 9.06 | 5.36 |
| 40 and under 45 | 3.41 | 1.72 | 5.17 | 2.11 | 5.15 | 3.03 |
| 45 and over | 4.58 | 1.86 | 4.36 | 2.62 | 6.92 | 3.31 |
| 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | |
Taking the brides first, the figures reveal a tendency for women to marry somewhat later in life now than formerly, a tendency, however, much more noticeable in the ten years 1904-14 than in the next decennium. Probably the most noticeable feature in regard to the bridegrooms is the heavy fall between 1914 and 1924 in the percentage for the age-group 25-30, a direct result of war losses, which were mainly among men who would now have been in this age-group. A similar fall is disclosed for the age-group 30-35; but the group 21-25, which fell considerably between 1904 and 1914, has risen above its former level.
In the years immediately preceding the war 62 per cent. of the bridegrooms were under thirty years of age, a proportion which has since undergone considerable changes, as shown below:—
| Year. | Under 21. | 21 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | Total under 30. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 2.08 | 23.33 | 37.43 | 62.84 |
| 1916 | 1.96 | 23.07 | 34.51 | 59.54 |
| 1917 | 3.58 | 21.63 | 31.17 | 56.38 |
| 1918 | 5.06 | 19.50 | 30.62 | 55.18 |
| 1919 | 3.62 | 19.49 | 31.45 | 54.56 |
| 1920 | 2.64 | 21.61 | 32.67 | 56.92 |
| 1921 | 3.00 | 24.40 | 32.43 | 59.83 |
| 1322 | 3.06 | 25.02 | 31.86 | 59.94 |
| 1923 | 3.23 | 25.48 | 32.13 | 60.84 |
| 1924 | 3.74 | 26.78 | 31.94 | 62.46 |
For many years the average age at marriage for both males and females, more particularly the latter, showed a tendency to increase. After, however, reaching its maximum in the three years 1917, 1918, and 1919, the average age has since decreased considerably, in spite of the effect of the increase in the proportion of widowed and divorced persons among the brides and grooms. The figures for each of the last twenty years are given.
| Year. | Mean Age of Bridegrooms. | Mean Age of Brides. |
|---|---|---|
| 1905 | 29.65 | 25.75 |
| 1906 | 29.76 | 25.97 |
| 1907 | 29.83 | 26.07 |
| 1908 | 29.86 | 26.11 |
| 1909 | 30.11 | 26.40 |
| 1910 | 29.91 | 26.32 |
| 1911 | 30.12 | 26.48 |
| 1912 | 29.95 | 26.39 |
| 1913 | 30.15 | 26.42 |
| 1914 | 30.09 | 26.69 |
| 1915 | 30.03 | 26.56 |
| 1916 | 30.64 | 26.77 |
| 1917 | 31.19 | 27.07 |
| 1918 | 31.57 | 27.16 |
| 1919 | 31.21 | 27.11 |
| 1920 | 30.73 | 26.89 |
| 1921 | 30.69 | 26.72 |
| 1922 | 30.49 | 26.83 |
| 1923 | 30.49 | 26.74 |
| 1924 | 30.24 | 26.56 |
The average ages of bachelors and spinsters at marriage are considerably lower than those shown above, which cover all parties and are adversely affected by the inclusion of remarriages of widowed and divorced persons. The average ages of grooms and brides of the various conditions in 1924 were—
| Bridegrooms. | Years. |
|---|---|
| Bachelors | 28.64 |
| Divorced | 40.92 |
| Widowers | 46.49 |
| Spinsters | 25.37 |
| Divorced | 35.37 |
| Widows | 41.35 |
The foregoing figures give the average age at marriage, but these do not correspond with the popular age, if the age at which the most marriages are celebrated may be so termed. For several years prior to 1918 age 26 held pride of place for bridegrooms and age 21 for brides. The latter has continued right through to 1924 without alteration, but in the case of bridegrooms an alteration to age 28 occurred in 1918, followed by a return to 26 and 27 (equal) in 1919. In 1920 the most popular age for bridegrooms fell to 25, and in 1921 to 24, where it has since remained.
Of every 1,000 men married in 1924, thirty-seven were under twenty-one years of age, while 179 in every 1,000 brides were under twenty-one. The proportion of bridegrooms under twenty-one was in normal pre-war years 2 per cent. of the total number. The proportions from 1917 onwards, particularly 1918 (5.06 per cent.), shown in the following table, therefore represent a high increase in marriages of male minors.
| Year. | Bridegrooms. | Brides. | Minors, per 100 Marriages. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults. | Minors. | Adults. | Minors. | Bridegrooms. | Brides. | |
| 1915 | 9,819 | 209 | 8,516 | 1,512 | 2.08 | 15.07 |
| 1916 | 8,052 | 161 | 6,943 | 1,270 | 1.96 | 15.46 |
| 1917 | 6,187 | 230 | 5,343 | 1,074 | 3.58 | 16.74 |
| 1918 | 5,912 | 315 | 5,266 | 961 | 5.06 | 15.43 |
| 1919 | 9,175 | 344 | 8,247 | 1,272 | 3.61 | 13.36 |
| 1920 | 11,854 | 321 | 10,497 | 1,678 | 2.64 | 13.78 |
| 1921 | 10,316 | 319 | 8,951 | 1,684 | 3.00 | 15.84 |
| 1922 | 9,264 | 292 | 8,028 | 1,528 | 3.06 | 15.99 |
| 1923 | 9,745 | 325 | 8,417 | 1,653 | 3.23 | 16.42 |
| 1924 | 9,875 | 384 | 8,422 | 1,837 | 3.74 | 17.91 |
Of the 10,259 marriages registered in 1924, Church of England clergymen officiated at 2,840, Presbyterians at 2,648, Methodists at 1,132, and Roman Catholics at 1,107, while 2,024 marriages were celebrated before Registrars.
The following table shows the proportions of marriages by ministers of the principal denominations in the last eight years:—
| Denomination. | Percentage of Marriages. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Church of England | 24.54 | 25.30 | 27.26 | 28.57 | 28.58 | 27.36 | 28.33 | 27.68 |
| Presbyterian | 22.92 | 24.09 | 25.87 | 27.06 | 26.00 | 25.81 | 25.77 | 25.81 |
| Methodist | 10.44 | 11.22 | 11.70 | 10.35 | 10.97 | 10.82 | 10.79 | 11.03 |
| Roman Catholic | 11.94 | 11.19 | 11.08 | 11.08 | 11.30 | 12.04 | 10.93 | 10.79 |
| Other denominations | 5.39 | 5.06 | 5.17 | 5.33 | 5.41 | 4.98 | 4.91 | 4.96 |
| Before Registrars | 24.77 | 23.08 | 18.92 | 17.61 | 17.74 | 18.99 | 19.27 | 19.73 |
| 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | |
The foregoing figures must not be taken as a true indication of the religions of the parties married, as it does not necessarily follow that both parties are members of the Church whose officiating minister performed the ceremony, and persons married before Registrars may belong, in greater or lesser proportion, to any of the denominations. It will be noted that the proportion of marriages by Registrars rose to a high level in 1917 and 1918, but fell sharply in 1919, gradually rising, however, after 1920.
The number of names on the list of officiating ministers under the Marriage Act is (June, 1925) 1,867, and the denominations to which they belong are shown hereunder:—
| Denomination. | Number. |
|---|---|
| Church of England | 462 |
| Presbyterian Church of New Zealand | 389 |
| Roman Catholic Church | 294 |
| Methodist Church of New Zealand | 285 |
| Salvation Army | 164 |
| Baptists | 62 |
| Congregational Independents | 33 |
| Lutheran Church | 3 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Concordia Conference | 4 |
| Hebrew Congregations | 5 |
| Church of Christ | 32 |
| Catholic Apostolic Church | 3 |
| Liberal Catholic Church | 7 |
| Unitarians | 5 |
| United Evangelical Church | 4 |
| Seventh-day Adventists | 14 |
| Latter-day Saints | 10 |
| Reorganized Latter-day Saints | 3 |
| Ringatu Church | 46 |
| Church of the Seven Rules of Jehovah | 11 |
| The Church of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and their Holy Angels | 14 |
| Others | 17 |
| Total | 1,867 |
The Ringatu Church, the Church of the Seven Rules of Jehovah, and the Church of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and their Holy Angels, are Maori denominations.
In cases where both parties to a marriage are of the Native race there is no necessity under the Marriage Act to comply with the provisions of that Act, though the parties are at liberty to take advantage thereof. Considerable inconvenience, however, was found to exist on account of the non-registration of Maori marriages, and a section was inserted in the Native Land Act, 1909, whereby it was laid down that Maori marriages must be celebrated either under the provisions of the Marriage Act or in the presence of a registered officiating minister, but without complying with the other requirements of the Marriage Act. Ministers solemnizing the latter class of marriages must send returns to the Registrar-General.
Returns of 243 marriages in which both parties were of the Native race were received during the year 1924. Of these, 48 were in accordance with the provisions of the Marriage Act. The figures for each of the last ten years are as follows:—
| Year. | Under Native Land Act. | Under Marriage Act. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 190 | 27 | 217 |
| 1916 | 172 | 9 | 181 |
| 1917 | 205 | 48 | 253 |
| 1918 | 197 | 26 | 223 |
| 1919 | 181 | 40 | 221 |
| 1920 | 198 | 55 | 253 |
| 1921 | 212 | 36 | 248 |
| 1922 | 248 | 30 | 278 |
| 1923 | 262 | 20 | 282 |
| 1924 | 195 | 48 | 243 |
Maori marriages are not included in the numbers shown elsewhere in this subsection, nor are they taken into account in the computation of marriage-rates.
According to the annual report of the Cook Islands Department, the following are the figures of marriages solemnized in the Cook Islands during the twelve months ended 31st December, 1924, or 31st March, 1925:—
During the twelve months ended 31st December, 1924, 232 marriages were recorded in the mandated territory of Western Samoa. Of these, 32 were between members of the European population, and in one case the bridegroom was a Chinese labourer, the balance of the marriages being between native Samoans.
COMPULSORY registration of deaths was instituted in New Zealand in 1855. As in the case of births, a system of non-compulsory registration had obtained since 1848.
Until the year 1876 the only information provided for in the death-registration entry was as to date, place, and cause of death, and name, sex, age, and occupation of deceased. The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1875, required information to be recorded as regards parentage, conjugal condition, and issue of deceased. Particulars re burial had also to be entered, as well as more detailed information regarding cause of death. Subsequent amendments to the Act have made it requisite to give additional information concerning issue, and, in the case of married males, age of widow.
Every death occurring in New Zealand should be registered within three days after the day of the death if in a city or borough, or seven days in any other case. There is a penalty up to £10 for neglect, the undertaker in charge of the funeral being solely responsible for registration. Prior to 1913 the undertaker was primarily looked to for registration, but, in addition, the occupier of the house and every other person present at death were also responsible parties.
The law does not impose any limit of time after which a death may not be registered as it does in the case of a birth. It is not necessary to effect a death-registration entry in the case of a still-born child.
Any person burying or permitting or taking part in the burial of the body of any deceased person without a certificate of cause of death signed by a duly registered medical practitioner, a Coroner's order to bury the body, or a Registrar's certificate of registration of the death renders himself liable to a fine of £10.
The following table shows the number of deaths and the death-rate per 1,000 of the mean population during each of the last twenty years:—
| Year. | Number. | Rule per 1,000. |
|---|---|---|
| 1905 | 8,061 | 9.27 |
| 1906 | 8,339 | 9.31 |
| 1907 | 10,066 | 10.95 |
| 1908 | 9,043 | 9.57 |
| 1909 | 8,959 | 9.22 |
| 1910 | 9,639 | 9.71 |
| 1911 | 9,534 | 9.39 |
| 1912 | 9,214 | 8.87 |
| 1913 | 10,119 | 9.47 |
| 1914 | 10,148 | 9.31 |
| 1915 | 9,965 | 9.06 |
| 1916 | 10,596 | 9.64 |
| 1917 | 10,528 | 9.58 |
| 1918 | 16,364 | 14.84 |
| 1919 | 10,808 | 9.46 |
| 1920 | 12,109 | 10.15 |
| 1921 | 10,682 | 8.73 |
| 1922 | 10,977 | 8.77 |
| 1923 | 11,511 | 9.03 |
| 1924 | 10,767 | 8.29 |
The death-rate for the year 1924 is the lowest ever recorded in the Dominion. The succession of extremely low rates year by year since 1920 would appear to indicate that a new level has been reached, lower than would a few years age have been considered possible, with the age-constitution of the population ever increasing.
The death-rates of males and females for the last ten years are shown separately in the next table, also the number of male deaths to every 100 female deaths, and the death-rate of males expressed as an index number of the female rate, taking the latter as equal to 100.
| Year. | Deaths per 1,000 of the Total Population. | Male Deaths to every 100 Female Deaths. | Male Rate expressed as Index Number of Female Rate (= 100). | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | |||
| 1915 | 10.19 | 7.87 | 9.06 | 137 | 129 |
| 1916 | 11.14 | 8.13 | 9.64 | 138 | 138 |
| 1917 | 11.09 | 8.09 | 9.58 | 134 | 137 |
| 1918 | 18.03 | 11.77 | 14.84 | 147 | 153 |
| 1919 | 10.85 | 8.06 | 9.46 | 148 | 149 |
| 1920 | 11.11 | 9.15 | 10.15 | 127 | 121 |
| 1921 | 9.75 | 7.66 | 8.73 | 133 | 127 |
| 1922 | 9.60 | 7.90 | 8.77 | 127 | 122 |
| 1923 | 9.91 | 8.12 | 9.03 | 127 | 122 |
| 1924 | 9.22 | 7.32 | 8.29 | 131 | 126 |
In normal times the excess of male over female population has the effect of showing a smaller variation between the death-rates for the two sexes than is indicated by a comparison of numbers of deaths. The withdrawal of a large number of males between the ages of 20 and 45 for military service overseas, however, reduced the male population without proportionately reducing the total of male deaths, the death-rate among persons of those ages being considerably less than for the whole population. Consequently there was during the war period an increase in the percentage of the male rate to the female, a position accentuated in 1918, and to a less extent in 1919, by the influenza epidemic, which exacted a heavier toll among males than among females.
An examination of the total number of deaths registered in each quarter of the years 1915-24 gives the following results:—
| Year. | March Quarter. | June Quarter. | September Quarter. | December Quarter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 2,280 | 2,484 | 2,645 | 2,556 |
| 1916 | 2,542 | 2,585 | 2,959 | 2,510 |
| 1917 | 2,514 | 2,508 | 2,885 | 2,621 |
| 1918 | 2,118 | 2,447 | 3,265 | 8,534 |
| 1919 | 2,388 | 2,645 | 3,116 | 2,659 |
| 1920 | 2,466 | 2,923 | 3,600 | 3,120 |
| 1921 | 2,480 | 2,528 | 3,094 | 2,580 |
| 1922 | 2,398 | 2,686 | 3,278 | 2,615 |
| 1923 | 2,371 | 2,635 | 3,846 | 2,659 |
| 1924 | 2,385 | 2,572 | 3,032 | 2,778 |
The huge total for December quarter, 1918, was due to the disastrous influenza epidemic which raged during that quarter. The large increase in September quarter of the year 1923 was also owing to influenza, a slight epidemic occurring during that period. The third quarter of the year invariably ranks highest in point of number, on account of the toll that the winter months take of people in advanced ages. March quarter has in recent years claimed the lowest number of deaths.
A classification according to date of death shows that in 1924 the most deaths occurred during the months of July, August, and September, with totals of 1,060, 989, and 989 respectively. Excluding December (the figures for which, are incomplete on account of a proportion of deaths occurring in that month not being registered till January), February had the least number of deaths (720), followed by April and March with 806 and 811 respectively.
The least number of deaths on any one day, again excluding December, was 13 on the 18th January. The greatest number (49) occurred on the 26th July, and the 7th August.
The deaths occurring during 1924 are tabulated below in single ages up to five years, and thereafter in groups, showing males and females separately:—
| Ages. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 month | 377 | 294 | 671 |
| 1-3 months | 96 | 53 | 149 |
| 3-6 months | 73 | 58 | 131 |
| 6-12 months | 98 | 78 | 176 |
| 1-2 years | 104 | 86 | 190 |
| 2-3 years | 45 | 48 | 93 |
| 3-4 years | 43 | 44 | 87 |
| 4-5 years | 29 | 29 | 58 |
| 5-10 years | 101 | 84 | 185 |
| 10-15 years | 77 | 58 | 135 |
| 15-20 years | 121 | 97 | 218 |
| 20-25 years | 159 | 127 | 286 |
| 25-30 years | 143 | 139 | 282 |
| 30-35 years | 191 | 154 | 345 |
| 35-40 years | 206 | 168 | 374 |
| 40-45 years | 268 | 221 | 489 |
| 45-50 years | 336 | 215 | 551 |
| 50-55 years | 365 | 269 | 634 |
| 55-60 years | 366 | 261 | 627 |
| 60-65 years | 464 | 322 | 786 |
| 65-70 years | 554 | 391 | 945 |
| 70-75 years | 578 | 441 | 1,019 |
| 75-80 years | 514 | 380 | 894 |
| 80-85 years | 447 | 350 | 797 |
| 85-90 years | 250 | 220 | 470 |
| 90-95 years | 80 | 59 | 139 |
| 95-100 years | 17 | 15 | 32 |
| 101 years | 2 | .. | 2 |
| 104 | 1 | .. | 1 |
| 106 | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Totals | 6,106 | 4,661 | 10,767 |
A preponderance of males occurs in all quinquennial age-groups, although the excess is considerably diminished between the ages of 20 and 40, a period at which the effects of child-bearing are felt in the female numbers. The greatest excess of males occurs at ages 60 and over, in sympathy with the greater disparity between the numbers of male and female population at those ages.
Some remarkable changes m the age-distribution of persons dying have occurred during the last fifty years. The total deaths in 1924 were approximately three times greater than in 1874, but the number of deaths under one year in 1924 was actually lower than in 1874. This is an eloquent tribute to the efficacy of the steps taken to preserve infant life (a subject which is dealt with later on in this subsection), as during the fifty years the annual number of births practically doubled itself.
Turning now to deaths at ages 80 and over, a remarkable difference between the earlier and later years covered by the figures is apparent. In 1874, deaths in this group numbered only 39, or less than 1 per cent. of the total of 4,148; while in 1924, 1,442 deaths over 80 years of age were recorded, this number representing 13 per cent. of the total deaths in that year. In 1904 the corresponding percentage was only 6. The figures are a reflex of the changes in the age-constitution of the population, combined with the great improvement in the death-rate at the earlier ages.
Similar, though loss pronounced, changes have occurred in the age-groups between 60 and 80 years, while the groups up to age 40 show results very similar to those for deaths under one year of age. The following table indicates the changes that have occurred over a period of fifty years in the numbers and proportions of deaths contributed by the various age-groups:—
| Ages, in Years. | Number of Deaths. | Percentage to Total. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874. | 1884. | 1894. | 1904. | 1924. | 1874. | 1884. | 1894. | 1904. | 1924. | |
| Under 1 | 1,394 | 1,573 | 1,507 | 1,616 | 1,127 | 33.61 | 27.45 | 22.02 | 19.98 | 10.47 |
| 1 and under 5 | 685 | 621 | 497 | 358 | 428 | 16.51 | 10.84 | 7.26 | 4.43 | 3.98 |
| 5 and under 10 | 272 | 248 | 224 | 149 | 185 | 6.56 | 4.33 | 3.27 | 1.84 | 1.72 |
| 10 and under 15 | 85 | 164 | 159 | 156 | 135 | 2.05 | 2.86 | 2.32 | 1.93 | 1.25 |
| 15 and under 20 | 97 | 191 | 252 | 234 | 218 | 2.34 | 3.33 | 3.68 | 2.89 | 2.02 |
| 20 and under 25 | 114 | 235 | 294 | 324 | 286 | 2.75 | 4.10 | 4.30 | 4.01 | 2.66 |
| 25 and under 30 | 180 | 256 | 304 | 365 | 282 | 4.34 | 4.47 | 4.44 | 4.51 | 2.62 |
| 30 and under 35 | 209 | 251 | 258 | 340 | 345 | 5.04 | 4.38 | 3.77 | 4.20 | 3.20 |
| 35 and under 40 | 239 | 279 | 296 | 308 | 374 | 5.75 | 4.87 | 4.32 | 3.82 | 3.48 |
| 40 and under 45 | 201 | 309 | 253 | 287 | 489 | 4.85 | 5.39 | 3.70 | 3.55 | 4.54 |
| 45 and under 50 | 148 | 299 | 282 | 336 | 551 | 3.57 | 5.22 | 4.12 | 4.15 | 5.12 |
| 50 and under 55 | 137 | 304 | 376 | 368 | 634 | 3.30 | 5.30 | 5.49 | 4.55 | 5.89 |
| 55 and under 60 | 97 | 229 | 396 | 398 | 627 | 2.34 | 4.00 | 5.79 | 4.92 | 5.82 |
| 60 and under 65 | 67 | 181 | 454 | 556 | 786 | 1.62 | 3.16 | 6.63 | 6.88 | 7.30 |
| 65 and under 70 | 75 | 201 | 377 | 647 | 945 | 1.80 | 3.50 | 5.51 | 8.00 | 8.78 |
| 70 and under 75 | 72 | 137 | 285 | 681 | 1,019 | 1.74 | 2.39 | 4.16 | 8.42 | 9.46 |
| 75 and under 80 | 37 | 116 | 329 | 450 | 894 | 0.89 | 2.02 | 4.81 | 5.56 | 8.30 |
| 80 and over | 39 | 137 | 302 | 514 | 1,442 | 0.94 | 2.39 | 4.41 | 6.36 | 13.39 |
| Totals for specified ages | 4,148 | 5,731 | 6,845 | 8,087 | 10,767 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
| Unspecified | 13 | 9 | 73 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Grand totals | 4,161 | 5,740 | 6,918 | 8,087 | 10,707 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
The death-rates at various age-groups during each of the last five years are as shown in the next table.
| Ages, in Years. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 16.06 | 13.48 | 12.23 | 12.29 | 11.62 |
| 5 and under 10 | 2.12 | 1.78 | 1.79 | 1.78 | 1.41 |
| 10 and under 15 | 1.39 | 1.47 | 1.37 | 1.22 | 1.03 |
| 15 and under 20 | 2.32 | 1.85 | 2.04 | 2.00 | 1.83 |
| 20 and under 25 | 2.87 | 2.65 | 2.86 | 3.08 | 2.72 |
| 25 and under 35 | 3.96 | 2.97 | 3.61 | 3.75 | 3.22 |
| 35 and under 45 | 6.84 | 5.49 | 5.06 | 5.00 | 4.44 |
| 45 and under 55 | 11.34 | 10.46 | 8.52 | 8.66 | 8.24 |
| 55 and under 65 | 21.24 | 19.04 | 17.51 | 18.12 | 17.23 |
| 65 and under 75 | 44.29 | 40.94 | 39.57 | 44.83 | 43.80 |
| 75 and over | 150.24 | 124.84 | 134.34 | 140.25 | 121.43 |
| All ages | 10.15 | 8.73 | 8.77 | 9.03 | 8.29 |
The average age at death of persons of either sex in each of the ten years 1915-24 was as follows:—
| Year. | Males. | Females. |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 47.24 | 44.71 |
| 1916 | 46.06 | 44.01 |
| 1917 | 48.33 | 45.51 |
| 1918 | 44.56 | 44.29 |
| 1919 | 50.73 | 48.47 |
| 1920 | 48.74 | 45.92 |
| 1921 | 48.45 | 46.97 |
| 1922 | 50.16 | 49.69 |
| 1923 | 50.06 | 50.33 |
| 1924 | 51.05 | 49.87 |
The drop in the average age at death in 1918 is the result of the influenza epidemic, the average age of those succumbing to influenza being below the normal average age at death, especially in the case of males. The year 1923 is remarkable in that it is the only occasion on which the average age at death has been higher for females than for males.
The following figures showing the expectation of life at various ages are based on the experience of the quinquennium 1911-15:—
| Age. | Males. | Females. |
|---|---|---|
| Years. | Years. | |
| 0 | 60.960 | 63.482 |
| 1 | 63.853 | 65.591 |
| 2 | 63.342 | 65.107 |
| 3 | 62.638 | 64.390 |
| 4 | 61.842 | 63.572 |
| 5 | 61.006 | 62.721 |
| 10 | 56.533 | 58.258 |
| 15 | 51.983 | 53.639 |
| 20 | 47.611 | 49.138 |
| 25 | 43.315 | 44.784 |
| 30 | 39.034 | 40.527 |
| 35 | 34.811 | 36.363 |
| 40 | 30.686 | 32.255 |
| 45 | 26.060 | 28.183 |
| 50 | 22.779 | 24.187 |
| 55 | 19.046 | 20.341 |
| 60 | 15.538 | 16.715 |
| 65 | 12.276 | 13.241 |
| 70 | 9.310 | 10.110 |
| 75 | 6.836 | 7.674 |
| 80 | 4.963 | 5.876 |
| 85 | 3.574 | 4.345 |
| 90 | 2.450 | 2.949 |
| 95 | 1.576 | 1.822 |
| 100 | 0.919 | 1.017 |
It will be noted that while the expectation or average after-lifetime of males at age 0 is given as 60.96 years, the average age at death of males in 1924 is only 51.05 years. The reason for the difference in these figures is that the average age at death in 1924 is nothing more than the average of the ages of those dying in that year; and if the population be one with a preponderance of young people, as is the case in New Zealand, that preponderance of young ages must also be reflected among those dying in a particular year, who, after all, are largely a sample of the living. The average age at death in one particular year is therefore evidence of the age-constitution of the population in that year, rather than of the vitality of the people, though it is affected by both factors. In New Zealand the average age at death is on the whole constantly increasing, mainly because the population is gradually getting a due proportion of old people; but a large immigration of young people or a sufficient increase in the birth-rate could send it down again by furnishing a greater number of deaths at low ages, even without any change in the vitality.
The expectation of life is independent of these factors, being based upon the scientifically determined rates of mortality at every successive year of age, and could be said to represent the average age at death of, say, 100,000 people followed from birth to their final extinction by death. In the course of time, when the age-constitution of the population of New Zealand approximates more closely to that existing in the older countries, the average age at death in a given year will tend to be in closer agreement with the actuarially ascertained expectation of life at age 0.
A table is given showing the death-rates of the Australian States and Commonwealth and of New Zealand in each of the ten years 1915-24.
| Country. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland | 11.00 | 10.96 | 9.60 | 10.23 | 12.22 | 10.63 | 9.34 | 9.14 | 9.83 | 8.87 |
| New South Wales | 10.48 | 10.49 | 9.43 | 9.69 | 13.18 | 10.13 | 9.51 | 8.92 | 9.61 | 9.35 |
| Victoria | 11.10 | 11.66 | 10.31 | 10.66 | 13.15 | 11.13 | 10.52 | 9.65 | 10.71 | 10.05 |
| South Australia | 10.67 | 11.49 | 9.87 | 9.72 | 11.69 | 10.44 | 10.02 | 9.10 | 9.59 | 9.19 |
| Western Australia | 9.28 | 9.86 | 9.05 | 9.20 | 11.24 | 10.28 | 10.44 | 9.33 | 8.41 | 9.08 |
| Tasmania | 10.11 | 10.58 | 9.10 | 9.09 | 10.69 | 9.67 | 10.30 | 9.29 | 9.92 | 9.89 |
| Commonwealth | 10.66 | 10.95 | 9.71 | 9.99 | 12.69 | 10.50 | 9.91 | 9.21 | 9.89 | 9.47 |
| New Zealand | 9.06 | 9.64 | 9.58 | 14.84 | 9.46 | 10.15 | 8.73 | 8.77 | 9.03 | 8.29 |
New Zealand has ordinarily a lower death-rate than any of the Australian States, which, again, have considerably lower rates than other countries. The apparently disadvantageous position of New Zealand in the matter of the rate for 1918 is explained by the fact that the Dominion experienced the widespread influenza epidemic during 1918, while in the Commonwealth the outbreak did not occur till 1919.
The death-rates of certain of the principal European and other countries are also given. The rates for New Zealand and Australia compare very favourably with these.
| Country. | Quinquennium. | Average Rate per 1,000. |
|---|---|---|
* Exclusive of Quebec. † Registration area, | ||
| Union of South Africa | 1920-24 | 10.1 |
| Canada* | 1920-24 | 10.8 |
| Netherlands | 1919-23 | 11.5 |
| Uruguay | 1919-23 | 12.0 |
| England and Wales | 1920-24 | 12.2 |
| Norway | 1919-23 | 12.3 |
| Denmark | 1918-22 | 12.4 |
| Sweden | 1919-23 | 12.9 |
| United States† | 1918-22 | 13.5 |
| Scotland | 1919-23 | 14.2 |
| Irish Free State | 1919-23 | 14.5 |
| Switzerland | 1918-22 | 14.7 |
| Germany | 1919-23 | 15.2 |
| Finland | 1919-23 | 15.4 |
| Belgium | 1918-22 | 15.5 |
| Northern Ireland | 1919-23 | 16.0 |
| Quebec | 1918-22 | 16.4 |
| France | 1919-23 | 17.8 |
| Italy | 1919-23 | 17.8 |
| Hungary | 1919-23 | 20.0 |
| Austria | 1918-22 | 20.0 |
| Spain | 1919-23 | 21.9 |
| Japan | 1919-23 | 23.2 |
| Jamaica | 1919-23 | 24.3 |
| Portugal | 1917-21 | 25.6 |
| Egypt | 1919-23 | 26.9 |
| British Guiana | 1919-23 | 30.9 |
| Chile | 1918-22 | 31.4 |
| Ceylon | 1919-23 | 31.4 |
Perfect accuracy in comparing one country with another can be attained only by the use of what is termed an “index of mortality.” The proportions of the living vary in regard to the different age-groups, and the ordinary death-rate—which is calculated on the population as a whole—does not afford a true means of judging of the relative healthiness of the places compared; but by taking a population like that of Sweden and applying the percentage at each age-group to the death-rates a standard of health or index of mortality can be arrived at. This is done for New Zealand, in accordance with a resolution of the Statistical Conference held at Hobart in 1902, and the result for 1924 is given below in tabular form:—
| Ages, in Years. | Estimated Mean Population. | Number of Deaths. | Death-rate per 1,000. | Percentage of Population of Sweden, 1890 (Standard). | Index of Mortality in New Zealand per 1,000. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 27,359 | 1,127 | 41.19 | 2.55 | 1.05 |
| 1 and under 20 | 487,298 | 966 | 1.98 | 39.80 | 0.79 |
| 20 and under 40 | 397,173 | 1,287 | 3.24 | 26.96 | 0.87 |
| 40 and under 60 | 287,966 | 2,801 | 7.99 | 19.23 | 1.54 |
| 60 and upwards | 98,839 | 5,086 | 51.46 | 11.46 | 5.90 |
| Totals | 1,298,635 | 10,767 | 8.29 | 100.00 | 10.15 |
Where comparisons are restricted to the figures for different years in a country such as New Zealand, where the age and sex constitution of the population is undergoing a gradual change, it is preferable to use as a standard the constitution of the population of the same country at some fixed date.
In the following table the rates have been standardized on the population as disclosed at the census of 1911.
| Year. | Crude (Actual) Death-rate. | Standardized Rate. |
|---|---|---|
| 1872 | 11.39 | 12.36 |
| 1873 | 12.67 | 14.10 |
| 1874 | 12.98 | 13.79 |
| 1875 | 15.92 | 17.30 |
| 1876 | 12.66 | 14.09 |
| 1877 | 11.47 | 12.86 |
| 1878 | 10.96 | 12.76 |
| 1879 | 12.46 | 14.11 |
| 1880 | 11.46 | 12.70 |
| 1881 | 11.13 | 12.41 |
| 1882 | 11.19 | 13.06 |
| 1883 | 11.45 | 13.29 |
| 1884 | 10.39 | 11.88 |
| 1885 | 10.76 | 12.36 |
| 1886 | 10.54 | 12.17 |
| 1887 | 10.29 | 11.96 |
| 1888 | 9.43 | 11.72 |
| 1889 | 9.44 | 10.80 |
| 1890 | 9.66 | 11.25 |
| 1891 | 10.35 | 12.08 |
| 1892 | 10.06 | 11.75 |
| 1893 | 10.23 | 11.80 |
| 1894 | 10.19 | 11.56 |
| 1895 | 9.91 | 11.22 |
| 1896 | 9.10 | 10.35 |
| 1897 | 9.14 | 10.58 |
| 1898 | 9.84 | 11.50 |
| 1899 | 10.24 | 11.02 |
| 1900 | 9.43 | 10.21 |
| 1901 | 9.81 | 10.66 |
| 1902 | 10.50 | 11.41 |
| 1903 | 10.40 | 11.17 |
| 1904 | 9.57 | 9.87 |
| 1905 | 9.27 | 9.60 |
| 1906 | 9.31 | 9.66 |
| 1907 | 10.95 | 11.37 |
| 1908 | 9.57 | 9.94 |
| 1909 | 9.22 | 9.20 |
| 1910 | 9.71 | 9.63 |
| 1911 | 9.39 | 9.38 |
| 1912 | 8.87 | 8.87 |
| 1913 | 9.47 | 9.47 |
| 1914 | 9.31 | 9.31 |
| 1915 | 9.06 | 9.09 |
| 1916 | 9.64 | 9.22 |
| 1917 | 9.58 | 9.04 |
| 1918 | 14.84 | 14.66 |
| 1919 | 9.46 | 8.99 |
| 1920 | 10.15 | 9.88 |
| 1921 | 8.73 | 8.49 |
| 1922 | 8.77 | 8.29 |
| 1923 | 9.03 | 8.58 |
| 1924 | 8.29 | 7.85 |
The system of standardization adopted is similar to that used in arriving at the international index of mortality, but is more detailed. The population and deaths for each year of the period have been divided, each sex separately, into five-yearly groups of ages (with one group only for ages 80 and over), and the rates for the various groups ascertained and weighted according to the percentage which the respective age-groups bore to the total population at the census of 1911.
The New Zealand rates, ascertained on the basis of the Swedish age-distribution, may be compared with those of the Australian States and of the Commonwealth standardized by the same system.
| Country. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 11.85 | 11.38 | 11.88 | 11.66 | 16.80 | 11.72 | 12.76 | 10.93 | 10.72 | 10.15 |
| Queensland | 12.70 | 14.30 | 14.37 | 12.64 | 13.94 | 15.97 | 14.36 | 12.30 | 11.38 | 12.35 |
| New South Wales | 12.72 | 13.24 | 13.48 | 12.45 | 12.86 | 16.48 | 13.32 | 12.27 | 10.91 | 11.79 |
| Victoria | 14.11 | 13.54 | 14.28 | 12.81 | 13.23 | 15.51 | 13.72 | 12.85 | 11.20 | 12.44 |
| South Australia | 13.03 | 13.09 | 14.45 | 12.65 | 12.53 | 14.59 | 13.49 | 12.47 | 10.62 | 11.24 |
| Western Australia | 12.56 | 12.79 | 14.15 | 12.93 | 13.69 | 15.50 | 15.63 | 15.60 | 11.80 | 10.74 |
| Tasmania | 12.11 | 13.04 | 13.43 | 11.78 | 11.70 | 13.29 | 12.28 | 13.16 | 10.88 | 11.80 |
| Commonwealth | 13.18 | 13.47 | 13.99 | 12.63 | 13.07 | 15.75 | 13.65 | 12.66 | 11.10 | 11.95 |
The occupations of males who died during 1924, arranged according to classification groups, are shown in the following table. Further details may be obtained from the “Annual Report on the Vital Statistics for the Year 1924.”
| Nature of Occupation. | Age-group (In Years). | Totals. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15. | 15 and under 20. | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 45. | 45 and under 65. | 65 and over. | ||
| Fishing and trapping | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 8 | 12 | 23 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | .. | 23 | 30 | 158 | 347 | 802 | 1,360 |
| Forestry | .. | 4 | .. | 10 | 19 | 23 | 56 |
| Mining and quarrying | .. | .. | 1 | 17 | 44 | 116 | 178 |
| Processes relating to minerals | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| Processes relating to chemicals, animal and vegetable products | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 12 | 18 | 33 |
| Processes relating to metals, machines, tools, conveyances, jewellery, &c. | .. | 3 | 10 | 42 | 70 | 96 | 221 |
| Processes relating to fibrous material, textiles, and dress | .. | .. | .. | 15 | 38 | 48 | 101 |
| Processes relating to food, drink, and tobacco | .. | .. | 1 | 7 | 17 | 25 | 50 |
| Processes relating to wood, basket-ware, furniture, &c. | .. | 2 | 1 | 11 | 16 | 30 | 60 |
| Processes relating to paper, stationery, printing, and photography | .. | 3 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 40 |
| Construction or repair of buildings, roads, railways, canals, &c. | .. | 9 | 13 | 53 | 113 | 188 | 376 |
| Transport and communication | 2 | 7 | 18 | 81 | 141 | 134 | 383 |
| Commerce and finance | .. | 10 | 11 | 78 | 178 | 196 | 473 |
| Public administration, clerical, and professional | .. | 10 | 16 | 105 | 147 | 213 | 491 |
| Entertainment, sport, and recreation | .. | 1 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 24 |
| Personal and domestic service | .. | 1 | 3 | 40 | 65 | 54 | 163 |
| Dependent on public or private support | 1,040 | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 16 | 1,116 |
| Other or indefinite | 1 | 18 | 36 | 161 | 285 | 448 | 949 |
| Totals | 1,043 | 121 | 159 | 808 | 1,531 | 2,444 | 6,106 |
Of the 10,767 persons whose deaths were registered in 1924, 4,936, or 46 per cent., were born in New Zealand, and 4,727, or 44 per cent., in the United Kingdom. The figures for the principal countries are—
| British countries— | Number. |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | 4,936 |
| England and Wales | 2,590 |
| Scotland | 1,175 |
| Ireland | 962 |
| Australia | 433 |
| India | 36 |
| Canada | 35 |
| Other British countries | 38 |
| 10,205 | |
| Foreign countries— | Number. |
| Germany | 64 |
| Sweden | 39 |
| Denmark | 37 |
| China | 32 |
| Norway | 29 |
| United States | 19 |
| Poland | 14 |
| Other foreign countries | 84 |
| 318 |
| Number. | |
|---|---|
| Total British countries | 10,205 |
| Total foreign countries | 318 |
| At sea | 27 |
| Unspecified or unknown | 217 |
| Grand total | 10,767 |
The number and rate of deaths for each of the fourteen urban areas during the last five years are as shown in the following statement:—
| Urban Areas. | Number of Deaths. | Rate per 1,000 of Mean Population. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* Not available. † Excluding Hamilton and Hastings urban areas. | ||||||||||
| Auckland | 1,630 | 1,504 | 1,591 | 1,554 | 1,616 | 11.13 | 9.53 | 9.67 | 9.26 | 9.34 |
| Wellington | 1,081 | 967 | 966 | 962 | 917 | 10.64 | 9.00 | 8.73 | 8.58 | 8.01 |
| Christchurch | 1,242 | 1,014 | 1,063 | 1,158 | 1,023 | 11.83 | 9.60 | 9.65 | 10.21 | 8.87 |
| Dunedin | 910 | 742 | 784 | 857 | 742 | 12.34 | 10.27 | 10.67 | 11.42 | 9.79 |
| Totals of principal areas | 4,869 | 4,227 | 4,404 | 4,531 | 4,298 | 11.39 | 9.54 | 9.59 | 9.68 | 8.98 |
| Hamilton | * | * | 126 | 125 | 111 | * | * | 8.43 | 8.14 | 6.89 |
| Gisborne | 118 | 113 | 110 | 117 | 119 | 8.05 | 7.82 | 7.37 | 7.74 | 7.74 |
| Napier | 210 | 167 | 159 | 186 | 173 | 12.65 | 9.72 | 9.00 | 10.41 | 9.50 |
| Hastings | * | * | 71 | 95 | 96 | * | * | 5.25 | 6.92 | 6.84 |
| New Plymouth | 124 | 127 | 126 | 134 | 141 | 11.21 | 10.04 | 9.33 | 9.62 | 9.78 |
| Wanganui | 222 | 178 | 193 | 221 | 203 | 10.00 | 7.57 | 7.99 | 9.04 | 8.12 |
| Palmerston North | 152 | 136 | 128 | 158 | 147 | 9.92 | 8.05 | 7.31 | 8.97 | 8.03 |
| Nelson | 131 | 105 | 117 | 137 | 126 | 12.50 | 9.88 | 10.75 | 12.27 | 11.05 |
| Timaru | 145 | 139 | 167 | 153 | 146 | 9.65 | 8.96 | 10.41 | 9.30 | 8.74 |
| Invercargill | 190 | 158 | 154 | 212 | 178 | 9.95 | 8.22 | 7.86 | 10.51 | 8.67 |
| Totals of secondary areas | 1,292† | 1,123† | 1,351 | 1,538 | 1,440 | 10.38† | 8.64† | 8.31 | 9.03 | 8.47 |
| Grand totals | 6,161† | 5,350† | 5,755 | 6,069 | 5,738 | 11.16† | 9.33† | 9.26 | 9-57 | 8.85 |
In compiling the statistics of deaths for the urban areas the rule is followed of carefully excluding deaths of persons who do not belong to the areas hut have come from elsewhere for the purpose of obtaining better medical and nursing attention. Nevertheless, the rates for the principal urban areas, in spite of the omission of this class, are in general somewhat above the average for the Dominion as a whole. It is noteworthy, however, that the average for the secondary areas is not only considerably lower than that for the principal areas, but is also in some years smaller than the Dominion figure.
The table following shows the number of living issue left by married men whose deaths were registered during the ten years 1915-24, the information being given according to age of father and of issue. It will be seen that during the period under review 30,220 fathers left issue to the number of 138,101, an average of 4.57. There were also 5,234 married men or widowers who died without leaving issue.
| Age of Issue, in Years. | Number of Issue left by Fathers dying within the Age-groups shown at Head of Column. | Totals. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 and under 30. | 30 and under 40. | 40 and under 50. | 50 and under 60. | 60 and under 65. | 65 and under 70. | 70 and under 80. | 80 and over. | ||
| 0 | 191 | 396 | 224 | 65 | 6 | .. | 1 | .. | 883 |
| 1 | 197 | 545 | 307 | 76 | 9 | 10 | 3 | .. | 1,147 |
| 2 | 185 | 618 | 366 | 120 | 18 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1,328 |
| 3 | 134 | 661 | 437 | 142 | 26 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 1,420 |
| 4 | 100 | 621 | 486 | 165 | 22 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1,411 |
| 5 | 77 | 608 | 545 | 219 | 26 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 1,511 |
| 6 | 43 | 623 | 567 | 230 | 37 | 29 | 14 | 4 | 1,547 |
| 7 | 20 | 575 | 626 | 308 | 34 | 38 | 18 | 4 | 1,623 |
| 8 | 10 | 464 | 602 | 356 | 63 | 37 | 22 | 5 | 1,559 |
| 9 | 10 | 399 | 683 | 376 | 69 | 46 | 31 | 4 | 1,618 |
| 10 | 4 | 382 | 688 | 419 | 102 | 61 | 45 | 5 | 1,706 |
| 11 | 1 | 275 | 727 | 403 | 110 | 75 | 43 | 3 | 1,697 |
| 12 | .. | 220 | 720 | 510 | 142 | 93 | 60 | 8 | 1,753 |
| 13 | .. | 173 | 675 | 562 | 162 | 99 | 73 | 8 | 1,752 |
| 14 | .. | 102 | 657 | 620 | 192 | 129 | 95 | 12 | 1,807 |
| 15 | .. | 84 | 621 | 616 | 225 | 132 | 105 | 17 | 1,800 |
| 16 | .. | 47 | 609 | 699 | 253 | 178 | 154 | 33 | 1,973 |
| 17 | .. | 27 | 509 | 723 | 290 | 198 | 184 | 12 | 1,943 |
| 18 | .. | 12 | 511 | 784 | 375 | 255 | 218 | 34 | 2,189 |
| 19 | .. | 4 | 418 | 815 | 389 | 292 | 264 | 56 | 2,238 |
| 20 | .. | .. | 326 | 815 | 394 | 304 | 310 | 48 | 2,197 |
| 21 and over | .. | 4 | 906 | 7,947 | 9,732 | 14,423 | 39,570 | 29,663 | 102,305 |
| Unspecified | 5 | 15 | 77 | 148 | 105 | 101 | 174 | 69 | 694 |
| Totals | 977 | 6,855 | 12,347 | 17,178 | 12,781 | 16,560 | 41,412 | 29,991 | 138,101 |
| Married men who died— | |||||||||
| (a) Without leaving issue | 286 | 667 | 710 | 829 | 424 | 463 | 1,062 | 793 | 5,234 |
| (b) Leaving issue | 580 | 2,669 | 3,603 | 4,194 | 2,701 | 3,266 | 7,581 | 5,626 | 30,220 |
| Totals | 860 | 3,336 | 4,313 | 5,023 | 3,125 | 3,729 | 8,643 | 6,419 | 35,454 |
Taking all deaths of married men or widowers, whether leaving issue or not, it is found that the average living issue is 3.90, as compared with 4.18 for the period 1905-14. The following table shows the average issue for various age-groups in the two decennial periods:—
| Age-group, in Years. | Deaths of Married Men or Widowers. | Total Number of Issue left. | Average Number of Issue left. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905-14. | 1915-24. | 1905-14. | 1915-24. | 1905-14. | 1915-24. | |
| 20 and under 30 | 533 | 866 | 565 | 977 | 1.06 | 1.13 |
| 30 and under 40 | 2,070 | 3,336 | 4,351 | 6,855 | 2.10 | 2.05 |
| 40 and under 50 | 2,656 | 4,313 | 8,404 | 12,347 | 3.16 | 2.86 |
| 50 and under 60 | 3,668 | 5,023 | 15,734 | 17,178 | 4.29 | 3.42 |
| 60 and under 65 | 2,349 | 3,125 | 11,312 | 12,781 | 4.82 | 4.09 |
| 65 and under 70 | 3,229 | 3,729 | 15,540 | 16,560 | 4.78 | 4.44 |
| 70 and under 80 | 7,146 | 8,643 | 33,700 | 41,412 | 4.72 | 4.79 |
| 80 and over | 3,493 | 6,419 | 15,610 | 29,991 | 4.47 | 4.67 |
| Totals | 25,144 | 35,454 | 105,216 | 138,101 | 4.18 | 3.90 |
Several tables dealing with orphanhood are given in full in the “Annual Report on Vital Statistics.” One of these, showing the number of issue under 16 left by deceased married men, is summarized and given in the next table.
| Age at Death, in Years. | Total Number of Cases where Issue left under Age 16. | Cases leaving Number of Issue under 16 Years of Age shown at Head of Column. | Total Number of Children left under Age 16. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 and over. | |||
| 20 and under 25 | 9 | 5 | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 13 |
| 25 and under 30 | 32 | 9 | 18 | 3 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 62 |
| 30 and under 35 | 75 | 27 | 24 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 1 | .. | 164 |
| 35 and under 40 | 118 | 25 | 36 | 27 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 323 |
| 40 and under 45 | 135 | 38 | 25 | 43 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 355 |
| 45 and under 50 | 167 | 52 | 42 | 34 | 21 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 425 |
| 50 and under 55 | 137 | 45 | 40 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 335 |
| 55 and under 60 | 104 | 52 | 29 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 201 |
| 60 and under 65 | 70 | 40 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 3 | .. | .. | 119 |
| 65 and under 70 | 38 | 22 | 9 | 4 | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 64 |
| 70 and under 75 | 19 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 26 |
| 75 and under 80 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 9 |
| 80 and over | 4 | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
| Totals | 914 | 338 | 248 | 173 | 79 | 47 | 15 | 14 | 2,100 |
Among men who left any issue under age 16, the average number of such issue was 2.30. The average for all married men or widowers who died during the year was, however, only 0.58.
Of the 35,454 married men or widowers whose deaths were registered during the ten years 1915-24, 8,324 were shown to have been widowers, and 26,407 to have left widows; while in the remaining 723 cases there was no information on the point. Of the married men leaving widows, 22,799 had living issue also at time of death, and 3,608 had no living issue. In 7,128 cases widowers left issue, and in 1,196 cases no issue. In 293 of the 723 cases where no information was given as to whether a widow was left there was living issue, in 276 cases no living issue, and in 154 cases no information as to issue was given. A table is given showing the relative ages of married men who died during the period 1915-24 and of their widows.
| Age of Widow, in Years. | Age of Deceased, in Years. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 and under 30. | 30 and under 40. | 40 and under 50. | 50 and under 60. | 60 and under 70. | 70 and under 80. | 80 and under 90. | 90 and upwards | Totals. | |
| Under 20 | 28 | 3 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 33 |
| 20 and under 25 | 274 | 167 | 24 | 6 | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 474 |
| 25 and under 30 | 382 | 707 | 121 | 18 | 4 | .. | .. | .. | 1,232 |
| 30 and under 35 | 73 | 1,127 | 433 | 84 | 22 | 5 | 2 | .. | 1,746 |
| 35 and under 40 | 5 | 772 | 957 | 287 | 68 | 26 | 6 | .. | 2,121 |
| 40 and under 45 | 8 | 189 | 1,355 | 604 | 176 | 54 | 11 | .. | 2,397 |
| 45 and under 50 | 2 | 26 | 825 | 1,147 | 381 | 126 | 28 | 2 | 2,537 |
| 50 and under 55 | .. | 8 | 132 | 1,371 | 814 | 282 | 66 | 2 | 2,675 |
| 55 and under 60 | .. | .. | 29 | 669 | 1,423 | 484 | 111 | 11 | 2,727 |
| 60 and under 65 | .. | .. | 11 | 133 | 1,494 | 957 | 265 | 10 | 2,870 |
| 65 and under 70 | .. | .. | 6 | 32 | 738 | 1,367 | 366 | 12 | 2,521 |
| 70 and under 75 | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 156 | 1,229 | 475 | 26 | 1,891 |
| 75 and under 80 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 26 | 593 | 600 | 27 | 1,249 |
| 80 and under 85 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 116 | 381 | 33 | 533 |
| 85 and under 90 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 9 | 89 | 18 | 117 |
| 90 and upwards | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 9 | 7 | 17 |
| Ages not specified | 57 | 157 | 115 | 110 | 174 | 333 | 278 | 43 | 1,267 |
| Totals | 829 | 3,156 | 4,010 | 4,468 | 5,485 | 5,581 | 2,687 | 191 | 26,407 |
New Zealand has the lowest rate of infantile mortality in the world, a fact attributable partly to such matters as climate, virility of the race, comparative absence of large industrial undertakings, &c., and partly to legislative and educative measures, e latter both by the State and by various organizations.
The following table, giving infantile-mortality rates in various countries for the latest available quinquennial period, clearly shows the favourable position occupied by New Zealand:—
| Country. | Quinquennium. | Deaths under One Year per 1,000 Births. |
|---|---|---|
* Registration area. † Exclusive of Quebec. | ||
| New Zealand | 1920-24 | 45 |
| Norway | 1918-22 | 58 |
| Australia | 1920-24 | 61 |
| Sweden | 1916-20 | 66 |
| Netherlands | 1919-23 | 71 |
| Irish Free State | 1919-23 | 74 |
| England and Wales | 1921-24 | 77 |
| South Africa | 1920-24 | 78 |
| Denmark | 1918-22 | 80 |
| Switzerland | 1918-22 | 80 |
| United States* | 1918-22 | 85 |
| Northern Ireland | 1919-23 | 86 |
| Canada† | 1920-24 | 88 |
| Scotland | 1919-23 | 93 |
| France | 1919-23 | 103 |
| Finland | 1919-23 | 104 |
| Uruguay | 1919-23 | 105 |
| Belgium | 1918-22 | 115 |
| Egypt | 1918-22 | 128 |
| Germany | 1919-23 | 134 |
| Quebec | 1916-20 | 149 |
| Spain | 1918-22 | 158 |
| Japan | 1919-23 | 167 |
| Jamaica | 1919-23 | 176 |
| British Guiana | 1919-23 | 178 |
| Hungary | 1918-23 | 187 |
| Ceylon | 1919-23 | 199 |
| Chile | 1918-22 | 268 |
Not only has New Zealand had for many years the lowest rate of infantile mortality in the world, but the rate for the Dominion has shown steady and rapid improvement, more particularly during the last twenty years.
The number of deaths of infants under one year of age for each of the ten years 1915-24 and the rate per 1,000 births registered are shown in the following table:—
| Year. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 Births. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1915 | 827 | 567 | 1,394 | 57.37 | 42.20 | 50.05 |
| 1916 | 830 | 616 | 1,446 | 56.58 | 44.51 | 50.70 |
| 1917 | 767 | 593 | 1,360 | 53.53 | 42.63 | 48.16 |
| 1918 | 704 | 548 | 1,252 | 53.64 | 43.03 | 48.41 |
| 1919 | 636 | 472 | 1,108 | 50.53 | 39.68 | 45.26 |
| 1920 | 848 | 665 | 1,513 | 54.94 | 45.90 | 50.57 |
| 1921 | 774 | 592 | 1,366 | 53.10 | 42.31 | 47.82 |
| 1922 | 718 | 497 | 1,215 | 48.20 | 35.23 | 41.89 |
| 1923 | 720 | 505 | 1,225 | 49.55 | 37.59 | 43.80 |
| 1924 | 644 | 483 | 1,127 | 45.05 | 35.21 | 40.23 |
The rate for 1924 is the lowest ever recorded, not only for the two sexes in conjunction, but also for each sex separately. The rate is invariably somewhat higher among males than among females.
Since 1921 a distinction has been made between legitimate and illegitimate children in the New Zealand statistics of infantile mortality, and in each of the four years covered so far the proportion of illegitimate infants among those dying within the first year of life has been found to be considerably greater than the proportion of illegitimate births to total births. The figures are—
| Year. | Total Deaths under One Year. | Deaths of Illegitimate Infants under One Year. | Proportion of Illegitimates in Total Deaths under One Year. | Proportion of Illegitimates in Total Births. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |||
| 1921 | 1,366 | 118 | 8.64 | 4.40 |
| 1922 | 1,215 | 86 | 7.08 | 4.22 |
| 1923 | 1,225 | 82 | 6.69 | 4.51 |
| 1924 | 1,127 | 96 | 8.52 | 4.78 |
The excess of the male over the female rate of infantile mortality holds for each of the four divisions of the first year of life shown in the next table. The discrepancy is, however, somewhat greater in the first half of the year than in the second.
| Year. | Male Deaths per 1,000 Male Births. | Female Deaths per 1,000 Female Births. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 Month. | 1 and under 3 Months. | 3 and under 6 Months. | 6 and under 12 Months. | Under 1 Month. | 1 and under 3 Months. | 3 and under 6 Months. | 6 and under 12 Months. | |
| 1915 | 35.31 | 7.49 | 6.66 | 7.91 | 22.78 | 6.47 | 5.88 | 7.07 |
| 1916 | 29.58 | 8.93 | 9.34 | 8.73 | 24.28 | 5.85 | 6.58 | 7.80 |
| 1917 | 31.68 | 7.40 | 6.42 | 8.03 | 23.94 | 5.75 | 5.68 | 7.26 |
| 1918 | 29.18 | 9.98 | 5.72 | 8.76 | 24.18 | 7.46 | 3.46 | 7.93 |
| 1919 | 33.13 | 6.91 | 4.37 | 6.12 | 23.37 | 5.97 | 4.54 | 5.80 |
| 1920 | 34.40 | 8.10 | 5.96 | 6.48 | 26.99 | 6.76 | 4.76 | 7.39 |
| 1921 | 33.21 | 8.16 | 5.69 | 6.04 | 28.02 | 5.43 | 3.86 | 5.00 |
| 1922 | 31.55 | 7.52 | 3.63 | 5.50 | 22.68 | 4.68 | 2.98 | 4.89 |
| 1923 | 33.03 | 7.23 | 3.10 | 6.19 | 24.78 | 5.96 | 2.76 | 4.09 |
| 1924 | 26.37 | 6.72 | 5.11 | 6.85 | 21.43 | 3.86 | 4.23 | 5.69 |
The number of male deaths per 100 female deaths in the first month of life during the ten years 1915-24 was 134; between one and three months, 142; between three and six months, 132; and between six and twelve months, 118.
The actual number of male and female deaths during these periods of life are next shown for the last ten years. Taking the whole decennium it is found that of every 100 males who died under one year of age, 61 lived less than one month, 76 less than three months, and 86 less than six months. The corresponding figures for females are 61, 75, and 86 respectively.
| Year. | Males. | Females. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 Month. | 1 and under 3 Months. | 3 and under 6 Months. | 6 and under 12 Months. | Under 1 Month. | 1 and under 3 Months. | 3 and under 6 Months. | 6 and under 12 Months. | |
| 1915 | 509 | 108 | 96 | 114 | 306 | 87 | 79 | 95 |
| 1916 | 434 | 131 | 137 | 128 | 336 | 81 | 91 | 108 |
| 1917 | 454 | 106 | 92 | 115 | 333 | 80 | 79 | 101 |
| 1918 | 383 | 131 | 75 | 115 | 308 | 95 | 44 | 101 |
| 1919 | 417 | 87 | 55 | 77 | 278 | 71 | 54 | 69 |
| 1920 | 531 | 125 | 92 | 100 | 391 | 98 | 69 | 107 |
| 1921 | 484 | 119 | 83 | 88 | 392 | 76 | 54 | 70 |
| 1922 | 470 | 112 | 54 | 82 | 320 | 66 | 42 | 69 |
| 1923 | 480 | 105 | 45 | 90 | 333 | 80 | 37 | 55 |
| 1924 | 377 | 96 | 73 | 98 | 294 | 53 | 58 | 78 |
If the deaths under one year of age are divided into two groups—viz., those occurring during the first month of life and those during the remainder of the twelve months—it is found that the decrease disclosed for recent years when compared with earlier is almost entirely confined to the latter class; the explanation being, no doubt, that with premature birth, congenital debility, and other causes of death due to pre-natal influences (which are responsible for the great majority of deaths during the first month), it has not hitherto been found possible to effect the great improvements which have been brought about in regard to complaints arising from post-natal causes. It is gratifying, however, to note that a distinct improvement was registered in 1924, when the rate for the first month was only 23 95 per 1,000, as against 29.07 in 1923. The 1924 rate for the first month is the lowest ever recorded.
The next table shows that whereas in the average of the four years 1921-24 the death-rate under one month of age was only slightly lower than in the quinquennium 1881-85, the rate for children who have survived the first month of life was only one-fourth as high as in the “eighties.” In other words, where the Dominion formerly lost, between the ages of one month and one year, sixty children out of every thousand, it lost only sixteen in the four years 1921-24.
| Period. | Deaths per 1,000 Births. | Deaths between 1 and 12 Months per 1,000 Children who survive 1 Month. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 Year. | Under 1 Month. | Between 1 and 12 Months. | ||
| 1881-1885 | 90.60 | 29.77 | 60.83 | 62.70 |
| 1886-1890 | 84.09 | 27.57 | 56.52 | 58.13 |
| 1891-1895 | 87.60 | 30.34 | 57.26 | 58.93 |
| 1896-1900 | 80.06 | 30.38 | 49.68 | 51.24 |
| 1901-1905 | 74.77 | 30.64 | 44.13 | 45.54 |
| 1906-1910 | 69.62 | 30.28 | 39.34 | 40.57 |
| 1911-1915 | 53.63 | 29.28 | 24.35 | 25.05 |
| 1916-1920 | 48.62 | 28.16 | 20.46 | 21.05 |
| 1921-1924 | 43.44 | 27.74 | 15.70 | 16.15 |
The decrease by half in the general rate, and three-quarters in the rate between one and twelve months, and the practically stationary nature of the rate under one month, are well indicated in the accompanying diagram.
If the deaths under one month for the year 1924 are subjected to a more detailed analysis as to age it is found that of the total of 671 nearly a third (221) occurred within twenty-four hours of birth, and over three-quarters (525) within one week. The following table gives information as to the principal causes of death at various periods of the first year of life:—
| Cause of Death. | Under 1 Day. | 1 Day and under 1 Week. | 1 Week and under 2 Weeks. | 2 Weeks and under 3 Weeks. | 3 Weeks and under 1 Month. | 1 Month and under 2 Months. | 2 Months and under 3 Months. | 3 Months and under 6 Months. | 6 Months and under 9 Months. | 9 Months and under 12 Months. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 6 | 7 |
| Scarlet fever | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Whooping-cough | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
| Diphtheria | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | .. | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Influenza | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Tuberculosis (all forms) | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Syphilis | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | 4 |
| Meningitis | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 2 | 3 | 6 | 16 |
| Convulsions | 1 | 14 | 2 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 24 |
| Bronchitis | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 11 | .. | 5 | 25 |
| Broncho-pneumonia | .. | .. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 60 |
| Pneumonia | .. | 4 | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 37 |
| Diseases of stomach | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 3 | 1 | .. | 6 |
| Diarrhœa and enteritis | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 38 | 18 | 19 | 101 |
| Hernia, intestinal obstruction | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Congenital malformations | 21 | 37 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 130 |
| Congenital debility, icterus, sclerema | 19 | 51 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 136 |
| Injury at birth | 17 | 24 | 6 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 50 |
| Premature birth | 138 | 123 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | .. | .. | 325 |
| Other causes peculiar to early infancy | 16 | 36 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 67 |
| Accidental mechanical suffocation (overlain, &c.) | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 3 | .. | 8 |
| Other causes | 8 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 33 |
| Totals, both sexes | 221 | 304 | 63 | 47 | 36 | 83 | 66 | 131 | 88 | 88 | 1,127 |
| Totals, males | 125 | 166 | 42 | 23 | 21 | 55 | 41 | 73 | 51 | 47 | 644 |
| Totals, females | 96 | 138 | 21 | 24 | 15 | 28 | 25 | 58 | 37 | 41 | 483 |
Some remarkable changes are disclosed by the next table, which gives the infantile-mortality rates for various groups of causes in quinquennial groups over a period of fifty-three years. If a comparison be made between the averages of the first and last quinquennia covered—1872-76 and 1917-21—it is found that the general infantile-mortality rate shows a decline of 56 per cent., while even greater decreases are recorded for tuberculosis (91 per cent.), gastric and intestinal diseases (81 per cent.), convulsions (80 per cent.), epidemic diseases (76 per cent.), and respiratory diseases (64 per cent.). On the other hand, an actual increase of 17 per cent. is disclosed by the figures for the two classes of pre-natal causes—malformations and diseases of early infancy—taken in conjunction.
The decrease shown for tuberculosis and the increase for malformations are probably somewhat less than is indicated by the figures. In the earlier years covered by the table the former heading included all deaths from hydrocephalus, many of which were no doubt due to congenital hydrocephalus, which is now included among the malformations. A proportion of the deaths from hydrocephalus in the earlier years would also probably be due to meningitis.
| Period. | Epidemic Diseases. | Tuberculosis. | Infantile Convulsions. | Respiratory Diseases. | Gastric and Intestinal Diseases. | Malformations. | Early Infancy. | Other Causes. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872-1876 | 13.5 | 5.5 | 9.7 | 12.9 | 24.2 | 1.2 | 25.0 | 17.3 | 109.3 |
| 1877-1881 | 10.2 | 5.2 | 7.5 | 12.3 | 19.8 | 1.4 | 21.9 | 15.3 | 93.6 |
| 1882-1886 | 9.3 | 4.7 | 7.9 | 11.8 | 19.1 | 1.2 | 25.5 | 12.3 | 91.8 |
| 1887-1891 | 8.9 | 3.7 | 6.3 | 10.5 | 18.5 | 1.3 | 24.7 | 8.8 | 82.7 |
| 1892-1896 | 9.8 | 3.3 | 6.6 | 11.0 | 16.6 | 1.4 | 24.9 | 11.2 | 84.8 |
| 1897-1901 | 6.1 | 2.6 | 5.6 | 10.0 | 17.2 | 1.5 | 26.2 | 9.7 | 78.9 |
| 1902-1906 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 9.7 | 15.3 | 1.3 | 27.6 | 7.9 | 72.9 |
| 1907-1911 | 5.9 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 7.6 | 15.5 | 1.9 | 26.7 | 6.3 | 68.5 |
| 1912-1916 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 5.1 | 7.4 | 3.9 | 26.2 | 3.5 | 52.5 |
| 1917-1921 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 26.1 | 2.9 | 48.1 |
| 1922 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 24.8 | 2.5 | 41.9 |
| 1923 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 5.6 | 24.5 | 3.4 | 43.8 |
| 1924 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 20.6 | 3.7 | 40.2 |
The classification of causes of death was made in 1908 for the first time in New Zealand according to the international classification of diseases initiated by Dr. Jacques Bertillon and used by the Commonwealth of Australia and the principal European and American countries. Provision has been made by the International Commission for a regular decennial revision of the index, in order that the classification may be kept abreast of scientific progress. It is highly desirable for comparative purposes that uniformity of statistical method should obtain.
The international classification differs materially from that in use prior to 1908, and comparisons of certain causes of mortality between years prior and subsequent to 1908 are impossible owing to changes in the classification. Most of the more important diseases, however, remain unaffected and retain their comparative value.
The third decennial revision of the international classification of diseases and causes of death was used for the first time in computing the mortality tables of causes of death for 1923. Although there has been quite a number of important changes in the placing of some of the diseases, the classification in general follows much the same form as before. The most striking change is the establishment of a new group of diseases, to be known as the “epidemic, endemic, and infectious diseases.” This group comprises all the epidemic diseases which were formerly covered by the first nineteen orders in the class known as “general diseases,” also all infectious diseases, including all forms of tuberculosis and syphilis. In addition, acute poliomyelitis, lethargic encephalitis, and meningococcus meningitis, all of which were previously placed in “diseases of the nervous system,” are now included under this heading. Several new titles have been added, in order to provide for the separate listing of diseases which are now deemed to be of sufficient importance. There are also numerous cases where diseases have been transferred from one class to another, the most important being the grouping of cerebral embolism and thrombosis along with cerebral hæmorrhage and apoplexy, instead of under the circulatory system with embolism and thrombosis. The net result is that, as it now stands, the classification list contains fifteen class headings, which are further subdivided into 205 orders, instead of the fourteen classes and 189 orders appearing in the second revision.
A comparison of the causes of deaths in 1924, arranged according to an abridged classification, the percentage of each group to the total deaths, and the proportion per 10,000 of population of each sex, are given in the following table:—
| Class. | Number of Deaths. | Proportion to Total Deaths. | Proportion per 10,000 of Mean Population. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |||
| I. Epidemic, endemic, and infectious diseases | 620 | 531 | 10.15 | 11.39 | 9.37 | 8.36 |
| II. General diseases, not included above | 875 | 870 | 14.33 | 18.67 | 13.22 | 13.70 |
| III. Diseases of the nervous system and of the organs of special sense | 644 | 548 | 10.55 | 11.76 | 9.73 | 8.63 |
| IV. Diseases of the circulatory system | 1,187 | 862 | 19.44 | 18.49 | 17.93 | 13.58 |
| V. Diseases of the respiratory system | 517 | 373 | 8.47 | 8.00 | 7.81 | 5.87 |
| VI. Diseases of the digestive system | 350 | 299 | 5.73 | 6.42 | 5.29 | 4.71 |
| VII. Non-venereal diseases of the genito - urinary system and annexa | 328 | 209 | 5.37 | 4.48 | 4.96 | 3.29 |
| VIII. Puerperal state | .. | 140 | .. | 3.00 | .. | 2.21 |
| IX. Diseases of the skin and of the cellular tissue | 28 | 19 | 0.40 | 0.41 | 0.42 | 0.30 |
| X. Diseases of the bones and of the organs of locomotion | 19 | 12 | 0.31 | 0.26 | 0.29 | 0.19 |
| XI. Malformations | 86 | 61 | 1.41 | 1.31 | 1.30 | 0.96 |
| XII. Early infancy | 333 | 248 | 5.45 | 5.32 | 5.03 | 3.91 |
| XIII. Old age | 429 | 338 | 7.03 | 7.25 | 6.48 | 5.32 |
| XIV. External causes | 650 | 141 | 10.65 | 3.03 | 9.82 | 2.22 |
| XV. Ill-defined causes | 40 | 10 | 0.65 | 0.21 | 0.60 | 0.16 |
| Totals | 6,106 | 4,661 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 92.24 | 73.41 |
Class IV, diseases of the circulatory system, the principal of which—organic heart-disease — ranks easily first among individual causes of death in New Zealand, is the most important as regards numerical strength. Next in order come Class II (which includes cancer) and Class I (which includes tuberculosis), closely followed by both Classes III and V. Classes IX and X are responsible for very few deaths.
The next table shows the number of deaths from certain principal causes for the five years 1920-24, and the proportion per 10,000 of the population:—
| Cause. | Number of Deaths. | Proportion per 10,000 of Mean Population. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Typhoid fever | 40 | 24 | 67 | 23 | 19 | 0.33 | 0.20 | 0.54 | 0.18 | 0.15 |
| Measles | 122 | 47 | 1 | 7 | 52 | 1.02 | 0.38 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.40 |
| Scarlet fever | 15 | 24 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 0.12 | 0.20 | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Whooping-cough | 107 | 49 | 4 | 39 | 47 | 0.90 | 0.40 | 0.03 | 0.31 | 0.36 |
| Diphtheria | 91 | 103 | 78 | 66 | 80 | 0.76 | 0.84 | 0.62 | 0.52 | 0.62 |
| Influenza | 480 | 105 | 66 | 403 | 90 | 4.02 | 0.86 | 0.53 | 3.16 | 0.69 |
| Infantile paralysis | 2 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 22 | 0.02 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.02 | 0.17 |
| Tuberculosis of respiratory system | 695 | 640 | 626 | 619 | 573 | 5.83 | 5.23 | 5.00 | 4.86 | 4.41 |
| Other forms of tuberculosis | 156 | 153 | 177 | 173 | 163 | 1.31 | 1.25 | 1.41 | 1.36 | 3.26 |
| Cancer | 1,029 | 1,044 | 1,066 | 1,115 | 1,245 | 8.63 | 8.53 | 8.52 | 8.75 | 9.59 |
| Diabetes | 149 | 165 | 159 | 181 | 173 | 1.25 | 1.35 | 1.27 | 1.42 | 1.33 |
| Anæmia, chlorosis | 83 | 97 | 79 | 76 | 106 | 0.70 | 0.79 | 0.63 | 0.60 | 0.82 |
| Exophthalmic goitre | 44 | 38 | 29 | 35 | 45 | 0.37 | 0.30 | 0.23 | 0.27 | 0.35 |
| Meningitis (all forms) | 133 | 114 | 114 | 108 | 68 | 1.11 | 0.92 | 0.91 | 0.85 | 0.52 |
| Apoplexy, cerebral hæmorrhage | 525 | 514 | 565 | 677 | 722 | 4.40 | 4.20 | 4.51 | 5.31 | 5.56 |
| Epilepsy | 49 | 48 | 43 | 59 | 48 | 0.41 | 0.39 | 0.34 | 0.46 | 0.37 |
| Convulsions of children under 5 years of age | 64 | 70 | 56 | 52 | 31 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.45 | 0.41 | 0.24 |
| Heart-disease (all forms) | 1,794 | 1,699 | 1,889 | 2,023 | 1,858 | 15.04 | 13.88 | 15.09 | 15.87 | 14.31 |
| Arterio-sclerosis | 111 | 83 | 103 | 98 | 72 | 0.93 | 0.68 | 0.82 | 0.77 | 0.55 |
| Bronchitis | 389 | 288 | 341 | 366 | 224 | 3.26 | 2.35 | 2.72 | 2.87 | 1.72 |
| Broncho-pneumonia | 231 | 194 | 177 | 277 | 200 | 1.94 | 1.58 | 1.41 | 2.17 | 1.54 |
| Pneumonia | 528 | 427 | 407 | 339 | 306 | 4.43 | 3.49 | 3.25 | 2.66 | 2.36 |
| Gastritis | 49 | 22 | 25 | 19 | 31 | 0.41 | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.15 | 0.24 |
| Diarrhœa and enteritis | 188 | 221 | 187 | 129 | 180 | 1.58 | 1.80 | 1.49 | 1.01 | 1.39 |
| Appendicitis and typhlitis | 89 | 85 | 107 | 97 | 94 | 0.75 | 0.70 | 0.86 | 0.76 | 0.72 |
| Hernia, intestinal obstruction | 127 | 79 | 102 | 90 | 82 | 1.06 | 0.69 | 0.81 | 0.71 | 0.63 |
| Cirrhosis of liver | 28 | 28 | 37 | 42 | 43 | 0.23 | 0.23 | 0.30 | 0.33 | 0.33 |
| Simple peritonitis | 65 | 40 | 52 | 52 | 36 | 0.54 | 0.33 | 0.42 | 0.41 | 0.28 |
| Nephritis, Bright's disease | 356 | 377 | 310 | 358 | 342 | 2.98 | 3.08 | 2.48 | 2.81 | 2.63 |
| Cystitis | 36 | 23 | 26 | 23 | 15 | 0.30 | 0.19 | 0.21 | 0.18 | 0.12 |
| Diseases and accidents of puerperal condition | 194 | 145 | 149 | 143 | 140 | 1.63 | 1.19 | 1.19 | 1.12 | 1.08 |
| Malformations | 165 | 159 | 156 | 172 | 147 | 1.38 | 1.30 | 1.25 | 1.35 | 1.13 |
| Congenital debility | 263 | 191 | 165 | 151 | 136 | 2.21 | 1.56 | 1.32 | 1.18 | 1.05 |
| Premature birth | 436 | 403 | 423 | 384 | 325 | 3.66 | 3.29 | 3.38 | 3.01 | 2.50 |
| Senility | 1,017 | 791 | 891 | 901 | 767 | 8.53 | 6.46 | 7.12 | 7.07 | 5.90 |
| Violence (1) suicide | 133 | 157 | 164 | 133 | 159 | 1.12 | 1.28 | 1.31 | 1.04 | 1.22 |
| (2) accident | 547 | 562 | 541 | 588 | 621 | 4.59 | 4.59 | 4.32 | 4.61 | 4.78 |
| (3) homicide | 161 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.08 |
| Other causes | 1,563 | 1,449 | 1,562 | 1,467 | 1,481 | 13.11 | 11.84 | 12.47 | 11.51 | 11.41 |
| Totals | 12109 | 10682 | 10977 | 11511 | 10767 | 101.53 | 87.28 | 87.68 | 90.31 | 82.91 |
During the latter part of 1918 the Dominion was visited by a most virulent epidemic of influenza of a character similar to that experienced in most countries of the world in 1918 or 1919. The disease was more properly pneumonic influenza, and many deaths in the earlier stages of the outbreak were registered as caused by pneumonia, broncho-pneumonia, &c., which in the light of later knowledge would probably have been ascribed to influenza.
The deaths from influenza alone during 1918 reached a total of 5,516, a number greatly in excess of the grand total for the preceding forty-six years, prior to which statistics of causes of death are not available. This figure does not include Maori deaths—approximately 1,200—due to influenza.
Although, fortunately, the epidemic of 1918 was short lived, a perusal of the table following shows that the disease still remained and exerted its influence on the death-rates of the two following years.
A recrudescence of the influenza epidemic of 1918, and to a lesser extent of 1919 and 1920, was very apparent in the death statistics for 1923. Unlike its predecessor, the epidemic was of a mild form, and first made its presence felt in the month of July, and continued through, the months of August and September. The chief cause of the heavy mortality in the late winter and early spring months of the year was the exceedingly fatal complicating cause—pneumonia. In 219 cases, out of a total of 403 deaths from influenza during 1923, pneumonia was either jointly responsible with influenza for death or was associated therewith. A peculiar feature of the latter epidemic was that it was less fatal in the North Island than in the South, the corresponding rates per 10,000 of mean population being 2.49 and 4.21 respectively.
| Year. | Deaths. |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 8 |
| 1873 | 6 |
| 1874 | 17 |
| 1875 | 15 |
| 1876 | 17 |
| 1877 | 9 |
| 1878 | 3 |
| 1879 | 15 |
| 1880 | 11 |
| 1881 | 10 |
| 1882 | 13 |
| 1883 | 11 |
| 1884 | 6 |
| 1885 | 5 |
| 1886 | 11 |
| 1887 | 9 |
| 1888 | 9 |
| 1889 | 9 |
| 1890 | 70 |
| 1891 | 210 |
| 1892 | 144 |
| 1893 | 106 |
| 1894 | 233 |
| 1895 | 125 |
| 1896 | 89 |
| 1897 | 120 |
| 1898 | 219 |
| 1899 | 135 |
| 1900 | 181 |
| 1901 | 219 |
| 1902 | 117 |
| 1903 | 56 |
| 1904 | 113 |
| 1905 | 70 |
| 1906 | 132 |
| 1907 | 223 |
| 1908 | 64 |
| 1909 | 47 |
| 1910 | 141 |
| 1911 | 63 |
| 1912 | 65 |
| 1913 | 56 |
| 1914 | 63 |
| 1915 | 110 |
| 1916 | 73 |
| 1917 | 38 |
| 1918 | 5,516 |
| 1919 | 346 |
| 1920 | 540 |
| 1921 | 105 |
| 1922 | 66 |
| 1923 | 403 |
| 1924 | 90 |
The invasion of 1918 was very decidedly concentrated on the young adult ages, while that of 1923 was mainly confined in its activities to the more advanced ages. In 1918 the maximum percentage (18.33) was recorded for the age-group 30 to 35, with the next highest percentage (16.15) at the preceding age-group. Age-groups 35 to 40 and 40 to 45 accounted for 14.99 and 9.85 per cent. respectively. Altogether 68.20 per cent. of the total deaths from influenza in 1918 occurred between the ages of 20 and 45. The equivalent figure for 1923 aggregated only 27.79 per cent. Forty-two per cent. of the deaths in 1923 were at ages 60 and over, against a corresponding percentage in 1918 of 6.89.
Tuberculosis of the respiratory system takes sixth place in point of the number of deaths resulting therefrom during 1924, ranking after heart-disease, cancer, senility, cerebral hæmorrhage and apoplexy, and accidents, in that order. A continuation of the downward trend in the incidence of this disease is extremely gratifying. The 1924 death-rate for tuberculosis of the respiratory system was 4.41 per 10,000, which is an improvement of 9.3 per cent. over the figure for the previous year (4.86). The reduction is all the more remarkable when it is considered that the tuberculosis death-rate for 1923 was then the lowest on record. The average for the last ten years was 617, or 5.25 per 10,000 of mean population.
| Year. | Deaths from Pulmonary Tuberculosis. | Rate per 10,000. |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 562 | 5.11 |
| 1916 | 591 | 5.38 |
| 1917 | 597 | 5.43 |
| 1918 | 664 | 6.02 |
| 1919 | 602 | 5.27 |
| 1920 | 695 | 5.83 |
| 1921 | 640 | 5.23 |
| 1922 | 626 | 5.00 |
| 1923 | 619 | 4.86 |
| 1924 | 573 | 4.41 |
Of the 573 persons who died from tuberculosis of the respiratory system in 1924, 389, or 68 per cent., were known to have been born in the Dominion. In 10 cases the country of birth was not known or not stated, and in the remaining 174 cases the deceased person had been born outside New Zealand. Eight of the last-mentioned had been in New Zealand less than one year, and 24 less than five years.
In addition to the 573 deaths from tuberculosis of the respiratory system during 1924, there were 163 deaths from other forms of tuberculosis, made up as follows:—
| Tuberculous meningitis | 83 |
|---|---|
| Tuberculosis of intestines and peritoneum | 12 |
| Tuberculosis of vertebral column | 20 |
| Tuberculosis of joints | 7 |
| Tuberculosis of other organs | 12 |
| Disseminated tuberculosis | 29 |
The following table gives the number and rate of deaths from all forms of tuberculosis during the last ten years, with the percentage that deaths from tuberculosis bear to all deaths: —
| Year. | Mean Population. | Number of Deaths from Tubercular Diseases. | Rate per 10,000. | Percentage of Total Deaths from all Causes. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
(a) All deaths; (b) excluding deaths from influenza, October-December, 1918. | ||||
| 1915 | 1,099,394 | 693 | 6.30 | 6.95 |
| 1916 | 1,099,449 | 742 | 6.74 | 7.00 |
| 1917 | 1,099,117 | 755 | 6.87 | 7.17 |
| 1918 | 1,103,022 | 832 | 7.54 | 5.08 (a) |
| 7.64 (b) | ||||
| 1919 | 1,142,889 | 762 | 6.67 | 7.05 |
| 1920 | 1,192,620 | 851 | 7.14 | 7.03 |
| 1921 | 1,223,901 | 793 | 6.48 | 7.42 |
| 1922 | 1,251,895 | 803 | 6.41 | 7.32 |
| 1923 | 1,274,551 | 792 | 6.21 | 6.88 |
| 1924 | 1,298,635 | 736 | 5.67 | 6.84 |
Tuberculosis claims its victims at comparatively early age. Of those dying from this cause in 1924, persons under the age of twenty years formed 18 per cent., and those under forty-five years 76 per cent. The figures for the various age-groups are as follows:—
| Ages, in Years. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 22 | 18 | 40 |
| 5 and under 10 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| 10 and under 15 | 8 | 11 | 19 |
| 15 and under 20 | 19 | 38 | 57 |
| 20 and under 25 | 32 | 62 | 94 |
| 25 and under 30 | 49 | 44 | 93 |
| 30 and under 35 | 50 | 25 | 75 |
| 35 and under 40 | 52 | 30 | 82 |
| 40 and under 45 | 47 | 36 | 83 |
| 45 and under 50 | 38 | 21 | 59 |
| 50 and under 55 | 29 | 10 | 39 |
| 55 and under 60 | 10 | 13 | 23 |
| 60 and under 65 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
| 65 and under 70 | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| 70 and under 75 | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| 75 and under 80 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 80 and upwards | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Total deaths | 397 | 339 | 736 |
The proportions for the two sexes vary considerably over the different age-groups, females generally being in the majority in the earlier ages, and males thereafter.
The New Zealand rate of deaths from tubercular diseases, together with those of other principal countries of the world, is next shown. New Zealand compares more than favourably with the majority of the countries given.
| Country. | Year. | Death-rate (per 10,000). |
|---|---|---|
* Registration urea. | ||
| South Africa | 1923 | 4.1 |
| New Zealand | 1924 | 5.7 |
| Australia | 1923 | 6.2 |
| Canada (excluding Quebec) | 1924 | 6.8 |
| Ceylon | 1923 | 8.1 |
| Denmark | 1922 | 9.6 |
| United States* | 1922 | 9.7 |
| Netherlands | 1923 | 10.5 |
| Belgium | 1922 | 11.1 |
| England and Wales | 1922 | 11.2 |
| Scotland | 1923 | 11.8 |
| British Guiana | 1923 | 13.2 |
| Uruguay | 1923 | 13.9 |
| Irish Free State | 1923 | 14.1 |
| Germany | 1920 | 15.4 |
| Spain | 1922 | 15.6 |
| Jamaica | 1923 | 15.7 |
| Northern Ireland | 1923 | 15.9 |
| Sweden | 1920 | 16.2 |
| Switzerland | 1920 | 18.0 |
| Norway | 1919 | 19.0 |
| Czecho-Slovakia | 1923 | 19.6 |
| Italy | 1918 | 20.9 |
| Japan | 1923 | 21.1 |
| France | 1915 | 21.8 |
| Austria | 1921 | 22.7 |
| Finland | 1916 | 27.9 |
Cancer is annually responsible for more deaths in New Zealand than can be assigned to any cause other than organic disease of the heart. The increasing prevalence of cancer is causing no little concern in the Dominion, as indeed it is throughout the civilized world. It will be noted that the three years immediately preceding 1923 showed a slight decline in the cancer death-rate, but the total gain in those years was more than accounted for by the large increase in 1923. The rate for 1924, 9.59 per 10,000 of mean population, again shows a considerable increase, and is the highest ever recorded in the history of the country.
In 1924 there were 1,245 deaths from cancer in the Dominion, a proportion of 9.59 per 10,000 persons. The average number of cancer deaths and the average cancer death-rate for the years 1915-24 were 1,023 and 8.67 respectively. Deaths of males during 1924 numbered 658, and of females 587.
| Year. | Deaths from Cancer. | Total Deaths, all Causes. | Deaths from Cancer per 10,000 of Mean Population. | Deaths from Cancer per 100 of all Deaths. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
(a) All deaths; (b) excluding deaths from influenza, October-December, 1918. | ||||
| 1915 | 900 | 9,965 | 8.19 | 9.03 |
| 1916 | 909 | 10,596 | 8.27 | 8.50 |
| 1917 | 957 | 10,528 | 8.71 | 9.09 |
| 1918 | 936 | 16,364 | 8.49 | 5.72 (a) |
| 8.59 (b) | ||||
| 1919 | 1,031 | 10,808 | 9.02 | 9.54 |
| 1920 | 1,029 | 12,109 | 8.63 | 8.50 |
| 1921 | 1,044 | 10,682 | 8.53 | 9.77 |
| 1922 | 1,066 | 10,977 | 8.52 | 9.71 |
| 1923 | 1,115 | 11,511 | 8.75 | 9.69 |
| 1924 | 1,245 | 10,767 | 9.59 | 11.56 |
The following diagram illustrates, on the one hand, the increase in the cancer death-rate, and, on the other, the decrease in the rate of deaths from tuberculosis:—
The next table shows the proportion of deaths from cancer to the 10,000 of mean population in some of the principal countries of the world. The rates are an average of the latest available period of from three to five years. Of the twenty countries covered by the table, nine had higher rates than New Zealand.
| Country. | Period. | Death-rate per 10,000 of Population. |
|---|---|---|
* Exclusive of Quebec. † Registration area. | ||
| Ceylon | 1919-23 | 1.0 |
| Jamaica | 1919-23 | 1.9 |
| Spain | 1918-22 | 6.0 |
| South Africa | 1919-23 | 6.2 |
| Japan | 1919-23 | 7.0 |
| Uruguay | 1919-23 | 7.2 |
| Belgium | 1919-22 | 7.5 |
| Canada* | 1921-24 | 7.8 |
| United States† | 1918-22 | 8.2 |
| Australia | 1919-23 | 8.7 |
| New Zealand | 1920-24 | 8.8 |
| Germany | 1918-20 | 9.1 |
| Northern Ireland | 1919-23 | 10.0 |
| Sweden | 1918-20 | 10.6 |
| Netherlands | 1919-23 | 11.2 |
| England and Wales | 1918-22 | 11.9 |
| Scotland | 1919-23 | 12.2 |
| Switzerland | 1918-20 | 12.6 |
| Austria | 1919-21 | 12.7 |
| Denmark | 1920-22 | 13.6 |
Of the 1,245 deaths from malignant growths in 1924, 778 were due to carcinoma, 54 to sarcoma, and 34 to epithelioma, while “cancer” (not otherwise defined) was the cause in 280 cases.
The parts of the body most commonly affected in New Zealand are the stomach and liver. Among females the generative and mammary organs are frequently the seat of the disease. Full details of location are published in the “Annual Report on the Vital Statistics.”
| Seat of Disease. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buccal cavity | 52 | 4 | 56 |
| Stomach and liver | 265 | 146 | 411 |
| Peritoneum, intestines, rectum | 114 | 109 | 223 |
| Female genital organs | .. | 102 | 102 |
| Breast | 1 | 124 | 125 |
| Skin | 24 | 12 | 36 |
| Other organs or organs not specified | 202 | 90 | 292 |
| Totals | 658 | 587 | 1,245 |
Eighty-nine per cent. of the deaths from cancer during 1924 were at ages 45 years and upwards, and 60 per cent. at ages 60 years and upwards. A table is given showing by age-groups the number of persons of each sex who died of cancer during the year.
| Ages, In Years. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | .. | 2 | 2 |
| 5 and under 10 | 1 | .. | 1 |
| 10 and under 15 | 4 | .. | 4 |
| 15 and under 20 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 20 and under 25 | 3 | .. | 3 |
| 25 and under 30 | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 30 and under 35 | 6 | 9 | 15 |
| 35 and under 40 | 10 | 19 | 29 |
| 40 and under 45 | 27 | 41 | 68 |
| 45 and under 50 | 50 | 46 | 96 |
| 50 and under 55 | 53 | 79 | 132 |
| 55 and under 60 | 72 | 58 | 130 |
| 60 and under 65 | 98 | 70 | 168 |
| 65 and under 70 | 100 | 79 | 179 |
| 70 and under 75 | 103 | 83 | 186 |
| 75 and under 80 | 74 | 43 | 117 |
| 80 and upwards | 53 | 51 | 104 |
| Totals | 658 | 587 | 1,245 |
Exhaustive statistical inquiry covering the period from 1872 to date has shown that in New Zealand death from cancer is, on the average, now occurring later in life than formerly. It would seem that this is the case even if allowance be made for the fact that the age-constitution of the Dominion is increasing—i.e., that the average citizen of New Zealand is now older than the average citizen of ten, twenty, or fifty years ago.
In point of numbers of deaths puerperal accidents and diseases do not rank high among causes of death. Nevertheless, owing to the association between the maternal death-rate and the all-important matter of the birth-rate, deaths from puerperal causes are of special importance and significance.
In recent years New Zealand has had a comparatively high death-rate from puerperal causes when considered in relation to the number of births rather than on a population basis. The rate for each year since 1872 is as follows:—
| Year. | Proportion per 1,000 Children born. |
|---|---|
| 1872 | 4.26 |
| 1873 | 4.63 |
| 1874 | 5.76 |
| 1875 | 6.44 |
| 1876 | 4.58 |
| 1877 | 4.39 |
| 1878 | 4.78 |
| 1879 | 4.48 |
| 1880 | 3.93 |
| 1881 | 4.91 |
| 1882 | 5.31 |
| 1883 | 4.95 |
| 1884 | 6.90 |
| 1885 | 7.31 |
| 1886 | 5.75 |
| 1887 | 4.96 |
| 1888 | 5.87 |
| 1889 | 4.23 |
| 1890 | 5.42 |
| 1891 | 5.20 |
| 1892 | 4.53 |
| 1893 | 4.29 |
| 1894 | 5.99 |
| 1895 | 5.45 |
| 1896 | 4.67 |
| 1897 | 4.38 |
| 1898 | 4.80 |
| 1899 | 4.57 |
| 1900 | 3.84 |
| 1901 | 4.39 |
| 1902 | 5.33 |
| 1903 | 5.86 |
| 1904 | 4.66 |
| 1905 | 4.22 |
| 1906 | 3.88 |
| 1907 | 4.62 |
| 1908 | 4.59 |
| 1909 | 5.09 |
| 1910 | 4.50 |
| 1911 | 4 .33 |
| 1912 | 3.64 |
| 1913 | 3.58 |
| 1914 | 4.16 |
| 1915 | 4.70 |
| 1916 | 5.86 |
| 1917 | 5.98 |
| 1918 | 5.18 |
| 1919 | 5.06 |
| 1920 | 6.48 |
| 1921 | 5.08 |
| 1922 | 5.14 |
| 1923 | 5.11 |
| 1924 | 5.00 |
During the fifty-odd years covered by the table the rate has ranged between 3.58 and 7.31 per 1,000 live births registered, the lowest rate being in 1913 and the highest in 1885. It is noticeable that in the cases of both lowest and highest rates neighbouring years rank first and second on the list. The rate for 1920 (when the proportion of first births was high) was the third highest on record, having been exceeded only in 1884 and 1885, but it is gratifying to see that this high rate was not maintained, the four years following remaining fairly stationary at a comparatively low proportion.
The figures for years subsequent to 1915 are somewhat disadvantageously placed for purposes of comparison with earlier years. Commencing with 1916, special inquiry has been made in all cases where a woman of child-bearing age ha6 been returned as having died of such causes as septicæmia, peritonitis, nephritis, &c. (without qualification), with the result that in each year several of such cases are found to be puerperal, and are now so classed. Possibly this factor also affects to a certain extent comparison with other countries, and in any case the possibility of different treatment between one country and another as regards puerperal accidents and diseases and associated causes should not be overlooked when comparing New Zealand with other countries.
The next table shows the number of deaths from puerperal causes during each of the last ten years, classified in the eight groups into which such cases are divided in the international classification.
The great increase in the figures for puerperal septicæmia since 1916 would suggest that the alteration in the system referred to above is entirely responsible for the considerable increases in maternal deaths since 1915. The indications, however, are that the change is only partly responsible. During the five years 1911-15 deaths shown as being due to puerperal septicæmia averaged 26 per annum, and during the next five years 55 per annum, an increase of 29. The corresponding figures for non-puerperal or undefined septicæmia of women of the child-bearing ages were 16 and 4 for the respective quinquennia, a decrease of only 12.
| Group. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Mainly deaths from puerperal mania. | ||||||||||
| Accidents of pregnancy | 38 | 27 | 27 | 15 | 9 | 26 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 15 |
| Puerperal hæmorrhage | 14 | 20 | 18 | 11 | 10 | 40 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 19 |
| Other accidents of labour | 18 | 26 | 16 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 4 | 6 |
| Puerperal septicæmia | 22 | 60 | 59 | 48 | 52 | 67 | 48 | 52 | 52 | 52 |
| Puerperal phlegmasia alba dolens, embolus, sudden death | 5 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 11 |
| Puerperal albuminuria and convulsions | 32 | 24 | 37 | 30 | 36 | 37 | 41 | 35 | 34 | 36 |
| Following childbirth (not otherwise defined)* | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Puerperal diseases of the breast | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 131 | 167 | 169 | 134 | 124 | 194 | 145 | 149 | 143 | 140 |
A table showing the number and the rate per 1,000 births of deaths from puerperal septicæmia and other puerperal causes separately in some of the principal countries of the world is given below. The rates are an average of the latest available period of from three to five years. Out of the sixteen countries compared, there are only three that show a higher rate than New Zealand for the total puerperal causes, while for puerperal septicæmia five countries show a rate in excess of that for New Zealand.
| Country. | Period. | Death-rate per 1,000 Births from | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerperal Septicæmia. | Other Puerperal Causes. | All Puerperal Causes. | ||
* Exclusive of Quebec. † Registration Area. | ||||
| Denmark | 1920-22 | 1.21 | 0.92 | 2.13 |
| Netherlands | 1919-23 | 0.82 | 1.76 | 2.58 |
| Uruguay | 1919-23 | 1.75 | 1.13 | 2.88 |
| Japan | 1919-23 | 1.27 | 2.17 | 3.44 |
| England and Wales | 1918-22 | 1.50 | 2.54 | 4.04 |
| South Africa | 1919-23 | 1.77 | 2.40 | 4.17 |
| Australia | 1919-23 | 1.57 | 3.23 | 4.80 |
| Irish Free State | 1919-23 | 2.08 | 2.92 | 5.00 |
| Jamaica | 1919-23 | 1.03 | 4.05 | 5.08 |
| Spain | 1918-22 | 3.38 | 1.96 | 5.34 |
| Canada* | 1921-24 | 1.41 | 4.12 | 5.53 |
| Belgium | 1919-22 | 2.42 | 3.26 | 5.68 |
| New Zealand | 1924-24 | 1.88 | 3.87 | 5.75 |
| Scotland | 1919-23 | 1.83 | 4.52 | 6.35 |
| United States† | 1913-21 | 2.60 | 5.22 | 7.82 |
| Ceylon | 1919-23 | 8.84 | 11.80 | 20.64 |
Deaths from violence, apart from suicide, claim approximately 6 per cent. of the total deaths. The number of deaths and the rate per 1,000,000 of mean population of persons dying from the various forms of violent deaths in 1911, 1915, 1920, and 1924 are given in the next table. The year 1911 was chosen in preference to 1910 on account of the latter year not being for all purposes strictly comparable with recent years.
| Causes of Death. | Number of Deaths. | Rate per 1,000,000 of Mean Population. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911. | 1915. | 1920. | 1924. | 1911. | 1915. | 1920. | 1924. | |
| Accidents— | ||||||||
| Poisoning | 17 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 5 |
| Conflagration | .. | 13 | 5 | 8 | .. | 12 | 4 | 6 |
| Burns and scalds | 69 | 41 | 35 | 36 | 68 | 37 | 29 | 28 |
| Died under anæsthetic, asphyxia, &c. | 27 | 29 | 18 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 15 | 23 |
| Drowning | 162 | 150 | 150 | 169 | 160 | 136 | 126 | 130 |
| Firearms | 18 | 13 | 24 | 11 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 8 |
| Falls | 22 | 68 | 45 | 61 | 21 | 62 | 38 | 48 |
| Mines and quarries | 25 | 21 | 3 | 13 | 25 | 19 | 3 | 10 |
| Crushing | 99 | 173 | 165 | 198 | 98 | 157 | 138 | 152 |
| Injuries by animals | 26 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 8 |
| Homicide | 5 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 13 | 8 |
| Fractures (causes not specified) | 41 | 32 | 26 | 25 | 40 | 29 | 22 | 19 |
| Other | 79 | 50 | 62 | 53 | 78 | 45 | 52 | 42 |
| Totals | 590 | 623 | 565 | 632 | 581 | 567 | 474 | 487 |
Deaths from violence show a decided downward trend, the total decrease in the rate since 1911 being 16 per cent. This is all the more remarkable when it is seen that the death-rate from accidents arising from the use of railways, motor-cars, and other vehicles rose during the same period from 98 to 152 per 1,000,000 living. This equals a percentage of 55. There is no doubt that the rise in the rate of deaths from this class is due to the increasing congestion of the public streets and the increased use of motor-cars and other motor-vehicles. On the other hand, noticeable decreases are shown for drowning, burns and scalds, injuries by animals, and fractures (cause not specified). Traumatism in mines and quarries also records a considerable decrease.
The suicidal deaths in 1924 were 159—males 127, and females 32. The death-rate per 10,000 of mean population was 1.22. The figures for each of the last five years are as follows:—
| Year. | Number of Deaths. | Rate per 10,000 of Population. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | |
| 1920 | 110 | 21 | 131 | 1.88 | 0.37 | 1.13 |
| 1921 | 127 | 30 | 157 | 2.06 | 0.49 | 1.28 |
| 1922 | 130 | 34 | 164 | 2.04 | 0.55 | 1.31 |
| 1923 | 110 | 23 | 133 | 1.69 | 0.37 | 1.04 |
| 1924 | 127 | 32 | 159 | 1.92 | 0.50 | 1.22 |
The rate for 1924 is considerably higher than that for 1923, and slightly in advance of the average of the four preceding years—1.19 per 10,000.
The next table shows the means of self-destruction employed in New Zealand in each of the years 1920-24:—
| Mode of Death. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suicide by solid or liquid poisons | 5 | 21 | 19 | 7 | 14 |
| Suicide by corrosive substances | .. | .. | .. | 16 | 13 |
| Suicide by poisonous gas | 5 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 24 |
| Suicide by hanging or strangulation | 30 | 32 | 40 | 28 | 30 |
| Suicide by drowning | 11 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 20 |
| Suicide by firearms | 38 | 36 | 38 | 23 | 32 |
| Suicide by cutting or piercing instruments | 29 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 24 |
| Suicide by jumping from high places | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | .. |
| Suicide by crushing | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. |
| Suicide by other means | 10 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Totals | 131 | 157 | 164 | 133 | 159 |
The greatest number of deaths from suicide over the period covered was from firearms (167), closely followed by hanging or strangulation (160), whilst cutting or piercing instruments (123), drowning (98), and poison (95) were next in the order given.
A comparison of the average rates for the latest quinquennial periods available for the undermentioned countries is as follows:—
| Country. | Quinquennium. | Rate per 10,000 of Population. |
|---|---|---|
* Registration area. | ||
| Jamaica | 1919-23 | 0.16 |
| North Ireland | 1919-23 | 0.39 |
| Spain | 1918-22 | 0.45 |
| Ceylon | 1919-23 | 0.52 |
| Scotland | 1919-23 | 0.55 |
| Netherlands | 1919-23 | 0.67 |
| South Africa | 1916-20 | 0.82 |
| England and Wales | 1918-22 | 0.91 |
| Finland | 1918-22 | 1.04 |
| Australia | 1919-23 | 1.08 |
| Norway | 1915-19 | 1.16 |
| New Zealand | 1920-24 | 1.20 |
| United States* | 1916-20 | 1.23 |
| Sweden | 1914-18 | 1.29 |
| Uruguay | 1919-23 | 1.29 |
| Denmark | 1918-22 | 1.36 |
| Japan | 1919-23 | 1.90 |
| Switzerland | 1916-20 | 2.02 |
The New Zealand suicide-rate approximates those of the foreign countries shown in the above table, but compares unfavourably with other British countries.
In quite 50 per cent. of death entries, more than one definite disease is recorded, without taking into account indefinite conditions such as debility, coma, heart - failure, syncope, &c. In such cases it is necessary to decide which of the two or more diseases is to be assigned as the cause of death, and for this purpose certain general rules of procedure, applicable in the great majority of cases, are laid down by the international classification of causes of death. The rules are,—
If one of the two diseases is an immediate and frequent complication of the other, the death should be classified under the head of the primary disease.
If the preceding rule is not applicable, the following should be used: If one of the diseases is surely fatal and the other is of less gravity, the former should be selected as the cause of death.
If neither of the above rules is applicable, then the following: If one of the diseases is epidemic and the other is not, choose the epidemic disease.
If none of the three preceding rules is applicable, the following may be used: If one of the diseases is much more frequently fatal than the other, then it should be selected as the cause of death.
If none of the four preceding rules applies, then the following: If one of the diseases is of rapid development and the other is of slow development, the disease of rapid development should be taken.
If none of the above five rules applies, then the diagnosis should be selected that best characterizes the case.
There are also special rules relating to individual causes, and, of course, exceptions to rules, on account of considerations of age, sex, and other circumstances.
Beginning with the year 1924, a detailed tabulation of assigned and associated causes of death has been instituted, and the details are published in the Annual Report on Vital Statistics. The following table gives a summary of the principal contributory causes, shown in juxtaposition to the totals for the same diseases when treated as assigned causes:—
| Disease. | Assigned Causes of Death of | Contributory Causes of Death of | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| Septicæmia (non-puerperal) | 15 | 10 | 25 | 39 | 26 | 65 |
| Rheumatism | 29 | 37 | 66 | 9 | 18 | 27 |
| Diabetes | 58 | 115 | 173 | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| Anæmia | 58 | 48 | 106 | 5 | 19 | 24 |
| Diseases of thyroid | 10 | 49 | 59 | 1 | 12 | 13 |
| Alcoholism | 3 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| Meningitis | 43 | 22 | 65 | 23 | 13 | 36 |
| Cerebral hæmorrhage, apoplexy | 360 | 362 | 722 | 66 | 86 | 152 |
| Paralysis | 29 | 36 | 65 | 32 | 44 | 76 |
| Mental alienation | 55 | 30 | 85 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Infantile convulsions | 20 | 11 | 31 | 53 | 28 | 81 |
| Diseases of ears and of mastoid process | 7 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Diseases of heart | 1,064 | 794 | 1,858 | 67 | 61 | 128 |
| Diseases of arteries | 90 | 38 | 128 | 113 | 61 | 174 |
| Embolism and thrombosis | 21 | 19 | 40 | 26 | 20 | 46 |
| Bronchitis | 121 | 103 | 224 | 107 | 63 | 170 |
| Broncho-pneumonia | 107 | 93 | 200 | 69 | 54 | 123 |
| Pneumonia | 187 | 119 | 306 | 112 | 81 | 193 |
| Pleurisy | 12 | 12 | 24 | 44 | 28 | 72 |
| Pulmonary congestion | 32 | 22 | 54 | 81 | 65 | 146 |
| Asthma | 11 | 14 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 53 |
| Diseases of stomach | 62 | 39 | 101 | 21 | 15 | 36 |
| Diarrhœa and enteritis | 103 | 77 | 180 | 18 | 16 | 34 |
| Appendicitis | 57 | 37 | 94 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Hernia, intestinal obstruction | 43 | 39 | 82 | 18 | 9 | 27 |
| Other diseases of intestines | 10 | 5 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Biliary calculi | 9 | 28 | 37 | 3 | 15 | 18 |
| Other diseases of liver | 8 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 46 |
| Peritonitis | 12 | 24 | 36 | 75 | 48 | 123 |
| Nephritis | 187 | 155 | 342 | 52 | 51 | 103 |
| Other diseases of kidneys | 33 | 19 | 52 | 39 | 21 | 60 |
| Diseases of bladder | 14 | 5 | 19 | 30 | 6 | 36 |
| Diseases of prostate | 85 | .. | 85 | 21 | .. | 21 |
| Puerperal state | .. | 140 | 140 | .. | 3 | 3 |
| Gangrene | 13 | 8 | 21 | 9 | 13 | 22 |
| Acute abscess | 6 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| Diseases of organs of locomotion | 19 | 12 | 31 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Senility | 429 | 338 | 767 | 235 | 187 | 422 |
It will be noticed that diseases of the respiratory system rank very high among the contributory causes, mainly on account of their frequent occurrence as complications of heart-disease, influenza, and other epidemic diseases.
The following indicates for 1924 the principal assigned causes with which certain contributory causes were associated.
| Contributory Cause. | Assigned Cause with which associated. | Number of Cases in which associated. |
|---|---|---|
| Septicæmia (non-puerperal) | Diseases of bones | 10 |
| Cerebral hæmorrhage, apoplexy | Diseases of the heart | 75 |
| Nephritis | 39 | |
| Paralysis | Cerebral hæmorrhage, apoplexy | 36 |
| Diseases of the heart | 13 | |
| Diseases of the heart | Acute rheumatic fever | 33 |
| Cancer | 28 | |
| Diabetes | 16 | |
| Influenza | 14 | |
| Tuberculosis | 12 | |
| Diseases of arteries | Diseases of the heart | 81 |
| Cerebral hæmorrhage, apoplexy | 79 | |
| Nephritis | 17 | |
| Bronchitis | Diseases of the heart | 81 |
| Cancer | 10 | |
| Broncho-pneumonia | Measles | 23 |
| Whooping-cough | 16 | |
| Diseases of the heart | 13 | |
| Cancer | 10 | |
| Pneumonia | Influenza | 32 |
| Diseases of the heart | 31 | |
| Measles | 12 | |
| Cancer | 12 | |
| Nephritis | 11 | |
| Cerebral hæmorrhage | 10 | |
| Pleurisy | Pneumonia | 20 |
| Diseases of the heart | 11 | |
| Pulmonary congestion | Diseases of the heart | 52 |
| Bronchitis | 14 | |
| Cerebral hæmorrhage, apoplexy | 13 | |
| Asthma | Diseases of the heart | 31 |
| Bronchitis | 14 | |
| Peritonitis | Appendicitis | 52 |
| Ulcer of stomach | 19 | |
| Hernia, intestinal obstruction | 10 | |
| Cancer | 10 | |
| Nephritis | Diseases of the heart | 76 |
| Diseases of bladder | Diseases of prostate | 15 |
| Other diseases of urinary system | 14 | |
| Diseases of prostate | Diseases of urinary system | 10 |
| Gangrene | Diabetes mellitus | 12 |
| Senility | Diseases of the heart | 153 |
| Cerebral hæmorrhage, apoplexy | 48 | |
| Other diseases of nervous system | 14 | |
| Bronchitis | 34 | |
| Pulmonary congestion | 21 | |
| Gangrene | 14 | |
| Diseases of the arteries | 11 | |
| Broncho-pneumonia | 10 | |
| Diseases of prostate | 10 |
Deaths of Maoris are not included in the statistics quoted throughout this subsection, their omission being due to the fact that a considerably lower standard of accuracy and completeness of data exists in the case of Maori registrations than in the general death records. Registrations of Maori deaths during each of the last five years have been as follows:—
| Year. | Rates per 1,000 of Maori Population. | Numbers. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1920 | 484 | 431 | 915 | 18.58 | 18.08 | 18.34 |
| 1921 | 463 | 379 | 842 | 16.59 | 15.26 | 15.96 |
| 1922 | 474 | 439 | 913 | 16.86 | 17.48 | 17.15 |
| 1923 | 421 | 341 | 762 | 14.87 | 13.46 | 14.21 |
| 1924 | 406 | 367 | 773 | 14.26 | 14.38 | 14.32 |
The average rate over the period was 16 per 1,000, as compared with only 9 per 1,000 in the case of the general population. The rates for the two sexes are much more nearly equal for Maoris than for the rest of the population, the female rate being indeed higher than the male in two of the five years covered. Over the average of the five years the male rate among Maoris was only 3 per cent. higher than the female, as compared with a corresponding percentage excess of 23 among the general population.
Hitherto the only statistics available concerning Maori deaths were mere numbers of deaths according to sex. A tabulation has, however, now been made for the five years 1920-24 on the basis of age and cause of death, and summarized statistics are given below. The ages of Maoris whose deaths were registered during the five years are as follows:—
| Age, in Years. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 452 | 325 | 777 |
| 1 and under 5 | 255 | 229 | 484 |
| 5 and under 10 | 126 | 108 | 234 |
| 10 and under 15 | 117 | 129 | 246 |
| 15 and under 20 | 119 | 150 | 269 |
| 20 and under 25 | 102 | 144 | 246 |
| 25 and under 30 | 101 | 96 | 197 |
| 30 and under 35 | 57 | 72 | 129 |
| 35 and under 40 | 77 | 73 | 150 |
| 40 and under 45 | 48 | 69 | 117 |
| 45 and under 50 | 83 | 59 | 142 |
| 50 and under 55 | 75 | 61 | 136 |
| 55 and under 60 | 84 | 56 | 140 |
| 60 and under 65 | 102 | 46 | 148 |
| 65 and under 70 | 91 | 58 | 149 |
| 70 and under 75 | 125 | 61 | 186 |
| 75 and under 80 | 75 | 50 | 125 |
| 80 and under 85 | 65 | 60 | 125 |
| 85 and under 90 | 32 | 27 | 59 |
| 90 and under 95 | 20 | 42 | 62 |
| 95 and under 100 | 8 | 14 | 22 |
| 100 and over | 14 | 3 | 17 |
| Unspecified | 20 | 25 | 45 |
| Totals | 2,248 | 1,957 | 4,205 |
A summary is also given showing the number of deaths from the principal causes and groups of causes, the corresponding figures for the general population also being shown, together with the proportions borne by the two sets of figures to each other. For every Maori in the Dominion there are 24 Europeans, so that distance below or above this number in the last column indicates the extent to which the various causes show higher or lower rates for Maoris than for the general population.
| Cause of Death. | Maoris. | Others. | Deaths of others per Maori Death. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females | Total. | |||
| Typhoid fever | 64 | 57 | 121 | 173 | 1 1/2 |
| Measles | 14 | 16 | 30 | 229 | 7 1/2 |
| Whooping-cough | 22 | 36 | 58 | 246 | 4 |
| Diphtheria | 6 | 5 | 11 | 418 | 38 |
| Influenza | 128 | 110 | 238 | 1,144 | 5 |
| Dysentery | 10 | 5 | 15 | 24 | 1 1/2 |
| Other epidemic and endemic diseases | 10 | 10 | 20 | 329 | 16 1/2 |
| Tuberculosis of the respiratory system | 400 | 457 | 857 | 3,153 | 3 1/2 |
| Other forms of tuberculosis | 60 | 43 | 103 | 822 | 8 |
| Other infectious diseases | 14 | 9 | 23 | 310 | 13 1/2 |
| Cancer | 41 | 29 | 70 | 5,499 | 78 1/2 |
| Rheumatism and gout | 19 | 8 | 27 | 338 | 12 1/2 |
| Other general diseases | 17 | 16 | 33 | 1,972 | 60 |
| Simple meningitis | 19 | 11 | 30 | 449 | 16 |
| Infantile convulsions | 33 | 20 | 53 | 273 | 5 |
| Other diseases of nervous system, &c. | 48 | 26 | 74 | 4,848 | 65 1/2 |
| Diseases of the heart | 63 | 67 | 130 | 9,263 | 71 |
| Other diseases of circulatory system | 5 | 14 | 19 | 1,056 | 55 1/2 |
| Bronchitis | 53 | 48 | 101 | 1,608 | 16 |
| Broncho-pneumonia | 60 | 31 | 91 | 1,079 | 12 |
| Pneumonia | 189 | 146 | 335 | 2,007 | 6 |
| Asthma | 24 | 12 | 36 | 132 | 3 1/2 |
| Other diseases of respiratory system | 58 | 56 | 114 | 800 | 7 |
| Diseases of the stomach | 25 | 24 | 49 | 455 | 9 |
| Diarrhœa and enteritis | 68 | 63 | 131 | 905 | 7 |
| Appendicitis | 13 | 3 | 16 | 472 | 29 1/2 |
| Hernia, intestinal obstruction | 16 | 5 | 21 | 480 | 23 |
| Diseases of the liver | 13 | 1 | 14 | 518 | 37 |
| Other diseases of digestive system | 15 | 17 | 32 | 468 | 14 1/2 |
| Nephritis | 16 | 7 | 23 | 1,743 | 76 |
| Other diseases of genito-urinary system | 13 | 17 | 30 | 923 | 31 |
| Puerperal state | .. | 71 | 71 | 771 | 11 |
| Diseases of skin and of cellular tissue | 6 | 3 | 9 | 255 | 28 1/2 |
| Diseases of bones and of organs of locomotion | 5 | 5 | 10 | 181 | 18 |
| Malformations | 12 | 8 | 20 | 799 | 40 |
| Premature birth | 22 | 23 | 45 | 1,971 | 44 |
| Other diseases peculiar to early infancy | 71 | 44 | 115 | 1,577 | 14 |
| Old age | 210 | 198 | 408 | 4,367 | 10 1/2 |
| Suicide | 16 | 4 | 20 | 746 | 37 |
| Homicide | 2 | 1 | 3 | 67 | 22 1/2 |
| Accident | 173 | 55 | 228 | 2,859 | 12 1/2 |
| Ill-defined or not stated | 195 | 176 | 371 | 317 | 1 |
| Totals | 2,248 | 1,957 | 4,205 | 56,046 | 13 1/2 |
A wide range is disclosed between the proportions for the various diseases, the number of deaths of Europeans to every Maori death varying between 1 1/2 in the case of typhoid fever and dysentery and 78 1/2 in the case of cancer. With the exception of diphtheria, epidemic and infectious diseases generally exact a much heavier toll proportionately among Maoris than among the general population, the most noteworthy example being tuberculosis, particularly of the respiratory system. Other diseases of the respiratory system also show much higher rates for Maoris than for Europeans, and the same state of affairs is disclosed for diarrhœal diseases and stomach complaints.
On the other hand, there is a much lower mortality among Maoris from certain diseases which rank high as causes of death among the European population. Principal among these are cancer, heart-disease and other diseases of the circulation system, nephritis, the group of general diseases which includes diabetes and exophthalmic goitre, and the group of diseases of the nervous system which includes apoplexy and cerebral hæmorrhage. Malformations and premature births show lower rates for Maoris than for Europeans, but the indefinite nature of the data in the registration entries covering the deaths of many infants may be partly responsible. The proportion between Europeans and Maori deaths from malformations and the group “early infancy” taken in conjunction (the pre-natal causes) works out at 24 to 1, which coincides with the population proportions quoted above.
As regards infantile mortality in general, however, the Maori rate is much higher than the European, principally owing to the ravages of epidemic diseases, tuberculosis, respiratory diseases, and diarrhœal diseases. The infantile-mortality rate for the first year of life was, for the five years 1920-24, 131 per 1,000 births in the case of Maoris, as compared with 45 per 1,000 among European infants, and this in spite of the fact that for the first month of life the Maori rate was actually lower than the European (27 as against 28). Among Maori infants who survived the first month, the death-rate during the succeeding eleven months was 90 per 1,000, as compared with only 16 per 1,000 in the case of Europeans.
A table is given showing principal causes of deaths of Maori infants under one year, classified according to age.
| Cause of Death. | Under 1 Day. | 1 Day and under 2 Days. | 2 Days and under 1 Week. | 1 Week and under 2 Weeks. | 2 Weeks and under 3 Weeks. | 3 Weeks and under 1 Month. | 1 Month and under 2 Months. | 2 Months and under 3 Months. | 3 Months and under 6 Months. | 6 Months and under 9 Months. | 9 Months and under 12 Months. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typhoid fever | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Measles | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 4 | 10 | 16 |
| Whooping-cough | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 3 | 32 |
| Diphtheria | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 | .. | 4 |
| Influenza | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 30 |
| Dysentery | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Tuberculosis ] | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 30 |
| Venereal disease | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| Infantile convulsions | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 35 |
| Bronchitis | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 38 |
| Broncho-pneumonia | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 36 |
| Pneumonia | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 24 | 19 | 28 | 91 |
| Other respiratory diseases | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 55 |
| Diseases of stomach | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 22 |
| Diarrhœa and enteritis | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 65 |
| Hernia, intestinal obstruction | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Congenital malformations | .. | 2 | 5 | .. | 2 | .. | 4 | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 16 |
| Congenital debility, &c. | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 105 |
| Injury at birth | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
| Premature birth | 5 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 45 |
| Other causes peculiar to early infancy | 2 | .. | 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 |
| Accident | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .. | 6 | 16 |
| Other defined causes | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 24 |
| Unspecified or ill-defined | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 6 | 8 | 28 | 29 | 17 | 89 |
| Totals | 20 | 25 | 36 | 21 | 31 | 25 | 64 | 63 | 167 | 175 | 150 | 777 |
As explained in the Births subsection of this book, a system of compulsory registration of deaths is now in force in the Cook Islands.
Particulars required are much the same as in New Zealand proper, but the onus of registering is thrown on the occupier of the house where the death took place, or on any person present at the time of death. If the deceased in his or her last illness was attended by a medical practitioner a medical certificate must be supplied to the Registrar. Any person conducting a burial or a religious service thereat must notify the nearest Registrar in writing within one week.
The following are the figures of death-registrations in each island during the twelve months ended the 31st December, 1924, or the 31st March, 1925:—
During the twelve months ended the 31st December, 1924, the deaths of 798 persons were registered in Western Samoa. Of these, 17 were Europeans, 5 Chinese indentured labourers, 10 Melanesian or Polynesian indentured labourers, and the remaining 766 native Samoans.
The total of 798 represents an decrease of 634 as compared with the figure for the previous year, when an outbreak of dysentery was mainly responsible for the high death-rate.
DEATH-RATES are of great value as indicating the relative healthiness of different countries or for different years. The statistics of causes of registered deaths are of further use as showing the incidence of fatal diseases or accidents, and as indicating in a general way the relative rise or fall of diseases over a series of years. For instance, the fall in the incidence of tuberculosis and the increase in cancer (discussed in Subsection C of this section) can be readily traced from the records of deaths attributed to those causes in different years.
In comparisons of healthiness based on death-rates, however, the effect of the advance of medical science in recent years is not taken into account. It is common knowledge that many diseases regarded a few decades ago as incurable now give a fair percentage of recoveries. Similarly, the death-rates in epidemics are in general much lower now than formerly, owing partly to the stops taken to prevent the spread of the disease, partly to the necessity of early notification in most countries, and partly to increased medical knowledge. Again, many diseases seldom or never result fatally.
Of recent years much attention has been devoted in different countries to the possibility or otherwise of obtaining reliable statistics of sickness. In certain of the American States an attempt has been made to obtain from medical men returns of all patients dealt with, giving the nature and duration of illness, and similar systems have been inaugurated or proposed in other countries.
In New Zealand certain diseases are notifiable, but beyond this the only record other than that of fatality is the information ascertainable from the returns of discharges from public hospitals. In the absence of full statistics of sickness, however, information from the two sources mentioned is of considerable value, and gives a fair indication of the prevalence of the more important diseases.
The system of notification of certain diseases has boon in force in New Zealand for many years, and the list of notifiable diseases has undergone several alterations. The list at present is as follows:—
* In certain circumstances see letter-press on page 172. | |
|---|---|
| A. Notifiable infectious diseases mentioned in Part I of First Schedule of Health Act, 1920:— | |
| Anthrax. | Plague (bubonic or pneumonic). |
| Cerebro-spinal fever (cerebro-spinal meningitis). | Puerperal fever (puerperal septicæmia and puerperal sapræmia). |
| Cholera. | Scarlet fever (scarlatina). |
| Dengue. | Smallpox (variola, including varioloid, alastrim, amaas, Cuban itch, and Philippine itch). |
| Diphtheria. | |
| Erysipelas. | |
| Enteric fever (typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever). | Typhus. |
| Leprosy. | Yellow fever. |
| B. Notifiable infectious diseases declared by Gazette notice:— | |
| Encephalitis lethargica. | Trachoma (granular conjunctivitis, granular ophthalmia, granular eyelids). |
| Fulminant influenza. | |
| Pneumonic influenza. | Tuberculosis (pulmonary). |
| Septicæmic influenza. | Septicæmia consequent on abortion or miscarriage. |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum. | Syphilis.* |
| Acute primary pneumonia. | Gonorrhœa.* |
| Acute poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis). | Soft chancre.* |
| C. Notifiable diseases, other than infectious, mentioned in Second Schedule:— | |
| Actinomycosis. | Food-poisoning (botulismus, ptomaine poisoning). |
| Ankylostomiasis (hookworm disease). | |
| Bilharziosis (endemic hæmaturia, Egyptian hæmaturia). | Chronic lead poisoning. |
| Beriberi. | Tetanus. |
| Hydatids. | |
| D. Notifiable diseases, other then infectious, declared by Gazette notice:—Eclampsia. | |
Notifications of diseases during 1924 are shown for each month of the year in the following table:—
| Disease. | January. | February. | March. | April. | May. | June. | July. | August. | September. | October. | November. | December. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Only pneumonic, septicæmic, and fulminant types included. | |||||||||||||
| Scarlet fever | 70 | 109 | 81 | 110 | 123 | 107 | 139 | 124 | 84 | 81 | 83 | 65 | 1,176 |
| Diphtheria | 145 | 112 | 208 | 275 | 346 | 350 | 356 | 265 | 223 | 159 | 163 | 115 | 2,717 |
| Enteric fever | 38 | 37 | 62 | 33 | 37 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 30 | 16 | 15 | 354 |
| Tuberculosis (pulmonary) | 79 | 97 | 72 | 70 | 86 | 67 | 97 | 98 | 102 | 99 | 97 | 108 | 1,072 |
| Cerebrospinal meningitis | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 31 |
| Acute poliomyelitis | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | 5 | 59 | 73 |
| Puerperal fever | 7 | 12 | 32 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 38 | 32 | 32 | 35 | 15 | 27 | 308 |
| Influenza* | 7 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 43 | 36 | 8 | 180 |
| Acute primary pneumonia | 36 | 27 | 29 | 20 | 37 | 52 | 99 | 131 | 102 | 97 | 81 | 45 | 756 |
| Erysipelas Tetanus | 13 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 210 |
| Tetanus | 5 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .. | 3 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| Encephalitis lethargica | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 30 |
| Hydatids | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | .. | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 38 |
| Trachoma | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 3 | 2 | .. | 20 |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | .. | 1 | 5 | 1 | 31 |
| Actinomycosis | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Eclampsia | 4 | 1 | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 39 |
| Food-poisoning | 3 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 10 | 14 |
| Lead-poisoning | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| Phosphorus-poisoning | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Septic abortion | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 10 | 11 |
| Ankylostomiasis | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Totals | 420 | 422 | 523 | 575 | 696 | 660 | 820 | 736 | 621 | 585 | 531 | 492 | 7,081 |
A quinquennial summary of certain principal diseases is as follows:—
| Disease. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet fever | 1,248 | 1,845 | 1,449 | 1,201 | 1,176 |
| Diphtheria | 2,442 | 2,611 | 1,989 | 1,951 | 2,717 |
| Enteric fever | 389 | 451 | 539 | 276 | 354 |
| Tuberculosis | 1,305 | 1,207 | 1,129 | 1,002 | 1,072 |
| Cerebro-spinal meningitis | 79 | 56 | 42 | 36 | 31 |
| Poliomyelitis | 76 | 267 | 98 | 17 | 73 |
| Puerperal septicæmia | 124 | 178 | 262 | 176 | 308 |
| Erysipelas | 156 | 228 | 271 | 213 | 210 |
Information as to case-fatality in regard to the three first-mentioned diseases above is given in the next table for each of the last ten years:—
| Year. | Diphtheria. | Scarlet Fever. | Enteric Fever. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases notified. | Deaths. | Case-fatality. Per Cent. | Cases notified. | Deaths. | Case-fatality. Per Cent. | Cases notified. | Deaths. | Case-fatality. Per Cent. | |
| 1915 | 1,420 | 99 | 6.97 | 2,312 | 44 | 1.90 | 825 | 52 | 6.30 |
| 1916 | 2,376 | 163 | 6.86 | 4,278 | 52 | 1.22 | 806 | 37 | 3.72 |
| 1917 | 6,458 | 237 | 4.34 | 2,755 | 30 | 1.09 | 653 | 41 | 6.28 |
| 1918 | 5,539 | 189 | 3.41 | 1,654 | 30 | 1.81 | 423 | 33 | 7.80 |
| 1919 | 3,499 | 157 | 4.49 | 1,521 | 23 | 1.51 | 477 | 34 | 7.13 |
| 1920 | 2,442 | 95 | 3.89 | 1,248 | 15 | 1.20 | 389 | 40 | 10.28 |
| 1921 | 2,611 | 107 | 4.10 | 1,845 | 24 | 1.30 | 451 | 24 | 5.32 |
| 1922 | 1,989 | 78 | 3.92 | 1,449 | 10 | 0.69 | 539 | 67 | 12.43 |
| 1923 | 1,951 | 68 | 3.49 | 1,201 | 13 | 1.08 | 276 | 23 | 8.24 |
| 1924 | 2,717 | 82 | 3.02 | 1,176 | 13 | 1.11 | 354 | 19 | 5.37 |
By Gazelle notice dated the 29th November, 1924, syphilis, gonorrhœa, and soft chancre were declared to be infectious diseases within the meaning of the Health Act, 1920. On the 9th July, 1925, regulations were made under the Health Act, 1920, and the Social Hygiene Act, 1917, providing for the compulsory notification of these diseases in certain circumstances, and for the treatment of those affected by venereal disease in a communicable form.
Under these regulations it is incumbent upon a medical practitioner, or a medical officer of a hospital, who has been treating any person suffering from venereal disease in a communicable form to notify the Director-General of Health if such person fails-for more than two weeks (after the date fixed in that behalf by the medical practitioner or medical officer) to attend for treatment, unless he is known in the meantime to have placed himself under treatment by some other qualified person.
If the Director-General of Health has reason to believe (either from a notification, as provided for above, or otherwise) that any person is suffering from venereal disease in a communicable form, he may require such person to submit himself for examination to some medical practitioner, and to supply a medical certificate as to the state of his health in relation to venereal disease. If a medical certificate is not supplied within the time specified, or if the certificate does not definitely disclose whether or not the person to. whom it relates is suffering from venereal disease in a communicable form, the Director-General of Health may authorize two medical practitioners to examine such person.
In cases where a medical certificate is not obtainable, or where the certificate shows the person to be suffering from venereal disease in a communicable form, the Director-General of Health may, if he thinks such a course necessary or expedient in the public interest, authorize a Medical Officer of Health to make an order, under section 84 of the Health Act, 1920, for the removal of such person to a hospital or other place where he may be effectively isolated. A detention order holds good for six weeks only, though it may be renewed from time to time until the person detained is no longer suffering from the disease in a communicable form. On the other hand, on application being made to a Magistrate, an order for examination by two medical practitioners (to be named in the order) is made, and if their report shows that the person is free from venereal disease in a communicable form, the Magistrate then makes an order for his release.
Where treatment is not conveniently obtainable at a public hospital or public clinic, the Director-General of Health may authorize a registered medical practitioner to administer free treatment if the patient is unable to pay. In such cases fees for service are paid by the State according to a scale laid down.
It is an offence for any person, while suffering from venereal disuse in a communicable form, to engage in any employment, or to act in any capacity, in or about any factory, shop, hotel, restaurant, house, or other place, if by reason thereof any food intended for consumption by any other person is exposed to infection from venereal disease or is likely to be so affected.
It is the duty of every medical practitioner who is consulted by any person, sixteen years of age and over, suffering from venereal disease in a communicable form, to give such person a notice in the following form:—
Take notice that you are suffering from an infectious venereal disease—namely [Specify disease]. By virtue of the Social Hygiene Act, 1917, and the Social Hygiene Regulations, 1925,—
You are required to continue to receive medical treatment until cured.
If at any time you change your medical adviser you should notify your former adviser; otherwise your name, address, occupation, and condition of health are required to be notified to the Director-General of Health. If you continue treatment, no such notice is required to be given.
Until further notice, you are required to attend for further treatment as follows [Insert directions].
[In cases where patient is not married] You are hereby expressly warned against marrying until you have been medically certified as cured.
If you knowingly infect any other person, or do or suffer any act, likely to infect any other person, you are liable to imprisonment for twelve months, together with a fine of £100.
If while continuing to suffer from the disease in a communicable form you are employed or act in any capacity where you are likely to infect any food intended for human consumption, you commit an offence punishable by fine or imprisonment.
If you do not adopt satisfactory means to effect a cure you may be forcibly detained in a public hospital or other place available for the treatment of persons suffering from venereal disease.
If you fail to carry out faithfully the directions of your medical adviser with respect to the treatment of your disease you render yourself liable to a fine of £10.
Every precaution is taken for the maintenance of secrecy and the avoidance of publicity in the carrying-out of the regulations. Every person concerned in the administration of the regulations is liable to a penalty of £50 if he divulges any information which comes to his knowledge in respect of any person suffering, or suspected to be suffering, from venereal disease.
The total admissions to public hospitals in New Zealand during 1924 numbered 55,034. There were 3,656 patients in hospital at the beginning of the year, the total cases dealt with during the year being thus 58,690, equal to 434 per 10,000 of mean population, including Maoris. The total number of persons treated is somewhat less than the number of cases, each admission being counted a separate case.
Of the 58,690 cases, 34,088 were discharged as recovered, in 14,854 cases the patient was discharged relieved, and in 2,585 cases as unrelieved. Deaths in hospital numbered 3,260, or 5.55 per cent. of cases dealt with, and 3,903 patients were still in hospital at the end of the year. The figures of admissions, discharges, and deaths for each of the public hospitals in the Dominion, other than St. Helens Maternity Homes, are given in the table following, together with the numbers of patients in hospital at the beginning and end of the year. There are ninety-two public hospitals, this number including four fever or infectious-diseases hospitals, seven sanatoria for consumptives, and two other institutions for special classes of cases.
| Hospital. | Patients remaining on 1st January, 1924. | Admissions during 1924. | Discharges daring 1924. | Deaths in Hospital during 1924. | Patients remaining on 31st December, 1924. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | |||||
| Mangonui | 15 | 255 | 188 | 37 | 16 | 13 | 16 |
| Whangaroa | 4 | 48 | 27 | 19 | .. | 3 | 3 |
| Bay of Islands | 15 | 364 | 278 | 80 | .. | 10 | 11 |
| Hokianga | 13 | 28 | 211 | 53 | 4 | 9 | 14 |
| Northern Wairoa | 14 | 301 | 251 | 32 | .. | 23 | 9 |
| Otamatea | 2 | 94 | 53 | 32 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Whangarei | 72 | 1,279 | 1,100 | 101 | 9 | 55 | 86 |
| Auckland | 390 | 6,183 | 4,199 | 1,384 | 167 | 456 | 367 |
| Waikato | 147 | 2,389 | 1,128 | 958 | 213 | 105 | 132 |
| Kawhia | .. | 40 | 30 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .. |
| Taumarunui | 14 | 337 | 216 | 77 | 5 | 25 | 28 |
| Waihi | 27 | 360 | 202 | 117 | 13 | 26 | 29 |
| Thames | 37 | 964 | 763 | 129 | 20 | 35 | 54 |
| Coromandel | 11 | 172 | 122 | 39 | 1 | 10 | 11 |
| Mercury Bay | 2 | 33 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Tauranga | 16 | 239 | 178 | 46 | 6 | 15 | 10 |
| Te Puke | 3 | 104 | 93 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| King George V, Rotorua | 93 | 814 | 460 | 257 | 49 | 31 | 110 |
| Whakatane | 10 | 295 | 202 | 44 | 29 | 13 | 17 |
| Opotiki | 14 | 260 | 212 | 42 | 3 | 11 | 17 |
| Waiapu | 5 | 65 | 54 | 7 | .. | 6 | 3 |
| Cook | 85 | 1,445 | 1,213 | 110 | 34 | 77 | 96 |
| Wairoa | 14 | 242 | 195 | 27 | 7 | 18 | 9 |
| Napier | 136 | 2,181 | 1,346 | 469 | 181 | 147 | 174 |
| Waipawa | 55 | 525 | 378 | 78 | 26 | 35 | 63 |
| Pukeora Sanatorium | 96 | 232 | 18 | 142 | 35 | 10 | 123 |
| Dannevirke | 32 | 395 | 308 | 51 | 6 | 21 | 41 |
| New Plymouth | 64 | 1,411 | 1,150 | 148 | 28 | 85 | 64 |
| Stratford | 21 | 455 | 394 | 34 | 1 | 16 | 31 |
| Hawera | 36 | 742 | 589 | 96 | 17 | 39 | 37 |
| Patea | 19 | 228 | 184 | 31 | 4 | 14 | 14 |
| Wanganui | 110 | 2,060 | 1,463 | 372 | 107 | 99 | 129 |
| Waimarino | 2 | 126 | 104 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| Taihape | 19 | 579 | 411 | 115 | 13 | 22 | 37 |
| Palmerston North | 90 | 1,982 | 1,528 | 232 | 120 | 104 | 88 |
| Otaki | 9 | 146 | 92 | 48 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Otaki Sanatorium | 31 | 83 | 1 | 58 | 13 | 1 | 41 |
| Pahiatua | 16 | 174 | 150 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 7 |
| Masterton | 34 | 700 | 536 | 110 | 14 | 37 | 37 |
| Greytown | 16 | 263 | 201 | 35 | 9 | 15 | 19 |
| Wellington | 348 | 5,382 | 1,619 | 3,115 | 277 | 330 | 389 |
| Wairau | 56 | 535 | 380 | 109 | 15 | 33 | 54 |
| Havelock | 1 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. |
| Picton | 9 | 145 | 116 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 18 |
| Nelson | 49 | 703 | 436 | 164 | 48 | 63 | 41 |
| Motueka | 1 | 76 | 63 | 8 | 4 | 2 | .. |
| Westport | 32 | 366 | 331 | 20 | .. | 24 | 23 |
| Denniston | 4 | 165 | 142 | 21 | 4 | 2 | |
| Reefton | 29 | 173 | 73 | 60 | 23 | 20 | 26 |
| Waiuta Nurses' Home | 53 | 21 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .. |
| Grey River | 60 | 559 | 385 | 91 | 10 | 51 | 82 |
| Westland | 32 | 405 | 329 | 45 | .. | 24 | 39 |
| Kaikoura | 18 | 245 | 235 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| Queen Mary, Hanmer | 66 | 452 | 144 | 248 | 30 | 3 | 93 |
| Amuri | 5 | 64 | 39 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| Waikari | 2 | 106 | 60 | 38 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Oxford | 3 | 96 | 63 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Christchurch | 273 | 5,498 | 2,791 | 1,972 | 393 | 358 | 257 |
| Burwood Infectious Diseases | 30 | 747 | 698 | 7 | 1 | 16 | 55 |
| Cashmere Hills Sanatorium | 67 | 76 | 35 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 75 |
| Coronation Hospital for Consumptives | 57 | 81 | 9 | 29 | 12 | 25 | 63 |
| Lyttelton | 3 | 51 | 31 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Akaroa, | 1 | 107 | 98 | 4 | .. | 3 | 3 |
| Ashburton | 47 | 780 | 470 | 252 | 18 | 47 | 40 |
| Fairlie | 1 | 185 | 142 | 39 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Timaru | 53 | 1,034 | 754 | 189 | 5 | 79 | 60 |
| Talbot Infectious Diseases | .. | 42 | 36 | .. | .. | .. | 6 |
| Waimate | 34 | 592 | 424 | 127 | 3 | 41 | 31 |
| Oamaru | 19 | 509 | 368 | 66 | 19 | 34 | 41 |
| Pleasant Valley Sanatorium | 51 | 55 | 30 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 51 |
| Port Chalmers | .. | 60 | 49 | 6 | 3 | 2 | .. |
| Logan Point Infectious Diseases | 1 | 22 | 21 | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| Dunedin | 189 | 3,877 | 1,841 | 1,517 | 287 | 235 | 186 |
| Chronic Hospital, Caversham | 49 | 89 | .. | 30 | 19 | 39 | 50 |
| Wakari | 13 | 100 | 51 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 27 |
| Prince Edward Convalescent Home | 17 | 86 | 56 | 24 | 10 | .. | 13 |
| Louisa Roberts, Middlemarch | 1 | 29 | 25 | 5 | .. | .. | .. |
| Waipiata Sanatorium | 16 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 4 | .. | 18 |
| Tuapeka | 7 | 92 | 59 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Roxburgh | 3 | 48 | 44 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Milton | .. | 42 | 7 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Owaka | .. | 32 | 11 | 12 | .. | 4 | 5 |
| Kaitangata | 2 | 35 | 30 | 2 | .. | 4 | 1 |
| Tapanui | 4 | 77 | 46 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| Naseby | 8 | 137 | 116 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Dunstan | 9 | 53 | 39 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Cromwell | 9 | 185 | 139 | 32 | 3 | 8 | 12 |
| Lake County | 7 | 82 | 67 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Seddon Memorial, Gore | 22 | 331 | 251 | 40 | 16 | 21 | 25 |
| Southland | 107 | 1,098 | 382 | 555 | 106 | 77 | 85 |
| Kew Infectious Diseases | 16 | 53 | 28 | 2 | 22 | 3 | 14 |
| Wallace and Fiord | 36 | 341 | 233 | 88 | 6 | 24 | 26 |
| Totals | 3,656 | 55,034 | 34,088 | 14,854 | 2,585 | 3,260 | 3,903 |
The figures of admissions, discharges, and deaths for all public hospitals for each of the last five years are—
| Year. | Admissions. | Discharges. | Deaths. | Total Discharges and Deaths. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | ||||
| 1920 | 45,995 | 28,230 | 12,418 | 2,241 | 3,399 | 46,288 |
| 1921 | 45,107 | 26,302 | 13,912 | 1,925 | 2,974 | 45,113 |
| 1922 | 47,549 | 26,983 | 14,987 | 2,407 | 2,984 | 47,361 |
| 1923 | 50,040 | 29,108 | 15,642 | 2,144 | 3,300 | 50,194 |
| 1924 | 55,034 | 34,088 | 14,854 | 2,585 | 3,260 | 54,787 |
From the following table it will be seen that males considerably outnumber females among hospital patients. During the eleven years for which statistics are available the number of males to every 100 females has ranged from 121 in 1924 to 160 in 1919. The death-rate is also invariably higher among male than among female patients.
| Year. | Discharges and Deaths. | Deaths. | Death-rate per 1,000 Cases. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. per 100 Females. | Males. | Females. | Males per 100 Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| 1914 | 17,256 | 11,491 | 150 | 1,539 | 745 | 207 | 89 | 65 |
| 1915 | 19,910 | 12,660 | 157 | 1,536 | 828 | 186 | 77 | 65 |
| 1916 | 22,620 | 14,965 | 151 | 1,744 | 995 | 175 | 77 | 66 |
| 1917 | 22,239 | 16,492 | 135 | 1,812 | 981 | 185 | 81 | 59 |
| 1918 | 27,119 | 19,377 | 140 | 2,955 | 1,513 | 195 | 109 | 78 |
| 1919 | 26,164 | 16,312 | 160 | 1,884 | 980 | 192 | 72 | 60 |
| 1920 | 26,627 | 19,661 | 135 | 2,177 | 1,222 | 178 | 82 | 62 |
| 1921 | 25,365 | 19,548 | 130 | 1,909 | 1,065 | 179 | 75 | 54 |
| 1922 | 26,519 | 20,842 | 127 | 1,861 | 1,123 | 166 | 70 | 54 |
| 1923 | 28,038 | 22,156 | 127 | 2,046 | 1,254 | 163 | 73 | 57 |
| 1924 | 30,015 | 24,772 | 121 | 2,039 | 1,221 | 167 | 68 | 49 |
The ages of patients discharged from or dying in public hospitals during 1923 and 1924 are as shown in the following summary:—
| Ages of Patients, in Years. | 1923. | 1924. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total | |
| Under 5 | 2,645 | 1,901 | 4,546 | 3,102 | 2,233 | 5,335 |
| 5 and under 10 | 2,869 | 2,382 | 5,251 | 3,224 | 2,746 | 5,970 |
| 10 and under 15 | 2,083 | 1,685 | 3,768 | 2,412 | 1,881 | 4,293 |
| 15 and under 25 | 4,516 | 4,764 | 9,280 | 5,040 | 5,352 | 10,392 |
| 25 and under 35 | 4,566 | 4,597 | 9,163 | 4,498 | 4,997 | 9,495 |
| 35 and under 45 | 3,974 | 3,237 | 7,211 | 3,996 | 3,584 | 7,580 |
| 45 and under 55 | 3,034 | 1,711 | 4,745 | 3,118 | 1,930 | 5,048 |
| 55 and under 65 | 1,871 | 912 | 2,783 | 2,006 | 1,024 | 3,030 |
| 65 and over | 2,442 | 934 | 3,376 | 2,576 | 970 | 3,546 |
| Unspecified | 38 | 33 | 71 | 43 | 55 | 98 |
| Totals | 28,038 | 22,156 | 50,194 | 30,015 | 24,772 | 54,787 |
As explained in the preceding subsection, the revised international classification of diseases and causes of death came into operation in New Zealand from 1st January, 1923. Under the revised classification diseases are divided into fifteen well-defined classes, which are further subdivided into 205 orders.
The following table shows that Class VI, “Diseases of the digestive system,” comes first on the list as regards the total cases treated, followed by “Epidemic, endemic, and infectious diseases,” “External causes,” and “Diseases of the genitourinary system,” in that order. Classes I and II come first and second respectively as regards deaths, the next on the list being Class IV, “Diseases of the circulatory system.”
| Class. | Discharges. | Deaths. | Total Discharges and Deaths. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recovered. | Recovered. | Unrelieved. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| I. Epidemic, endemic, and infectious diseases | 4,908 | 1,908 | 479 | 315 | 259 | 4,238 | 3,631 |
| II. Other general diseases | 1,338 | 1,513 | 476 | 324 | 226 | 2,108 | 1,769 |
| III. Diseases of nervous system and of organs of special sense | 1,129 | 1,605 | 467 | 204 | 127 | 2,066 | 1,466 |
| IV. Diseases of circulatory system | 767 | 821 | 101 | 247 | 104 | 1,367 | 673 |
| V. Diseases of respiratory system | 2,218 | 932 | 97 | 238 | 96 | 2,350 | 1,231 |
| VI. Diseases of digestive system | 10,237 | 2,443 | 282 | 190 | 144 | 6,869 | 6,427 |
| VII. Diseases of the genito-urinary system and annexa | 2,825 | 1,387 | 200 | 169 | 62 | 1,588 | 3,055 |
| VIII. Puerperal state | 2,832 | 285 | 49 | .. | 61 | .. | 3,227 |
| IX. Diseases of the skin and of the cellular tissue | 1,900 | 648 | 38 | 23 | 7 | 1,689 | 927 |
| X. Diseases of the organs of locomotion | 807 | 718 | 64 | 18 | 13 | 1,167 | 453 |
| XI. Malformations | 55 | 33 | 35 | 19 | 13 | 134 | 121 |
| XII. Diseases of early infancy | 62 | 21 | 3 | 23 | 17 | 77 | 49 |
| XIII. Old ago (senile debility, &c.) | 20 | 114 | 85 | 80 | 48 | 242 | 105 |
| XIV. External causes | 4,563 | 2,053 | 95 | 180 | 42 | 5,679 | 1,254 |
| XV. Ill-defined causes | 427 | 273 | 114 | 9 | 2 | 441 | 384 |
| Totals | 34,088 | 14,854 | 2,585 | 2,039 | 1,221 | 30,015 | 24,772 |
Figures of total cases and of deaths for each of the fifteen classes are given in the next table for each of the last, five years. So far as possible the figures for the years 1920, 1921, and 1922 have been adjusted to agree with the revised classification used for 1923 and 1924, and the figures for the five years may be regarded as comparable enough for practical purposes.
The figures for total cases relate to the total discharges and deaths, and not to admissions, and do not cover persons still in hospital at the end of the year.
| Class. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| I | 10,145 | 7,302 | 7,138 | 8,140 | 7,869 | 793 | 549 | 580 | 682 | 574 |
| II | 2,509 | 2,719 | 2,983 | 3,161 | 3,877 | 423 | 443 | 442 | 473 | 550 |
| III | 2,819 | 2,838 | 3,523 | 3,461 | 3,532 | 296 | 291 | 274 | 328 | 331 |
| IV | 1,960 | 1,922 | 1,872 | 1,891 | 2,040 | 356 | 380 | 358 | 311 | 351 |
| V | 3,766 | 3,206 | 3,616 | 3,633 | 3,581 | 468 | 310 | 328 | 364 | 334 |
| VI | 9,664 | 10,933 | 11,239 | 11,699 | 13,296 | 332 | 270 | 295 | 330 | 334 |
| VII | 3,341 | 3,744 | 3,902 | 4,187 | 4,643 | 180 | 234 | 199 | 241 | 231 |
| VIII | 1,790 | 2,026 | 2,399 | 2,545 | 3,227 | 79 | 65 | 57 | 69 | 61 |
| IX | 1,914 | 2,024 | 2,162 | 2,266 | 2,616 | 35 | 41 | 37 | 30 | 30 |
| X | 1,427 | 1,516 | 1,705 | 1,744 | 1,620 | 27 | 26 | 39 | 40 | 31 |
| XI | 148 | 171 | 176 | 198 | 255 | 15 | 16 | 22 | 25 | 32 |
| XII | 120 | 107 | 126 | 121 | 126 | 46 | 48 | 47 | 41 | 40 |
| XIII | 431 | 209 | 283 | 406 | 347 | 164 | 88 | 136 | 168 | 128 |
| XIV | 5,622 | 5,723 | 5,589 | 6,097 | 6,933 | 146 | 199 | 159 | 191 | 222 |
| XV | 632 | 473 | 648 | 645 | 825 | 39 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 11 |
| Totals | 46,288 | 44,913 | 47,361 | 50,194 | 54,787 | 3,399 | 2,974 | 2,984 | 3,300 | 3,260 |
The greatest increase in the number of cases dealt with during the period is shown by Class VI, “Diseases of the digestive system,” largely through a continued increase in the number of cases of tonsils and adenoids. Class VIII, “Puerperal state,” also shows a substantial rise, this being mainly due to the increasing use of public hospitals for accouchements. The excess shown in 1920 and 1923 in the case of Class I is due to the influenza epidemics of those years.
More detailed information concerning the principal diseases and groups of diseases is given in the following pages.
The first class of diseases in the international classification is devoted to “epidemic, endemic, and infectious,” the first twenty-five orders of which cover epidemic diseases. The principal epidemic diseases dealt with in public hospitals are scarlet fever and diphtheria. There are four special hospitals for the treatment of these and similar infectious diseases, all situated in the South Island. Several hospitals have fever wings attached.
Information concerning the various epidemic diseases for each of the last five years is given in the following table:—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* New heading, 1923—no figures for previous years. | ||||||||||
| Typhoid fever Paratyphoid | 207 | 242 | 335 | 147 3 | 224 6 | 30 | 27 | 42 | 23 | 29 1 |
| Malaria | 26 | 19 | 14 | 8 | 17 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Smallpox | 95 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Measles | 581 | 352 | 229 | 49 | 395 | 24 | 10 | .. | 2 | 13 |
| Scarlet fever | 851 | 1,117 | 1,107 | 843 | 935 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 8 |
| Whooping-cough | 147 | 71 | 11 | 86 | 68 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Diphtheria | 1,669 | 1,722 | 1,377 | 1,487 | 2,175 | 74 | 76 | 64 | 54 | 57 |
| Influenza | 3,514 | 508 | 448 | 1,923 | 494 | 210 | 33 | 14 | 143 | 16 |
| Mumps | 90 | 48 | 15 | 9 | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Dysentery | 25 | 23 | 18 | 25 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Epidemic jaundice* | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Erysipelas | 81 | 117 | 137 | 140 | 96 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| Infantile paralysis | 58 | 231 | 349 | 197 | 99 | 9 | 9 | 8 | .. | 16 |
| Lethargic encephalitis | 18 | 10 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 7 |
| Meningococcus meningitis* | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Chicken-pox | 20 | 39 | 47 | 25 | 24 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| German measles | 11 | 35 | 37 | 24 | 8 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Others | .. | 2 | 8 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 7,393 | 4,536 | 4,157 | 4,996 | 4,600 | 390 | 186 | 159 | 262 | 161 |
The occurrence of epidemics can readily be traced from these figures—influenza in 1920 and 1923, diphtheria in 1924, smallpox in 1920, measles in 1920, whooping-cough in 1920, mumps in 1920, and infantile paralysis in 1922. In normal years diphtheria is responsible for more admissions and more deaths than any other epidemic disease.
It is interesting to note that while males preponderate in influenza cases, girls appear to be more susceptible than boys to diphtheria, scarlet fever, and measles. The figures for the two sexes for these four diseases are—
| Year. | Influenza. | Diphtheria. | Scarlet Fever. | Measles. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| 1920 | 2,017 | 1,497 | 721 | 948 | 326 | 525 | 269 | 312 |
| 1921 | 333 | 175 | 762 | 960 | 399 | 718 | 174 | 178 |
| 1922 | 268 | 180 | 612 | 765 | 376 | 731 | 61 | 168 |
| 1923 | 1,032 | 891 | 692 | 795 | 306 | 537 | 21 | 28 |
| 1924 | 286 | 208 | 990 | 1,185 | 338 | 597 | 190 | 205 |
| Totals for 5 years | 3,936 | 2,951 | 3,777 | 4,653 | 1,745 | 3,108 | 715 | 891 |
Tuberculosis occupies seven orders in the classification of diseases, but is usually divided into two groups—viz., tuberculosis of the respiratory system, and other forms of tuberculosis. The former covers three-fifths of the cases of tubercular disease dealt with in hospitals, and a somewhat higher proportion of the deaths. A large percentage of the tubercular cases is dealt with at seven sanatoria for consumptives.
Tuberculosis cases in public hospitals and sanatoria during the last five years are as follows:—
| Location. | Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Respiratory system | 1,046 | 1,112 | 1,293 | 1,326 | 1,315 | 259 | 233 | 277 | 243 | 250 |
| Meninges and central nervous system | 54 | 55 | 52 | 49 | 64 | 49 | 53 | 45 | 43 | 57 |
| Intestines and peritoneum | 59 | 71 | 60 | 78 | 54 | 11 | 17 | 22 | 21 | 12 |
| Vertebral column | 81 | 105 | 155 | 162 | 151 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 16 |
| Joints | 233 | 208 | 177 | 190 | 186 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Other organs | 237 | 272 | 231 | 233 | 284 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 8 |
| Disseminated | 10 | 18 | 11 | 33 | 36 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 22 | 24 |
| Totals | 1,720 | 1,841 | 1,979 | 2,071 | 2,090 | 353 | 326 | 379 | 366 | 372 |
The revised classification includes “acute miliary tuberculosis,” unless stated to be pulmonary, under the heading of “disseminated tuberculosis.” This accounts for the increase in the 1923 and 1924 figures for the latter disease.
Fuller details as to location are given in the “Annual Report on Vital Statistics,” which also contains figures for each individual hospital.
The death-rate is exceedingly high in the case of tuberculous meningitis, averaging 90 per cent. over the five years. Males greatly preponderate among patients treated for tuberculosis, the figures for 1924 being—males 1,271, females 819.
In connection with the following table of venereal-disease cases it should be noted that the figures relate to in-patients only, and do not include out-patients, who represent the great majority of cases treated at the public hospitals.
| Year. | Syphilis. | Gonococcus or Chancroid Infection. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases. | Deaths. | Cases. | Deaths. | |||||
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| 1920 | 142 | 78 | 5 | 9 | 180 | 86 | 2 | 1 |
| 1921 | 96 | 38 | 10 | 3 | 221 | 60 | 1 | 1 |
| 1922 | 134 | 53 | 7 | 7 | 205 | 51 | 6 | 1 |
| 1923 | 106 | 49 | 7 | 3 | 248 | 91 | 6 | .. |
| 1924 | 111 | 39 | 7 | 2 | 244 | 120 | 1 | 2 |
In order to obtain some definite information regarding venereal disease, a questionnaire was attached from 1919 to 1923 to the hospital discharge-cards used in the preparation of statistical tables, requiring completion in all cases where the disease treated was due to one form or other of venereal disease.
From 1st January, 1924, a different form of questionnaire was brought into use, requiring completion in all cases where the patient was found to be suffering from or showing evidence of recent or distant syphilitic or gonorrhœal infection, irrespective of whether the disease for which the patient was being treated was of venereal origin or not.
Of 54,787 patients discharged from or dying in public hospitals during 1924 it was found that 309 showed evidence of syphilitic infection and 472 of gonorrhœal infection. The following table gives a summary of these cases by age-groups:—
| — | Under 15. | 15 and under 25. | 25 and under 45. | 45 and over. | Totals. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | Both Sexes. | |
| Syphilitic Infection. | |||||||||||
| Recent | 3 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 20 | 58 |
| Distant | 6 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 73 | 24 | 103 | 20 | 188 | 63 | 251 |
| Acquired | .. | .. | 10 | 11 | 81 | 25 | 86 | 18 | 177 | 54 | 231 |
| Congenital | 9 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | .. | 18 | 20 | 38 |
| Not stated | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 31 | 9 | 40 |
| Totals | 9 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 96 | 32 | 105 | 21 | 226 | 83 | 309 |
| Gonorrhœal Infection. | |||||||||||
| Recent | 21 | 30 | 83 | 65 | 111 | 23 | 12 | 3 | 227 | 121 | 348 |
| Distant | .. | 2 | 9 | 14 | 35 | 22 | 40 | 2 | 84 | 40 | 124 |
| Totals | 21 | 32 | 92 | 79 | 146 | 45 | 52 | 5 | 311 | 161 | 472 |
| Grand totals | 30 | 45 | 108 | 96 | 242 | 77 | 157 | 26 | 537 | 244 | 781 |
Included in the total for syphilitic infection (309) are 17 cases (13 males, 4 females) who were also suffering from gonorrhœal infection. These cases are not included in the total for gonorrhœal infection.
Non-puerperal septicæmia is the principal of the remaining infectious diseases, the figures for which for the last five years are—
| Disease. | Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Septicæmia | 526 | 488 | 536 | 549 | 638 | 23 | 11 | 13 | 29 | 21 |
| Tetanus | 16 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | .. |
| Mycoses | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. |
| Anthrax | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Others | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
Three-fourths of the total patients treated for non-puerperal septicæmia are males, and it would appear that most of the cases coming under this head are due to septic infection of wounds. Tetanus has a very high death-rate, though the numbers treated for this disease are small.
Of recent years cancer has come into great prominence amongst causes of death, now ranking in New Zealand second only to heart-disease in point of number of deaths. Information as to deaths and death-rates from cancer is given in Subsection C of this section.
The total number of deaths in public hospitals in 1924 whore cancer was assigned as the cause was 385 (males 250, females 135). In addition, 220 patients treated for cancer were discharged as recovered, 355 as relieved, and 325 as unrelieved. Very few of the recoveries were in cases of internal cancer, and but a small proportion of the deaths in cases of surface cancer. It is noticeable that with but few exceptions cancer of the mouth and its annexa is confined to males.
Of the 385 patients who died in hospital from cancer during 1924, 205, or 53 per cent., had been in hospital less than one month, and of these 70 died within one week of admission.
Tables published in the “Annual Report on Vital Statistics” give detailed information as to condition on discharge and part of body affected, in conjunction with age of patient and also with period in hospital. The following table gives a summary of cancer cases during the last five years, following the international classification as to region affected:—
| Region. | Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Buccal cavity | 115 | 135 | 136 | 125 | 161 | 31 | 26 | 18 | 21 | 25 |
| Stomach and liver | 178 | 185 | 206 | 254 | 313 | 96 | 93 | 93 | 111 | 127 |
| Peritoneum, intestines, and rectum | 85 | 109 | 124 | 116 | 152 | 43 | 50 | 56 | 49 | 70 |
| Female genital organs | 94 | 81 | 113 | 126 | 160 | 21 | 9 | 22 | 35 | 35 |
| Breast | 74 | 101 | 113 | 112 | 137 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 20 |
| Skin | 54 | 62 | 84 | 105 | 101 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 15 |
| Other and undefined organs | 192 | 202 | 218 | 185 | 261 | 69 | 78 | 75 | 70 | 93 |
| Totals | 792 | 875 | 994 | 1,023 | 1,285 | 283 | 275 | 294 | 312 | 385 |
The percentages of deaths to total cases for the period covered by the above table are given in the following table. It may be mentioned that the two classes with the highest death-rates have also the highest proportion of cases where the patient was discharged unrelieved, and the lowest percentage of recoveries. These two classes are composed entirely of cases of internal cancer, and the “other and undefined” class, which comes third in order of percentage of deaths, also consists mainly of internal cancer cases.
| Region. | Total Cases, 1920-21. | Total Deaths, 1920-24. | Percentage of Deaths to Cases. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buccal cavity | 672 | 121 | 18 |
| Stomach and liver | 1,136 | 520 | 46 |
| Peritoneum, intestines, and rectum | 586 | 268 | 46 |
| Female genital organs | 574 | 122 | 21 |
| Breast | 537 | 87 | 16 |
| Skin | 406 | 46 | 11 |
| Other and undefined organs | 1,058 | 385 | 36 |
| Totals | 4,969 | 1,549 | 31 |
Under the revised classification all benign tumours and tumours not actually returned as malignant or hydatid are placed under the one heading, with the exception of tumours of the brain, eye, thyroid and pituitary glands, heart, spleen, stomach, prostate, ovary, and uterus.
Formerly many other kinds of tumours, in addition to those specified above, were classed with the part of the body affected, notably tumours of the ear, nose, and breast. The inclusion of these under the one heading for 1924 has had the effect of doubling the figures for non-malignant tumours in previous years.
Tumour cases included in the general class numbered 549 during 1924, and of these 511 were discharged either “recovered” or “relieved,” there being only 5 deaths. Following is a summary showing the various locations of the tumours:—
| Benign Tumours of | Number of Cases. | |
|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | |
| Head, face | 17 | 14 |
| Mouth, jaw | 20 | 27 |
| Nose | 26 | 31 |
| Ears | 14 | 6 |
| Neck | 25 | 6 |
| Spinal cord | 1 | 2 |
| Breast | 4 | 47 |
| Lungs, mediastinum | 4 | .. |
| Liver, pancreas | 5 | 1 |
| Intestines, rectum | 5 | 7 |
| Kidneys | 6 | 3 |
| Bladder, urethra | 6 | 3 |
| Abdomen, peritoneum | 10 | 10 |
| Male genital organs | 7 | .. |
| Bones (except jaw) | 21 | 6 |
| Nerve tissues | 23 | .. |
| Other sites | 72 | 57 |
| Site not stated | 33 | 29 |
| Totals | 300 | 249 |
The principal of the remaining general diseases, with their figures for each of the last five years, are as follows:—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Acute rheumatism | 409 | 467 | 546 | 504 | 411 | 8 | 13 | 241 | 12 | 10 |
| Chronic rheumatism and gout | 153 | 155 | 202 | 241 | 326 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 13 |
| Rickets | 25 | 36 | 38 | 42 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 130 | 161 | 158 | 249 | 366 | 43 | 53 | 36 | 52 | 51 |
| Anæmia and chlorosis | 98 | 92 | 108 | 106 | 123 | 20 | 28 | 18 | 31 | 29 |
| Exophthalmic goitre | 98 | 102 | 82 | 93 | 104 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 12 |
| Other diseases of the thyroid gland | 179 | 194 | 230 | 255 | 268 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 10 |
| Leucæmia, Hodgkin's disease | 15 | 33 | 37 | 30 | 34 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 12 |
| Alcoholism | 339 | 336 | 268 | 303 | 307 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 13 |
| Chronic poisonings | 17 | 24 | 15 | 37 | 28 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Other | 40 | 56 | 67 | 64 | 46 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 3 |
| Totals | 1,503 | 1,656 | 1,751 | 1,924 | 2,023 | 134 | 164 | 144 | 160 | 156 |
Males considerably outnumber females in rheumatism cases, and represent nine-tenths of the alcoholism cases. Females are in the majority in anæmia cases, and more so in cases of exophthalmic goitre and other diseases of the thyroid gland. Consequent on the introduction of the insulin treatment for diabetes, the number of patients treated for this disease shows high increases in 1923 and 1924 with, however, little increase in the number of deaths. Next to leucæmia, the numbers for which are small, diabetes has the highest death-rate of any of the diseases included in this group. Most of the deaths from anæmia are due to the pernicious type of the disease.
Only 5 cases of chronic lead poisoning, 3 of phosphorous poisoning, and 1 of arsenical dermatitis are included in the total of 28 cases of chronic poisonings for 1924, the remaining 19 (17 males and 2 females) being due to the use of drugs and tobacco.
The diseases of the nervous system, following the international classification, are as follows:—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* New heading, 1923—figures for earlier years not available. | ||||||||||
| Encephalitis | 10 | 8 | 13 | 30 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 8 |
| Meningitis | 116 | 95 | 88 | 73 | 58 | 70 | 64 | 62 | 51 | 34 |
| Locomotor ataxia | 40 | 46 | 39 | 81 | 39 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Other diseases of the spinal cord | 61 | 95 | 99 | 79 | 57 | 11 | 23 | 16 | 13 | 8 |
| Apoplexy, cerebral hæmorrhage | 189 | 179 | 191 | 181 | 228 | 125 | 118 | 116 | 118 | 163 |
| Cerebral thrombosis and embolism* | .. | .. | .. | 41 | 39 | .. | .. | .. | 17 | 22 |
| Paralysis without specified cause | 172 | 135 | 129 | 158 | 176 | 46 | 34 | 22 | 32 | 39 |
| General paralysis of the insane | 2 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 15 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Other forms of mental alienation | 116 | 130 | 251 | 215 | 273 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Epilepsy | 167 | 148 | 162 | 174 | 188 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Convulsions | 11 | 11 | 32 | 21 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Convulsions of infants | 33 | 35 | 30 | 47 | 55 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 5 |
| Chorea | 42 | 43 | 65 | 77 | 57 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. |
| Neuralgia, neuritis | 312 | 328 | 481 | 418 | 514 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Softening of the brain | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 2 |
| Other nervous diseases | 638 | 473 | 708 | 700 | 688 | 13 | 21 | 12 | 29 | 27 |
| Totals | 1,911 | 1,738 | 2,302 | 2,315 | 2,431 | 289 | 285 | 265 | 311 | 325 |
Very high death-rates are shown for encephalitis, meningitis, and apoplexy, but the general rate for the class is low, owing to the large number of cases of neuralgia, neuritis, neurasthenia, and mental alienation, for all of which the death rate in hospitals is negligible. Mental cases are not retained in hospital for any length of time, being generally transferred to the mental hospitals as soon as possible.
Eye troubles are responsible for a considerable number of hospital cases, but very few deaths. Out of 3,225 cases during the five years 1920-24 only 5 deaths were recorded. The figures for the principal affections of the eyes during the five years are—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* Not available—included in “Other diseases of eyes.” | |||||
| Cataract | 132 | 184 | 159 | 132 | 136 |
| Conjunctivitis | 52 | 69 | 75 | 65 | 61 |
| Iritis | 46 | 64 | 56 | 47 | 46 |
| Strabismus | 23 | 32 | 24 | 29 | 29 |
| Glaucoma | 33 | 37 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| Dacryocystitis | 15 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 22 |
| Keratitis | 11 | 18 | 27 | 20 | 23 |
| Trachoma | * | 12 | 5 | 10 | 9 |
| Ulcers of eye | 84 | 101 | 98 | 77 | 97 |
| Foreign body in eye | 18 | 23 | 29 | 31 | 27 |
| Other diseases of eyes | 146 | 148 | 150 | 204 | 171 |
| Totals | 560 | 706 | 659 | 649 | 651 |
Injuries to the eyes, other than those due to the presence of some foreign body, are included in the “accident” class.
Diseases of the ears and diseases of the mastoid process have now been placed under the same heading in the classification. The figures for each of the last five years are—
| Year | Diseases of Ears. | Diseases of Mastoid Process. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cases. | Deaths. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | |||||
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| 1920 | 146 | 114 | 1 | 2 | 40 | 48 | 3 | 1 |
| 1921 | 177 | 136 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 37 | .. | 2 |
| 1922 | 221 | 173 | 2 | 1 | 94 | 74 | 3 | 3 |
| 1923 | 188 | 151 | 8 | 3 | 88 | 70 | 2 | 1 |
| 1924 | 151 | 154 | 4 | .. | 83 | 62 | 2 | .. |
Otitis media is the principal disease of the ears, representing 252 of the 305 cases, and all of the deaths, in 1924.
Mastoiditis was the trouble in 109 out of the 145 cases of disease of the mastoid process in 1924.
Diseases of the heart, which occupy the first four orders under Class IV, are responsible for nearly half of the total admissions for diseases of the circulatory system and for nine-tenths of the deaths. The figures for the principal diseases of the circulatory system for the last five years are—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* Excluding in 1923 and 1924 cerebral embolism and thrombosis. | ||||||||||
| Pericarditis | 10 | 14 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Acute endocarditis | 82 | 102 | 111 | 68 | 81 | 23 | 41 | 43 | 22 | 34 |
| Angina pectoris | 17 | 17 | 8 | 22 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Other diseases of heart | 871 | 883 | 795 | 814 | 830 | 292 | 295 | 262 | 268 | 254 |
| Diseases of arteries | 44 | 48 | 58 | 72 | 97 | 13 | 16 | 23 | 141 | 37 |
| Embolism and thrombosis* | 53 | 36 | 62 | 26 | 44 | 15 | 12 | 22 | 1 | 10 |
| Varicose veins and ulcers | 285 | 287 | 204 | 245 | 258 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Hæmorrhoids | 199 | 165 | 171 | 197 | 182 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Phlebitis | 48 | 37 | 31 | 34 | 41 | 1 | 2 | .. | 1 | 4 |
| Adenitis | 75 | 109 | 130 | 124 | 152 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. |
| Abscess of groin | 60 | 49 | 75 | 86 | 87 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Abscess of axilla | 47 | 53 | 54 | 60 | 54 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Other diseases of lymphatic system | 128 | 93 | 122 | 95 | 116 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Epistaxis and other hæmorrhage | 38 | 28 | 31 | 35 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .. | .. |
| Other diseases of circulatory system | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 8 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 1960 | 1,922 | 1,872 | 1,891 | 2,040 | 356 | 0 | 358 | 311 | 351 |
The principal diseases under the heading “Other diseases of heart” in 1924 were—
| Disease. | Cases. | Deaths. |
|---|---|---|
| Auricular fibrillation | 62 | 11 |
| Tachycardia | 9 | .. |
| Chronic endocarditis | 15 | 4 |
| Chronic myocarditis | 172 | 66 |
| Myocardial degeneration, &c. | 63 | 30 |
| Valvular disease | 71 | 35 |
| Heart-disease (so returned) | 262 | 65 |
| Other diseases | 176 | 43 |
| Totals | 830 | 254 |
The total cases of respiratory disease dealt with in public hospitals during 1924 were 3,581, resulting in 334 deaths. The figures for the various headings of the classification are as follows for the last five years:—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Diseases of nasal fossæ and annexa | 390 | 338 | 420 | 467 | 644 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Diseases of larynx | 88 | 101 | 66 | 132 | 75 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Bronchitis | 821 | 718 | 821 | 896 | 740 | 72 | 49 | 72 | 67 | 57 |
| Broncho-pneumonia | 393 | 353 | 308 | 516 | 397 | 93 | 72 | 42 | 122 | 80 |
| Pneumonia | 1,252 | 995 | 1,191 | 808 | 919 | 251 | 146 | 163 | 125 | 138 |
| Pleurisy | 498 | 457 | 470 | 453 | 418 | 15 | 16 | 22 | 17 | 25 |
| Pulmonary congestion | 26 | 22 | 32 | 26 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 5 |
| Gangrene of lung | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 |
| Asthma | 157 | 157 | 223 | 228 | 268 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Pulmonary emphysema | 2 | .. | 10 | 7 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. |
| Pneumoconiosis | 12 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 10 | .. | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Other diseases of respiratory system | 107 | 41 | 57 | 66 | 86 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Totals | 3,747 | 3,186 | 3,606 | 3,615 | 3,581 | 467 | 308 | 325 | 363 | 334 |
Bronchitis, broncho-pneumonia, and pneumonia were responsible in 1924 for nearly two - thirds of the total cases in this class, and five-sixths of the deaths. Males represent the majority of the cases of respiratory disease. The sudden increase in 1924 of diseases of the nasal fossæ and annexa is due to the inclusion under that heading, in the revised classification of diseases, of the maxillary, frontal, and ethmoidal sinuses, which were formerly treated as diseases of the bones.
Dental caries (including teeth-extractions, undefined) is the principal disease of the mouth dealt with in public hospitals, representing 260 out of a total of 497 cases in 1924. Other complaints contributing to the total were: Stomatitis, 37; alveolar abscess, 43; pyorrhœa, 54; and hæmorrhage from tooth-socket, 29. The death-rate in this group is negligible, as will be seen from the figures for the last five years.
| Year. | Total Cases. | Deaths. |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 217 | 4 |
| 1921 | 376 | 5 |
| 1922 | 339 | 3 |
| 1923 | 409 | 2 |
| 1924 | 497 | 2 |
Formerly diseases of the tonsils were classed among, diseases of the digestive system, while adenoids appeared as a disease of the respiratory system. Under the revised classification the two complaints art included in diseases of the digestive system, under the title “Diseases of pharynx and tonsils (including adenoid vegetations).” The death-rate for the group is exceedingly low.
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Adenoids and tonsils | 2,187 | 2,749 | 2,776 | 2,573 | 2,875 | .. | 3 | 2 | .. | .. |
| Adenoids | 180 | 250 | 217 | 150 | 208 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Enlarged or diseased tonsils | .. | 153 | 212 | 299 | 418 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Tonsillitis, tonsillar abscess | 1,019 | 806 | 868 | 864 | 1,093 | .. | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Septic throat | 72 | 94 | 91 | 65 | 76 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Pharyngitis | 29 | 34 | 35 | 42 | 49 | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | .. |
| Vincent's angina | 12 | 12 | 18 | 9 | 17 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Other | 8 | 36 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Totals | 3,507 | 4,134 | 4,245 | 4,030 | 4,768 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 2 |
There were 1,049 cases of and 42 deaths from diseases of the stomach during the year 1924, the principal of which were ulcer of stomach and duodenum 409 cases, gastritis 382, and dyspepsia and indigestion 98. Of the 42 deaths, gastric ulcer was the complaint in 23 cases and duodenal ulcer in 15 cases.
The figures given in the preceding paragraph for ulcer of the stomach include 168 cases of and 15 deaths from ulcer of the duodenum, which is now included in the same heading in the classification.
A comparison of the discharges and deaths for the principal diseases in each of the five years 1920-24 is given.
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1822. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* Figures for years prior to 1923 not available. | ||||||||||
| Ulcer of stomach | 223 | 203 | 237 | 212 | 241 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 15 | 23 |
| Ulcer of duodenum * | .. | .. | .. | 163 | 168 | .. | .. | .. | 17 | 15 |
| Gastritis | 342 | 425 | 360 | 379 | 382 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 3 | .. |
| Dyspepsia, indigestion | 69 | 109 | 145 | 120 | 98 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Vomiting | 15 | 14 | 12 | 22 | 25 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. |
| Hæmatemesis | 22 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 |
| Other diseases | 165 | 73 | 100 | 143 | 103 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| Totals | 836 | 842 | 870 | 1,058 | 1,049 | 48 | 37 | 23 | 43 | 42 |
The total cases of diarrhœa and enteritis included in the returns for 1924 were 577, including 43 deaths. Thirty-seven of the deaths were of children under two years of age.
The total numbers of cases and of deaths in each of the last five years are—
| Year. | Total Cases. | Total Deaths. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 Years of Age. | 2 Years and over. | Total. | Under 2 Years of Age. | 2 Years and over. | Total. | |
| 1920 | 160 | 433 | 593 | 36 | 24 | 60 |
| 1921 | 204 | 549 | 753 | 40 | 25 | 65 |
| 1922 | 200 | 536 | 736 | 29 | 27 | 56 |
| 1923 | 140 | 437 | 577 | 22 | 21 | 43 |
| 1924 | 230 | 585 | 815 | 37 | 18 | 55 |
Infants under two years of age represent 27 per cent. of the total cases for the last five years, and 59 per cent. of the deaths.
Appendicitis ranks high among hospital cases, but the death-rate is exceedingly low. During the five years 1920-24 only 343 deaths occurred out of a total of 14,690 cases dealt with, representing a percentage of 2.33. The figures for the last five years are as stated in the next table.
| Year. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1920 | 1,165 | 1,308 | 2,473 | 47 | 21 | 68 |
| 1921 | 1,372 | 1,378 | 2,750 | 34 | 17 | 51 |
| 1922 | 1,331 | 1,491 | 2,822 | 39 | 24 | 63 |
| 1923 | 1,543 | 1,604 | 3,147 | 55 | 29 | 84 |
| 1924 | 1,676 | 1,822 | 3,498 | 46 | 31 | 77 |
Males represent somewhat less than one-half of the total cases dealt with, but two-thirds of the deaths were of males. In other words, the male death-rate is double the female rate.
Hernia and intestinal obstruction cases included in the returns for 1924 numbered 1,183, including 56 deaths. A table showing for the different varieties of hernia and intestinal obstruction, the number of cases and of deaths during the last five years is given below:—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Inguinal hernia | 488 | 624 | 614 | 640 | 715 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 6 |
| Ventral hernia | 75 | 100 | 81 | 90 | 90 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Umbilical hernia | 46 | 32 | 32 | 48 | 47 | 6 | .. | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Femoral hernia | 45 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 46 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Hernia (class undefined) | 179 | 91 | 85 | 76 | 98 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 5 |
| Intestinal obstruction | 137 | 126 | 127 | 135 | 187 | 42 | 34 | 35 | 27 | 38 |
| Totals | 970 | 1,002 | 970 | 1,020 | 1,183 | 70 | 51 | 46 | 54 | 56 |
There is very little movement over the period, the most noticeable point being the increase in cases of inguinal hernia. This increase, however, has been accompanied by a corresponding decrease in cases of undefined hernia, most of which would appear to be inguinal-hernia cases. Females largely outnumber males in the figures for ventral, umbilical, and femoral hernia.
Non-cancerous diseases of the liver were responsible for 47 deaths during the year 1924. Discharges and deaths of patients treated for liver-diseases numbered 642. Of the total, biliary calculi was highest with 315 (including 261 females), and cholecystitis, with 135, next highest.
The following table gives a brief summary of the principal diseases:—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Acute yellow atrophy | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Hydatids | 48 | 45 | 53 | 56 | 55 | 3 | .. | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Cirrhosis | 24 | 29 | 37 | 45 | 40 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
| Biliary calculi | 210 | 218 | 238 | 244 | 315 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Cholecystitis | 86 | 111 | 109 | 138 | 135 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
| Jaundice | 42 | 46 | 47 | 116 | 70 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Other diseases | 32 | 33 | 27 | 43 | 24 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| Totals | 444 | 483 | 514 | 645 | 642 | 25 | 29 | 42 | 46 | 47 |
In 192 cases in 1924 the disease treated was entered as peritonitis, without the actual cause of the condition being indicated. Peritonitis is a frequent complication of appendicitis and other diseases of the digestive system, and also of the puerperal state. Females predominate among peritonitis cases, as will be seen from the following table covering the last five years:—
| Year. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1920 | 43 | 86 | 129 | 12 | 18 | 30 |
| 1921 | 34 | 81 | 115 | 5 | 13 | 18 |
| 1922 | 62 | 94 | 156 | 16 | 20 | 36 |
| 1923 | 67 | 95 | 162 | 15 | 21 | 36 |
| 1924 | 73 | 119 | 192 | 10 | 22 | 32 |
The great majority of the remaining diseases of the digestive system come under the somewhat indefinite heading “Other diseases of the intestines,” which covers a considerable number of important items in the study of morbidity. The death-rate for the group is exceedingly low, as is also the rate for the group “Diseases of the œsophagus.” The figures for the principal diseases of the digestive system not already dealt with are—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* Included in figures for “Other diseases of Intestines.” | ||||||||||
| Diseases of the œsophagus | 41 | 28 | 42 | 61 | 40 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Worms and other intestinal parasites | 18 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 51 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| Constipation | 93 | 119 | 132 | 186 | 164 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Ischio-rectal abscess | 61 | 59 | 61 | 85 | 55 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. |
| Anal fistula | 35 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 43 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Anal fissure | * | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | * | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Anal abscess | * | * | 12 | 13 | 15 | * | * | .. | .. | .. |
| Visceroptosis | * | 9 | 19 | 38 | 50 | * | .. | .. | 1 | .. |
| Enteroptosis | * | * | 11 | 10 | 7 | * | * | .. | 1 | .. |
| Other diseases of intestines | 172 | 135 | 162 | 142 | 125 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 9 |
| Diseases of the pancreas | 15 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 9 |
| Abdominal pains | .. | 43 | 63 | 78 | 70 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. |
| Other diseases of digestive system | 71 | 7 | 8 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Totals | 506 | 468 | 587 | 651 | 652 | 25 | 6 | 17 | 13 | 21 |
The increase in 1924 of cases treated for worms and other intestinal parasites is due to the fact that the revised classification includes under this heading all cases of hydatids other than hydatids of the liver.
Of the 51 cases shown above, 33 were hydatid cases. The following table shows the 1924 figures for hydatids (except of the liver), with parts of the body affected:—
| Hydatids of | Cases. | Deaths. |
|---|---|---|
| Parotid | 1 | .. |
| Lung | 14 | .. |
| Kidney | 1 | 1 |
| Pancreas | 1 | .. |
| Abdomen | 7 | .. |
| Lumbar muscles | 2 | .. |
| Pelvis | 4 | 1 |
| Buttock | 1 | .. |
| Thigh | 2 | .. |
| Totals | 33 | 2 |
The figures for the various diseases of the urinary system dealt with in public hospitals during the last five years are—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Acute nephritis | 30 | 130 | 104 | 95 | 78 | 7 | 22 | 10 | 18 | 11 |
| Chronic nephritis | 233 | 267 | 275 | 276 | 261 | 75 | 111 | 84 | 91 | 106 |
| Pyelitis | 111 | 142 | 238 | 298 | 392 | 2 | 3 | 2 | .. | 3 |
| Hæmaturia | 36 | 36 | 36 | 28 | 31 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Movable kidney | 25 | 24 | 15 | 22 | 12 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Pyelonephritis | 18 | 14 | 8 | 29 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Pyonephrosis | .. | .. | 10 | 15 | 13 | .. | .. | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Hydronephrosis | 4 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 15 | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Abscess of kidney | 12 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 8 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Other kidney-diseases | 43 | 36 | 33 | 36 | 38 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Renal colic | 32 | 37 | 38 | 55 | 53 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Renal stone | 45 | 43 | 64 | 64 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Stone in bladder or urethra | 17 | 45 | 21 | 35 | 45 | 2 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. |
| Retention of urine | 57 | 55 | 45 | 58 | 53 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Enuresis | 20 | 12 | 23 | 15 | 19 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Cystitis | 193 | 196 | 181 | 190 | 190 | 19 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 11 |
| Cystocele | 16 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 28 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Other diseases of bladder | 45 | 24 | 27 | 32 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | .. |
| Stricture, &c., of urethra | 121 | 137 | 116 | 126 | 165 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
| Enlargement, &c., of prostate | 155 | 150 | 176 | 202 | 239 | 32 | 34 | 47 | 55 | 59 |
| Totals | 1,213 | 1,380 | 1,441 | 1,607 | 1,749 | 168 | 213 | 175 | 214 | 215 |
Chronic nephritis is responsible for nearly half of the total deaths in this group, though it represents only about one-sixth of the cases. Diseases of the prostate, principally cases of enlargement, have also a comparatively high death-rate. Females comprise the majority of the cases of pyelitis, movable kidney, and cystitis, though in the case of the last-mentioned males invariably exceed females among the fatal cases.
Phimosis is responsible for more admissions to public hospitals than all other non-venereal diseases of the male genital organs taken together. Under the classification in force up to the end of 1922, children under five years of age treated for phimosis were placed in the malformation class, but under the revised classification all phimosis cases are regarded as diseases of the genital organs. A table showing the figures for the years 1920-24 follows:—
| Disease, &c. | Total Cases. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* Not available—Included in “Other diseases.” | |||||
| Phimosis | 216 | 294 | 349 | 351 | 400 |
| Paraphimosis | 30 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 10 |
| Circumcision (so returned) | 30 | 15 | 10 | 27 | 21 |
| Epididymitis | 16 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 15 |
| Orchitis | 35 | 29 | 25 | 22 | 24 |
| Hydrocele | 50 | 69 | 61 | 63 | 61 |
| Undescended testicle | * | 18 | 30 | 16 | 34 |
| Other | 32 | 22 | 38 | 39 | 33 |
| Totals | 409 | 468 | 531 | 549 | 598 |
Only 2 deaths were recorded during the period covered by the table, both in 1921.
Diseases of the female genital organs, other than cancer or those diseases shown to be venereal or puerperal, are an important group in hospital cases, though the death-rate is exceedingly low. The total cases passing through public hospitals in 1924 were 2,118, involving only 16 deaths. The list follows:—
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* Not available—included in “Other diseases of uterus.” | ||||||||||
| Ovarian cysts | 113 | 132 | 104 | 114 | 170 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Salpingitis and pelvic abscess | 273 | 258 | 240 | 257 | 221 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 3 |
| Uterine tumour | 145 | 150 | 163 | 190 | 234 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Uterine hæmorrhage | 146 | 152 | 160 | 163 | 157 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. |
| Metritis | 20 | 19 | 25 | 17 | 29 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Endometritis | 157 | 157 | 172 | 164 | 185 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Cervioitis | * | 12 | 11 | 15 | 22 | * | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Endocervicitis | 7 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Erosion of cervix uteri | * | 10 | 21 | 22 | 29 | * | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Retroversion of uterus | 249 | 274 | 297 | 328 | 382 | .. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Anteflexion of uterus | 12 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Retroflexion of uterus | 11 | 20 | 20 | 26 | 15 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Prolapse of uterus | 146 | 219 | 189 | 217 | 213 | .. | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Dysmenorrhœa | 59 | 74 | 68 | 71 | 96 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Leucorrhœa | 18 | 19 | 40 | 15 | 33 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Amenorrhœa | 4 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 8 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Other diseases of uterus | 120 | 101 | 113 | 47 | 114 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .. | .. |
| Oophoritis | 27 | 22 | 12 | 23 | 25 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Vaginitis | 19 | 21 | 25 | 22 | 29 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Other diseases | 54 | 59 | 60 | 105 | 140 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Totals | 1,580 | 1,729 | 1,748 | 1,819 | 2,118 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 27 | 16 |
The following table gives figures for the principal non-puerperal and non-cancerous diseases of the female breast dealt with at public hospitals during the last five years. No deaths were recorded.
| Disease. | Total Cases. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
* Tumours of breast now classed with benign tumours under the one heading. | |||||
| Abscess of breast | 80 | 88 | 106 | 110 | 115 |
| Tumour of breast | 25 | 26 | 25 | 30 | * |
| Mastitis | 33 | 52 | 49 | 67 | 63 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | .. |
| Totals | 139 | 167 | 182 | 212 | 178 |
A total of 3,227 cases comes under the heading of puerperal in 1924. This number includes 1,323 cases of normal childbirth dealt with at public general hospitals, but does not cover maternity cases in St. Helens Hospitals.
There have been substantial increases in the number of puerperal cases treated during the last five years. This increase can justly be put down to the huge advance that has taken place in the matter of providing maternity wards at the various public hospitals. Whereas in 1920 there were only 592 cases of normal labour, this figure has rapidly risen until in 1924 it reached the comparatively high total of 1,323. Accidents of pregnancy accounted for the remainder of the increase. The totals given in the following table for miscarriage do not include threatened miscarriage (34 in 1924); nor do those for abortion include threatened abortion (56 in 1924). These, together with hyperemesis gravidarum (98 in 1924), are the principal diseases included in “Other accidents of pregnancy.”
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922 | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Normal labour | 592 | 690 | 841 | 1,000 | 1,323 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Miscarriage | 278 | 310 | 378 | 308 | 287 | 3 | 1 | 4 | .. | 1 |
| Incomplete miscarriage | 33 | 78 | 95 | 115 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | ||
| Abortion | 360 | 106 | 139 | 151 | 260 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Incomplete abortion | 220 | 214 | 239 | 345 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | ||
| Ectopic gestation | 59 | 76 | 80 | 93 | 105 | 2 | 3 | .. | 2 | 3 |
| Other accidents of pregnancy | 69 | 189 | 209 | 239 | 355 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Puerperal hæmorrhage | 48 | 26 | 54 | 48 | 48 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Laceration, &c., of perinæum and cervix | 143 | 91 | 57 | 63 | 28 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Other accidents of labour | 44 | 47 | 43 | 49 | 2 | 1 | 5 | .. | ||
| Puerperal septicæmia | 147 | 139 | 226 | 152 | 204 | 44 | 33 | 38 | 38 | 33 |
| Puerperal albuminuria, convulsions | 72 | 74 | 52 | 82 | 89 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 14 |
| Puerperal phlebitis and phlegmasia | 7 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Puerperal mania, &c. | 15 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | .. |
| Puerperal diseases of breast | .. | 1 | 2 | 7 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 1,790 | 2,026 | 2,399 | 2,545 | 3,227 | 79 | 65 | 57 | 69 | 61 |
Cases of non-tuberculous diseases of the bones and of the organs of locomotion dealt with in 1924 numbered 1,620, including 31 deaths. Twenty deaths were due to osteomyelitis. The principal diseases in this class, following the order of the classification, for the years 1920-24 were—
| Disease. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Only acute arthritis in 1924. Arthritis (undefined) is now included with chronic rheumatism. | |||||
| Osteomyelitis | 233 | 219 | 245 | 292 | 295 |
| Periostitis | 47 | 67 | 82 | 57 | 72 |
| Necrosis | 73 | 57 | 50 | 47 | 67 |
| Osteitis | 15 | 13 | 16 | 22 | 19 |
| Other diseases of bones | 189 | 233 | 207 | 218 | 208 |
| Synovitis | 133 | 129 | 152 | 118 | 160 |
| Arthritis* | 85 | 105 | 112 | 154 | 45 |
| Ankylosis | 18 | 16 | 22 | 23 | 17 |
| Other diseases of joints | 89 | 79 | 93 | 120 | 117 |
| Amputations | 46 | 26 | 46 | 8 | 7 |
| Bursitis | 74 | 88 | 128 | 108 | 115 |
| Lumbago | 60 | 66 | 51 | 62 | 61 |
| Myalgia | 53 | 60 | 72 | 77 | 84 |
| Talipes | 73 | 77 | 82 | 78 | 90 |
| Tenosynovitis | 11 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 14 |
| Ganglion | 13 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 24 |
| Bunion | 21 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 17 |
| Other diseases of organs of locomotion | 143 | 176 | 159 | 201 | 208 |
| Totals | 1,376 | 1,455 | 1,565 | 1,636 | 1,620 |
Diseases of the skin and annexa, which comprise four orders in the international classification, are an important group in morbidity statistics, though the death-rate is very low. Abscesses, cellulitis, and ulcers are responsible for nearly half of the total cases dealt with under this heading, eczema ranking highest among other skin-diseases.
The figures for the principal diseases of the skin and annexa during the last five years are—
| Disease. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gangrene | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 |
| Carbuncle | 68 | 91 | 64 | 76 | 89 |
| Furuncle | 62 | 69 | 99 | 94 | 152 |
| Abscess | 511 | 478 | 543 | 655 | 712 |
| Cellulitis | 226 | 247 | 336 | 316 | 410 |
| Whitlow | 70 | 79 | 80 | 84 | 89 |
| Ulcers | 239 | 228 | 219 | 191 | 231 |
| Eczema | 142 | 129 | 147 | 177 | 149 |
| Scabies | 69 | 96 | 83 | 86 | 101 |
| Dermatitis | 57 | 90 | 105 | 120 | 133 |
| Erythema | 26 | 50 | 42 | 39 | 56 |
| Impetigo | 42 | 48 | 66 | 73 | 81 |
| Ingrown nails | 42 | 35 | 49 | 42 | 64 |
| Herpes | 29 | 27 | 31 | 28 | 37 |
| Psoriasis | 15 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 22 |
| Seborrhœa | 22 | 20 | 14 | 19 | 12 |
| Urticaria | 14 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 23 |
| Ringworm | 9 | 11 | 14 | 20 | 25 |
| Pruritus | 3 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| Onychia | 8 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
| Pemphigus | 8 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| Other diseases | 215 | 241 | 180 | 162 | 170 |
| Totals | 1,914 | 2,024 | 2,162 | 2,266 | 2,616 |
Deaths from these diseases during the year 1924 numbered 30, as compared with 30 in 1923, 37 in 1922, 41 in 1921, and 35 in 1920. The deaths include, in 1924, 11 ascribed to gangrene and 8 to cellulitis.
Congenital malformations do not bulk very largely among hospital cases, but appear to be on the increase. The figures for the last five years are given.
| Disease. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Cleft palate | 29 | 20 | 32 | 31 | 38 | 2 | .. | 4 | .. | 3 |
| Nævus | 19 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 17 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Hare-lip | 6 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 22 | 2 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. |
| Hydrocephalus | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 4 | .. | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Spina bifida | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Congenital dislocation of hip | 15 | 20 | 14 | 28 | 42 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Congenital talipes | 16 | 22 | 33 | 38 | 52 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Heart-disease | 4 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Other malformations | 42 | 41 | 48 | 37 | 60 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 18 |
| Totals | 148 | 171 | 176 | 198 | 255 | 15 | 16 | 22 | 25 | 32 |
Forty deaths in public hospitals during 1924 are recorded as having been due to diseases of early infancy, which is 1 less than in the previous year. The chief items in this class are congenital debility, &c. (15 deaths), and premature birth (20 deaths). The total discharges and deaths in 1924 amounted to only 126; thus the deaths amounted to the very high percentage of 31.75 of the total cases treated, against 33.88 in 1923, 37.30 in 1922, 44.85 in 1921, and 38.33 in 1920.
Hospital returns show a total of 80 male deaths and 48 female deaths from old age during 1924. These totals include the returns of three hospitals which are also old people's homes. The numbers for the five years 1920-24 are as follows:—
| Year. | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| 1920 | 334 | 97 | 129 | 35 |
| 1921 | 150 | 59 | 64 | 24 |
| 1922 | 203 | 80 | 94 | 42 |
| 1923 | 291 | 115 | 116 | 52 |
| 1924 | 242 | 105 | 80 | 48 |
The principal headings included in this class in hospital cases are fractures and injuries in regard to which no specified cause is shown. In death-registrations the cause of death is asked for, and in cases of deaths resulting from fractures and other injuries the actual cause is obtained, and the death classified under one or other of the thirty definite headings provided. The Medical Superintendents are, however, concerned not with causes but with nature of injuries, and the returns in the great majority of cases are classed under the headings “fractures” and “injuries,” which in death statistics would be regarded as somewhat indefinite, but which in morbidity statistics are invaluable on account of the fact that the part of the body affected is given in most of the cases.
The following table shows as far as possible the classification of the various external causes dealt with during the five years 1920-24.
| — | Total Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Self-inflicted injuries | 19 | 22 | 39 | 44 | 35 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 8 |
| Homicidal injuries | 3 | .. | 1 | 10 | 3 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| War injuries | 577 | 176 | 276 | 226 | 153 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | .. |
| Accidental poisoning | 67 | 82 | 71 | 98 | 77 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 5 |
| Accidental immersion in water | 3 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 5 | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | .. |
| Burns and scalds | 281 | 269 | 252 | 307 | 338 | 22 | 30 | 19 | 25 | 27 |
| Suffocation and gas poisoning | 7 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 10 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Traumatism by firearms | 100 | 104 | 104 | 69 | 95 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 9 |
| Injuries by animals | 11 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 17 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Starvation | .. | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. |
| Frostbite, excessive cold | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 3 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Exposure | .. | .. | 4 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Effects of heat | 1 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 5 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Electric shock | 1 | 2 | .. | 6 | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. |
| Fractures, dislocations, &c. | 2,027 | 2,255 | 2,246 | 2,353 | 2,700 | 89 | 89 | 84 | 101 | 119 |
| Miscellaneous injuries | 2,520 | 2,771 | 2,558 | 2,925 | 3,488 | 33 | 56 | 28 | 36 | 52 |
| Totals | 5,622 | 5,723 | 5,589 | 6,097 | 6,933 | 168 | 199 | 159 | 191 | 222 |
In a few instances cases included in the fractures and miscellaneous injuries in the above table could have been definitely allocated to one of the following five headings of the classification, but on account of such cases obviously representing only a small proportion of the total for the respective headings it has been considered advisable to omit these headings altogether and to include the cases in the two general headings. The five headings referred to are: Traumatism by cutting or piercing instruments; traumatism by fall; traumatism in mines and quarries; traumatism by machines; traumatism by other crushing (vehicles, railways, landslides, &c.).
The location of the 3,488 miscellaneous injuries, as well as of the 2,700 fractures, dislocations, &c., for 1924 is shown in the following table:—
| Region. | Fractures, Dislocations, &c. | Miscellaneous Injuries. |
|---|---|---|
| Head | 149 | 626 |
| Face | 114 | 394 |
| Neck | 7 | 30 |
| Back | 26 | 154 |
| Thorax and contents | 139 | 113 |
| Abdomen and contents | 41 | 145 |
| External genital organs | .. | 32 |
| Upper limbs | 939 | 865 |
| Lower limbs | 1,275 | 1,005 |
| Undefined | 10 | 124 |
| Totals | 2,700 | 3,488 |
Useful information as to the extent of illness and defects among an important section of the Dominion's population is contained in the published results of the medical examination of recruits for the Expeditionary Force raised for service in the late war. Recruits were classified as follows:—
A—Men fit for active service beyond the seas.
B—Men fit for active service beyond the seas if they undergo specified medical, surgical, or dental treatment—(1) after operation in camp or public hospital, (2) after recovery at home.
C—Men at present unfit for active service beyond the seas, but fit for service in New Zealand in connection with or for the purposes of the war: (1) Those to proceed to the C1 Camp for training; (2) those permanently unfit for service outside New Zealand.
D—Men permanently unfit, either for active service beyond the seas or for any service in New Zealand in connection with or for the purposes of the war.
A total of 135,282 men was examined, with the following results:—
| Class. | Number of Men. | Percentage of Total. |
|---|---|---|
| A | 46,488 | 34.37 |
| B1 | 837 | 0.62 |
| B2 | 3,250 | 2.40 |
| C1 | 6,807 | 5.03 |
| C2 | 74,689 | 55.21 |
| D | 3,211 | 2.37 |
| .. | 135,282 | 100.00 |
Among those rejected were 6,100 men over the military age and 139 apparently under age; so that, taking men of ages 20 to 45, the proportion classed A would be slightly higher than that shown above—viz., 36.03, as against 34.37 per cent. The proportion of Class A to total recruits at quinquennial groups of ages is as follows:—
| Age-group. | Percentage. |
|---|---|
| 20 and under 25 | 47 |
| 25 and under 30 | 39 |
| 30 and under 35 | 38 |
| 35 and under 40 | 31 |
| 40 and over | 14 |
The percentage at ages 40 and over suffers by the inclusion in the total of the 6,106 men over military age. Were these excluded the percentage of Class A men in the last age-group would be 19, a figure still greatly below those of preceding groups. A summary of classes by age-groups follows.
| Class. | Ages. | Totals. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-25. | 25-30. | 30-35. | 35-40. | Over 40. | ||
| A | 14,830 | 9,657 | 10,692 | 7,655 | 3,654 | 46,488 |
| B1 | 303 | 177 | 174 | 125 | 58 | 837 |
| B2 | 1,118 | 714 | 688 | 510 | 220 | 3,250 |
| C1 | 2,355 | 1,213 | 1,630 | 1,223 | 386 | 6,807 |
| C2 | 12,037 | 12,285 | 14,592 | 15,015 | 20,760 | 74,689 |
| D | 799 | 761 | 657 | 483 | 511 | 3,211 |
| Totals | 31,442 | 24,807 | 28,433 | 25,011 | 25,589 | 135,282 |
The causes of rejection of the 88,895 recruits classed other than “A” are next given. Diseases of the circulatory system rank first, with a total of 22,612 (valvular disease of the heart, 10,879; other diseases of the heart, 4,517; diseases of arteries, 42; varix, 4,994; varicocele, 1,340; and hæmorrhoids, 840); while defects of the extremities, flat feet, defective vision, and hernia are other important causes of rejection, as is also the somewhat indefinite “impaired constitution and debility.”
| Disease or Defect. | No. of Cases. |
|---|---|
| Defects of upper extremities | 2,882 |
| Defects of lower extremities | 7,173 |
| Under height | 605 |
| Under chest-measurement | 959 |
| Insufficient weight | 68 |
| Apparent age not in accordance with regulations | 139 |
| Over height | 11 |
| Syphilis | 183 |
| Other venereal diseases | 112 |
| Tubercle of lungs | 1,429 |
| Other tubercular diseases | 289 |
| Impaired constitution and debility | 4,043 |
| Other general diseases | 312 |
| Malformation of ears | 2 |
| Malformation of nose and mouth | 129 |
| Malformation of chest and spine | 1,011 |
| Malformation of urinary or genital organs | 136 |
| Impediment of speech | 297 |
| Other diseases of the nervous system | 1,200 |
| Defective intelligence | 1,076 |
| Defective vision | 6,423 |
| Diseases of the eyes and eyelids | 168 |
| Diseases of the middle ear (including deafness) | 2,455 |
| Other diseases of the ears | 114 |
| Diseases of the nose and mouth | 202 |
| Valvular disease of the heart | 10,879 |
| Other diseases of the heart | 4,517 |
| Diseases of arteries (aneurism) | 42 |
| Diseases of the veins (varix) | 4,994 |
| Diseases of the lungs (except tubercle) | 766 |
| Other respiratory diseases | 2,056 |
| Loss or decay of many teeth | 20 |
| Hernia | 4,530 |
| Diseases of the digestive system | 1,715 |
| Hæmorrhoids | 840 |
| Diseases of the urinary organs | 622 |
| Varicocele | 1,340 |
| Other diseases of the generative organs (not syphilitic) | 656 |
| Diseases of the joints | 1,431 |
| Flat feet | 3,211 |
| Other affections of the bones and muscles | 1,189 |
| Ulcers, wounds, and cicatrices | 792 |
| Other affections of the cutaneous system | 1,149 |
| Goitre | 1,681 |
| Epilepsy | 672 |
| Over age | 6,106 |
| Rheumatism, sciatica, and lumbago | 2,044 |
| Alcoholic | 211 |
| Not classified | 6,014 |
| Total | 88,895 |
Table of Contents
THE Health Act, 1920, repealed the consolidated Public Health Act, 1908, and its amendments. A résumé of the present Act is here given.
This Part of the Act deals with the constitution of the Department of Health. The chief administrative officer is the Director-General of Health, whose powers and functions, during his absence from duty, are delegated to a Deputy Director-General. The Department comprises the Divisions of Public Hygiene, Hospitals, Nursing, School Hygiene, Dental Hygiene, Child Welfare, and Maori Hygiene, each of which is under the supervision of a divisional head called the Director.
The Dominion is divided into health districts, each of which is under the charge of a Medical Officer of Health, who must be a medical practitioner with special qualifications in sanitary science. Power is also given to appoint such number of Inspectors of Health, medical practitioners, nurses, and other professional officers as may from time to time be required.
A Board of Health is constituted under the chairmanship of the Minister of Health. It consists, in addition to the Minister, of the Director-General, three medical practitioners, a person appointed on the recommendation of the New Zealand Municipal Association, another appointed on the recommendation of the New Zealand Counties Association, a member of a recognized association of civil engineers, a Chairman of a Hospital Board, a lady member representative of the interests of women and children, and a person appointed on the recommendation of the Minister. The Board in the main is advisory in function, but in certain circumstances it may exercise mandatory powers. Commissions of inquiry may be appointed in assistance of the Board.
The initial sections of this Part of the Act empower and direct every local authority to appoint sanitary inspectors; to cause regular inspection to be made of its district; to secure the abatement of nuisances; to enforce all regulations in force in the district; to make by-laws; to furnish to the Medical Officer of Health such reports as may be required. In certain cases, on the recommendation of the Board of Health, the Governor-General, by Order in Council, may exempt any local authority, not being a Borough Council, from any or all of the duties set out above. In these circumstances it shall be the duty of the Health Department to do all such things as it considers necessary for the promotion and conservation of public health within the district concerned, all expenses incurred by the Department being recoverable from the local authority in question as a debt due to the Crown.
The Board of Health may require any local authority to provide sanitary works within its district. However, a local authority, if dissatisfied with such requisition, has the right of appeal to a Board of Appeal consisting of a Stipendiary Magistrate and two assessors representing respectively the Board of Health and the local authority.
Every local authority must appoint its own sanitary inspectors or subscribe to the salary of an Inspector of the Department of Health. No person can now be appointed as a sanitary inspector unless he is the holder of a certificate from the Royal Sanitary Institute, or in lieu thereof such certificate as may be prescribed by regulation.
Other sections define nuisances and the various steps to be taken for their abatement; provide for the establishing on the part of the local authority of efficient refuse, nightsoil, and sanitary services; lay down certain requirements in regard to water-supply and sanitary conveniences for buildings; detail the procedure with regard to closing orders and demolition orders for insanitary buildings; govern the registration and regulation of cattle — saleyards for the keeping of animals; the protection and purification of water-supplies; the sanitation of Maori settlements; the making and application of by-laws; the duties and powers of Harbour Boards with respect to the sanitary condition of wharves and tidal lands.
The initial sections of this Part of the Act give the Medical Officer of Health, if authorized on that behalf by the Minister, very extensive powers in the event of an outbreak of any infectious disease. Thus he may take possession of lands and buildings for the purpose of providing accommodation for patients; he may commandeer vehicles for their conveyance; he may demand drugs, articles of food or drink, &c., for their treatment. Penalties are laid down for refusal or failure to comply with any such requisition, while provision is made for compensating persons who suffer any loss or damage thereby. Very wide power is also given a Medical Officer of Health in the direction of controlling the movements of cases and contacts of any infectious disease, of prohibiting public gatherings, of prohibiting the admission to schools, theatres, &c., of children under the age of sixteen. These emergency powers were given as the result of the experience of the influenza epidemic of 1918.
Infectious diseases are divided into two classes—the non-notifiable and the notifiable—which are set out in detail in the First Schedule of the Act. With reference to the former group, certain general provisions are applicable, protecting the public against carelessness on the part of the case or the person in charge thereof.
The medical practitioner who attends any person suffering from a notifiable infectious disease must forthwith report the case to the local authority and the Medical Officer of Health. If no medical practitioner is in charge of the case the occupier of the premises must notify. In the case of any vessel in port the master must notify the case to the Port Health Officer.
Provision is also made in this Part of the Act for the notification of certain non-communicable diseases of public-health importance, such as hydatids, tetanus, chronic lead poisoning, &c.
Other sections deal with the ordering to hospital of persons suffering from infectious diseases, the disinfection of premises and articles, the destruction of infected articles, the establishing by local authorities of mortuaries and disinfecting-stations, the notification by undertakers of any death from infectious disease, and the duties of local authorities with respect to burials.
A comprehensive set of regulations has been gazetted detailing more exactly the powers with regard to infectious disease.
Power is given the Governor-General to proclaim places of inspection, quarantine grounds, and quarantine stations. Ships, persons, and goods liable to quarantine are fully defined. The whole procedure with regard to the inspection of ships, the granting of pratique, the ordering into quarantine, and the release from quarantine is set out. Power is given to detain, or to release under medical surveillance, persons liable to quarantine, without quarantining the whole ship's company.
Medical practitioners and nurses may be appointed by the Director-General to take charge of passengers and crew of a ship undergoing quarantine, and the owners or agents are liable for any cost incurred under this head. It is the duty of the owners or agents of the ship to supply persons undergoing quarantine with such provisions, medicines, fuel, &c., as the medical officer in charge may require. All expenses incurred in connection with disinfection are a charge against the ship.
Comprehensive regulations have been made under this Part of the Act governing the whole matter of quarantine.
Extensive powers have been given the Governor-General in this Part of the Act to make regulations for the conservation or promotion of public health. Included therein is provision whereby regulations may be made for any matter affecting the public health in respect of which any local authority is empowered to make by-laws. Where any local authority has failed to make by-laws, or, having made them, has failed effectively to enforce them, regulations may be made and enforced in the district concerned at the cost of the local authority.
Medical practitioners authorized by the Minister may enter public schools and examine the children and notify parents of defects found in the children. Infirm and neglected persons found to be living in unsatisfactory conditions or without proper care or attention may be removed to institutions available for their reception. The Board of Health is empowered, in default of a local authority, to carry out sanitary works and exercise powers under the Act at the cost of such an authority.
The New Zealand University Amendment Act, 1912, conferred on the Senate of the New Zealand University the power to grant diplomas in public health, and to make regulations for the examination of candidates for such diplomas.
Under the Medical Practitioners Act, 1914, as amended by the Medical Practitioners Amendment Act, 1924, is constituted the Medical Council of New Zealand, consisting of the Director-General of Health and six other registered medical practitioners, who are appointed to the Council by the Governor-General, the term of appointment being a three-yearly one.
The Council deals with all applications for registration under the Act, which enacts that every person shall be entitled to registration who satisfies the Council that he is a graduate in medicine and surgery of the University of New Zealand; or registered on the register kept in accordance with the provisions of the Acts regulating the registration of medical practitioners in the United Kingdom, or eligible for registration on such last-mentioned register; or the holder of a foreign diploma approved by the Council, and granted by any university or institution other than the University of New Zealand or a university or institution situated in the United Kingdom, after a course of not less than five years' study of the subjects pertaining to a medical and surgical degree or license. The Council may, however, refuse to approve any diploma (even in the case of persons registered or eligible for registration in the United Kingdom) unless it appears that New Zealand graduates are, without further examination, entitled to registration in the country granting the diploma. It may also require the holder of a foreign diploma to pass an examination in medicine and surgery to be prescribed and conducted by the Senate of the New Zealand University.
No person is entitled to be registered if he has been at any time convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment with hard labour for a term of two years or upwards, or is otherwise not of good fame or character. Applicants who are refused registration have the right of appeal to the Supreme Court.
Applications for registration are received in the first place by the Medical Officers of Health at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, or Dunedin. Ono month's notice of intended application is required, such notice to be advertised once in the New Zealand Gazette and also in a newspaper circulating in the district in which the applicant intends to practise.
The fee for registration is £5, payable on deposit of evidence of qualification.
The Medical Council is vested with disciplinary powers, including the removal of a name from the register on the grounds of misconduct, or the suspension of a medical practitioner from practice. Right of appeal to the Supreme Court is provided.
A table is appended showing the additions to and removals from the Medical Register during the last five years, with the numbers on the register on the 1st January and 31st December of each year.
| — | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number on register on 1st January | 1,015 | 1,064 | 1,071 | 1,073 | 1,138 |
| Number added during year by registration— | |||||
| With New Zealand qualifications | 36 | 28 | 21 | 59 | 67 |
| With other qualifications | 35 | 32 | 12 | 17 | 17 |
| Number added during year by restoration | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Number removed during year on evidence of death | 25 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 19 |
| Number removed during year by direction of Medical Council— | |||||
| Ceased to practise | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Letter not delivered and returned unclaimed | .. | 40 | 21 | .. | .. |
| Reported dead | .. | 7 | 2 | .. | .. |
| Number removed during year by direction of Supreme Court | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | .. |
| Number on register on 31st December | 1,064 | 1,071 | 1,073 | 1,138 | 1,204 |
Every adult person is entitled to be registered as a dentist in New Zealand who is the holder of a degree in dental surgery of the University of New Zealand, or a certificate of proficiency in dentistry obtained from the Senate of the University, or is the holder of a degree or diploma in dental surgery approved by the Senate and conferred by a University or dental college in the United Kingdom, or is the holder of a degree in dentistry granted in a British possession or a foreign country and recognized by the Senate. Evidence of good character is required in every case.
Application for registration is made to the Registrar-General, Wellington, the fee for registration being £1.
A table is appended showing the additions to and removals from the Dentists' Register during the last five years, with the numbers on the register on the 1st January and 31st December of each year.
The Nurses Registration Act provides that every person who has attained the age of twenty-one years and is certified as having had three years' training as a nurse in a recognized general hospital, together with systematic instruction in theoretical and practical nursing from the medical officer and the matron of that hospital, and who passes the prescribed examination, is entitled to registration. During the year ended 31st March, 1925, there were 290 candidates for the final examination in medical and surgical nursing, and 260 passed. There are now 3,994 nurses on the register.
The Midwives Act provides that after undergoing a course of braining—in the case of registered nurses for six months, and in the case of unqualified women for twelve months—and after passing the State examination of midwives, a person may be placed on the register.
The number of registered midwives on 31st March, 1925, was 2,110. Of these, 1,872 were trained and certificated, the remainder having satisfied the Registrar that at the date of the passing of the Act they had been for at least three years in bona fide practice as midwives, and that they bear a good character.
The Plumbers Registration Act, passed during the session of 1912, provided for the setting-up of a Board, to be called the Plumbers' Board of Now Zealand. This Board consists of five members—viz., the Director-General of Health or his deputy, who shall be Chairman; the Director of Education; a city or borough engineer nominated by the cities and boroughs which have a population of over 5,000 inhabitants, and appointed by the Governor-General; a master plumber and a journeyman plumber elected by their respective associations.
The functions of the Board are to decide what persons may be registered under the Act, in what districts sanitary plumbing shall be performed only by registered plumbers, and what shall be the scope of the examinations to be held as a part of the process of securing registration.
The main principle underlying the Act is that of securing trained and certificated sanitary plumbers, and that such registered plumbers shall not be required to pay any license fee or pass any examination under any local authorities controlling sanitary-plumbing works.
At the examination held under the Act in November, 1924, 219 candidates presented themselves, the results being as follows: Forty-seven qualified in the theoretical part, 16 in the practical part, and 41 qualified or completed in both parts of the examination and were duly granted registration. The total of names entered in the register to date is 1,563.
In order to make better provision for the sale of food and drugs in a pure state the Sale of Food and Drugs Act was passed by the Legislature, and came into force on the 1st January, 1908. An amending Act was passed in 1924 to adjust certain technical defects, but this amendment also makes a noteworthy advance in that it provides for the control of advertising and any other descriptive matter that may be published concerning a food or drug. Where the Act or regulations specify a certain manner of labelling it is not now by any means easy for a manufacturer to use any kind of publicity that would create an impression of the nature or value of an article contrary to the disclosures that the regulations require on labels, and it is also an offence to publish anything which is calculated or is likely to deceive a purchaser in regard to the properties of a food or drug whether it is dealt with by a regulation or not.
The definition of “drug” includes medicines used externally or internally by man, anæsthetics, soaps, ointments, disinfectants, and tobacco.
The Act is administered by the officers of the Health Department, and provides for the analysis, by public analysts, of any article of food or drink, or of any drug, which may be sold, offered for sale, or exposed for sale, and for the inspection of any place where there is any food or drug intended for sale. If any such article be proved to be unfit for human consumption, or likely to cause injury to health if consumed, heavy penalties may be inflicted on the person or persons responsible.
Stringent measures are provided for the prevention of adulteration of food, drink, or drugs, and for the inspection of places where such things are manufactured or packed. The selling of light-weight bread is an offence under the Act, as is also the taking-back of bread after it has been in the possession of the purchaser for more than an hour.
Any person may, on payment of the prescribed fee, together with the cost of the sample, require any authorized officer to purchase a sample of any food or drug and submit it for analysis.
Regulations have been gazetted from time to time defining standards for the control of the purity of foodstuffs and of drugs. In general, the New Zealand standards are on the lines recommended by the Australian Inter-State Conference.
The regulations recently have been brought up to date, and additions and amendments made. The new subjects covered include eggs (preserved, pulped, &c.), special definitions of various classes of bread in line with modern ideas in dietetics, reconstituted milk, salt ("table,” “iodized,” “medicated”), wines, biological products, and disinfectants, deodorants, and the like. Butter must be sold only in weights of 1/4 lb., 1/2 lb., 1 lb., or multiple of 1 lb. All the cordial and aerated beverage classes have been revised, and beverages sold in soda-fountains must be suitably described by placards on the walls or on menu-cards.
Statistics compiled by the Department of Health show that during the year 1924 a total of 198 convictions under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act was secured in Magistrates' Courts, the total fines imposed equalling £1,011. Of the 198 convictions, 123 were for selling adulterated milk, the fines in these cases totalling £627. Short — weight bread convictions, 16 in number, secured fines amounting to £86: improper labelling of foodstuffs resulted in 20 convictions, with fines of £48.
Section 2 of the Quackery Prevention Act, 1908, enacts that every person commits an offence who publishes or causes to be published any statement which is intended by the defendant or any other person to promote the sale of any article as a medicine, preparation, or appliance for the prevention, alleviation, or cure of any human ailment or physical defect, and which is false in any material particular relating to the ingredients, composition, structure, nature, or operation of that article, or to the effects which have followed or may follow the use thereof.
The penalty inflicted is a fine not exceeding £100 in the case of a first conviction, and not exceeding £200 for every subsequent conviction. The object of the Act is to prevent the exploitation of the public by means of medicines or treatment alleged to cure all and sundry complaints and ailments.
The medical inspection of schools in New Zealand is carried out by the Division of School Hygiene, Health Department, with a permanent staff consisting of a Director, twelve School Medical Officers, and thirty-one nurses. The Health Act, 1920, gives the necessary authority for the medical examination of children attending the primary State schools.
During the year 1924, schools to the number of 1,156 were inspected. Statistical reports were compiled relating to the complete examination of 55,021 children, and in addition 60,620 children were examined for the more important defects.
Standard VI, Standard II, and entrants to the primer classes were selected for detailed examination. Of those thus examined 89.75 per cent. were returned as having some defect, 57.59 per cent. showing defects other than dental. These percentages are not of much value for comparison with results recorded in other countries, as there is no recognized international standard as to what constitutes a defect. In the Dominion it is customary to regard as such very slight deviations from the normal. Approximately some 60 per cent. of those recommended received medical treatment, the percentage varying widely according to the facilities available in the different districts.
With the exception of the school dental clinics provided by the Division of Dental Hygiene, there are no school clinics for the treatment of children, this being carried out, therefore, either by private practitioners or at the public hospitals. The educational aspect of the work of the School Medical Officers is considered to be especially important, emphasis being placed upon the prevalence of preventable defects in school-children, and the great improvement to be obtained from the application of modern knowledge of child welfare.
A special feature of the work of the Division during the past year has been that carried out with the co-operation of Dr. Hercus, Professor of Public Health, Otago Medical School, by which the endemic areas for goitre have been determined, preventive and curative treatment for that condition being established in the schools.
The Dental Division of the Department of Health has at present, besides the Director, the Deputy Director (who is in charge of the training-school for dental nurses), and an Inspecting Dental Officer, a staff of eleven dental surgeons, and thirty-one dental nurses stationed in various centres throughout the Dominion. Fifty-one probationer nurses are now undergoing training, twenty of whom have already completed one year of their course and will be ready to take up duty about April, 1926.
The following is a summary of operations performed and treatment carried out by all officers from the 1st April, 1924, to the 31st March, 1925: Fillings, 53,242; extractions, 38,357; other operations, 42,590: total operations, 134,189.
Besides the above, many children have been examined and their teeth charted. Duplicate charts have been sent to parents, resulting in the treatment of many cases by private practitioners or at hospitals.
Leaflets have been printed for circulation to parents, embodying short terse rules to be followed for the prevention of dental disease. Every opportunity is being taken to bring this phase of the question before the parents and the public.
Commencing with the year 1916-17, the official statistics of Hospital Boards have been prepared on the basis of an Income and Expenditure Account and balance-sheet. The accounts for the last five years are in some points not absolutely comparable with the figures shown under the system followed in years prior to 1916-17.
The total gross income of Hospital Boards, separate institutions, and Government institutions for the year ended 31st March, 1924, was £1,663,455, and for Hospital Boards alone £1,484,531. The main sources of income for the year are as follows:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1. Contributable by Government | 477,391 |
| 2. Levies on local authorities | 427,699 |
| 3. Voluntary contributions | 26,931 |
| 4. Fees payable by those assisted | 619,170 |
| 5. Charitable-aid recoveries | 41,222 |
| 6. Rents, interest, and dividends | 28,380 |
| 7. Miscellaneous income | 26,491 |
Items 4 and 5 above must be viewed in conjunction with the amounts written off in respect of fees receivable, as shown in the expenditure summary hereunder.
The total gross expenditure of Hospital Boards, separate institutions, and Government institutions amounted during the year to £1,647,119. The total expenditure of Hospital Boards alone was £1,469,948. The following are the main items of expenditure by all authorities:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1. Hospital maintenance | 911,272 |
| 2. Charitable aid | 184,058 |
| 3. Administration | 59,870 |
| 4. Amounts written off in respect of fees receivable | 364,945 |
| 5. Interest on loans | 30,352 |
The average annual cost of maintenance per occupied bed in general hospitals controlled by Boards for the last five years is set out below:—
| Year. | Provisions. | Surgery and Dispensary. | Domestic and Establishment. | Salaries and Wages. | Miscellaneous and Special Departments. | Total Maintenance. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1919-20 | 40.4 | 15.4 | 43.2 | 52.4 | 0.3 | 151.7 |
| 1920-21 | 47.4 | 17.1 | 55.9 | 68.5 | 0.4 | 189.3 |
| 1921-22 | 45.0 | 15.6 | 54.8 | 69.8 | 5.3 | 190.5 |
| 1922-23 | 40.3 | 14.5 | 50.6 | 72.4 | 6.7 | 184.5 |
| 1923-24 | 39.4 | 14.8 | 50.3 | 75.4 | 7.5 | 187.4 |
The charitable-aid expenditure for the last five years has been as follows:—
| Year. | Indoor Relief. | Outdoor Relief. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1919-20 | 91,974 | 82,423 | 174,397 |
| 1920-21 | 101,695 | 88,346 | 190,041 |
| 1921-22 | 111,107 | 81,566 | 192,673 |
| 1922-23 | 97,742 | 76,596 | 174,338 |
| 1923-24 | 107,400 | 76,658 | 184,058 |
| Year ended 31st March, | Mean Population (inclusive of Maoris). | Hospital and Charitable-aid and other Expenditure. | Expenditure per Head of Mean Population. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. d. | ||
| 1915 | 1,145,027 | 578,838 | 10 1 1/4 |
| 1916 | 1,150,318 | 631,504 | 10 11 3/4 |
| 1917 | 1,149,220 | 567,081 | 8 10 1/2 |
| 1918 | 1,152,748 | 583,856 | 10 1 1/2 |
| 1919 | 1,166,482 | 788,112 | 13 6 1/4 |
| 1920 | 1,207,660 | 937,167 | 15 6 1/4 |
| 1921 | 1,252,206 | 1,053,013 | 16 9 3/4 |
| 1922 | 1,285,711 | 1,077,479 | 16 9 1/4 |
| 1923 | 1,311,381 | 1,199,731 | 18 3 1/2 |
| 1924 | 1,334,029 | 1,282,274 | 19 2 3/4 |
The above figures include ordinary expenditure of Hospital Boards and of separate institutions as well as of the Department of Health in respect of institutions under its control. For 1916-17 and prior thereto the expenditure is represented by cash payments. For subsequent years the expenditure proper is stated, exclusive of expenditure not requiring to be met by cash—e.g., patients' fees written off. Capital expenditure is excluded throughout.
The number of persons availing themselves of treatment in public hospitals for the last ten years has been as follows:—
| Year ended 31st March, | Total Number of Persons under Treatment. | Proportion under Treatment per 1,000 of Population. | Average Number of Occupied Beds per Diem. | Proportion per 1,000 of Mean Population. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 33,375 | 29.1 | 2,652 | 2.32 |
| 1916 | 38,665 | 33.6 | 2,900 | 2.52 |
| 1917 | 42,129 | 36.7 | 3,381 | 2.94 |
| 1918 | 43,969 | 38.1 | 3,645 | 3.16 |
| 1919 | 51,897 | 44.5 | 3,806 | 3.26 |
| 1920 | 50,785 | 42.1 | 4,025 | 3.33 |
| 1921 | 50,912 | 40.7 | 3,774 | 3.01 |
| 1922 | 51,213 | 39.8 | 3,933 | 3.06 |
| 1923 | 55,927 | 42.6 | 4,481 | 3.41 |
| 1924 | 59,256 | 44.4 | 4,564 | 3.42 |
The hospitals covered by the above table include all public general hospitals, infectious-diseases hospitals, consumptive sanatoria, maternity hospitals, and any other special hospitals controlled by Hospital Boards and the Health Department, as well as two separate institutions—the Mercury Bay and Oamaru Hospitals.
The number of public general hospitals at 31st March, 1924, was 84. In addition there were four infectious-diseases hospitals and five institutions for consumptives, thirteen maternity hospitals, and one special sanatorium for general cases.
Information as to the number of public general hospitals and their staff and accommodation is given for each of the five years 1919-20 to 1923-24.
| Number of | Year ended 31st March, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Institutions | 66 | 71 | 76 | 81 | 84 |
| Medical staff (stipendiary) | 139 | 144 | 160 | 158 | 176 |
| Nursing staff— | |||||
| Trained nurses | 324 | 355 | 427 | 452 | 459 |
| Probationers | 981 | 1,032 | 1,079 | 1,186 | 1,233 |
| Masseuses | .. | .. | 39 | 61 | 58 |
| Domestic staff | 836 | 898 | 982 | 1,120 | 1,179 |
| Beds | 5,053 | 5,135 | 5,307 | 5,723 | 5,780 |
Further particulars concerning the public general hospitals of the Dominion for the years ended the 31st March, 1922, 1923, and 1924, are given in the next table:—
| — | Year ended 31st March, | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Average number of patients per diem | 3,551 | 3,868 | 3,933 |
| Number of patients under treatment | 47,926 | 51,721 | 54,467 |
| Deaths | 2,799 | 2,935 | 3,222 |
| Average annual cost of maintenance per occupied bed apart from administration, &c., charged | £188.8 | £187.3 | £192.0 |
| Number of out-patients attended during year | 30,754 | 39,619 | 40,550 |
It will be noted that the above summaries relate to financial years. The statistics given in Subsection D of the preceding section are for calendar years.
The Private Hospitals Act, which came into force on the 1st January, 1907, is now embodied in the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1909, which, with its amendment of 1923, provides for the licensing, management, and inspection of private hospitals. All such institutions must be licensed, and every application for a license must be accompanied by a statement giving full description of the house proposed to be used, number of patients, and class of cases proposed to be received. The licensee shall state whether it is in respect of a lying-in private hospital or a surgical and medical private hospital, or if for both classes of cases; and no private hospital may be used for any purpose other than that in respect of which the license is granted and purposes reasonably incidental thereto.
For every private hospital there must be a resident manager, either the licensee or some person appointed by the licensee, and in every case the manager must be a legally qualified medical practitioner or a registered nurse in the case of a surgical and medical hospital, or a registered midwife in the case of a lying-in hospital, or a registered nurse and midwife, or a registered nurse having as resident assistant a registered midwife, in the case of a hospital licensed for both purposes. No license shall be granted in respect of a house not previously licensed until such house and annexed buildings have been approved by the Director-General of Health, and no addition shall be made to any private hospital until it has been so approved. No license shall be granted until the character and fitness of the applicant have been proved satisfactory, and the license must be renewed on the 1st January of each year.
In every private hospital there must be kept a register of patients showing particulars as to name, age, abode, and date of reception of each patient, date when such patient left, or, in the event of death, the date thereof, name of medical practitioner attending, and such other details as may be described. Inquiry may be made at any time as to the management and conduct of any such private hospital, and if such inquiry prove unsatisfactory the license may be revoked, and, for a period of five years, no new license shall be granted to the person whose license is so revoked.
Provision is made for the inspection of private hospitals in the same manner as for public institutions of the like nature, trained nurses with midwifery certificates being appointed for the purpose.
The Governor-General may from time to time make such regulations as are necessary for carrying the Act into effect, and substantial penalties are provided for breaches of its provisions.
There are seven State maternity hospitals now open for the use of the public. The St. Helens Hospital at Wellington was opened in June, 1905, and a new and up-to-date building in July, 1912; that at Dunedin was opened in October, 1905; that at Auckland in June, 1906, and a new building in February, 1923; that at Christchurch in April, 1907. State institutions have also been opened at Gisborne, Wanganui, and Invercargill.
These institutions represent a development of the policy begun by legislation in 1901, when the Nurses Registration Act was passed, followed in 1904 by the Midwives Act. The latter provided that after a certain date only those midwives who were duly registered would be qualified to practise on their own account. During the year ended 31st March, 1925, a total of 2,015 confinements took place in the seven hospitals mentioned, and 792 confinements were attended by the institution nurses outside these hospitals, as compared with 1,724 and 600 confinements respectively during the previous twelve months.
Tables are given showing information as to births and deaths in each of these institutions during the year ended 31st March, 1925, and the totals for each of the last ten years. Births in cases dealt with outside St. Helens Hospitals by nurses attached to institutional staffs are also shown.
| Hospital. | Confinements in Institution. | Confinements attended outside. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Births. | Deaths of Mothers. | Deaths of Infants. | ||
| Auckland | 697 | 1 | 7 | 244 |
| Gisborne | 117 | .. | 4 | 2 |
| Wanganui | 125 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
| Wellington | 426 | .. | 7 | 90 |
| Christchurch | 312 | 3 | 3 | 234 |
| Dunedin | 169 | .. | 2 | 37 |
| Invercargill | 169 | .. | 1 | 22 |
| Totals | 2,015 | 5 | 25 | 702 |
| Year ended 31st March, | Confinements in Institution. | Confinements attended outside. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Births. | Deaths of Mothers. | Deaths of Infants. | ||
| 1916 | 798 | 2 | 6 | 563 |
| 1917 | 1,071 | 8 | 28 | 523 |
| 1918 | 1,248 | 7 | 27 | 530 |
| 1919 | 1,123 | 18 | 26 | 521 |
| 1920 | 1,139 | 5 | 25 | 552 |
| 1921 | 1,246 | 6 | 25 | 579 |
| 1922 | 1,392 | 5 | 25 | 572 |
| 1923 | 1,531 | 3 | 18 | 570 |
| 1924 | 1,724 | 7 | 37 | 600 |
| 1925 | 2,015 | 5 | 25 | 702 |
There is a maternity hospital attached to the Medical School at Dunedin, which also serves as a training-school for medical students and midwives.
Maternity homes and wards under the control of Hospital Boards are established at—
| Mangonui |
| Whangaroa |
| Kawakawa |
| Rawene |
| Whangarei |
| Otahuhu |
| Waiuku |
| Matamata |
| Kawhia |
| Taumarunui |
| Thames |
| Te Puke |
| Whakatane |
| Napier |
| Stratford |
| Opunake |
| Raetihi |
| Masterton |
| Picton |
| Havelock |
| Blenheim |
| Motueka |
| Denniston |
| Waiuta |
| Greymouth |
| Kaikoura |
| Amuri |
| Oxford |
| Waikari |
| Rangiora |
| Christchurch |
| Rakaia |
| Methven |
| Ashburton |
| Geraldine |
| Timaru |
| Owaka |
| Roxburgh |
| Lawrence |
| Naseby |
| Cromwell |
For the reception of single girls there are special charitable institutions at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Invercargill, in addition to those established by the Salvation Army at the four chief centres and at Napier, Gisborne, and Russell.
Ninety-one institutions classed under the heading of benevolent and orphan asylums furnished returns to the Census and Statistics Office for the year 1924. These institutions, which are conducted by Hospital Boards, religious bodies, and other public or semi-public organizations, are alike in that they provide free accommodation on a benevolent or charitable basis, but differ largely in the classes of persons to whom they afford assistance. The generic name covers old people's homes, maternity and refuge homes for unfortunate women and girls, orphanages, homes for the infirm or afflicted, “prison gate” homes, and an institute for the blind. Some of the orphanages deal with cases similar to those dealt with by the industrial schools under the control of the Education Department, and a few of the women's institutions receive offenders committed to them by the Court.
The 91 institutions which furnished returns for 1924 had a total of 9,429 inmates during the year, of whom 5,075 were males and 4,354 females. They commenced the year with a total of 4,947, and had 5,177 at the end of the year. Admissions during the year totalled 3,836, and in addition 646 infants were born in the institutions. Discharges numbered 3,914, and deaths of inmates 338. The ages of all inmates in the institutions at any time during the year were as follows:—
| Age-group. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 781 | 760 | 1,541 |
| 5 and under 15 | 756 | 705 | 1,461 |
| 10 and under 15 | 805 | 767 | 1,572 |
| 15 and under 25 | 160 | 948 | 1,108 |
| 25 and under 35 | 160 | 400 | 560 |
| 35 and under 45 | 265 | 132 | 397 |
| 45 and under 55 | 328 | 109 | 437 |
| 55 and under 65 | 386 | 119 | 505 |
| 65 and over | 1,429 | 390 | 1,819 |
| Unspecified | 5 | 24 | 29 |
| Totals | 5,075 | 4,354 | 9,429 |
There are seven public mental hospitals in the Dominion maintained wholly or in part out of the public revenue. There is also one private hospital licensed for the reception of the mentally afflicted.
The number of patients at the end of 1924 was 5,131, consisting of 2,873 males and 2,258 females. These numbers, and those given elsewhere throughout this subsection, are inclusive of Maoris. Figures for Maoris are given separately towards the end of the subsection.
The patients on the register at the end of the year 1924 were distributed as shown below:—
| Mental Hospital. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 619 | 470 | 1,089 |
| Tokanui | 164 | 106 | 270 |
| Porirua | 666 | 528 | 1,194 |
| Nelson | 237 | 111 | 348 |
| Hokitika | 172 | 64 | 236 |
| Christchurch | 366 | 456 | 822 |
| Dunedin (Seacliff and Waitati) | 632 | 496 | 1,128 |
| Ashburn Hall (private mental hospital) | 17 | 27 | 44 |
| Totals | 2,873 | 2,258 | 5,131 |
The number of patients remaining at the close of each of the last five years, and the proportion per 10,000 of the population at the end of the year, are shown in the following table:—
| Year | Number remaining at Close of Year. | Proportion per 10,000 of Population. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1920 | 2,717 | 2,037 | 4,754 | 42.21 | 33.18 | 37.80 |
| 1921 | 2,772 | 2,099 | 4,871 | 41.94 | 33.22 | 37.68 |
| 1922 | 2,816 | 2,116 | 4,932 | 41.79 | 32.80 | 37.39 |
| 1923 | 2,839 | 2,157 | 4,996 | 41.39 | 32.83 | 37.20 |
| 1924 | 2,873 | 2,258 | 5,131 | 41.04 | 33.68 | 37.44 |
| Means of five years | 2,803 | 2,133 | 4,936 | 41.67 | 33.14 | 37.50 |
The total number of patients under oversight, care, or control during 1924 was 5,819 (males 3,285, females 2,534), as against 5,805 in 1923. The average number resident in mental hospitals was 4,868 in 1923, and 4,953 in 1924.
The total admissions to mental hospitals during the year 1924 were 823 (446 males and 377 females), this number not including 48 transfers from one institution to another. The causes of insanity as assigned on admission are given below:—
| Heredity | 128 |
|---|---|
| Congenital | 111 |
| Previous attack | 94 |
| Puberty and adolescence | 27 |
| Climacteric | 28 |
| Menstrual | 5 |
| Puerperal state | 18 |
| Lactation | 4 |
| Sexual | 4 |
| Senility | 110 |
| Mental stress, sudden | 14 |
| Mental stress, prolonged | 34 |
| Emotional excitement | 3 |
| Solitude | 2 |
| Privation | 1 |
| Alcohol | 50 |
| Drug habit | 3 |
| Syphilis | 43 |
| Traumatic | 8 |
| Post-operative | 2 |
| Epilepsy | 33 |
| Arterio-sclerosis | 5 |
| Meningitis | 3 |
| Ill health | 18 |
| Organic brain-disease | 5 |
| Tuberculosis | 3 |
| Influenza | 3 |
| Cancer | 1 |
| Toxic | 3 |
| Goitre | 3 |
| Encephalitis | 1 |
| Heart-disease | 3 |
| Diabetes | 2 |
| Asthma | 1 |
| Cerebral hæmorrhage | 5 |
| Unknown | 45 |
| Totals, excluding transfers (48) | 823 |
Of the 823 persons admitted to mental hospitals during 1924, those admitted for the first time to any mental hospital in New Zealand numbered 690 (males 385, females 305), and those readmitted 133 (males 61, females 72).
The figures for 1924 represent one first admission for every 1,986 persons in the Dominion. The number of first admissions and the rate per 10,000 of population for each of the last five years were as follows:—
| Year. | Number of First Admissions. | Proportion per 10,000 of Population. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1920 | 383 | 343 | 726 | 6.02 | 5.65 | 5.84 |
| 1921 | 414 | 324 | 738 | 6.35 | 5.20 | 5.78 |
| 1922 | 390 | 304 | 694 | 5.85 | 4.76 | 5.32 |
| 1923 | 365 | 302 | 667 | 5.38 | 4.65 | 5.02 |
| 1924 | 385 | 305 | 690 | 5.58 | 4.61 | 5.10 |
| Means of five years | 387 | 316 | 703 | 5.84 | 4.97 | 5.41 |
Persons labouring under mental defect, but capable of understanding the meaning of the procedure, may seek admission to a mental hospital as voluntary boarders. At the beginning of 1924 there were 124 boarders in residence (49 males, 75 females), and during the year 118 (54 males, 64 females) were admitted. If a voluntary boarder should after admission show mental defect sufficiently pronounced and sustained to render it improper to classify him any longer as such, application for a reception order is made to a Magistrate. During the year 1924, 12 (4 males, 8 females) were transferred from the voluntary to the ordinary register, and 9 died, while 87 (39 males, 48 females) were discharged, leaving 134 resident at the end of the year (54 males, 80 females).
A summary is attached showing the ages of patients in mental hospitals at the close of 1924.
The next table gives the average number resident, those who were discharged as recovered, and those who died during the period 1920-24:—
| Year. | Average Number Resident. | Discharged as recovered. | Died. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Per Cent. Of Average Number Resident. | Number. | Per Cent. Of Average Number Resident. | ||
| 1920 | 4,654 | 310 | 6.66 | 376 | 8.08 |
| 1921 | 4,754 | 371 | 7.80 | 318 | 6.69 |
| 1922 | 4,809 | 313 | 6.51 | 395 | 8.21 |
| 1923 | 4,868 | 319 | 6.55 | 325 | 6.67 |
| 1924 | 4,953 | 280 | 5.67 | 316 | 6.37 |
| Means of five years | 4,807 | 319 | 6.64 | 346 | 7.20 |
Of those who died in mental hospitals during 1924, 108, or 34 per cent., had been inmates for less than one year, while 90, or 28 per cent., had been in residence for more than ten years. Of those discharged recovered, 215, or 77 per cent., had been inmates for less than one year. A table is given showing length of residence of patients who died and of patients who were discharged recovered during 1924.
| Length of Resilience. | Patients who died. | Patients discharged Recovered. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| Under 1 month | 22 | 15 | 37 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| 1 month and under 3 months | 18 | 3 | 21 | 30 | 19 | 49 |
| 3 months and under 6 months | 18 | 6 | 24 | 38 | 28 | 66 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | 8 | 3 | 11 | 31 | 29 | 60 |
| 9 months and under 1 year | 10 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| 1 year and under 2 years | 21 | 9 | 30 | 15 | 11 | 26 |
| 2 years and under 3 years | 21 | 7 | 28 | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| 3 years and under 5 years | 17 | 8 | 25 | 10 | 8 | 18 |
| 5 years and under 7 years | 9 | 6 | 15 | .. | 2 | 2 |
| 7 years and under 10 years | 12 | 3 | 15 | .. | 1 | 1 |
| 10 years and under 12 years | 6 | 3 | 9 | .. | .. | .. |
| 12 years and under 15 years | 8 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 years and over | 47 | 18 | 65 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Died during absence | 4 | 1 | 5 | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 221 | 95 | 316 | 152 | 128 | 280 |
Old age is the principal cause of death among mental-hospital patients, and, among individual causes, tuberculosis ranks second, and general paralysis of the insane third. The figures for the principal causes and groups of causes for the year 1924 are as follows:—
| Tuberculosis | 23 |
| Cancer | 11 |
| Other general diseases | 12 |
| General paralysis of the insane | 32 |
| Organic brain-disease | 33 |
| Epilepsy | 16 |
| Other diseases of the nervous system | 21 |
| Diseases of the respiratory system | 15 |
| Diseases of the circulatory system | 47 |
| Diseases of the digestive system | 1 |
| Diseases of the genito-urinary system | 5 |
| Diseases of the skin | 1 |
| Diseases of the bones | 1 |
| Old age | 88 |
| External causes | 1 |
| Ill-defined causes | 3 |
| Died while on trial | 6 |
| Total | 316 |
A table is added showing for all admissions since 1876 the percentages of patients discharged (as recovered, relieved, and not improved, separately), died, and remaining.
| — | Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discharged— | |||
| Recovered | 38.44 | 44.55 | 40.96 |
| Relieved | 7.11 | 8.96 | 7.87 |
| Not improved | 1.83 | 1.80 | 1.82 |
| Died | 35.74 | 25.88 | 31.67 |
| Remaining at end of 1924 | 16.88 | 18.81 | 17.68 |
| 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
A license may be granted to enable a private mental hospital to receive patients for treatment. Stringent conditions are attached to the issue of such licenses, which may be revoked at any time. The Inspector-General has wide powers in the regulation and control of private institutions, which are placed practically on the same footing as public mental hospitals in regard to inspection and other matters.
There is only one licensed private institute in the Dominion, that at Wakari, near Dunedin, established in 1882. Particulars of admissions, discharges, deaths, and patients remaining, for the last five years, are as follows. These figures are included in preceding tables.
The number of Maoris admitted as patients to mental hospitals is small. The figures for the last five years are,—
At the end of the year 1924 the mental hospitals of the Dominion had accommodation for 4,911 patients, the cubic content of the dormitories and sleeping-rooms being well over 3,000,000 cubic feet. Details of accommodation are as follows:—
| Institution. | Number of Patients for whom there is Accommodation. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Single Rooms. | In Dormitories. | Totals. | ||||
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Auckland | 167 | 122 | 462 | 358 | 629 | 480 |
| Tokanui | 38 | 20 | 134 | 80 | 172 | 100 |
| Porirua | 106 | 90 | 484 | 313 | 590 | 403 |
| Nelson | 20 | 16 | 235 | 104 | 255 | 120 |
| Hokitika | 29 | 26 | 127 | 93 | 156 | 119 |
| Christchurch | 64 | 84 | 321 | 364 | 385 | 448 |
| Seacliff | 173 | 138 | 364 | 318 | 537 | 456 |
| Totals, State institutions | 597 | 496 | 2,127 | 1,630 | 2,724 | 2,126 |
| Ashburn Hall Private Mental Hospital | 28 | 33 | .. | .. | 28 | 33 |
| Totals, all institutions | 625 | 529 | 2,127 | 1,630 | 2,752 | 2,159 |
The total expenditure on maintenance of mental hospitals (not including the cost of new buildings and additions), and receipts from patients and for sale of produce, &c., during the last five years were as follows:—
| Year. | Total Expenditure. | Receipts from Patients, Sale of Produce, &c. | Net Expenditure. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Fifteen months. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1920 | 360,061 | 122,939 | 237,122 |
| 1921-22* | 384,615 | 115,416 | 269,199 |
| 1922-23 | 357,510 | 112,304 | 245,206 |
| 1923-24 | 368,231 | 114,369 | 253,862 |
| 1924-25 | 368,138 | 123,807 | 244,331 |
The total net expenditure out of the Public Works Fund for buildings and equipment from 1st July, 1877, to 31st March, 1925, was £1,069,563.
Table of Contents
THE inception and establishment of educational facilities in New Zealand is the history of civilization and progress in this part of the British dominions. As might be expected, it was immediately after the advent of the first missionaries that schools for the instruction of the Native youth were established. Later, as a European population settled in the country, the need for a means of educating the white children arose, and finally the necessity for some co-ordinated scheme for the whole colony asserted itself. This latter was consummated in the Education Act of 1877, which Act is the basis of the system of education obtaining in the Dominion at the present day.
The system of education which was pursued from the foundation of the colony—and, indeed, from 1816, when the first mission school was established at Rangihoua, in the Bay of Islands—was that of imparting instruction to the Natives in their own language in establishments where great numbers of all ages were congregated, and where they were not only educated, but were also housed, fed, and clothed. The first legislative action in this connection was an Ordinance passed by the Legislative Council at Auckland in 1847. This provided for the education of the youths of New Zealand, and recognized none but religious schools. Its administration, including the appointment and removal of teachers, was almost wholly in the hands of the religious bodies. The Ordinance declared that religious education (with a conscience clause), industrial training, and instruction in the English language should find a part in the curriculum of all schools which received financial assistance under the Ordinance. The aggregate amount of aid to be given was not to exceed one-twentieth of the estimated revenue of the colony. The provisions of the Ordinance actually applied to both races, but the greater part of the money appropriated in succeeding years was for Native schools and institutions. The amount of aid was set down annually on the Civil List, and the distribution for the year ended 30th September, 1854, well illustrates the apportionment among the religious bodies, viz: Church of England, £3,500; Wesleyan, £1,600; Roman Catholic, £800: total, £5,900.
The desirability of the subsidy to schools being removed from the Civil List and provided for by vote of the House of Representatives resulted in the passing of the Native Schools Act, 1858. This embodied much the same provisions as the Ordinance of 1847, with the exception that the sum of £7,000 was appropriated annually to be distributed as capitation.
Despite these attempts to set up a satisfactory scheme for the education of the Native children, little success attended the efforts of the Government, and in 1863 barely five hundred scholars were being taught in the various institutions for Native education. This was due primarily to the unsettled state of the country as a result of the hostilities that had broken out, but no doubt the scheme of education itself was unsound in many respects, particularly as it allowed the children to drift back to the demoralizing influence of their own kaingas. These combined causes practically led to the utter collapse during the next few years of a system which bad been pursued since the education of Natives had been first attempted.
In 1867 the Native Schools Act was passed, but before it could be brought into effective operation the North Island, where the bulk of the schools were situated, again became involved in war, and it was not until 1871, when an amending Act was passed, that any real effort could be made to introduce a workable system of Native education. The main provisions of the new scheme were, firstly, the establishment of village schools wherever a sufficient Native population and other circumstances rendered it possible; secondly, the instruction to be in the English language only, except where the location of an English teacher might be found impossible; thirdly, the working of the village schools through the agency of the Natives themselves, associated with and aided by such Europeans as might be willing to work with them on School Committees; fourthly, the contribution by the Natives of part of the expenses of salaries and inspection, together with grants of land for buildings. Provision was also made for a continuance of capitation to schools already established (mainly denominational) which fulfilled conditions that were laid down.
That the new legislation was eminently successful is seen from the statistics of the year 1874. Forty-one new schools had been formed, with an attendance of 875 boys and 370 girls. There were also twenty-three other schools which were receiving a capitation allowance, with a total of 142 boys and 100 girls in attendance. In 1879 the control of Native schools passed from the Native Department to the Education Department, which has since been responsible for their administration. As the district in which a Native school is established becomes populated and the Native population europeanized in its mode of living, the school is handed over to the control of the Education Board for the district.
The Ordinance of 1847, referred to earlier, was practically a nullity in so far as the education of children other than Natives was concerned. Indeed, it was not until the establishment of provincial institutions in 1853 that any legislative action was taken in the direction of providing facilities for the education of white children. Up to that time colonists were dependent upon small private schools, mainly, though by no means exclusively, of a denominational character. Until their abolition in 1870 the various provinces conducted their own education systems. The result was that, instead of a methodical scheme of school organization for the whole of New Zealand, there came into existence systems varying widely both in the principles upon which they were established and in the results attained. This is well illustrated by the following account of the more important features of the various legislative provisions with respect to education made by the Provincial Governments:—
It was in this district that the bulk of the money appropriated on the Civil List for Maori education was expended, and the Legislative Council Ordinance of 1847, already referred to, was of more effect in Auckland than in any other part of the colony. The first, attempt of the Provincial Council, however, to provide for the education of the children in its sphere of jurisdiction was the Education Act of 1857. The Superintendent of the Province was empowered to appoint a Board of Education consisting of from five to nine Commissioners, to hold office for three years. The Superintendent made grants, out of the funds which were voted, to all schools which fulfilled the requirements of the Act. Religious instruction was at the option of the local School Committee, but exemption was to be granted to all scholars whose parents did not desire their attendance. In 1867, however, this provision was abolished and secular instruction alone obtained. Schools which received aid from the Board could not charge pupils more than 1s. per week. Further legislation enabled a school rate, additional to fees, to be levied in 1867.
A change in administration was made in 1868. The Board on this occasion was formed of the Superintendent of the Province, the Executive and Speaker of the Council, and three members elected annually by the Council. This Board's function was to form districts in suitable areas, and it was also vested with the powers of distributing the annual vote of the Council and the income from reserves that had been set aside for educational purposes. The Board was also the authority in which the schools were vested. Teaching continued to be secular in character. It appears that little success attended this Act, for at the end of 1872 there were no common public schools (as opposed to private or denominational) either in the City of Auckland or its suburbs, or in the goldfield townships or the pensioner settlements.
Accordingly it is not surprising to find all existing education legislation scrapped in 1872 and a fresh Act passed. The Board on this occasion still retained its political members, and to these were added four further members appointed by the Council, and three appointed by a Judge of the Supreme Court. Thus constituted, the Board proceeded with the formation of school districts. It also fixed rates and controlled all available funds. A householder's rate of £1 and a rate of 5s. on each child (raised to 10s. in 1874) were levied throughout the province by the Superintendent. These rates were subsequently supplemented by a poll-tax of 10s. per annum on each male adult. No fees were charged in the schools themselves, all expenses being met from these rates and other income of the Board. Secular instruction still obtained, and the Act seems to have been a considerable improvement upon its predecessors in so far as the results obtained were concerned.
This province made a start in 1857 by empowering the Superintendent to appoint a Commission of four to see what scheme should be adopted, but nothing further was done until the lapse of a decade. In 1867 a Board of Education was established, having the same personnel as the Board of Trustees of Public Reserves, and from the middle of 1868 all revenue from education reserves was diverted to the purposes of the Education Ordinance. Appropriations were also made annually by the Provincial Council for education. Denominational schools were eligible for assistance from the funds available. The Board had power to establish separate education districts if agreed to by the householders. Local Committees were to be elected, consisting of either three or six members, of whom one or two were to retire in rotation each year. To supplement the funds from education reserves the Committees were empowered to impose a household rate not exceeding £1. Religious instruction (with a conscience clause) was allowed either before or after school hours, but the Irish Board of Education's selected Scripture portions could be read as part of the regular curriculum.
A further Ordinance was passed in 1874. This repealed the existing legislation and established the Patea and the New Plymouth Educational Boards, each consisting of seven elected members. The two Boards exercised full control over the educational activities of the province, levied a household rate as under the repealed Ordinance, and imposed a charge of 6s. 6d. per annum on each scholar in attendance at school. Provision was made, however, for fees and rates to be remitted in necessitous cases.
Early in 1855 the Wellington Provincial Council passed an Ordinance (the outcome of a Commission set up in 1853) for the establishment of common schools. It provided for the proclamation of school districts by the Superintendent of the Province; for an annual election of School Committees: and for the levying of a uniform rate where necessary upon every house in the school district, but not exceeding £1 per year for each house. The Committees' powers gave them practically complete control in their respective districts. Religious instruction was prohibited in the original Ordinance, but an amendment of 1857 gave power to the Committees to allow Bible-reading without note or comment. The operation of the Ordinance was not as effective as its originators anticipated, the chief difficulty being the lack of funds. It continued in force, however, until 1871, without further change except in regard to a few machinery clauses.
In this latter year existing legislation was repealed and the Education Act, 1871, passed. Under this the province was divided into ten school districts. Each district elected a member to a Board, which had complete charge of education in the province. The schools were supported by a capitation fee of 5s. per child per annum, together with an annual rate on all rateable property, limited to 1/2d. in the pound. Four amending Acts were passed in the four succeeding years, the principal alteration made being contained in that of 1874, which abolished capitation and rates and levied a school fee of 5s. per quarter for each child actually attending school.
Immediately after the formation of the Hawke's Bay Province an Education Act (1859) was passed. This repealed the earlier Education Acts of the Wellington Provincial Council. Denominational schools were excluded from participation in grants for buildings or repairs, but in the case of common schools a pound-for-pound subsidy was granted to any district raising at least £40 for these purposes, with a limit of £100 subsidy over three successive years. Monetary aid apart from that required for buildings was given to both classes of school in proportion to the number of children educated, at the rate of 7s. per quarter, subject, however, to the provision that the weekly charge to parents did not exceed 2s. per child. Government aid was drawn from appropriations and the proceeds of education land reserves. In 1868 this was supplemented by a school rate of £1 per annum levied on every householder. The scheme in Hawke's Bay seems to have worked with a degree of success. No religious instruction was permitted in the common schools during ordinary hours.
This province early made a start in providing means of education, and the year 1853 saw a Commission set up to consider the best scheme to be established in the province. In 1856 an Act followed. The Superintendent of the Province was empowered to constitute districts and a Central Board of Education. Rates were to be levied for the provision of funds. Amending legislation followed in 1858 and 1862, and in 1803 a fresh Act was passed. Under this latter Act the existing education districts which had been constituted were continued. They were to be controlled by local Committees of six persons. Annual rates in these districts were levied to the extent of £1 on every householder, plus 5s. for each child. Religious instruction was permitted, but was to be of a non-controversial character, and parents had opportunity to object if they so desired.
Marlborough, on its separation from Nelson and its elevation to provincial status, started its educational activities by repealing the existing legislation and passing the Education Act, 1861, which virtually re-enacted the system formerly in force in Marlborough as part of the Province of Nelson. Four years later the Superintendent with a Central Board of Education was replaced by the Superintendent and Executive of the Province.
The year 1871 saw a fresh start made, and the Town and Road Boards were constituted the authorities for managing the schools. Rating-powers were given to provide funds, and compulsory fees were payable on account of all children between the ages of seven and twelve within three miles of the school. The curriculum was maintained on a secular basis, religious teaching being forbidden.
An Ordinance of the Canterbury Provincial Council in 1855 carried to a conclusion a compact made with the original colonists, and the following year saw Christ's College founded, it being placed under the control of the Church of England Bishop and Wardens. The next year a sum of £2,500 was voted for the assistance of primary schools, and this was placed in the control of the Anglican, Wesleyan, and Presbyterian Church authorities for distribution. The limitations imposed included a clause for exemption from religious teaching where objected to by parents, and fees were to be the same in all schools. A similar appropriation for education was made during the next five or six years, when, as a result of a Commission which brought down its report in 1863, legislation in the direction of ensuring a more effective system was introduced. A first step was taken in the same year, when the administration of the annual appropriation was withdrawn from the churches, though denominational grants were not themselves cut off. An Education Board responsible to the Provincial Government was set up. All applications for aid came within its jurisdiction, as did also the regulation of salaries and the appointment of Inspectors.
A further Ordinance in 1864 did not change the Board. Districts were, however, to be proclaimed on a requisition for such. A Committee in each district managed the schools, seeing to their establishment, fixing salaries and fees, and selecting teachers— all, however, subject to the Board. No child was to be absent from Bible-reading, but might be exempted from further religious instruction if the Committee was assured the child received instruction elsewhere. Amendments to the above Ordinance were made in 1868 and 1870, and in 1871 all existing legislation was repealed and a new Ordinance passed. Under this latter the appointment of the Education Board was in the hands of the Provincial Superintendent and the Executive. The Board itself became responsible for the examination and classification of its teachers, and on its recommendation school districts were proclaimed, with or without the local requisition required before. Each district paid one-sixth of the cost of building schools, and, failing to do so, was liable to a rate of 6d. in the pound, to be levied by the Superintendent. The management of the school, the fixation of salaries, and the appointment and removal of teachers, came within the jurisdiction of the district Committee. All teachers were required to have a certificate from the Board.
The financial matters connected with the various districts were assisted by a tax of £1 levied on each householder within three miles of a school, with an additional 5s. for each child. These levies were made by the Superintendent of the Province, and paid to the Committees of the respective districts. Bible-reading was prescribed, but teachers themselves gave no instruction. Provision was, however, made for the admission of ministers of religion. In the year 1873 the provisions regarding Bible-reading were withdrawn, and at the same time grants to denominational schools ceased.
A further change in regard to administration was made in 1875. The Board was abolished, and a department and permanent secretary were appointed. The districts, which were retained, had to raise half the cost of buildings, and to do so a rate of 1s. in the pound might be levied. It is of interest to note that towards the end of the same year an attempt made to secure the assent of the General Assembly to a Bill for the restoration of a Board to be appointed by the Superintendent for the control of education in Canterbury was defeated.
An Ordinance of 1874 prescribed a scheme for Westland, and a further amending Ordinance was passed in the following year. The operation of this legislation, however, was of a limited nature, it being finally repealed, in common with other provincial Ordinances, by the Education Act, 1877.
There is no doubt that the initial attempts in propounding a scheme of education were eminently more successful in Otago than in any other province. The subject was dealt with at the first sitting of the Provincial Council, when a Committee was appointed to report on the question. At the close of 1851 the recommendations of this Committee were adopted, and a Grammar School was formed at Dunedin. Certificated teachers were sent for from Scotland, and provision was made for expenses being met from the provincial funds and from rates to be levied for the purpose. This measure of 1854 was merely provisional, and a complete Ordinance in 1856 replaced it. This Ordinance provided for a Board of Education consisting of the Superintendent and the Executive of the Province, with the Rector of the Grammar School and two members from each School Committee. The functions of the Board consisted of promoting school districts and establishing schools therein. Each district elected a Committee annually, which consulted with the controlling Board as to buildings, but carried out the selection of its own teachers. The allocation of the moneys available was made so that land and school buildings came from the provincial funds, while the teachers were to be paid from school funds and a poll-tax on adult males of not more than £1. Religious instruction was given at stated hours, and exemption could be obtained on objection by parents. Six years later this Ordinance was repealed, and at that time the rate mentioned above had not been levied and the poll-tax never attempted.
The Education Ordinance of 1862 vested all school properties in the Superintendent of the Province instead of the Board, and the Board was made entirely political, the representatives of the Committees being dispensed with. The Board defined districts on requisition, and to the local Committees was left the determination of questions relating to buildings, character of the schools, salaries paid to teachers, and the fees. All the Board's determinations, however, came within the purview of the Superintendent. The scheme does not appear to have been a practical success, and was repealed two years later.
The next and final attempt of the Provincial Council was the Education Ordinance of 1864. The chief alterations were in the matter of finance and the responsibilities of the Board and Committees. The Board provided a large share of the cost of buildings and enlargements, but the districts were responsible for repairs and also fixed the minimum school fees to be paid by those attending. Rates were imposed, but were withdrawn the next year, apparently causing some dissatisfaction. Some minor amendments were also made in the matter of salaries of teachers and repairs of buildings. No further changes were made subsequent to this, although two rating Bills were tabled in the Provincial Council.
Of interest are the available figures which relate to a period ten years before the passing of the Act of 1877, with its consequent nationalization of the education system. The five main provinces only are dealt with in detail, certain figures for the minor provinces—Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, and Westland—not being available.
| Province. | Population. | Revenue. | Number of Scholars. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total. | Appropriated to Education. | Attending Public Schools. | Attending Private Schools. | ||
* 1866. † Not available. | |||||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Auckland | 48,321 | 196,667 | 3,000 | 2,686* | 3,258 |
| Wellington | 21,950 | 166,444 | 2,714 | 970 | 1,793 |
| Nelson | 23,814 | 170,634 | 5,680 | 1,668 | 650 |
| Canterbury | 53,866 | 562,807 | 6,751 | 2,178 | 2,297 |
| Otago | 48,577 | 503,755 | 11,698 | 3,298 | 1,546 |
| Others | 22,160 | 263,848 | 3,727 | † | † |
| Totals | 218,688 | 1,864,155 | 33,570 | † | † |
The desirability of introducing some connected scheme to replace the heterogeneous systems in operation was affirmed by the House of Representatives in 1869, but considerable differences of opinion as to the form which legislation should take prevented a measure being passed for several years. It is evident, however, from the crop of provincial enactments in 1871 and subsequent years that the fear of a national system led most of the Provincial Councils to put their educational houses in order in the attempt to retain control of education.
Whether religious teaching of a non-sectarian character was to be provided for, and the question of grants to denominational and private schools, were the reasons for the dropping of a Bill which was introduced into the General Assembly in 1871. A further effort was made in 1873, but, although the Bill then introduced passed through all stages in both Houses, it did not actually reach the statute-book. Nothing further was done until 1876, when, with the abolition of the provincial institutions, it was necessary to provide machinery to keep the existing public; schools in operation. This was done by the passing of the Education Boards Act, 1876, which made temporary provision for the administration of education. The education districts thus created were coterminous with the provincial districts of the same names. By the Act all taxes and rates previously authorized by the provincial Legislatures were abolished with the exception of school fees and capitation rates on account of children. A vote was made out of the Land Fund in aid of the maintenance of schools.
Parliament in 1877 was in the position of requiring to make provision for a national system. The Bill which was presented underwent considerable modification. Provision for a capitation-tax of 10s. on every child of school age was deleted, and instruction was to be of an entirely secular character. It will be seen accordingly that with the passing of this Act the foundation of the present system of free, compulsory, and secular education was well laid. The outstanding features of the Education Act, 1877, were the provisions for a central Department of Education controlled by a Minister of the Crown; the establishment of twelve education districts—viz., Auckland, Taranaki, Wanganui, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, North Canterbury, South Canterbury, Westland, Otago, and Southland—governed by Boards; and the establishment of school districts, which came under the jurisdiction of School Committees. On the Department was the onus of administering the annual appropriations by distributing to the Boards funds for the erection and maintenance of schools and the establishment of training or normal schools, and also the payment of capitation to the Boards at the rate of £3 15s. for each scholar in average daily attendance.
Education Boards were to be elected by School Committees, and to consist of nine members, three of whom were to retire annually. In the Boards were vested all property and endowments, and rents from these became part of the Board funds. The Boards were required to administer funds in carrying out the building arrangements for which grants were provided by the Department; in paying the salaries of teachers; and in granting to School Committees money for general educational purposes. The appointment and removal of teachers were in their hands, and the Act also gave the Boards power to establish scholarships, and to provide for secondary education in district high schools. Fees were, however, payable to Education Boards by pupils receiving secondary instruction. School Committees of seven members were to be elected annually. Generally the Committee had the management of educational matters within its own district, and out of the money received from the Board made payments incidental to the administration of the Committee's functions. In addition to these provisions the Act of 1877 specified the course of instruction to be given in the schools throughout the colony. Inspectors, who were officers of the Education Boards, were to be appointed to examine and report on the school-work.
In the main the principles of the Act of 1877 are operative to-day. Several amendments made in succeeding years necessitated a consolidating measure in 1904. Among the principal alterations and additions that had been made up to that date were: The creation of the Grey District by a subdivision of Westland in 1884, thus bringing the total number of education districts up co thirteen; the provision in 1900 for a comprehensive scheme of manual and technical instruction; the introduction of physical drill into the curriculum in 1901; and, in 1903, the institution of National Scholarships to be awarded by the Department, and the introduction of a system of free places in secondary schools and district high schools for scholars completing the primary course. Up to the year 1901 also each Board had its own scale of staffs and salaries, but an Act of 1901 fixed the relation of the number and the remuneration of teachers in a school to the number of pupils in attendance. In 1905 each education district was divided into three wards, each returning three members, one of whom in each ward retired annually.
No outstanding changes beyond the consolidation of education legislation in 1908 were made until 1914. By the Education Act of that year the whole of the law relating not only to public but also to secondary, technical, and special schools was recast. The principal changes involved the reorganization of the Department of Education, and the Inspector-General of Schools became Director of Education. Inspectors of Schools, who had hitherto been officers of the several Education Boards, became officers of the central Department, a provision, it may be noted, that had been deleted from the Bill of 1877. Provision was made for the constitution of fewer education districts in lieu of the thirteen then existing, and by an Act of 1915 nine were created. Every education district is divided into urban areas and a rural area. An urban area consists of a borough or a group of boroughs having more than eight thousand inhabitants; and the rural area, which comprises the rest of the district, is divided into three wards. The members for each ward of the rural area and for all urban areas are, as formerly, to be elected by the members of the several School Committees. The number of members of an Education Board for the rural area is six—two for each ward. The number of members for each urban area is two for each sixty thousand or part of sixty thousand inhabitants. School Committees continue to be elected by the householders, and hold office for one year.
A Council of Education is established whose- statutory duty it is to report to the Minister and advise upon any matters in connection with education referred to it by the Minister, or which it may consider advisable to introduce into New Zealand. The Council has, however, no administrative or executive functions. To obviate the necessity for frequent meetings of the Council the Minister is given power to constitute from time to time District Advisory Committees, to afford assistance and to advise with regard to matters concerning one district only.
Under the Act, provision is made for an annual graded fist of certificated teachers. The first grading was completed and published in 1916, and has since been made annually. Except in special cases, all teaching appointments are governed by the position of the applicants on the list, and it is also to some extent the basis for the determination of the rate of salary payable.
Amending legislation, mainly of an administrative character, has been enacted at various times since 1914. By the Education Amendment Act, 1921-22, the registration of all private schools is made compulsory, and teachers in both public and private schools are required to take the oath of allegiance.
The Education Amendment Act, 1924, contained inter alia, provisions for the establishment of junior high schools, for the amalgamation of the governing bodies of secondary and technical schools, and for the creation of a Teachers' Register.
The programme of primary instruction at present provided by the Act includes English, arithmetic, geography, history and civics, drawing and handwork (including needlework), nature-study and elementary science, physical instruction, moral instruction and health, and singing.
The number of scholars and students receiving instruction in the educational institutions of the Dominion is shown in the following summary, classified according as to whether they receive primary, secondary, technical, or higher education. The table refers to roll numbers as at the end of the year in each case.
| Class of Institution. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Education. | |||
| Public (State) schools | 210,491 | 211,960 | 213,290 |
| Native village schools | 6,161 | 6,186 | 6,310 |
| Native mission schools | 363 | 367 | 343 |
| Registered private primary schools | 24,861 | 26,010 | 26,302 |
| Lower departments of secondary schools | 590 | 500 | 478 |
| Correspondence classes | .. | 365 | 504 |
| Total primary | 242,466 | 245,388 | 247,227 |
| Secondary Education. | |||
| Secondary schools | 10,736 | 11,619 | 12,010 |
| Secondary departments of district high schools | 2,606 | 2,818 | 2,900 |
| Technical high schools | 4,202 | 5,054 | 5,369 |
| Maori secondary (boarding) schools | 413 | 493 | 524 |
| Registered private secondary schools | 1,998 | 2,134 | 2,473 |
| Total secondary | 19,955 | 22,118 | 23,276 |
| Technical Classes (excluding Technical High Schools). | |||
| Conducted by Education or High School Boards | 1,807 | 2,292 | 2,667 |
| Conducted by Technical School Boards or Managers | 9,195 | 9,503 | 10,288 |
| Conducted by University colleges | 1,260 | 1,268 | 1,288 |
| Total technical | 12,262 | 13,063 | 14,243 |
| University Education. | |||
| University colleges | 3,683 | 3,858 | 3,808 |
| University students exempt from lectures | 275 | 344 | 428 |
| Lincoln Agricultural College | 53 | 53 | 51 |
| Total University | 4,011 | 4,255 | 4,287 |
| Total scholars and students | 278,694 | 284,824 | 289,033 |
An increase of 4,209 (or 1.5 per cent.) is shown for 1924, as compared with 1923.
Public primary schools, including district high schools, numbered 2,574 in 1924, against 2,566 in 1923. The number of registered private primary schools from which returns were received by the Education Department was 295. Aided or endowed colleges, grammar and high schools in operation numbered 37, technical high schools 14, registered private secondary schools 30, and University colleges 4. The number of primary and secondary schools established for the education of the Native or Maori race was 145.
From the table which follows an indication is given of the growth of the education system since the creation of a central administrative Department in 1877. At that time the number of schools in proportion to the population of the colony was relatively small, but during the following twenty years the number increased rapidly. Since 1900, however, the closer settlement of the country districts and, more recently, the drift of population to the larger centres have to some extent counteracted this tendency to multiply the number of schools. At present there is one school to approximately each five hundred members of the European community.
Compared with 1923, there was in 1924 an increase of 1,330 in the number of pupils belonging to the public schools as at the end of the year, and the average attendance shows an increase of 2,642 for the whole year. The figures tabulated below include pupils attending the secondary departments of district high schools.
| Year. | Population at 31st December (excluding Maoris). | Number of Schools. | Pupils at End of Year. | Mean of Average Weekly Roll. | Average Attendance, Whole Year. | Average Attendance as Percentage of Weekly Roll. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 | 432,519 | 748 | 65,040 | .. | 48,773 | .. |
| 1888 | 607,380 | 1,158 | 112,685 | 113,636 | 90,108 | 79.3 |
| 1898 | 743,463 | 1,655 | 131,621 | 133,782 | 111,636 | 83.4 |
| 1908 | 960,642 | 1,998 | 147,428 | 145,974 | 127,160 | 87.1 |
| 1913 | 1,084,662 | 2,255 | 172,168 | 169,530 | 151,242 | 89.2 |
| 1918 | 1,108,373 | 2,365 | 194,934 | 191,382 | 169,836 | 88.7 |
| 1920 | 1,207,835 | 2,437 | 199,802 | 196,731 | 171,102 | 87.0 |
| 1921 | 1,239,966 | 2,498 | 207,357 | 202,944 | 182,306 | 89.8 |
| 1922 | 1,265,397 | 2,550 | 213,097 | 209,251 | 190,012 | 90.8 |
| 1923 | 1,289,221 | 2,566 | 214,778 | 211,624 | 1 | 90.0 |
| 1924 | 1,316,174 | 2,574 | 216,190 | 213,140 | 195,105 | 90.7 |
Of the 2,574 schools shown above for 1924, 2,078 had average attendances of between one and eighty, and of these 985 had averages ranging from one to twenty.
The relative activities of the nine Education Boards administering primary education may be gauged from the following figures as at 31st December, 1924; they are exclusive of the secondary departments of district high schools.
| Education District. | Number of Schools. | Adult Teachers. | Total Number of Adult Teacher and Pupil-teachers. | Percentage of Male to Female Adult Teachers. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole Teachers. | Head of Schools. | Assistant Teachers. | Pupil-teachers. | |||||||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | Total. | ||||
| Auckland | 753 | 176 | 203 | 269 | 46 | 201 | 825 | 41 | 105 | 146 | 1,866 | 60.1 |
| Taranaki | 172 | 31 | 62 | 46 | 32 | 19 | 152 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 365 | 39.0 |
| Wanganui | 209 | 42 | 66 | 79 | 15 | 40 | 222 | 21 | 33 | 54 | 518 | 53.1 |
| Hawke's Bay | 187 | 27 | 84 | 64 | 9 | 43 | 205 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 467 | 44.9 |
| Wellington | 258 | 32 | 109 | 78 | 22 | 77 | 380 | 14 | 45 | 59 | 757 | 36.6 |
| Nelson | 144 | 34 | 62 | 34 | 9 | 10 | 89 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 252 | 48.7 |
| Canterbury | 395 | 42 | 172 | 145 | 27 | 111 | 461 | 42 | 51 | 93 | 1,051 | 45.1 |
| Otago | 260 | 40 | 108 | 100 | 8 | 68 | 278 | 25 | 34 | 59 | 661 | 52.8 |
| Southland | 196 | 50 | 63 | 69 | 12 | 22 | 152 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 398 | 62.1 |
| Totals | 2,574 | 474 | 929 | 884 | 180 | 591 | 2,764 | 180 | 333 | 513 | 6,335 | 50.3 |
A table is now given which shows by education districts the total roll of scholars as at the end of each year for the last five years. The figures indicate in a general way that the rate of increase has been more pronounced in the North Island districts than in the South. They also indicate, more clearly perhaps than the preceding table, the relative size and responsibilities of the nine Boards. The figures are exclusive of the secondary departments of district high schools.
| District. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 56,881 | 59,816 | 62,248 | 63,598 | 64,689 |
| Taranaki | 10,276 | 10,834 | 11,121 | 11,341 | 11,310 |
| Wanganui | 15,605 | 16,310 | 16,673 | 16,499 | 16,983 |
| Hawke's Bay | 14,319 | 15,117 | 15,593 | 15,849 | 15,865 |
| Wellington | 24,717 | 25,699 | 26,367 | 26,311 | 26,533 |
| Nelson | 7,000 | 7,028 | 7,052 | 7,072 | 7,074 |
| Canterbury | 34,775 | 35,761 | 36,885 | 37,131 | 36,853 |
| Otago | 22,012 | 22,192 | 22,084 | 21,845 | 21,749 |
| Southland | 12,060 | 12,424 | 12,468 | 12,314 | 12,234 |
| Totals | 197,645 | 205,181 | 210,491 | 211,960 | 213,290 |
In each of the education districts are located the Inspectors of Schools, who form part of the staff of the Department of Education. The total number of primary-school Inspectors on the 31st December, 1924, was 45, allocated as follows: Auckland, 12; Taranaki, 3; Hawke's Bay, 3; Wanganui, 4; Wellington, 6: Nelson, 2; Canterbury, 7; Otago, 5; Southland, 3.
The following table shows the age and sex of the pupils on the rolls of the public schools of the Dominion at the end of 1924, and the percentage of the roll for each age:—
| Age. | 1924. | Percentages for Five Years. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. | Girls. | Total. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| 5 and under 6 years | 7,577 | 6,855 | 14,432 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 6.8 |
| 6 and under 7 years | 10,887 | 10,215 | 21,102 | 10.6 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.0 | 9.9 |
| 7 and under 8 years | 11,971 | 11,415 | 23,386 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 11.0 |
| 8 and under 9 years | 12,706 | 11,872 | 24,578 | 11.5 | 11.2 | 11.3 | 11.4 | 11.5 |
| 9 and under 10 years | 12,261 | 11,363 | 23,624 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 11.1 |
| 10 and under 11 years | 12,500 | 11,891 | 24,391 | 11.1 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 11.1 | 11.4 |
| 11 and under 12 years | 12,135 | 11,444 | 23,579 | 11.1 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 11.0 | 11.1 |
| 12 and under 13 years | 12,125 | 11,330 | 23,455 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 11.0 |
| 13 and under 14 years | 10,497 | 9,373 | 19,870 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.3 |
| 14 and under 15 years | 6,166 | 4,796 | 10,962 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 |
| 15 and over | 2,353 | 1,558 | 3,911 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| Totals | 111,178 | 102,112 | 213,290 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Free passes on the railway to the nearest public or private school are granted to children living near a railway-line but out of reach of a primary school, and the same privilege is enjoyed by pupils having to travel to attend secondary schools, district high schools, and technical high schools, and also by free-place holders travelling to attend technical schools or classes other than technical high schools.
Education Boards are also authorized to make provision when necessary for the conveyance of pupils to primary schools by road or water, and to contribute towards the payment for board of children compelled to live away from home in order to attend school. The expenditure on these services for the last five years is shown in the following table:—
| Year. | Railway Fares. | Other Conveyance and Boarding Allowances. | Total. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary. | Secondary. | Technical. | Primary. | Secondary. | Technical. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1920 | 12,058 | 6,255 | 3,754 | 19,169 | 66 | 12 | 41,314 |
| 1921 | 13,470 | 6,113 | 4,386 | 22,089 | .. | .. | 46,058 |
| 1922 | 11,942 | 6,789 | 4,742 | 22,839 | .. | .. | 46,312 |
| 1923 | 11,589 | 7,376 | 5,621 | 23,184 | .. | .. | 47,770 |
| 1924 | 12,972 | 7,647 | 5,590 | 25,049 | .. | .. | 51,258 |
Elementary handwork in such subjects as modelling, paper and cardboard work, and brushwork is taught by the ordinary staff in practically every school of any size in the Dominion. The boys of Standards V and VI in 567 schools receive instruction from special teachers in woodwork or ironwork. The girls of similar standards from 575 schools also receive instruction from special instructors in domestic subjects, including a comprehensive course in cookery and domestic hygiene. Subjects relating to agriculture or dairy-work are taught in 1,671 schools. These subjects are generally taught by the regular staff under the supervision of itinerant instructors specially qualified in the work. Different branches of elementary science are taught in 106 schools.
The payments made by the Department on account of salaries, capitation, and material for manual instruction for the year ended 31st March, 1925, amounted to £76,842.
A capitation grant at the rate of 3d. per head on the average attendance is paid to Boards for the purpose of supplying schools with supplementary continuous readers for class-reading, and also for the free supply of class-books in certain cases.
Provision has been made for the payment of subsidies of £1 for £1 on moneys raised by voluntary contributions for school libraries. In addition a subsidy is payable by the Education Board not exceeding £5 for any one school.
Since 1922, correspondence classes have been conducted for the education of children in particularly isolated areas who would otherwise not be able to obtain any schooling. The number on the roll at the end of 1924 was 504, and remarkable progress has been shown by the pupils in their work.
Since May, 1907, an illustrated paper, called the School Journal, has been published by the Department monthly for use as a supplementary reader in primary schools, and is regarded as a useful and popular publication. In many cases it is being used as the chief reader. It is issued in three parts, suited to the varying capacities of the pupils in Standards I to VI inclusive, and is supplied free to all public schools, Native schools, special schools, and other institutions more or less under the Department's control or supervision. To a very large number of private schools it is supplied at cost price, with the result that over 17,000 copies of the School Journal are purchased monthly. Of the last issue of the School Journal for the year 1924 the number of copies printed was—Part I, 76,000; Part II, 72,700; Part III, 61,300: total, 210,000. These numbers show an increase of 6,050 over those of the previous year. The price to purchasers is at present 1d. for each of Parts I and II, and 1 1/2d. for Part III, the minimum charge for one of each part being 4s. 6d. per annum.
A monthly Gazette is published by the Department. In addition to containing articles by leading educationists it is a medium for the prompt dissemination of official information and for the advertisement of vacancies, and arrangements obtain whereby copies are available for perusal by every teacher in the Dominion.
Physical education is recognized as part of the primary-school curriculum, and by regulation it is compulsory on the part of head teachers to devote a minimum time of fifteen minutes a day to the subject. Its administration is in the hands of a Chief Physical Instructor and a staff of twelve itinerant instructors. Schools are visited by the instructors for the purpose of both instructing and inspecting. Corrective classes are held in the larger schools for the purpose of remedying physical defects of the children, and exercises for this purpose are prescribed by the physical instructor after the child has been examined by a School Medical Officer. The Department uses its own syllabus of physical training, which was published in 1920, and is based on that of the London Board of Education, modified to suit New Zealand conditions.
The medical and dental inspection of school-children and the scheme of school dentistry were transferred from the jurisdiction of the Education Department to that of the Department of Health at the end of 1920, and reference to these matters is dealt with in Section VII of this publication.
The number of teachers in the public schools, exclusive of those employed in the secondary departments of district high schools, is shown for a number of years. The figures are as in December of the years given, and in the case of pupil-teachers exclude probationers from 1913 onwards.
| Year. | Adults. | Pupil-teachers. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1878 | 707 | 454 | 1,161 | 118 | 332 | 450 |
| 1888 | 1,039 | 887 | 1,926 | 219 | 694 | 913 |
| 1898 | 1,234 | 1,370 | 2,604 | 229 | 831 | 1,060 |
| 1908 | 1,331 | 2,021 | 3,352 | 161 | 476 | 637 |
| 1913 | 1,603 | 2,659 | 4,262 | 142 | 474 | 616 |
| 1918 | 1,366 | 3,452 | 4,818 | 123 | 523 | 646 |
| 1920 | 1,675 | 3,500 | 5,175 | 114 | 466 | 580 |
| 1921 | 1,772 | 3,488 | 5,260 | 141 | 415 | 556 |
| 1922 | 1,842 | 3,623 | 5,465 | 182 | 405 | 587 |
| 1923 | 1,865 | 3,791 | 5,656 | 188 | 323 | 511 |
| 1924 | 1,949 | 3,873 | 5,822 | 180 | 333 | 513 |
The total number of teachers employed in primary schools, excluding probationers and including 513 pupil-teachers, in 1924 was 6,335 (2,129 males and 4,206 females); of the adult teachers 84 per cent. held teachers' certificates. The number of probationers was 805 (208 males and 597 females). Taking all schools with two or more teachers, the average number of pupils per teacher was thirty-three; in schools with six or more teachers the average number was thirty-seven; and in all schools the average number was twenty-nine. The table given earlier in discussing the relative activities of the various Education Boards shows the number of male and female teachers respectively in each education district for the year 1924.
Omitting schools with less than twenty-one pupils, the ratio of adult men teachers to adult women teachers in 1924 was 100 to 191. The proportion of men to women in charge of schools with one to twenty scholars was 100 to 249. If the adult teachers of all public schools are taken it is found that the ratio of men teachers to women teachers was 100 to 199 in 1924. The ratio of male pupil-teachers was 100 to 185 in 1924. This information over a period of five successive years shows in a striking way the reduction in the disparity evident in the earlier years. A proportion of one male to three female teachers is regarded by educationists as satisfactory.
| Ratio of | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult teachers— | |||||
| Schools with one to twenty scholars | 392 | 318 | 299 | 293 | 249 |
| Schools with more than twenty scholars | 190 | 182 | 182 | 191 | 191 |
| All schools | 209 | 197 | 197 | 203 | 199 |
| Pupil-teachers | 409 | 294 | 223 | 172 | 185 |
| Probationers | 511 | 445 | 349 | 279 | 286 |
| Students in training colleges | 333 | 324 | 256 | 244 | 224 |
The average salaries paid to teachers in 1924, including house allowance or value of residence, were—Male head teachers, £436; female head teachers, £365; male assistants, £326; female assistants, £230: sole male teachers, £251; sole female teachers, £226. The movement over a period during which considerable salary adjustments have been made to meet the variation in the cost of living is now shown. The figures include both certificated and uncertificated teachers.
| Class of Teacher. | 1919. | 1920. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Male head teachers | 380 | 432 | 420 | 422 | 436 |
| Female head teachers | 319 | 373 | 360 | 365 | 365 |
| Male sole teachers | 221 | 266 | 246 | 247 | 251 |
| Female sole teachers | 193 | 221 | 216 | 218 | 226 |
| Male assistants | 301 | 336 | 326 | 321 | 326 |
| Female assistants | 197 | 229 | 224 | 224 | 230 |
The following table shows the number of certificated teachers receiving salaries of the various grades during the year 1924:—
| Salaries (including Allowances and Value of Residences). | Certificated Male Teachers. | Certificated Female Teachers. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sole and Head Teachers. | Assistants. | Sole and Head Teachers. | Assistants. | |
| Not exceeding £180 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 280 |
| £181 to £250 | 74 | 114 | 136 | 1,481 |
| £251 to £300 | 132 | 67 | 255 | 383 |
| £301 to £350 | 105 | 100 | 110 | 223 |
| £351 to £400 | 262 | 155 | 160 | 105 |
| Over £400 | 574 | 117 | 30 | 4 |
| Totals | 1,151 | 563 | 701 | 2,476 |
Information as to the Teachers' Superannuation Fund will be found in the section of this book dealing with Pensions, Superannuation, &c.
Training colleges are situated in the four principal centres of the Dominion. The management of the training colleges is entrusted to the local Education Boards, subject to general regulations. The amount expended by the Department during the financial year 1924-25 for the training of teachers was £204,869.
The numbers of students attending the training colleges for the last three years are as follows:—
| Training College. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| Auckland | 97 | 254 | 351 | 122 | 247 | 369 | 125 | 243 | 368 |
| Wellington | 79 | 197 | 276 | 66 | 224 | 290 | 100 | 224 | 324 |
| Christchurch | 71 | 172 | 243 | 78 | 183 | 261 | 82 | 200 | 282 |
| Dunedin | 76 | 205 | 281 | 83 | 199 | 282 | 86 | 214 | 300 |
| Totals | 323 | 828 | 1,151 | 349 | 853 | 1,202 | 393 | 881 | 1,274 |
The number attending in each of the earlier years of the last decade has been—1915, 390: 1916, 442; 1917, 451; 1918, 500; 1919, 582; 1920, 680: and 1921, 904.
The ordinary course of training is for two years, and the output of trained teachers from the colleges in 1924 was 645. There is also provision for a one-year course, which under certain conditions may be taken by University students or matriculated students who have completed a two-years course at an agricultural college or a school of home science recognized by the University of New Zealand. In addition there are short-period studentships, of not less than three months' nor more than one year's duration, for the benefit of teachers who have already been employed in teaching and are deemed worthy of further training in professional work.
By the Education Amendment Act, 1921-22, every private school was required to apply for registration before the 13th July, 1922, and no private school can now be established unless application is first made to the Department of Education for registration. Application, however, does not of necessity carry registration, as certain precedent conditions of efficiency and suitability of staff, premises, equipment, and curriculum are required to be fulfilled. By the principal Act of 1914 every child between the ages of seven and fourteen is required to be enrolled as a pupil of either a public or a registered school. It follows accordingly that the parents of a child of school age are liable to the penalty of £2 provided for in the principal Act if such child is improperly enrolled at other than a public or registered school.
At the end of the year 1924 the number of registered private primary schools was 295, with a total roll number of 26,302 and an average attendance of 23,397 for the year.
| Year. | Number of Schools. | Roll at End of Year. | Average Yearly Attendance. | Teachers. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |||
| 1920 | 221 | 9,935 | 12,258 | 22,193 | 19,162 | 66 | 642 | 708 |
| 1921 | 235 | 10,967 | 12,957 | 23,924 | 20,941 | 76 | 682 | 758 |
| 1922 | 263 | 11,234 | 13,627 | 24,861 | 21,246 | 74 | 726 | 800 |
| 1923 | 294 | 11,758 | 14,252 | 26,010 | 23,874 | 94 | 813 | 907 |
| 1924 | 295 | 11,895 | 14,407 | 26,302 | 23,397 | 118 | 804 | 922 |
The following particulars show that the bulk of the scholars concerned attend Roman Catholic schools, the proportion based on roll numbers being 82 per cent. in 1920, 82 per cent. in 1921, 81 per cent. in 1922, 80 per cent. in 1923, and 78 per cent. in 1924.
(Included in preceding table.)
| Year. | Number of Schools. | Roll at End of Year. | Average Yearly Attendance. | Teachers. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |||
| 1920 | 159 | 8,322 | 9,868 | 18,190 | 15,973 | 39 | 486 | 525 |
| 1921 | 168 | 9,096 | 10,551 | 19,647 | 17,117 | 40 | 520 | 560 |
| 1922 | 178 | 9,506 | 10,747 | 20,253 | 17,076 | 36 | 533 | 569 |
| 1923 | 183 | 9,591 | 11,158 | 20,749 | 19,048 | 39 | 587 | 626 |
| 1924 | 187 | 9,585 | 11,013 | 20,598 | 18,330 | 48 | 581 | 629 |
In addition to the 295 registered primary private schools there were 30 private secondary schools on the register at the end of 1924, with a total roll number of 2,473.
The number of Native village schools in operation at the end of 1924 was 125 In addition there are twenty private schools at which education for Maori boys and girls is provided. Of these, ten are maintained from the incomes arising out of lands held in trust for educational purposes by various denominational bodies; the others are supported by private resources. Instruction is imparted by means of the English language only.
On the rolls of the 125 village schools at the 31st December, 1924, there were 6,310 children (including 762 Europeans). The average attendance for the year was 5,610, the percentage of regularity being 88.4, and the average weekly roll number 6,346. The total number of pupils on the rolls of the Native mission schools was 343, and on those of the secondary schools 524. At the end of the year, therefore, the total roll number of all the Native schools inspected by officers of the Education Department was 7,177.
The total net expenditure on Native schools during the year ended the 31st March, 1925, was £72,490. Included in this is the sum of £57,575 expended on teachers' and inspectors' salaries, £2,287 expended on new buildings and additions, £3,227 on maintenance of buildings, repairs, &c., and £4,044 on secondary education.
The staffs of the village schools included seventy-seven male and forty-four female head or sole teachers, and 151 assistants.
The following table records the development of the Native village schools since the year 1881, when they were transferred from the Native Department to the control of the Education Department. No account is taken of schools which, as the European element in them has become predominant, have been handed over to the various Education Boards.
| Year. | Number of Schools at End of Year. | Mean of Average Weekly Roll. | Average Attendance, Whole Year. | Average Attendance as Percentage of Weekly Roll. | Number of Teachers. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | |||||
| 1881 | 60 | .. | 1,406 | .. | 54 | 10 |
| 1886 | 69 | 2,343 | 2,020 | 86.2 | 60 | 35 |
| 1891 | 66 | 2,395 | 1,837 | 76.7 | 60 | 34 |
| 1896 | 74 | 2,874 | 2,220 | 77.3 | 64 | 72 |
| 1902 | 98 | 3,650 | 3,005 | 82.3 | 77 | 103 |
| 1907 | 99 | 4,321 | 3,561 | 82.4 | 84 | 123 |
| 1912 | 108 | 4,644 | 4,042 | 87.0 | 90 | 144 |
| 1917 | 118 | 5,191 | 4,507 | 86.8 | 80 | 167 |
| 1922 | 127 | 6,119 | 5,436 | 88.8 | 86 | 184 |
| 1923 | 124 | 6,268 | 5,586 | 89.0 | 92 | 181 |
| 1924 | 125 | 6,346 | 5,610 | 88.4 | 91 | 181 |
Besides the children of the Maori race who are receiving instruction in the Native schools there is a large number (6,624) attending public schools, so that the total number of primary pupils of Maori race (including those in the mission schools) is 12,515.
Until 1904, secondary schools were established by special (local) Acts of the General Assembly, and the bulk of schools giving secondary education have been so constituted. At the present time the provisions of the Education Act, 1914, allow of the Minister of Education establishing such schools, and in general the minimum number of prospective pupils must be sixty pupils in the case of secondary schools, twenty pupils in the case of the secondary department of a district high school, and forty pupils in the case of a technical high school. Secondary schools are controlled by a Board of Governors, district high schools by the Education Board of the district, and technical high schools either by a Board of Managers or by the Education Board of the district acting in a similar capacity. Free places are granted to suitably qualified pupils. A junior free place is tenable for two years, with a possible extension to three years. When held at a district high school it is tenable to the age of seventeen. Senior free places are tenable up to the age of nineteen. The Act provides for the award of Junior and Senior National Scholarships of a monetary value of £5 or £10 respectively, supplemented if necessary by a boarding-allowance of £35.
In addition to the three classes of institutions referred to above there is also a small number of registered private secondary schools and of Maori secondary schools which provide for post-primary education. The total number of the five classes of schools providing secondary education during the last five years is set out in the accompanying table.
| Year. | Secondary Schools. | Secondary Departments of District High Schools. | Technical High Schools. | Maori Secondary Schools. | Private Secondary Schools. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 35 | 59 | 9 | 10 | 18 | 131 |
| 1921 | 35 | 57 | 13 | 10 | 20 | 135 |
| 1922 | 36 | 61 | 13 | 10 | 27 | 147 |
| 1923 | 37 | 68 | 14 | 11 | 27 | 157 |
| 1924 | 37 | 73 | 14 | 11 | 30 | 165 |
Pupils on the roll at the end of the year for the five classes of schools providing secondary instruction numbered 23,276 in 1924, as compared with 22,188 in 1923. The number of pupils in each year of the last decade is shown in the following table; no account is taken of lower departments of secondary schools, and in the case of district high schools only the secondary department is included.
| Year. | Secondary Schools. | District High Schools. | Technical High Schools. | Native Secondary Schools. | Registered Private Secondary Schools. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Actual number on roll during year. | ||||||
| 1915 | 6,488 | 2,102 | 1,955* | 421 | 992 | 11,958 |
| 1916 | 7,052 | 2,115 | 2,105 | 457 | 1,004 | 12,733 |
| 1917 | 7,590 | 2,180 | 2,347 | 487 | 1,206 | 13,810 |
| 1918 | 8,384 | 2,283 | 2,747 | 471 | 1,366 | 15,251 |
| 1919 | 9,068 | 2,159 | 2,926 | 434 | 1,497 | 16,084 |
| 1920 | 9,196 | 2,157 | 2,766 | 474 | 1,439 | 16,032 |
| 1921 | 10,030 | 2,176 | 3,349 | 488 | 1,634 | 17,677 |
| 1922 | 10,736 | 2,606 | 4,202 | 413 | 1,998 | 19,955 |
| 1923 | 11,619 | 2,818 | 5,054 | 493 | 2,134 | 22,118 |
| 1924 | 12,010 | 2,900 | 5,369 | 524 | 2,473 | 23,276 |
It should be pointed out that the foregoing figures give the total scholars enrolled as at the end of the year. In the class of institution under review, however, a number of pupils leave before the close of the school year, and the figures shown are therefore on that account a little below the total number of scholars who have received instruction during the year. On the other hand, the total given is somewhat in excess of the total of pupils in average attendance over the whole year.
At the end of 1924, of the total scholars attending secondary schools 6,620 were boys and 5,390 girls; secondary departments of district high schools, 1,373 and 1,527; technical high schools, 2,935 and 2,434; and in the case of registered private schools the total roll consisted of 1,065 boys and 1,408 girls. The figures of Maori secondary schools as at the close of the year do not distinguish between male and female pupils.
Not all of the pupils receiving secondary education hold free places, but of the scholars attending Government schools no less than 93 per cent. were receiving free tuition in 1924. The following table gives a summary of the various secondary free places at the end of each of the last three years for which payment was made by Government:—
| Class of Free Place. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys. | Girls. | Total. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. | Boys. | Girls. | Total. | |
| Secondary schools— | |||||||||
| Junior free pupils | 3,472 | 3,222 | 6,694 | 3,583 | 3,609 | 7,192 | 3,866 | 3,630 | 7,496 |
| Senior free pupils | 1,536 | 1,216 | 2,752 | 1,860 | 1,426 | 3,286 | 1,856 | 1,532 | 3,388 |
| District high schools— | |||||||||
| Junior free pupils | 1,033 | 1,063 | 2,096 | 1,081 | 1,175 | 2,256 | 1,128 | 1,171 | 2,299 |
| Senior free pupils | 181 | 215 | 396 | 192 | 258 | 450 | 196 | 298 | 494 |
| Maori secondary schools | 52 | 56 | 108 | 54 | 70 | 124 | 57 | 73 | 130 |
| Technical high schools— | |||||||||
| Junior free pupils | 1,881 | 1,461 | 3,342 | 2,326 | 1,730 | 4,056 | 2,378 | 1,958 | 4,336 |
| Senior free pupils | 337 | 300 | 637 | 399 | 340 | 739 | 411 | 339 | 750 |
| Totals | 8,492 | 7,533 | 16,025 | 9,495 | 8,608 | 18,103 | 9,892 | 9,001 | 18,893 |
The figures below indicate the number and value of scholarships current in December, 1922, 1923, and 1924 respectively. The number of scholarship-holders is, of course, included in the number of free-place holders already shown under the heading of “Free Secondary Education.”
| Number of scholarship-holders— | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boys | 441 | 444 | 451 |
| Girls | 280 | 271 | 295 |
| Totals | 721 | 715 | 746 |
| Number receiving boarding-allowance (included in the above total) | 175 | 156 | 158 |
| Number receiving travelling-allowance (similarly included) | 45 | 54 | 49 |
| Number held at secondary schools | 584 | 599 | 630 |
| Number held at district high schools | 69 | 76 | 80 |
| Number held at technical high schools | 53 | 40 | 36 |
| Number held at registered private secondary schools | 15 | .. | .. |
Regulations which came into force in January, 1918, provided for the award of bursaries to dependants of killed or disabled members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. To qualify for a war bursary a child must be eligible for—
Free education at technical classes; or
A free place at a secondary school, district high school, or technical high school; or
A University or educational bursary at a University college.
Thirty-three bursaries were in operation in 1924.
Complete details of the staffs and salaries of the five classes of schools providing secondary education are not available. The following figures are therefore confined to full-time teachers of secondary schools proper and the secondary departments of district high schools:—
| Year. | Secondary Schools. | District High Schools. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1920 | 207 | 193 | 400 | 36 | 74 | 110 |
| 1921 | 211 | 194 | 405 | 33 | 70 | 103 |
| 1922 | 235 | 207 | 442 | 47 | 70 | 117 |
| 1923 | 256 | 218 | 474 | 50 | 80 | 130 |
| 1924 | 272 | 221 | 493 | 58 | 83 | 141 |
The average rate of salary paid for each of the last five years is shown in the next table. Under the provisions of the Education Amendment Act of 1920, regulations have been made prescribing definitely the salaries of secondary-school teachers which are paid by the Government. The range of salaries payable is as follows: Principals — Men, £570 to £860; women, £430 to £670. Assistants — Men, £200 to £520; women, £168 to £408. In addition, a married Principal receives house allowance of £60 if a residence is not provided, a head of a department may receive £30, and a married assistant receives £40 per annum. The salaries of Principals are graded according to the size of the school, and the salaries of assistants according to the classification of the position held.
| Year. | Secondary-school Principals. | Secondary-school Assistants. | District High School Secondary Assistants. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1920 | 711 | 548 | 389 | 289 | 341 | 304 |
| 1921 | 734 | 542 | 383 | 284 | 345 | 307 |
| 1922 | 703 | 529 | 359 | 267 | 302 | 289 |
| 1923 | 713 | 546 | 370 | 271 | 307 | 269 |
| 1924 | 720 | 553 | 374 | 287 | 327 | 275 |
Somewhat analogous to private schools, but on a different basis, are the lower departments of secondary schools. These departments may be held in connection with secondary schools for pupils who have not passed Standard VI, provided that no part of the cost of instruction or of the maintenance of the department is met out of the income from the endowments of the school or from Government grants. Eleven secondary schools have lower departments attached to them. A large number of the pupils board at the school hostels, indicating that these departments are used by the children of country residents able to afford to send their children away from home to attend school. The tuition fees charged average £10 10s. per annum, and the boarding fees £56. The figures relating to the last five years reveal the following particulars regarding the number of pupils and teachers at the end of each year:—
The Education Act provides for public instruction in such subjects of art, science, and technology as are set forth in regulations. Up to the end of 1919 the main source of revenue of technical schools and classes was derived from capitation payments made by the Government on the attendances of pupils, and each Board of Managers or controlling authority was responsible for the fixing of the salaries of its instructors, and the conditions of employment. In 1920, however, capitation payments were to a great extent abolished, and there was substituted a Dominion system of classification of technical-school teachers and manual-training instructors, and a corresponding system of payment of salaries. The abolition of capitation payments also involved making direct provision for the incidental expenses incurred by Technical School Boards and controlling authorities in connection with the schools, and the allowance for these for any school or class was made proportional to the total salaries paid by the Department for that school or class.
Classes were held at fifty-six centres during 1924, as compared with fifty-five in the previous year. The number of individual students was as follows:—
| 1923. | 1924. | |
|---|---|---|
| Classes conducted by Education or High School Boards | 2,292 | 2,667 |
| Classes conducted by Technical School Boards or by-Managers | 9,503 | 10,288 |
| Classes conducted by University colleges | 1,268 | 1,288 |
| Totals | 13,063 | 14,243 |
Students receiving free education during 1924 at technical classes other than technical high schools numbered 5,343 (3,178 males and 2,165 females). This compares with a total of 4,858 (2,881 males and 1,977 females) in the preceding year.
These schools (fourteen in 1924) are of secondary grade, and provide industrial, domestic, agricultural, commercial, and art courses. The number of pupils in attendance was 5,369, compared with 5,054 in 1923. The schools appear to meet the needs of a number of young people who would not otherwise proceed to secondary schools. The courses of instruction taken up by pupils were as follows:—
| Course. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial | 839 | 951 | 1,234 | 1,501 | 1,518 |
| Commercial and general | 1,358 | 1,746 | 2,054 | 2,558 | 2,696 |
| Domestic | 330 | 385 | 611 | 663 | 778 |
| Agriculture | 232 | 263 | 288 | 296 | 332 |
| Art | 7 | 4 | 15 | 36 | 45 |
| Totals | 2,763 | 3,349 | 4,202 | 5,054 | 5,369 |
Some indication of the growth of technical education and of the expenditure thereon is apparent from the following table. The figures relating to expenditure refer in each case to the financial year ending 31st March following.
| — | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Year ended 31st March following. | |||||
| Classes. | |||||
| Number of centres at which classes were held | 121 | 94 | 63 | 55 | 56 |
| Number of technical high schools | 9 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
| Number of students | |||||
| (a.) Technical high schools | 2,766 | 3,349 | 4,202 | 5,054 | 5,369 |
| (b.) Other classes | 18,628 | 16,832 | 12,262 | 13,063 | 14,243 |
| Number of free pupils at (a) and (b) above | 6,542 | 6,975 | 8,384 | 9,653 | 10,429 |
| Number of students attending under compulsory regulations | 1,636 | 1,585 | 324 | 269 | 289 |
| Chief Items of Expenditure.* | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Capitation and salaries | 82,325 | 119,289 | 119,464 | 126,795 | 142,173 |
| Grants for buildings and equipment | 67,217 | 101,198 | 66,308 | 34,970 | 31,677 |
| Subsidies on voluntary contributions | 5,466 | 3,991 | 4,207 | 2,561 | 4,152 |
| Conveyance of (a) Instructors | 635 | 679 | 808 | 527 | 484 |
| (b) Pupils | 3,767 | 4,386 | 4,742 | 5,621 | 5,590 |
| Total expenditure* by Government | 169,530 | 244,627 | 207,628 | 177,501 | 194,494 |
Technological examinations were conducted by the Department in 1924 on behalf of the City and Guilds of London Institute at seventeen centres. The total number of entries was 389, and the number of passes was 224.
Further information in regard to free places in technical high schools is given under the heading of “Secondary Education.”
The functions of the Special Schools Branch of the Education Department include the following phases of social work: (1) The maintenance, supervision, and training of destitute, dependent, and delinquent children committed to the care of the State; (2) the supervision of children and juvenile offenders placed on probation by the Courts: (3) the supervision of all infants and young children under the age of six years maintained for payment apart from their parents; (4) the supervision of children in cases where epidemic pensions or widows' pensions are paid by the State; (5) the education and training of afflicted children over the age of six years; the definition “afflicted” includes deaf, blind, or improvable feeble-minded children and children partly deaf or suffering from defective speech and stammerers. The following figures indicate the numbers under control during each year from 1920 to 1924 inclusive:—
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial schools and receiving-homes. | 3,839 | 3,830 | 3,798 | 3,692 | 3,784 |
| Juvenile probation | 281 | 272 | 277 | 227 | 376 |
| Infant-life protection | 797 | 706 | 742 | 684 | 704 |
| Deaf children | 118 | 148 | 135 | 106 | 97 |
| Feeble-minded children | 198 | 201 | 230 | 216 | 233 |
| Totals | 5,233 | 5,157 | 5,182 | 4,925 | 5,194 |
The number of new oases actually dealt with in 1924 was 514.
Agencies in connection with the juvenile probation system are established in all the large towns of the Dominion, and boys' probation homes exist in each of the four chief centres. The number of cases dealt with by the Juvenile Probation Officers in 1924 was 1,572.
At the end of the year 1924 the number of children boarded out in foster-homes was 1,767, as compared with 1,868 at the end of the preceding year. On account of the increased cost of living, the boarding-out rate has been raised at various times, and in April, 1920, was increased from 15s. to 17s. 6d. per week for infants under twelve months, and from 12s. 6d. to 15s. for children over that age and up to fifteen years, or longer if the child in question is still attending school. In addition, a very complete initial outfit of clothing is supplied with each child, and the Department provides free medical and dental treatment and medicines. School books and stationery are also provided for children attending school.
The Boys' Training-farm at Weraroa provides for boys of all ages who, through the commission of offences against the law, are not considered fit to associate with the children attending an ordinary public school—at least not until they have undergone a course of training and discipline at Weraroa.
An institution at Otekaike is available for the reception of feeble-minded boys who, under capable supervision, are employed in farm-work, garden and orchard work, and in the bootmaking, basketmaking, matmaking, and carpentering shops. Girls are provided for at the Special School at Richmond, and employed in housework and laundry-work, in the workroom sewing, knitting, &o., and in outside occupations, such as gardening and flower-growing.
This work is carried out under the supervision of trained nurses who are fully qualified in the care and feeding of infants and young children. The majority of infants dealt with under this system are illegitimate, and have been neglected to such an extent prior to placing them in foster-homes that the greatest care is necessary in catering for their welfare.
Special classes are established in the various centres for the education of the hard-of-hearing children and for the correction of defective speech among children. A school at Sumner exists for the preliminary teaching of stone-deaf children and young children who, in addition to being deaf, have little or no speech, and incidentally for the training of teachers for the deaf.
Control of higher education in New Zealand is vested in the New Zealand University, founded by the New Zealand University Acts of 1870, 1874, and 1875. In 1876 the University was recognized by Royal charter as entitled to grant the degrees of Bachelor and Master of Arts, and Bachelor and Doctor of Laws, of Medicine, and of Music. The Amendment Act of 1883, and the supplementary charter issued in December of the same year, added the degrees of Bachelor and Doctor of Science. By the provisions of the New Zealand University Act of 1908 and subsequent amending Acts the Senate of the University now has power to confer, in addition to those mentioned, the following degrees: Doctor of Literature; Master of Laws, of Surgery, and of Science; Bachelor, Master, and Doctor of Veterinary Science, of Dental Surgery, of Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Mining, and Metallurgical Engineering, of Naval Architecture, of Agriculture, of Public Health, and of Commerce; Bachelor of Science in Home Science; and Bachelor of Science in Architecture. Diplomas in a number of subjects may also be obtained. In 1921. the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Doctor of Philosophy were instituted.
The University is an examining, not a teaching, body, and four teaching institutions are affiliated to it—the Auckland University College, founded in 1882; Victoria University College, founded in 1897 at Wellington; Canterbury College, founded in 1873 at Christchurch; and Otago University, founded in 1869 at Dunedin. The affairs of these University colleges, including the appointment of professors and lecturers, are entirely in the hands of the various Councils. Each of the colleges, besides providing the usual University courses, specializes in certain directions: Otago University has medical and dental schools, a school of mining and metallurgical engineering, and a school of home science; Canterbury College has a school of engineering (mechanical, electrical, and civil); Auckland University College has a school of mines and a school of commerce; and Victo a University College specializes in law and science.
The affiliated colleges receive annual statutory Government grants towards meeting the expenses of their general maintenance. These grants are now as follows: Auckland University College, £10,000; Victoria University College, £10,600; Canterbury College, £3,600; Otago University, £8,200. The colleges are also in receipt of rents from endowments, Canterbury College and Otago University being the most richly endowed.
The growth of University education is seen from the annexed table. In 1924 there were 3,808 students actually in attendance at the four University colleges. Of these, 189 were graduates, 2,889 undergraduates, and 730 unmatriculated students. In addition there were 428 students attached to the various University colleges, but exempt from lectures. There were also 51 students taking an agricultural course of University grade at the Lincoln Agricultural College.
| Year | Attending Lectures | Exempt Students. | Total. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | Males | Females | ||
| 1915 | 1,243 | 693 | 76 | 27 | 2,039 |
| 1916 | 1,092 | 798 | 64 | 31 | 1,985 |
| 1917 | 1,007 | 895 | 50 | 25 | 1,977 |
| 1918 | 1,122 | 1,018 | 59 | 27 | 2,226 |
| 1919 | 1,831 | 1,130 | 83 | 16 | 3,060 |
| 1920 | 2,327 | 1,345 | 122 | 28 | 3,822 |
| 1921 | 2,524 | 1,400 | 157 | 42 | 4,123 |
| 1922 | 2,591 | 1,092 | 231 | 44 | 3,958 |
| 1923 | 2,745 | 1,113 | 281 | 63 | 4,202 |
| 1924 | 2,723 | 1,085 | 345 | 80 | 1,236 |
It will be noted that a very considerable increase has taken place in the total number of students over the decennium. A falling-off in the war years is apparent, but this is almost exclusively due to the absence of male students on active service.
University Junior Scholarships are of the value of £20 per annum plus tuition fees, and are tenable for three years. In the case of holders living away from home a further sum of £30 per annum is allowed. The University National Scholarships are of equal monetary value. The number of junior and national scholarships gained in 1924 was thirty. Taranaki Scholarships are of the annual value of £60, and the Senate may, at its discretion, extend the tenure from three to four years. There are also some thirty or forty local and privately endowed scholarships awarded on the results of the same entrance examination.
Scholarships awarded during the degree course are the Senior University, Sir George Grey, and John Tinline Scholarships. The various colleges have also private scholarships for which their own students may compete. The chief scholarships awarded at the end of the University course are the Rhodes Scholarship, the 1851 Exhibition Scholarship, the Medical Travelling Scholarship, the Engineering Travelling Scholarship, the Post-graduate Travelling Scholarship, the French Travelling Scholarship, and the National Research Scholarships. All excepting the last-named are tenable abroad. The Research Scholarships are each of the value of £100 per annum, with laboratory fees and expenses.
So far twenty-four Rhodes Scholarships have been granted, of which seven have been gained by students of Auckland University College, seven by students of Otago University, six by students of Victoria University College, and four by students of Canterbury College.
University bursaries entitle the holders to the payment of tuition and examination fees (not exceeding £20 per annum) during a three (or possibly four) years' course at a University college or at a school of agriculture recognized by the University. The number of University bursaries held in 1924 was 751. The number of educational bursaries under the Education Act, 1914, held in 1924 was seventy-seven. Domestic-science bursaries, tenable at the Otago University, may be awarded under the regulations for technical instruction. Bursaries of this kind were awarded to eighteen students in 1924, making thirty-four bursars in attendance at classes. Training-college studentships also carry tuition at University classes, and the completion of a training-college course is one of the grounds on which an educational bursary may be awarded for further University study.
Agricultural bursaries may be awarded to qualified candidates in order to enable them to obtain the necessary practical training for positions as teachers or instructors of agriculture. During 1924 eight bursars were in attendance at Lincoln Agricultural College, Canterbury, and five bursars were attending a University college.
From the table given below will be seen the number of students who received free University education during each of the last ten years:—
| Year | Junior University, University National, and Taranaki Scholarships | Senior University Scholarships | University and Educational Bursaries | Training-college Studentships | Other | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 84 | 8 | 317 | 416 | 36 | 861 |
| 1916 | 76 | 12 | 305 | 437 | 27 | 857 |
| 1917 | 81 | 13 | 283 | 456 | 40 | 873 |
| 1918 | 80 | 10 | 333 | 483 | 69 | 975 |
| 1919 | 100 | 19 | 507 | 586 | 136 | 1,348 |
| 1920 | 99 | 18 | 631 | 735 | 116 | 1,599 |
| 1921 | 99 | 13 | 705 | 774 | 65 | 1,656 |
| 1922 | 88 | 12 | 616 | 771 | 91 | 1,578 |
| 1923 | 89 | 14 | 694 | 650 | 64 | 1,511 |
| 1924 | 91 | 13 | 828 | 564 | 81 | 1,577 |
The outstanding feature of the above table is the number of University and educational bursaries which are now awarded as compared with a period of ten years ago. This is due to a marked widening of the bursary regulations. The courses of an increasing number of secondary-school pupils are now continued to comply with the conditions under which bursaries may be awarded.
A Royal Commission, consisting of Sir H. R. Reichel, M.A., LL.D., K.B., and F. Tate, Esq., M.A., C.M.G., I.S.O., was appointed in April, 1925, to inquire into and report upon the question of university education in New Zealand. The order of reference covered the following subjects:—
The present facilities for university education in New Zealand
The working of the present organization of the University of New Zealand, its affiliated colleges and recognized professional schools
The constitution of the University Senate, together with the question of whether special interests such as agriculture, industry, and commerce should be represented on the Senate
The question of whether the present system of four colleges federated under the New Zealand University is satisfactory or is capable of improvement. In particular, whether each of the present four University colleges should become a separate University; and, if so, under what conditions
The standard and scope of the degree and other examinations conducted by the University
The question of whether University examinations should be conducted by internal or external examiners, or by a combination of both
The question of accrediting students for entrance to the University in lieu of the Matriculation Examination
The relation of university education to that provided in secondary and technical schools
The provision that should be made in Now Zealand for university teaching and research
Any other matters concerning higher education which the Commissioners would feel worthy of report to the Government.
The Commission commenced its inquiries in June, 1925, and visited each of the four University centres, taking evidence from members of the governing bodies of the New Zealand University and its affiliated colleges, University professors and teachers, University students, representatives of commerce and industry, and public men. The Commission furnished a comprehensive report containing much valuable information, and made numerous recommendations, among which may be mentioned those favouring the following:—
The reconstitution of the New Zealand University as a federal teaching University, with constituent colleges enjoying a large measure of autonomy in regard to curriculum and examinations.
The University to be governed by a University Council of twenty-one members, constituted differently to the present Senate.
The appointment of a Principal of the University, to be the academic head of the University.
The formation of an Academic Board of twenty professors of the University to advise the Council on all academic matters, and to have such administrative duties in regard to academic matters as the Council may from time to time delegate to it.
Representation of special interests—e.g., agriculture, industry, commerce—on the Councils of the constituent colleges.
The formation of a Professorial Board in each constituent college, with duties in regard to the college similar to those of the suggested Academic Board in regard to the University.
The formation of the senior teaching staff of the constituent colleges into faculties, each faculty having the right to submit for approval courses of study in subjects prescribed for degrees or diplomas.
The raising of the standard of the B.A. and B.Sc. degrees, and the strengthening of the courses for solicitors and barristers.
Efforts in the direction of reducing the number of students who devote only part time to University study or who have exemption from attending lectures.
The abolition of the present Matriculation Examination, and the substitution for it of an “intermediate examination” and a “school leaving examination.”
The appointment of a Secondary-schools Board to advise the University Council on all matters relating to the two examinations mentioned, and to have such administrative duties in regard to them as might from time to time be delegated to it.
The appointment of a Technical-schools Board to advise the Education Department in matters relating to courses of technical study and to examinations.
The acceptance of extra-mural work as an essential part of the normal work of the University.
The empowering of the University to grant degrees in Divinity, with the proviso that the colleges should not undertake the teaching of the theological subjects included in the degree.
In addition, special recommendations were made with regard to the training of teachers, and the question of university education in agriculture, law, engineering, and special subjects, also in regard to research work.
The Workers' Educational Association, which works in conjunction with the four University colleges, conducts tutorial and preliminary classes for working men and women in such subjects as economics, sociology, psychology, industrial history, English literature, English composition, modern history, electricity, and hygiene, &c. Members of the staffs of the University colleges and other educationists act as tutors of the classes. The classes are held for the most part in the large cities, although to an increasing extent classes are being arranged in the smaller towns. The Government in 1924 contributed directly £3,500 per annum to the movement, in addition to which £1,250 paid by the Government out of the National Endowment Fund to the University of New Zealand is devoted to the same object, making a total of £4,750. Voluntary contributions received by the University colleges on account of the association's classes are also subsidized by the Government.
Examinations are conducted by the Education Department for the various purposes of Junior and Senior National Scholarships, junior and senior free places in secondary schools, district high schools, and technical schools, and teachers' certificates. Also, by arrangement with the Public Service Commissioner, examinations are held for admission to and promotion in the Public Service.
The University conducted examinations in 1924 in the faculties of arts, science, medicine, public health, dentistry, home science, law, engineering, commerce, agriculture, and music, and for admission to the legal and accountants' professions. The number of candidates for examination is increasing each year; there were 5,740 entrants for the degree examinations in 1924, compared with 5,575 in 1923. The number of candidates for matriculation in the last five years has been: 1920, 3,029; 1921, 3,643: 1922, 4,143; 1923, 4,517; 1924, 4,932.
The number of candidates who actually presented themselves for the various examinations conducted by the Education Department during the last five years is given below: —
| Examination | 1920-21 | 1921-22 | 1922-23 | 1923-24 | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior National Scholarships and junior free places | 2,298 | 2,282 | 2,500 | 2,564 | 2,481 |
| Public Service Entrance, Senior National Scholarships, and Intermediate | 2,999 | 3,419 | 3,544 | 4,222 | 5,192 |
| Teachers' D and C | 2,365 | 2,921 | 3,227 | 3,319 | 3,353 |
| Public Service Senior | 78 | 28 | .. | .. | .. |
| Kindergarten Certificate Examination | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Special Public Service Entrance Examination in June | 204 | 248 | .. | .. | 162 |
| Special Public Service Entrance Examination for returned soldiers | 73 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| London University Examinations | 2 | 2 | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Qualifying Examination. Railway Engineering Cadets | .. | .. | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| Totals | 8,020 | 8,902 | 9,285 | 10,116 | 11,193 |
Expenditure on education has increased rapidly of recent years, and out of public funds no less a sum than £3,642,783 was spent for the financial year ended 31st March, 1925. The public funds referred to above, however, include not only the amount appropriated by parliamentary vote, but also sums paid from primary-education reserves revenue. Nor does this represent the whole amount expended on education in the Dominion. In the case of certain secondary schools and University colleges a considerable revenue from endowments, fees; &c., is received and becomes available for educational purposes. The figures given below relate only to direct expenditure on education from the public purse. Figures for the last five years, analysed according to the various branches of expenditure, are—
| Service | 1920-21 | 1921-22 | 1922-23 | 1923-24 | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| General administration | 38,468 | 38,620 | 34,629 | 33,760 | 34,522 |
| Elementary education | 2,252,581 | 2,377,797 | 2,165,200 | 2,255,392 | 2,432,880 |
| Secondary education | 255,215 | 310,878 | 272,907 | 280,541 | 363,836 |
| Technical instruction | 170,200 | 244,627 | 207,628 | 177,501 | 194,494 |
| Training colleges, &c | 129,685 | 158,158 | 158,473 | 160,420 | 204,869 |
| Higher education | 109,242 | 117,434 | 128,974 | 121,661 | 149,429 |
| Native schools | 71,409 | 77,603 | 69,631 | 72,495 | 72,490 |
| School for the deaf | 6,050 | 6,036 | 6,423 | 5,755 | 5,629 |
| Education of the blind | Cr. 146 | 101 | 88 | 45 | 15,128 |
| Schools for the feeble-minded | 15,605 | 11,190 | 8,261 | 7,933 | 8,886 |
| Industrial schools and probation system | 107,753 | 108,622 | 93,914 | 84,770 | 85,247 |
| Material and stores | 13,003 | Cr. 4,345 | Cr. 10,785 | Cr. 4,242 | Cr. 5,759 |
| Miscellaneous services | 54,993 | 50,652 | 51,949 | 51,099 | 81,132 |
| Totals | 3,224,058 | 3,497,373 | 3,187,292 | 3,247,130 | 3,642,783 |
There is now given a series of comparative figures which show the increase in the cost of education since the beginning of the present century. The table following shows the expenditure in thousands of pounds, and the rate per unit of mean population:—
| Year ended 31st March | Expenditure from Public Funds | Expenditure per Head of Mean Population. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (£1,000) | s | d. | |
| 1899 | 519 | 13 | 4 |
| 1904 | 679 | 15 | 7 |
| 1909 | 980 | 19 | 7 |
| 1914 | 1,301 | 23 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1,378 | 24 | 1 |
| 1916 | 1,493 | 25 | 11 |
| 1917 | 1,694 | 29 | 6 |
| 1918 | 1,809 | 31 | 5 |
| 1919 | 1,986 | 34 | 1 |
| 1920 | 2,544 | 42 | 2 |
| 1921 | 3,224 | 51 | 6 |
| 1922 | 3,497 | 54 | 5 |
| 1923 | 3,187 | 48 | 7 |
| 1924 | 3,247 | 48 | 8 |
| 1925 | 3,643 | 53 | 7 |
The exceptionally marked increase of recent years in the total cost of education is in a large measure due to the increase in the numbers receiving instruction, this being particularly marked in the case of post-primary schools. In the last decade the school population has increased by 25 per cent., and the number of students of secondary, technical, and university standard has more than doubled. Combined with this factor, rendering increased expenditure inevitable, the purchasing-power of money has of course, decreased enormously, so that much of the increase in cost is more apparent than real.
Table of Contents
THE ordinary civil jurisdiction of Magistracies' Courts is limited generally to claims not exceeding £200. Justices of the Peace may hear and decide certain civil cases when the sum in dispute does not exceed £20. The numbers of plaints issued and of cases tried, and the amounts sued for and for which judgment was recorded, in the lower Courts during the ten years 1915-24 are shown in the following table:—
| Year | Cases entered | Cases tried. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Total Amount claimed | Number | Total Amount sued for | Total Amount for which Judgment entered. | |
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| 1915 | 60,170 | 695,625 | 37,632 | 446,979 | 383,532 |
| 1916 | 49,806 | 639,922 | 31,064 | 395,779 | 339,847 |
| 1917 | 46,004 | 624,693 | 29,412 | 401,568 | 340,958 |
| 1918 | 39,176 | 563,358 | 25,594 | 378,025 | 308,429 |
| 1919 | 38,775 | 619,576 | 24,680 | 385,020 | 319,135 |
| 1920 | 46,601 | 787,524 | 28,999 | 467,665 | 399,219 |
| 1921 | 59,339 | 1,169,286 | 39,013 | 762,605 | 654,863 |
| 1922 | 65,629 | 1,279,890 | 44,296 | 936,673 | 786,373 |
| 1923 | 66,659 | 1,236,160 | 45,837 | 857,903 | 717,516 |
| 1924 | 74,435 | 1,255,744 | 50,778 | 879,945 | 737,045 |
It would appear that the practice of using the Courts as media for the collection of small debts is growing. For instance, the number of cases tried in Magistrates' Courts in 1900 was 19,816, the aggregate sum sued for being £286,719. Although the population of the Dominion increased between 1900 and 1915 by little more than 25 per cent., the number of cases tried represents an increase of nearly 100 per cent. in the fifteen years. From 1914 to 1919 successive declines, probably occasioned by war causes, were recorded; in 1920 increases are shown, both in the number of cases tried and the amounts concerned; while the figures for each of the last four years show an abnormally large increase in litigation by comparison with any year prior to 1921.
The numbers of actions commenced, cases tried, and judgments entered, together with the total amount for which judgments were recorded, in the Supreme Court of New Zealand during each of the ten years 1915-24 were as follows:—
| Year | Number of Actions commenced | Cases tried | Judgments recorded. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| With Jury | Without Jury | Number | Amount. | ||
| £ | |||||
| 1915 | 697 | 50 | 253 | 241 | 68,555 |
| 1916 | 673 | 48 | 193 | 254 | 78,877 |
| 1917 | 581 | 70 | 172 | 234 | 100,447 |
| 1918 | 611 | 47 | 188 | 226 | 104,927 |
| 1919 | 783 | 72 | 227 | 238 | 88,144 |
| 1920 | 915 | 91 | 329 | 262 | 96,017 |
| 1921 | 1,536 | 126 | 334 | 557 | 244,942 |
| 1922 | 1,431 | 115 | 408 | 748 | 316,533 |
| 1923 | 1,172 | 92 | 320 | 654 | 300,698 |
| 1924 | 1,780 | 93 | 429 | 827 | 358,880 |
During the year 1924, 768 petitions for dissolution of marriage were filed—a total of 102 in excess of that for 1923 (666). Abnormal numbers of divorce cases are shown for the three years immediately preceding 1922 — viz., 675 in 1919, 745 in 1920, and 796 in 1921; the corresponding figures for 1917 and 1918 being only 282 and 380 respectively.
In 482 of the cases in 1924 decrees nisi were granted, 199 of these being made absolute during the year. In addition, decrees nisi were granted in respect of 169 petitions filed in previous years, 116 of these being made absolute before the end of the year, and 211 decrees nisi of previous years became absolute. The total number of decrees nisi for the year 1924 was thus 651, which includes 9 decrees for nullity of marriage.
In addition, 11 petitions for judicial separation and 94 for restitution of conjugal rights were filed. Four decrees were granted in the former class, and 65 in the latter.
Figures showing the operations of the Supreme Court in its divorce Jurisdiction during each of the last 10 years are as follows:—
| Year | Dissolution or Nullity of Marriage | Judicial Separation | Institution of Conjugal Rights. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petitions filed | Decrees Absolute | Decrees Nisi. | Petitions filed | Decrees for Separation | Petitions filed | Decrees for Restitution. | |
| 1915 | 256 | 174 | 224 | 3 | .. | .. | .. |
| 1916 | 289 | 198 | 247 | 4 | .. | .. | .. |
| 1917 | 282 | 219 | 221 | 5 | 2 | .. | .. |
| 1918 | 380 | 199 | 279 | 4 | 4 | 2 | .. |
| 1919 | 675 | 336 | 479 | 5 | 1 | 2 | .. |
| 1920 | 748 | 469 | 574 | 9 | 2 | 4 | .. |
| 1921 | 796 | 511 | 660 | 5 | 2 | 68 | 43 |
| 1922 | 643 | 522 | 543 | 4 | 1 | 88 | 57 |
| 1923 | 666 | 522 | 603 | 5 | 2 | 77 | 56 |
| 1924 | 768 | 526 | 651 | 11 | 4 | 94 | 65 |
The table which follows shows the duration of marriage in all cases for which petitions were filed in the last five years:—
| Duration of Marriage, in Years | Husbands' Petitions | Wives' Petitions. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924. | |
| Under 5 | 54 | 41 | 53 | 60 | 42 | 44 | 35 | 37 | 50 | 41 |
| 5 and under 10 | 96 | 93 | 66 | 93 | 97 | 121 | 119 | 92 | 102 | 104 |
| 10 and under 15 | 72 | 83 | 71 | 68 | 62 | 106 | 101 | 80 | 97 | 108 |
| 15 and under 20 | 49 | 57 | 50 | 38 | 49 | 84 | 56 | 57 | 39 | 80 |
| 20 and under 30 | 39 | 81 | 35 | 37 | 72 | 54 | 67 | 72 | 52 | 71 |
| 30 and over | 19 | 44 | 19 | 16 | 21 | 10 | 16 | 9 | 13 | 21 |
| Not stated | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | .. |
| Totals | 329 | 401 | 294 | 312 | 343 | 419 | 395 | 349 | 354 | 425 |
A table is also given showing for the year 1924 the grounds of petitions, in combination with particulars as to the number of living issue.
| Grounds | Number of Cases in which Number of Living Issue was | Not stated | Total Number of Cases. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | or over | |||
| Adultery | 57 | 38 | 33 | 20 | 21 | 10 | 2 | .. | 181 |
| Adultery and desertion | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | 12 |
| Bigamy | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 6 |
| Desertion | 75 | 60 | 52 | 20 | 9 | 10 | 11 | .. | 237 |
| Desertion, drunkenness and failure to maintain | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. |
| Drunkenness | 4 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 6 | .. | .. |
| Drunkenness and cruelty | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 7 |
| Drunkenness, cruelty, and failure to maintain | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 4 |
| Drunkenness and failure to maintain | 4 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 7 | .. |
| Insanity | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 9 |
| Malformation | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 9 |
| Non-compliance with order for restitution of conjugal rights | .20 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .. | 51 |
| Separation for not less than three years | 52 | 55 | 47 | 30 | 20 | 19 | 15 | .. | 244 |
| Separation and desertion | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. |
| Totals | 225 | 175 | 144 | 89 | 55 | 44 | 34 | 2 | 768 |
In thirteen cases the number of living issue was 6, in seven cases 7, in seven cases 8, in five cases 9, and in two cases 11.
The above table refers to cases where the petition was filed during the year. Information is next given showing the sox of petitioner and the number of living issue regarding petitions (whether filed during 1924 or previously) in respect of which decrees absolute were granted during the year.
| Number of Living Issue | Husbands' Petitions | Wives' Petitions | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 78 | 101 | 179 |
| 1 | 47 | 76 | 123 |
| 9 | 45 | 51 | 96 |
| 3 | 19 | 34 | 53 |
| 4 | 13 | 18 | 31 |
| 5 or over | 16 | 28 | 44 |
| Total | 218 | 308 | 523 |
The next table gives information as to grounds of petition, not only in respect of petitions filed during 1924, but also for petitions where decrees wore granted during the year:—
| Grounds | Petitions filed in 1924 | Petitions where Decree Nisi granted in 1924 | Petitions where Decree Absolute granted in 1924. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Husbands Petitions | Wives' Petitions | Husbands' Petitions | Wives' Petitions | Husbands' Petitions | Wives' Petitions. | |
| Adultery | 102 | 79 | 69 | 75 | 64 | 68 |
| Adultery and desertion | 4 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| Bigamy | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Desertion | 93 | 144 | 82 | 123 | 66 | 97 |
| Desertion, drunkenness, and failure to maintain | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
| Drunkenness | 2 | 4 | .. | 3 | .. | 4 |
| Drunkenness and cruelty | .. | 7 | .. | 3 | .. | 6 |
| Drunkenness, cruelty, and failure to maintain | .. | 4 | .. | 2 | .. | 3 |
| Drunkenness and failure to maintain | .. | 7 | .. | 8 | .. | 5 |
| Insanity | 8 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 5 | .. |
| Malformation | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Non-compliance with order for restitution of conjugal rights | 33 | 18 | 35 | 19 | 25 | 15 |
| Separation for not less than three years | 99 | 145 | 73 | 129 | 54 | 95 |
| Separation and desertion | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Not stated | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Totals | 343 | 425 | 272 | 379 | 218 | 308 |
The figures shown for decrees nisi include cases where both nisi and absolute decrees were granted during the year, and those for decrees absolute cover all such granted during the year, whether the antecedent decree nisi was granted in 1924 or in a previous year.
It is found that in 659 of the cases covered by petitions filed during 1924 the parties were married in New Zealand. In 563 cases the marriage had been solemnized by a clergyman, and in 205 cases (26.69 per cent.) by a Registrar of Marriages or other civil official, while no particulars were available in one case. Civil marriages constituted 19.73 per cent. of those solemnized in New Zealand in 1924.
The following table gives information as to class and place of marriage in respect of divorce petitions filed in each of the last ten years:—
| Year | Husbands' Petitions | Wives' Petitions. | Totals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Married by a Clergyman | Married before a Registrar or other Civil Official | Married by a Clergyman | Married before a Registrar or other Civil Official. | ||||||
| In New Zealand | Outside New Zealand | In New Zealand | Outside New Zealand | In New Zealand | Outside New Zealand | In New Zealand | Outside New Zealand. | ||
* Including one petition (by wife) for which no particulars available. | |||||||||
| 1915 | 62 | 11 | 29 | 1 | 105 | 8 | 37 | 3 | 256 |
| 1916 | 77 | 15 | 37 | 6 | 107 | 11 | 32 | 4 | 289 |
| 1917 | 71 | 9 | 42 | 3 | 107 | 14 | 34 | 2 | 282 |
| 1918 | 89 | 13 | 77 | 6 | 116 | 113 | 62 | 4 | 380 |
| 1919 | 175 | 29 | 109 | 13 | 222 | 19 | 101 | 7 | 675 |
| 1920 | 193 | 30 | 94 | 12 | 268 | 35 | 108 | 8 | 748 |
| 1921 | 242 | 50 | 103 | 6 | 249 | 23 | 118 | 5 | 796 |
| 1922 | 173 | 43 | 63 | 15 | 215 | 27 | 100 | 7 | 643 |
| 1923 | 179 | 36 | 88 | 9 | 200 | 35 | 112 | 6 | 666* |
| 1924 | 208 | 54 | 71 | 10 | 267 | 34 | 113 | 11 | 768 |
The number of bodies on which inquests were held in 1924 was 1,388, including 72 Maoris. In 1,097 cases the bodies were of males, and in 291 of females.
The verdicts given at the inquests held in 1924 may be classified as under:—
| Nature of Verdict | Inquests on Persons. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | Total. | |
| Disease and natural causes | 458 | 172 | 630 |
| Accident | 500 | 81 | 581 |
| Homicide | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Suicide | 133 | 33 | 1156 |
| Totals | 1,097 | 291 | 1,388 |
Of the accidental deaths the most common forms are crushing and drowning. The verdicts show that in 1924 212 deaths, or 36 per cent. of the total fatal accidents, were due to the former cause, while to the latter 171 deaths, or 29 per cent., were due.
The inquests on suicidal deaths in 1924 show an increase of 23 on the number for the previous year. The figures for each of the last ten years are—
| Year | Inquests on Suicides. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Males | Females | Total. | |
| 1915 | 112 | 12 | 124 |
| 1916 | 122 | 28 | 150 |
| 1917 | 104 | 30 | 134 |
| 1918 | 99 | 22 | 121 |
| 1919 | 112 | 30 | 142 |
| 1920 | 113 | 20 | 133 |
| 1921 | 133 | 33 | 166 |
| 1922 | 131 | 33 | 164 |
| 1923 | 123 | 20 | 143 |
| 1924 | 133 | 33 | 166 |
In case of fire causing the destruction of any building, ship, or merchandise, or any stack of grain, pulse, or hay, or any growing crop, a Coroner may hold an inquiry into the cause of such fire, the procedure being similar to that of inquests into cause of death.
During 1924 eleven inquests were held on fires. In three oases the verdict was arson, in three cases accidental causes were returned, and in the remaining five cases-there was insufficient evidence.
The figures for each of the last five years are—
| Year | Number of Fire Inquests | Verdicts returned. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accidental | Arson | No Evidence. | ||
| 1920 | 4 | .. | .. | 4 |
| 1921 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .. |
| 1922 | 4 | .. | 1 | 3 |
| 1923 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 1924 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
On the 31st March, 1925, the number of permanent members of the Police Force-in New Zealand was 1,006 of all ranks, being a decrease of 3 during the year. The total is made up as follows: 5 superintendents, 13 inspectors, 5 sub-inspectors 29 senior sergeants, 92 sergeants, 811 constables, 7 senior detectives, 8 detective-sergeants, and 36 detectives. There were also 20 temporary constables, 12 police-surgeons, 8 matrons, 6 district constables, and 4 Native constables.
The following table shows the number of stations and of police in each polices district. Temporary constables are included, but not district or Native constables.
| Police District | No. of Stations | No. of Police. |
|---|---|---|
| Whangarei | 17 | 30 |
| Auckland | 36 | 186 |
| Hamilton | 31 | 70 |
| Gisborne | 15 | 32 |
| Napier | 19 | 49 |
| New Plymouth | 15 | 34 |
| Wanganui | 20 | 42 |
| Palmerston North | 17 | 42 |
| Wellington | 35 | 183 |
| Greymouth | 22 | 44 |
| Christchurch | 36 | 122 |
| Timaru | 13 | 40 |
| Dunedin | 35 | 97 |
| Invercargill | 23 | 45 |
There were also 8 officers attached to headquarters, 1 was on loan to the Cook Islands Administration, and 1 on leave prior to retirement.
The proportion of police to population is 1 to every 1,344 persons, and the expenditure (exclusive of the cost of buildings) on the whole Police Force for the year ended the 31st March, 1925, was 5s. 9 1/2d. per head of population.
The following table shows the growth of the Police Force since 1878, prior to-which each province had its own Police Force, and reliable data are not available:—
| Year ended 31st March, | Officers | Non-commissioned Officers | Detectives | Constables | Total | Police to Population (including Maoris) | Cost per Inhabitant. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s | d. | |||||||
| 1878 | 25 | 90 | 14 | 329 | 458 | 1 to 1,020 | .. | .. |
| 1885 | 20 | 65 | 17 | 372 | 474 | 1 to 1,295 | 3 | 0 3/4 |
| 1890 | 12 | 66 | 13 | 403 | 494 | 1 to 1,337 | 2 | 10 3/4 |
| 1895 | 7 | 51 | 13 | 416 | 487 | 1 to 1,502 | 2 | 6 3/4 |
| 1900 | 11 | 56 | 20 | 499 | 586 | 1 to 1,363 | 2 | 0 1/4 |
| 1905 | 12 | 65 | 25 | 553 | 655 | 1 to 1,386 | 2 | 10 1/4 |
| 1910 | 16 | 86 | 34 | 639 | 775 | 1 to 1,336 | 3 | 3 1/2 |
| 1915 | 19 | 100 | 37 | 755 | 911 | 1 to 1,263 | 4 | 1 |
| 1920 | 21 | 114 | 38 | 743 | 916 | 1 to 1,350 | 4 | 11 3/4 |
| 1921 | 23 | 112 | 47 | 768 | 950 | 1 to 1,337 | 6 | 4 3/4 |
| 1922 | 22 | 118 | 43 | 826 | 1,009 | 1 to 1,289 | 6 | 3 3/4 |
| 1923 | 23 | 118 | 44 | 818 | 1,003 | 1 to 1,321 | 5 | 8 1/4 |
| 1924 | 23 | 120 | 47 | 837 | 1,027 | 1 to 1,312 | 5 | 8 3/4 |
| 1925 | 23 | 121 | 51 | 831 | 1,026 | 1 to 1,344 | 5 | 9 1/2 |
The gross total of criminal cases in Magistrates' Courts during the year 1924 was 48,556, males being charged in 46,100 cases and females in 2,456. The number of cases during each of the last ten years is as follows:—
| Year | Number | Per 1,000 of Mean Population. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against Males | Against Females | Totals | Against Males | Against Females | Totals. | |
| 1915 | 43,996 | 3,193 | 47,189 | 74.25 | 5.74 | 41.06 |
| 1916 | 39,623 | 2,934 | 42,557 | 68.59 | 5.13 | 37.03 |
| 1917 | 38,537 | 2,912 | 41,449 | 67.66 | 5.03 | 36.08 |
| 1918 | 33,466 | 2,933 | 36,399 | 59.16 | 5.00 | 31.57 |
| 1919 | 37,872 | 2,575 | 40,447 | 63.34 | 4.33 | 33.91 |
| 1920 | 41,092 | 2,399 | 43,491 | 64.63 | 3.95 | 35.01 |
| 1921 | 43,335 | 2,462 | 45,797 | 66.33 | 3.95 | 35.87 |
| 1922 | 40,594 | 2,306 | 42,900 | 60.88 | 3.61 | 32.87 |
| 1923 | 43,498 | 2,487 | 45,985 | 64.15 | 3.83 | 34.62 |
| 1924 | 46,100 | 2,456 | 48,556 | 66.77 | 3.71 | 35.90 |
The foregoing figures include charges against Maoris. Maoris are also included in the statistics relating to Magistrates' Courts in the following pages, as well as those relating to Supreme Courts. Separate figures relating to crime amongst Maoris are-given towards the end of this section.
The 48,556 cases dealt with in 1924 resulted in 39,594 summary convictions, and in 944 committals to the Supreme Court for sentence after conviction in Magistrates' Courts. In 647 cases the accused person was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, and in 845 the Magistrate admonished and discharged the offender under a provision enabling him to do so in the case of a trivial offence, without a conviction being recorded. In 2,337 cases the charge was dismissed on the merits of the case, and in the remaining 4,189 cases the accused person was discharged for want of prosecution or want of evidence.
The summary convictions for the year 1924 represent a rate of 29.27 per 1,000 of mean population. The figures for the last ten years are—
| Year | Number | Per 1,000 of Mean Population. |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 39,675 | 34.52 |
| 1916 | 35,459 | 30.85 |
| 1917 | 34,189 | 29.76 |
| 1918 | 29,252 | 25.37 |
| 1919 | 32,692 | 27.41 |
| 1920 | 35,517 | 28.59 |
| 1921 | 37,124 | 29.08 |
| 1922 | 34,513 | 26.44 |
| 1923 | 37,104 | 27.94 |
| 1924 | 39,594 | 29.27 |
In comparing one year with another it should be remembered that the number of convictions may be considerably affected by alterations in the law or changes in its administration. As an example of the former may be mentioned the introduction in New Zealand of a system of compulsory military training. Convictions for broaches of the Defence Act rose from 13 in 1911 to 1,943 in 1912 and 4,849 in 1913, this being responsible for practically the whole of the increase of 3,500 in 1913 as compared with 1912. More recently, consequent on the passing of the Arms Act, 1920, convictions for offences relating to the sale and use of firearms increased from 35 in 1920 to 1,224 in 1922, 924 in 1923, and 807 in 1924. On the other hand, convictions during recent years have been somewhat reduced by the introduction of the system referred to previously, where in the case of a trivial offence the offender may be admonished and discharged without a conviction being recorded.
For similar reasons to those referred to in the foregoing paragraph it is inadvisable to base comparisons of quasi criminal offences between different countries on the statistics of summary convictions for the various countries. This, of course, does not apply in the case of serious crimes which are dealt with by the Supreme Court.
A great proportion of the cases dealt with in New Zealand are in respect of comparatively insignificant offences—as, for instance, drunkenness, offences against by-laws, &c.
A classification of convictions during the last five years according to principal offences and groups of offences is next given.
| — | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Not Including convictions (87 in 1924) for selling liquor without a license, an offence against the revenue laws. | |||||
| Offences against the person | 747 | 774 | 659 | 774 | 605 |
| Offences against property (including forgery) | 3,619 | 3,502 | 3,455 | 3,315 | 3,698 |
| Drunkenness (including issue of prohibition orders) | 10,566 | 10,643 | 7,790 | 8,448 | 8,691 |
| Offensive conduct or language, and obstruction, &c., of police | 1,966 | 1,972 | 1,508 | 1,502 | 1,669 |
| Breaches of traffic regulations | 1,960 | 1,512 | 1,478 | 1,521 | 7,059 |
| Breaches of by-laws | 5,179 | 5,374 | 6,518 | 7,761 | 2,412 |
| Other offences against good order | 1,038 | 1,218 | 1,334 | 1,376 | 1,511 |
| Breaches of Licensing Act* | 2,860 | 2,902 | 2,609 | 2,577 | 2,999 |
| Breaches of Destitute Persons Act | 2,004 | 2,194 | 2,282 | 2,490 | 2,790 |
| Breaches of Impounding Act | 1,583 | 1,743 | 1,265 | 1,264 | 1,683 |
| Breaches of Defence Act | 1,143 | 2,078 | 1,912 | 2,140 | 1,893 |
| Offences relating to the sale and use of firearms | 35 | 261 | 1,224 | 924 | 807 |
| Other offences | 2,817 | 2,951 | 2,579 | 3,012 | 3,771 |
| Totals | 35,517 | 37,124 | 34,513 | 37,104 | 39,594 |
Of the 605 summary convictions for offences against the person in 1924, no fewer than 543 were for common assault. Attempted suicide was responsible for 48 convictions, indecent assault for 3, aggravated assault 7, and abduction 1. In addition, 1 person was convicted of bigamy. In the more serious classes of offences against the person the cases are referred to the Supreme Court for trial or sentence.
The 3,698 summary convictions for offences against property during 1924 are in the main made up of various forms of theft. Theft (not otherwise described) was responsible for 2,532 convictions, embezzlement for 16, housebreaking and stealing 17, theft from the person 1, horse and cattle stealing 18, and receiving stolen property 32. In addition, there were 381 convictions for fraud and false pretences, 2 for forgery, and 698 for mischief. The more serious cases of offences against the property laws are also sent on to the Supreme Court to be dealt with. Details of these will be found under “Criminal Cases in Supreme Courts.”
The principal of the “Other offences against good order” is vagrancy, which represented 532 of the 1,511 summary convictions under this heading in 1924. Offences relating to gambling (431), cruelty to animals (157), and Sunday-trading (90) ranked next in 1924.
Of “Other offences” (3,771 convictions in 1924), offences against the revenue laws were the principal, with 510 convictions. Miscellaneous offences under the following Acts also contributed materially to the total:—
| Factories | 55 |
| Shops and Offices | 233 |
| Shipping and Seamen | 336 |
| Fisheries | 155 |
| Animals Protection | 115 |
| Noxious Weeds | 236 |
| Apiaries | 71 |
| Rabbit Nuisance | 158 |
| Stock | 166 |
| Sale of Food and Drugs | 231 |
| Weights and Measures | 87 |
| Health | 85 |
| Education | 357 |
| Offenders Probation | 110 |
Of a total of 39,594 summary convictions in 1924, peremptory imprisonment was imposed in only 2,509 cases, in addition to which the convicted person went to gaol in 1,297 cases in lieu of paying a fine. A summary of punishments for the year 1924 is next given.
| Punishments | Offences against the Person | Offences against Property | Offences against Good Order | Other Offences | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released under Offenders Probation Act | 12 | 643 | 33 | 19 | 707 |
| Convicted and discharged | 64 | 884 | 1,998 | 1,023 | 3,969 |
| Convicted and ordered to come up for sentence | 42 | 320 | 258 | 89 | 709 |
| Committed to an industrial school | 4 | 186 | 1 | 11 | 202 |
| Committed to Salvation Army Home, &c | 2 | 30 | 42 | 18 | 92 |
| Fined | 366 | 760 | 15,789 | 9,593 | 26,508 |
| Imprisonment in lieu of fine | 32 | 134 | 942 | 189 | 1,297 |
| Peremptory imprisonment | 66 | 666 | 641 | 1,136 | 2,509 |
| Whipping | 3 | 45 | .. | .. | 48 |
| Bound over | 12 | .. | 29 | 3 | 44 |
| Order made | 2 | 30 | 1,609 | 1,868 | 3,509 |
| Totals | 605 | 3,698 | 21,342 | 13,949 | 39,594 |
The statistics given above refer, as stated, to all cases dealt with in Magistrates' Courts, including those in which a person is charged with two or more offences committed simultaneously or in the same connection—as, for instance, drunkenness, damaging property, and resisting the police. If only one (the most serious) offence is counted in each instance the number of cases in 1924 is reduced from 48,556 to 40,403. A summary is given for the years 1823 and 1924 comparing total and distinct cases, classified according to the results of the hearing.
| — | 1923 | 1924. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cases | Distinct Cases | Total Cases | Distinct Cases. | |
| Discharged for want of prosecution or want of evidence | 4,142 | 3,162 | 4,189 | 3,030 |
| Dismissed on the merits | 2,213 | 1,467 | 2,337 | 1,714 |
| Admonished and discharged | 744 | 303 | 845 | 612 |
| Committed for sentence | 1,096 | 381 | 944 | 399 |
| Committed for trial | 686 | 337 | 647 | 361 |
| Summary convictions recorded | 37,104 | 31,298 | 39,594 | 34,287 |
| Totals | 45,985 | 36,948 | 48,556 | 40,403 |
Persons charged in the Magistrates' Courts may be brought before the Court either on summons or after arrest, according to the nature of the offence and to other circumstances. Of the total of 48,556 cases in 1924, 14,769 were “arrest” and 33.787 “summons” cases. A summary is given.
| Class of Offence | Arrest Cases | Summons Cases. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases | Summary convictions | Cases | Summary Convictions. | |||||
| Males | Females | Males | Females | Males | Females | Males | Females. | |
| Against the person | 675 | 27 | 307 | 14 | 446 | 44 | 267 | 17 |
| Against property | 3,553 | 321 | 2,199 | 257 | 2,280 | 168 | 1,141 | 101 |
| Against good order | 8,670 | 525 | 8,407 | 506 | 13,313 | 619 | 11,902 | 527 |
| Other | 953 | 45 | 803 | 39 | 16,210 | 707 | 12,591 | 516 |
| Totals | 13,851 | 918 | 11,710 | 816 | 32,249 | 1,538 | 25,901 | 1,161 |
Information in connection with both arrest and summons cases is obtained on cards, which, however, give considerably more particulars concerning the offender in regard to the former class than are available for the latter. From the information given in arrest cases it is possible to ascertain the number of distinct persons arrested, and to compile statistics as to their ages, birthplaces, &c.
The total number of convictions of arrested persons during 1924 was 12,532, which reduces to 10,155 if multiple charges—i.e., those in respect of offences committed by the same person at the same time—are excluded. If only the principal offence for which each person was convicted during the year is taken into account the number of distinct persons convicted after arrest is found to be 8,149, a number equal to only 65 per cent. of the gross total of convictions of arrested persons.
The next three tables give the offences and ages, offences and birthplaces, and birthplaces and ages of the distinct persons arrested and convicted during 1924.
| Offences against | Under 20 | 20 and under 26 | 25 and under 30 | 30 and under 40 | 40 and over.* | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including unspecified. | ||||||
| The person | 14 | 41 | 53 | 84 | 102 | 294 |
| Property | 252 | 258 | 192 | 279 | 336 | 1,317 |
| Good order | 62 | 446 | 637 | 1,471 | 3,370 | 5,986 |
| Other offences | 20 | 90 | 73 | 142 | 227 | 552 |
| Totals | 348 | 835 | 955 | 1,976 | 4,035 | 8,149 |
| Offences against | New Zealand | England and Wales | Scotland | Ireland | Australia | Elsewhere.* | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including unspecified. | |||||||
| The person | 150 | 61 | 18 | 6 | 24 | 35 | 294 |
| Property | 864 | 177 | 53 | 38 | 83 | 102 | 1,317 |
| Good order | 2,803 | 1,105 | 503 | 585 | 363 | 627 | 5,986 |
| Other offences | 206 | 156 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 113 | 552 |
| Totals | 4,023 | 1,499 | 600 | 654 | 496 | 877 | 8,149 |
| Birthplace | under 20 | 20 and under 25 | 25 and under 30 | 30 and under 40 | 40 and over.* | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including unspecified. | ||||||
| New Zealand | 307 | 538 | 587 | 1,107 | 1,484 | 4,023 |
| England and Wales | 18 | 159 | 146 | 345 | 831 | 1,499 |
| Scotland | 5 | 30 | 63 | 133 | 369 | 600 |
| Ireland | 1 | 14 | 25 | 148 | 466 | 654 |
| Australia | 10 | 48 | 69 | 130 | 239 | 496 |
| Elsewhere* | 7 | 46 | 65 | 113 | 646 | 877 |
| Totals | 348 | 835 | 955 | 1,976 | 4,035 | 8,149 |
Of the 8,149 distinct persons arrested and convicted during 1924 no fewer than 5,986 were convicted for offences against good order, and of these 4,549 were for drunkenness (including 158 drunk and disorderly, and 3 habitual). In addition, 13 were convicted in respect of prohibition orders; 341 for indecent, riotous, or offensive conduct; 342 for using obscene, threatening, or abusive language; 377 for vagrancy; 108 for assaulting, resisting, or obstructing the police; 8 for soliciting prostitution: 2 for soliciting alms; 20 for cruelty to animals; 192 for offences relating to gambling; and 34 for breaches of by-laws. &c.
Of the 294 distinct persons arrested and convicted during 1924 for offences against the person, 246 were convicted for common assault and 40 for attempted suicide; and of the 1,317 distinct persons arrested and convicted for offences against property, 1,019 were guilty of theft of various classes, 103 of fraud and false pretences, 7 of receiving stolen property, and 186 of wilful damage.
Criminal cases in Supreme Courts are divisible into two classes—viz., those in which the accused person has pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court and has been committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, and those actually tried in the Supreme Court.
The following table gives a summary of criminal cases dealt with in Supreme Courts during each of the last five years. Maoris are included in this and following tables, except where the contrary is specifically stated.
| Year | Cases tried in Supreme Court. | Sentences in Case of Committal for Sentence | Total Sentences. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indictments and Informations | Convictions | ||||||||
| M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | Total | |
| 1920 | 583 | 48 | 305 | 23 | 659 | 24 | 964 | 47 | 1,011 |
| 1921 | 680 | 39 | 407 | 17 | 1,033 | 18 | 1,440 | 35 | 1,475 |
| 1922 | 912 | 16 | 510 | 3 | 873 | 31 | 1,383 | 34 | 1,417 |
| 1923 | 829 | 30 | 452 | 11 | 1,154 | 46 | 1,606 | 57 | 1,663 |
| 1924 | 808 | 30 | 435 | 13 | 885 | 55 | 1,320 | 68 | 1,388 |
The above table relates to the total criminal charges dealt with, each offence being taken into account. A similar table is next given, showing the number of distinct persons concerned, only the principal offence being taken into account where the same person was tried in respect of two or more offences during the year.
| Year | Persons tried in Supreme Court. | Persons sentenced after Committal for Sentence | Total Persons sentenced. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indicted | Convicted and sentenced | ||||||||
| M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | Total. | |
| 1920 | 328 | 24 | 183 | 14 | 243 | 17 | 426 | 31 | 457 |
| 1921 | 323 | 24 | 201 | 10 | 391 | 14 | 592 | 24 | 616 |
| 1922 | 386 | 11 | 250 | 3 | 330 | 18 | 580 | 21 | 601 |
| 1923 | 333 | 25 | 207 | 9 | 387 | 22 | 594 | 31 | 625 |
| 1924 | 336 | 17 | 210 | 6 | 318 | 21 | 528 | 27 | 555 |
Of the 353 distinct persons indicted during 1924, 216 were convicted and 117 acquitted. In the case of 12 persons no bill was returned or the prosecution otherwise not proceeded with, 3 persons were found insane, and 5 were awaiting trial at the end of the year.
The next table summarizes the offences of persons convicted or sentenced in Supreme Courts during the last five years:—
| Year | Total Convictions or Sentences | Distinct Persons. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offences against the Person | Offences against Property | Forgery and Offences against the Currency | Other Offences | Totals | Offences against the Person | Offences against Property | Forgery and Offences against the Currency | Other Offences | Totals. | |
| 1920 | 130 | 709 | 127 | 45 | 1,011 | 105 | 272 | 56 | 24 | 457 |
| 1921 | 196 | 1,022 | 189 | 68 | 1,475 | 113 | 393 | 71 | 39 | 616 |
| 1922 | 218 | 1,017 | 113 | 69 | 1,417 | 125 | 399 | 50 | 27 | 601 |
| 1923 | 218 | 1,078 | 202 | 105 | 1,063 | 144 | 357 | 72 | 52 | 625 |
| 1924 | 231 | 751 | 227 | 84 | 1,293 | 140 | 301 | 70 | 44 | 555 |
As might be expected from the nature of the offences, the number of charges per 100 persons concerned is much lower in the case of offences against the person than for other offences. The figures for the average of the five years covered by the above table are—
| Class of Offence | Total Convictions or Sentences per 100 Distinct Persons convicted or sentenced. |
|---|---|
| Offences against the person | 159 |
| Offences against property | 266 |
| Forgery and offences against the currency | 288 |
| Other offences | 199 |
| Total | 240 |
From their more serious nature in general, it might be expected that a much higher proportion of charges dealing with offences against the person would actually be tried in Supreme Courts than would be the case with other offences, and the following table, covering the year 1924, shows that this is so:—
| Class of Offence | Total Convictions (or Sentences) | Distinct Persons convicted (or sentenced). | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers | Percentages | Numbers | Percentages. | |||||
| After Trial | After Committal for Sentence | After Trial | After Committal for Sentence | After Trial | After Committal for Sentence | After Trial | After Committal for Sentence. | |
| Offences against the person | 142 | 89 | 61 | 39 | 85 | 55 | 61 | 39 |
| Offences against property | 155 | 596 | 21 | 79 | 100 | 201 | 33 | 67 |
| Forgery and offences against the currency | 18 | 209 | 8 | 92 | 14 | 50 | 20 | 80 |
| Other offences | 38 | 46 | 45 | 55 | 17 | 27 | 39 | 61 |
| Totals | 353 | 940 | 27 | 73 | 216 | 339 | 39 | 61 |
Dealing now only with distinct persons, and counting only the most serious offence in respect of which sentence was passed, it is found that of the 140 persons sentenced for offences against the person in 1924 no fewer than 94 were guilty of sexual offences, as follows: Indecent assaults on females, 31; indecent assaults on males, 19; rape, 2; unlawful carnal knowledge, including attempts, 20; incest, 9; and unnatural offences, 13. Murder was the offence in 3 cases, attempted murder in 1, manslaughter in 5, wounding with intent in 1, aggravated assault in 10, common assault in 6, robbery with violence in 3, procuring or attempting to procure abortion in 5, concealment of birth in 1, attempted suicide in 1, and bigamy in .
Of offences against property, breaking and entering (with or without theft) was the principal offence for which 117 persons were convicted or sentenced, while 94 were guilty, of theft (including horse-stealing and sheep-stealing), 13 of receiving stolen property, 38 of fraud or false pretences, 29 of embezzlement, 7 of arson or attempted arson, 1 of blackmail, and 2 of mischief.
Of the 70 persons shown under the heading of “Forgery and Offences against the Currency,” 44 were convicted or sentenced for forgery alone, and the remaining 26 for forgery and uttering.
The principal of “Other offences “in 1924 were: False declarations under the Births and Deaths Registration Act or the Marriage Act, 15; false declarations not otherwise defined, 7; breaches of Offenders Probation Act, 5; breaches of Bankruptcy Act, 6; indecent, riotous, or offensive conduct, 4; escaping from lawful custody, 3; and perjury, 4.
The next table shows punishments inflicted on offenders by the Supreme Court during 1924, classified according to nature of principal offence. Of the 555 persons dealt with, no fewer than 124 were released under the provisions of the Offenders Probation Act, 2 were convicted and discharged, 20 ordered to come up for sentence when called on, and 1 held to bail or awaiting the pleasure of the Court, while the offence was met by the imposition of a fine in 22 cases. Of the remainder, 2 were sentenced to death, and the balance (384) to detention in prisons or reformative institutions.
| Punishment | Offence against the Person | Offence against Property | Forgery and Offences against the Currency | Other Offences | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| Imprisonment only, with or without hard labour: — | |||||
| 15 years and upwards | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| 10 and under 15 years | 11 | .. | .. | .. | 11 |
| 7 and under 10 year | 6 | .. | .. | .. | 6 |
| 5 and under 7 year | 15 | 2 | .. | .. | 17 |
| 3 and under 5 year | 16 | 16 | 3 | .. | 35 |
| 2 and under 3 year | 6 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 44 |
| 1 and under 2 year | 11 | 39 | 6 | 2 | 58 |
| 6 months and under 1 year | 4 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 27 |
| Under 6 months | 10 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 31 |
| Imprisonment and reformative treatment | 4 | .. | 1 | .. | 5 |
| Reformative treatment only | 29 | 79 | 19 | 4 | 131 |
| Imprisonment and declared habitual criminal | 1 | 12 | .. | .. | 13 |
| Committed to institutions not under control of Prisons Department | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 3 |
| Fined | .. | 5 | 12 | 5 | 22 |
| Released under Offenders Probation Act | 13 | 81 | 20 | 10 | 124 |
| Convicted and discharged | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 2 |
| Ordered to come up for sentence | 7 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 20 |
| Held on bail or awaiting pleasure of Court | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Totals | 140 | 301 | 70 | 44 | 555 |
Twenty Maoris were included in the 555 distinct offenders sentenced in the Supreme Court in 1924, and 370 others (including 18 women) were born in New Zealand. In 80 cases the birthplace was England, in 20 Scotland, in 13 Ireland, and in 31 Australia.
No fewer than 72 of the offenders were under twenty years of age, 120 between twenty and twenty-five, 90 between twenty-five and thirty, 143 between thirty and forty, 84 between forty and fifty, 26 between fifty and sixty, and 14 over sixty. In 6 cases the age was unspecified.
Under the provisions of the Judicature Amendment Act, 1913, the Court of Appeal consists of two divisions, called the First Division and the Second Division, each division consisting of five Judges of the Supreme Court, who are appointed as members of either division by the Governor-General in Council on the recommendation of three Judges of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice. The same division does not exercise the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal at two successive sittings, but exercises its jurisdiction separately, except that in cases of importance involving special difficulty any two Judges (of whom the Chief Justice shall be one) may recommend, for the approval of the Governor-General in Council, that a joint sitting of both divisions may he held. The Chief Justice or, in his absence, the senior Judge presides. The decision of the Court must be in accordance with the majority of the Judges present, but if the Judges present are equally divided in opinion the judgment, &c., appealed from shall be deemed to be affirmed.
In addition to the ordinary appeals from the Supreme Court, certain other proceedings arising in inferior Courts may, on an order of the Supreme Court, be removed into the Court of Appeal for argument. All decisions of the Court of Appeal are final unless leave is granted to appeal to His Majesty in Council.
In criminal cases questions of law may be reserved by the Supreme Court for the Court of Appeal, and upon a refusal by the Court to reserve any question the person aggrieved may move the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal. Any person aggrieved may also (after conviction) apply to the Court of Appeal for a new trial upon leave being granted by the Supreme Court. Any person has now the right to apply to the Court of Appeal against a sentence passed in the Supreme Court where such person has been convicted upon an indictment or if sentenced for any crime on a plea of “Guilty.”
The number of cases brought before this Court and the judgments thereon for the last ten years are as follow:—
| Year | Crown Criminal Cases. | Civil. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Convictions affirmed | Appeals. | Cases removed. | ||||
| Number. | Allowed | Number | Judgments for Plaintiffs. | Judgments for Defendants. | |||
| 1915 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 11 | 3 |
| 1916 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 1917 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| 1918 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 1919 | 6 | .. | 13 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 1920 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| 1921 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| 1922 | 4 | 4 | 28 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 5 |
| 1923 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 2 | .. |
| 1924 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 6 |
The following table gives for the year 1924 the person accommodation, the number of prisoners received, the number in prison at end of year, and the daily average number in confinement:—
| Name of Prison | Number for whom there is Accommodation | Number received during Year | Number in Confinement at End of Year | Daily Average Number in Confinement. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* Deemed to be prisons under section 17 of the Statute Law Amendment Act, 1917. | ||||
| Auckland | 425 | 1,590 | 386 | 372.61 |
| Waikeria | 140 | 96 | 108 | 95.37 |
| New Plymouth | 68 | 103 | 44 | 52.97 |
| Wanganui | 43 | 150 | 29 | 29.32 |
| Hautu (Tokaanu) | 36 | 31 | 27 | 30.15 |
| Waikune (Erua) | 92 | 90 | 82 | 67.80 |
| Napier | 58 | 160 | 18 | 17.43 |
| Wellington | 88 | 934 | 99 | 95.40 |
| Point Halswell | 21 | 72 | 25 | 37.60 |
| Point Halswell Borstal Institution | 23 | 2 | 2 | 2.00 |
| Wi Tako | 67 | 104 | 70 | 54.00 |
| Addington | 32 | 69 | 15 | 11.52 |
| Paparua | 196 | 362 | 123 | 121.24 |
| Invereargill | 49 | 154 | 185 | 175.38 |
| Invercargill Borstal Institution | 132 | 2 | 2 | 0.26 |
| Minor prisons | 173 | 712 | 130 | 33.44 |
| Police-stations* | .. | 112 | 2 | .. |
| Totals | 1,643 | 4,743 | 1,247 | 1196.49 |
The number of persons in gaol at the end of each of the last ten years, and the proportion per 10,000 of population as at the 31st December, is given in the next table:—
| Year | Number of Prisoners | Proportion per 10,000 of Population. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergoing Sentence | On Remand and awaiting Trial, &c. | Total | Undergoing Sentence | Total in Confinement. | |
| 1915 | 941 | 57 | 998 | 8.16 | 8.66 |
| 1916 | 834 | 56 | 890 | 7.25 | 7.74 |
| 1917 | 954 | 53 | 1,007 | 8.31 | 8.78 |
| 1918 | 1,005 | 42 | 1,047 | 8.68 | 9.04 |
| 1919 | 852 | 68 | 920 | 6.94 | 7.50 |
| 1920 | 996 | 64 | 1,060 | 7.92 | 8.43 |
| 1921 | 1,044 | 55 | 1,099 | 8.08 | 8.50 |
| 1922 | 1,052 | 62 | 1,114 | 8.32 | 8.90 |
| 1923 | 1,141 | 54 | 1,195 | 8.50 | 8.90 |
| 1924 | 1,197 | 50 | 1,247 | 8.85 | 9.22 |
In the following table prisoners in confinement at the end of each of the last ten years are classified according to nature of sentence:—
| Year | Simple Imprisonment | Hard Labour, under Three Mouths | Hard Labour, Three Months and under One Year | Hard Labour, One Year and over | Habitual Criminals | Receiving Reformative Treatment | On Remand, awaiting Trial, &c. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 26 | 98 | 202 | 386 | 115 | 114 | 57 | 998 |
| 1916 | 8 | 68 | 127 | 346 | 59 | 226 | 56 | 890 |
| 1917 | 29 | 48 | 210 | 423 | 48 | 196 | 53 | 1,007 |
| 1918 | 15 | 45 | 128 | 566 | 42 | 209 | 42 | 1,047 |
| 1919 | 8 | 60 | 106 | 339 | 38 | 301 | 68 | 920 |
| 1920 | 21 | 97 | 149 | 281 | 63 | 385 | 64 | 1,060 |
| 1921 | 14 | 70 | 170 | 392 | 52 | 346 | 55 | 1,099 |
| 1922 | 9 | 77 | 145 | 363 | 45 | 413 | 62 | 1,114 |
| 1923 | 11 | 102 | 171 | 361 | 44 | 452 | 54 | 1,195 |
| 1924 | 19 | 102 | 147 | 424 | 51 | 468 | 50 | 1,261 |
The total number of prisoners received in the different gaols during the year 1924 was 4,743 (males 4,472, females 271), as compared with 4,685 (males 4,415, females 270) in 1923, counting each admission as a distinct person.
If to the total of 4,743 receptions during the year be added 53 persons in gaol awaiting trial or sentence at the beginning of the year, an aggregate of 4,796 is obtained. This number includes 140 debtors and 2 lunatics, the gross total of receptions of prisoners sentenced for, or persons charged with, criminal offences being 4,654. From this gross total must be deducted 779 as representing receptions on transfer or in transitu, leaving a net total of 3,875 receptions. In 774 cases the accused person was not returned to prison after trial, and 50 persons were in prison awaiting trial or sentence at the end of the year. The net total receptions of prisoners under sentence reduces to 3,051, and, after making a further deduction of 646 on account of more than one term of imprisonment being undergone by the same person during the year, the number of distinct prisoners received under sentence for criminal offences is found to be 2,405 (males 2,281, females 124). This number includes 105 Maoris (103 males, 2 females).
The number of distinct persons received into prison under sentence of imprisonment during the last seven years, with the proportion per 10,000 of mean population, is given in the next table. Similar information for previous years is not available, owing to the fact that, prior to 1918, persons lodged in prison to await trial and subsequently found guilty but not sentenced to imprisonment (being fined, released on probation, &c.) were included in the totals. The figures from 1918 onwards relate only to those actually sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
| Year | Number of Distinct Prisoners received under Sentence | Proportion per 10,000 of Mean Population. |
|---|---|---|
| 1918 | 1,783 | 15.47 |
| 1919 | 1,833 | 15.37 |
| 1920 | 1,955 | 15.74 |
| 1921 | 2,120 | 16.61 |
| 1922 | 2,249 | 17.23 |
| 1923 | 2,358 | 17.75 |
| 1924 | 2,405 | 17.78 |
In classifying the offences a prisoner convicted of more than one offence during the year is reckoned once only, under the heading of the principal offence—e.g., a prisoner convicted three times of drunkenness, twice of vagrancy, and once of theft is counted once only, under the heading “Offences against Property,” theft being the principal offence. Debtors and lunatics received into gaol are omitted.
The following table shows the sexes and ages of distinct prisoners received into prison under sentence during the year 1924, and distinguishes between Maoris and others:—
| Age, in Years | Excluding Maoris | Maoris | Including Maoris. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females | Total. | |
| Under 20 | 90 | 7 | 97 | 16 | .. | 16 | 106 | 7 | 113 |
| 20 25 | 280 | 8 | 288 | 37 | 1 | 38 | 317 | 9 | 326 |
| 25 and under 30 | 293 | 10 | 306 | 19 | .. | 19 | 312 | 10 | 322 |
| 30 and under 35 | 255 | 4 | 259 | 8 | .. | 8 | 263 | 4 | 267 |
| 35 and under 40 | 284 | 18 | 302 | 8 | .. | 8 | 292 | 18 | 310 |
| 40 and under 45 | 310 | 30 | 340 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 315 | 31 | 346 |
| 45 and under 50 | 217 | 23 | 240 | 2 | 2 | 219 | 23 | 242 | .. |
| 50 and under 55 | 182 | 6 | 188 | 4 | 4 | 186 | 6 | 192 | .. |
| 55 and under 60 | 113 | 6 | 119 | 3 | 3 | 116 | 6 | 122 | .. |
| 60 and under 65 | 66 | 5 | 71 | .. | .. | 66 | 5 | 71 | .. |
| 65 and under 70 | 44 | 3 | 47 | .. | .. | 44 | 3 | 47 | .. |
| 70 and under 75 | 33 | 2 | 35 | .. | .. | 33 | 2 | 35 | .. |
| 75 and under 80 | 7 | .. | 7 | .. | .. | 7 | .. | 7 | .. |
| 80 and over | 4 | .. | 4 | .. | .. | .. | 4 | .. | 4 |
| Not stated | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. |
| Totals | 2,178 | 122 | 2,300 | 103 | 2 | 105 | 2,281 | 124 | 2,405 |
Under the system in force up to and including 1923 Maoris were excluded from the main compilation of statistics of prisoners, only the bare totals of Maori prisoners being available, classified according to sex and age, as in the foregoing table. The following tables, covering the year 1924, however, relate to all prisoners (including Maoris) received under sentence during the year. The tables show the number of distinct persons received into prison under sentence during 1924, classified according to (1) birthplaces and offences, (2) ages and offences, and (3) ages and previous convictions.
| Birthplace | Nature of Offence. | Totals. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against the Person | Against Property | Drunkenness | Other Offences | ||
| New Zealand | 114 | 448 | 181 | 507 | 1,250 |
| Australia | 14 | 47 | 32 | 52 | 145 |
| England and Wales | 45 | 123 | 117 | 250 | 535 |
| Scotland | 8 | 39 | 52 | 75 | 174 |
| Ireland | 9 | 24 | 64 | 59 | 156 |
| Other British countries | 3 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 34 |
| China | 1 | 1 | .. | 10 | 12 |
| Other foreign countries | 10 | 9 | 22 | 49 | 90 |
| At sea | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Not stated | .. | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Totals | 204 | 699 | 478 | 1,024 | 2,405 |
| Age, in Years. | Offences against the Person | Theft and other Offences against Property | Offences not included previously. | Totals. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sexual Offences. | Assaults | Other | Vagrancy | Drunkenness | Other | |||
| Under 21 | 10 | 9 | .. | 81 | 3 | .. | 48 | 151 |
| 21 and under 25 | 8 | 15 | 3 | 127 | 12 | 16 | 107 | 288 |
| 25 and under 30 | 9 | 23 | 3 | 109 | 21 | 33 | 124 | 322 |
| 30 and under 35 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 93 | 8 | 35 | 106 | 267 |
| 35 and under 40 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 83 | 31 | 59 | 112 | 310 |
| 40 and under 45 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 80 | 35 | 87 | 120 | 346 |
| 45 and under 50 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 34 | 31 | 72 | 86 | 242 |
| 50 and under 55 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 31 | 27 | 70 | 56 | 192 |
| 55 and under 60 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 17 | 43 | 30 | 122 |
| 60 and under 65 | 1 | 2 | .. | 14 | 12 | 34 | 8 | 71 |
| 65 and over | 4 | 4 | .. | 7 | 24 | 29 | 25 | 93 |
| Not stated | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. |
| Totals | 76 | 104 | 24 | 679 | 221 | 478 | 823 | 2,405 |
| Age, in Years | Not previously convicted | Previous Convictions | Total Distinct Convicted Prisoners. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Once. | Twice. | Three Times. | Four Times. | Over Four Times | Totals | |||
| Under 21 | 74 | 41 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 77 | 151 |
| 21 and under 25 | 165 | 40 | 21 | 14 | 18 | 30 | 123 | 288 |
| 25 and under 30 | 154 | 49 | 37 | 21 | 9 | 52 | 168 | 322 |
| 30 and under 35 | 104 | 46 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 65 | 163 | 267 |
| 35 and under 40 | 123 | 45 | 32 | 18 | 11 | 81 | 187 | 310 |
| 40 and under 45 | 121 | 42 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 119 | 225 | 346 |
| 45 and under 50 | 78 | 25 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 100 | 164 | 242 |
| 50 and under 55 | 57 | 24 | 13 | 17 | 5 | 76 | 135 | 192 |
| 55 and under 60 | 40 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 53 | 82 | 122 |
| 60 and under 65 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 54 | 71 |
| 65 and over | 23 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 53 | 70 | 93 |
| Not stated | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 957 | 333 | 197 | 147 | 91 | 680 | 1,447 | 2,405 |
The next table gives the offences and gravest previous offences of the distinct persons received into prison under sentence during 1924:—
| Offences. | Gravest Previous Offence. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against the Person. | Theft and other Offences against Property. | Offences not included previously. | Totals. | |||||
| Sexual Offences. | Assault. | Other. | Vagrancy. | Drunkenness. | Other. | |||
| Against the person— | ||||||||
| Sexual offences | 8 | 3 | .. | 14 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 35 |
| Assaults | 1 | 11 | .. | 22 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 55 |
| Other | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | 6 |
| Against property | 2 | 16 | 1 | 269 | 12 | 16 | 38 | 454 |
| Offences not included above— | ||||||||
| Vagrancy | .. | 7 | .. | 66 | 90 | 7 | 16 | 186 |
| Drunkenness | 2 | 8 | 1 | 87 | 28 | 150 | 53 | 329 |
| Other | 8 | 17 | 3 | 145 | 14 | 46 | 149 | 382 |
| Totals | 21 | 63 | 7 | 705 | 146 | 228 | 278 | 1,448 |
The following table shows the distinct prisoners (excluding Maoris) received in prison during 1924 after being sentenced to reformative treatment or having been declared habitual criminals, classified according to sentences:—
| Original Sentence | Sentenced to Reformative Treatment for a Period of | Declared Habitual Criminals | Totals. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under Two Years | Two and under Five Years | Five Years and over | |||
| Reformative treatment only | 60 | 156 | 5 | .. | 221 |
| Declared habitual criminal | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Under 1 year | 13 | 9 | .. | 7 | 29 |
| 1 year and under 2 | .. | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 years and under 3 | .. | 2 | .. | 4 | 6 |
| 3 years and under 4 | .. | 3 | .. | 6 | 9 |
| 4 years and under 5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 5 years and under 7 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| 7 years and over | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 73 | 171 | 6 | 21 | 271 |
For the purposes of the Crimes Amendment Act of 1910 there is constituted a Prisons Board, the members of which are appointed by the Governor-General in Council for a period of three years, and may be reappointed. As at present constituted, the Board consists of the Chief Justice, as President, and six other members. The Board meets at such times as the President determines, and, subject to the provisions of the Act and regulations, may determine its own procedure.
It is the duty of the Board to make inquiry from time to time as to whether there is reasonable cause for belief that any habitual criminal undergoing sentence or reformative detention is sufficiently reformed to be released on probation or discharged, or for granting discharge to any person who has been released on probation; and to make recommendations as to the release or discharge of any habitual criminal, habitual offender, or person under sentence of reformative detention, and as to the conditions which may be imposed on any such release or probation. The Board is required to take into consideration the case of every habitual criminal, &c., at least once a year, and to make a report to the Minister of Justice annually as to the operations of the Board, numbers dealt with, and the operation and effect of the Act.
Under the provisions of section 14 of the Statute Law Amendment Act, 1917, the Board was empowered to consider, at the request of the Minister of Justice, the cases of prisoners who had been sentenced to imprisonment with or without hard labour for periods exceeding two years, after half of the full term of imprisonment had expired, and to make recommendations to the Governor-General as to the release on probation of any such prisoner.
An Act styled the First Offenders' Probation Act was passed in 1886 to provide, at the discretion of the Court, for conditional release on probation in the case of first offenders, in lieu of imprisonment. This Act, with its amendment of 1903, was consolidated in 1908, the consolidated Act being repealed in 1920 by the Offenders Probation Act of that year, under which the system of probation is no linger confined to first offenders.
Under the Act of 1886 an “offence” for which probation could be granted was defined as—
“Any indictable offence, not being one for murder, attempted murder, burglary, coining, corrosive-fluid throwing, demanding money with menaces, extortion of money under threats of accusation of crime, placing an explosive substance to endanger life or property, rape, robbery with violence, or an offence attended by irreparable or serious consequences, and either endanger-big life, or indicating, in the opinion of the Court, an established criminal intention on the part of the accused, and includes any indictable offence which may be dealt with and disposed of by a Court of summary jurisdiction.”
The Act of 1920 widens the definition to cover “any offence punishable by imprisonment, whether on indictment or otherwise.”
The maximum period of probation was originally fixed as not exceeding the longest term of imprisonment to which the offender might be sentenced for his offence; in 1903 the maximum was altered to three years, and in 1920 to five years.
Probation Officers are appointed, whose duties are defined by section 5 of the 1920 Act, which reads as follows:—
It shall be the duty of a Probation Officer, when so required by the Court,—
To make inquiries as to the character and personal history of any person accused or convicted of an offence, and as to such other matters in relation to such person as the Court may direct, and to report fully thereon to the Court in writing; and
To keep a full record of such inquiries and of the results thereof.
It shall be the special duty of the Probation Officer, if satisfied in any case that the best interests of the public and of the offender would be served by the release of the offender on probation, to recommend to the Court that he be so released.”
The conditions of release on probation are set out as follows:—
That the offender shall report himself in person where directed within twenty-four hours after his release on probation:
That he shall report himself in person between the hours of nine in the morning and nine in the evening of such day or days (being not less than once in every month) as may be specified in that behalf in the order, or as may be required by the Probation Officer, and at such place or places as may be directed: Provided that the Probation Officer may, if he thinks fit, authorize him to report in writing in lieu of in person on any occasion:
That he shall reside at an address notified to the Probation Officer, and that lie shall sleep at such address unless the Probation Officer otherwise approves in writing:
That if he removes from such address he shall give to the Probation Officer at least forty-eight hours' notice of his intention so to do; and if he removes to any place within the district of another Probation Officer he shall, within twenty-four hours after such removal, notify the fact of his removal, and his address and employment, to the Probation Officer in that district:
That the nature and place of his employment shall be made known to and be approved by the Probation Officer:
That he shall not associate with any person or persons or with any class of persons with whom the Probation Officer has in writing warned him not to associate:
That he shall be of good behaviour, and shall commit no offence against the law:
Such other special conditions as the Court may, in its discretion, impose.”
A breach of the conditions of the probationary license renders the offender liable to imprisonment or fine, and in addition he may, in respect of the original offence, be either committed to prison or again released on probation.
The effect of the legislation of 1920 has been to greatly increase the number of cases in which probation is extended to an offender. According to a return prepared by the Chief Probation Officer, 586 persons were placed on probation in the year 1924, as against 572 in 1923, 508 in 1922, 575 in 1921, and 264 in 1920.
The following table gives the ages and terms of probation of offenders dealt with under the provisions of the Act during the year 1924:—
| Age in Years. | 6 Months or under. | 1 Year. | 18 Months. | 2 Years. | 3 Years. | 4 Years. | 5 Years. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 and under 15 | 2 | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 5 |
| 15 and under 20 | 8 | 62 | 8 | 63 | 40 | 1 | 1 | 183 |
| 20 and under 25 | 5 | 53 | 4 | 56 | 26 | .. | 1 | 145 |
| 25 and under 30 | 6 | 24 | 3 | 27 | 17 | .. | .. | 77 |
| 30 and under 40 | 4 | 32 | 2 | 49 | 14 | .. | .. | 102 |
| 40 and under 50 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 25 | 11 | .. | 1 | 54 |
| 50 and under 70 | 2 | 8 | .. | 4 | 4 | .. | .. | 18 |
| 70 and over | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| Totals | 32 | 191 | 19 | 227 | 112 | 2 | 3 | 586 |
Offences committed by juvenile offenders—i.e., persons under or apparently under the age of sixteen—constitute a class worthy of special consideration. Figures of juvenile cases in Magistrates' Courts during each of the last ten years are as follows:—
| Year. | Total Cases. | Discharged for want of Prosecution or Evidence. | Dismissed on the Merits. | Admonished and discharged. | Committed for Trial or Sentence. | Summarily convicted. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* New heading, 1917. | ||||||
| 1915 | 1,677 | 374 | 68 | * | 6 | 1,229 |
| 1916 | 1,687 | 464 | 83 | * | 5 | 1,135 |
| 1917 | 1,585 | 99 | 87 | 503 | 9 | 887 |
| 1918 | 1,552 | 122 | 44 | 552 | 3 | 831 |
| 1919 | 1,759 | 115 | 55 | 643 | 20 | 926 |
| 1920 | 1,579 | 80 | 59 | 646 | 17 | 777 |
| 1921 | 1,391 | 66 | 44 | 637 | 12 | 632 |
| 1922 | 1,254 | 50 | 59 | 627 | .. | 518 |
| 1923 | 1,149 | 59 | 57 | 618 | 12 | 403 |
| 1924 | 1,475 | 48 | 56 | 754 | 5 | 612 |
The increasing utilization of the provision which enables a Magistrate to admonish and discharge an offender without a conviction being recorded renders comparisons on the basis of summary convictions inadvisable, as it is obvious from a glance at the figures for 1916 and 1917 that many who in 1917 and subsequent years have been admonished and discharged would prior to that year have been included among the convicted, though a considerable proportion would have been included in the totals of “discharged for want of evidence” and “dismissed on the merits,” especially as the form of return then in use did not provide for “admonished and discharged” cases. Probably the best comparison between one year and another is obtained by taking the total number of juvenile cases, as in the following:—
| Year. 1915 | Number. 1,677 | Per 1,000 of Mean Population. |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 1,677 | 1.52 |
| 1916 | 1,687 | 1.53 |
| 1917 | 1,585 | 1.44 |
| 1918 | 1,552 | 1.40 |
| 1919 | 1,759 | 1.54 |
| 1920 | 1,579 | 1.32 |
| 1921 | 1,391 | 1.14 |
| 1922 | 1,254 | 1.00 |
| 1923 | 1,149 | 0.87 |
| 1924 | 1,475 | 1.09 |
In the next table cases dealing with juveniles in 1924 are classified according to nature of offence and result of hearing. A high percentage of charges against juveniles is in respect of offences against property.
| Class of Offence. | Total. | Dismissed or withdrawn for Want of Prosecution or of Evidence. | Dismissed on the Merits. | Admonished add discharged. | Committed for Trial or Sentence. | Summarily convicted. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against the person | 23 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 12 |
| Against property (including forgery) | 1,202 | 38 | 49 | 656 | 4 | 455 |
| Against good order | 177 | 3 | 3 | 69 | .. | 102 |
| Other | 73 | 6 | 3 | 21 | .. | 43 |
| Totals | 1,475 | 48 | 56 | 754 | 5 | 612 |
The principal of the offences against the person is 1924 was common assault, which was responsible for 13 cases, resulting in the offender being convicted in 8 cases and admonished and discharged in 4. Indecent assault resulted in 1 juvenile offender being committed to the Supreme Court for sentence, and 4 being admonished and discharged, while 2 were summarily convicted.
Theft was the principal offence against property, 876 charges being dealt with in 1924. The case was dismissed in 54 instances, 362 offenders were summarily convicted, and no fewer than 460 admonished and discharged. These figures do not include housebreaking and stealing, which was the offence in 28 cases. There were also 15 charges of receiving stolen property.
Wilful damage, mischief, &c., is also an important class of offence in juvenile cases, being responsible for 213 charges in 1924. Forty-eight offenders were convicted, and 142 admonished and discharged.
Breaches of by-laws constituted the offence in 162 of the 177 cases under the heading of “Offences against good order.” Sixty-two offenders were admonished and discharged, and 95 summarily convicted.
Breaches of the Defence Act (16 charges) and offences relating to the use of firearms (23) were the principal of the “Other offences” in 1924. The former led to 15 summary convictions, and the latter to 14.
Offences by juveniles are seldom of a very Serious nature, and even when a conviction is recorded Magistrates frequently adopt the course of discharging the offender or of ordering him to come up for sentence when called upon. In the latter case it rests almost entirely with the offender himself as to whether any further steps will be taken, and it is found that in very few cases does the future conduct of the convicted person render it necessary for him to be brought before the Magistrate again for sentence.
The punishments meted out to juvenile offenders in 1924 were as follows:—
| Punishment. | Against the Person. | Against Property. | Against Good Order. | Other. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released on probation | .. | 62 | .. | .. | 62 |
| Convicted and discharged | 5 | 107 | 22 | 22 | 156 |
| Convicted and ordered to come up for sentence | .. | 36 | 3 | .. | 39 |
| Committed to industrial school | 4 | 161 | 1 | 8 | 174 |
| Committed to non-Government institutions | .. | 22 | .. | 1 | 23 |
| Fined | .. | 25 | 76 | 11 | 112 |
| Imprisoned | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 |
| Whipped | 3 | 41 | .. | .. | 44 |
| Order made | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Total summary convictions | 12 | 455 | 102 | 43 | 612 |
Beyond the information disclosed by the Magistrates' Court returns as to committals for sentence or trial, no statistics of juvenile cases in Supreme Courts are available. From the table on the previous page, however, it is obvious that very few such cases find their way to the higher Court.
Similarly, juvenile prisoners are almost non-existent, it being the custom where restraint is necessary to commit offenders to industrial schools. The prison statistics show that only three boys under the age of sixteen were received into gaol during 1924.
Crime amongst women in New Zealand is not extensive. Of 39,594 summary convictions in Magistrates' Courts in 1924 only 1,977, or 4.99 per cent., were of females. Drunkenness, including the issue of prohibition orders, was responsible for 481 convictions, theft 250, fraud and false pretences 73, wilful damage 28, common assault 20, attempted suicide 11, offensive conduct or language 59, vagrancy 57, and offences against the revenue laws 20. A large proportion of the convictions was in respect of minor breaches of the law, including 25 cases of Sunday-trading; 384 breaches of bylaws and traffic regulations; 114 of the Licensing Act; 110, Impounding Act; 60, Education Act; 74, Destitute Persons Act; 29, Noxious Weeds Act; and 25, Shops and Offices Act.
The exclusion of multiple charges in respect of offences committed in conjunction reduces the number of summary convictions of females to 1,726, including 602 arrest cases, winch represent only 426 distinct persons. The number of distinct persons concerned in the 1,124 summons cases cannot be ascertained.
In addition to the 1,977 summary convictions of women in Magistrates' Courts during the year there were 76 committals to the Supreme Court—47 for sentence and 29 for trial. The Supreme Court statistics show that 30 charges against females were dealt with during the year, resulting in 14 convictions, representing 6 distinct persons. In addition, 21 women were sentenced after committal for sentence in respect of 55 offences.
The number of distinct female prisoners received into prison during 1924 was 134, the principal offences of these being—vagrancy, 37; drunkenness, 26; and theft, 40. The actual number of receptions of female prisoners during the year was 281, this number including Maoris, and the daily average number of women prisoners in gaol was 79.20. Two reformatories (at Addington and Point Halswell) house women prisoners only.
The statistics available on the subject indicate that crime among the New-Zealand-born is less than among the rest of the population of the Dominion. As explained previously, information as to birthplace and age is available in arrest-cases, and the figures for 1924 show that of 8,149 persons convicted in Magistrates' Courts after arrest, 4,023, or 49 per cent., were New-Zealand-born (including Maoris). While New-Zealand-born males formed 59 per cent. of the total male population at ages 20 and over at the Census of 1921, they formed in 1924 only 46 per cent. of males of those ages convicted in Magistrates' Courts after arrest.
A summary of offences and ages of distinct New-Zealand-born persons convicted during 1924 is given (females are included).
| Offences against | Under 20. | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 40. | 40 and over. | Not stated. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The person | 13 | 24 | 25 | 47 | 37 | 4 | 150 |
| Property | 228 | 198 | 140 | 171 | 117 | 9 | 863 |
| Good order | 49 | 280 | 396 | 816 | 1,248 | 15 | 2,804 |
| Other offences | 17 | 36 | 26 | 73 | 54 | .. | 206 |
| Totals | 307 | 538 | 587 | 1,107 | 1,456 | 28 | 4,023 |
Daring the year 1924, 1,164 male and 86 female distinct New-Zealand-born prisoners were received into prison under sentence.
The following table shows the ages of distinct New-Zealand-born prisoners received into gaol during the last five years. The proportion of New-Zealand-born to total male prisoners at ages 20 and over was in 1924 53 per cent., as compared with the 59 per cent. shown previously as being the corresponding proportion in the population.
| Year. | Under 15. | 15 and under 20. | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 40. | 40 and over. | Not stated. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 1 | 83 | 177 | 150 | 253 | 289 | .. | 953 |
| 1921 | .. | 90 | 165 | 142 | 289 | 300 | 3 | 989 |
| 1922 | .. | 146 | 259 | 171 | 304 | 312 | .. | 1,192 |
| 1923 | 1 | 115 | 216 | 207 | 354 | 379 | 1 | 1,273 |
| 1924 | .. | 99 | 215 | 192 | 328 | 415 | 1 | 1,250 |
The number of convictions of Maoris brought before Magistrates' Courts for the last ten years is shown in the following table:—
| Year. | Offences. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Against the Person. | Against Property. | Against Good Order. | Other Offences. | Totals. | ||
| Drunkenness.* | Other. | |||||
* Excluding prohibition-order cases. | ||||||
| 1915 | 69 | 187 | 422 | 405 | 373 | 1,456 |
| 1916 | 44 | 152 | 296 | 393 | 378 | 1,263 |
| 1917 | 50 | 185 | 320 | 373 | 490 | 1,418 |
| 1918 | 66 | 190 | 297 | 407 | 458 | 1,418 |
| 1919 | 150 | 272 | 411 | 620 | 482 | 1,935 |
| 1920 | 100 | 275 | 390 | 472 | 614 | 1,851 |
| 1921 | 75 | 297 | 314 | 444 | 548 | 1,678 |
| 1922 | 67 | 238 | 216 | 327 | 520 | 1,368 |
| 1923 | 83 | 276 | 244 | 404 | 499 | 1,506 |
| 1924 | 55 | 297 | 264 | 362 | 513 | 1,491 |
Distinct Maoris convicted after arrest in 1924 numbered 346. The ages of these are given in the following table, in combination with information as to the class of offence:—
| Offences against | Under 20. | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 40. | 40 and over. | Unspecified. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The person | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 |
| Property | 35 | 23 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 100 |
| Good order | 1 | 38 | 57 | 47 | 61 | 14 | 218 |
| Other offences | 1 | 2 | .. | 4 | .. | 1 | 8 |
| Totals | 39 | 66 | 79 | 64 | 71 | 27 | 346 |
The number of Maoris convicted in the higher Courts exhibits the extent of serious crime amongst the Native race. Those who are sentenced in the Supreme Court after pleading guilty in the lower Court have been included.
| Year. | Maoris convicted or sentenced in Supreme Court for | Totals. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offences against the Person. | Offences against Property. | Forgery and Offences against the Currency. | Miscellaneous Offences. | ||
| 1920 | 6 | 18 | 7 | .. | 31 |
| 1921 | 10 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 40 |
| 1922 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 23 |
| 1923 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 23 |
| 1924 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
Eleven of the number for 1924 had been sent up from the Magistrates' Courts for sentence.
The number of distinct Maori prisoners received into gaol under sentence during 1924 was 105 (including 2 women), as compared with 114 in 1923.
The extent to winch convictions for drunkenness swell the total of convictions id obvious from the information given throughout this section. Drunkenness is a peculiar class of offence, and one to which considerable attention is paid in New Zealand and elsewhere, and some further particulars concerning statistics of drunkenness are accordingly given below.
The number of convictions for drunkenness, including drunkenness with disorderly conduct, during 1924 totalled 6,729 against males and 394 against females. In addition, there were 1,568 technical convictions in cases of applications for the issue of prohibition orders. Prohibition-order cases are not included in the following table, which shows the number of convictions for drunkenness recorded, and the proportion per 1,000 of the mean population of each sex, during the last ten years:—
| Year. | Convictions. | Per 1,000 of Mean Population. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Totals. | Males. | Females. | Totals. | |
| 1915 | 12,425 | 959 | 13,384 | 20.97 | 1.72 | 11.65 |
| 1916 | 10,228 | 770 | 10,998 | 17.70 | 1.35 | 9.57 |
| 1917 | 8,278 | 619 | 8,897 | 14.53 | 1.07 | 7.74 |
| 1918 | 6,761 | 535 | 7,296 | 11.95 | 0.91 | 6.33 |
| 1919 | 7,579 | 488 | 8,067 | 12.68 | 0.82 | 6.76 |
| 1920 | 8,374 | 519 | 8,893 | 13.17 | 0.86 | 7.16 |
| 1921 | 8,341 | 463 | 8,804 | 12.77 | 0.74 | 6.90 |
| 1922 | 5,982 | 331 | 6,313 | 8.97 | 0.52 | 4.84 |
| 1923 | 6,543 | 392 | 6,935 | 9.65 | 0.60 | 5.22 |
| 1924 | 6,729 | 394 | 7,123 | 9.75 | 0.59 | 5.27 |
Of the total convictions for drunkenness during 1924, 6,826 (6,439 males and 387 females) were arrest cases, while 297 (290 males and 7 females) were cases brought before the Magistrate by summons. The following table shows the birthplaces and ages of all persons arrested and convicted for drunkenness during the year. Birthplaces find ages in summons cases are not obtainable.
| Birthplace. | Under 20 | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 40. | 40 and under 60. | 60 and over, and Unspecified. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand— | |||||||
| Maoris | 1 | 27 | 57 | 35 | 47 | 26 | 193 |
| Others | 31 | 178 | 302 | 851 | 1,284 | 118 | 2,764 |
| Australia | 3 | 35 | 37 | 110 | 207 | 52 | 444 |
| England and Wales | 2 | 70 | 97 | 302 | 718 | 177 | 1,366 |
| Scotland | 1 | 20 | 60 | 153 | 378 | 107 | 719 |
| Ireland | .. | 11 | 14 | 160 | 391 | 171 | 747 |
| Other European countries | 1 | 6 | 12 | 49 | 90 | 37 | 204 |
| Asia | .. | 3 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 29 |
| Africa | .. | 1 | 5 | .. | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| America | 2 | 3 | 14 | 15 | 37 | 12 | 832 |
| Other (including unspecified) | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 251 | 269 | .. |
| Totals | 41 | 357 | 607 | 1,688 | 3,179 | 954 | 6,826 |
Among the New-Zealand-born population (including Maoris) there is evidence of less drunkenness than among persons who have come from abroad. It will be seen that in all but one of the age-groups given in the following table the percentage of convictions of New-Zealand-born males is lower than the corresponding percentage of population, while the reverse is, of course, true in respect of males born outside the Dominion:—
| Age, in Years. | Percentage of Male Population, Census 1921. | Percentage of Convictions for Drunkenness, 1024 (Arrest Cases). | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New-Zealand-born. | Others. | New-Zealand-born. | Others. | |
| 20 and under 25 | 82.61 | 19.39 | 57.42 | 42.58 |
| 25 and under 25 30 | 75.62 | 24.38 | 59.14 | 40.86 |
| 30 and under 25 40 | 68.02 | 31.98 | 52.46 | 47.54 |
| 40 and under 25 50 | 59.26 | 40.74 | 45.85 | 54.15 |
| 50 and under 25 60 | 45.20 | 54.80 | 28.05 | 71.95 |
| 60 and under 25 70 | 19.76 | 80.24 | 29.91 | 70.09 |
| 70 and under 25 80 | 10.97 | 89.03 | 9.21 | 90.79 |
Repeated charges against the same person are included in the totals shown in the preceding tables. Dealing with arrests only (males, 6,439; females, 387: total 6,826), it is found that the number of distinct persons convicted of this offence was 4,549 (4,340 males and 209 females), or 71 per cent. of the total “arrest” convictions for drunkenness.
The total convictions for all offences (arrests only) in 1924 were 12,532, but the distinct convictions amounted to only 10,155, the former total including 2,377 convictions for multiple charges against the same person at the same time. Of the latter, 1,047 were in respect of charges dealt with at the same time as the offender was convicted of drunkenness, the principal associated offences being—
| Offence. | Number of Convictions. |
|---|---|
| Common assault | 65 |
| Theft | 46 |
| Wilful damage | 114 |
| Assaulting, resisting, or obstructing police | 115 |
| Indecent, riotous, or offensive conduct | 135 |
| Obscene, threatening, or abusive language | 257 |
| Vagrancy | 56 |
| Breaches of by-laws, &c. | 42 |
| Breaches of Licensing Act | 218 |
In addition, there were 75 cases where a prohibition order was issued against a person convicted at the same time of drunkenness.
Any person who has been three times convicted for drunkenness within the nine-months immediately preceding any conviction for drunkenness may be declared an habitual drunkard. A Magistrate may, in addition to or in lieu of a penalty, commit an habitual drunkard to any institution authorized by the Governor-General to receive-and detain such persons for any period not being less than twelve months. The law makes provision in respect of the discharge of inmates, their good conduct, discipline, and punishment for offences during detention, and for the proper inspection of such institutions.
Drunkenness is usually met with a fine, the returns for 1924 showing that of the 7,123 persons convicted of drunkenness as many as 4,757 were fined, while 758 went to gaol in preference to paying the fine, 166 were peremptorily imprisoned, and 29 (including 10 habitual drunkards) committed to a Salvation Army Home or other such institution. No fewer than 1,319 were convicted and discharged, 44 were ordered to come up for sentence, S were placed on probation, and an order was made in. 42 cases.
A calculation of the amount of alcoholic liquor consumed per head of mean population during the last five years is given below:—
| Including Maoris. | Excluding Maoris. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beer. Gal. | Wine. Gal. | Spirits. Gal. | Beer. Gal. | Wine. Gal. | Spirits. Gal. | |
| 1920 | 12.159 | 0.193 | 0.763 | 12.667 | 0.201 | 0.795 |
| 1921 | 11.238 | 0.177 | 0.790 | 11.722 | 0.185 | 0.824 |
| 1922 | 9.596 | 0.088 | 0.285 | 10.004 | 0.092 | 0.297 |
| 1923 | 9.90 | 0.118 | 0.465 | 10.195 | 0.123 | 0.485 |
| 1924 | 10.028 | 0.144 | 0.474 | 10.445 | 0.150 | 0.493 |
The quantity of each kind of alcoholic liquor entered at the Customs for consumption (including beer on which excise duty was paid) was as follows during the same period:—
| Beer. Gal. | Wine. Gal. | Spirits. Gal. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 15,106,653 | 239,880 | 947,600 |
| 1921 | 14,347,111 | 225,987 | 1,008,875 |
| 1922 | 12,524,191 | 115,180 | 371,857 |
| 1923 | 12,994,243 | 157,774 | 618,142 |
| 1924 | 13,565,071 | 194,928 | 641,236 |
Table of Contents
THE New Zealand Military Forces consist of the Permanent Forces, the Territorial Force, and the Senior Cadets.
The units of the Permanent Forces are the New Zealand Staff Corps, the Royal New Zealand Artillery, the New Zealand Permanent Air Force, the New Zealand Permanent Staff, the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps, the New Zealand Army Pay Corps, the New Zealand Permanent Army Service Corps, the New Zealand Army Medical Corps, and the General Duty Section of the New Zealand Permanent Forces.
The New Zealand Permanent Forces contain 106 professional officers, who are charged with the training of the Forces and the administration of all matters connected therewith.
The Royal New Zealand Artillery has an establishment of 100 “other ranks,” with provision for 12 extra as supernumerary to the establishment. It supplies the necessary instructors for the Territorial Artillery, provides cadres for the Field Artillery units, and maintains the harbour-defences and artillery equipment throughout the Dominion.
The New Zealand Permanent Air Force has an establishment of 5 officers (included in the 106 above-mentioned) and 19 “other ranks.”
The New Zealand Permanent Staff, with a strength of 127, provides drill instructors and custodians of Defence property and equipment, and also carries out administrative functions.
The New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps comprises 6 officers (included in the 106 for the New Zealand Permanent Forces) and 110 “other ranks,” who are in charge of the mobilization equipment and bulk depots of the Forces.
The New Zealand Army Pay Corps comprises 5 officers (included in the 106 above-mentioned) and 11 “other ranks.”
The New Zealand Permanent Army Service Corps has an establishment of 10 “other ranks.”
The establishment for the New Zealand Army Medical Corps is 1 officer and 1 “other rank.”
The General Duty Section consists of 19 “other ranks,” who are employed as firemasters, caretakers, range wardens, night-watchmen, &c.
For purposes of defence the Dominion is divided into three commands—the Northern Command comprising roughly the northern half of the North Island, the Central Command comprising the remainder of the North Island, and the Southern Command comprising the South Island, Stewart Island, and Chatham Islands.
These commands are each divided into four regimental districts, and each command contains the following units of the New Zealand Territorial Force:—
Three regiments of Mounted Rides, seven batteries of Artillery, one Field Engineer Depot, one Corps of Signals Depot, four battalions of Infantry, one Army Service Corps Depot, and one Medical Corps Depot.
This organization on mobilization produces one complete division and three brigades of Mounted Rifles, and provides the machinery by which this force could be duplicated and kept up to strength.
The present strength of the Territorial Force is 699 officers and 15,481 “other ranks.”
The Senior Cadets are organized in battalions, and receive physical and elementary military training. The strength of the Senior Cadets is 427 officers and 26,615 “other ranks.”
Rifle clubs exist throughout the Dominion for the encouragement of rifle shooting, and, in addition to minor fixtures, a Dominion rifle meeting is held at Trentham annually when practicable.
All male inhabitants of New Zealand who have resided therein for six months and are British subjects are liable to be trained as follows:—
In the Senior Cadets—from fourteen years of age, or date of leaving school, as the case may be, to eighteen years of age (or in the case of those who at the age of eighteen are attending a secondary school, then to the date of their leaving school).
In the Territorial Force—from eighteen years (or from any later date on which they cease to attend a secondary school as aforesaid) to twenty-five.
New Zealand supplied ten contingents for service during the South African War. These comprised a total of 6,500 officers and men.
Immediately the Great European War broke out an Expeditionary Force was despatched to Western Samoa and occupied those islands, while a larger force in the form of a mixed brigade was despatched to Europe. The latter force was, however, landed in Egypt, and took part in the defence of the Suez Canal. It gave a good account of itself in the desperate campaign on Gallipoli, and after being withdrawn to Egypt was expanded into a Division and a Mounted Brigade. The Division then went to the western front, while the Mounted Brigade continued to operate against the Turks in Palestine. Both forces became famous for their military qualities, and took part in practically all the great actions of their respective theatres up to the Armistice.
A total of 100,000 troops left New Zealand for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and nearly 17,000 lost their fives on active service.
On the Armistice being declared in November, 1918, New Zealand had 52,000 troops in the field, while 10,000 more were ready to embark or were under training.
The tremendous amount of transport work involved in the conveyance of these forces to Egypt, France, Britain, Gallipoli, and Samoa was carried out with extraordinary success, not one New Zealand transport having been lost while conveying troops.
The troops provided for foreign service represented nearly 10 per cent. of the total population of the Dominion in 1914, while it is known that a very large number of other New-Zealanders served in the British or Australian Naval or Military Forces.
The Headquarters of the New Zealand Military Forces is at Wellington.
By the Australasian Defence Act, 1887, provision was made for the payment by New Zealand of a proportional part of the cost of the establishment and maintenance of a British Naval Force to be employed for the protection of trade in Australian and New Zealand waters. Under this Act a sum of approximately £20,000 per annum was paid by the New Zealand Government to the Imperial Government.
In 1903, consequent on the passing of the Australian and New Zealand Naval Defence Act, the annual contribution payable by New Zealand was raised to “a sum not exceeding £40,000.”
By the Naval Subsidy Act, 1908, the contribution of the Dominion was again increased, this time to a sum of £100,000 payable annually for ten years from the 12th May, 1909.
In 1909 New Zealand presented the battle-cruiser “New Zealand” to the Imperial Government. Full information concerning this vessel and her visit to New Zealand in 1913 appears in the 1913 issue of this book (pages 932-941). This ship was scrapped as a result of the Washington Conference, 1921-22.
The Naval Defence Act, 1913, provides for the establishment of a New Zealand Naval Force by voluntary enlistment for a prescribed period; the period of first engagement was by Order in Council fixed at twelve years, or until the age of thirty is reached, with subsequent re-engagement periods of five years. Members on discharge are drafted into the New Zealand Royal Naval Reserve for a further prescribed period—i.e., for ten years or until the ago of forty—for service only in time of war. The ships and personnel forming the Force pass under the control and disposal of the Government of Great Britain in time of war.
A New Zealand Division was inaugurated in 1914, immediately prior to the war, when H.M.S. “Philomel” was commissioned with ranks and ratings lent from the Royal Navy to serve as a training-ship. The “Philomel” was employed under the orders of the British Admiralty throughout the war, and thus no opportunity was afforded for the commencement of a scheme of training. After her service during the war the ship was refitted as a training-ship, and was commissioned on the 1st March. 1921, at Wellington. She received her first batch of recruits in May, 1921.
In 1919 Admiral of the Fleet Viscount Jellicoe of Scapa, G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O.. visited New Zealand in H.M.S. “New Zealand,” and presented his report making recommendations and suggestions for the naval defence of the Dominion.
In 1920, H.M.S. “Chatham” was loaned free of charge to New Zealand by the British Government, and was commissioned on the 1st October of that year with officers and men of the Royal Navy: the officers on loan therefrom for three years, the men partly on loan, but mainly transferred to the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy for a period of three years. Owing to an oil-burning vessel not being available, H.M.S. “Chatham” remained on the New Zealand Station until the 10th May, 1924, when she was replaced by H.M.S “Dunedin,” the Commodore Commanding New Zealand Station (Commodore Alister F. Beal, C.M.G.) transferring his broad pendant and the ship assuming the duties of flagship. H.M.S. “Dunedin” is loaned free of charge in the same manner as H.M.S. “Chatham,” the New Zealand Government being responsible for all payments for the ship and her personnel during the period of loan.
A Naval Board was constituted by Order in Council of the 14th March, 1921, charged with the control of all matters relating to the Naval Forces, upon the policy directed by the Minister, and vested with the executive command of the Naval Forces. The Board is composed of the Minister of Defence (President) and the following members: the Commodore Commanding New Zealand Station (First Naval Member), the Chief Staff Officer to the Commodore (Second Naval Member), the Secretary to the Commodore Commanding (Secretary to the Board).
By Order in Council of the 20th June, 1921, it was provided that the ships and personnel comprising the New Zealand Naval Forces should be described respectively as forming and belonging to “The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy,” which is the official designation of the Force.
Legislation was passed in February, 1922, authorizing the formation of a New Zealand Royal Naval Reserve by voluntary enlistment therein, in addition to the drafting thereto of ratings discharged from the seagoing forces. An Order in Council of the 10th July, 1922, prescribes the conditions of service in the various classes of the Reserve. All Reservists, other than those of the inactive Reserve, are required to perform specified periods of training in ships of the New Zealand Division. The Reserve will provide a nucleus for local defence. A small Reserve of Officers was approved by Order in Council dated 17th November, 1924, and commissions have been granted to officers enrolled. The work of enrolling men in the R.N.V.R. Division (Class D) is now being proceeded with at Auckland. The number of all ratings enrolled in the New Zealand Royal Naval Reserve to the 31st March, 1925, is 230.
There is a small naval base at Devonport, Auckland, where H.M.S. “Philomel” acts as a depot-ship. Refits of H.M. ships are carried out at Devonport, where provision for of fuel storage has been made; one tank has been erected and another is in course of erection. A naval oil-tank vessel (R.F.A. “Nucula”) is maintained by the New Zealand Government.
Up to 31st March, 1925, 344 New Zealand boys and youths have been entered for service in the division, principally in seaman and stoker ratings. All New Zealand ratings showing special aptitude in their respective branches are sent to England to undergo specialist courses in gunnery, torpedo, mechanical training, and other schools, and to gain some knowledge of the work in a large squadron. Every encouragement is given to younger ratings to undertake these courses, and it is gratifying to find that the first batch, which has now returned to New Zealand, obtained most satisfactory results.
Officers are, in the majority of cases, lent from the Imperial Navy, and receive pay at Imperial rates. The pay of men of the New Zealand Division is approximately 20 per cent. higher than that of similar ratings in the Imperial Navy, and they are credited with deferred pay in lieu of pension. The deferred pay amounts to approximately £500 at the end of twelve years' service, or £1,200 after completing twenty-two years' service, and such a sum is invaluable in enabling men to start life ashore.
The amounts expended in respect of naval defence during the year 1924-25 were—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Upkeep of New Zealand Division of Royal Navy | 283,356 |
| Debt charges (interest, sinking fund and repayments) on loan-money raised for building battle-cruiser “New Zealand” | 289,243 |
| £572,599 |
An amount of £100,000 was provided by Parliament in 1923-24 as a contribution towards the proposed naval base at Singapore, but was not expended, the Imperial Government haying decided to incur no further expenditure on the scheme. It has since been decided to expend this sum on the maintenance of a second cruiser, and H.M.S. “Diomede” has been selected by the Imperial Government for duty on the New Zealand Station, and will be loaned as referred to above in the case of H.M. ships “Chatham” and “Dunedin.” It is anticipated that she will arrive in the Dominion about the end of 1925.
H.M.S. “Veronica,” which has been on the New Zealand Station since 1920, was recommissioned in May, 1924, for further service on the station. H.M.S. “Laburnum “ arrived in New Zealand waters from England in March, 1922, and was recommissioned in March, 1924. These two sloops are provided and maintained by the British Government, their duties consisting mainly of policing the South Pacific islands within the limits of the New Zealand Station.
Table of Contents
FROM the very earliest times New Zealand has inevitably been dependent upon foreign intercourse for its development and progress. The first European residents in New Zealand seem to have been the small party of sealers from Sydney who settled at Dusky Sound for ten months in 1792-93, and built there the first vessel made from local timber. The seals and whales of the South Seas attracted attention to the Islands as a convenient depot, and by 1800 there were established many little settlements where the blubber was tried out. In 1794 the timber trade was inaugurated by the visit of the “Fancy,” and the export of timber, mainly kahikatea (white-pine), rapidly grew to goodly proportions. The native flax (Phormium tenax) was also early recognized as a source of wealth, and a considerable export arose.
Thus, irregularly, the settlement of New Zealand went hand-in-hand with external trade, and was, indeed, promoted by the hope of commercial gain. The early exports were all local products as enumerated above, with the gruesome addition of tattooed Maori heads, while the imports were mainly muskets and powder.
The arrival of the New Zealand Company's expedition in 1840 stimulated the development of a more stable trade—wool had been exported to Hobart in 1839—and gradually the exports and imports of New Zealand took on their modern form. In 1852 the young colony was granted representative government, and from that date there is an accurate record of the external trade of the country. By 1856 full responsible or cabinet government was established.
By 1853 the export of flax had been practically ruined owing to increased competition from other sources, and the amount exported in that year was negligible. Timber, however, retained its place as a principal export, supplying 31 per cent. (£93,000) of the total exports; while wool had increased to 22 per cent. (£66,507). The value of grain exported was small, only £19,000 (6 per cent.); whale-of amounted to £22,000, and potatoes to £30,000. The total exports in 1853 were £303,282, and the total imports £597,828.
A low and fluctuating level of trade was turned in 1860-63 into a rapidly increasing volume by the effect of the gold-discoveries which occurred in the early “sixties.” Both imports and exports were stimulated, the former to feed and clothe an ever-increasing population, the latter by the export of gold.
After the increase in the early “sixties,” trade remained stationary till the expenditure of borrowed money brought the land-boom of the early “seventies.” A great temporary increase of trade was succeeded by violent fluctuations and but slowly increasing trade as the effects of the bubble were slowly worked off. From 1873 till 1895 the world level of prices was falling continuously, and this factor contributed not a little to the depression of New Zealand. Little headway could be made against a falling price of wool and a decreasing production of gold, which were the main features of those twenty years.
But in 1895 world prices began to rise, and the effect is seen immediately in the upward shoot of the external trade. On only four occasions has this upward tendency been checked—in 1908, when the commercial crisis which was felt in the Old World a year previously affected New Zealand; in 1913, on the occasion of another depression of trade; in 1917-18, as a result of shortage of shipping; and again after 1920, in which year the colossal total of £108,037,774 was reached, due principally to heavy importations, which could not be maintained.
The following table shows the increase in the total trade since the year 1853:—
| Year. | Total Trade. | Imports. | Exports. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1853 | 901,110 | 597,828 | 303,282 |
| 1863 | 10,510,079 | 7,024,674 | 3,485,405 |
| 1873 | 12,075,058 | 6,464,687 | 5,610,371 |
| 1883 | 15,070,037 | 7,974,038 | 7,095,999 |
| 1893 | 15,896,879 | 6,911,515 | 8,985,364 |
| 1903 | 27,799,053 | 12,788,675 | 15,010,378 |
| 1904 | 28,040,042 | 13,291,694 | 14,748,348 |
| 1905 | 28,484,804 | 12,828,857 | 15,655,947 |
| 1906 | 33,306,540 | 15,211,403 | 18,095,137 |
| 1907 | 37,371,818 | 17,302,861 | 20,068,957 |
| 1908 | 33,788,778 | 17,471,284 | 16,317,494 |
| 1909 | 35,336,715 | 15,674,719 | 19,661,996 |
| 1910 | 39,231,792 | 17,051,583 | 22,180,209 |
| 1911 | 38,574,369 | 19,545,879 | 19,028,490 |
| 1912 | 42,747,155 | 20,976,574 | 21,770,581 |
| 1913 | 45,275,024 | 22,288,302 | 22,986,722 |
| 1914 | 48,117,543 | 21,856,096 | 26,261,447 |
| 1915 | 53,477,746 | 21,728,834 | 31,748,912 |
| 1916 | 59,626,220 | 26,339,283 | 33,286,937 |
| 1917 | 52,516,812 | 20,919,265 | 31,587,547 |
| 1918 | 52,750,195 | 24,234,007 | 28,516,188 |
| 1919 | 84,641,773 | 30,671,698 | 53,970,075 |
| 1920 | 108,037,774 | 61,595,828 | 46,441,946 |
| 1921 | 87,771,270 | 42,942,443 | 44,828,827 |
| 1922 | 77,738,810 | 35,012,561 | 42,726,249 |
| 1923 | 89,345,658 | 43,378,493 | 45,967,165 |
| 1924 | 101,140,314 | 48,527,603 | 52,612,711 |
The total external trade of New Zealand for the year ended 31st December, 1924, amounted to £101,140,314, which, with the exception of the 1920 figure of £108,037,774, is easily the highest on record. Of the 1924 total, imports claimed £48,527,603, and exports £52,612,711. Exports showed an advance of £6,645,546 over the 1923 figure, wool being mainly responsible for the increase. The value of wool exported during the year was £15,267,364, as compared with the 1923 value of £10,904,658. This increase of over £4,000,000, considered in conjunction with the fact that the quantity shipped in 1924 was slightly less than during the previous year, gives some indication of the high prices obtained. Substantial increases also occurred in the export of the following items (1923 figures in parentheses): Butter, £11,641,668 (£10,689,200); frozen mutton, £2,539,233 (£1,882,407); sheep-skins, £1,513,477 (£1,121,695); rabbit-skins, £740,975 (£472,491). A falling-off was recorded in: Frozen beef, £802,157 (£891,999); kauri-gum, £443,576 (£596,222); gold, £551,788 (£698,582).
Imports aggregated £48,527,603, as compared with the 1923 total of £43,378,493. The importation of motor-vehicles continues at an increased rate, the figure for the year being 18,633 vehicles, valued at £3,541,635. This compares with 13,950 vehicles, valued at £2,416,985, imported during 1923, and is easily the highest on record. Other increases of importance in the imports were recorded for the following items (1923 values in parentheses): Wheat, £1,039,774 (£69); oats, £179,540 (£5,609); sugar, £1,594,342 (£1,454,940); tea, £920,895 (£818,484); coal, £779,510 (£510,303); electrical machinery, £2,056,454 (£1,448,884); railway and tramway plant, £448,346 (£296,468); motor-spirit, £1,600,053 (£1,110,138); sawn timber, £535,432 (£349,170); other timber, £506,897 (£288,132); tobacco, £923,352 (£868,609); cigarettes, £696,283 (£598,553); arms, ammunition, &c., £327,518 (£232,725). Decreases occurred in the following: Cotton piece-goods, £2,118,539 (£2,501,829); woollen piece-goods, £891,084 (£1,154,887); hosiery, £466,896 (£566,983).
The following table shows the monthly movements of imports and exports during 1923, 1924, and the first six months of 1925:—
| Month. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exports. | Imports. | Exports. | Imports. | Exports. | Imports. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| -January | 3,262,891 | 4,076,164 | 7,064,644 | 4,349,318 | 6,696,059 | 4,808,442 |
| February | 5,972,917 | 3,040,831 | 6,662,184 | 3,830,222 | 8,336,263 | 4,037,824 |
| March | 5,749,213 | 3,685,342 | 6,943,680 | 3,650,291 | 7,796,633 | 4,277,057 |
| April | 5,335,269 | 3,539,704 | 6,271,621 | 3,095,183 | 6,994,639 | 4,166,494 |
| May | 5,705,988 | 3,396,628 | 3,868,218 | 3,836,413 | 5,174,043 | 3,930,480 |
| June | 5,056,055 | 3,447,832 | 2,50,647 | 3,882,976 | 3,400,622 | 3,794,988 |
| July | 2,642,354 | 3,643,444 | 2,802,079 | 4,157,600 | .. | .. |
| August | 1,806,903 | 3,574,276 | 2,384,505 | 4,653,091 | .. | .. |
| September | 2,059,516 | 3,259,507 | 2,309,630 | 4,682,662 | .. | .. |
| October | 2,129,063 | 4,601,565 | 2,927,098 | 4,082,671 | .. | .. |
| November | 2,521,880 | 3,702,881 | 2,716,956 | 3,797,360 | .. | .. |
| December | 3,725,116 | 3,410,319 | 5,911,449 | 4,509,816 | .. | .. |
The figures are now given grouped on the basis of a three-monthly moving average, the values shown for each month representing an average of that month and the months immediately preceding and following. The three-monthly moving averages present the more accurate view in that they smooth out undue fluctuations in the figures due to monthly shipping and other local conditions.
| Month. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exports. | Imports. | Exports. | Imports. | Exports. | Imports. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| January | 4,270,695 | 3,540,377 | 5,817,315 | 3,863,286 | 6,981,256 | 4,452,027 |
| February | 4,995,007 | 3,600,779 | 6,890,169 | 3,943,277 | 7,609,651 | 4,374,441 |
| March | 5,685,800 | 3,421,959 | 6,625,828 | 3,525,232 | 7,709,178 | 4,160,458 |
| April | 5,596,823 | 3,540,558 | 5,694,506 | 3,527,295 | 6,655,105 | 4,124,677 |
| May | 5,365,770 | 3,461,388 | 4,296,828 | 3,604,857 | 5,189,768 | 3,963,987 |
| June | 4,468,132 | 3,495,968 | 3,140,314 | 3,958,996 | .. | .. |
| July | 3,168,437 | 3,555,184 | 2,645,743 | 4,231,222 | .. | .. |
| August | 2,169,591 | 3,492,409 | 2,49,8,738 | 4,497,784 | .. | .. |
| September | 1,998,494 | 3,811,782 | 2,540,411 | 4,472,808 | .. | .. |
| October | 2,236,819 | 3,354,651 | 2,651,228 | 4,187,564 | .. | .. |
| November | 2,791,986 | 3,904,922 | 3,851,834 | 4,129,949 | .. | .. |
| December | 4,437,213 | 3,820,839 | 5,108,154 | 4,371,872 | .. | .. |
Since the commencement of 1923, imports have maintained a uniformly high level, with, however, a gradual upward trend. The present volume of imports is seen to average from 4 to 4 1/2 millions monthly. In the case of exports the seasonal nature of the trade is well distinguished. From February to April usually occur the heaviest shipments of the year, after which the volume falls away until September or October, when the exportation of butter commences.
A comparison of the export figures for the first six months of the last three years reveals a substantial increase in 1924 over 1923, the total exports for the first half of these two years being £33,560,994 and £31,082,333 respectively. An even greater increase (£4,837,265) is shown for the first six months of 1925, the exports during which aggregated £38,398,259.
The extreme range of monthly exports during the thirty months covered by the tables on the preceding page was from £1,806,903 in August, 1923, to £8,336,263 in February, 1925. Even on the basis of three-monthly averages a wide range is apparent, the lowest figure for the period being £1,998,494 for the average of the three months August, September, and October, 1923, and the highest £7,709,178 for the average of February, March, and April, 1925. Imports show comparatively little range—from £3,040,831 in February, 1923, to £4,808,442 in January, 1925, on the figures for individual months, and from £3,461,388 for May, 1923, to £4,452,027 for January, 1925, on the three-monthly-average basis.
The three-monthly averages of imports and exports during the period are shown graphically in the appended diagram.
The dotted line, following a slightly upward course since the latter end of 1923, well illustrates the gradual rise in the level of imports, while what has been said in regard to the seasonal nature of exports is well brought out by the heavy line with its annually recurring peak.
In comparing the trade of New Zealand for 1924 and 1923 with that of the immediately preceding years it should he taken into consideration that certain of the Dominion's primary products which were purchased by the Department of Imperial Government Supplies in earlier years were not shipped until 1920, and to a lesser extent in 1921. Final shipments were made in 1922, but on a much smaller scale. Accordingly, this produce went to swell the exports of the years in which it was shipped, at the expense of the years of production, in which normally it would have been exported.
The next table shows the total trade, imports, and exports per head of the population for each of the years 1905-24:—
| Year. | Total Trade. | Imports. | Exports. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1905 | 31 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 11 |
| 1906 | 35 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 3 | 8 |
| 1907 | 38 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 20 | 15 | 2 |
| 1908 | 34 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 9 |
| 1909 | 31 | 13 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 5 | 9 |
| 1910 | 37 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 6 | 4 |
| 1911 | 36 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 17 | 9 |
| 1912 | 39 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 19 | 11 |
| 1913 | 40 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 18 | 7 | 20 | 11 | 0 |
| 1914 | 42 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 8 |
| 1915 | 46 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 18 | 2 | 27 | 12 | 6 |
| 1916 | 51 | 17 | 9 | 22 | 18 | 5 | 28 | 19 | 4 |
| 1917 | 45 | 14 | 1 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 9 | 11 |
| 1918 | 45 | 15 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 14 | 9 |
| 1919 | 70 | 19 | 4 | 25 | 14 | 4 | 45 | 5 | 0 |
| 1920 | 86 | 19 | 2 | 49 | 11 | 7 | 37 | 7 | 7 |
| 1921 | 68 | 15 | 0 | 33 | 12 | 9 | 35 | 2 | 3 |
| 1922 | 59 | 11 | 3 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 32 | 14 | 9 |
| 1923 | 67 | 5 | 4 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 34 | 12 | 2 |
| 1924 | 74 | 15 | 4 | 35 | 17 | 6 | 38 | 17 | 10 |
Within the last twenty years the total trade per head of the population has increased from £31 3s. lid. in 1905 to £74 15s. 4d. in 1924. The latter rate has been exceeded once only—in 1920, when abnormally high imports were responsible for the record of £86 19s. 2d. Within the same period the import rate has ranged from £14 1s. in 1905 to £49 11s. 7d. in 1920. The export rate was at its highest in 1919, when £45 5s. was recorded, while 1908 claimed the lower limit of £16 8s. 9d. High rates were experienced in the “sixties,” when, however, the population was comparatively small, while important gold-mining operations resulted in huge exports of gold and correspondingly high imports—factors which combined to give the earlier years of New Zealand's external trade a somewhat artificially high per capita rate.
The latest available comparative statistics show the Dominion's external trade per head to be greater than that of any other country. This favoured position is due, on the one hand, to the fact that the country is able to raise huge quantities of primary produce greatly in excess of local requirements, and, on the other hand, to the comparatively backward state of industrial manufacture, which, necessitates the importation of considerable quantities of manufactured goods from abroad.
The diagram which follows shows graphically the imports, exports, and total trade per head of population during the last twenty years.
The most striking feature of the diagram, is the sharp upward trend from 1918. The years 1919 and 1920, which represent the peak of the diagram, were distinctly abnormal, while the effect of higher prices in recent years has been to accentuate the upward movement. Reference to the next subsection will show that, in the case of exports at least, the whole of the great increase over the period is not due to higher prices, there having been a definite advance in the actual volume of exports per head. The same state of affairs no doubt holds in the case of imports, the volume of which, however, cannot be accurately measured.
The relation between imports and exports is of the greatest importance to a young country like New Zealand. In the very earliest years of occupation by Europeans the exports of phormium, timber, and skins were greatly in excess of the few imports, mainly muskets and gunpowder, a fact which is explained partly by the temporary residence of the traders and more by the weaker bargaining-power of the Maori. With the settlement of the regular colony in 1840 there was evident an inflation of imports, occasioned by the amount of capital the new colonists brought in for the development of the country. From 1853 to 1870 there was an excess of imports, which, however, was tending to decrease.
A temporary excess of exports gave place in the early “seventies” to another great increase of imports, due to the borrowing policy inaugurated in that period. Except for a big decrease in 1880, the value of imports continued to be greater than exports until 1886. From that year onward there has been a continued excess of exports, except for the three years 1908, 1911, and 1920. The year 1886 is worthy of note as marking an outstanding period in the history of New Zealand's trade. A more or less fluctuating excess of imports had obtained prior to that time, but from 1886 the exports began to form a preponderating feature of the total trade. The consequent balance of trade in favour of the Dominion has since remained remarkably unbroken. Indeed, on the basis of a quinquennial average, the figures relating to the three more recent years referred to earlier as showing an excess of imports recede into and form part of a continuous favourable balance of trade which has existed since 1886.
The balance of trade is intimately bound up; in later years especially, with the large imports of capital which have been brought in to assist in the development of the country. This has already been made evident in discussing the balance of trade in early years. The excess of imports from 1853 to 1870, and again from 1872 to 1886, can definitely be traced to the importation of capital in those periods.
On that portion of the public debt held outside New Zealand at the 31st March, 1925, the annual interest charge aggregated £5,428,584, and there was a further annual charge of £333,289 in respect of repayment of funded debt to the Imperial Government. At the 31st March, 1924, local bodies' debts held outside the Dominion involved an annual interest charge of £628,268, the total payments outside the Dominion on the public and semi-public debt being thus over six millions.
Against this outgoing must be set the amount of new importations of capital in the shape of loans. While the expenditure on interest is fairly constant from year to year, the amount raised by new loans varies, and these variations are a big factor in the fluctuations of the balance of trade.
Debt charges and loan receipts are not the only invisible trade items. Money brought into the country by immigrants, expenditure by tourists and travellers, port receipts from overseas shipping, interest and dividends on New Zealand capital invested in Australia or the Pacific islands, and miscellaneous Government receipts from abroad are other items on the credit side; while on the debit side the following principal items, other than interest on Government and local-body loans, should be taken into account: Interest and dividends on overseas capital invested privately in the Dominion; shipping freights, charter-money, passage-money, &c., earned by overseas vessels for the carriage of New Zealand passengers and produce; expenditure abroad by New Zealand tourists and travellers; and miscellaneous Government expenditure abroad.
Sufficient data do not exist to enable a reliable official computation to be made in respect of New Zealand's balance of trade and international payments.
There is no Mint in New Zealand,-whilst there is a fairly considerable production of gold bullion. Gold therefore ranks as an ordinary export of the Dominion, along with wool, frozen meat, and dairy-produce. In earlier days this export of gold was much more important than now, amounting in 1863 to 70 per cent. of the total exports, from which figure it shrank steadily to 6 per cent. in 1913. During each of the last five years the proportion has been less than 2 per cent.
The amount of gold bullion exported during the last ten years, with the principal destinations, is shown in the following table:—
| Year. | Exports. | Percentage of Total Exports. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To United Kingdom. | To Australia. | To India. | To United States. | To other Countries. | Total. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 5,060 | 507,659 | .. | 1,181,834 | .. | 1,694,553 | 5.34 |
| 1916 | 134,827 | 510,499 | 16,926 | 536,960 | .. | 1,199,212 | 6.01 |
| 1917 | 690,025 | 213,863 | .. | .. | .. | 903,888 | 2.86 |
| 1918 | 275 | 42,116 | .. | .. | .. | 42,391 | 0.15 |
| 1919 | 339,533 | 558,656 | 169,817 | 234,998 | 31,398 | 1,334,402 | 2.47 |
| 1920 | 103,353 | 12,167 | 23,884 | 718,899 | 25,445 | 883,748 | 1.90 |
| 1921 | 2,760 | 6,966 | .. | 602,308 | 134 | 612,168 | 1.36 |
| 1922 | 13,367 | 5,731 | 166,104 | 354,944 | 36 | 540,182 | 1.26 |
| 1923 | 890 | 37,715 | 332,238 | 327,740 | .. | 698,583 | 1.52 |
| 1924 | 3,189 | 2,278 | 323,921 | 222,400 | .. | 551,788 | 1.05 |
A table is also given showing imports and exports of specie during the ten years 1915-24.
| Year. | Total Specie. | Excess of Specie Imports over Exports. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imported. | Exported. | ||
* Excess of exports. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 1,070,114 | 318,090 | 752,024 |
| 1916 | 1,293,880 | 5,880 | 1,288,000 |
| 1917 | 177,135 | 70,475 | 106,660 |
| 1918 | 102,215 | 35,610 | 66,605 |
| 1919 | 362,531 | 62,150 | 300,381 |
| 1920 | 41,975 | 36,580 | 5,395 |
| 1921 | 198,321 | 367 | 197,954 |
| 1922 | 186,487 | 300 | 186,187 |
| 1923 | 14,510 | 27,372 | -12,862* |
| 1924 | .. | 103,488 | -103,488* |
It is customary to classify the trade of a country as “special” and “entrepôt,” according as to whether it represents the exchange of domestic productions for imports for home consumption, or a more transit trade. In many countries, such as Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom, the transit trade attains considerable importance, but New Zealand, owing to its geographical position, is precluded from developing in that direction. Her imports, except for a small forwarding trade to the Pacific islands, are for her own consumption, and the great bulk of her exports are commodities of domestic production.
The following table, which excludes specie, shows for the last ten years the very small proportion which re-exports bear to the total trade of the Dominion:—
| Year. | Trade. | Re-exports (included in two preceding Columns). | Percentage of Re-exports | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imports. | Exports. | Total. | To Imports. | To Exports. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| 1915 | 20,658,720 | 31,430,822 | 52,089,542 | 387,960 | 1.88 | 1.23 |
| 1916 | 25,045,403 | 33,281,057 | 58,326,460 | 305,150 | 1.22 | 0.92 |
| 1917 | 20,742,130 | 31,517,072 | 52,259,202 | 429,115 | 2.07 | 1.36 |
| 1918 | 24,131,792 | 28,480,578 | 52,612,370 | 543,568 | 2.25 | 1.91 |
| 1919 | 30,309,167 | 53,907,925 | 84,217,092 | 603,541 | 1.99 | 1.12 |
| 1920 | 61,553,853 | 46,405,366 | 107,959,219 | 813,072 | 1.32 | 1.75 |
| 1921 | 42,744,122 | 44,828,460 | 87,572,582 | 1,213,002 | 2.84 | 2.73 |
| 1922 | 34,826,074 | 42,725,949 | 77,552,023 | 1,026,801 | 2.94 | 2.40 |
| 1923 | 43,363,983 | 45,939,793 | 89,303,776 | 567,885 | 1.31 | 1.23 |
| 1924 | 48,527,603 | 52,509,223 | 101,036,826 | 588,395 | 1.21 | 1.12 |
Before comparisons may properly be made with the trade of other countries care must be taken to ensure that the statistics are comparable in their methods of compilation and definition.
The value of imports into New Zealand is reckoned at the current domestic value in the country of export at the time of exportation, plus 10 per cent.; exports are valued f.o.b. In the United States and Canada, however, the value of imports also are calculated f.o.b., and the difference, representing freight, insurance, and charges, amounts to about 10 per cent. of the total value.
Again, in the United Kingdom the values of both imports and exports are obtained by assessment at current market prices in the United Kingdom.
A comparison of the “special” trade of various countries is shown in the table given below, the information being taken from the Commonwealth. Official Year-book. Such a comparison (which covers in most cases the latest available year) necessarily ignores many of the elements considered above, but gives a sufficiently accurate idea of the relative trade of the various countries. The figures for Australia and the-United States relate to the year ended 30th June, 1923, for Canada to the year ended 31st March, 1923, and for Italy to the year ended 31st March, 1922.
| Country. | Year. | Trade.* | Trade per Inhabitant. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imports | Exports. | Total. | Imports | Exports | Total. | ||||||||
* In thousands of pounds. † Excluding bullion and specie. | |||||||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | ||
| New Zealand | 1924 | 47,836 | 51,921 | 99,757 | 35 | 7 | 3 | 38 | 7 | 9 | 73 | 15 | 0 |
| Australia | 1922-23 | 128,639 | 114,751 | 243,390 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 43 | 4 | 0 |
| Canada† | 1922-23 | 174,459 | 202,489 | 376,948 | 19 | 17 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 10 | 42 | 17 | 10 |
| Netherlands | 1922 | 175,927 | 108,712 | 284,639 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 40 | 15 | 10 |
| Switzerland† | 1922 | 81,841 | 73,382 | 155,223 | 21 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 3 | 40 | 0 | 1 |
| United Kingdom† | 1923 | 1,098,016 | 767,329 | 1,865,345 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 5 | 3 |
| Denmark† | 1922 | 67,715 | 54,696 | 122,411 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 37 | 4 | 4 |
| Belgium | 1922 | 150,028 | 100,924 | 250,952 | 19 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 8 | 32 | 8 | 2 |
| Norway | 1922 | 52,557 | 31,496 | 84,053 | 19 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 17 | 9 | 31 | 14 | 5 |
| Argentine | 1922 | 125,390 | 122,911 | 248,301 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 7 | 8 |
| Sweden† | 1921 | 74,006 | 64,131 | 138,137 | 12 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 23 | 15 | 2 |
| France | 1923 | 465,829 | 434,736 | 900,565 | 11 | 17 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 22 | 19 | 4 |
| South Africa | 1923 | 54,717 | 73,210 | 127,927 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 18 | 9 | 4 |
| United States† | 1922-23 | 840,280 | 863,678 | 1,703,958 | 7 | 19 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 9 | 4 |
| Brazil | 1920 | 124,406 | 107,514 | 231,920 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 1 |
| Spain† | 1922 | 106,428 | 50,848 | 157,276 | 4 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
| Japan† | 1921 | 198,788 | 152,463 | 351,251 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Italy | 1921-22 | 141,530 | 82,239 | 223,769 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 8 |
New Zealand is seen to head the list easily as regards both imports and exports per head, Australia and Canada coming next in order for total trade. The Netherlands, which formerly headed the list on account of its large transit trade, now ranks only fourth.
By themselves statistics of foreign trade are not a sure test of a country's prosperity, and they must always be interpreted with a knowledge of local conditions. An increase of imports may not be the result of increased purchasing-power, but may merely represent loans from another country, or even a failure of the home supply of certain commodities. Similarly, increased exports may mean greater productivity and increased purchasing-power, but they may also denote the payments on greatly increased liabilities.
In all countries the home trade is greatly in excess of the external trade, and in larger countries, which are more self-contained, a decrease in foreign trade may be due to development within the country itself. But New Zealand is far from self-contained, and from her position must attach a great importance to external trade. Under present conditions, only by export can a sufficient market be obtained for her rich resources, and only from abroad can be obtained the manufactures which are needed for common use. The development of the external trade since 1895 has been accompanied by increasing prosperity, and every advance in exports, followed by larger imports, represents an increase in the wealth of the Dominion.
IN New Zealand the Department of H.M. Customs requires for every package exported a declared statement of the contents, value, and destination.
In all cases exports are valued “free on board at the port of shipment.” In many cases, however, the goods are not sold till arrival at their destination, and in such cases values must be assessed in New Zealand with reference to current prices.
The exports of New Zealand produce are shown separately from re-exports of imported goods.
The ultimate destination of the goods is distinguished as far as is practicable, but it is impossible to discover what proportion of the exports is intended for home consumption in the country of destination.
The table on the next page gives a summary of the main exports from New Zealand during the last twenty years. The main commodities are shown separately, and the progress of the Dominion during the last two decades is strikingly illustrated.
The main feature of the table is the prominence given to the primary products-of the soil. The extractive industries of New Zealand have always supplied the overwhelming bulk of the exports, and, though the proportion of the different classes has varied from time to time, there has never been any considerable or even noticeable export of manufactured goods.
Until 1914 the statistical tables included a heading “Manufactures,” which showed a considerable total value in each year, reaching £987,072 in 1913. Included in this group, however, was phormium, the value of which (excluding tow) was in 1913 £721,924; and though the phormium is stripped and prepared in New Zealand it leaves the Dominion as a raw fibre, which can hardly be termed a “manufacture.” Similarly, leather in 1913 amounted to £31,945, and copra was also included in this heading. There are some genuine manufactures exported, such as ale and beer, cordage, twine, soap, and woollens, but their value is insignificant compared with the primary products.
All the items of pastoral products considered show great increases over the twenty years, and the total exports show a threefold increase in the period. There was a slight fall in 1904, and two more serious decreases were recorded in 1908 and 1911. The figures for 1917 and 1918 were considerably below those of 1916, but the export values during 1919 constituted a record. After that year there was a continued decrease in the value of exports until 1923, when an increase of £3,000,000 over 1922 was recorded, followed by a still further advance of nearly £7,000,000 in 1924. This position is due principally to the phenomenally increased prices of primary produce, particularly in the case of wool.
In the last twenty years the proportions of the principal exports have changed a good deal. Wool, which reached its maximum percentage (47.9) in 1897, showed a tendency to decline till 1902, then partially regained its position, once more showing a marked fall in 1918, owing to a considerable portion of the clip being retained in the Dominion until the next year, when wool to the value of £19,559,537 was exported. The wool exported during the year 1924 was valued at £15,267,544, a decrease in value of approximately 22 per cent. as compared with 1919, but a great improvement on the figure for 1921, when exportations of this commodity amounted to only £5,221,479, a figure lower than in any year since 1904. The total exports of wool during the six years 1919-24 aggregated nearly 75 millions sterling.
Frozen meat in recent years has supplied approximately 20 per cent. of the total exports, a proportion considerably exceeded in 1920 and 1921, when the value of this important item of export reached £11,673,696 and £11,164,345 respectively, but owing to a recovery in wool-values this proportion has for the last three years declined to its old level.
| Year. | Wool. | Frozen Meat. | Butter. | Cheese. | Tallow. | Skins, Hides, and Pelts. | Other Pastoral Produce.* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* The main items in this heading are bacon and hams, beef and pork (salted), live-stock, preserved meats, sausage-skins, and preserved milk. † The main items in this heading are bran and sharps, chaff, flour, fruits, barley, beans and pens, maize, malt, hops, oatmeal, potatoes, and seeds. | |||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1905 | 5,381,333 | 2,694,432 | 1,408,557 | 205,171 | 347,888 | 675,201 | 208,939 |
| 1906 | 6,765,655 | 2,877,031 | 1,560,235 | 341,002 | 455,026 | 894,518 | 257,313 |
| 1907 | 7,657,278 | 3,420,664 | 1,615,345 | 662,355 | 560,965 | 1,055,650 | 273,447 |
| 1908 | 5,332,781 | 3,188,515 | 1,171,182 | 783,419 | 481,335 | 767,692 | 231,142 |
| 1909 | 6,305,888 | 3,601,093 | 1,639,380 | 1,105,390 | 648,452 | 1,018,103 | 316,959 |
| 1910 | 8,308,410 | 3,850,777 | 1,811,975 | 1,195,373 | 756,841 | 1,129,041 | 468,298 |
| 1911 | 6,491,707 | 3,503,406 | 1,576,917 | 1,192,057 | 607,257 | 911,519 | 467,695 |
| 1912 | 7,105,483 | 3,909,569 | 2,088,809 | 1,680,393 | 684,739 | 1,091,871 | 370,616 |
| 1913 | 8,057,620 | 4,449,933 | 2,061,651 | 1,770,297 | 663,088 | 1,199,375 | 317,181 |
| 1914 | 9,318,114 | 5,863,062 | 2,338,576 | 2,564,125 | 694,348 | 1,317,593 | 433,331 |
| 1915 | 10,387,875 | 7,794,395 | 2,700,625 | 2,730,211 | 780,828 | 1,450,276 | 690,398 |
| 1916 | 12,386,074 | 7,271,318 | 2,632,293 | 3,514,310 | 785,339 | 1,667,679 | 637,409 |
| 1917 | 12,175,366 | 5,982,404 | 2,031,551 | 3,949,251 | 553,016 | 1,861,817 | 776,194 |
| 1918 | 7,527,266 | 4,957,576 | 3,402,223 | 4,087,278 | 847,618 | 2,645,864 | 1,170,011 |
| 1919 | 19,559,537 | 9,628,292 | 3,080,128 | 7,790,990 | 2,680,006 | 3,439,408 | 2,432,819 |
| 1920 | 11,863,827 | 11,673,696 | 3,022,335 | 6,160,840 | 1,748,773 | 5,032,242 | 2,058,463 |
| 1921 | 5,221,479 | 11,164,345 | 11,169,530 | 8,199,183 | 867,298 | 1,995,518 | 2,081,514 |
| 1922 | 11,882,463 | 8,387,461 | 9,041,554 | 4,686,850 | 750,574 | 2,053,7611 | 1,380,130 |
| 1923 | 10,904,658 | 9,012,627 | 10, 689,200 | 6,870,397 | 785,668 | 2,379,536 | 1,486,209 |
| 1924 | 15,267,544 | 9,489,877 | 11,641,668 | 7,023,297 | 709,230 | 3,144,106 | 1,569,106 |
| Year. | Wheat. | Oats. | Other Agricultural Produce.† | Gold. | Coal. | Kaurigum. | Phormium Fibre and Tow. | Timber. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* The main items in this heading are bacon and hams, beef and pork (salted), live-stock, preserved meats, sausage-skins, and preserved milk. † The main items in this heading are bran and sharps, chaff, flour, fruits, barley, beans and pens, maize, malt, hops, oatmeal, potatoes, and seeds. | ||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1905 | 144,374 | 99,664 | 184,242 | 2,093,936 | 107,062 | 561,444 | 711,940 | 318,895 |
| 1906 | 9,915 | 76,981 | 183,646 | 2,270,904 | 122,614 | 522,486 | 812,712 | 304,941 |
| 1907 | 326 | 4,656 | 157,985 | 2,027,490 | 114,737 | 579,888 | 897,718 | 311,862 |
| 1908 | 344 | 108,997 | 156,389 | 2,004,799 | 85,846 | 372,798 | 420,520 | 375,235 |
| 1909 | 305,902 | 453,314 | 216,954 | 2,006,900 | 183,961 | 552,698 | 324,458 | 337,740 |
| 1910 | 216,657 | 44,299 | 220,566 | 1,896,318 | 259,562 | 465,044 | 480,519 | 407,658 |
| 1911 | 219,196 | 9,211 | 184,408 | 1,815,251 | 204,379 | 395,707 | 325,130 | 439,353 |
| 1912 | 95,702 | 483,756 | 481,147 | 1,345,131 | 216,170 | 401,305 | 407,903 | 490,508 |
| 1913 | 11,816 | 29,252 | 238,908 | 1,459,499 | 205,010 | 549,106 | 797,062 | 319,055 |
| 1914 | 3,580 | 165,930 | 278,894 | 895,367 | 282,163 | 497,444 | 492,230 | 422,864 |
| 1915 | 128 | 132,827 | 541,318 | 1,694,553 | 329,731 | 279,133 | 610,059 | 383,883 |
| 1916 | 17,835 | 30,200 | 135,680 | 1,199,212 | 326,553 | 339,882 | 1,078,632 | 381,488 |
| 1917 | 509 | 1,306 | 178,087 | 903,888 | 236,063 | 291,917 | 1,232,608 | 408,121 |
| 1918 | 460 | 872 | 194,422 | 42,391 | 227,228 | 157,313 | 1,408,147 | 556,309 |
| 1919 | 679 | 33,671 | 753,837 | 1,334,405 | 201,383 | 255,812 | 907,584 | 439,935 |
| 1920 | 388 | 52,502 | 477,166 | 883,748 | 128,509 | 556,756 | 688,972 | 697,608 |
| 1921 | 243 | 84,434 | 405,417 | 612,168 | 109,510 | 367,197 | 319,604 | 503,785 |
| 1922 | 316,528 | 91,991 | 560,425 | 540,182 | 253,762 | 563,270 | 295,530 | 479,447 |
| 1923 | 968 | 78,775 | 488,613 | 698,583 | 173,833 | 596,222 | 314,324 | 473,752 |
| 1924 | 406 | 1,104 | 429,815 | 551,788 | 161,432 | 443,576 | 424,726 | 472,120 |
The main feature of the period has been the great advance, relatively and absolutely, of butter and cheese, the export of which has increased beyond all expectations—viz., from £1,613,728 in 1905 to £18,664,965 in 1924. This is a remarkable increase for such a short period as two decades, and, furthermore, it is annually being added to. The growth of the dairying industry is brought more into prominence by a comparison of the quantities as well as the values. Whereas in 1905 the total exports of butter and cheese from New Zealand reached only 394,284 cwt., the total quantity shipped in 1924 aggregated 2,863,941 cwt. Although exports of dairy-produce have during recent years shown a fluctuating tendency, this has been credited to the varying prices realized in the Home markets and not to any appreciable extent to a diminution in the quantities exported. Other classes of pastoral produce have also increased to several times their total for 1905, and timber shows a substantial-increase. The value of coal and phormium, however, has shown a growing tendency to decrease. In the case of gold, the value in 1924 was considerably less than in 1905, the figures showing over the twenty years a decline from £2, 093,936 to £551,788. Agricultural produce shows a fluctuating export, with a tendency to decrease, the comparatively large amount for 1922 being due to a considerable carry-over from the previous season.
The relative importance of the main commodities is shown in the diagram given-below.
In the following table the exports are classified under the main industries, according to a broad division, to illustrate the relative importance of the pastoral, agricultural, mining, forestry, and other industries as far as the export trade is concerned. It must be remembered that in a particular industry the home trade may be relatively more important than the external trade.
The table indicates a tendency for the Dominion to rely more and more upon the pastoral industry for her main exports. The four main products of that industry—wool, frozen meat, butter, and cheese—provide an ever-increasing proportion of the total quantity of goods shipped overseas. On the other hand, the proportion of minerals has tended to fall, mainly through decreasing exports of gold, and agricultural exports fluctuate with a downward tendency. It would seem that New Zealand is restricting her agriculture to a level barely sufficient to provide for her own needs in the matter of foodstuffs, and only In exceptional years is there a surplus available for export.
| Year. | Exports. | Percentage of Total Exports. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastoral. | Mining. | Agricultural. | Forest. | Other. | Pastoral. | Mining. | Agricultural. | Forest. | Other. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Ter Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1905 | 10,921,521 | 2,329,858 | 428,280 | 891,410 | 1, 084,878 | 69.8 | 14.9 | 2.7 | 5.7 | 6.9 |
| 1906 | 13,150,780 | 2,555,551 | 270,542 | 841,166 | 1,277,098 | 72.6 | 14.1 | 1.5 | 4.6 | 7.2 |
| 1907 | 15,215,704 | 2,344,903 | 162,967 | 904,486 | 1,410,897 | 76.0 | 11.7 | 0.8 | 4.5 | 7.0 |
| 1908 | 11,956,066 | 2,279,520 | 265,730 | 758,115 | 1,058,063 | 73.3 | 14.0 | 1.6 | 4.6 | 6.5 |
| 1909 | 14,635,265 | 2,378,775 | 976,170 | 905,930 | 765,856 | 74.4 | 12.1 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 3.9 |
| 1910 | 17,520,715 | 2,344,348 | 481,522 | 889,603 | 944,021 | 79.0 | 10.6 | 2.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| 1911 | 14,750,558 | 2,165,137 | 412,815 | 843,310 | 856,670 | 77.5 | 11.4 | 2.2 | 4.4 | 4.5 |
| 1912 | 16,931,480 | 1,660,280 | 1,060,605 | 900,671 | 1,217,545 | 77.8 | 7.6 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 5.6 |
| 1913 | 18,519,145 | 1,791,777 | 279,976 | 874,110 | 1,521,714 | 80.6 | 7.8 | 1.2 | 3.8 | 6.6 |
| 1914 | 22,529,149 | 1,263,553 | 448,404 | 927,482 | 1,092,859 | 85.8 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
| 1915 | 26,534,608 | 2,149,217 | 674,273 | 674,533 | 1,716,281 | 83.6 | 6.8 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 5.4 |
| 1916 | 23,894,422 | 1,661,650 | 183,797 | 734,034 | 1,502,004 | 87.6 | 5.0 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 4.6 |
| 1917 | 27,329,599 | 1,274,222 | 179,902 | 711,188 | 1,593,046 | 87.9 | 4.1 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 5.1 |
| 1918 | 24,638,531 | 479,017 | 196,291 | 719,538 | 1,903,633 | 88.2 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 6.8 |
| 1919 | 48,611,240 | 1,668,314 | 788,187 | 698,849 | 1,537,794 | 91.2 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 2.9 |
| 1920 | 41,560,176 | 1,103,344 | 530,056 | 1,262,894 | 1,135,824 | 91.1 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| 1921 | 40,698,867 | 737,591 | 490,094 | 884.279 | 754,627 | 93.3 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| 1922 | 38,182,793 | 850,469 | 968,944 | 1,066,054 | 630,888 | 91.6 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 1.5 |
| 1923 | 42,128,295 | 937,238 | 568,356 | 1,080,326 | 657,693 | 92.9 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| 1924 | 4 8,934,828 | 787,664 | 431,325 | 937,178 | 829,833 | 94.2 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 1.6 |
The diagram given on the next page shows clearly the relative importance of the main classes of exports in the external trade. The most noticeable feature is the extremely high proportion of the exports supplied by the pastoral industries. The percentage supplied by this group was high in the late “nineties,” but in the early years of the new century fell relatively, owing mainly to increased exports of agricultural and mining produce. Since 1901, however, the percentage has increased almost continuously, till in 1924 it amounted to 94 per cent. of the total, the highest percentage ever recorded.
Mining products, which have fallen by two-thirds in total value over the twenty years, show a much greater decrease as a percentage of total exports.
Agricultural exports showed an abnormal increase from 1899 to 1903, the period which covers the South African War, but since then their importance has steadily declined. Their lowest level (0.6 per cent. of total exports) was reached in 1916 and 1917. The rise in the percentage for 1922 was due to large shipments of wheat and oats to the United Kingdom and Australia. The percentage for 1924 (0.9) is the lowest since 1918. Forest products, too, though steady, show a relative downward tendency, and therefore the strip representing them tapers towards the later years.
Measured by their value in money, the exports of 1924 show an increase of 14.4 per cent, as compared with the previous year. The exports of 1919 constituted a record which was entirely due to the large increase in pastoral produce, while the figure for 1924 is the second highest registered, being £1,300,000 below that of 1919. Wool has for a number of years been the principal item of export, and the low prices realized for wool adversely affected the value of the total exports of this commodity in the few years prior to 1923, when, in consequence of the greatly improved conditions ruling in the wool-markets, values showed a marked return to their boom levels. Frozen meat stood at £9,489,877 in 1924, an increase of £477,250 when compared with the figure for the previous year. One of the main features of this item is that although the value has remained fairly stationary the quantity has since 1920 shown a steady decrease.
The next table compares the exports of twelve principal items during 1923 and 1924. The outstanding feature is the huge increase of £4,362,886, or 40 per cent., in the value of wool exported. As indicated previously, however, the record prices of 1924 were wholly responsible in bringing about this position, and in point of fact the quantity of wool shipped in 1924 was slightly less than during the previous year. Substantial increases are also evident in the case of butter, skins, hides and pelts, frozen meat, cheese, and phormium. Gold and kauri-gum both dropped by over 20 per cent.
| Article. | Value. | Amount of | Percentage. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924. | 1923. | Increase. | Decrease. | Increase. | Decrease. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Wool | 15,267,544 | 10,904,658 | 4,362,886 | .. | 40.01 | .. |
| Frozen meat | 9,489,877 | 9,012.627 | 477,250 | .. | 5.29 | .. |
| Butter | 11,641,668 | 10,689,200 | 952,468 | .. | 8.91 | .. |
| Cheese | 7,023,297 | 6,870,397 | 152,900 | .. | 2.23 | .. |
| Preserved milk | 505,098 | 513,495 | .. | 8,397 | .. | .. |
| Tallow | 799,230 | 785,668 | 13,562 | .. | 1.72 | .. |
| Skins, hides, and pelts | 3,144,106 | 2,379,536 | 764,570 | .. | .. | .. |
| Gold | 551,788 | 698,583 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Coal | 161,432 | 173,833 | .. | .. | .. | 7.13 |
| Kauri-gum | 443,576 | 596,222 | .. | .. | .. | 25.60 |
| Phormium | 424,726 | 314,324 | 110,402 | .. | 35.12 | .. |
| Timber | 472,120 | 473,752 | .. | 1,632 | .. | 0.34 |
In the following table exports during 1924 are grouped in classes in accordance with the statistical classification adopted for both exports and in ports in 1914 :—
| No. | Class. | Domestic Produce. | Re-exports. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| I | Foodstuffs of animal origin (excluding live animals) | 29,732,079 | 6,883 |
| II | Foodstuffs of vegetable origin, and common salt | 292,763 | 8,648 |
| III | Beverages (non-alcoholic), and substances used in making up the same | 937 | 8,829 |
| IV | Spirits and alcoholic liquors | 6,056 | 6,703 |
| V | Tobacco and preparations thereof | 526 | 8,535 |
| VI | Live animals | 89,087 | 5,925 |
| VII | Animal substances (mainly unmanufactured), not being foodstuffs | 18,424,339 | 8,467 |
| VIII | Vegetable substances and non-manufactured fibres | 601,654 | 20,052 |
| IXA | Apparel | 4,529 | 36.971 |
| IXB | Textiles | 15,728 | 64.322 |
| IXC | Manufactured fibres | 10,676 | 24,115 |
| X | Oils, fats, and waxes | 823.036 | 49.769 |
| XI | Paints and varnishes | 953 | 7.383 |
| XII | Stones and minerals used industrially | 613,077 | 16.255 |
| XIII | Specie | .. | 103,488 |
| XIVA | Metal (unmanufactured and partly manufactured) and ores | 629,123 | 5,846 |
| XIVB | Metal manufactures other than machinery and machines | 4,868 | 36,028 |
| XV | Machinery and machines | 15,734 | 55,783 |
| XVIA | Indiarubber and manufactures thereof (not including tires) | 28 | 679 |
| XVIB | Leather and manufactures thereof, including substitutes | 6,702 | 7,788 |
| XVIIA | Timber | 472,120 | 5,854 |
| XVIIB | Wood, cane, and wicker manufactures | 6,492 | 955 |
| XVIII | Earthenware, china, glass, stoneware, cement, and cement materials | 1,958 | 6,441 |
| XIXA | Paper | 91 | 2,816 |
| XIXB | Stationery | 33,710 | 14,469 |
| XX | Jewellery, timepieces, and fancy goods | 2,163 | 16,129 |
| XXI | Optical, surgical, and scientific instruments | 2,280 | 46,809 |
| XXIIA | Drugs, chemicals, and druggists' wares | 15,950 | 12,656 |
| XXIIB | Manures | 4,982 | 174 |
| XXIII | Miscellaneous | 33,615 | 103,111 |
| Parcels-post | 75,572 | .. | |
| Totals | 51,920,828 | 691,883 |
It will be seen that the great bulk of the exports fall into two classes—I, which includes butter, cheese, and frozen meat ; and VII, which includes wool, hides, skins, and pelts. Mineral products come under XII and XIVA, and timber under XVIIA; tallow is the main item in X ; phormium and seeds in VIII ; while the main agricultural products are included in II. The re-exports are spread mainly over various manufactured items.
The principal items of export may conveniently be grouped under six definite heads, as in the table below.
Practically all the main commodities are homogeneous articles, and it is therefore possible to give the quantities exported. For some purposes, especially for comparisons between recent and more remote years, quantities are preferable to values, since the latter contain the variable element of price.
| Article. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The mine— | ||||||
| Coal | (tons) | 80,088 | 53,183 | 118,755 | 95,636 | 88,981 |
| Gold | (oz.) | 212,973 | 149,595 | 131,848 | 169,512 | 133,631 |
| Silver | ” | 369,400 | 480,023 | 443,134 | 514,655 | 578,217 |
| Other minerals | (tons) | 65 | 15 | 48 | 79 | 67 |
| The fisheries— | ||||||
| Fish | (cwt.) | 7,849 | 9,785 | 13,456 | 20,080 | 19,059 |
| Oysters | (doz.) | 121,234 | 92,340 | 163,911 | 71.680 | 52,283 |
| Whalebone | (lb.) | 7,056 | 1,120 | .. | 896 | 2,128 |
| Whale-oil | (gal.) | 115,090 | 54,130 | 22,365 | 55,673 | 59.479 |
| The forest— | ||||||
| Fungus | (cwt.) | 1,576 | 1,616 | 3,236 | 1,934 | 1,706 |
| Kauri-gum | (tons) | 6,481 | 3,901 | 6,391 | 6,598 | 5,261 |
| Timber, sawn and hewn | (sup. ft.) | 69,634,01 | 45,902,627 | 44,186,848 | 47,568,490 | 42,928,726 |
| Pastoral products— | ||||||
| Bacon and hams | (cwt.) | 369 | 847 | 1,714 | 3,284 | 4,464 |
| Beef and pork, salted | ” | 7,598 | 4,153 | 3,995 | 12,739 | 11,931 |
| Butter | ” | 312,009 | 898,478 | 1,120,200 | 1,250,140 | 1,269,455 |
| Casein | ” | 26,563 | 33,071 | 29,385 | 50,288 | 46,210 |
| Cheese | ” | 1,222,050 | 1,368,786 | 1,161,196 | 1,141,460 | 1,594,486 |
| Hides and skins | (number) | 570,095 | 796,025 | 723,003 | 1,058,089 | 1,303,282 |
| Honey | lb. | 935,786 | 861,921 | 1,289,135 | 972,038 | 1,186,269 |
| Live-stock— | ||||||
| Cattle | (number) | 508 | 416 | 467 | 4,566 | 322 |
| Horses | ” | 117 | 203 | 225 | 206 | 152 |
| Sheep | ” | 4,586 | 3,048 | 3,768 | 3,799 | 3,197 |
| Pigs | ” | 272 | 502 | 386 | 410 | 664 |
| Preserved meats | (cwt.) | 117,550 | 59,203 | 43,905 | 42,285 | 66,340 |
| Frozen meats | ” | 4,628,282 | 4,322,754 | 3,518,004 | 3,043,910 | 3,213,574 |
| Sausage-casings | ” | 24,987 | 23,443 | 26,280 | 21,549 | 24,963 |
| Rabbit-skins | (number) | 14,363,216 | 13,922,446 | 15,487,225 | 14,233,417 | 20,444,390 |
| Sheep skins and pelts | ” | 9,221,552 | 8,436,398 | 10,144,853 | 8,246,890 | 8,825,666 |
| Tallow | (cwt.) | 540,820 | 554,240 | 529,900 | 504,860 | 479,766 |
| Wool | (lb.) | 162,327,176 | 158,714,828 | 321,533,215 | 217,566,091 | 206,189,911 |
| Agricultural products— | ||||||
| Bran and sharps | (tons) | 277 | 124 | 2,346 | 1,308 | 73 |
| Chaff | ” | 197 | 166 | 56 | 49 | 51 |
| Flour | ” | 4,428 | 111 | 22 | 10 | 10 |
| Grain— | ||||||
| Barley | (centals) | 636 | 19,729 | 73,796 | 3,730 | 96 |
| Beans and peas | ” | 116,712 | 125,485 | 112,828 | 202,187 | 113,405 |
| Oats | ” | 90,811 | 172,589 | 274,272 | 191,259 | 2,004 |
| Wheat | ” | 455 | 277 | 727,698 | 2,087 | 661 |
| Hops | (cwt.) | 1,616 | 2,099 | 1,970 | 2,515 | 5,916 |
| Oatmeal | (tons) | 28 | 9 | 39 | 32 | 40 |
| Potatoes | ” | 1,302 | 1,216 | 788 | 787 | 539 |
| Seeds (grass and clover) | (cwt.) | 23,821 | 37,319 | 70,120 | 47,031 | 36,311 |
| Miscellaneous— | ||||||
| Ale and beer | (gal.) | 15,682 | 8,519 | 13,865 | 14,221 | 17,231 |
| Cordage | (cwt.) | 9,032 | 6,416 | 6,709 | 5,942 | 3,172 |
| Leather | ” | 3,102 | 2,629 | 3,742 | 2,639 | 859 |
| Phormium fibre and tow | (tons) | 22,075 | 11,167 | 11,425 | 12,306 | 15,178 |
The values of these principal commodities arc tabulated in the following table, and the statement of exports is rendered complete by the addition of miscellaneous groups and the provision of totals for each group and for all combined:—
| Article. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The mine— | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Coal | 128,509 | 109,510 | 253,762 | 173,833 | 161,432 |
| Gold | 883,748 | 612,168 | 540,182 | 698,583 | 551,788 |
| Silver | 87,665 | 65,647 | 55,222 | 62,851 | 71,981 |
| Other minerals | 3,422 | 266 | 1,303 | 1,971 | 2,463 |
| Totals | 1,103,344 | 787,591 | 850,469 | 937,238 | 787,664 |
| The fisheries— | |||||
| Fish | 27,522 | 34,337 | 43,356 | 69,328 | 58,417 |
| Oysters | 1,323 | 965 | 1,713 | 762 | 571 |
| Whalebone | 3,100 | 244 | .. | 425 | 290 |
| Whale-oil | 23,304 | 7,505 | 2,310 | 6,072 | 6,515 |
| Other | 299 | 165 | 44 | 10 | 103 |
| Totals | 55,548 | 43,216 | 47,423 | 76,597 | 65,896 |
| The forest— | |||||
| Fungus | 8,413 | 12,852 | 22,271 | 9,202 | 9,165 |
| Kauri-gum | 556,756 | 367,197 | 563,270 | 596,222 | 443,576 |
| Timber | 697,608 | 503,785 | 479,447 | 473,752 | 472,120 |
| Other | 117 | 445 | 1,066 | 1,150 | 12,317 |
| Totals | 1,262,894 | 884,279 | l,066,054 | 1,080,326 | 937,178 |
| Pastoral products— | |||||
| Bacon and hams | 3,312 | 5,795 | 8,789 | 17,367 | 26,505 |
| Beef and pork, salted | 22,188 | 12,177 | 7,359 | 19,393 | 20,599 |
| Butter | 3,022,335 | 11,169,530 | 9,041,554 | 10,689,200 | 11,641,668 |
| Casein | 86,521 | 114,511 | 77,210 | 182,112 | 129,775 |
| Cheese | 6,160,840 | 8,199,183 | 4,686,850 | 6,870,397 | 7,023,297 |
| Hides and skins | 1,142,006 | 575,222 | 505,708 | 785,350 | 889,654 |
| Honey | 34,122 | 28,428 | 46,821 | 25,588 | 29,721 |
| Live-stock— | |||||
| Cattle | 16,798 | 11,963 | 12,046 | 61,445 | 14,381 |
| Horses | 6,716 | 27,224 | 33,747 | 37,253 | 44,695 |
| Sheep | 29,025 | 25,807 | 11,152 | 12,888 | 25,900 |
| Pigs | 1,967 | 2,296 | 1,278 | 1,309 | 2,983 |
| Other | 813 | 1,380 | 780 | 922 | 1,128 |
| Preserved milk and cream | 795,612 | 1,109,331 | 529,650 | 513,495 | 303,917 |
| Preserved meats | 538,571 | 273,591 | 160,819 | 160,124 | 191,236 |
| Frozen meats | 11,673,696 | 11,164,345 | 8,387,461 | 9,012,627 | 9,489,877 |
| Sausage-casings | 454,280 | 447,873 | 467,981 | 424,387 | 563,887 |
| Rabbit-skins | 830,024 | 448,180 | 567,864 | 472,491 | 740,975 |
| Sheep skins and pelts | 3,060,212 | 972,116 | 980,189 | 1,121,695 | 1,513,477 |
| Tallow | 1,748,773 | 867,298 | 750,574 | 785,668 | 799,230 |
| Wool | 11,863,827 | 5,221,479 | 11,882,463 | 10,904,658 | 15,267,544 |
| Other | 68,538 | 21,138 | 22,498 | 29,926 | 214,379 |
| Totals | 41,560,176 | 40,698,867 | 38,182,793 | 42,128,295 | 48,934,828 |
| Agricultural products— | |||||
| Bran and sharps | 2,954 | 1,373 | 16,201 | 8,654 | 657 |
| Chaff | 2,521 | ,532 | 495 | 607 | 521 |
| Flour | 54,942 | 2,784 | 526 | 235 | 204 |
| Fruits | 14,685 | 23,341 | 65,890 | 74,531 | 122,824 |
| Grain and pulse— | |||||
| Barley | 595 | 9,477 | 29,644 | 1,706 | 63 |
| Beans and peas | 151, | 120,317 | 103,370 | 159,018 | 85,329 |
| Oats | 52,502 | 84,434 | 91,991 | 78,775 | 1,104 |
| Wheat | 388 | 243 | 316,528 | 968 | 406 |
| Other | 6,165 | 1,249 | 771 | 814 | 268 |
| Hops | 16,751 | 19,142 | 18,455 | 17,699 | 41,619 |
| Oatmeal | 1,062 | 267 | 845 | 1,306 | 1,622 |
| Onions | 12, | 2,150 | 8,162 | 4,923 | 1,233 |
| Potatoes | 12,806 | 9,113 | 6,351 | 7,497 | 5,147 |
| Seeds (grass and clover) | 147,369 | 156,114 | 285,451 | 175,754 | 149,083 |
| Seeds (various) | 50,275 | 56,862 | 22,579 | 31,002 | 17,830 |
| Other | 2,921 | 1,696 | 1,685 | 4,867 | 3,415 |
| Totals | 530,056 | 490,094 | 968,944 | 568,356 | 431,325 |
| Miscellaneous (including manufactures)— | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Ale and beer | 2,390 | 2,050 | 2,833 | 3,783 | 5,855 |
| Apparel | 6,026 | 4,155 | 2,654 | 2,913 | 2,291 |
| Cement | 2,278 | 11,956 | 5,017 | 1,874 | 1,051 |
| Cordage and rope | 11,271 | 3,830 | 2,523 | 3,086 | 10,191 |
| Leather | 51,940 | 59,562 | 42,675 | 19,600 | 6,702 |
| Phormium fibre and tow | 688,972 | 319,604 | 295,530 | 314,324 | 424,726 |
| Soap | 21,693 | 11,608 | 12,921 | 11,720 | 10,939 |
| Sugar | 16,438 | 20,706 | 9,428 | 10,042 | 12,476 |
| Twine | 20,367 | 17,326 | 22,014 | 16,422 | 7,006 |
| Woollen manufactures | 2,404 | 9,088 | 14,630 | 10,132 | 15,537 |
| Other | 256,497 | 251,526 | 173,240 | 187,200 | 207,163 |
| Totals | 1,080,276 | 711,411 | 583,465 | 581,096 | 763,937 |
| Total exports (domestic produce) | 45,592,294 | 43,615,458 | 41,699,148 | 45,371,908 | 51,920,828 |
| Specie | 36,580 | 367 | 300 | 27,372 | 103,488 |
| Re-exports | 813,072 | 1,213,002 | 1,026,801 | 567,885 | 588,395 |
| Total exports | 46,441,946 | 44,828,827 | 42,726,249 | 45,967,165 | 52,612,711 |
The first exports from New Zealand went naturally to the earlier-developed sister colony, and for a considerable time Australia had a monopoly of our trade. In 1865 70 per cent., and even in 1871 44 per cent., of the total exports went to Australia. But since the establishment of direct shipping lines with the United Kingdom the Mother-land has absorbed the bulk of Now Zealand exports, having taken during the forty years 1875-1914 £365,880,997 (or almost exactly 80 per cent.) of a grand total of exports amounting to £469,347,969. This percentage, prior to the war, did not vary greatly from year to year, but there have naturally been considerable variations since 1914, the most notable being the marked fall in 1918. Exports destined for the United Kingdom have, however, been considerably in advance of this percentage during the last few years, reaching as they did in 1922, 1923, and 1924, 85, 83, and 80 per cent, respectively.
The total amount sent to Australia fluctuates considerably from year to year, rising if the products of the Commonwealth are reduced by drought. The proportion of New Zealand's exports sent to Australia has declined considerably during the twenty years covered by the table on the next page. The figure for 1924 was slightly less than during 1923, which was the highest since 1912.
Exports to Canada have increased enormously during the twenty years, rising from £15,961 in 1904 to £1,793,576 in 1918 ; but the figures show a great falling-off during the last five years, although both 1923 and 1924 show moderate increases. Even before the war Canada had become an important market for New Zealand's produce, having taken exports to the value of £606,662 in 1913, as compared with £199,587 two years earlier and only £24,051 in 1908.
Exports to the Pacific islands have risen steadily in total value, and have increased slightly as a proportion of total exports.
The value of exports to the United States fluctuated considerably up to 1912, with no definite indication of an increase. During the war, however, considerable expansion occurred, the peak year being 1920, when exports to the States totalled £7,456,041. The years 1921 and 1922 witnessed a substantial drop, checked in 1923 by exports of £3,531,272.
Prior to the war Germany's position in the export table was similar to that of Canada, exports having risen from £23,931 in 1904 to £205,931 in 1910 and £456,163 in 1914. The war put a stop for the time being to trade between the two countries, and it was not until 1922 that any revival was shown. Exports in 1922 and 1923 amounted to £218,338 and £190,600 respectively. The removal of the embargo on imports of German goods as from 1st September, 1923, was responsible for the huge increase in the exports to £1,166,302 in 1924.
The high totals for 1918 and 1919 shown for “other countries” are mainly due to temporary heavy exports to Egypt and, in the former year, to France. Exports to Japan vary considerably from year to year, and formerly rarely exceeded the £100,000 mark. Since 1922, however, there has been a progressive expansion, the 1924 figure being as high as £330,736, as compared with £211,159 in 1922.
| Year. | United Kingdom. | Australia. | Canada. | Pacific Islands. | United States. | Germany. | Other Countries.* | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* The principal other countries are Hong Kong, Straits Settlements, India, France, Egypt, Java, and Japan. | ||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1905 | 12,087,818 | 2,294,971 | 51,329 | 170,210 | 716,301 | 38,958 | 296,360 | 15,655,947 |
| 1906 | 14,047,176 | 2,882,522 | 29,815 | 188,755 | 642,792 | 54,952 | 249,125 | 18,095,137 |
| 1907 | 16,533,493 | 2,221,260 | 78,015 | 186,839 | 714,063 | 66,489 | 268,798 | 20,068,957 |
| 1908 | 13,143,780 | 2,103,161 | 24,051 | 203,581 | 326,415 | 40,191 | 476,315 | 16,317,494 |
| 1909 | 16,193,188 | 1,918,115 | 180,975 | 258,164 | 684,810 | 77,969 | 348,775 | 19,661,996 |
| 1910 | 18,633,118 | 2,010,751 | 160,842 | 296,244 | 553,603 | 205,931 | 319,720 | 22,180,209 |
| 1911 | 15,134,743 | 2,515,168 | 199,587 | 324,306 | 434,586 | 170,493 | 249,607 | 19,028,490 |
| 1912 | 16,861,256 | 2,848,664 | 542,271 | 338,621 | 620,988 | 254,703 | 304,078 | 21,770,581 |
| 1913 | 18,130,160 | 2,315,747 | 606,662 | 295,032 | 912,051 | 337,448 | 389,622 | 22,986,722 |
| 1914 | 21,383,891 | 1,928,410 | 595,611 | 326,025 | 1,028,054 | 456,163 | 543,293 | 26,261,447 |
| 1915 | 25,389,030 | 2,548,605 | 925,813 | 499,063 | 2,006,507 | 4 | 379,890 | 31,748,912 |
| 1916 | 26,869,988 | 2,191,545 | 691,986 | 368,069 | 2,493,987 | 5 | 671,357 | 33,286,937 |
| 1917 | 26,023,396 | 1,460,980 | 961,653 | 540,380 | 1,894,317 | 6 | 706,815 | 31,587,547 |
| 1918 | 18,244,250 | 1,803,739 | 1,793,576 | 511,842 | 4,045,648 | .. | 2,117,133 | 28,516,188 |
| 1919 | 44,312,048 | 2,249,827 | 980,190 | 548,112 | 4,200,861 | .. | 1,679,037 | 53,970,075 |
| 1920 | 34,354,300 | 2,351,799 | 1,357,774 | 718,283 | 7,456,041 | 23 | 203,726 | 46,441,946 |
| 1921 | 38,716,593 | 2,070,013 | 454,697 | 517,363 | 2,702,104 | 46,162 | 321,995 | 44,828,827 |
| 1922 | 36,154,174 | 2,208,280 | 446,467 | 399,378 | 2,672,775 | 218,338 | 626,847 | 42,726,249 |
| 1923 | 37,324,605 | 2,642,266 | 665,696 | 466,164 | 3,531,272 | 190,600 | 1,146,562 | 45,967,165 |
| 1924 | 42,038,386 | 2,509,322 | 716,543 | 575,880 | 3,278,135 | 1,166,302 | 2,328,143 | 52,612,711 |
Included in the exports to the United Kingdom are considerable quantities of produce which are shipped to London merely as a convenient depot, and which are reshipped to the Continent or to America. The total re-exports in normal pre-war years amounted to about £4,000,000 annually, and although the amount fell, under war conditions, to as low as £565,529 in 1918, it has during recent years resumed its normal proportions. The figure for the year 1923 totalled £5,443,692.
Easily the largest item in the re-exports is wool, which, to the value of £2,000,000 or more annually, is redistributed in normal years from London to the manufacturing centres of Belgium, northern France, and Germany. This amounts to a big proportion of the Dominion's wool exports, averaging about 25 per cent.
The bulk of the kauri-gum, more than one-half of the phormium, and three-fourths of the sheep-skins are usually re-exported.
The principal items of New Zealand produce re-exported from the United Kingdom in 1923 were—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Wool | 4,103,585 |
| Sheep-skins | 288,066 |
| Butter | 281,776 |
| Frozen meat | 130,064 |
| Preserved milk | 114,693 |
| Rabbit-skins | 104,689 |
| Hemp | 77,557 |
| Cheese | 73,080 |
| Tallow | 71,829 |
| Kauri-gum | 47,144 |
| Casein | 45,684 |
| Oleomargarine | 33,028 |
The following table shows the exports for the five years ending with 1924, according to the countries of destination. British countries are stated first, according to geographical order, followed by foreign countries in the same order.
| Country. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Included in Foreign Countries—exports in 1924 were £961. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| United Kingdom | 34,354,300 | 38,716,593 | 36,154,174 | 37,324,605 | 42,038,386 |
| British Possessions, Protectorates, &c. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Europe— | |||||
| Irish Free State* | .. | .. | .. | 256 | .. |
| Gibraltar | 3 | 30 | .. | .. | .. |
| Malta | 5 | 7 | .. | 77 | 3 |
| 8 | 37 | .. | 77 | 259 | |
| Asia— | |||||
| Ceylon | 10,245 | 28,019 | 34,752 | 45,780 | 1,111 |
| Hong Kong | 28,964 | 13,192 | 23,457 | 20,389 | 13,827 |
| India | 49,756 | 42,917 | 172,046 | 338,393 | 495,850 |
| Straits Settlements | 42,343 | 130,496 | 52,056 | 42,135 | 17,714 |
| Other | 83 | 197 | 166 | 57 | 604 |
| 131,391 | 214,821 | 282,477 | 446,754 | 529,106 | |
| Africa— | |||||
| Egypt | 3,867 | 121 | 35 | 20 | * |
| South African Union | 5,571 | 2,906 | 17,993 | 7,392 | 28,585 |
| Other | 80 | 164 | 74 | 213 | 360 |
| 9,518 | 3,191 | 18,102 | 7,625 | 28,945 | |
| America— | |||||
| British West Indies | 12 | 1,889 | 155 | 72 | 52 |
| Canada | 1,357,774 | 454,597 | 446,457 | 665,696 | 716,543 |
| Other | 26 | 8 | 8 | .. | 32 |
| Pacific islands— | |||||
| Australia | 2,351,799 | 2,070,013 | 2,208,280 | 2,642,266 | 2,509,322 |
| Fiji | 203,568 | 151,965 | 95,044 | 120,777 | 135,768 |
| Solomon Islands (Protectorate) | 4,912 | 4,010 | 4,555 | 7,782 | 4,827 |
| Tonga | 187,438 | 103,045 | 59,012 | 92,102 | 94,095 |
| Western Samoa | 173,347 | 127,917 | 66,443 | 69,808 | 81,841 |
| Other | 2,777 | 2,267 | 2,853 | 2,355 | 7,875 |
| 2,923,841 | 2,459,217 | 2,436,187 | 2,935,090 | 2,833,728 | |
| Foreign Countries and Possessions. | |||||
| Europe— | |||||
| Belgium | 57 | 5,010 | 8,048 | 8,338 | 107,199 |
| France | 203 | 14,893 | 60,595 | 340,579 | 561,569 |
| Germany | 23 | 46,162 | 218,338 | 190,600 | 1,166,302 |
| Italy | 69 | 2,502 | 22,514 | 68,886 | 401,764 |
| Netherlands | 47 | 2,463 | 5,174 | 15,769 | 261,759 |
| Switzerland | 403 | 4,927 | 494 | 663 | 786 |
| Other | 263 | 308 | 1,486 | 167 | 5,085 |
| 1,065 | 76,265 | 316,649 | 625,002 | 2,504,464 | |
| Asia— | |||||
| China | 35,224 | 842 | 4,876 | 12,359 | 22,652 |
| Japan | 4,904 | 20,149 | 211,159 | 206,090 | 330,736 |
| Java | 2,375 | 22,332 | 58 | 880 | .. |
| Sumatra | 1,139 | 4,142 | 2,000 | 1 | .. |
| Other | 297 | 1,184 | 1,036 | 13,652 | 31,347 |
| 43,939 | 48,649 | 219,129 | 232,982 | 384,735 | |
| Africa | 12 | 5 | 2,633 | .. | 4,754 |
| America— | |||||
| Argentina | 4,413 | 4,772 | 438 | 15,548 | 11,686 |
| Chile | 13,357 | 18,308 | 40 | 1,335 | 2,365 |
| United States of America | 7,456,041 | 2,702,104 | 2,672,775 | 3,531,272 | 3,278,135 |
| Other | 8 | 201 | 5,554 | 7,777 | 28,047 |
| 7,473,819 | 2,725,385 | 2,678,807 | 3,555,932 | 3,320,233 | |
| Pacific islands— | |||||
| Hawaii | 11,928 | 62,164 | 99,639 | 113,194 | 170,222 |
| Society Islands | 123,663 | 56,634 | 57,241 | 57,737 | 67,227 |
| Tutuila | 4,171 | 6,695 | 12,655 | 1,596 | 7,882 |
| Other | 6,479 | 3,163 | 1,936 | 803 | 7,143 |
| 146,241 | 128,656 | 171,471 | 173,330 | 252,474 | |
Eighty-seven per cent, of the total exports from New Zealand went to British countries in 1924. The United States and Germany were responsible for about half of the remainder.
In the following table exports during 1924 have been grouped in accordance with the classification adopted by the British Board of Trade in many of its tables. As might be expected from the large value of butter, cheese, and frozen meat exported, food is the largest of the five divisions, raw materials (other than foodstuffs), which had up to recent years occupied first position, coming next. Many of the most important items in the former class are raw materials also, and the table is a further illustration of the fact that New Zealand is essentially a primary-producing country. Exports of articles wholly or mainly manufactured constituted in 1924 only 2.76 per cent, of the total. The corresponding percentage for 1923 was 3.06, and for 1922 4.25. A similar table given in the “Imports” subsection of this book shows that the reverse is the case in respect of imports—namely, a preponderance of manufactured goods.
| Country. | Food, Drink, and Tobacco. | Raw Materials and Articles mainly unmanufactured. | Articles wholly or mainly manufactured. | Miscellaneous and Unclassified (including Parcels-post). | Bullion and Specie. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| United Kingdom | 27,901,066 | 13,103,828 | 851,788 | 112,769 | 68,935 | 42,038,386 |
| British Possessions, &c. | ||||||
| Europe— | ||||||
| Irish free State | .. | .. | .. | 256 | .. | 256 |
| Malta | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 3 |
| Asia— | ||||||
| British North Borneo | 114 | .. | .. | 22 | .. | 136 |
| British West India | .. | .. | .. | 32 | .. | 32 |
| Burma | 350 | .. | .. | 6 | .. | 356 |
| Ceylon | 579 | .. | 500 | 32 | .. | 1,111 |
| Cyprus | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 3 |
| Hong Kong | 4,689 | 9039 | 19 | 80 | .. | 13,827 |
| India | 785 | 98,484 | 1,125 | 1,268 | 394,188 | 495,850 |
| Malay States | .. | .. | .. | 109 | .. | 109 |
| Mauritius | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Straits Settlements | 17,397 | .. | 220 | 97 | .. | 17,714 |
| Africa— | ||||||
| Anglo-Egyptian Sudan | .. | .. | .. | 12 | .. | 12 |
| British East Africa Protectorate | .. | .. | .. | 151 | .. | 151 |
| British West Africa Protectorate | .. | .. | .. | 14 | .. | 14 |
| St. Helena | .. | .. | 164 | .. | .. | 164 |
| South African Union | 12,353 | 422 | 15,089 | 721 | .. | 28,585 |
| Southern Rhodesia | .. | .. | .. | 17 | .. | 17 |
| America— | ||||||
| British Guiana | .. | .. | .. | 11 | .. | 11 |
| British West Indies | 20 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 20 |
| Canada | 546,455 | 153,168 | 10,004 | 6,916 | .. | 716,543 |
| Falkland Islands | .. | .. | 15 | 6 | .. | 21 |
| Pacific islands— | ||||||
| Australia | 300,093 | 1,648,912 | 376,577 | 149,297 | 34,443 | 2,509,322 |
| Fanning Island | 1,032 | 12 | 352 | 119 | 350 | 1,865 |
| Fiji | 56,341 | 4,953 | 64,854 | 9,620 | .. | 135,768 |
| Gilbert and Ellice Islands | 115 | 24 | 14 | 4 | .. | 157 |
| Nauru (Pleasant) Island | 1,161 | 281 | 26 | .. | .. | 1,468 |
| Norfolk Island | .. | .. | 105 | 50 | .. | 155 |
| Ocean Island | 2,587 | 259 | 26 | .. | .. | 2,872 |
| Papua | 112 | .. | 45 | .. | .. | 157 |
| Pitcairn Island | 92 | .. | 39 | 70 | .. | 201 |
| Solomon Islands Protectorate | 2,277 | 478 | 2,002 | 70 | .. | 4,827 |
| Tonga | 56,334 | 2,008 | 33,878 | 1,875 | .. | 94,095 |
| Western Samoa | 55,300 | 1,934 | 24,152 | 455 | .. | 81,841 |
| Totals, British countries | 28,959,252 | 15,023,802 | 1,380,994 | 284,087 | 497,916 | 46,146,051 |
| Foreign Countries and Possessions. | ||||||
| Europe— | ||||||
| Australia | .. | .. | 2 | 31 | .. | 33 |
| Belgium | .. | 104,736 | 2,427 | 36 | .. | 107,199 |
| Czecho-Slovakia | .. | .. | .. | 15 | .. | 15 |
| Denmark | .. | .. | 5 | 308 | .. | 313 |
| Finland | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 3 |
| France | 25,732 | 535,424 | 164 | 249 | .. | 561,569 |
| Germany | 122,027 | 1,043,186 | 687 | 402 | .. | 1,166,302 |
| Greece | 5 | .. | .. | 19 | .. | 24 |
| Hungary | .. | .. | .. | 7 | .. | 7 |
| Italy | 64,723 | 336,899 | 90 | 52 | .. | 401,764 |
| Jugo-Slavia | .. | .. | .. | 13 | .. | 13 |
| Netherlands | 7 | 259,521 | 571 | 1,660 | .. | 261,759 |
| Norway | .. | .. | .. | 28 | .. | 28 |
| Poland | .. | .. | .. | 30 | .. | 30 |
| Roumania | .. | .. | .. | 13 | .. | 13 |
| Russia | .. | .. | .. | 9 | .. | 9 |
| Spain | .. | .. | .. | 179 | .. | 179 |
| Sweden | .. | 4,405 | .. | 13 | .. | 4,418 |
| Switzerland | .. | .. | 311 | 475 | .. | 786 |
| Asia— | ||||||
| Asiatic Turkey | 14 | .. | .. | 123 | .. | 137 |
| China | 20,884 | 250 | 1,032 | 486 | .. | 22,652 |
| Japan | 55,219 | 273,929 | 1,526 | 62 | .. | 330,736 |
| Java | 174 | .. | 3 | .. | .. | 177 |
| Minor Dutch East Indies | 7,702 | .. | 166 | 40 | .. | 7,908 |
| Philippine Islands | 21,048 | .. | 193 | 58 | .. | 21,299 |
| Siam | 1,802 | .. | 10 | 11 | .. | 1,823 |
| Siberia | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 3 |
| Africa— | ||||||
| Canary Islands | 28 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 28 |
| Egypt | 7 | .. | 903 | 51 | .. | 961 |
| Madeira | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Portuguese East Africa | 104 | .. | 3,658 | .. | .. | 3,762 |
| Tripoli | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| America— | ||||||
| Argentina | .. | .. | 902 | 10,784 | .. | 11,686 |
| Brazil | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 3 |
| Chile | .. | .. | .. | 2,365 | .. | 2,365 |
| Cuba | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Mexico | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 |
| Panama Canal Zone | 144 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 145 |
| Peru | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 2 |
| United States of America | 552,421 | 2,416,516 | 42,590 | 45,541 | 221,067 | 3,278,135 |
| Uruguay | 19,781 | .. | 2,029 | 6,085 | .. | 27,895 |
| Pacific islands— | ||||||
| Hawaii | 168,908 | 13 | 916 | 385 | .. | 170,222 |
| New Caledonia | 977 | 2,248 | 259 | 10 | .. | 3,494 |
| New Hebrides | 686 | 16 | 1,246 | 7 | .. | 1,955 |
| Society Islands | 46,387 | 833 | 14,494 | 5,513 | .. | 67,227 |
| Tuamotu Archipelago | 667 | 995 | 32 | .. | .. | 1,694 |
| Tutuila | 3,260 | 4,602 | 4 | 16 | .. | 7,882 |
| Totals, foreign countries | 1,112,708 | 4,983,573 | 74,220 | 75,092 | 221,067 | 6,466,660 |
| Grand totals | 30,071,960 | 20,007,375 | 1,455,214 | 359,179 | 718,983 | 52,612,711 |
More detailed information as to principal exports to the various countries during the last five years is given in the following pages :—
| Article. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Butter | 2,630,234 | 10,953,941 | 8,768,471 | 9,597,526 | 10,772,518 |
| Casein | 62,250 | 108,078 | 57,766 | 80,457 | 85,835 |
| Cheese | 6,147,023 | 8,191,233 | 4,679,348 | 6,809,584 | 6,983,271 |
| Eggs in shell | 1,706 | 156 | 142 | 5,743 | 16,766 |
| Honey | 9,085 | 27,990 | 46,336 | 25,287 | 29,429 |
| Meat, poultry, and game— | |||||
| Frozen— | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Beef | 1,701,325 | 1,706,180 | 535,772 | 863,127 | 666,147 |
| Lamb, whole carcases | 1,915,744 | 4,597,580 | 4,966,867 | 6,029,554 | 5,926,763 |
| Mutton, whole carcases | 5,394,076 | 4,468,359 | 2,644,818 | 1,882,036 | 2,537,565 |
| Pork | .. | 20,288 | 34,640 | 94,629 | 24,159 |
| Other | 153,206 | 176,819 | 109,147 | 82,906 | 101,294 |
| Potted and preserved | 380,931 | 150,592 | 87,275 | 43,517 | 44,211 |
| Sausage casings and skins | 20,775 | 56,980 | 44,463 | 20,010 | 36,354 |
| Other | 10,958 | 3,235 | 5,602 | 10,026 | 21,550 |
| Milk, dried | 689,203 | 960,971 | 467,518 | 451,945 | 446,619 |
| Apples, fresh | 13,965 | 19,198 | 60,344 | 53,169 | 100,342 |
| Peas | 103,203 | 99,592 | 84,062 | 135,301 | 71,876 |
| Oats | 39,552 | 82,152 | 42,231 | 13,015 | 70 |
| Wheat | .. | .. | 109,976 | 531 | .. |
| Hops | 6,425 | 1,039 | 17,593 | 4,486 | 28,243 |
| Hair not made up, other than human | 4,636 | 2,057 | 2,262 | 1,544 | 2,669 |
| Hides, pelts, and skins, undressed— | |||||
| Rabbit | 457,084 | 247,081 | 319,297 | 307,783 | 345,686 |
| Sheep, with wool | .. | 10,410 | 104,797 | 157,143 | 277,030 |
| Sheep, without wool | 672,598 | 367,665 | 294,137 | 206,892 | 198,690 |
| Other | 78,374 | 82,464 | 44,003 | 72,214 | 240,703 |
| Wool— | |||||
| Greasy | 6,983,092 | 3,130,011 | 6,844,265 | 6,265,537 | 7,877,301 |
| Scoured | 2,778,754 | 633,118 | 1,947,752 | 1,565,074 | 1,731,838 |
| Sliped | 2,080,747 | 974,185 | 2,197,797 | 1,237,000 | 1,936,233 |
| Washed | 19,084 | 3,602 | 8,583 | 10,455 | 18,747 |
| Copra | 30,202 | 5,667 | 9,717 | 18,519 | 10,522 |
| Phormium tenax | 181,983 | 103,119 | 85,849 | 43,786 | 134,575 |
| Tow | 4,902 | .. | 920 | 1,629 | 8,791 |
| Seeds | 65,632 | 72,373 | 118,284 | 61,062 | 64,289 |
| Apparel | 2,050 | 1,2,746 | 8,707 | 13,193 | 13,269 |
| Textile piece-goods | 8,105 | 58,094 | 64,756 | 9,121 | 14,876 |
| Tallow | 1,210,095 | 821,511 | 732,266 | 678,059 | 678,706 |
| Oil, mineral | 290 | 310 | 287 | 224 | 21,915 |
| Oil, other than mineral | 2,096 | 665 | 1,976 | 3,022 | 2,806 |
| Coal | 60,927 | 90,728 | 202,654 | 117,819 | 134,529 |
| Kauri-gum | 109,984 | 134,502 | 123,423 | 166,535 | 160,322 |
| Gold | 103,353 | 2,760 | 13,367 | 890 | 3,189 |
| Electrical machinery and machines | 1,102 | 4,309 | 5,293 | 2,819 | 2,763 |
| Leather | 27,564 | 83,512 | 41,737 | 17,906 | 4,115 |
| Timber | 644 | 1,244 | 5,131 | 15,760 | 9,668 |
| Stationery and books | 1,598 ' | 9,831 | 8,052 | 6,195 | 25,538 |
| Musical instruments | 1,223 | 5,603 | 4,090 | 6,840 | 9,588 |
| Sugar of milk | .. | .. | 2,078 | 12,816 | 25 |
| Motors for road traffic and materials therefor | 13,028 | 43,081 | 7,266 | 10,716 | 11,341 |
| Parcels-post | 34,641 | 42,300 | 35,133 | 40,575 | 35,826 |
| Canada | |||||
| Butter | 271,678 | 82,908 | 91,777 | 233,235 | 340,582 |
| Cheese | 3,811 | 65 | 6 | 542 | 19,322 |
| Gelatine | 22,213 | 3,734 | 4,175 | 3,269 | 3,325 |
| Frozen meat | 141,745 | 23,055 | 9,083 | .. | 3,022 |
| Meats, potted and preserved | 4,039 | 14,177 | 3,386 | 2,832 | 2,865 |
| Sausage casings and skins | 95,599 | 66,210 | 88,199 | 141,795 | 175,455 |
| Hides, pelts, and skins, undressed— | |||||
| Calf | 105,350 | 35,403 | 14,881 | 6,597 | 6,248 |
| Cattle | 232,439 | 59,794 | 77,151 | 62,140 | 23,080 |
| Sheep, without wool | 225,224 | 43,674 | 19,324 | 27,835 | 7,476 |
| Other | 48,900 | 8,879 | 10,224 | 15,678 | 42,466 |
| Wool— | |||||
| Greasy | .. | 50,649 | 54,608 | 61,346 | 41,667 |
| Scoured | .. | 2,106 | 22,268 | 68,572 | 16,228 |
| Sliped | .. | 26,659 | 15,700 | 10,754 | 6,313 |
| Seeds | 1,900 | 1,739 | 8,408 | 3,647 | 5,676 |
| Apparel | 5,255 | 10,171 | 3,285 | 6,033 | 3,876 |
| Kauri-gum | 53,148 | 7,939 | 8,931 | 6,116 | 7,155 |
| Phormium tenax | 67,217 | 2,715 | .. | .. | 2,164 |
| Parcels-post | 4,210 | 1,404 | 1,159 | 1,532 | 2,220 |
| Ceylon. | |||||
| Silver | 9,910 | 24,614 | 34,614 | 45,115 | .. |
| Hong Kong. | |||||
| Fungus | .. | .. | 443 | 10,598 | 3,383 |
| Butter | 7,913 | 12,852 | 22,271 | 8,982 | 9,038 |
| India. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Wool | .. | .. | .. | .. | 97,597 |
| Gold | 23,884 | .. | 166,104 | 332,238 | 323,921 |
| Silver | 24,104 | 17,330 | 2,894 | 4,827 | 70,267 |
| Parcels-post | 1,023 | 1,184 | 723 | 1,059 | 1,268 |
| Straits Settlements. | |||||
| Butter | .. | .. | .. | 6,090 | 10,771 |
| Milk and cream, preserved, condensed. &c. | 28,356 | 88,569 | 51,740 | 34,371 | 5,387 |
| Union of South Africa. | |||||
| Tallow | .. | 1,564 | 2,737 | 1,909 | 12,869 |
| Australia. | |||||
| Butter | 16,371 | 310 | 83,847 | 372,307 | 15,336 |
| Casein | 2,640 | 4,400 | 1,492 | 4,490 | 6,383 |
| Cheese | 5,640 | 4,734 | 6,214 | 57,608 | 17,195 |
| Fish | 29,140 | 35,495 | 50,176 | 69,435 | 58,718 |
| Meats, potted and preserved | 7,252 | 18,106 | 15,779 | 31,681 | 28,262 |
| Pork, preserved, other than frozen | 269 | 521 | 4,506 | 11,900 | 19,080 |
| Pork, frozen | .. | .. | 13,315 | 16,784 | 63,455 |
| Sausage casings | 8,309 | 3,452 | 7,338 | 6,845 | 7,507 |
| Milk, preserved | 6,205 | 16,716 | 1,871 | 4,003 | 30,341 |
| Biscuits | 3 | 94 | 4 | 26 | 5,007 |
| Peas | 32,271 | 17,693 | 16,731 | 20,456 | 10,185 |
| Oats | 10,660 | 1,130 | 47,465 | 54,955 | 855 |
| Hops | 9,434 | 16,499 | 17,593 | 12,552 | 13,005 |
| Cocoa and chocolate | 370 | 4,437 | 7,505 | 11,286 | 208 |
| Tea | 1,713 | 5,065 | 2,766 | 5,253 | 7 |
| Ale, porter, and beer | 323 | 253 | 292 | 1,301 | 3,028 |
| Whisky | 5,206 | 7,044 | 23,387 | 1,067 | 914 |
| Tobacco | 1,473 | 6,673 | 5,729 | 8,445 | 2,356 |
| Cattle | 9,159 | 6,159 | 8,176 | 56,405 | 8,663 |
| Horses | 11,403 | 26,253 | 34,660 | 38,448 | 48,384 |
| Sheep | 7,504 | 1,416 | 1,712 | 9,396 | 5,447 |
| Hair, not made up | 8,013 | 4,051 | 3,363 | 4,782 | 3,400 |
| Calf-skins | 40,977 | 48,215 | 115,930 | 91,881 | 84,901 |
| Cattle-hides | 435,399 | 259,370 | 198,861 | 368,759 | 304,854 |
| Sheep-skins, without wool | 16,264 | 12,439 | 55,911 | 54,063 | 75,184 |
| Other hides and skins | 13,006 | 10,266 | 5,846 | 7,022 | 23,172 |
| Wool— | |||||
| Greasy | 3 | 19,412 | 5,190 | 71,206 | 384,018 |
| Other | .. | .. | 689 | 48,973 | 134,312 |
| Phormium cenax | 225,002 | 161,174 | 99,700 | 67,286 | 103,128 |
| Tow | 35,127 | 25,793 | 29,426 | 2,735 | 26,754 |
| Seeds— | |||||
| Grass and clover | 44,305 | 45,221 | 28,153 | 39,245 | 46,957 |
| Linseed | 38,174 | 48,733 | 14,698 | 20,950 | 12,547 |
| Other | 15,620 | 7,825 | 7,041 | 5,795 | 5,758 |
| Apparel | 3,716 | 29,648 | 50,030 | 7,243 | 13,055 |
| Hosiery | 3,330 | 7,134 | 160,759 | 4,197 | 4,155 |
| Textile piece-goods | 26,251 | 61,884 | 113,222 | 35,870 | 16,512 |
| Rugs | 1,590 | 3,519 | 9,360 | 5,603 | 8,909 |
| Twine | 14,923 | 17,824 | 22,164 | 16,412 | 6,619 |
| Glycerine | 2,489 | 2,162 | .. | 1,593 | 3,779 |
| Whale-oil | 23,304 | 7,501 | 2,310 | 6,042 | 4,588 |
| Tallow | 36,487 | 29,340 | 240 | 97,780 | 97,078 |
| Coal | 52,085 | 30,810 | 27,954 | 39,550 | 33,019 |
| Pumice-sand | 7,005 | 6,961 | 8,156 | 9,493 | 4,542 |
| Specie—silver | .. | .. | .. | 27,372 | 34,443 |
| Gold | 12,167 | 6,966 | 5,731 | 37,715 | 2,278 |
| Silver | 2,828 | 8,076 | 11,263 | 6,094 | 35,458 |
| Agricultural implements | 3,021 | 3,228 | 7,278 | 13,443 | 12,554 |
| Dairying machinery | 6,663 | 3,099 | 1,906 | 3,247 | 4,609 |
| Electrical machinery | 7,633 | 9,754 | 18,542 | 11,339 | 7,910 |
| Leather | 6,988 | 14,767 | 10,651 | 4,876 | 5,242 |
| Timber— | |||||
| White-pine | 516,828 | 353,460 | 363,501 | 328,205 | 360,188 |
| Kauri | 15,840 | 42,011 | 46,430 | 43,612 | 27,485 |
| Rimu | 124,808 | 66,114 | 40,560 | 59,571 | 45,369 |
| Other | 34,203 | 37,742 | 15,972 | 24,641 | 27,485 |
| Books, papers, and music, printed | 6,259 | 13,460 | 11,020 | 8,375 | 12,556 |
| Jewellery | 72,550 | 135,744 | 58,709 | 31,198 | 3,243 |
| Fancy-goods and toys | 637 | 1,850 | 1,376 | 3,325 | 2,755 |
| Cinematograph, bioscope, and kinetoscope films | 2,493 | 12,164 | 4,770 | 4,186 | 16,620 |
| Photographic materials and goods | 3,296 | 3,237 | 9,681 | 4,702 | 3,441 |
| Motors for road traffic and materials therefor | 18,417 | 87,432 | 66,431 | 19,471 | 14,613 |
| Sugar of milk | 80 | 225 | 163 | 4,358 | 10,579 |
| Musical Instruments | 2,481 | 4,388 | 5,830 | 4,585 | 3,974 |
| Parcels-post | 42,718 | 23,357 | 18,060 | 17,897 | 19,497 |
| Fiji. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Butter | 11,734 | 6,242 | 6,580 | 6,770 | 4,742 |
| Cheese | 1,259 | 1,673 | 739 | 1,092 | 1,196 |
| Bacon | 854 | 2,280 | 1,428 | 2,093 | 5,308 |
| Meats, potted and preserved | 27,077 | 18,201 | 8,425 | 17,266 | 22,561 |
| Milk and cream, preserved, condensed, &c. | 5,396 | 3,686 | 3,832 | 2,525 | 1,825 |
| Confectionery | 1,438 | 1,633 | 1,273 | 2,431 | 2,266 |
| Oats | 117 | 165 | 1,122 | 4,876 | 54 |
| Sugar | 4,849 | 5,080 | 3,625 | 3,325 | 3,932 |
| Potatoes | 7,084 | 6,329 | 4,161 | 4,801 | 2,991 |
| Tea | 4,001 | 3,593 | 2,426 | 3,100 | 4,569 |
| Ale, porter, and beer | 1,289 | 1,203 | 2,084 | 1,248 | 1,640 |
| Cattle | 577 | 353 | 180 | 1,275 | 3,370 |
| Sheep | 662 | 1,868 | 3,204 | 3,885 | 2,781 |
| Apparel | 2,599 | 1,976 | 1,029 | 1,090 | 2,348 |
| Textile piece-goods | 34,362 | 7,726 | 5,149 | 1,738 | 2,040 |
| Rugs | 581 | 2,992 | 2,058 | 1,568 | 1,406 |
| Bags and sacks | 367 | 13,746 | 8,245 | 9,193 | 13,787 |
| Tallow | 9,210 | 2,441 | 2;820 | 2,242 | 3,242 |
| Coal | 123 | 4,698 | 4,492 | 3,678 | 953 |
| Hardware, hollow-ware, and iron-mongery | 1,026 | 1,980 | 786 | 1,054 | 998 |
| Timber | 1,882 | 1,641 | 2,817 | 5,016 | 3,288 |
| Cement, building | 1,625 | 2,284 | 1,087 | 337 | .. |
| Cinematograph, bioscope, and kinetoscope films | 706 | 2,720 | 6,635 | 10,053 | 11,236 |
| Soap | 1,695 | 1,062 | 821 | 1,183 | 1,176 |
| Parcels-post | 2,863 | 2,461 | 2,021 | 1,881 | 2,385 |
| Tonga. | |||||
| Butter | 4,702 | 3,879 | 1,987 | 2,821 | 4,092 |
| Salted beef | 7,032 | 3,126 | 1,730 | 4,676 | 2,332 |
| Meats, potted and preserved | 44,267 | 30,398 | 13,136 | 23,628 | 29,619 |
| Biscuits | 1,476 | 1,423 | 719 | 1,236 | 1,747 |
| Sugar | 2,863 | 5,598 | 2,606 | 3,363 | 4,635 |
| Apparel | 4,293 | 2,433 | 1,505 | 2,014 | 3,205 |
| Textile piece-goods | 21,371 | 12,603 | 6,210 | 8,926 | 6,652 |
| Cordage and rope | 3,177 | 1,661 | 1,228 | 1,567 | 1,387 |
| Kerosene | 1,109 | 1,415 | 1,881 | 2,569 | 2,719 |
| Specie—silver | 25,460 | 300 | 300 | .. | .. |
| Hardware, hollow-ware, and iron-mongery | 2,895 | 1,692 | 999 | 2,156 | 1,684 |
| Wire | 1,990 | 1,048 | 764 | 1,318 | 1,242 |
| Timber | 222 | 1,405 | 1,353 | 1,740 | 3,288 |
| Cinematograph, bioscope, and kinetoscope films | 291 | 250 | 625 | 7,370 | 1,253 |
| Parcels-post | 1,944 | 1,487 | 1,262 | 1,214 | 1,730 |
| Western Samoa. | |||||
| Butter | 5,311 | 5,027 | 3,482 | 4,082 | 4,332 |
| Salted beef | 12,859 | 7,762 | 5,156 | 6,756 | 5,640 |
| Meats, potted and preserved | 29,170 | 28,762 | 16,490 | 18,004 | 27,330 |
| Frozen meat | 1,234 | 1,784 | 543 | 3,218 | 1,474 |
| Milk and cream, preserved, condensed, &c. | 2,890 | 2,681 | 1,626 | 1,493 | 1,232 |
| Sugar | 6,012 | 6,135 | 1,334 | 775 | 1,585 |
| Apparel | 2,890 | 1,867 | 1,632 | 1,066 | 1,764 |
| Textile piece-goods | 25,778 | 6,570 | 3,067 | 4,397 | 4,872 |
| Hardware, hollow-ware, and iron-mongery | 4,193 | 2,282 | 1,161 | 935 | 1,244 |
| Cement | 584 | 1,828 | 1,688 | 1,145 | 609 |
| Medicinal preparations, drugs, &c. | 2,743 | 1,867 | 1,093 | 1,323 | 523 |
| Soap | 4,858 | 3,104 | 2,522 | 1,289 | 1,289 |
| France. | |||||
| Butter | .. | .. | .. | 82,875 | 25,732 |
| Wool | .. | 14,386 | 58,337 | 251,394 | 51,568 |
| Kauri-gum | .. | .. | .. | 2,673 | 7,628 |
| Belgium. | |||||
| Hides, pelts, and skins | .. | 159 | .. | 4,617 | 53,595 |
| Wool | .. | 4,753 | 7,971 | 2,696 | 51,095 |
| Germany. | |||||
| Butter | .. | .. | .. | .. | 79,011 |
| Casein | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5,888 |
| Frozen meat | .. | .. | 17,604 | .. | 36,344 |
| Hides and pelts | .. | .. | .. | 2,133 | 5,772 |
| Wool | .. | 43,081 | 195,383 | 186,439 | 1,030,038 |
| Kauri-gum | .. | 2,473 | 4,464 | 832 | 6,968 |
| Italy. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Frozen meat | .. | .. | .. | .. | 64,662 |
| Hides and pelts | .. | 19 | 210 | .. | 12,536 |
| Wool | .. | 188 | 21,637 | 68,010 | 319,170 |
| Kauri-gum | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5,193 |
| Netherlands. | |||||
| Wool | .. | 1,713 | 2,339 | 11,609 | 256,599 |
| Kauri-gum | .. | .. | 2,214 | 3,749 | 950 |
| China. | |||||
| Butter | .. | 28 | 4,329 | 10,149 | 13,803 |
| Japan. | |||||
| Butter | .. | .. | 245 | 5,670 | 20,958 |
| Casein | .. | .. | 1,490 | 20,360 | 26,509 |
| Meats, potted and preserved | .. | .. | .. | 4,075 | 2,436 |
| Wheat | .. | .. | 12,632 | .. | .. |
| Wool | .. | 15,353 | 86,038 | 172,909 | 272,927 |
| Philippine Islands. | |||||
| Butter | .. | .. | .. | 12,418 | 18,681 |
| Argentina. | |||||
| Fresh apples | .. | .. | .. | 15,168 | .. |
| Sheep | 4,400 | 2,579 | 400 | .. | 8,275 |
| Cattle | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,375 |
| Chile. | |||||
| sheep | 13,013 | 18,015 | .. | 1,312 | 2,363 |
| Uruguay. | |||||
| Fresh apples | .. | .. | 750 | 1,874 | 19,590 |
| Sheep | .. | .. | 3,874 | 3,970 | 5,937 |
| United States. | |||||
| Butter | 67,778 | 102,983 | 35,112 | 271,639 | 196,855 |
| Casein | 14,112 | 2,033 | 16,462 | 75,924 | 2,370 |
| Frozen meat | 2,363,345 | 120,868 | 18,718 | 14 | 776 |
| Sausage casings | 335,383 | 322,056 | 330,621 | 260,698 | 345,611 |
| Hides, pelts, and skins, undressed— | |||||
| Calf | 27,482 | 55,109 | 15,944 | 85,568 | 121,143 |
| Cattle | 207,507 | 29,219 | 49,448 | 88,976 | 27,911 |
| Rabbit | 338,267 | 188,295 | 245,202 | 162,310 | 356,470 |
| Sheep, without wool | 2,147,889 | 532,977 | 486,554 | 607,021 | 914,153 |
| Other | 10,580 | 4,303 | 14,313 | 50,641 | 8,348 |
| Wool— | |||||
| Greasy | .. | 269,353 | 394,268 | 810,046 | 571,384 |
| Other | 2,144 | 32,894 | 20,737 | 62,621 | 13,187 |
| Phormium tenax | 173,077 | 26,167 | 79,524 | 173,419 | 149,020 |
| Seeds | 40,257 | 42,272 | 134,682 | 79,084 | 38,164 |
| Tallow | 466,640 | 8,843 | 8,701 | 4,793 | .. |
| Coal | 15,085 | 1,375 | 5,683 | 19,692 | .. |
| Kauri-gum | 389,467 | 214,383 | 416,164 | 415,075 | 252,365 |
| Gold | 718,899 | 602,308 | 354,944 | 327,740 | 222,400 |
| Parcels-post | 8,625 | 6,415 | 4,087 | 5,409 | 7,345 |
| Hawaii. | |||||
| Butter | 3,047 | 8,420 | 40,542 | 66,181 | 98,122 |
| Frozen meat | 1,161 | 43,595 | 37,227 | 35,885 | 67,393 |
| Dried milk | 6 | 421 | 28 | 1,394 | 953 |
| Fresh apples | 3 | 2,685 | 1,983 | 1,920 | 1,305 |
| Manures | .. | .. | 13,832 | 6,617 | .. |
| Society Islands. | |||||
| Butter | 7,332 | 4,314 | 5,313 | 5,673 | 8,419 |
| Meats, potted and preserved | 21,663 | 8,634 | 10,387 | 14,169 | 23,535 |
| Milk and cream, condensed, preserved, &c. | 6,900 | 4,842 | 5,693 | 3,757 | 5,458 |
| Sugar | 3,407 | 6,627 | 2,633 | 3,085 | 1,845 |
| Potatoes | 1,313 | 829 | 1,001 | 1,131 | 3,035 |
| Cattle | 3,949 | 1,540 | 2,605 | 1,393 | 1,344 |
| Sheep | 863 | 503 | 1,123 | 1,045 | 857 |
| Textile piece-goods | 1,987 | 981 | 4,475 | 5,760 | 276 |
| Cinematograph, bioscope, and kinetoscope films | 860 | 5,870 | 1,206 | 2,076 | 1,045 |
| Soap | 12,857 | 5,791 | 8,638 | 7,827 | 7,678 |
| Tutuila. | |||||
| Meats, potted and preserved | 1,681 | 2,553 | 1,775 | 1,252 | 3,056 |
| Coal | 2,030 | 3,018 | 10,756 | .. | 4,615 |
In order to show at a glance the destinations of the main items of export, tables are appended showing the details for five years for each of the principal articles.
| Country to which exported. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wool | |||||
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | |
| United Kingdom | 162,301,559 | 145,385,964 | 292,176,127 | 181,720,079 | 154,203,409 |
| Canada | .. | 2,353,978 | 2,537,316 | 2,372,589 | 842,811 |
| France | .. | 698,671 | 2,529,840 | 5,192,571 | 7,328,522 |
| Germany | .. | 1,477,131 | 7,060,931 | 4,662,237 | 15,825,443 |
| Japan | .. | 1,068,292 | 5,001,918 | 4,584,222 | 3,759,829 |
| United States of America | 25,531 | 7,241,051 | 10,775,092 | 14,243,490 | 6,995,991 |
| Other countries | 86 | 489,741 | 1,451,991 | 4,790,903 | 17,299,827 |
| Totals | 162,327,176 | 158,714,828 | 321,533,215 | 217,566,091 | 206,255,832 |
| Frozen Meat. | |||||
| Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | |
| United Kingdom | 3,747,965 | 4,241,074 | 3,471,435 | 3,012,796 | 3,069,891 |
| Canada | 50,594 | 5,449 | 3,209 | .. | 905 |
| Australia | .. | 3 | 3,412 | 4,807 | 16,908 |
| Pacific islands | 1,162 | 21,912 | 19,085 | 26,290 | 41,490 |
| Germany | .. | .. | 15,352 | .. | 30,447 |
| United States of America | 829,561 | 54,316 | 5,511 | 3 | 204 |
| Egypt | .. | .. | .. | 14 | .. |
| Totals | 4,629,282 | 4,322,754 | 3,518,004 | 3,043,910 | 3,159,845 |
| Butter. | |||||
| Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | |
| United Kingdom | 82,679 | 878,737 | 1,081,512 | 1,119,355 | 1,174,894 |
| Canada | 19,526 | 9,525 | 14,083 | 27,625 | 37,164 |
| Australia | 1,528 | 24 | 10,225 | 44,353 | 1,726 |
| Pacific islands | 3,033 | 2,199 | 6,933 | 9,617 | 13,545 |
| United States of America | 4,843 | 7,899 | 5,762 | 33,755 | 20,805 |
| Other countries | 400 | 94 | 1,685 | 15,435 | 21,311 |
| Totals | 312,009 | 898,478 | 1,120,200 | 1,250,140 | 1,269,445 |
| Cheese. | |||||
| Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | |
| United Kingdom | 1,220,409 | 1,368,051 | 1,160,285 | 1,428,762 | 1,585,635 |
| Australia | 539 | 360 | 661 | 12,097 | 3,178 |
| Pacific islands | 362 | 309 | 196 | 278 | 411 |
| Other countries | 760 | 66 | 61 | 323 | 5,262 |
| Totals | 1,222,070 | 1,368,786 | 1,161,203 | 1,441,460 | 1,594,486 |
| Preserved Milk. | |||||
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | |
| United Kingdom | 12,580,302 | 16,151,943 | 9,821,132 | 14,168,510 | 11,686,033 |
| Straits Settlements | 584,496 | 1,810,949 | 1,128,450 | 1,138,486 | 185,596 |
| Australia | 353,916 | 352,792 | 139,842 | 276,013 | 1,184,238 |
| Fiji | 116,682 | 68,109 | 71,440 | 56,013 | 48,372 |
| Tonga | 60,226 | 16,432 | 15,894 | 17,338 | 16,454 |
| Western Samoa | 58,966 | 46,488 | 30,505 | 33,122 | 30,885 |
| Society Islands | 157,716 | 88,970 | 100,884 | 75,794 | 115,596 |
| Other countries | 176,144 | 166,487 | 165,907 | 462,297 | 215,800 |
| Totals | 14,088,448 | 18,702,170 | 11,474,054 | 16,227,573 | 13,482,974 |
| Tallow. | |||||
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| United Kingdom | 19,461 | 25,956 | 25,668 | 22,965 | 20,699 |
| Canada | 390 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Australia | 426 | 1,084 | 8 | 2,867 | 2,692 |
| United States of America | 6,582 | 415 | 500 | 140 | .. |
| Other countries | 179 | 257 | 319 | 183 | 579 |
| Totals | 27,041 | 27,712 | 26,495 | 25,255 | 23,970 |
| Hides (Horse and Cattle). | |||||
| Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. | |
| United Kingdom | 21,610 | 61,516 | 22,688 | 30,043 | 157,901 |
| Canada | 65,753 | 44,150 | 49,719 | 55,863 | 26,886 |
| Australia | 135,692 | 194,545 | 134,947 | 196,793 | 185,733 |
| United States of America | 64,663 | 29,242 | 33,549 | 53,355 | 32,780 |
| Other countries | 400 | .. | .. | 3,749 | 67,410 |
| Totals | 288,118 | 329,453 | 240,903 | 339,803 | 470,710 |
| Calf-skins. | |||||
| Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. | |
| United Kingdom | 800 | 1,552 | 1,606 | 5,678 | 40,302 |
| Canada | 133,017 | 112,375 | 51,035 | 21,990 | 17,991 |
| Australia | 77,069 | 162,465 | 357,524 | 295,193 | 258,301 |
| United States of America | 40,371 | 164,308 | 54,398 | 286,294 | 386,138 |
| Other countries | .. | 12 | .. | .. | 4,120 |
| Totals | 251,257 | 440,712 | 464,563 | 609,155 | 706,847 |
| Rabbit-skins. | |||||
| Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. | |
| United Kingdom | 9,578,778 | 8,285,487 | 8,801,683 | 8,648,945 | 9,598,941 |
| Canada | 271,782 | 150,486 | 45,990 | .. | 651,866 |
| Australia | 113,524 | 111,682 | 60,320 | 4,528 | 214,116 |
| United States of America | 4,399,132 | 5,369,091 | 6,561,230 | 5,543,719 | 9,948,501 |
| Other countries | .. | 5,700 | 18,002 | 36,225 | 30,966 |
| Totals | 14,363,216 | 13,922,446 | 15,487,225 | 14,233,417 | 20,444,390 |
| Sheep-skins and Pelts. | |||||
| Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. | |
| United Kingdom | 2,777,064 | 3,016,289 | 3,769,803 | 2,383,524 | 2,163,878 |
| Canada | 681,609 | 446,727 | 276,680 | 311,509 | 93,849 |
| Australia | 53,353 | 149,852 | 720,887 | 518,045 | 675,810 |
| United States of America | 5,715,730 | 4,823,323 | 5,376,226 | 5,030,717 | 5,985,590 |
| Other countries | .. | 207 | 1,257 | 3,005 | 32,264 |
| Totals | 9,227,756 | 8,436,398 | 10,144,853 | 8,246,800 | 8,951,391 |
| Sausage Casings and Skins. | |||||
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | |
| United Kingdom | 249,400 | 427,439 | 513,275 | 224,215 | 419,595 |
| Canada | 545,386 | 389,009 | 469,535 | 685,369 | 819,221 |
| Australia | 178,303 | 112,710 | 178,120 | 133,436 | 217,564 |
| United States of America | 1,858,489 | 1,686,925 | 1,791,735 | 1,345,058 | 1,330,620 |
| Other countries | 798 | 18,621 | 10,459 | 57,398 | 217,984 |
| Totals | 2,832,376 | 2,634,704 | 2,963,121 | 2,445,476 | 3,004,984 |
| Beans and Peas. | |||||
| Centals. | Centals. | Centals. | Centals. | Centals. | |
| United Kingdom | 75,748 | 106,344 | 95,536 | 179,651 | 101,341 |
| Australia | 32,255 | 18,607 | 16,785 | 19,270 | 9,147 |
| United States of America | 8,272 | 500 | 41 | 1,630 | 2,538 |
| Other countries | 492 | 108 | 593 | 1,850 | 392 |
| Totals | 116,767 | 125,559 | 112,955 | 202,401 | 113,118 |
| Seeds (Grass and Clover). | |||||
| Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | |
| United Kingdom | 5,771 | 12,635 | 38,219 | 14,523 | 11,965 |
| Canada | 364 | 518 | 2,312 | 709 | 950 |
| Australia | 13,149 | 18,639 | 11,551 | 15,673 | 15,299 |
| United States of America | 4,811 | 6,298 | 18,557 | 16,370 | 8,997 |
| Other countries | 48 | 25 | 24 | 127 | 555 |
| Totals | 24,143 | 38,115 | 70,663 | 47,402 | 37,766 |
| Gold. | |||||
| Oz. | Oz. | Oz. | Oz. | Oz. | |
| United Kingdom | 24,969 | 618 | 3,168 | 215 | 826 |
| India | 5,670 | .. | 39,546 | 78,937 | 76,891 |
| Australia | 3,619 | 2,256 | 1,668 | 9,252 | 660 |
| United States | 172,908 | 140,690 | 87,467 | 81,108 | 55,254 |
| Other countries | 5,806 | 31 | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 212,972 | 149,595 | 131,848 | 169,512 | 133,631 |
| Silver. | |||||
| Oz. | Oz. | Oz. | Oz. | Oz. | |
| United Kingdom | 59,364 | 92,188 | 55,781 | 54,077 | 6,218 |
| Ceylon | 45,079 | 197,446 | 273,572 | 372,583 | .. |
| India | 108,126 | 128,271 | 23,248 | 38,185 | 562,163 |
| Australia | 13,071 | 62,101 | 90,533 | 49,810 | 9,836 |
| Other countries | 143,760 | 17 | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 369,400 | 480,023 | 443,134 | 514,655 | 578,217 |
| Coal. | |||||
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| United Kingdom | 30,570 | 36,015 | 87,094 | 55,065 | 67,255 |
| Canada | 412 | .. | 960 | .. | .. |
| Australia | 40,654 | 19,315 | 17,442 | 31,034 | 23,918 |
| Fiji | 91 | 2,833 | 2,926 | 2,677 | 557 |
| Pacific islands (other than Fiji) | 4,336 | 2,364 | 8,057 | 32 | 3,221 |
| United States of America | 8,821 | 1,100 | 2,754 | 5,695 | .. |
| Other countries | 150 | 750 | .. | 1,589 | 2,366 |
| Totals | 85,034 | 62,377 | 119,233 | 96,092 | 97,317 |
| Kauri-gum. | |||||
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| United Kingdom | 1,851 | 1,875 | 1,824 | 2,444 | 2,162 |
| Canada | 716 | 65 | 129 | 92 | 122 |
| United States of America | 3,850 | 1,872 | 4,191 | 3,909 | 2,601 |
| Other countries | 34 | 89 | 247 | 153 | 376 |
| Totals | 6,481 | 3,901 | 6,391 | 6,598 | 5,261 |
| Phormium Tenax. | |||||
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| United Kingdom | 5,365 | 3,193 | 3,053 | 1,674 | 4,464 |
| Canada | 1,853 | 76 | .. | .. | 77 |
| Australia | 6,677 | 5,556 | 3,803 | 2,612 | 3,447 |
| United States of America | 5,046 | 818 | 2,871 | 6,311 | 4,994 |
| Other countries | 8 | .. | .. | 15 | .. |
| Totals | 18,949 | 9,643 | 9,727 | 10,612 | 12,982 |
| Timber (Sawn and Hewn). | |||||
| Sup. ft. | Sup. ft. | Sup. ft. | Sup. ft. | Sup. ft. | |
| linked Kingdom | 44,393 | 49,454 | 147,889 | 738,997 | 189,987 |
| Australia | 69,281,246 | 45,724,992 | 43,743,950 | 47,061,318 | 42,486,514 |
| Fiji | 113,291 | 67,900 | 87,906 | 124,950 | 90,949 |
| Pacific islands (other than Fiji) | 227,567 | 102,887 | 219,452 | 155,245 | 200,591 |
| Other countries | .. | 3,274 | 4,674 | 12,996 | 55,448 |
| Totals | 69,666,497 | 45,948,507 | 44,203,871 | 48,093,506 | 43,323,489 |
New Zealand's exports consist almost wholly of seasonal products, and the calendar year often splits the seasons. The largest item of export, wool, is sheared from the sheep in the early summer, and the wool-sales are held in December and January. Exports of any season's wool-clip are therefore divided between one year and the next in varying proportion. A favourable season or a sudden demand may cause a great increase of exports in the December quarter, with the result that the March quarter of the next year shows low figures. The wool trade invariably bases its calculations on each season's clip, not on calendar years.
The same argument holds good in the case of butter and cheese, which are almost wholly exported in December and March quarters. It is desirable, therefore, for some purposes to tabulate New Zealand exports for years ending in June instead of December, since this division does not split the seasonal production of any main commodity, and more truly shows the results of each season as compared with previous seasons. The following table gives this information for the principal items of export during each of the last five “ June “ years:—
| Article. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Included in “Other New Zealand produce.” | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Butter | 8,447,198 | 8,055,828 | 11,490,844 | 9,786,485, | 11,705,541 |
| Casein | * | 50,537 | 151,297 | 132,218 | 133,812 |
| Cheese | 8,376,495 | 6,027,286 | 6,433,812 | 6,460,167 | 6,208,553 |
| Fish | 28,166 | 40,694 | 47,019 | 65,274 | 63,070 |
| Beef, frozen | 2,321,470 | 769,574 | 2,003,804 | 716,902 | 926,074 |
| Beef, salted | 18,076 | 9,899 | 14,080 | 23,747 | 13,226 |
| Lamb, frozen | 4,850,542 | 5,782,272 | 5,871,788 | 6,092,763 | 6,833,007 |
| Mutton, frozen | 6,651,771 | 3,575,954 | 1,888,848 | 2,030,335 | 2,945,430 |
| Meats, preserved | 474,612 | 211,870 | 170,284 | 168,222 | 188,418 |
| Sausage-skins | 478,128 | 501,555 | 414,603 | 511,740 | 674,757 |
| Milk, preserved | * | 808,579 | 456,221 | 417,075 | 557,245 |
| Apples, fresh | 14,397 | 63,399 | 71,399 | 124,960 | 116,062 |
| Beans and peas | 162,817 | 111,516 | 149,452 | 96,633 | 85,765 |
| Oats | 103,361 | 29,755 | 137,074 | 25,691 | 953 |
| Wheat | 93 | 133,365 | 184,014 | 499 | 393 |
| Hops | 24,509 | 15,200 | 15,084 | 39,924 | 14,214 |
| Potatoes | 10,189 | 7,709 | 5,715 | 8,345 | 7,536 |
| Live-stock | 68,597 | 65,250 | 67,071 | 102,588 | 121,196 |
| Calf-skins | 160,513 | 141,058 | 163,127 | 181,076 | 244,059 |
| Hides, horse and cattle | 533,844 | 371,225 | 502,986 | 547,366 | 711,448 |
| Rabbit-skins | 537,611 | 419,298 | 549,543 | 578,026 | 781,617 |
| Sheep-skins, with wool | .. | 52,021 | 211,050 | 249,226 | 306,239 |
| Sheep-skins, without wool | 1,875,835 | 976,007 | 913,377 | 1,065,924 | 1,746,716 |
| Wool | 8,637,515 | 11,051,952 | 11,359,137 | 14,639,718 | 18,087,864 |
| Phormium fibre | 443,624 | 269,453 | 292,541 | 345,805 | 505,754 |
| Seeds, grass and clover | 137,065 | 255,252 | 212,211 | 135,983 | 134,926 |
| Tallow | 1,500,765 | 876,433 | 814,625 | 748,799 | 826,770 |
| Coal | 94,350 | 189,312 | 247,480 | 136,195, | 238,638 |
| Kauri-gum | 418,968 | 471,022 | 584,298 | 559,137 | 453,956 |
| Gold | 836,911 | 547,443 | 601,247 | 683,845 | 477,897 |
| Silver | 74,472 | 52,242 | 55,931 | 72,572 | 71,159 |
| Leather | 109,360 | 33,615 | 26,869 | 9,386 | 8,867 |
| Timber, sawn | 622,939 | 526,524 | 438,414 | 445,248 | 520,092 |
| Other New Zealand produce | 1,867,076 | 1,122,359 | 675,363 | 657,794 | 914,091 |
| Totals | 49,881,269 | 43,615,458 | 46,220,608 | 47,859,668 | 56,625,345 |
The forwarding trade of New Zealand has never at any time been of great significance, and, prior to 1914, on only one occasion (in 1907) did the amount exceed a quarter of a million sterling. After 1913, however, this amount rabidly increased until in 1921 it reached the comparatively large figure of £1,213,002. Since that year, however, there has been a considerable drop, and the value of the produce and manufactures of other countries exported from the Dominion in 1924 amounted to £588,395 only.
Items of re-exports consist partly of goods returned from New Zealand either as unsuitable or as finished with, though the bulk of the total amount is made up by various classes of machinery, hardware, metal manufactures, motor-cars, and also items such as apparel, books, tobacco, and spirits.
There is, however, a genuine entrepôt trade with the islands of the Pacific, the amount of which is still comparatively small. Exports to Cook Islands, which are treated as part of the Dominion, are not included in the figures of either exports or re-exports.
The total values of re-exports from Now Zealand for the last twenty years are shown in the table below:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1905 | 138,539 |
| 1906 | 152,134 |
| 1907 | 278,503 |
| 1908 | 180,675 |
| 1909 | 173,215 |
| 1910 | 208,310 |
| 1911 | 198,287 |
| 1912 | 239,221 |
| 1913 | 232,473 |
| 1914 | 269,208 |
| 1915 | 387,960 |
| 1916 | 305,150 |
| 1917 | 429,115 |
| 1918 | 543,568 |
| 1919 | 603,541 |
| 1920 | 813,072 |
| 1921 | 1,213,002 |
| 1922 | 1,026,801 |
| 1923 | 567,885 |
| 1924 | 588,395 |
The destination of this re-export trade is shown in the following table for 1920-24:—
| Country. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| United Kingdom | 103,955 | 245,334 | 163,814 | 110,984 | 169,903 |
| Canada | 29,628 | 22,115 | 8,207 | 9,397 | 11,219 |
| Australia | 382,593 | 590,065 | 707,567 | 300,471 | 241,166 |
| Fiji | 71,645 | 56,308 | 31,486 | 35,344 | 52,850 |
| Tonga | 65,716 | 36,027 | 22,019 | 35,723 | 28,928 |
| Western Samoa | 78,521 | 43,962 | 18,099 | 18,296 | 20,308 |
| United States of America | 49,386 | 133,747 | 38,379 | 36,278 | 45,887 |
| Society Islands | 21,866 | 21,417 | 15,604 | 12,495 | 6,287 |
| Other countries | 9,762 | 64,027 | 21,626 | 8,897 | 11,547 |
| Totals | 813,072 | 1,213,002 | 1,026,801 | 567,885 | 588,395 |
It is widely recognized that the price of wool and of the other principal items of export has a vital bearing on the prosperity of New Zealand, and in the following pages an attempt is made to analyse the influence exerted upon the total values of exports by these changes of prices. New Zealand has always been peculiarly dependent for her prosperity upon her external trade, and the early vicissitudes of the several settlements were caused in great part by the difficulty of finding an assured market for their products. After the gold-discoveries of the “sixties,” there was a steady export of that metal; but the great development of sheep-farming caused the export of wool to outstrip and finally to overshadow gold. Before refrigeration these two commodities comprised the overwhelming bulk of New Zealand's exports—on the average from 90 to 95 per cent.
This was the position when, in the early “seventies,” the world level of prices began to fall, which it continued to do steadily till 1895. About this time the first alluvial deposits of gold began to work out, and gold exports constantly decreased. At the same time the price of wool fell lower and lower, so that the colony found both of its great sources of wealth shrinking fast. An ambitious borrowing policy, followed by a period of land speculation, precipitated the country into the severest crisis it has yet experienced, and economic conditions became rapidly worse, till a long period of depression ended in the early “nineties” in a banking crisis.
All through this period the quantities of goods exported constantly increased. Refrigeration came in 1882, and frozen meat and dairy-produce added to the country's wealth. But the depressing influence of falling prices continually minimized the effect of the strenuous efforts at increased production, and the condition of the country remained unpromising.
The years 1895-96 saw a complete change, which can be ascribed only to two facts: the world level of prices began to rise, and the beneficial effects of refrigeration began to make themselves felt; so that from this period dates the prosperity of New Zealand. Under the stimulus of rising prices, which always benefit debtors and producers, exports have increased by leaps and bounds, as will be seen by a reference to the chart in Subsection A of this section. Following the increase of exports there has been a great development of imports and of the home trade.
It is an economic axiom that rising prices tend to benefit producers, for the reason that all prices do not rise equally, and the main prices which lag behind the general level are the prices of the two biggest expenses of production—labour and capital. Hence the producer gets the benefit of rising prices for his produce, while his wages-bill and the interest on his borrowed capital do not increase so fast. It is the latter fact which is of value to New Zealand. The amount of interest which must be paid by New Zealand in each year is paid by the export of domestic produce, and is represented by a continued excess of exports over imports. In times of rising prices fewer bales of wool and carcases of mutton need be shipped each year to discharge this obligation.
At the same time New Zealand derives an extra benefit from the fact that her exports are rising faster than the average level of prices. Investigations into prices, not only in New Zealand but also in the older countries, show that raw materials and foodstuffs rise much faster than other commodities, and this feature is especially marked in animal products.
All these influences, which are the principal effects of rising prices, tend to stimulate and increase production; but their exact extent can never be separated from the other causes of increased productivity: all that may be measured is the apparent effect upon the exports as disclosed by changing values. From these data it is possible to ascertain with some accuracy what extra value has been added by the element of prices; but the important influences increasing productivity are not touched by this method.
| Year. | Recorded Value. | Value at Rates ruling in 1900. | Index Numbers of “True” Volume of Exports. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total. | Per Head. | Total. | Per Head. | Total. | Per Head. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| 1900 | 13,055,249 | 16.27 | 13,055,249 | 16.27 | 1000 | 1000 |
| 1901 | 12,690,460 | 15.46 | 13,885,227 | 16.91 | 1064 | 1039 |
| 1902 | 13,498,599 | 16.05 | 14,877,302 | 17.69 | 1140 | 1087 |
| 1903 | 14,838,192 | 17.19 | 15,148,500 | 17.55 | 1160 | 1079 |
| 1904 | 14,601,787 | 16.44 | 13,979,644 | 15.74 | 1071 | 967 |
| 1905 | 15,503,530 | 16.98 | 13,618,838 | 14.91 | 1043 | 916 |
| 1906 | 17,840,346 | 18.91 | 14,796,097 | 15.69 | 1133 | 964 |
| 1907 | 19,783,138 | 20.46 | 15,830,149 | 16.37 | 1213 | 1006 |
| 1908 | 15,894,530 | 16.01 | 14,554,754 | 14.66 | 1115 | 901 |
| 1909 | 19,462,936 | 19.09 | 17,886,541 | 17.54 | 1370 | 1078 |
| 1910 | 21,944,163 | 21.09 | 18,524,540 | 17.80 | 1419 | 1094 |
| 1911 | 18,781,898 | 17.65 | 16,131,869 | 15.16 | 1236 | 932 |
| 1912 | 21,272,405 | 19.54 | 17,754,865 | 16.31 | 1360 | 1002 |
| 1913 | 22,577,890 | 20.19 | 17,506,323 | 15.65 | 1341 | 962 |
| 1914 | 25,984,717 | 22.79 | 19,807,867 | 17.37 | 1517 | 1068 |
| 1915 | 31,042,662 | 27.01 | 20,099,592 | 17.49 | 1540 | 1075 |
| 1916 | 32,975,907 | 28.69 | 18,681,653 | 16.26 | 1431 | 999 |
| 1917 | 31,087,957 | 27.06 | 15,567,995 | 13.55 | 1192 | 833 |
| 1918 | 27,937,010 | 24.23 | 12,401,373 | 10.76 | 950 | 661 |
| 1919 | 53,304,384 | 44.69 | 24,826,912 | 20.82 | 1902 | 1280 |
| 1920 | 45,592,294 | 36.70 | 20,059,459 | 16.15 | 1537 | 993 |
| 1921 | 43,615,473 | 34.16 | 21,298,573 | 16.68 | 1631 | 1025 |
| 1922 | 41,699,148 | 31.95 | 27,013,513 | 20.70 | 2069 | 1272 |
| 1923 | 45,371,908 | 34.16 | 23,945,233 | 18.03 | 1834 | 1108 |
| 1924 | 51,920,828 | 38.38 | 23,960,922 | 17.71 | 1835 | 1089 |
Practically all the main exports of New Zealand are primary products, either raw materials or foodstuffs. From their nature it is possible in nearly every case to obtain the quantities exported as well as the values. It is then an easy matter of computation to find what the value would have been, assessing the quantities for each year at the prices of a selected base year or period, and by comparison with the actual values recorded to estimate the effect of price-changes.
This method is used by the British Board of Trade and by the Commonwealth Statistician, and is very suitable for application to New Zealand. Of the total exports of New Zealand produce, 99 per cent. can, for the purpose of the present inquiry, be treated in this fashion, leaving only 1 per cent. to be calculated pro rata.
The effect of prices on the total value of exports is probably better seen at a glance from the accompanying diagram. The curve representing values on the basis of prices ruling in 1900 may also be taken as representing the course of the volume of trade on a quantity basis.
In order to show the affect of changes in price from year to year, and particularly in the latter years, it is interesting to construct a series of index numbers basing the figures for each year upon the prices of the previous year. In this way it is possible to compare succeeding years directly, instead of comparing each year with a given base. The method used is the same, except that the base is changed.
| Year. | Total Exports (Domestic Produce). | Effect of Price-changes. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded Value. | Value at Prices of Previous Year. | Gain. | Loss. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1900 | 13,055,249 | .. | .. | .. |
| 1901 | 12,690,460 | 13,885,227 | .. | 1,194,767 |
| 1902 | 13,498,599 | 13,597,171 | .. | 98,672 |
| 1903 | 14,838,192 | 13,744,665 | 1,093,527 | .. |
| 1904 | 14,601,787 | 13,693,279 | 908,508 | .. |
| 1905 | 15,503,530 | 14,224,924 | 1,278,606 | .. |
| 1906 | 17,840,346 | 16,843,708 | 996,638 | .. |
| 1907 | 19,783,138 | 19,087,151 | 695,987 | .. |
| 1908 | 15,894,530 | 18,189,260 | .. | 2,294,730 |
| 1909 | 19,462,936 | 19,533,010 | .. | 70,074 |
| 1910 | 21,944,163 | 20,157,164 | 1,786,999 | .. |
| 1911 | 18,781,898 | 19,109,809 | .. | 327,921 |
| 1912 | 21,272,405 | 20,671,508 | 600,897 | .. |
| 1913 | 22,577,890 | 20,974,623 | 1,603,267 | .. |
| 1914 | 25,984,717 | 25,546,190 | 438,527 | .. |
| 1915 | 31,042,662 | 26,367,413 | 4,675,249 | .. |
| 1916 | 32,975,907 | 28,852,737 | 4,123,170 | .. |
| 1917 | 31,087,957 | 27,479,836 | 3,608,121 | .. |
| 1918 | 27,937,010 | 24,764,483 | 3,172,527 | .. |
| 1919 | 53,304,384 | 55,928,460 | .. | 2,624,076 |
| 1920 | 45,592,294 | 43,068,470 | 2,523,824 | .. |
| 1921 | 43,615,473 | 48,408,624 | .. | 4,793,151 |
| 1922 | 41,699,148 | 55,318,596 | .. | 13,619,448 |
| 1923 | 45,371,908 | 36,962,436 | 8,409,472 | .. |
| 1924 | 51,920,828 | 45,396,647 | 6,524,181 | .. |
The comparison of each year with the preceding year brings out the advantage gained by a rise in prices. The gain shown represents the surplus value added by rising prices to the exports of any year, and, similarly, the loss shows how falling prices penalize New Zealand. The gains due to the rise of prices during the four years 1915-18 and in 1923 and 1924 are remarkable. The figures for 1908, for 1911, for 1919, and especially for 1921 and 1922, are eloquent of what falling prices mean for the Dominion. The recorded total of exports in 1922 would have been over nineteen and a half millions greater had average prices of exports remained as in 1920. The figures for 1923 and 1924 reveal just the opposite, and show that prices of domestic produce were considerably higher in 1923 than in 1922, and still higher in 1924.
The next table is based on June years, winch, as stated previously, are preferable as giving a comparison between one season and another, and covers the four principal items of export from 1890-91 to 1924-25. Here, again, a huge increase in total values of exports on account of enhanced prices is very evident.
| Year. | Wool. | Frozen Meat. | Butter. | Cheese. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded Value. | Value at Average Prices, 1890-99. | Recorded Value. | Value at Average Prices, 1890-99. | Recorded Value. | Value at Average Prices, 1890-99. | Recorded Value. | Value at Average Prices, 1890-99. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1890-91 | 4,216,419 | 3,641,768 | 1,188,020 | 1,136,432 | 128,306 | 143,796 | 95,866 | 93,699 |
| 1891-92 | 4,229,683 | 3,735,461 | 1,140,571 | 1,103,579 | 198,363 | 203,478 | 91,670 | 83,578 |
| 1892-93 | 4,072,342 | 3,099,329 | 1,067,780 | 1,018,744 | 208,909 | 189,978 | 95,903 | 92,232 |
| 1893-94 | 4,353,415 | 4,274,711 | 1,054,537 | 1,022,559 | 303,951 | 299,575 | 106,280 | 100,779 |
| 1894-95 | 4,028,651 | 4,329,769 | 1,322,810 | 1,337,768 | 231,700 | 242,471 | 160,061 | 163,260 |
| 1895-96 | 4,393,574 | 4,345,449 | 1,276,232 | 1,243,269 | 250,885 | 256,159 | 121,993 | 137,210 |
| 1896-97 | 4,357,244 | 4,449,230 | 1,340,169 | 1,344,449 | 357,187 | 366,728 | 151,298 | 139,899 |
| 1897-98 | 4,732,542 | 5,032,162 | 1,691,546 | 1,831,138 | 404,049 | 404,127 | 136,146 | 142,455 |
| 1898-99 | 4,241,984 | 4,847,271 | 1,776,843 | 1,804,212 | 451,269 | 452,348 | 127,209 | 126,913 |
| 1899-1900 | 4,889,101 | 4,859,806 | 2,298,140 | 2,315,097 | 693,666 | 666,625 | 224,238 | 210,638 |
| 1900-1 | 3,890,573 | 4,781,059 | 2,193,494 | 2,122,519 | 858,543 | 822,599 | 239,325 | 210,630 |
| 1901-2 | 3,079,271 | 5,094,446 | 2,526,661 | 2,367,931 | 1,044,317 | 947,782 | 171,886 | 162,912 |
| 1902-3 | 4,034,712 | 5,475,277 | 3,310,073 | 2,840,937 | 1,211,223 | 1,045,407 | 186,412 | 146,500 |
| 1903-4 | 4,313,018 | 4,779,745 | 2,846,082 | 2,318,958 | 1,445,814 | 1,345,834 | 194,779 | 175,808 |
| 1904-5 | 5,468,566 | 4,927,285 | 2,714,026 | 2,003,708 | 1,417,984 | 1,319,133 | 180,215 | 165,619 |
| 1905-6 | 6,605,790 | 5,144,559 | 2,882,387 | 2,215,618 | 1,540,327 | 1,319,385 | 300,056 | 243,318 |
| 1906-7 | 7,415,486 | 5,487,427 | 3,143,764 | 2,858,903 | 1,631,174 | 1,365,022 | 568,058 | 412,533 |
| 1907-8 | 5,649,636 | 5,314,779 | 3,165,048 | 2,453,043 | 1,133,665 | 942,588 | 761,100 | 555,439 |
| 1908-9 | 5,965,283 | 6,397,453 | 3,775,990 | 2,961,113 | 1,491,837 | 1,198,433 | 977,358 | 712,921 |
| 1909-10 | 7,962,669 | 6,594,295 | 3,631,122 | 2,952,041 | 1,712,659 | 1,393,613 | 1,275,148 | 978,653 |
| 1910-11 | 7,164,844 | 6,202,335 | 3,875,379 | 2,914,507 | 1,685,033 | 1,378,474 | 1,093,715 | 839,158 |
| 1911-12 | 6,965,416 | 6,328,167 | 3,671,948 | 2,743,477 | 1,891,235 | 1,435,884 | 1,496,730 | 1,068,174 |
| 1912-13 | 8,217,644 | 6,503,545 | 4,315,444 | 2,890,424 | 2,027,822 | 1,504,318 | 1,914,238 | 1,341,035 |
| 1913-14 | 8,262,153 | 6,673,803 | 5,079,228 | 3,323,433 | 2,197,662 | 1,681,915 | 2,317,970 | 1,594,670 |
| 1914-15 | 9,907,670 | 6,893,420 | 5,737,657 | 3,169,706 | 2,336,862 | 1,702,856 | 2,277,509 | 1,492,725 |
| 1015-16 | 12,127,697 | 6,247,718 | 7,476,637 | 3,954,744 | 2,805,152 | 1,668,157 | 3,345,314 | 1,919,876 |
| 1916-17 | 10,628,359 | 5,342,668 | 6,953,944 | 3,481,347 | 2,767,150 | 1,443,410 | 3,982,089 | 1,881,560 |
| 1917-18 | 9,519,199 | 4,497,983 | 6,414,471 | 2,943,970 | 3,232,788 | 1,684,537 | 4,010,842 | 1,787,735 |
| 1918-19 | 15,378,923 | 7,340,775 | 4,911,582 | 2,221,082 | 3,592,875 | 1,715,795 | 5,501,452 | 2,319,330 |
| 1919-20 | 13,205,083 | 6,009,883 | 10,027,656 | 4,552,992 | 2,257,145 | 1,046,813 | 6,930,178 | 2,818,278 |
| 1920-21 | 3,637,515 | 5,388,382 | 13,999,531 | 6,177,311 | 8,447,198 | 2,608,206 | 8,376,495 | 2,942,923 |
| 1921-22 | 11,051,952 | 10,500,435 | 10,333,536 | 4,793,933 | 8,055,828 | 3,877,736 | 6,027,286 | 2,691,800 |
| 1922-23 | 11,359,137 | 8,209,653 | 8,902,093 | 3,686,802 | 11,490,844 | 5,509,367 | 6,433,812 | 2,838,468 |
| 1923-24 | 14,639,718 | 7,415,903 | 9,008,698 | 3,443,735 | 9,786,485 | 4,633,974 | 6,460,167 | 2,948,492 |
| 1024-25 | 18,087,864 | 6,579,819 | 11,035,620 | 3,908,495 | 11,705,541 | 5,633,222 | 6,208,553 | 3,022,629 |
The effect which war and post-war prices of products have exerted towards raising the Dominion's exports to an unprecedented height is best shown by the following comparison between the year ended 30th June, 1914, and the corresponding twelve-monthly periods ending in 1923, 1924, and 1925. On the recorded figures, exports for 1924-25 were nearly two and one-half times as high as those for 1913-14. The real volume of exports has increased by 34 per cent. over the base year, so that three parts of the total increase shown in the recorded value must be due to the greatly enhanced prices ruling in the latter year as compared with 1913-14. The table covers only sixteen principal items, which, however, represent more than nine-tenths of the total exports.
| Item. | Twelve Months ended 30th June, 1914. | Twelve Months ended 30th June, 1923. | Twelve Months ended 30th June, 1924. | Twelve Months ended 30th June, 1925. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded Value. | Value at Prices of 1913-14. | Recorded Value. | Value at Prices of 1913-14. | Recorded Value. | Value at Prices of 1913-14. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Butter | 2,241,656 | 11,490,844 | 7,198,773 | 9,786,485 | 6,072,183 | 11,705,541 | 7,360,608 |
| Cheese | 3,371,540 | 6,433,812 | 4,125,920 | 6,460,167 | 4,285,848 | 6,208,553 | 4,393,612 |
| Beef, frozen | 829,317 | 1,003,804 | 1,194,132 | 716,902 | 876,158 | 926,074 | 943,137 |
| Lamb, frozen | 1,053,131 | 5,871,788 | 3,262,950 | 6,092,763 | 3,292,198 | 6,833,007 | 3,391,796 |
| Mutton, frozen | 1,240,738 | 1,888,848 | 1,256,155 | 2,030,335 | 1,214,619 | 2,945,430 | 1,721,284 |
| Meat, preserved | 609,528 | 170,284 | 157,228 | 168,222 | 203,791 | 188,418 | 247,723 |
| Sausage-skins | 132,039 | 414,603 | 71,749 | 511,740 | 80,029 | 674,757 | 97,159 |
| Hides | 454,308 | 502,986 | 453,875 | 547,366 | 584,172 | 711,448 | 817,529 |
| Skins, rabbit | 80,203 | 549,543 | 201,561 | 578,026 | 237,369 | 781,617 | 266,620 |
| Skins, sheep (without wool) | 965,450 | 913,377 | 822,048 | 1,065,924 | 771,998 | 1,746,716 | 845,767 |
| Wool | 9,087,438 | 11,359,137 | 10,163,548 | 14,639,718 | 9,180,974 | 18,088,044 | 8,145,892 |
| Phormium fibre | 557,179 | 262,251 | 219,427 | 345,805 | 277,593 | 506,317 | 358,313 |
| Tallow | 924,686 | 814,625 | 806,665 | 748,799 | 634,461 | 826,770 | 722,459 |
| Kauri-gum | 172,717 | 584,298 | 414,035 | 559,137 | 380,951 | 453,956 | 350,908 |
| Gold | 592,624 | 601,247 | 569,198 | 683,845 | 641,215 | 477,395 | 449,598 |
| Timber, sawn | 308,760 | 438,424 | 206,576 | 445,248 | 216,912 | 520,092 | 228,131 |
| Totals | 22,621,314 | 43,299,861 | 31,123,840 | 45,380,482 | 28,950,471 | 53,594,635 | 30,340,536 |
| Other N.Z. produce | .. | 2,920,747 | .. | 2,479,186 | .. | 3,030,710 | .. |
| Grand totals | .. | 46,220,603 | .. | 47,859,668 | .. | 56,625,345 | .. |
In 1901 a group of Pacific islands was annexed to New Zealand, and has since been administered by the Dominion. The islands are fertile and rich in tropical products, so that there is a growing trade between them and the Dominion proper. This trade is not regarded as external to New Zealand, but merely as interchange between different parts of the Dominion, and it is therefore not included in the account of the external trade. Separate returns are made of the transactions between the Dominion and the annexed islands, and these are summarized below:—
| Year. | Exports. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| 1905 | 29,093 |
| 1906 | 35,452 |
| 1907 | 38,288 |
| 1908 | 39,284 |
| 1909 | 40,204 |
| 1910 | 60,647 |
| 1911 | 56,131 |
| 1912 | 75,774 |
| 1913 | 72,046 |
| 1914 | 59,056 |
| 1915 | 55,459 |
| 1916 | 52,831 |
| 1917 | 53,449 |
| 1918 | 79,309 |
| 1919 | 88,902 |
| 1920 | 117,820 |
| 1921 | 82,398 |
| 1922 | 81,309 |
| 1923 | 100,670 |
| 1924 | 96,757 |
The principal items exported to the islands in 1924 were—
| Article. | Quantity. | Value. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Produce of New Zealand. | Other. | Total. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| Butter | 33 cwt. | 332 | .. | 332 |
| Fish | 5,985 lb. | 85 | 364 | 449 |
| Beef | 271 cwt. | 606 | .. | 606 |
| Meats, potted and preserved | 3,735 cwt. | 9,579 | 1,059 | 10,638 |
| Milk and cream | 17,540 lb. | 867 | 35 | 902 |
| Biscuits— | ||||
| Ship's | 1,765 cwt. | 4,491 | .. | 4,491 |
| Other | 27,135 lb. | 862 | .. | 862 |
| Confectionery | 9,840 lb. | 562 | 8 | 540 |
| Flour | 748 centals | 728 | .. | 728 |
| Rice | 432 cwt. | .. | 525 | 525 |
| Sugar | 3,375 cwt. | 5,297 | 150 | 5,447 |
| Tobacco | 6,271 lb. | .. | 2,121 | 2,121 |
| Apparel | .. | 2,236 | 1,272 | 3,508 |
| Boots and shoes | 115 doz. prs. | 671 | 410 | 1,081 |
| Drapery | .. | 131 | 2,846 | 2,977 |
| Cotton piece-goods | .. | .. | 2,844 | 2,844 |
| Rugs | .. | 635 | 40 | 675 |
| Bags and sacks | 2,940 doz. | 182 | 1,158 | 1,340 |
| Cordage and rope | 224 cwt. | 799 | 44 | 843 |
| Kerosene | 12,203 gallons | .. | 1,021 | 1,021 |
| Other oils | 9,664 gallons | 3 | 1,196 | 1,199 |
| Hardware and ironmongery | .. | 590 | 1,901 | 2,491 |
| Iron and steel (manufactured) | .. | 151 | 1,432 | 1,583 |
| Nails | 268 cwt. | 50 | 421 | 471 |
| Telegraphy, appliances peculiar to | .. | .. | 3,702 | 3,702 |
| Timber— | ||||
| Kauri | 46,841 sup. ft. | 1,390 | .. | 1,390 |
| White-pine | 51,126 sup. ft. | 539 | .. | 539 |
| Rimu | 14,780 sup. ft. | 327 | .. | 327 |
| Other | 1,265,434 sup. ft. | 14,306 | 325 | 14,631 |
| Cement | 3,076 cwt. | 802 | .. | 802 |
| Wrapping-paper | 189 cwt. | 203 | 334 | 537 |
| Cinematograph-films | 668,070 lin. ft. | .. | 3,084 | 3,084 |
| Medicinal preparations, &c. | .. | 145 | 365 | 510 |
| Matches and vestas | 2,631 gr. boxes | 131 | 723 | 854 |
| Soap | .. | 2,893 | 184 | 3,077 |
| Motors for road traffic and materials therefor | 7 number | .. | 1,281 | 1,281 |
Further particulars regarding the trade of the Cook Islands will be found in the section of this book dealing with “Islands attached to New Zealand.”
THE statistics of imports are compiled from entries passed at the Customs. Prior to 1916 the import value taken was the c.i.f. or landed value in New Zealand, freight into the Dominion being thus included. For free goods and goods liable to specific duties this landed value in New Zealand was shown, but the landed value for ad valorem goods was taken as the fair market value of the goods when sold for home consumption in the principal markets of the country whence imported, and at the time when exported, plus 10 per cent. The value shown for all merchandise imported is now the current domestic value in the country of export at the time of exportation, plus 10 per cent.
The earliest trade in New Zealand, as in most colonies, consisted more of exploitation and appropriation by visiting traders than of regular exchange. The whalers and sealers brought with them sufficient provisions to last their season, and they were never more than passing visitors to the Islands. The first genuine import trade sprang up when the Maoris became sensible of the great wealth to be won by bartering their flax for iron and other treasures of the white man. A new element was introduced when the Maori adopted the musket in preference to the old hand weapons, for the possession of firearms became a necessary precaution against the danger of extermination. Intertribal warfare was conducted on an ever-increasing scale, and muskets were the most prized of all possessions, so that when the chief Hongi returned from his visit to England in 1821 he exchanged all his valuable presents for firearms as soon as he reached Sydney.
With the incoming of the regular colonists, trade assumed its more modern form, and the import of firearms was quickly overshadowed by the more peaceful requirements of the settlers. It was many years before the Maori finally gave up the appeal to force in order to sustain his claims or his rights; but since the second Maori War in the “sixties” the Natives have settled more and more into European habits.
Permanent settlement in 1840 rendered necessary the continued and increasing import of clothing, metals, and manufactures to sustain the colonists and to develop the colony. For many years after the first landing imports were greatly in excess of exports, and this excess represents the import of capital which was necessary to put the young colony on a firm footing. Especially in the early years New Zealand, while supplying foodstuffs from her own resources, has been dependent upon the outside world for a great proportion of the manufactures necessary for development, and also of the luxuries and amenities of modern life.
The gold rushes brought a huge increase of population and also of imports, and reference to Subsection A of this section will show the effect of the stimulus given by the gold discoveries. In the later “sixties” imports were declining; but the borrowing policy pursued in the “seventies” resulted once more in an increase of imports for a time. Violent fluctuations succeeded, with a general tendency to diminish until, in sympathy with the increased exports, the value of imports rapidly increased from 1895. The worst check was received in 1909, following the bad year of exports in 1908. The figures for 1917 also showed a substantial fall, largely due to the shortage of shipping and the restriction of exports from Europe. Imports, however, have increased enormously during the last decade, and, as shown in the succeeding table, they advanced from £21,728,834 in 1915 to £48,527,603 in 1924, or a percentage increase of 123. The value per head of mean population was 89 per cent. greater in 1924 than in 1915.
The nature of the imports has changed little from the time of the first settlement in New Zealand, though new commodities have naturally been introduced, the principal groups of commodities being clothing and textiles, metals and machinery, sugar, tea, alcoholic liquors, tobacco, paper and stationery, oils, motor-vehicles and accessories, chemicals and drugs, and timber. The proportions of these imports have changed little for many years, except that motor-vehicles and oils (including motor-spirits) have increased very rapidly in recent years.
The following table shows the total imports for New Zealand and the rate per head of mean population during the last decade:—
| Year. | Total. | Per Head. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Including Specie. | Excluding Specie. | Including Specie. | Excluding Specie. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1915 | 21,728,834 | 20,658,720 | 18 | 18 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 6 |
| 1916 | 26,339,283 | 25,045,403 | 22 | 18 | 5 | 21 | 15 | 10 |
| 1917 | 20,919,265 | 20,742,130 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| 1918 | 24,234,007 | 24,131,792 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 18 | 8 |
| 1919 | 30,671,698 | 30,309,167 | 25 | 14 | 4 | 25 | 8 | 3 |
| 1920 | 61,595,828 | 61,553,853 | 49 | 11 | 7 | 49 | 10 | 11 |
| 1921 | 42,942,443 | 42,744,122 | 33 | 12 | 9 | 33 | 9 | 8 |
| 1922 | 35,012,561 | 34,826,074 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 26 | 13 | 8 |
| 1923 | 43,378,493 | 43,363,983 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 32 | 13 | 0 |
| 1924 | 48,527,603 | 48,527,603 | 35 | 17 | 6 | 35 | 17 | 6 |
The grand total of £61,595,828 shown for 1920 was easily a record, the figure being £30,924,130 in excess of, or slightly more than double, that of the previous year. This over-importation of 1920 caused a decided limitation of imports in 1922. Now, however, these stocks have been practically depleted, and an increase in subsequent years is only natural. The grand total of £48,527,603 in 1924 is decidedly heavy, and, with the exception of the boom year (1920), is the highest ever recorded. It should be remembered that part of the increase since the war is attributable to the higher prices ruling; nevertheless, it is evident that the effect of higher prices on imports could not account for the whole of the increase, but that the quantity of goods must have considerably increased. The most noticeable increase during recent years is shown by motor-vehicles and accessories. Whereas prior to 1911 the value of these never exceeded £300,000 annually, it gradually increased until in 1920 it amounted to £5,256,809. The total for 1924 (£4,567,496) is the second highest ever recorded, and represents an increase of nearly £1,100,000 over the previous year. The exceptional increase in motor-vehicles and accessories is surprising, considering that the motor-car is still regarded largely as an item of luxury and not always as a necessity.
Since 1914 the statistics of both imports and exports have been compiled according to a statistical classification which assembles the items in well-defined classes. The advantages of a stereotyped classification of this kind over an alphabetical arrangement of items are obvious. In the preparation of the classes adopted a good deal of weight was attached to the recommendations of the Dominions Royal Commission which toured New Zealand in 1913. In a memorandum prepared for the Commission Professor A. L. Bowley submitted a scheme for uniformity of statistical work within the Empire, and suggested that New Zealand statistics should follow as closely as possible the lines laid down by Australia. The advantages of similarity of treatment in Australia and New Zealand are apparent, and in the classification of imports and exports, as in other matters, the statistics of New Zealand have been made comparable with those of Australia as far as possible.
The 1924 totals for the various classes of imports are presented below.
| No. | Class. | Value in 1924. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| I | Foodstuffs of animal origin (excluding live animals) | 331,945 |
| II | Foodstuffs of vegetable origin, and common salt | 4,847,464 |
| III | Beverages (non-alcoholic) and substances used in making up the same | 1,061,705 |
| IV | Spirits and alcoholic liquors | 955,482 |
| V | Tobacco and preparations thereof | 1,648,523 |
| VI | Live animals | 65,281 |
| VII | Animal substances (mainly unmanufactured), not being foodstuffs | 24,415 |
| VIII | Vegetable substances and non-manufactured fibres | 679,236 |
| IXA | Apparel | 4,405,175 |
| IXB | Textiles | 5,611,355 |
| IXC | Manufactured fibres | 525,149 |
| X | Oils, fats, and waxes | 3,263,091 |
| XI | Paints and varnishes | 380,871 |
| XII | Stones and minerals used industrially | 823,379 |
| XIII | Specie | .. |
| XIVA | Metal unmanufactured, partially manufactured, and ores | 605,173 |
| XIVB | Metal manufactures, other than machinery and machines | 5,456,349 |
| XV | Machinery and machines | 3,967,237 |
| XVIA | Indiarubber and manufactures thereof (not including tires) | 85,143 |
| XVIB | Leather and manufactures thereof, including substitutes | 526,386 |
| XVIIA | Timber | 1,043,829 |
| XVIIB | Wood, cane, and wicker manufactures | 243,086 |
| XVIII | Earthenware, china, glass, stoneware, cements, and cement materials | 940,182 |
| XIXA | Paper | 1,038,851 |
| XIXB | Stationery | 869,494 |
| XX | Jewellery, timepieces, and fancy goods | 794,500 |
| XXI | Optical, surgical, and scientific instruments | 472,515 |
| XXIIA | Drugs, chemicals, and druggists' wares | 1,145,354 |
| XXIIB | Manures | 334,673 |
| XXIII | Miscellaneous | 6,381,760 |
| Total | 48,527,603 |
The substantial increase in value of all imports in 1924 as compared with 1923 is not common to all classes, nineteen of the thirty groups showing increases aggregating £6,653,442, and the remaining eleven recording decreases totalling £1,504,332. The largest group (other than miscellaneous) of imports in 1924 was textiles (Class IXB), closely followed by metal manufactures other than machinery and machines (Class XIVB), foodstuffs of vegetable origin (Class II), and apparel (Class IXA). Class XV, machinery and machines, which always occupies a high place in the list, was fifth, a position which it also filled in 1923. A comparison with the 1923 figures shows that Class X, oils, fats, and waxes, jumped from £2,403,589 to £3,263,091, largely as the result of an increase in the amount of motor-spirit imported: Class XIVA, metal manufactures (other than machines and machinery), from £4,984,861 to £5,456 349; Class XV, machines and machinery, from £3,007,509 to £3,967,237; and Class XVIIA, timber, from £638,620 to £1,043,829. In the miscellaneous class, motor vehicles and accessories constitute the bulk of the value, and were valued at £4,567,496 in 1924 as against the 1923 figure of £3,494,402. The principal decreases occurred in the classes covering textiles (£564,458) and apparel (£493,669).
A somewhat different and more detailed system of classification, which allows of information being shown not only for groups of items, but also for the principal definite items, has been adopted for the following table:—
| Group of Principal Articles imported. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Includes methylated spirits, perfumed spirits, and spirits of wine. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Apparel (including hats and caps) | 3,670,508 | 2,122,061 | 1,982,915 | 2,819,297 | 2,679,505 |
| Boots and shoes | 1,443,879 | 531,135 | 729,622 | 1,200,581 | 975,951 |
| Drapery, haberdashery, linens, woollens, and other textiles | 8,944,625 | 4,854,881 | 4,425,230 | 5,231,653 | 4,550,634 |
| Hosiery | 704,314 | 355,702 | 641,589 | 566,991 | 466,896 |
| Silks | 805,294 | 328,960 | 589,963 | 643,131 | 719,129 |
| Totals | 15,568,620 | 8,192,739 | 8,369,319 | 10,461,653 | 9,392,115 |
| Iron and steel (pig, wrought, wire, &c., and galvanized) | 3,736,667 | 2,565,108 | 1,683,981 | 2,437,823 | 2,713,533 |
| Railway and tramway plant | 342,429 | 1,150,232 | 1,481,104 | 357,121 | 469,778 |
| Machinery | 2,131,693 | 2,970,394 | 2,027,197 | 2,596,422 | 3,550,579 |
| Sewing and knitting machines | 132,995 | 128,461 | 61,323 | 102,666 | 109,476 |
| Hardware and ironmongery | 1,000,793 | 922,039 | 428,709 | 613,196 | 655,682 |
| Tools and implements (including agricultural) | 870,116 | 824,109 | 379,473 | 531,229 | 636,650 |
| Nails | 141,521 | 129,014 | 95,166 | 134,025 | 91,934 |
| Other metals and metal manufactures | 1,740,203 | 1,967,083 | 1,254,372 | 1,802,413 | 1,801,127 |
| Totals | 10,096,417 | 10,656,440 | 7,411,325 | 8,574,895 | 10,028,759 |
| Sugar | 1,819,138 | 2,066,683 | 1,434,186 | 1,454,911 | 1,594,342 |
| Tea | 959,943 | 338,853 | 547,121 | 818,977 | 920,895 |
| Totals | 2,779,081 | 2,405,536 | 1,981,307 | 2,273,888 | 2,515,237 |
| Beer | 31,980 | 11,353 | 9,287 | 19,994 | 17,702 |
| Spirits* | 1,321,710 | 869,299 | 623,033 | 916,178 | 804,616 |
| Wine | 361,960 | 106,849 | 90,421 | 118,877 | 133,164 |
| Tobacco | 2,013,172 | 1,048,033 | 1,328,746 | 1,484,508 | 1,648,523 |
| Totals | 2,728,822 | 2,036,134 | 2,051,487 | 2,539,557 | 2,604,005 |
| Paper | 1,054,102 | 1,152,777 | 658,521 | 1,013,805 | 949,163 |
| Printed books | 524,462 | 427,318 | 454,264 | 480,410 | 502,413 |
| Stationery | 485,328 | 461,339 | 250,461 | 328,981 | 348,494 |
| Totals | 2,063,892 | 2,041,434 | 1,363,246 | 1,823,196 | 1,800,070 |
| Miscellaneous (specified articles)— | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Arms, ammunition, and explosives | 971,358 | 505,601 | 370,372 | 232,923 | 327,518 |
| Automobiles, motor-cars, and motor-cycles, and materials for | 5,256,809 | 2,227,030 | 1,527,326 | 3,494,402 | 4,567,496 |
| Bags and sacks | 399,019 | 341,370 | 234,378 | 357,888 | 317,751 |
| Bicycles and tricycles | 60,263 | 17,579 | 19,296 | 35,671 | 45,735 |
| Bicycle and tricycle fittings | 259,470 | 98,356 | 87,435 | 154,387 | 155,379 |
| Candles | 46,203 | 30,170 | 34,773 | 21,349 | 30,699 |
| Canvas | 253,551 | 90,341 | 28,285 | 40,036 | 42,096 |
| Carpeting, druggeting, and floorcloth | 624,855 | 574,852 | 376,797 | 696,004 | 658,733 |
| Carts, carriages, and materials for | 402,254 | 149,587 | 66,167 | 54,674 | 24,000 |
| Cement | 17,719 | 106,383 | 7,974 | 10,477 | 10,755 |
| China, porcelain, earthenware, and parian ware | 495,713 | 500,067 | 460,281 | 449,754 | 460,029 |
| Coal | 514,249 | 1,321,040 | 681,080 | 520,303 | 779,510 |
| Drugs, chemicals, and druggists' wares | 1,482,172 | 1,082,436 | 1,098,024 | 1,120,785 | 1,145,354 |
| Fancy goods and toys | 711,266 | 505,791 | 520,404 | 639,868 | 681,710 |
| Fish, potted and preserved | 259,682 | 62,656 | 92,916 | 115,323 | 179,753 |
| Fruits (including fresh, preserved, bottled, and dried) | 1,107,744 | 611,271 | 703,916 | 723,827 | 772,335 |
| Furniture, cabinetware, and upholstery | 167,356 | 33,203 | 51,811 | 75,740 | 86,547 |
| Glass and glassware | 604,975 | 507,209 | 247,927 | 388,638 | 377,245 |
| Leather and leather manufactures | 1,210,235 | 412,896 | 466,576 | 590,205 | 515,287 |
| Manures | 759,606 | 367,074 | 248,570 | 347,330 | 334,673 |
| Musical instruments fend materials for | 302,833 | 162,299 | 158,657 | 389,402 | 478,967 |
| Seeds | 313,154 | 204,492 | 122,277 | 231,257 | 274,371 |
| Oil | 2,958,135 | 2,804,709 | 2,234,666 | 2,315,463 | 3,145,099 |
| Timber | 618,692 | 813,816 | 550,682 | 638,620 | 1,043,829 |
| Woolpacks and wool-pockets | 94,687 | 75,505 | 55,886 | 125,873 | 123,936 |
| Total miscellaneous (specified articles) | 19,892,000 | 13,605,793 | 10,446,476 | 13,770,199 | 16,578,807 |
| Other imports (excluding specie) | 7,425,021 | 3,806,046 | 3,202,914 | 3,914,595 | 5,608,610 |
| Total imports (excluding specie) | 61,553,853 | 42,744,122 | 34,826,074 | 43,363,983 | 48,527,603 |
| Specie imported | 41,975 | 198,321 | 186,487 | 14,510 | .. |
| Total imports | 61,595,828 | 42,942,443 | 35,012,561 | 43,378,493 | 48,527,603 |
It is not possible to classify imports so completely as exports. There are two big groups of items, however, which are of dominating importance, and are, moreover, fairly homogeneous. The first, “Clothing and textiles,” comprises practically all woven articles; but the second, “Metals and machinery,” is not altogether complete, since there are many items in the “Miscellaneous” group which are metal manufactures. The other three groups are well defined, and the value imported in each is, on the whole, steady.
The import trade of the Dominion, though spread over more countries than the export trade, is yet confined mainly to the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. In the days of the first settlement Australia was the source from which the young colony drew most of its supplies, and for a long period imports from Australia overshadowed imports from the United Kingdom. The proportion of imports from Australia, however, tended to decrease steadily till from 60 per cent. in 1862 it had fallen to about 15 per cent., a figure which, except for a few variations, has remained fairly constant.
Most of the goods brought to New Zealand from overseas come from the United Kingdom, which in the decade immediately preceding the war supplied about 60 per cent. of the total imports. The proportion has fallen a good deal in recent years, the percentage in 1922 and 1923 being 55, and in 1924 only 51. In the “eighties” and “nineties” the figure was, on the average, nearer 70 per cent. than 60 per cent.
The cause of this decline is to be found in the development of trade with other countries in quite recent years, particularly with the United States, Japan, Canada, and in a less degree with Belgium, Italy, Sweden, and other European countries. The United States was sending goods to New Zealand practically from the foundation of the colony, and the share of the imports received from that country steadily increased till in the first decade of the present century it was 11 or 12 per cent. The adoption of Imperial preference seems to have caused a temporary drop in the figure to about 7 per cent., though the proportion has now for some years been steadily climbing again, and has, indeed, actually surpassed its old level. In 1924 15 1/2 per cent. of the total imports came from the United States.
India captured the New Zealand jute-market in the early “eighties,” and since then there has been a regular import of com-sacks, woolpacks, &c. In former times the colony imported its sugar from Mauritius, but after 1890 Fiji supplanted Mauritius, so that the imports from the Pacific islands are swelled to 4 per cent., while Mauritius practically disappears from the list of countries. Similarly, the import of tea from China gave way about the same time to imports from Ceylon.
The present position is illustrated by the tables which follow. The imports of goods from the four principal countries show an increase over the previous year's figures. Importations from Fiji for the last three years have shown a substantial decrease consequent on a return towards the former level in sugar prices. Measuring the value of goods credited to each country as a percentage of total imports, Japan shows by far the greatest movement over the period 1918-24. The average importations from that country in 1918-20 were valued at over one and a quarter millions, but the average for the next four years is only slightly over half a million. Imports from Ceylon (principally tea) were higher in 1924 than in any previous year, and the same state of affairs is disclosed in the case of Canada.
| Year. | United Kingdom. | Australia. | Canada. | India. | Ceylon. | Fiji. | United States. | Japan. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1905 | 7,795,284 | 1,815,717 | 96,119 | 297,128 | 179,809 | 456,629 | 1,438,501 | 79,260 |
| 1906 | 9,003,229 | 2,775,312 | 157,088 | 290,725 | 189,288 | 378,050 | 1,405,781 | 99,653 |
| 1907 | 10,278,010 | 3,127,553 | 215,232 | 370,655 | 220,102 | 625,644 | 1,425,596 | 94,298 |
| 1908 | 10,441,837 | 2,841,426 | 268,259 | 345,180 | 210,675 | 557,709 | 1,643,937 | 88,211 |
| 1909 | 9,287,786 | 2,764,210 | 198,384 | 367,999 | 230,499 | 590,214 | 1,166,063 | 86,865 |
| 1910 | 10,498,771 | 2,359,393 | 261,402 | 399,991 | 248,476 | 580,084 | 1,399,737 | 103,113 |
| 1911 | 11,787,300 | 2,944,991 | 283,410 | 326,360 | 275,672 | 728,806 | 1,682,129 | 123,248 |
| 1912 | 12,499,787 | 2,583,887 | 394,249 | 395,298 | 289,008 | 764,790 | 2,049,618 | 154,587 |
| 1913 | 13,312,193 | 2,914,848 | 452,519 | 421,209 | 275,350 | 846,493 | 2,107,990 | 151,106 |
| 1914 | 11,985,946 | 3,376,371 | 479,140 | 486,978 | 394,444 | 738,751 | 2,282,966 | 187,501 |
| 1915 | 11,141,067 | 3,554,535 | 797,816 | 527,942 | 408,697 | 1,128,959 | 2,600,248 | 304,322 |
| 1916 | 13,869,455 | 4,002,171 | 757,286 | 572,257 | 366,753 | 1,053,754 | 3,969,925 | 562,974 |
| 1917 | 8,817,513 | 3,660,931 | 757,041 | 612,063 | 353,613 | 1,203,372 | 3,900,658 | 628,822 |
| 1918 | 8,977,725 | 5,133,349 | 930,964 | 712,633 | 319,498 | 939,341 | 4,980,748 | 1,214,803 |
| 1919 | 11,839,430 | 5,081,968 | 1,622,234 | 772,838 | 383,209 | 980,186 | 7,576,314 | 1,258,016 |
| 1920 | 29,806,416 | 10,555,667 | 2,386,915 | 900,577 | 725,278 | 1,824,012 | 11,100,259 | 1,470,071 |
| 1921 | 21,448,817 | 6,486,847 | 1,687,595 | 593,151 | 316,813 | 1,909,102 | 7,746,457 | 593,348 |
| 1922 | 19,416,476 | 4,213,085 | 1,545,037 | 437,851 | 499,705 | 1,459,345 | 4,948,778 | 485,327 |
| 1923 | 24,003,671 | 4,259,323 | 2,930,626 | 732,359 | 701,665 | 859,757 | 6,696,723 | 548,632 |
| 1924 | 24,904,178 | 6,303,073 | 3,909,152 | 726,483 | 822,987 | 984,274 | 7,551,357 | 458,964 |
The next table gives greater detail, and shows all the main countries which shipped goods to New Zealand, arranged in geographical order.
| Country. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* No figures available—any imports included in total for “Other Pacific islands.” | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| United Kingdom | 29,806,416 | 21,448,817 | 19,416,476 | 24,003,671 | 24,904,178 |
| British Possessions, Protectorates, &c. | |||||
| Europe— | |||||
| Irish Free State | .. | .. | .. | .. | 689 |
| Gibraltar | 31 | 2 | .. | .. | .. |
| Malta | 111 | 246 | 1,039 | 1,614 | 780 |
| 142 | 248 | 1,039 | 1,614 | 1,469 | |
| Asia— | |||||
| Burma | 121,394 | 58,122 | 37,075 | 23,701 | 87,761 |
| Ceylon | 725,278 | 316,813 | 499,705 | 701,665 | 822,987 |
| Hong Kong | 34,707 | 18,349 | 15,382 | 22,913 | 18,091 |
| India | 900,577 | 593,151 | 437,851 | 732,359 | 726,483 |
| Sarawak and Brunei | 2,461 | 2,292 | .. | .. | .. |
| Straits Settlements | 89,384 | 34,627 | 67,725 | 79,162 | 76,249 |
| Other | 975 | 315 | 309 | 9,127 | 33,666 |
| 1,874,776 | 1,023,669 | 1,058,047 | 1,568,927 | 1,765,237 | |
| Africa— | |||||
| South African Union | 189,767* | 34,864 | 152,386 | 79,742 | 62,864 |
| Other | 52 | 736 | 15,743 | 3,964 | 4,102 |
| 189,819 | 35,600 | 168,129 | 83,706 | 66,966 | |
| America— | |||||
| British West Indies | 8,582 | 10,265 | 7,247 | 22,502 | 22,073 |
| Canada via East Coast | 1,580,841 | 1,086,829 | 1,038,912 | 2,270,580 | 2,977,731 |
| Canada via West Coast | 806,074 | 600,766 | 506,125 | 660,046 | 931,421 |
| Other | 211 | 581 | 191 | 893 | 403 |
| 2,395,708 | 1,698,441 | 1,552,475 | 2,954,021 | 3,931,028 | |
| Pacific islands— | |||||
| Australia | 10,555,667 | 6,486,847 | 4,213,085 | 4,259,323 | 6,303,073 |
| Fiji | 1,824,012 | 1,909,102 | 1,459,345 | 859,757 | 984,274 |
| Tonga | 1,014 | 3,852 | 19,115 | 7,220 | 2,805 |
| Western Samoa | 24,855 | 11,486 | 18,455 | 11,050 | 10,132 |
| Nauru | * | 46,124 | 62,307 | 46,074 | 95,828 |
| Ocean Island | * | 1,271 | 23,772 | 30,969 | .. |
| Other | 28,626 | 547 | 1,611 | 7 | 8,230 |
| 12,434,174 | 8,459,229 | 5,797,690 | 5,214,400 | 7,404,342 | |
| Foreign Countries and Possessions. | |||||
| Europe— | |||||
| Belgium | 285,482 | 369,034 | 132,705 | 139,262 | 126,913 |
| Denmark | 46,535 | 71,916 | 31,063 | 77,568 | 53,057 |
| France | 92,873 | 184,470 | 100,654 | 187,111 | 174,620 |
| Germany | 5,462 | 23,631 | 15,476 | 22,251 | 106,737 |
| Greece | .. | 5,308 | 3,606 | 2,689 | 5,549 |
| Italy | 277,648 | 129,190 | 84,020 | 143,216 | 157,788 |
| Netherlands | 71,229 | 86,615 | 56,337 | 70,786 | 76,696 |
| Norway | 102,024 | 47,890 | 31,396 | 52,094 | 42,756 |
| Portugal | 2,904 | 1,215 | 716 | 1,074 | 4,215 |
| Russia | 1,246 | 7,488 | 157 | 167 | 1,936 |
| Spain | 1,246 | 2,912 | 4,377 | 7,271 | 8,421 |
| Sweden | 158,870 | 197,570 | 128,520 | 125,067 | 128,126 |
| Switzerland | 70,302 | 69,284 | 41,927 | 48,903 | 60,090 |
| Other | 9,170 | 805 | 7,026 | 17,787 | 19,046 |
| 1,124,991 | 1,197,328 | 637,980 | 895,246 | 965,950 | |
| Asia— | |||||
| Asiatic Turkey | 46,736 | 81,540 | 35,732 | 38,252 | 42,561 |
| China | 219,485 | 136,590 | 112,052 | 98,793 | 90,320 |
| Dutch East Indies | 603,083 | 416,073 | 739,663 | 1,105,421 | 1,014,411 |
| Japan | 1,470,071 | 593,343 | 485,327 | 548,632 | 458,964 |
| Philippine Islands | 72,447 | 22,946 | 17,983 | 23,860 | 30,237 |
| Other | 3,005 | 931 | 2,090 | 19,118 | 2,143 |
| 2,414,827 | 1,251,423 | 1,392,847 | 1,834,076 | 1,638,636 | |
| Africa— | |||||
| Egypt | 107,345 | 1,041 | 495 | 19,371 | 18,861 |
| Other | 109 | 1,278 | 378 | 942 | 1,265 |
| 107,554 | 2,319 | 873 | 20,313 | 20,126 | |
| America— | |||||
| Argentina | 1,231 | 632 | 116 | 102 | 107 |
| Brazil | 607 | 1,743 | 441 | 9,157 | 6,327 |
| Chile | 3,640 | 2 | 3,492 | 7,819 | 9,615 |
| Cuba | 16,110 | 3,821 | 2,212 | 5,126 | 6,683 |
| Peru | .. | .. | .. | .. | 197,996 |
| United States of America— | |||||
| Via East Coast | 8,161,335 | 5,789,016 | 3,494,449 | 4,982,335 | 5,424,130 |
| Via West Coast | 2,938,924 | 1,957,441 | 1,454,329 | 1,714,388 | 2,127,227 |
| Other | 1,591 | 846 | 2,591 | 12,918 | 16,116 |
| 11,123,438 | 7,753,501 | 4,957,630 | 6,731,845 | 7,788,201 | |
| Pacific islands— | |||||
| Hawaii | 11,384 | 1,890 | 5,005 | 5,029 | 2,345 |
| New Caledonia | 22,814 | 11,269 | 10,409 | 18,902 | 21,601 |
| Society Islands | 15,004 | 5,958 | 5,837 | 15,933 | 9,745 |
| Tuamotu Archipelago | 74,018 | 52,739 | 8,041 | 26,412 | 665 |
| Other | 863 | 12 | 83 | 4,398 | 6,514 |
| 124,083 | 71,868 | 29,375 | 70,674 | 40,870 | |
| Grand totals | 61,595,828 | 42,942,443 | 35,012,561 | 43,378,493 | 48,527,603 |
In 1914 a change was made in the system of compilation of trade statistics, and for the first time statistics of imports were obtained for countries of origin as well as countries of shipment. Before 1914 it was the practice to credit imports to the country from which the goods were shipped to the Dominion, and considerable care was taken to ensure that the original port of shipment was ascertained. But there was no means of discovering where the goods were actually produced. Importers are now required to declare the country of origin as well as the country of shipment of all goods imported. The following table permits the study of imports under both headings:—
| Country. | Imports according to | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country of Shipment. | Country of Origin. | |||
| Value. | Per Cent. of Total. | Value. | Per Cent. of Total. | |
| £ | £ | |||
| United Kingdom | 24,904,178 | 51.33 | 23,203,825 | 47.82 |
| British Possessions, Protectorates, &c. | ||||
| Europe— | ||||
| Irish Free State | 689 | .. | 4,705 | 0.01 |
| Other | 780 | .. | 972 | .. |
| 1,469 | .. | 5,677 | 0.01 | |
| Asia— | ||||
| Burma | 87,761 | 0.18 | 89,141 | 0.18 |
| Ceylon | 822,987 | 1.70 | 837,506 | 1.72 |
| Hong Kong | 18,091 | 0.04 | 18,440 | 0.04 |
| India | 726,483 | 1.49 | 741,202 | 1.53 |
| Straits Settlements | 76,249 | 0.16 | 77,270 | 0.16 |
| Other | 33,666 | 0.07 | 33,991 | 0.07 |
| 1,765,237 | 3.64 | 1,797,550 | 3.70 | |
| Africa— | ||||
| South African Union | 62,864 | 0.13 | 89,295 | 0.18 |
| Other | 4,102 | 0.01 | 7,611 | 0.02 |
| 66,966 | 0.14 | 96,906 | 0.20 | |
| America— | ||||
| British West Indies | 22,073 | 0.04 | 33,424 | 0.07 |
| Canada via East Coast | 2,977,731 | 6.14 | 3,914,404 | 8.07 |
| Canada via West Coast | 931,421 | 1.92 | .. | .. |
| Other | 403 | .. | 661 | .. |
| 3,931,628 | 8.10 | 3,948,489 | 8.14 | |
| Pacific islands— | ||||
| Australia | 6,303,073 | 12.99 | 5,651,027 | 11.64 |
| Fiji | 984,274 | 2.03 | 970,393 | 2.00 |
| Nauru (Pleasant Island) | 95,828 | 0.19 | 95,828 | 0.20 |
| Tonga | 2,805 | .. | 1,489 | .. |
| Western Samoa | 10,132 | 0.02 | 6,140 | 0.01 |
| Other | 8,230 | 0.02 | 53,585 | 0.11 |
| 7,404,342 | 15.25 | 6,778,462 | 13.96 | |
| Foreign Countries and Possessions. | ||||
| Europe— | ||||
| Belgium | 126,913 | 0.26 | 273,271 | 0.56 |
| Czecho-Slovakia | 10,484 | 0.02 | 79,912 | 0.16 |
| Denmark | 53,057 | 0.11 | 104,628 | 0.22 |
| Finland | 1,085 | .. | 4,044 | 0.01 |
| France | 174,620 | 0.30 | 759,076 | 1.56 |
| Germany | 106,737 | 0.22 | 291,764 | 0.60 |
| Greece | 5,549 | 0.01 | 16,830 | 0.04 |
| Italy | 157,788 | 0.33 | 236,286 | 0.49 |
| Jugo-Slavia | 1,091 | .. | 1,618 | .. |
| Luxemburg | .. | .. | 409 | .. |
| Netherlands | 76,696 | 0.16 | 194,247 | 0.40 |
| Norway | 42,756 | 0.09 | 69,366 | 0.14 |
| Portugal | 4,215 | 0.01 | 16,167 | 0.03 |
| Roumania | .. | .. | 132 | .. |
| Russia | 1,936 | .. | 11,074 | 0.02 |
| Spain | 8,421 | 0.02 | 31,193 | 0.07 |
| Sweden | 128,126 | 0.27 | 269,621 | 0.56 |
| Switzerland | 60,090 | 0.12 | 436,898 | 0.90 |
| Turkey | 4,581 | 0.01 | 8,597 | 0.02 |
| Other | 1,805 | .. | 19,544 | 0.04 |
| 965,950 | 1.99 | 2,824,677 | 5.82 | |
| Asia— | ||||
| Asiatic Turkey | 42,561 | 0.09 | 66,202 | 0.14 |
| China | 90,320 | 0.19 | 117,956 | 0.24 |
| Dutch East Indies | 1,014,411 | 2.09 | 1,050,155 | 2.17 |
| Japan | 458,964 | 0.95 | 496,835 | 1.02 |
| Philippine Islands | 30,237 | 0.06 | 31,021 | 0.06 |
| Other | 2,143 | .. | 5,391 | 0.01 |
| 1,638,636 | 3.38 | 1,767,560 | 3.64 | |
| Africa— | ||||
| Egypt | 18,861 | 0.04 | 20,210 | 0.05 |
| Other | 1,265 | .. | 6,982 | 0.01 |
| .. | 20,126 | 0.04 | 27,192 | 0.06 |
| America— | ||||
| Alaska | 680 | .. | 680 | .. |
| Argentina | 107 | .. | 1,845 | .. |
| Brazil | 6,327 | 0.01 | 11,678 | 0.02 |
| Chile | 9,615 | 0.02 | 10,538 | 0.02 |
| Cuba | 6,683 | 0.01 | 7,001 | 0.01 |
| Ecuador | 2,972 | 0.01 | 3,300 | 0.01 |
| Mexico | 8,512 | 0.02 | 8,683 | 0.02 |
| Peru | 197,996 | 0.41 | 198,190 | 0.42 |
| United States of America— | ||||
| Via East Coast | 5,424,130 | 11.18 | 17,788,593 | 16.05 |
| Via West Coast | 2,127,227 | 4.38 | .. | .. |
| Other | 3,952 | 0.01 | 5,093 | 0.01 |
| 7,788,201 | 16.05 | 8,035,601 | 16.56 | |
| Pacific islands— | ||||
| Hawaii | 2,345 | 0.01 | 2,335 | .. |
| New Caledonia | 21,601 | 0.04 | 21,602 | 0.05 |
| New Hebrides | 6,500 | 0.01 | 9,655 | 0.02 |
| Society Islands | 9,745 | 0.02 | 7,393 | 0.02 |
| Tuamotu Archipelago | 665 | .. | 665 | .. |
| Tutuila | 14 | .. | 14 | .. |
| 40,870 | 0.08 | 41,664 | 0.09 | |
| Grand totals | 48,527,603 | 100.00 | 48,527,603 | 100.00 |
Direct shipments from the United Kingdom, it will be seen, exceeded by £1,700,353 the imports of goods produced in that country. In view, however, of the considerable quantity of British goods that enter New Zealand by way of Australia it would not be correct to take that figure as measuring the re-export trade done by Great Britain in goods from abroad intended for the Dominion.
Australia acts as a re-exporting centre for a certain proportion of goods received from Ceylon and India, just as Hong Kong does for Chinese goods. The British West Indies produce considerably more of the imports than they ship direct. The figures for Canada are practically level, the 1924 imports showing a small balance in favour of goods of Canadian origin. In the case of the United States, goods to the value of approximately a quarter of a million pounds annually are imported indirectly.
The goods produced in European countries are often shipped via the United Kingdom, and, as might be expected, the total produce of these countries in every instance greatly exceeds the value shipped direct from their ports. Asiatic countries generally show similar results. Hong Kong and Australia take part of the Eastern entrepôt trade.
In the “Exports” subsection it has been shown that New Zealand is a primary-producing country—i.e., her exports consist principally of raw materials. It was also pointed out that the largest proportion of imports consisted of manufactures. The following table, grouped in the same manner as the export table referred to, illustrates this statement. Manufactured articles imported amounted to £36,376,083 of which the Mother-country supplied £20,242,605, or 55.65 per cent. The figures given refer to countries of origin.
| Country | Food, Drink, and Tobacco. | Raw Materials and Articles mainly unmanufactured. | Articles wholly or mainly manufactured. | Miscellaneous and Unclassified. | Bullion and Specie. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| United Kingdom | 2,269,122 | 545,340 | 20,242,605 | 140,703 | 55 | 23,203,825 |
| British Possessions, Protectorates, &c. | ||||||
| Europe— | ||||||
| Irish Free State | 2,334 | .. | 2,355 | 16 | .. | 4,705 |
| Malta | 20 | .. | 952 | .. | .. | 972 |
| Asia— | ||||||
| Aden | 759 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 759 |
| British North Borneo Protectorate | 37 | .. | 18,391 | .. | .. | 18,428 |
| Burma | 21,107 | .. | 68,034 | .. | .. | 89,141 |
| Ceylon | 830,663 | 3,004 | 3,839 | .. | .. | 837,506 |
| Cyprus | .. | .. | 177 | .. | .. | 177 |
| Hong Kong | 12,758 | 1,305 | 4,377 | .. | .. | 18,440 |
| India | 113,656 | 27,181 | 563,435 | 36,930 | .. | 741,202 |
| Malay States | 13,655 | 786 | 186 | .. | .. | 14,627 |
| Straits Settlements | 66,362 | 2,679 | 8,093 | 136 | .. | 77,270 |
| Africa— | ||||||
| Anglo-Egyptian Sudan | .. | .. | 2,126 | .. | .. | 2,126 |
| British East Africa Protectorate | 623 | 6 | 3 | .. | .. | 632 |
| British West Africa | 1,274 | .. | 1,635 | .. | .. | 2,909 |
| South African Union | 46,875 | 25,209 | 13,995 | 3,216 | .. | 89,295 |
| Zanzibar | 1,895 | .. | 49 | .. | .. | 1,944 |
| America— | ||||||
| British Guiana | 228 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 229 |
| British Honduras | .. | 320 | .. | .. | .. | 320 |
| British West Indies | 22,041 | 29 | 11,340 | 14 | .. | 33,424 |
| Canada | 288,679 | 176,213 | 3,442,095 | 7,417 | .. | 3,914,404 |
| Newfoundland | 29 | .. | 83 | .. | .. | 112 |
| Pacific islands— | ||||||
| Australia | 2,561,595 | 1,697,656 | 1,332,300 | 59,394 | 82 | 5,651,027 |
| Fiji | 965,803 | 231 | 4,358 | 1 | .. | 970,393 |
| Nauru (Pleasant) Island | .. | .. | 95,828 | .. | .. | 95,828 |
| New Zealand | 9,066 | 3,664 | 8,371 | 24,149 | .. | 45,250 |
| Norfolk Island | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 3 |
| Papua | .. | 13 | 9 | .. | .. | 22 |
| Pitcairn Island | 5 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 7 |
| Solomon Islands | .. | .. | 80 | .. | .. | 80 |
| Tonga | 1,471 | 7 | 11 | .. | .. | 1,489 |
| Western Samoa | 5,891 | 39 | 210 | .. | .. | 6,140 |
| Gilbert and Ellice Islands | .. | .. | 8,223 | .. | .. | 8,223 |
| Totals, British countries | 7,235,948 | 2,483,682 | 25,833,162 | 277,980 | 137 | 35,830,909 |
| Foreign Countries and Possessions. | ||||||
| Europe— | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Austria | 1 | .. | 14,757 | .. | .. | 14,758 |
| Belgium | 4,088 | 11,503 | 257,664 | 16 | .. | 273,271 |
| Bulgaria | .. | .. | 19 | .. | .. | 19 |
| Czecho-Slovakia | 44 | 33 | 79,735 | 100 | .. | 79,912 |
| Danzig | .. | .. | 88 | .. | .. | 88 |
| Denmark | 18,159 | .. | 23,688 | 62,781 | .. | 104,628 |
| Esthonia | .. | 25 | 426 | .. | .. | 451 |
| Finland | .. | .. | 2,374 | 1,670 | .. | 4,044 |
| France | 99,323 | 4,185 | 631,313 | 24,255 | .. | 759,076 |
| Germany | 2,876 | 194 | 286,476 | 2,218 | .. | 291,764 |
| Greece | 15,309 | .. | 1,521 | .. | .. | 16,830 |
| Hungary | 41 | .. | 1,115 | .. | .. | 1,156 |
| Italy | 44,316 | 1,443 | 189,863 | 664 | .. | 236,286 |
| Jugo-Slavia | .. | 329 | 1,289 | .. | .. | 1,618 |
| Latvia | .. | 176 | 803 | .. | .. | 979 |
| Lithuania | .. | .. | 98 | .. | .. | 98 |
| Luxemburg | .. | .. | 409 | .. | .. | 409 |
| Netherlands | 99,819 | 945 | 86,665 | 6,818 | .. | 194,247 |
| Norway | 46,579 | 1,440 | 19,663 | 1,684 | .. | 69,366 |
| Poland | 5 | .. | 1,990 | .. | .. | 1,995 |
| Portugal | 12,065 | 3,931 | 171 | .. | .. | 16,167 |
| Roumania | 32 | .. | .. | 100 | .. | 132 |
| Russia | 26 | 113 | 10,777 | 158 | .. | 11,074 |
| Spain | 18,707 | 7,782 | 4,572 | 132 | .. | 31,193 |
| Sweden | 2,165 | 55,601 | 210,967 | 888 | .. | 269,621 |
| Switzerland | 11,106 | 1 | 424,024 | 1,767 | .. | 436,898 |
| Turkey | 6,472 | 82 | 955 | 1,088 | .. | 8,597 |
| Asia— | ||||||
| Asiatic Turkey | 63,871 | 506 | 1,590 | 235 | .. | 66,202 |
| Caucasia | .. | .. | 45 | ... | .. | 45 |
| China | 45,307 | 4,940 | 67,277 | 432 | .. | 117,956 |
| Cochin-China | 329 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 329 |
| French lndo — Chinese Protectorate | .. | .. | 14 | .. | .. | 14 |
| Japan | 7,192 | 55,136 | 433,037 | 1,470 | .. | 496,835 |
| Minor Dutch East Indies | 358,099 | 88,113 | 603,859 | 84 | .. | 1,050,155 |
| Persia | 651 | .. | 3,338 | .. | .. | 3,989 |
| Philippine Islands | 2,415 | 28,466 | 121 | 19 | .. | 31,021 |
| Siam | 870 | .. | 86 | .. | .. | 956 |
| Siberia | 12 | 41 | 5 | .. | .. | 58 |
| Africa— | ||||||
| Algeria | .. | .. | 351 | 13 | .. | 364 |
| Egypt | 776 | 90 | 19,344 | .. | .. | 20,210 |
| Canary Islands | .. | .. | 140 | .. | .. | 140 |
| Madagascar | 2,023 | 68 | 263 | .. | .. | 2,354 |
| Madeira | 4 | .. | 1,697 | .. | .. | 1,701 |
| Morocco | 218 | .. | 243 | 1,651 | .. | 2,112 |
| Portuguese East Africa | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 2 |
| Portuguese West Africa | 309 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 309 |
| America— | ||||||
| Alaska | 680 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 680 |
| Argentina | 45 | 938 | 590 | 272 | .. | 1,845 |
| Brazil | 11,182 | .. | 496 | .. | .. | 11,678 |
| Chile | 1 | .. | 9,635 | 902 | .. | 10,538 |
| Costa Rica | 1,354 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1,354 |
| Cuba | 6,708 | .. | 293 | .. | .. | 7,001 |
| Ecuador | 3,126 | .. | 174 | .. | .. | 3,300 |
| Greenland | .. | .. | 57 | .. | .. | 57 |
| Mexico | 200 | .. | 8,483 | .. | .. | 8,683 |
| Paraguay | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| Panama Canal Zone | .. | .. | 10 | 46 | .. | 62 |
| Peru | 197,452 | .. | 738 | .. | .. | 198,190 |
| Salvador | 618 | .. | 3 | .. | .. | 621 |
| United States | 509,503 | 126,277 | 7,110,568 | 41,925 | 320 | 7,788,593 |
| Venezuela | 2,979 | .. | 18 | .. | .. | 2,997 |
| Pacific islands— | ||||||
| Hawaii | 1,817 | .. | 512 | 6 | .. | 2,335 |
| New Caledonia | 1 | .. | 21,601 | .. | .. | 21,602 |
| New Hebrides | 9,655 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 9,655 |
| Society Islands | 679 | 490 | 6,224 | .. | .. | 7,393 |
| Tuamotu Archipelago | .. | .. | 665 | .. | .. | 665 |
| Tutuila | .. | .. | 14 | .. | .. | 14 |
| Totals, foreign countries | 1,609,211 | 392,848 | 10,542,921 | 151,394 | 320 | 12,696,604 |
| Totals, all countries | 8,845,159 | 2,876,530 | 36,376,083 | 429,374 | 457 | 48,527,603 |
In order to give more detailed information concerning the trade of New Zealand with other countries the following tables have been compiled, giving for each of the last three years the main items of import from all the principal countries with which New Zealand trades. The information is shown both according to country of shipment and for country of origin.
In the principal countries account has been taken only of those items of a minimum total value of approximately £10,000, and in the smaller countries the main items only, so that the tables are not made too voluminous by the inclusion of great numbers of small items. The full details for the respective years covered will be found in the corresponding numbers of the “Annual Statistical Report on Trade and Shipping.”
| Article. | Country of Shipment. | Country of Origin. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| united Kingdom. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Cocoa-butter, &c. | 41,671 | 55,194 | 41,855 | 16,893 | 15,427 | 17,341 |
| Confectionery | 82,804 | 156,011 | 108,423 | 70,702 | 147,298 | 101,700 |
| Dried fruits | 30,595 | 26,041 | 29,871 | .. | .. | .. |
| Maizena and cornflour | 34,383 | 40,995 | 43,721 | 34,381 | 40,975 | 43,681 |
| Infants' and invalids' foods | 19,440 | 16,595 | 17,343 | 19,440 | 16,599 | 17,361 |
| Mustard | 18,963 | 31,215 | 34,530 | 18,964 | 31,214 | 34,530 |
| Nuts, edible | 36,522 | 26,231 | 29,829 | 1,197 | 2,663 | 2,529 |
| Oilmen's stores | 18,317 | 24,152 | 30,095 | 17,845 | 23,436 | 29,298 |
| Pickles and sauces | 10,361 | 13,967 | 18,238 | 11,142 | 14,840 | 19,358 |
| Salt | 98,686 | 103,997 | 98,597 | 98,954 | 103,918 | 98,613 |
| Cocoa-beans, uncrushed | 11,045 | 4,335 | 1,732 | .. | .. | .. |
| Cocoa and chocolate | 56,029 | 44,361 | 45,544 | 46,918 | 35,646 | 38,420 |
| Ale, porter, and beer | 8,974 | 19,590 | 16,806 | 8,974 | 19,457 | 15,173 |
| Brandy | 34,620 | 20,705 | 26,351 | .. | .. | .. |
| Gin, geneva, and schnapps | 30,917 | 45,884 | 46,844 | 19,859 | 23,116 | 32,134 |
| Whisky | 453,495 | 717,100 | 579,501 | 485,014 | 746,604 | 603,946 |
| Spirits (other than beverages) | 28,376 | 30,531 | 41,849 | 27,391 | 29,433 | 39,905 |
| Wine, fermented | 16,901 | 32,306 | 35,483 | 11,640 | 13,191 | 9,571 |
| Cigarettes | 545,455 | 591,331 | 690,232 | 545,508 | 591,717 | 690,264 |
| Tobacco | 212,751 | 327,047 | 346,103 | 212,754 | 326,991 | 342,565 |
| Horses | 11,430 | 17,386 | 12,478 | 11,430 | 17,386 | 13,333 |
| Cork, cut | 14,938 | 13,859 | 7,250 | 10,152 | 8,631 | 3,674 |
| Engineers' waste | 12,930 | 16,804 | 23,363 | 12,930 | 16,804 | 23,407 |
| Seeds— | ||||||
| Grass and clover | 17,693 | 35,031 | 50,075 | 9,212 | 10,629 | 28,597 |
| Other | 55,470 | 77,240 | 70,043 | 52,494 | 69,839 | 62,986 |
| Starch | 14,338 | 11,699 | 12,177 | 14,284 | 11,396 | 11,913 |
| Tanning-materials, crude | 12,854 | 13,962 | 15,078 | 10,767 | 11,910 | 13,823 |
| Yarns | 156,283 | 149,096 | 111,926 | 156,373 | 152,775 | 113,896 |
| Apparel and ready-made clothing | 1,238,843 | 1,821,714 | 1,844,098 | 1,132,788 | 1,685,238 | 1,670,968 |
| Books and shoes and parts thereof | 584,724 | 1,005,056 | 802,223 | 582,004 | 998,816 | 788,527 |
| Furs and fur trimmings | 41,876 | 59,896 | 61,115 | 34,766 | 44,318 | 43,505 |
| Haberdashery | 114,887 | 109,339 | 85,048 | 98,174 | 86,372 | 68,593 |
| Hats and caps | 63,775 | 105,620 | 106,900 | 56,757 | 95,914 | 98,582 |
| Hatmakers' materials | 63,473 | 91,809 | 80,623 | 28,527 | 59,471 | 49,646 |
| Hosiery | 363;986 | 432,760 | 332,626 | 386,458 | 431,033 | 328,755 |
| Lace and laces | 59,313 | 56,729 | 53,751 | 42,903 | 34,123 | 31,054 |
| Millinery | 143,275 | 145,012 | 144,498 | 112,174 | 114,134 | 111,891 |
| Ribbons and crape | 151,274 | 134,948 | 96,317 | 4,265 | 2,257 | 2,200 |
| Umbrellas and materials for making | 15,099 | 15,244 | 20,338 | 12,155 | 12,753 | 17,291 |
| Carpets, carpeting, and floorcloth | 365,664 | 638,762 | 613,810 | 364,418 | 635,911 | 606,833 |
| Drapery | 411,784 | 518,528 | 480,993 | 350,789 | 450,754 | 420,638 |
| Felt sheathing | 17,716 | 21,636 | 24,946 | 17,777 | 21,624 | 24,915 |
| Textile piece-goods— | ||||||
| Canvas, sailcloth | 26,592 | 37,743 | 39,909 | 26,384 | 38,514 | 41,211 |
| Cotton | 1,803,683 | 2,242,247 | 1,993,271 | 1,815,639 | 2,221,417 | 1,974,053 |
| Hessians and scrim | 38,453 | 75,062 | 69,765 | 38,775 | 75,421 | 69,954 |
| Leather cloth | 17,269 | 15,255 | 15,303 | 17,308 | 15,524 | 15,332 |
| Linen | 24,884 | 28,014 | 31,293 | 26,013 | 28,733 | 31,041 |
| Silk, satin, velvet | 285,624 | 347,788 | 422,310 | 105,624 | 113,336 | 129,657 |
| Woollen | 778,602 | 1,139,623 | 913,474 | 793,337 | 1,116,354 | 863,155 |
| Other | 15,842 | 31,638 | 40,907 | 15,272 | 31,762 | 41,170 |
| Sewing silks and cottons | 228,549 | 222,365 | 201,513 | 229,693 | 224,840 | 204,623 |
| Cordage and rope | 69,320 | 102,248 | 103,782 | 74,128 | 108,056 | 107,428 |
| Twine | 56,347 | 65,830 | 62,505 | 56,334 | 65,967 | 62,315 |
| Mineral oils | 10,315 | 13,370 | 22,145 | 8,384 | 10,771 | 19,549 |
| Vegetable oils | 68,020 | 102,283 | 95,045 | 67,138 | 99,207 | 92,566 |
| Paraffin-wax | 14,130 | 6,601 | 5,830 | 13,059 | 6,470 | 5,886 |
| Paints and colours— | ||||||
| Paints ground in liquid | 33,533 | 33,005 | 34,486 | 33,268 | 31,380 | 32,801 |
| Whitelead ground in oil | 121,406 | 146,121 | 134,573 | 119,031 | 146,142 | 134,573 |
| Mixed ready for use | 76,331 | 67,635 | 72,787 | 75,020 | 63,789 | 69,740 |
| Other | 21,788 | 27,894 | 27,726 | 20,326 | 27,227 | 25,698 |
| Varnishes, lacquers, and goldsize | 25,886 | 25,574 | 27,128 | 25,820 | 25,542 | 26,797 |
| Coal | 169,229 | 124 | 5,535 | 169,229 | 124 | 5,535 |
| Stone | 14,811 | 17,860 | 17,954 | 13,936 | 17,438 | 15,730 |
| Specie— | ||||||
| Bronze | 12,422 | 910 | .. | 12,452 | 910 | .. |
| Silver | 157,485 | 11,600 | .. | 174,035 | 13,600 | .. |
| Iron and steel (unmanufactured) | 206,509 | 312,193 | 320,450 | 206,573 | 313,714 | 325,031 |
| Bolts and nuts | 41,303 | 78,378 | 103,549 | 41,263 | 78,441 | 103,618 |
| Brass manufactures | 10,953 | 21,315 | 23,335 | 10,833 | 21,335 | 23,336 |
| Chains and chain cables | 16,103 | 16,546 | 21,284 | 16,138 | 16,531 | 21,644 |
| Copper manufactures | 26,606 | 56,988 | 51,108 | 26,864 | 56,993 | 51,213 |
| Cutlery | 27,877 | 35,512 | 32,138 | 27,859 | 35,597 | 31,714 |
| Hardware and ironmongery | 282,704 | 418,622 | 468,619 | 280,331 | 409,371 | 448,296 |
| Iron and steel— | ||||||
| Hoop | 36,290 | 34,693 | 35,419 | 36,282 | 34,735 | 35,422 |
| Plate and sheet | 543,144 | 629,862 | 804,051 | 546,319 | 630,847 | 804,723 |
| Tubes, pipes, and fittings | 274,198 | 383,198 | 452,787 | 278,797 | 383,283 | 452,917 |
| Other | 33,678 | 106,219 | 190,673 | 34,576 | 107,449 | 197,917 |
| Lamps (not electric), lanterns, and lamp-wick | 15,902 | 21,148 | 25,504 | 15,782 | 19,193 | 23,995 |
| Meters | 66,582 | 102,544 | 124,634 | 65,555 | 102,370 | 122,820 |
| Nails | 33,696 | 28,290 | 40,030 | 31,152 | 27,923 | 39,460 |
| Plate and plated ware | 107,616 | 132,231 | 99,232 | 108,719 | 133,137 | 98,581 |
| Printing-materials | 10,824 | 17,653 | 17,881 | 11,898 | 18,848 | 18,387 |
| Railway and tramway plant | 880,168 | 255,382 | 411,149 | 879,921 | 257,411 | 410,177 |
| Rivets and washers | 19,357 | 20,419 | 20,355 | 19,421 | 20,270 | 20,193 |
| Stoves and ranges | 15,710 | 34,636 | 49,734 | 15,603 | 34,464 | 49,488 |
| Telephones and accessories therefor | 96,586 | 91,956 | 52,712 | 20,447 | 56,567 | 28,387 |
| Tinware and tin manufactures | 109,562 | 179,094 | 160,382 | 111,229 | 183,692 | 162,724 |
| Tools, implements, &.c. | 102,119 | 133,121 | 169,647 | 99,832 | 130,439 | 164,573 |
| Wire— | ||||||
| Copper | 52,222 | 119,000 | 218,530 | 54,594 | 118,897 | 218,741 |
| Fencing | 105,778 | 166,458 | 175,274 | 104,108 | 166,516 | 176,145 |
| Netting | 56,917 | 122,786 | 121,180 | 56,903 | 122,786 | 121,233 |
| Other | 53,370 | 69,877 | 45,621 | 51,941 | 70,519 | 45,705 |
| Other metal manufactures | 283,912 | 395,708 | 426,168 | 278,817 | 387,829 | 419,900 |
| Agricultural implements, &c. | 35,130 | 32,463 | 47,236 | 35,010 | 33,709 | 46,782 |
| Dairying machinery | 35,485 | 67,051 | 71,756 | 16,482 | 13,160 | 36,004 |
| Dredging machinery | 12,591 | 9,420 | 22,195 | 12,591 | 9,420 | 22,195 |
| Electrical machinery | 723,657 | 986,998 | 1,489,464 | 695,781 | 963,722 | 1,431,048 |
| Engines, including materials for and parts of— | ||||||
| Gas and oil | 40,706 | 39,324 | 61,105 | 40,016 | 38,269 | 56,746 |
| Steam | 84,951 | 61,610 | 35,635 | 84,409 | 60,333 | 35,048 |
| Gas-making machinery | 24,910 | 965 | 561 | 24,910 | 965 | 561 |
| Locomotives | 498,643 | 60,177 | 16,318 | 498,643 | 60,177 | 16,318 |
| Mining machinery | 10,149 | 14,070 | 12,945 | 10,196 | 13,997 | 12,879 |
| Printing machinery | 22,830 | 66,768 | 94,480 | 23,482 | 69,298 | 94,430 |
| Sewing-machines | 37,394 | 73,747 | 80,205 | 36,887 | 73,660 | 80,300 |
| Tools—Engineers' and metal- and wood-workers', &c. | 36,152 | 64,040 | 77,607 | 36,283 | 63,484 | 75,106 |
| Turbines, steam and water, and Pelton wheels | 22,270 | 87,816 | 32,678 | 13,808 | 83,802 | 30,138 |
| Winches, cranes, capstans, and windlasses | 60,259 | 20,208 | 31,065 | 60,259 | 20,208 | 31,065 |
| Woollen-mill machinery | 28,949 | 53,700 | 59,114 | 28,865 | 54,496 | 59,332 |
| Other classes of machinery and machines | 114,104 | 227,700 | 341,368 | 114,104 | 223,443 | 327,058 |
| Indiarubher hose, tubing, and piping | 11,390 | 10,662 | 10,720 | 11,450 | 10,949 | 10,732 |
| Belting, leather and other | 42,641 | 58,887 | 52,034 | 43,020 | 58,856 | 52,340 |
| Leather | 185,103 | 208,196 | 153,079 | 177,260 | 200,868 | 146,745 |
| Saddlery and harness | 34,452 | 31,256 | 35,250 | 34,439 | 31,263 | 35,242 |
| Furniture, cabinetware, and upholstery | 23,268 | 19,608 | 32,248 | 21,975 | 17,586 | 28,360 |
| China, porcelain, and parian ware | 102,423 | 82,071 | 73,578 | 100,433 | 78,762 | 71,554 |
| Earthenware | 261,484 | 224,035 | 241,094 | 259,108 | 219,925 | 237,575 |
| Glass and glassware | 146,748 | 236,651 | 263,900 | 124,387 | 199,736 | 230,996 |
| Tiles | 30,266 | 51,596 | 78,399 | 30,228 | 51,459 | 78,045 |
| Butter-paper. &c. | 10,115 | 21,746 | 14,049 | 4,519 | 2,439 | 2,516 |
| Cardboard-boxes, materials for | 23,250 | 37,849 | 34,404 | 18,951 | 26,115 | 24,454 |
| Paperhangings | 40,053 | 67,320 | 81,754 | 39,873 | 67,052 | 81,059 |
| Printing-paper | 107,705 | 272,814 | 273,898 | 109,440 | 274,838 | 275,295 |
| Writing-paper | 73,658 | 139,941 | 95,066 | 73,922 | 140,375 | 95,494 |
| Books, papers, and music, printed | 302,727 | 346,294 | 366,130 | 321,577 | 366,982 | 377,907 |
| Calendars and showcards | 10,673 | 15,048 | 20,493 | 10,380 | 14,895 | 20,398 |
| Envelopes | 24,725 | 31,871 | 25,879 | 24,717 | 31,738 | 25,872 |
| Ink | 10,241 | 14,557 | 17,138 | 10,201 | 14,332 | 16,870 |
| Manufactured stationery | 49,535 | 74,404 | 70,454 | 49,344 | 74,350 | 70,043 |
| Fancy goods and toys | 193,869 | 267,671 | 283,502 | 146,285 | 189,849 | 187,910 |
| Jewellery | 80,407 | 65,744 | 68,158 | 98,388 | 52,431 | 64,372 |
| Sporting, gaming, and athletic requisites | 93,802 | 102,280 | 95,996 | 92,508 | 100,551 | 95,192 |
| Timepieces | 11,537 | 29,357 | 56,430 | 5,772 | 8,147 | 8,826 |
| Tobacco-pipes and smokers' requisites | 50,540 | 71,455 | 52,021 | 28,999 | 36,984 | 32,859 |
| Cinematograph, bioscope, and kinetoscope films | 10,586 | 6,698 | 7,146 | 10,231 | 7,248 | 9,290 |
| Photographic materials and goods | 34,661 | 37,421 | 56,712 | 35,347 | 38,484 | 58,058 |
| Surgical and dental instruments | 52,266 | 48,880 | 58,378 | 50,975 | 45,001 | 52,523 |
| Acids | 19,039 | 25,711 | 24,200 | 19,261 | 27,465 | 24,022 |
| Cream of tartar | 13,038 | 17,190 | 41,309 | 7,940 | 16,910 | 41,570 |
| Cyanide of potassium and of sodium | 15,939 | 19,114 | 14,834 | 15,939 | 19,114 | 14,827 |
| Dyes | 38,794 | 46,672 | 32,021 | 51,726 | 49,921 | 31,931 |
| Disinfectants | 23,672 | 22,628 | 28,828 | 23,684 | 22,578 | 28,459 |
| Insecticides and tree-washes | 70,163 | 99,682 | 94,761 | 70,368 | 99,507 | 94,990 |
| Medicinal preparations, drugs, and druggists' sundries | 147,868 | 177,435 | 182,804 | 148,840 | 176,433 | 181,347 |
| Perfumery | 64,715 | 69,139 | 70,277 | 59,412 | 65,234 | 66,950 |
| Soda | 80,367 | 87,368 | 77,116 | 82,386 | 87,704 | 77,543 |
| Manures | 27,543 | 46,025 | 80,020 | 21,118 | 36,771 | 61,177 |
| Arms, ammunition, and explosives | 206,033 | 163,307 | 263,949 | 212,298 | 167,317 | 263,378 |
| Asbestos | 14,406 | 16,677 | 18,065 | 11,698 | 14,734 | 15,998 |
| Blue, laundry | 22,948 | 29,174 | 31,273 | 22,964 | 29,175 | 31,281 |
| Brushes, brushware, and brooms | 56,774 | 90,899 | 84,197 | 52,143 | 85,350 | 79,257 |
| Brushmakers' materials | 13,293 | 15,739 | 16,188 | 5,444 | 5,835 | 5,987 |
| Candles | 24,430 | 18,010 | 17,540 | 24,430 | 18,002 | 17,418 |
| Educational apparatus and materials | 11,538 | 18,643 | 17,637 | 11,401 | 18,728 | 15,896 |
| Musical instruments— | ||||||
| Pianos | 41,884 | 170,139 | 174,308 | 41,712 | 167,872 | 169,064 |
| Other | 56,088 | 97,861 | 168,835 | 51,423 | 92,035 | 159,896 |
| Matches and vestas | 33,273 | 46,484 | 39,574 | 29,637 | 37,618 | 23,121 |
| Packing, engine | 13,185 | 16,272 | 13,737 | 13,067 | 16,393 | 13,284 |
| Polishes and dressings | 33,570 | 38,297 | 39,363 | 33,695 | 38,553 | 39,644 |
| Soap | 43,102 | 42,433 | 49,589 | 41,831 | 40,333 | 46,464 |
| Vehicles— | ||||||
| Bicycles and materials for | 87,194 | 178,541 | 239,742 | 81,184 | 175,162 | 235,393 |
| Motors for road traffic and materials for | 341,053 | 447,424 | 659,745 | 240,204 | 408,027 | 648,194 |
| Burma. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Rice | 4,518 | 14,641 | 19,048 | 4,518 | 15,223 | 19,991 |
| Waxes | 20,925 | 7,198 | 22,300 | 21,988 | 7,318 | 22,604 |
| Candles | 9,953 | 1,237 | 10,433 | 9,953 | 1,237 | 10,578 |
| Ceylon. | ||||||
| Coconut, desiccated | 14,445 | 11,085 | 14,803 | 14,446 | 11,651 | 14,874 |
| Cocoa-beans, uncrushed | 7,302 | 3,872 | 886 | 7,302 | 3,872 | 886 |
| Tea | 470,896 | 681,198 | 801,070 | 471,859 | 683,201 | 814,088 |
| Hong Kong. | ||||||
| Jams, jellies, &c. | 8,254 | 13,451 | 10,713 | 8,254 | 13,557 | 10,770 |
| India. | ||||||
| Coffee and chicory | 6,568 | 6,876 | 9,444 | 6,695 | 8,328 | 10,015 |
| Tea | 39,754 | 72,723 | 81,804 | 40,484 | 72,723 | 81,927 |
| Shellac | 9,140 | 13,571 | 11,575 | 9,142 | 13,845 | 11,957 |
| Carpets, carpeting, and floorcloth | 10,554 | 23,215 | 15,701 | 10,695 | 23,597 | 16,422 |
| Hessians and scrim | 33,527 | 63,796 | 62,358 | 34,152 | 65,949 | 62,843 |
| Bags and sacks— | ||||||
| Corn-sacks | 187,268 | 231,461 | 198,705 | 187,268 | 232,136 | 200,458 |
| Jute and hessian bags | 40,288 | 113,708 | 102,213 | 40,501 | 113,708 | 104,806 |
| Woolpacks | 55,886 | 125,271 | 123,153 | 55,886 | 125,271 | 123,153 |
| Vegetable oils | 6,858 | 9,753 | 15,182 | 6,858 | 9,753 | 15,207 |
| Straits Settlements. | ||||||
| Fruits, bottled and preserved | 22,019 | 21,815 | 26,925 | 22,019 | 21,426 | 27,001 |
| Sago and tapioca | 22,680 | 32,779 | 28,314 | 22,680 | 33,479 | 28,690 |
| Spices | 12,588 | 10,583 | 8,653 | 12,593 | 10,670 | 8,696 |
| Seychelles. | ||||||
| Guano | 14,107 | .. | .. | 14,107 | .. | .. |
| South African Union | ||||||
| Wine, fermented | 17,680 | 15,114 | 15,350 | 17,680 | 15,267 | 15,712 |
| Tanning-materials, crude | 8,717 | 28,964 | 15,498 | 10,889 | 33,903 | 25,114 |
| Precious stones, unmounted | 2,017 | 1,933 | 3,499 | 27,992 | 26,213 | 12,604 |
| Arms, ammunition, and explosives | 106,104 | 3,150 | .. | 106,104 | 3,159 | .. |
| British West Indies. | ||||||
| Cocoa-beans, uncrushed | 4,094 | 14,100 | 7,472 | 8,525 | 15,163 | 8,020 |
| Rum | 264 | 2,966 | 1,979 | 2,287 | 7,599 | 8,087 |
| Canada. | ||||||
| Fish | 64,954 | 58,577 | 98,500 | 65,049 | 58,915 | 99,529 |
| Confectionery | 13,459 | 29,514 | 20,945 | 13,459 | 29,514 | 20,945 |
| Fruit | 9,363 | 9,629 | 19,856 | 9,363 | 9,629 | 19,857 |
| Seeds | 6,457 | 11,402 | 22,444 | 6,457 | 17,942 | 6,547 |
| Apparel and ready-made clothing | 74,769 | 100,084 | 77,365 | 75,565 | 101,577 | 78,233 |
| Boots and shoes and parts thereof | 37,232 | 88,737 | 112,168 | 43,884 | 89,278 | 112,603 |
| Furs and fur trimmings | 7,569 | 7,051 | 11,304 | 7,594 | 8,061 | 11,639 |
| Hosiery | 32,931 | 31,715 | 25,130 | 33,045 | 31,851 | 25,512 |
| Cotton piece-goods | 15,811 | 12,594 | 14,756 | 16,309 | 12,787 | 15,475 |
| Iron and steel (unmanufactured) | 6,173 | 16,040 | 40,838 | 6,173 | 16,040 | 40,838 |
| Fencing-staples | 6,955 | 18,930 | 13,580 | 6,955 | 19,822 | 13,580 |
| Hardware and ironmongery | 15,638 | 20,401 | 24,308 | 15,638 | 20,804 | 24,512 |
| Iron and steel tubes, pipes, and fittings | 59,147 | 77,625 | 66,590 | 59,932 | 77,625 | 66,938 |
| Nails | 33,812 | 75,770 | 35,040 | 33,812 | 77,156 | 35,076 |
| Tools, implements, &c. | 10,917 | 14,605 | 16,829 | 10,921 | 14,632 | 16,829 |
| Wire— | ||||||
| Fencing | 41,769 | 139,415 | 67,695 | 41,769 | 140,788 | 68,046 |
| Other | 19,881 | 49,140 | 63,379 | 19,911 | 49,908 | 64,637 |
| Agricultural Implements, &c. | 22,889 | 25,943 | 28,902 | 23,014 | 26,816 | 29,898 |
| Dairying machinery | 9,947 | 3,286 | 5,153 | 9,947 | 3,286 | 5,153 |
| Electrical machinery | 32,543 | 76,485 | 70,671 | 32,551 | 76,839 | 71,214 |
| Tools—Engineers' and metal- and woodworkers', &c. | 17,919 | 3,027 | 5,767 | 17,919 | 3,027 | 5,773 |
| Belting, leather and other | 7,775 | 15,279 | 12,391 | 8,236 | 15,430 | 12,406 |
| Leather | 14,909 | 24,456 | 24,120 | 15,548 | 24,456 | 24,120 |
| Timber | 46,560 | 87,030 | 134,128 | 46,884 | 87,234 | 134,205 |
| Wood, cane, and wicker manufactures | 37,284 | 62,471 | 72,078 | 37,112 | 63,751 | 72,131 |
| Cardboard boxes, materials for | 4,827 | 3,528 | 12,568 | 4,827 | 4,260 | 12,568 |
| Paperhangings | 18,790 | 18,753 | 15,998 | 18,874 | 18,779 | 16,562 |
| Printing-paper | 270,817 | 242,536 | 241,275 | 271,115 | 242,536 | 241,491 |
| Wrapping-paper | 38,107 | 61,797 | 62,095 | 38,220 | 62,345 | 65,316 |
| Writing-paper | 4,065 | 12,305 | 6,136 | 4,223 | 12,408 | 6,167 |
| Stationery | 8,079 | 13,855 | 14,436 | 8,211 | 14,019 | 14,568 |
| Photographic materials and goods | 20,652 | 18,824 | 25,697 | 20,652 | 18,841 | 25,700 |
| Calcium carbide | 4,052 | 8,805 | 9,168 | 4,396 | 8,805 | 9,168 |
| Perfumery | 3,068 | 12,494 | 13,148 | 3,110 | 12,497 | 13,173 |
| Musical instruments | 9,118 | 19,115 | 24,594 | 9,342 | 19,415 | 24,662 |
| Vehicles— | ||||||
| Bicycles and materials for | 1,147 | 14,047 | 17,013 | 1,147 | 14,062 | 17,096 |
| Motors for road traffic and materials for | 427,107 | 1,299,413 | 2,071,153 | 427,809 | 1,299,964 | 2,077,663 |
| Australia. | ||||||
| Confectionery | 50,978 | 84,962 | 117,697 | 48,257 | 83,349 | 116,209 |
| Fruits— | ||||||
| Bottled and preserved in syrup | 19,293 | 37,321 | 96,638 | 19,293 | 37,659 | 96,434 |
| Dried— | ||||||
| Currants | 49,204 | 38,255 | 35,499 | 49,204 | 38,255 | 34,950 |
| Raisins | 128,698 | 104,879 | 109,794 | 128,117 | 102,620 | 106,964 |
| Other | 8,085 | 6,230 | 10,922 | 5,314 | 2,867 | 948 |
| Fresh— | ||||||
| Oranges | 36,654 | 41,143 | 50,143 | 36,469 | 41,143 | 50,143 |
| Mandarins and grape-fruit | 21,446 | 20,040 | 17,177 | 21,446 | 20,006 | 17,162 |
| Other | 20,119 | 26,598 | 22,969 | 20,119 | 26,400 | 22,969 |
| Rice, dressed | 29,456 | 23,072 | 21,585 | 29,456 | 22,443 | 20,025 |
| Salt | 12,100 | 16,396 | 5,572 | 11,832 | 16,336 | 5,553 |
| Vegetables | 15,487 | 25,553 | 87,150 | 15,274 | 25,373 | 87,024 |
| Whisky | 35,189 | 30,765 | 28,001 | 3,670 | 1,251 | 3,131 |
| Spirits of wine | 10,501 | 14,769 | 15,529 | 10,499 | 14,769 | 15,520 |
| Wine, fermented | 52,228 | 63,323 | 66,911 | 42,175 | 57,671 | 60,359 |
| Tobacco, and preparations thereof | 410,628 | 377,200 | 369,579 | 409,776 | 373,995 | 368,130 |
| Horses | 14,642 | 13,049 | 20,320 | 11,467 | 6,894 | 8,282 |
| Wool | 14,729 | 27,496 | 7,512 | 14,729 | 27,496 | 7,512 |
| Seeds | 9,450 | 13,971 | 31,970 | 7,378 | 11,508 | 29,008 |
| Tanning-materials, crude | 18,902 | 10,875 | 14,639 | 15,623 | 5,025 | 3,130 |
| Apparel and ready-made clothing | 75,615 | 38,766 | 27,703 | 30,479 | 27,177 | 21,269 |
| Boots and shoes and parts thereof | 46,241 | 25,237 | 16,747 | 41,071 | 22,629 | 14,984 |
| Hosiery | 180,607 | 27,014 | 42,367 | 26,269 | 20,738 | 39,710 |
| Drapery | 10,444 | 7,400 | 8,030 | 4,628 | 2,943 | 3,064 |
| Textile piece-goods— | ||||||
| Cotton | 55,806 | 29,562 | 33,807 | 1,295 | 2,012 | 982 |
| Silk, satin, and velvet | 10,842 | 3,247 | 14,110 | 273 | 61 | 61 |
| Woollen | 50,132 | 13,031 | 4,735 | 5,154 | 270 | 149 |
| Mineral oils | 34,913 | 31,436 | 55,858 | 6,304 | 3,832 | 6,131 |
| Vegetable oils | 20,110 | 14,484 | 17,571 | 11,336 | 10,099 | 11,234 |
| Stearine | 12,174 | 5,978 | 13,213 | 12,174 | 5,978 | 13,213 |
| Paints and colours | 30,970 | 29,457 | 20,039 | 30,265 | 26,851 | 18,807 |
| Coal | 511,525 | 519,021 | 773,975 | 511,525 | 519,021 | 773,975 |
| Lead, pig and bar (unmanufactured) | 25,471 | 45,178 | 86,319 | 25,471 | 44,847 | 86,319 |
| Tin (unmanufactured) | 30,175 | 40,955 | 61,129 | 30,155 | 40,801 | 61,129 |
| Hardware and ironmongery | 24,334 | 21,194 | 18,892 | 17,003 | 17,456 | 15,358 |
| Iron and steel— | ||||||
| Tubes, pipes, and fittings | 12,441 | 6,910 | 8,032 | 6,081 | 5,380 | 4,859 |
| Other | 8,310 | 8,214 | 9,982 | 2,544 | 4,124 | 1,906 |
| Lead manufactures | 21,234 | 29,157 | 17,648 | 21,234 | 28,943 | 17,648 |
| Railway and tramway plant | 53,632 | 16,682 | 12,603 | 56,466 | 14,653 | 12,181 |
| Wire— | ||||||
| Copper | 25,875 | 92,215 | 26,519 | 23,500 | 92,155 | 26,295 |
| Other | 7,540 | 8,624 | 16,453 | 4,827 | 5,555 | 13,123 |
| Other metal manufactures | 87,020 | 87,459 | 74,210 | 58,831 | 59,632 | 50,218 |
| Dairy machinery | 25,610 | 35,985 | 30,396 | 15,649 | 29,342 | 26,540 |
| Electrical machinery | 32,534 | 40,879 | 54,687 | 12,252 | 24,778 | 36,843 |
| Tools—Engineers' and metal- and wood-workers', &c. | 11,763 | 15,198 | 18,373 | 9,547 | 12,726 | 14,846 |
| Other classes of machinery and machines | 65,798 | 82,289 | 104,781 | 38,454 | 37,077 | 55,155 |
| Indiarubber hose, tubing, and piping | 28,007 | 30,293 | 33,562 | 27,331 | 29,854 | 33,133 |
| Belting, leather and other | 10,444 | 15,835 | 15,274 | 9,369 | 15,361 | 14,534 |
| Leather | 92,813 | 123,423 | 116,934 | 72,281 | 104,736 | 89,580 |
| Timber | 438,781 | 438,439 | 729,565 | 436,228 | 434,980 | 722,685 |
| Wood, cane, and wicker manufactures | 33,268 | 35,205 | 36,047 | 29,942 | 32,251 | 32,554 |
| Glass and glassware | 36,219 | 52,102 | 37,026 | 33,329 | 50,683 | 34,098 |
| Paper | 18,683 | 24,284 | 35,846 | 7,949 | 16,109 | 23,737 |
| Stationery | 130,499 | 124,068 | 126,681 | 99,013 | 92,534 | 102,784 |
| Fancy goods and toys | 17,454 | 20,207 | 18,834 | 12,216 | 14,592 | 13,140 |
| Jewellery | 69,938 | 61,530 | 39,790 | 9,591 | 43,032 | 24,250 |
| Cinematograph, bioscope, and kinetoscope films | 36,380 | 32,287 | 34,280 | 1,740 | 4,123 | 1,729 |
| Photographic materials and goods | 43,519 | 49,082 | 60,030 | 39,996 | 45,792 | 56,976 |
| Dyes | 28,975 | 15,509 | 14,084 | 6,086 | 3,899 | 5,268 |
| Disinfectants | 12,591 | 8,571 | 9,960 | 12,448 | 8,355 | 9,841 |
| Liquefied and compressed gases | 19,987 | 21,295 | 21,703 | 19,760 | 20,470 | 21,223 |
| Medicinal preparations; drugs, and druggists' sundries | 109,838 | 104,264 | 82,386 | 92,382 | 92,788 | 70,897 |
| Perfumery | 19,350 | 21,111 | 16,887 | 17,206 | 9,043 | 13,820 |
| Manures | 21,241 | 40,109 | 26,745 | 20,645 | 40,109 | 26,636 |
| Arms, ammunition, and explosives | 41,231 | 22,053 | 26,755 | 33,964 | 17,320 | 25,150 |
| Brushes, brushware, brooms, and brush-makers' materials | 10,244 | 10,127 | 10,625 | 8,060 | 8,025 | 9,081 |
| Musical instruments | 21,981 | 31,867 | 26,405 | 9,368 | 12,133 | 11,145 |
| Polishes and dressings | 11,768 | 16,409 | 16,308 | 11,314 | 15,370 | 15,152 |
| Soap | 17,420 | 10,082 | 34,576 | 16,961 | 18,706 | 33,554 |
| Vehicles— | ||||||
| Bicycles and materials for | 35,874 | 52,550 | 31,623 | 33,846 | 51,773 | 30,718 |
| Motors for road traffic and parts thereof | 49,309 | 37,786 | 44,818 | 34,148 | 28,138 | 27,425 |
| Fiji. | ||||||
| Fruits, fresh | 88,064 | 107,718 | 113,718 | 88,064 | 107,718 | 113,718 |
| Sugar | 1,355,257 | 735,069 | 849,903 | 1,355,257 | 735,069 | 849,903 |
| Nauru (Pleasant) Island. | ||||||
| Phosphates | 62,307 | 46,074 | 95,800 | 62,307 | 46,074 | 95,800 |
| Ocean Island. | ||||||
| Phosphates | 23,770 | 30,969 | .. | 23,770 | 30,969 | .. |
| Tonga. | ||||||
| Specie (silver) | 14,200 | 2,000 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Western Samoa. | ||||||
| Cocoa-beans, uncrushed | 9,513 | 8,325 | 5,740 | 9,513 | 8,432 | 5,740 |
| Belgium. | ||||||
| Cotton piece-goods | 2,609 | 1,599 | 7,341 | 11,514 | 21,152 | 30,387 |
| Iron and steel (unmanufactured) | 7,293 | 199 | 95 | 8,419 | 237 | 196 |
| Telephones, and accessories therefor | 32,178 | 7,438 | 7,615 | 108,680 | 34,449 | 26,875 |
| Electrical machinery | 8,050 | 5,907 | 18,112 | 29,244 | 10,112 | 29,529 |
| Glass and glassware | 20,667 | 10,868 | 11,308 | 33,527 | 28,201 | 26,476 |
| Butter-paper | 8,269 | 16,917 | 5,098 | 15,995 | 35,349 | 11,347 |
| Jewellery | 1,921 | 2 | 2 | 12,724 | 2 | 2,168 |
| Manures | 28,468 | 75,737 | 49,089 | 30,620 | 78,208 | 60,421 |
| Czecho-Slovakia. | ||||||
| Glass and glassware | 1,303 | 2,962 | 3,969 | 8,496 | 12,070 | 10,140 |
| Fancy goods and toys | 1,337 | 1,542 | 1,902 | 18,966 | 28,223 | 17,424 |
| Musical instruments | 1,215 | 2,186 | 793 | 6,535 | 9,077 | 3,034 |
| Apparel and ready-made clothing | 52 | 73 | 329 | 6,187 | 10,908 | 9,983 |
| Denmark. | ||||||
| Rennet | 14,343 | 10,687 | 10,848 | 15,108 | 14,968 | 16,320 |
| Seeds | 4,436 | 52,056 | 30,431 | 7,765 | 58,350 | 62,617 |
| Dairying machinery | 7,446 | 5,252 | 4,812 | 9,358 | 11,019 | 9,073 |
| France. | ||||||
| Confectionery | 1,270 | 5,946 | 4,959 | 6,397 | 10,882 | 7,398 |
| Brandy | 4,801 | 13,378 | 17,358 | 40,836 | 35,294 | 45,410 |
| Wine | 1,447 | 5,147 | 10,859 | 6,673 | 15,287 | 26,284 |
| Seeds | 501 | 4,957 | 3,821 | 2,427 | 14,382 | 11,754 |
| Apparel and ready-made clothing | 983 | 681 | 1,416 | 58,769 | 61,575 | 78,330 |
| Furs and fur trimmings | 354 | 624 | 41 | 7,174 | 14,903 | 8,517 |
| Haberdashery | 101 | .. | 17 | 8,752 | 9,151 | 5,384 |
| Lace end laces | 81 | 22 | 19 | 7,303 | 11,604 | 9,305 |
| Millinery | 93 | 2,956 | 47 | 23,073 | 29,030 | 21,781 |
| Ribbons and crape | 190 | 326 | 172 | 51,853 | 38,171 | 28,380 |
| Drapery | 231 | 422 | 351 | 23,509 | 30,131 | 19,675 |
| Textile piece-goods— | ||||||
| Cotton | 62 | 181 | 689 | 11,937 | 15,346 | 10,357 |
| Silk, satin, and velvet | 948 | 1,360 | 1,331 | 75,843 | 107,395 | 151,626 |
| Woollen | 117 | 65 | 222 | 20,789 | 28,500 | 39,630 |
| Fancy goods and toys | 616 | 1,622 | 2,479 | 29,357 | 43,206 | 41,173 |
| Tobacco-pipes and smokers' requisites | 2,444 | 10,856 | 2,426 | 27,831 | 48,860 | 22,400 |
| Cream of tartar | 20,242 | 1,451 | 656 | 30,564 | 1,882 | 853 |
| Manures | 6,618 | 5,746 | 3,466 | 7,352 | 7,387 | 5,810 |
| Vehicles— | ||||||
| Bicycles and materials for | 946 | 4,708 | 1,253 | 7,017 | 5,130 | 2,020 |
| Motors for road traffic and parts thereof | 41,257 | 82,939 | 70,491 | 145,685 | 99,406 | 82,233 |
| Germany. | ||||||
| Manures | 13,032 | 13,286 | 9,115 | 13,700 | 14,595 | 14,299 |
| Greece. | ||||||
| Dried fruits | 3,531 | 2,655 | 5,416 | 7,487 | 8,184 | 15,134 |
| Italy. | ||||||
| Nuts, edible | 22,574 | 25,734 | 20,211 | 34,055 | 31,394 | 32,229 |
| Peel | 6,066 | 6,172 | 5,766 | 6,148 | 6,615 | 5,766 |
| Haberdashery | 735 | 3,324 | 2,084 | 6,860 | 10,353 | 7,433 |
| Hats and caps | 3,235 | 14,449 | 13,729 | 7,132 | 19,611 | 19,148 |
| Silk, satin, and velvet piece-goods | 8 | 1,015 | .. | 15,457 | 12,940 | 18,122 |
| Marble | 7,106 | 7,569 | 7,976 | 8,690 | 8,502 | 9,170 |
| Vehicle—Motors for road traffic and parts thereof | 30,649 | 59,847 | 58,360 | 31,261 | 82,502 | 59,779 |
| Netherlands. | ||||||
| Cocoa-butter, &c. | 16,802 | 19,504 | 23,194 | 41,551 | 59,378 | 47,548 |
| Cocoa and chocolate | 2,560 | 3,274 | 823 | 13,537 | 12,665 | 8,031 |
| Gin, geneva, and schnapps | 4,063 | 10,988 | 12,219 | 16,307 | 34,636 | 29,379 |
| Electrical machinery | 6,979 | 9,601 | 12,330 | 17,570 | 24,180 | 29,570 |
| Cardboard boxes, materials for | 5,491 | 7,511 | 7,109 | 9,445 | 16,200 | 12,995 |
| Jewellery | 6,519 | .. | 135 | 7,435 | 3,019 | 1,387 |
| Norway. | ||||||
| Fish | 7,198 | 21,308 | 26,910 | 7,470 | 28,621 | 46,499 |
| Calcium carbide | 11,517 | 9,650 | 3,935 | 11,523 | 10,292 | 4,158 |
| Spain. | ||||||
| Nuts, edible | 1,037 | 1,270 | 1,706 | 9,921 | 8,125 | 8,252 |
| Cork, cut | 1,728 | 4,026 | 3,788 | 6,551 | 7,554 | 7,769 |
| Sweden. | ||||||
| Wood-pulp | 9,396 | 1,418 | 10,835 | 9,396 | 11,107 | 35,032 |
| Hardware and ironmongery | 5,811 | 4,782 | 5,157 | 7,278 | 9,950 | 14,158 |
| Dairying machinery | 62,059 | 64,160 | 54,738 | 83,683 | 106,505 | 85,612 |
| Electrical machinery | 8,560 | 9,136 | 8,969 | 11,565 | 16,972 | 37,283 |
| Matches and vestas | 11,927 | 10,013 | 5,971 | 14,296 | 14,582 | 13,082 |
| Switzerland. | ||||||
| Confectionery | 8,002 | 9,082 | 7,731 | 14,305 | 11,953 | 10,955 |
| Apparel and ready-made clothing | 567 | 106 | 103 | 24,964 | 45,096 | 48,880 |
| Hatmakers' materials | 609 | 13 | 45 | 17,783 | 17,686 | 7,829 |
| Lace and laces | 370 | .. | 152 | 7,392 | 8,641 | 7,229 |
| Ribbons and crape | 93 | 963 | 2,206 | 97,152 | 96,486 | 67,109 |
| Drapery | 346 | 127 | 229 | 37,728 | 34,214 | 33,272 |
| Silk, satin, and velvet piece-goods | 383 | 244 | 2,314 | 90,234 | 108,804 | 106,276 |
| Timepieces | 24,535 | 28,044 | 29,646 | 34,053 | 48,959 | 70,211 |
| Asiatic Turkey. | ||||||
| Dried fruits— | ||||||
| Dates | 15,657 | 17,963 | 17,132 | 41,461 | 35,121 | 33,848 |
| Raisins | 14,122 | 8,689 | 14,614 | 14,579 | 11,053 | 16,142 |
| Other | 5,105 | 9,257 | 8,619 | 7,370 | 12,249 | 11,803 |
| Rice | 10,632 | 11,334 | 12,354 | 10,632 | 11,356 | 12,478 |
| Nuts, edible | 15,574 | 13,415 | 15,480 | 15,592 | 14,459 | 17,450 |
| Tea | 7,152 | 7,250 | 6,043 | 7,315 | 7,295 | 6,638 |
| Hatmakers' materials | 5,423 | 2,316 | 947 | 12,575 | 5,375 | 8,038 |
| Lace and laces | 19,111 | 12,930 | 4,692 | 19,287 | 12,986 | 4,883 |
| Silk, satin, and velvet piece-goods | 22,963 | 16,451 | 11,357 | 27,818 | 22,078 | 17,783 |
| Brushmakers' materials | 1,345 | 6,968 | 4,561 | 6,199 | 11,313 | 9,055 |
| Dutch East Indies. | ||||||
| Mineral oils | 574,196 | 343,290 | 545,054 | 374,219 | 343,320 | 571,871 |
| Paraffin-wax | 19,303 | 22,126 | 21,660 | 19,363 | 23,278 | 24,863 |
| Sugar | 56,853 | 598,918 | 327,999 | 56,853 | 598,918 | 327,999 |
| Tea | 27,290 | 51,603 | 16,850 | 27,292 | 53,259 | 18,240 |
| Kapok | 46,851 | 69,546 | 82,650 | 46,851 | 70,058 | 83,257 |
| Japan. | ||||||
| Apparel and ready-made clothing | 20,884 | 29,370 | 14,519 | 25,223 | 29,513 | 14,632 |
| Haberdashery | 7,986 | 9,389 | 5,542 | 8,491 | 9,610 | 5,774 |
| Textile piece-goods— | ||||||
| Cotton | 75,702 | 105,679 | 75,085 | 77,631 | 107,638 | 80,850 |
| Silk, satin, velvet | 255,602 | 254,757 | 253,235 | 259,150 | 257,712 | 269,553 |
| Timber | 33,991 | 50,696 | 48,538 | 35,224 | 51,130 | 54,749 |
| Glass and glassware | 7,018 | 11,069 | 5,078 | 7,356 | 11,221 | 5,434 |
| Fancy goods and toys | 19,776 | 24,601 | 13,032 | 20,463 | 25,032 | 14,089 |
| Philippine Islands. | ||||||
| Hemp | 14,812 | 20,531 | 26,463 | 14,812 | 20,531 | 26,463 |
| Egypt. | ||||||
| Phosphates | .. | 18,138 | 17,328 | 2,200 | 18,138 | 17,328 |
| Brazil. | ||||||
| Nuts, edible | 366 | 96 | 377 | 5,217 | 4,384 | 5,014 |
| Chile. | ||||||
| Nitrate of soda | 3,492 | 6,922 | 9,614 | 5,903 | 8,380 | 9,633 |
| Cuba. | ||||||
| Cigars | 2,203 | 4,928 | 6,398 | 2,506 | 5,136 | 6,663 |
| Ecuador. | ||||||
| Cocoa-beans, uncrushed | 377 | 2,819 | 2,942 | 4,486 | 5,185 | 3,126 |
| United States of America. | ||||||
| Sausage casings | 38,975 | 46,448 | 48,654 | 39,382 | 47,875 | 48,794 |
| Fruits— | ||||||
| Bottled and preserved in syrup | 24,144 | 27,120 | 8,483 | 24,144 | 27,121 | 8,489 |
| Dried— | ||||||
| Apples and apricots | 11,979 | 6,698 | 4,813 | 11,979 | 6,698 | 4,815 |
| Prunes | 29,728 | 28,793 | 24,540 | 29,728 | 28,793 | 24,580 |
| Raisins | 100,111 | 94,218 | 77,655 | 100,330 | 94,220 | 77,709 |
| Fresh— | ||||||
| Lemons | 13,098 | 14,653 | 10,894 | 13,098 | 14,653 | 10,894 |
| Oranges | 24,563 | 21,099 | 20,609 | 24,748 | 21,099 | 20,609 |
| Sugar | 15,666 | 23,131 | 27,271 | 15,682 | 23,390 | 27,323 |
| Vegetables | 13,196 | 7,054 | 7,850 | 13,405 | 7,221 | 7,876 |
| Tobacco | 142,586 | 166,145 | 209,198 | 144,421 | 168,001 | 211,760 |
| Seeds | 19,647 | 27,203 | 32,786 | 20,483 | 26,564 | 24,389 |
| Apparel and ready-made clothing | 87,971 | 102,916 | 75,598 | 122,716 | 110,247 | 78,831 |
| Boots and shoes, and parts thereof | 53,683 | 79,477 | 41,902 | 56,300 | 81,075 | 42,440 |
| Hats and caps | 20,151 | 30,066 | 30,666 | 20,357 | 30,491 | 30,806 |
| Hosiery | 61,447 | 73,571 | 65,692 | 184,965 | 78,348 | 68,913 |
| Carpets, carpeting, and floorcloth | 17,326 | 22,686 | 13,798 | 17,333 | 22,479 | 12,946 |
| Textile piece-goods— | ||||||
| Cotton | 123,331 | 87,418 | 44,914 | 137,178 | 88,840 | 46,390 |
| Leather cloth | 11,365 | 12,837 | 12,617 | 11,548 | 13,127 | 12,843 |
| Silk, satin, and velvet | 13,183 | 17,439 | 14,129 | 13,471 | 17,762 | 14,826 |
| Sewing silks and cottons | 14,731 | 14,151 | 6,907 | 4,800 | 14,400 | 8,402 |
| Mineral oils— | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Benzine | 136,612 | 224,707 | 263,857 | 136,621 | 224,707 | 263,857 |
| Gasolene | 78,230 | 189,604 | 249,489 | 78,230 | 189,604 | 249,489 |
| Kerosene | 184,216 | 202,476 | 193,893 | 184,478 | 202,477 | 194,171 |
| Lubricating | 115,210 | 188,361 | 232,091 | 142,264 | 216,452 | 255,623 |
| Motor-spirit n.e.i. | 921,354 | 859,942 | 1,138,914 | 921,354 | 859,942 | 1,138,914 |
| Other | 6,451 | 24,585 | 160,386 | 9,264 | 26,404 | 162,013 |
| Vegetable oils | 31,602 | 46,241 | 40,792 | 37,001 | 48,912 | 41,952 |
| Paints and colours | 28,122 | 34,925 | 33,516 | 28,427 | 35,587 | 33,908 |
| Varnishes, lacquers, and goldsize | 10,996 | 10,647 | 8,793 | 11,108 | 10,710 | 8,968 |
| Hardware and ironmongery | 70,098 | 109,333 | 98,878 | 77,004 | 111,750 | 100,966 |
| Iron and steel tubes, pipes, and fittings | 11,189 | 10,276 | 19,159 | 11,723 | 10,963 | 19,346 |
| Lamps (not electric), lanterns, and lamp-wick | 10,126 | 11,152 | 15,374 | 10,192 | 11,437 | 15,531 |
| Meters | 19,604 | 25,463 | 27,994 | 20,050 | 25,903 | 30,245 |
| Nails | 23,753 | 25,643 | 12,933 | 23,772 | 25,822 | 13,039 |
| Railway and tramway plant | 38,751 | 24,108 | 21,985 | 38,751 | 24,108 | 22,059 |
| Telephones and accessories therefor | 19,594 | 35,903 | 21,326 | 19,367 | 43,827 | 21,890 |
| Tools, implements, &c. | 83,951 | 128,711 | 154,175 | 87,161 | 131,295 | 157,847 |
| Wire | 24,614 | 27,339 | 39,492 | 26,172 | 27,421 | 40,128 |
| Other metal manufactures | 134,769 | 180,392 | 201,383 | 142,150 | 186,996 | 207,390 |
| Agricultural implements, &c. | 20,402 | 57,952 | 75,884 | 20,672 | 58,213 | 76,824 |
| Cash registers | 24,172 | 18,545 | 15,306 | 24,172 | 18,545 | 15,415 |
| Dairying machinery | 10,665 | 11,583 | 7,554 | 10,694 | 11,734 | 7,617 |
| Dredging machinery | 49,346 | 3,804 | 11,138 | 49,621 | 3,804 | 11,159 |
| Electrical machinery | 219,044 | 310,175 | 390,855 | 230,757 | 320,098 | 397,455 |
| Gas and oil engines, including materials for and parts of | 9,916 | 22,208 | 35,814 | 10,016 | 24,509 | 36,501 |
| Mining machinery | 17,364 | 8,236 | 14,801 | 18,681 | 10,461 | 19,303 |
| Printing machinery | 45,787 | 64,244 | 52,544 | 46,451 | 68,199 | 55,783 |
| Sewing-machines | 8,799 | 10,998 | 12,276 | 15,182 | 22,111 | 16,609 |
| Tools—Engineers' and metal- and woodworkers', &c. | 35,904 | 32,653 | 22,425 | 37,568 | 34,507 | 25,802 |
| Typewriters | 16,283 | 28,416 | 30,598 | 19,572 | 34,515 | 33,460 |
| Other classes of machinery and machines | 92,587 | 116,932 | 249,392 | 97,383 | 124,993 | 271,772 |
| Belting, leather and other | 11,574 | 19,400 | 19,050 | 11,765 | 16,432 | 19,433 |
| Leather | 48,367 | 61,473 | 51,250 | 67,789 | 76,834 | 76,220 |
| Timber | 29,812 | 60,211 | 109,390 | 30,842 | 63,032 | 110,101 |
| Wood, cane, and wicker manufactures | 32,870 | 48,189 | 51,762 | 34,844 | 48,135 | 51,942 |
| Asphalt | 8,380 | 29,298 | 74,994 | 8,488 | 29,305 | 76,395 |
| Glass and glassware | 32,290 | 59,743 | 36,331 | 34,259 | 60,518 | 37,252 |
| Cardboard boxes, materials for | 21,359 | 36,244 | 26,411 | 22,864 | 36,696 | 26,539 |
| Books, papers, and music, printed | 31,966 | 42,133 | 46,754 | 36,459 | 46,085 | 50,257 |
| Fancy goods and toys | 25,428 | 32,885 | 28,830 | 26,863 | 33,119 | 29,840 |
| Timepieces | 27,091 | 42,648 | 30,740 | 28,372 | 43,141 | 30,823 |
| Cinematograph, bioscope, and kinetoscope films | 57,162 | 82,097 | 87,372 | 110,022 | 118,821 | 142,272 |
| Optical instruments | 11,120 | 15,188 | 15,677 | 12,168 | 15,915 | 16,421 |
| Photographic materials and goods | 8,370 | 12,487 | 15,716 | 12,001 | 14,211 | 16,659 |
| Surgical and dental instruments | 29,341 | 41,098 | 37,845 | 34,679 | 50,571 | 46,858 |
| Cream of tartar | 63,765 | 13,524 | 15,388 | 63,765 | 13,524 | 15,388 |
| Dyes | 8,288 | 7,651 | 5,829 | 12,821 | 7,991 | 6,219 |
| Medicinal preparations, drugs, and druggists' sundries | 38,157 | 39,364 | 38,223 | 48,214 | 44,682 | 41,919 |
| Perfumery | 31,622 | 36,085 | 31,376 | 33,020 | 36,768 | 32,959 |
| Sugar of milk | 12,074 | .. | .. | 12,074 | .. | .. |
| Sulphur | 32,912 | 25,177 | 33,360 | 32,912 | 25,177 | 33,360 |
| Manures | 21,466 | 9,288 | 57 | 21,466 | 9,288 | 57 |
| Arms, ammunition, and explosives | 10,559 | 34,002 | 28,152 | 10,612 | 34,068 | 28,583 |
| Musical instruments— | ||||||
| Pianos | 11,293 | 18,543 | 22,540 | 11,553 | 18,837 | 22,674 |
| Other | 15,226 | 43,749 | 50,572 | 22,364 | 50,768 | 53,499 |
| Soap | 15,404 | 19,702 | 10,845 | 15,498 | 19,788 | 11,326 |
| Vehicles— | ||||||
| Bicycles and materials for | 54,880 | 117,688 | 72,348 | 56,499 | 118,396 | 73,103 |
| Motors for road traffic and parts thereof | 565,274 | 1,258,569 | 1,500,557 | 576,259 | 1,200,062 | 1,509,194 |
| Hawaii. | ||||||
| Fruits, bottled and preserved | 3,936 | 4,447 | 1,557 | 3,936 | 4,447 | 1,557 |
| New Caledonia. | ||||||
| Guano | 10,387 | 18,902 | 21,599 | 10,387 | 18,902 | 21,599 |
| Society Islands. | ||||||
| Beeswax | 851 | 665 | 471 | 851 | 665 | 471 |
| Vanilla-beans | 2,468 | 5,378 | 5,539 | 2,479 | 5,378 | 5,539 |
| Tuamotu Archipelago. | ||||||
| Rock phosphates | 8,041 | 26,412 | 665 | 8,041 | 26,412 | 665 |
A small group of Pacific islands was annexed to the Dominion on the 11th June, 1901, and has since been administered as the “Cook and other Pacific islands.”
Trade with these islands from 1902 onwards has not been included in the export and import totals for the Dominion, but has been shown separately in official publications. The following table shows the growth of the import trade from the group in each year since 1902:—
| Imports. | |
|---|---|
| Year. | £ |
| 1902 | 32,163 |
| 1903 | 38,708 |
| 1904 | 45,517 |
| 1905 | 44,179 |
| 1906 | 63,477 |
| 1907 | 61,922 |
| 1908 | 67,483 |
| 1909 | 73,469 |
| 1910 | 90,039 |
| 1911 | 92,382 |
| 1912 | 105,943 |
| 1913 | 109,095 |
| 1914 | 94,620 |
| 1915 | 87,890 |
| 1916 | 63,702 |
| 1917 | 72,470 |
| 1918 | 70,374 |
| 1919 | 88,820 |
| 1920 | 105,146 |
| 1921 | 102,113 |
| 1922 | 131,639 |
| 1923 | 125,146 |
| 1924 | 149,676 |
The principal articles imported for the last five years are as follow:—
| Article. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruits, fresh— | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Bananas | 16,779 | 31,037 | 42,328 | 42,154 | 52,584 |
| Oranges | 58,550 | 35,141 | 52,494 | 57,419 | 66,130 |
| Tomatoes, plums, &c. | 13,666 | 15,359 | 12,520 | 8,750 | 9,542 |
| Other | 585 | 2,219 | 682 | 504 | 356 |
| Coconuts | 1,631 | 1,483 | 1,540 | 1,191 | 667 |
| Potatoes | 360 | 1,034 | 707 | 125 | 158 |
| Coffee, raw | 330 | 654 | 25 | 114 | .. |
| Copra | 8,518 | 10,512 | 14,912 | 11,950 | 16,469 |
| Hats and caps | 1,958 | 3,911 | 2,486 | 1,288 | 1,395 |
| Cinematograph-films | 290 | .. | 3,048 | 925 | 1,256 |
THE first Customs Ordinance in New Zealand was proclaimed in 1841. This Ordinance, which repealed the New South Wales Ordinance then in force in these Islands, was the first of two long series of enactments dealing with Customs law and the tariff of Customs duties.
The tariff of 1841 covered only a few items, and may be given in full as a type of all the early tariffs. It is noteworthy that, following the old mercantilist policy of colonial administration, preference was given to certain products of the Mother-land. The full schedule of duties was as follows:—
| £ | s. | d. | |
| Spirits or strong waters, not being the produce of the United Kingdom, of any British possession in America, or of New South Wales, or of Van Diemen's Land, per proof gallon | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Spirits or strong waters, the produce of the United Kingdom, of any British possession in America, or of New South Wales, or of Van Diemen's Land, per proof gallon | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Wine, for every hundred pounds' value | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco, unmanufactured, per pound | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Tobacco, manufactured, except cigars and snuff, per pound | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cigars and snuff, per pound | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tea, sugar, flour, meal, wheat, rice, and other grain and pulse, for every hundred pounds' value | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| On all other goods (except goods the produce and manufacture of the United Kingdom, or of New South Wales, or of Van Diemen's Land), for every hundred pounds' value | 10 | 0 | 0 |
In 1844 alterations were made in the direction of increasing most of the duties, while the preference to the United Kingdom was dropped. A very interesting item was the duty of 30 per cent. imposed “on all guns or weapons of any description, or gunpowder, or any munition of war,” evidently imposed to check the growing import of firearms for the Maoris. The rate of duty on all unspecified goods, except personal baggage, living animals, and specie, was 5 per cent.
In 1846 preference was again introduced by the imposition of a duty of 12 1/2 per cent. on all foreign unspecified goods, while similar British goods paid only 10 per cent. At the same time there appears the germ of the later free list, five items—glass bottles, bullion, live animals, books, and seeds and bulbs—being proclaimed free of duty.
The tariff of 1851 was the first elaborate scale of duties, and is noticeable for the liberal use of ad valorem duties, mainly at the rate of 10 per cent., though cottons, woollens, &c., were charged by the yard, calico by the bolt, and trousers by the pair.
The general tariff of 1864 comprised many items, but the duties were levied for revenue primarily; the rates were low, and were mostly specific duties, even drapery being charged at per cubic foot. Amendments of the tariff, mostly small and affecting only a few items, followed rapidly in 1866, 1867, 1871, 1873; but in 1878 some sweeping changes were made, particularly the reduction on sugar from 1d. per pound to 1/2d., and similar reductions on many foodstuffs, while tools were also made free of duty. Another Act in 1879 added a few dutiable articles—in this case, however, chargeable with ad valorem duty; and the Act of 1881 was similar. All these changes were revised and consolidated in the Customs Duties Consolidation Act, 1882, which also extended the range of the tariff a good deal. The tariff of 1888 was distinguished by a more liberal use of ad valorem duties, the most usual rate being 20 per cent., as against 10 par cent, in the earliest years, while a primage duty was also levied.
With the year 1895 the tariff took on its distinctive modern form, marked by the preponderance of ad valorem duties and a definitely protective intention. The scope of the tariff was greatly widened so as to enumerate in detail a number of new items, and there were many reductions, principally of the duties on foodstuffs such as dried fruits and cocoa.
The process of subdivision and protection then begun was continued in 1900, when further steps were taken in the direction of a free breakfast-table, and another notable remission was made, the duty on kerosene being abolished.
In 1907 the Customs tariff was completely revised and some important alterations were made. Among articles placed upon the free list were: Sugar, molasses and treacle, currants, raisins, figs, dates, prunes, unground spices, mustard, maizena, cornflour, almonds and nuts (except walnuts), carbonate and bicarbonate of soda, tartaric acid, infants' foods, forfar, dowlas and flax-sheeting, vegetable oils, fencing staples and standards, sheet lead; gas, electricity, and water meters; rubber and pneumatic tires for carriages. Children's boots (Nos. 0-6) and tea in bulk were admitted free if of British manufacture or growth.
Increased rates of ordinary duty were imposed on certain articles, among which were: Flavouring-essences n.o.e., medicinal preparations, drugs and druggists' sundries, candles, paraffin-wax, hosiery, cash-registers, cartridges (shot 10-24 bore), cartridge-cases, certain sizes of iron and fibre pipes, mouldings and panels.
Tea, the produce of British dominions, if in packages of 5 lb. in weight or over, was admitted free; when put up in packages under 5 lb. there was a duty of 2d. per pound. The duty on tea of foreign growth was 2d. per pound if in packages of 5 lb. or over, and 2/5d. per pound if in packages of a less weight than 5 lb.
The Customs Duties Amendment Act. 1909, imposed a surtax of 1 per cent. on the amount of duty payable on tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes, and of 2 1/2 per cent. on the amount of duty payable on all other dutiable goods. This surtax remained in operation until the 31st March, 1911.
In 1915 again changes were made in the rates of duty levied on certain articles, in order to meet the extraordinary expenses of the war. The duty was raised on spirits from 16s. to 17s. per gallon; gas and oil engines were made subject to 10 per cent., plus an additional preferential 10 per cent. if foreign, instead of being free and 20 per cent. preferential as before; electric motors, transformers, and lamps were charged 10 per cent. plus 10 per cent., instead of 10 per cent. plus 5 per cent.; and motor-cars were charged 10 per cent. plus 10 per cent. preferential surtax, whereas before the chassis was free and the body was liable to 20 per cent. duty. On the other hand, the 20 per cent. on bicycles was reduced to 10 per cent.
At the same time a primage duty of 1 per cent. was levied on all goods im ported, with the exception of a few small classes of exempted articles. In addition, power was taken to gazette at any time an extra surtax of 50 per cent. on any goods which might be specified, being the produce or manufacture of any country then (October, 1915) at war with His Majesty. Power was also taken to impose an excise duty on aerated waters, cordials, and other beverages, subject to a report by an officer of Customs to be appointed as a Commission to inquire into the advisability of controlling and regulating this manufacture. Increases were made in certain excise duties in 1915, and again in 1917.
In August, 1917, also, as part of the scheme of additional war taxation, further increases were made in the rates of duties to be levied on certain items of import. These increases were somewhat more accentuated in some cases by the Finance Act, 1917, which received the assent of the Governor-General on the 15th September of that year. The rates of duty as thus amended remained in force until the coming into operation of the 1921 tariff revision.
During the earlier months of 1921 a Tariff Revision Committee was set up by the Government for the purpose of taking evidence and revising the then existing tariff, which had been in force with little amendment since 1907. On the Committee's report the Government based a new tariff, including excise duties on beer and tobacco, and this was brought into immediate operation by resolutions of the Legislature on the 3rd November, 1921. The tariff was subsequently included in a Customs Amendment Act passed later in the year.
Briefly, the main objects of the revision were to secure a larger revenue to the Dominion and to give a measure of protection to local industries. In attaining the first-named object the endeavour was to avoid increases in the rates of duty on items that would directly affect the cost of living, and articles in the nature of luxuries were accordingly made subject to the heavier duties. Substantial increases, referred to below, were made in the excise duties on tobacco and beer.
The 1921 tariff was extended in detail to a greater extent than the repealed scale of duties, the number of items being increased from 483 to 566. An outstanding feature was the introduction of an intermediate tariff. Under the old conditions there were two scales—the general tariff on all dutiable goods and the additional preferential duties which were usually added to importations from foreign countries. Now there are three rates of duty—viz., “general,” “intermediate,” and “British preferential.” The general tariff, which applies to foreign goods, is in effect the general duty plus the preferential duty under the repealed legislation, while the British preferential tariff of 1921 corresponds to the general duty under the older scale. A common ad valorem rate of duty under the repealed tariff was— General, 20 per cent.; additional preferential, 10 per cent.; this had the effect of placing a duty of 20 per cent. on British goods and 30 per cent. on foreign. Under the 1921 tariff articles affected are usually dutiable at—General, 35 per cent.; British preferential, 20 per cent.: the effect being to leave the duty of 20 per cent. on British goods as formerly and to increase the rate on foreign importations from 30 per cent. to 35 per cent. The intermediate tariff is intended to apply to countries entering into reciprocal relations with New Zealand, and will allow of the Dominion's goods being accorded preferential treatment in other countries disposed to reciprocate.
A feature of the 1921 Customs legislation is the provision for the imposition of an extra rate of duty on goods from countries with a depreciated rate of exchange. This ranges from 2 1/2 to 20 per cent. ad valorem, according as to whether the depreciation at the date of exportation from the country of origin or intermediate country, as the case may be, is from 10 to 20 per cent. or from 80 to 90 per cent. A further noteworthy feature of the Customs Amendment Act, 1921, is a provision for a special dumping duty which may be imposed by the Minister of Customs on goods imported into New Zealand of a class or kind produced in New Zealand if the selling-price to an importer is less than the current domestic value of the goods and will have a prejudicial effect on an industry established in the Dominion. In such a case the special duty shall not exceed the difference between the actual selling-price and the current domestic value. No such dumping duty will, however, be levied where the imposition is not required in the public interest.
The rates of duty levied by the tariff now in force are divided into two classes, specific and ad valorem. In addition to these, the primage duty of 1 per cent. on the value of all imports (with a few exceptions) is retained. The specific class includes—Spirits, 36s. per gallon, which is double the rate previously in force; perfumed spirits, 70s. per gallon for British goods, and 90s. per gallon for foreign. Cigars, 12s. per pound; cigarettes under 2 1/2 lb. per 1,000, 25s. 6d.; tobacco, fine cut, 10s. per pound; also 2s. per pound on unmanufactured and 4s. 8d. per pound on manufactured tobacco. Wine, sparkling, pays 15s. per gallon; other kinds, 6s. Ale and beer are charged 2s. per gallon. The duty charged on cocoa, chocolate, chicory, and roasted coffee is 3d. per pound British, and 5d. foreign. The ad valorem duties range from 5 to 60 per cent., this latter figure being charged only on apparel made in a foreign country to the order of a resident of New Zealand. Motor vehicles and parts (including tires, which were formerly free) are dutiable under the British preferential tariff at 10 per cent., and under the general tariff are charged 25 per cent.; in addition, bodies are charged a further £5 to £22 10s. each.
Of the items dealt with in the tariff that which most nearly concerns the people as a whole is tea, a commodity which has fluctuated considerably in the tariff scale. Originally 5 per cent. ad valorem, the duty was raised in 1856 to 3d. per pound, two years later to 4d. per pound, and in 1864 to 6d. per pound. This rate remained till 1895, when the duty was reduced to 4d., followed in 1900 by a further reduction to 2d., British tea being in 1903 placed on the free list. In 1907 the charge of 2d. per pound was reimposed in the case of British tea put up in packages under 5 lb., and at the same time an additional preferential duty of 2d. per pound if in packages of 5 lb. or over, and 2/5d. per pound if in packages under 5 lb., was imposed on tea of foreign growth. Under the tariff of 1917 tea paid a general rate of 3d. per pound if in bulk and 5d. per pound if in packages under 5 lb., with an additional preferential duty of 2d. per pound for all foreign tea. These rates were virtually retained in the 1921 tariff, which provided for duties of 3d. and 5d. per pound on tea in bulk and in packages under 5 lb. in weight respectively if coming under the British preferential tariff, and a duty of 5d. and 7d. under the general tariff. In 1923, however, the 3d.-per-pound duty on bulk tea from British countries was abolished, and a reduction of 3d. per pound made in all other cases.
A few further amendments to the Customs tariff were made in 1923, the principal of which was the imposition (from the 17th July, 1923. to the 30th September, 1924) of a duty of 5/16 d. per pound on refined sugar of No. 22 colour or over, and on invert sugar and invert syrup, whether of British or of foreign origin. Under the 1921 tariff these items were admitted free if of British origin, but were charged 1/2d. per pound if of foreign origin. After the 30th September, 1924, they were to be free in all cases, but by the Customs Amendment Act, 1924, a duty of 1/4d. per lb. was imposed as from the 1st October, 1924. A reduction of 8d. per pound in the duty on cut and plug tobacco was also made in 1924, becoming effective from the 17th January, 1925.
Excise duties are collected on two classes of manufactures—viz., beer and tobacco and its preparations. The more important excise duty is that on beer, which up to 1915 was charged at the rate of 3d. per gallon. In that year the beer duty was altered so as to increase according to the specific gravity of the worts used, the rate being 3 3/4d. per gallon when the specific gravity does not exceed 1,047, and increasing by 1/16d. per gallon for every unit of specific gravity up to 1,055, and by 1/8d. thereafter. The specific gravity of distilled water at 60° F. is taken as 1,000, and the specific gravity of the worts is determined in relation thereto. On the 2nd August, 1917, the minimum rate of duty for beer was increased from 3 3/4d. to 4 3/4d. per gallon, and further (on the 15th September, 1917) to 5 3/4d., with a maximum of 6d. per gallon. The Finance Act, 1921 (No. 2), repealed the excise duties then in force, and substituted, as from the 4th November, 1921, a rate of 11 1/2d. per gallon where the specific gravity of the worts used does not exceed 1,047, and this is increased by 1/16d. for every unit of specific gravity above 1,047.
The excise duties on tobacco and the preparations thereof are second in importance. Cut tobacco is charged 2s. 4d. per pound; fine-cut tobacco suitable for the manufacture of cigarettes, 6s. 3d. per pound; other kinds, 1s. or 2s. 2d. per pound. These rates replaced (on the 4th November, 1921) the previous excise duty of 1s. per pound on tobacco. Under the Finance Act, 1917, cigars and snuff paid 4s. per pound, and the excise duty on cigarettes made in New Zealand was 5s. 6d. per pound on machine-made and 4s. per pound on hand-made cigarettes. These rates were not increased in 1921. All packages of manufactured tobacco must be labelled before leaving the manufactory, and it is necessary to obtain warrants to use cutting-machines for cutting duty-paid manufactured tobacco for sale (or to be used in the manufacture of cigarettes by hand) and to manufacture cigarettes by hand, under certain conditions.
Excise duties were formerly levied on certain manufactures the preparation of which involved the use of a considerable proportion of spirits. By the Customs Amendment Act, 1921, this practice no longer operates. In lieu of excise duty on the finished manufactured article, a special reduced schedule of duties is provided on alcohol imported for use in warehouses manufacturing these articles. In practice this means that alcohol used in manufacturing processes in New Zealand pays duties at the usual rate, and receives, on proof of use in the preparation of the specified articles, a refund of duty to the reduced rates payable. These rates are as follows: On alcohol used in the manufacture of perfumed spirits, 36s. per gallon; toilet preparations, 30s.; culinary and flavouring essences, 16s.; medicinal preparations containing more than 50 per cent. of proof spirit, 4s. 6d. per gallon; and in similar preparations containing less than 50 per cent. the alcohol used is duty-free.
In 1856 the first Gold Duty Act was passed, empowering the collection of an export duty on gold at the rate of 2s. 6d. per ounce. This rate was amended by various Acts; but in 1890 the Gold Duty Abolition Act was passed, and a system of rating in mining districts was substituted for the export duty as far as the South Island was concerned. The Gold Duty Act, 1908, consolidated and repealed all previous enactments. An export duty was also imposed on timber (white-pine and kauri) by Acts of 1901 and 1903, and still operates. The rate is 3s. per 100 superficial feet for flitches, and 5s. per 100 superficial feet for logs.
In the earlier years of New Zealand's history the revenue derived from Customs and excise duties produced a greater proportion of the revenue than it does to-day. There has been a constant tendency for this proportion to decrease, and the table given below will show that, even in the last twenty years, this tendency has been very noticeable.
| Year ending 31st March. | Total Revenue. | Total Taxation. | Customs and Excise Duties. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount. | Percentage of Total Revenue. | Percentage of Total Taxation. | |||
* Figures for these years include taxation paid into Main Highways Account Revenue Fund. (See letter-press.) | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1906 | 7,650,098 | 3,841,596 | 2,795,546 | 36.54 | 72.77 |
| 1907 | 8,478,957 | 4,264,555 | 3,048,622 | 35.96 | 71.49 |
| 1908 | 9,063,989 | 4,645,754 | 3,217,538 | 35.50 | 69.26 |
| 1909 | 9,001,185 | 4,377,761 | 2,917,462 | 32.41 | 66.64 |
| 1910 | 9,238,917 | 4,180,516 | 2,786,490 | 30.16 | 65.63 |
| 1911 | 10,297,273 | 4,837,322 | 3,145,929 | 30.55 | 65.03 |
| 1912 | 11,061,161 | 5,296,590 | 3,398,143 | 30.72 | 64.16 |
| 1913 | 11,734,276 | 5,600,829 | 3,531,761 | 30.10 | 62.99 |
| 1914 | 12,229,661 | 5,918,034 | 3,553,785 | 29.06 | 60.05 |
| 1915 | 12,451,945 | 5,880,811 | 3,294,943 | 26.40 | 56.03 |
| 1916 | 14,507,530 | 7,266,966 | 3,524,063 | 24.29 | 48.49 |
| 1917 | 18,355,194 | 10,549,654 | 4,037,628 | 22.00 | 38.27 |
| 1918 | 20,206,222 | 12,340,853 | 3,601,383 | 17.82 | 29.18 |
| 1919 | 22,352,372 | 13,801,643 | 4,104,016 | 18.37 | 29.74 |
| 1920 | 26,081,340 | 16,251,769 | 5,185,728 | 19.08 | 31.91 |
| 1921 | 34,260,961 | 22,184,414 | 8,769,251 | 25.60 | 39.53 |
| 1922 | 28,127,007 | 16,370,516 | 5,554,334 | 19.75 | 33.93 |
| 1923* | 27,700,535 | 15,715,380 | 6,765,512 | 24.42 | 43.05 |
| 1924* | 28,083,938 | 16,540,438 | 7,993,877 | 28.46 | 48.33 |
| 1925* | 29,022,303 | 16,549,609 | 8,339,576 | 28.74 | 50.39 |
To enable a proper comparison to be made with former years, the figures of total revenue, total taxation, and Customs and excise duties from 1022-23 onwards are inclusive of tire-tax, which is paid into the Main Highways Account Revenue Fund. For 1924-25 the figures for total revenue and total taxation are inclusive of receipts from license fees under the Motor-vehicles Act, which are also paid into the Main Highways Account Revenue Fund.
In the foregoing table the financial year has been taken for purposes of comparison with total revenue and total taxation, figures concerning which are not available for calendar years. In subsequent tables the Customs-taxation figures relate to the calendar year, which is the statistical year for trade purposes. Though the Customs revenue has increased greatly, the table shows that until recently other forms of taxation and other sources of revenue had increased still faster, so that the proportion of taxation and of revenue furnished by the Customs duties has decreased considerably over the period. This relative decrease has been due in part to the extension of the governmental services in the Dominion increasing the revenue apart from taxation, to the greater use of direct taxation, and to the remissions and reductions of duty which have been made from time to time. These reductions have been mainly in foodstuffs, so that the tariff has tended towards the ideal of a free breakfast-table. War conditions necessitated in 1917 a partial reversal of this principle, whereby non-alcoholic beverages again became the subject of taxation, and the rates of duty then imposed mainly remained unaltered in the 1921 tariff. The 1923 reduction in the case of tea has been already referred to.
The tables hereunder show the amounts and percentages collected at intervals of five years, 1891-1911, and in each of the last ten years, in respect of (1) foods and nonalcoholic drinks, (2) clothing and textiles, (3) alcoholic drinks and tobacco, and (4) all other articles. Excise duties on alcoholic liquors, tobacco, &c., are not included, nor are surtax and primage for the years during which these duties have been in force.
| Year | Amount of Duty derived from | Total. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foods and Nonalcoholic Drinks. | Clothing and Textiles. | Alcoholic Drinks and Tobacco. | All other Articles. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1891 | 312,809 | 276,072 | 651,680 | 320,141 | 1,560,702 |
| 1896 | 329,622 | 322,947 | 715,019 | 400,264 | 1,767,852 |
| 1901 | 321,625 | 434,112 | 928,176 | 512,853 | 2,196,766 |
| 1906 | 369,964 | 610,873 | 1,130,837 | 787,429 | 2,899,103 |
| 1911 | 147,456 | 682,710 | 1,286,601 | 1,048,890 | 3,165,657 |
| 1915 | 155,292 | 727,869 | 1,515,903 | 745,264 | 3,144,328 |
| 1916 | 170,009 | 985,335 | 1,390,322 | 1,036,227 | 3,581,893 |
| 1917 | 174,430 | 794,443 | 1,397,267 | 805,400 | 3,171,540 |
| 1918 | 278,939 | 935,203 | 1,342,443 | 801,953 | 3,358,538 |
| 1919 | 248,762 | 1,097,463 | 1,629,680 | 1,245,157 | 4,221,062 |
| 1920 | 438,740 | 2,432,704 | 2,084,196 | 2,424,045 | 7,379,685 |
| 1921 | 237,878 | 1,297,121 | 1,930,898 | 1,826,357 | 5,292,254 |
| 1922 | 287,276 | 1,354,718 | 1,857,586 | 1,624,380 | 5,123,960 |
| 1923 | 250,906 | 1,840,273 | 2,368,042 | 2,402,869 | 6,862,090 |
| 1924 | 291,781 | 1,655,180 | 2,485,227 | 2,608,310 | 7,040,498 |
| Year. | Percentage of Total Duty collected on | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foods and Non-alcoholic Drinks. | Clothing and Textiles. | Alcoholic Drinks and Tobacco. | All other Articles. | |
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1891 | 20.05 | 17.69 | 41.75 | 20.51 |
| 1896 | 18.64 | 18.27 | 40.45 | 22.64 |
| 1901 | 14.64 | 19.76 | 42.25 | 23.35 |
| 1906 | 12.76 | 21.07 | 39.01 | 27.16 |
| 1911 | 4.66 | 21.57 | 40.64 | 33.13 |
| 1915 | 4.94 | 23.15 | 48.21 | 23.70 |
| 1916 | 4.75 | 27.51 | 38.81 | 28.93 |
| 1917 | 5.50 | 25.05 | 44.06 | 25.39 |
| 1918 | 8.31 | 27.84 | 39.97 | 23.88 |
| 1919 | 5.89 | 26.00 | 38.61 | 29.50 |
| 1920 | 5.95 | 32.96 | 28.24 | 32.85 |
| 1921 | 4.49 | 24.51 | 36.49 | 34.51 |
| 1922 | 5.60 | 26.44 | 36.26 | 31.70 |
| 1923 | 3.65 | 26.82 | 34.51 | 35.02 |
| 1924 | 4.14 | 23.51 | 35.30 | 37.05 |
The Customs and excise duties received during the last five years are shown in more detail in the table given below, which also shows the rate of revenue per head of mean population for each year considered.
| — | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Minus quantity. | |||||
| Customs Duties. | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Spirits | 861,943 | 914,596 | 646,556 | 1,073,826 | 1,127,434 |
| Wine | 56,080 | 56,023 | 23,651 | 38,436 | 48,935 |
| Ale, beer, &c. | 5,593 | 3,785 | 1,936 | 4,008 | 5,054 |
| Cigars, cigarettes, and snuff | 600,685 | 461,148 | 466,356 | 519,770 | 586,686 |
| Tobacco | 554,704 | 493,039 | 714,974 | 726,615 | 709,928 |
| Coffee, cocoa, &c. | 15,455 | 3,300 | 7,755 | 7,291 | 8,315 |
| Tea | 138,829 | 107,135 | 121,406 | 53,758 | 4,543 |
| Other goods by weight | 264,062 | 161,000 | 156,904 | 169,363 | 231,136 |
| Other goods ad valorem | 4,707,362 | 2,944,066 | 2,826,931 | 3,892,992 | 3,962,186 |
| Other duties | 174,972 | 148,162 | 133,105 | 278,915 | 342,834 |
| Primage | 573,792 | 372,684 | 307,442 | 410,685 | 440,449 |
| Depreciated-currency duty | .. | 6,777 | 24,386 | 11,402 | 13,447 |
| Totals, Customs duties | 7,953,477 | 5,671,715 | 5,431,402 | 7,187,061 | 7,480,947 |
| Excise Duties. | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Tinctures—New Zealand | 18,793 | 14,581 | -17* | .. | .. |
| Cigars, cigarettes, and snuff—New-Zealand-manufactured | 59,319 | 41,308 | 66,508 | 76,931 | 76,640 |
| Tobacco—New-Zealand-manufactured | 1,753 | 1,355 | 8,802 | 8,783 | 11,534 |
| Beer—New Zealand | 363,597 | 393,953 | 604,612 | 626,020 | 651,201 |
| Totals, excise duties | 443,462 | 451,197 | 679,905 | 711,734 | 739,375 |
| .. | £ s. d. | £ s. d. | £ s. d. | £ s. d. | £ s. d. |
| Revenue from Customs duties per head of mean population | 6 8 0 | 4 8 10 | 4 3 2 | 5 8 3 | 5 10 7 |
| Revenue from excise duties per head of mean population | 0 7 2 | 0 7 1 | 0 10 5 | 0 10 8 | 0 10 11 |
The following table furnishes a general view of the ratio of Customs revenue to imports since 1895, which is taken as the base year:—
| Year. | Imports. | Revenue. | Percentage of Revenue on Total Imports. | Index Numbers of Customs Revenue compared with Imports. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value. | Value per Head. | Amount. | Actual Value per Head. | Value per Head at 1895 Ratio. | |||||||||
| £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | Per Cent. | ||
| 1895 | 6,400,129 | 8 | 14 | 3 | 1,619,970 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 25.31 | 1000 |
| 1896 | 7,137,320 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 1,765,073 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 24.73 | 977 |
| 1897 | 8,055,223 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 1,912,161 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 23.74 | 938 |
| 1898 | 8,230,600 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 1,961,726 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 23.83 | 942 |
| 1899 | 8,739,633 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 2,042,002 | 2 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 15 | 11 | 23.36 | 923 |
| 1900 | 10,646,096 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 2,170,354 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 20.39 | 805 |
| 1901 | 11,817,915 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 2,191,798 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 18.55 | 733 |
| 1902 | 11,326,723 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 2,285,043 | 2 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 20.17 | 797 |
| 1903 | 12,788,675 | 14 | 16 | 3 | 2,501,896 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 19.56 | 773 |
| 1904 | 13,291,694 | 14 | 19 | 3 | 2,650,189 | 2 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 8 | 19.94 | 788 |
| 1905 | 12,828,857 | 14 | 0 | 11 | 2,652,666 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 20.68 | 817 |
| 1906 | 15,211,403 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 2,899,103 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 19.06 | 753 |
| 1907 | 17,302,861 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 3,079,422 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 17.80 | 703 |
| 1908 | 17,471,284 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 2,903,086 | 2 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 16.62 | 656 |
| 1909 | 15,674,719 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 2,653,617 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 8 | 16.93 | 669 |
| 1910 | 17,051,583 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 2,954,989 | 2 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 17.33 | 685 |
| 1911 | 19,545,879 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 3,165,657 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 16.20 | 640 |
| 1912 | 20,976,574 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 3,335,719 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 5 | 15.90 | 628 |
| 1913 | 22,288,302 | 19 | 18 | 6 | 3,425,426 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 15.37 | 607 |
| 1914 | 21,856,096 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 3,354,616 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 15.35 | 606 |
| 1915 | 21,728,834 | 18 | 18 | 1 | 3,190,883 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 7 | 14.68 | 580 |
| 1916 | 26,339,283 | 22 | 18 | 4 | 3,823,011 | 3 | 6 | e | 5 | 17 | 4 | 14.51 | 573 |
| 1917 | 20,919,265 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 3,368,403 | 2 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 16.10 | 636 |
| 1918 | 24,234,007 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 3,586,164 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 14.79 | 584 |
| 1919 | 30,671,698 | 25 | 14 | 4 | 4,502,354 | 3 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 14.06 | 556 |
| 1920 | 61,595,828 | 49 | 11 | 6 | 7,953,477 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 12.91 | 510 |
| 1921 | 42,942,443 | 33 | 12 | 8 | 5,671,715 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 13.28 | 522 |
| 1922 | 35,012,561 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 5,431,402 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 15.51 | 613 |
| 1923 | 43,378,493 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 7,187,061 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 9 | 16.56 | 654 |
| 1924 | 48,527,603 | 35 | 17 | 6 | 7,480,947 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 15.41 | 608 |
With regard to the foregoing table, it may be explained that the figures given in the column “Value per head at 1895 ratio” indicate the amount of revenue per head of population which would have been obtained had the same high ratio of Customs taxation been levied as prevailed in 1895. The last two columns in the table show clearly the substantial decline in the proportion which the Customs revenue bears to the value of the imports, and demonstrate that the increase, both total and per capita, in the Customs revenue is not due to heavier imposts, but has actually been achieved in spite of very considerable reductions in the scale of duties. In 1895 the proportion of revenue to the total imports was one-fourth; in 1924 it was less than one-sixth.
In the following table the Customs revenue collected in 1924 over each class of the statistical classification is given, together with the percentage of revenue to imports in each case:—
| Class. | Articles. | Total Imports by Country of Origin. | Customs Duty collected (excluding Primage Duty). | Percentage of Customs Duty to Imports. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |||
| I | Foodstuffs of animal origin (excluding live animals) | 331,945 | 59,070 | 17.80 |
| II | Foodstuffs of vegetable origin, and common salt | 4,847,464 | 215,317 | 4.44 |
| III | Beverages (non-alcoholic) and substances used in making up the same | 1,061,705 | 17,394 | 1.64 |
| IV | Spirits and alcoholic liquors | 955,482 | 1,188,613 | 124.40 |
| V | Tobacco and preparations thereof | 1,648,523 | 1,296,614 | 78.65 |
| VI | Live animals | 65,281 | 14 | 0.02 |
| VII | Animal substances (mainly unmanufactured), not being foodstuffs | 24,415 | 1,395 | 5.71 |
| VIII | Vegetable substances and non-manufactured fibres | 679,236 | 20,180 | 4.30 |
| IXA | Apparel | 4,405,175 | 1,076,863 | 24.45 |
| IXB | Textiles | 5,611,355 | 578,317 | 10.31 |
| IXC | Manufactured fibres | 525,149 | 12,048 | 2.29 |
| X | Oils, fats, and waxes | 3,263,091 | 89,892 | 2.75 |
| XI | Paints and varnishes | 380,871 | 47,224 | 12.40 |
| XII | Stones and minerals used industrially | 823,379 | 4,020 | 0.49 |
| XIII | Specie | .. | .. | .. |
| XIVA | Metal, unmanufactured, partially manufactured, and ores | 605,173 | 415 | 0.07 |
| XIVB | Metal manufactures, other than machines and machinery | 5,456,349 | 377,320 | 6.91 |
| XV | Machines and machinery | 3,967,237 | 225,215 | 5.68 |
| XVIA | Indiarubber and manufactures thereof (not including tires) | 85,143 | 1,916 | 2.25 |
| XVIB | Leather and manufactures thereof (including substitutes) | 526,386 | 50,748 | 9.64 |
| XVIIA | Timber | 1,043,829 | 21,825 | 2.09 |
| XVIIB | Wood, cane, and wicker manufactures | 243,086 | 42,734 | 17.58 |
| XVIII | Earthenware, china, glass, stoneware, cements, and cement materials | 940,182 | 127,465 | 13.56 |
| XIXA | Paper | 1,038,851 | 24,388 | 2.34 |
| XIXB | Stationery | 869,494 | 82,298 | 9.47 |
| XX | Jewellery, timepieces, and fancy goods | 794,500 | 180,092 | 22.67 |
| XXI | Optical, surgical, and scientific instruments | 472,515 | 32,540 | 6.89 |
| XXIIA | Drugs, chemicals, and druggists' wares | 1,145,354 | 126,170 | 11.02 |
| XXIIB | Manures | 334,673 | .. | .. |
| XXIII | Miscellaneous | 6,381,760 | 1,131,409 | 17.73 |
| Totals | 48,527,603 | 7,040,498 | 14.51 |
Nearly one-fifth of the Customs revenue collected during 1924 was derived from tobacco, which was also the chief source of revenue in 1918, 1919, 1922, and 1923. Up to 1917, however, and also in 1921, spirits and alcoholic liquors proved the most productive class. These two classes together provided a little more than one-third of the total revenue in 1924.
The next table gives the imports of free and dutiable goods arranged according to the statistical classification. The main features of the table are the overwhelming proportion of dutiable goods in the classes covering beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), tobacco, foodstuffs of animal origin, paints and varnishes, and apparel, and the high proportion of free goods in stones and minerals (mainly coal), specie, raw metals, paper, oils, fats, and waxes, and manures.
| No. | Class. | Value of Imports. | Percentage of Total. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free. | Dutiable. | Total. | Free. | Dutiable. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| I | Foodstuffs of animal origin (excluding live animals) | 18,043 | 313,902 | 331,945 | 5.43 | 94.57 |
| II | Foodstuffs of vegetable origin, and common salt | 3,684,733 | 1,162,731 | 4,847,464 | 76.01 | 23.99 |
| III | Beverages (non-alcoholic) and substances used in making the same | 72,111 | 989,594 | 1,061,705 | 6.79 | 93.21 |
| IV | Spirits and alcoholic liquors | 134 | 955,318 | 955,482 | 0.01 | 99.99 |
| V | Tobacco and preparations thereof | .. | 1,648,523 | 1,648,523 | .. | 100.00 |
| VI | Live animals | 42,637 | 22,644 | 65,281 | 65.31 | 34.69 |
| VII | Animal substances (mainly unmanufactured), not being foodstuffs | 18,603 | 5,812 | 24,415 | 76.19 | 23.81 |
| VIII | Vegetable substances and non-manufactured fibres | 539,145 | 140,091 | 679,236 | 79.37 | 20.63 |
| IXA | Apparel | 432,847 | 3,972,328 | 4,405,175 | 9.82 | 90.18 |
| IXB | Textiles | 2,520,966 | 3,090,389 | 5,611,355 | 44.75 | 55.25 |
| IXC | Manufactured fibres | 465,145 | 60,004 | 525,149 | 88.57 | 11.43 |
| X | Oils, fats, and waxes | 2,858,153 | 404,938 | 3,263,091 | 87.59 | 12.41 |
| XI | Paints and varnishes | 56,901 | 323,970 | 380,871 | 14.96 | 85.04 |
| XII | Stones and minerals used industrially | 806,740 | 16,639 | 823,379 | 97.98 | 2.02 |
| XIII | Specie | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| XIVA | Metal, unmanufactured, partially manufactured, and ores | 590,549 | 14,624 | 605,173 | 97.51 | 2.49 |
| XIVB | Metal manufactures other than machinery and machines | 3,465,287 | 1,991,062 | 5,456,349 | 63.51 | 36.49 |
| XV | Machinery and machines | 2,474,118 | 1,493,119 | 3,967,237 | 67.63 | 32.37 |
| XVIA | Indiarubber and manufactures thereof (not including tires) | 74,670 | 10,473 | 85,143 | 88.30 | 11.70 |
| XVIB | Leather and manufactures thereof (including substitutes) | 212,427 | 313,959 | 526,386 | 40.30 | 59.70 |
| XVIIA | Timber | 812,649 | 231,180 | 1,043,829 | 77.87 | 22.13 |
| XVIIB | Wood, cane, and wicker manufactures | 70,351 | 172,735 | 243,086 | 28.80 | 71.20 |
| XVIII | Earthenware, china, glass, stoneware, cements, and cement materials | 376,722 | 563,460 | 940,182 | 40.11 | 59.89 |
| XIXA | Paper | 918,706 | 120,145 | 1,038,851 | 88.43 | 11.57 |
| XIXB | Stationery | 546,147 | 323,347 | 869,494 | 62.83 | 37.17 |
| XX | Jewellery, timepieces, and fancy goods | 69,048 | 725,452 | 794,500 | 8.68 | 91.32 |
| XXI | Optical, surgical, and scientific instruments | 225,913 | 246,602 | 472,515 | 47.78 | 52.22 |
| XXIIA | Drugs, chemicals, and druggists' wares | 631,153 | 514,201 | 1,145,354 | 55.11 | 44.89 |
| XXIIB | Manures | 334,673 | .. | 334,673 | 100.00 | .. |
| XXIII | Miscellaneous | 646,346 | 5,735,414 | 6,381,760 | 10.12 | 89.88 |
| Totals | 22,964,917 | 25,562,686 | 48,527,603 | 47.32 | 52.68 | |
On the average slightly less than half the imports into New Zealand are duty-free, while the value of goods which are liable to specific duties is about one-eighth. The most usual ad valorem rate during the period covered by the table has been 20 per cent., followed by 25 per cent. Imports at the 30-per-cent. rate, which formerly occupied third position, have sunk to insignificant proportions under the 1921 tariff, while an entirely new rate, 35 per cent., has come into prominence.
| Nature of Duty. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Minus quantity. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Free (excluding specie) | 29,915,638 | 23,901,688 | 17,181,779 | 19,585,541 | 22,964,917 |
| Specific duties | 10,747,659 | 5,393,749 | 4,397,812 | 5,421,688 | 6,081,249 |
| Ad valorem duties— | |||||
| 5 per cent. | 101,342 | 228,841 | 5,862 | 6,364 | 7,218 |
| 10 “ | 1,735,099 | 1,245,999 | 1,502,501 | 3,541,482 | 4,863,506 |
| 14 11/20 “ | .. | .. | 43 | .. | .. |
| 15 “ | 1,015,283 | 311,761 | 1,437,818 | 927,219 | 1,001,331 |
| 19 2/5 “ | 1,321 | .. | 108 | 2,776 | 464 |
| 20 “ | 10,887,642 | 7,251,414 | 4,707,786 | 5,912,756 | 5,818,215 |
| 22 1/2 “ | 139,159 | 93,054 | .. | .. | .. |
| 24 “ | 67,946 | 17,808 | .. | .. | .. |
| 24 1/4 “ | 2,152 | .. | 465 | 1,016 | 946 |
| 24 1/2 “ | .. | .. | .. | .. | 483 |
| 25 “ | 4,258,634 | 2,491,517 | 3,691,131 | 5,838,540 | 5,570,828 |
| 30 “ | 2,790,248 | 1,701,332 | 88,040 | 111,778 | 161,691 |
| 33 “ | .. | .. | 115 | .. | .. |
| 33 3/4 “ | 19,180 | 6,844 | .. | .. | .. |
| 35 “ | .. | .. | 1,115,020 | 1,320,270 | 1,438,125 |
| 37 1/2 | 920,480 | 403,019 | .. | .. | .. |
| 40 “ | 4,610 | 3,191 | 574,674 | 530,150 | 482,934 |
| 45 “ | .. | .. | 121,121 | 161,680 | 132,276 |
| 50 “ | .. | .. | 1,860 | 2,670 | 3,404 |
| 60 “ | 211 | 99 | -18* | 10 | 16 |
| Totals, ad valorem | 21,943,307 | 13,754,879 | 13,246,483 | 18,356,754 | 19,481,437 |
| Specie | 41,975 | 198,321 | 186,487 | 14,510 | .. |
| Grand totals of imports | 61,595,828 | 42,942,443 | 35,012,561 | 43,378,493 | 48,527,603 |
Prior to 1922 the value of boots imported was included under both specific and ad valorem duties: 1920, £1,052,751; 1921, £306,194.
The table following shows for the years immediately preceding and following the general tariff revisions of 1895 and 1907, and for 1924, the value of free and dutiable imports, the percentage admitted free of duty, and the duty per cent. on dutiable imports and on all merchandise imported:—
| — | 1894. | 1896. | 1906. | 1908. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including excise duties levied on certain imports manufactured in bond. | |||||
| Merchandise— | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Free | 1,871,772 | 2,263,091 | 5,476,949 | 8,658,111 | 22,964,917 |
| Dutiable | 4,118,405 | 4,772,288 | 8,826,221 | 8,589,051 | 25,562,686 |
| Imports (less specie) | 5,990,177 | 7,035,379 | 14,303,170 | 17,247,162 | 48,527,603 |
| Percentage of free merchandise | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. |
| 31.25 | 32.17 | 38.29 | 50.20 | 47.32 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Total net duty received* | 1,572,467 | 1,767,852 | 2,903,131 | 2,907,151 | 7,569,121 |
| Duty per cent. of imports— | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. |
| (a.) On dutiable imports | 38.18 | 37.04 | 32.89 | 33.85 | 29.61 |
| (b.) On all merchandise | 26.25 | 25.13 | 20.30 | 16.86 | 15.59 |
It is seen that the percentage of merchandise imported free of duty in 1924 was 47, as compared with a percentage of 50 in the year after the tariff revision of 1907. The average rate of duty levied, whether taken as a percentage of all imports or of dutiable goods only, was less in 1924 than in any of the other years shown.
Preference to British countries in respect of certain commodities was provided for in the earliest tariff in force in New Zealand—that introduced in 1841. The amended tariff of 1844 involved the dropping of this preference to British goods, but two years later preference was again introduced.
The first definite attempt at reciprocity was made in 1870, when the Colonial Reciprocity Act gave power to the Government to make reciprocal agreements with the Australian States, including Tasmania; but this Act failed to receive the Royal assent and consequently lapsed.
In 1895, however, the Customs Duties Reciprocity Act received the Royal assent, and ratified an agreement which had been tentatively proposed with South Australia, besides giving power to the Government to make further agreements with the other Australian States. In 1907 the Now Zealand and South African Customs Treaty was negotiated. A tariff agreement with the Australian Commonwealth has been in operation since the 1st September, 1922, and is referred to more particularly below.
Imperial preference proper was introduced in New Zealand by the Preferential and Reciprocal Trade Act, 1903, which followed the lead given by Canada. At first only a few items were covered by the extra duties levied upon goods of foreign origin, but the Tariff Act of 1907 extended this additional preferential duty to a great number of items.
By regulations dated the 4th December, 1922, the following are stated to be the classes of goods which shall be deemed for the purposes of the Customs Amendment Act, 1921, to be the produce or manufacture of countries the produce or manufactures of which are entitled to be entered for duty under the British preferential tariff:—
Goods wholly the produce of such countries:
Goods wholly manufactured within such countries from materials produced in such countries:
Goods wholly manufactured within such countries in which all manufacturing processes are performed in such countries from manufactured raw material not produced in such countries:
Goods partially produced or partially manufactured in such countries, provided that the final process or processes of manufacture have been performed in such countries, and also that the expenditure in material produced in such countries and (or) labour performed within such countries in each and every article is not less than one-fourth of the factory or works cost of such article in its finished state.
An important alteration in respect to class (d) is to come into force from the 1st January, 1926, after which date a minimum of three-fourths (instead of the present minimum of one-fourth) of the expenditure must have been within a British country. The new provisions were originally intended to operate from the 1st April, 1925, but the date was postponed to the 1st October, 1925, and later to the 1st January, 1926. Until the 1st April, 1926, iron, steel, and paper made in British countries from raw material of foreign origin will be treated as British manufactures.
In the calculation of the proportion of produce or labour none of the following items shall be included or considered:—
Manufacturer's profit, or the profit or remuneration of any trader, agent, broker, or other person dealing in the article in its finished condition;
Royalties;
The cost of outside packages or any cost of packing the goods thereinto;
Any cost of conveying, insuring, or shipping the goods subsequent to their manufacture.
The following table shows the extent of the imports which are affected by preference, by giving the percentage of the total imports and of foreign imports so affected. It will be seen that the proportions have increased generally after the tariff changes of 1907, 1917, and 1921.
| Year. | Value of Imports. | Imports on which Surtax was paid. | Percentage of | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total. | British Empire. | Foreign Countries. | Total Imports. | Foreign Imports. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1905 | 12,828,857 | 10,709,642 | 2,119,215 | 599,764 | 4.68 | 28.30 |
| 1906 | 15,211,403 | 12,890,016 | 2,321,387 | 620,600 | 4.08 | 26.73 |
| 1907 | 17,302,861 | 14,942,183 | 2,360,678 | 658,027 | 3.98 | 27.87 |
| 1908 | 17,471,284 | 14,780,276 | 2,691,008 | 895,007 | 5.12 | 33.26 |
| 1909 | 15,674,719 | 13,554,962 | 2,119,757 | 842,407 | 5.37 | 39.74 |
| 1910 | 17,051,583 | 14,465,824 | 2,585,759 | 1,000,267 | 5.87 | 38.68 |
| 1911 | 19,545,879 | 16,497,340 | 3,048,539 | 1,159,342 | 5.93 | 38.03 |
| 1912 | 20,976,574 | 17,073,272 | 3,903,302 | 1,337,182 | 6.37 | 34.26 |
| 1913 | 22,288,302 | 18,348,249 | 3,940,053 | 1,325,057 | 5.95 | 33.63 |
| 1914 | 21,856,096 | 17,649,784 | 4,206,312 | 1,228,207 | 5.62 | 29.20 |
| 1915 | 21,728,834 | 17,727,137 | 4,001,697 | 1,321,853 | 6.08 | 33.03 |
| 1916 | 26,339,283 | 20,833,461 | 5,505,822 | 2,071,175 | 7.86 | 37.62 |
| 1917 | 20,919,265 | 15,591,308 | 5,327,957 | 2,251,428 | 10.77 | 42.26 |
| 1918 | 24,234,007 | 16,017,554 | 8,216,453 | 3,457,004 | 14.27 | 42.07 |
| 1919 | 30,671,698 | 19,519,619 | 11,152,079 | 4,794,249 | 15.63 | 42.99 |
| 1920 | 61,595,828 | 43,861,299 | 17,734,529 | 7,610,756 | 12.35 | 42.91 |
| 1921 | 42,942,443 | 31,160,299 | 11,782,144 | 4,122,296 | 9.59 | 34.99 |
| 1922 | 35,012,561 | 26,005,352 | 9,007,209 | 4,902,508 | 14.00 | 54.42 |
| 1923 | 43,378,493 | 31,866,993 | 11,511,500 | 6,465,171 | 14.90 | 56.16 |
| 1924 | 48,527,603 | 35,830,909 | 12,696,694 | 6,766,358 | 13.94 | 53.29 |
The system of recording imports was changed in 1914, and for that and subsequent years statistics are available of the countries of origin as well as the countries of shipment. In the table above, the imports credited to any country prior to 1914 were those shipped to New Zealand from that country, but for 1914 and later years the figures relate to country of origin.
For the purpose of studying better the scope and effect of the preferential surtax, imports for the last three years have been classified in the next table into four groups, viz.:—
Goods duty-free, whether of British or of foreign origin:
Goods duty-free if of British origin, but dutiable if of foreign origin:
Goods dutiable and with same rates of duty whether of British or of foreign origin:
Goods dutiable but with additional preferential duty when of foreign origin.
| — | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British. | Foreign. | British. | Foreign. | British. | Foreign. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Free in any case | 6,146,657 | 3,631,713 | 6,021,104 | 4,465,008 | 7,754,667 | 5,170,383 |
| Free when of British origin, but dutiable when of foreign origin | 7,589,636 | 1,215,220 | 9,113,939 | 1,652,012 | 10,039,867 | 1,796,228 |
| Dutiable with same rates whether of British or foreign origin | 2,041,635 | 472,988 | 2,465,168 | 581,032 | 2,639,540 | 759,938 |
| Dutiable with a higher rate of duty when of foreign origin | 10,227,374 | 3,687,288 | 14,266,782 | 4,813,448 | 15,396,850 | 4,970,130 |
| Totals | 26,005,352 | 9,007,209 | 31,866,993 | 11,511,500 | 35,830,921 | 12,696,679 |
The foregoing illustrates strikingly the effect of the preferential treatment granted under the 1921 tariff to goods of British origin, and in particular the extent to which goods formerly admitted free, irrespective of origin, are now admitted free only when of British origin. Thus, taking the year 1924, it is found that of foreign goods imported 40 per cent. were free of duty, as compared with 58 per cent. in 1921, while a further 6 per cent. (7 per cent. in 1921), although dutiable, paid no higher rate than if they had been of British origin. This leaves 54 per cent. (35 per cent. in 1921) with the disadvantage of the higher rate of duty applicable to foreign goods.
The percentage of all goods admitted free of duty, however, does not vary to any great extent. In 1924, 47 per cent. of the total imports were free of duty, as compared with 45 per cent. in 1923 and 49 per cent. in 1920 and 1922.
As stated above, there was inaugurated in 1907 a reciprocal arrangement with British South Africa whereby products of that country, when imported direct, were admitted into New Zealand at reduced rates of duty, in return for similar concessions granted by South Africa in respect of New Zealand products. This agreement was terminated on the 1st August, 1922, but by a subsequent Order in Council gazetted on the 18th November, 1922, was reinstated as from the 1st August, 1922, in a revised form, the duties on tobacco and wine being increased. Further alterations, to come into force from 30th November, 1925, were made by an Order in Council of 7th September, 1925.
The main item of import benefited by the reciprocal arrangement is wine. Sparkling wine is admitted at 9s. 6d. per gallon, as against 15s. under the general and British preferential rates. On still wine the rate is 3s. 6d. per gallon, as compared with 6s. Other items specially provided for are feathers, fish, fruit, sugar, and tea; while in the case of all other dutiable goods, with the exception of spirits and tobacco, a reduction of 3 per cent. is made.
The following table shows the imports from South Africa during the last ten years. Figures of exports from New Zealand to South Africa are also given.
| Year. | Imports. | Exports. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| According to Country of Shipment. | According to Country of Origin. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 43,654 | 55,826 | 11,279 |
| 1916 | 71,300 | 105,000 | 6,681 |
| 1917 | 56,392 | 98,538 | 1,588 |
| 1918 | 43,856 | 110,645 | 718 |
| 1919 | 62,628 | 169,222 | 2,241 |
| 1920 | 189,767 | 263,653 | 5,571 |
| 1921 | 34,864 | 84,704 | 2,906 |
| 1922 | 152,386 | 180,672 | 17,993 |
| 1923 | 79,742 | 110,313 | 7,392 |
| 1924 | 62,864 | 89,295 | 28,585 |
Not all the goods of South African origin receive the benefit of the reciprocal tariff, a certain quantity reaching New Zealand after transhipment from some other country or being duty-free in any case. As an example of the latter class may be mentioned unmounted precious stones, the imports of which in 1924 amounted to £12,604.
The following table shows for each of the last five years the principal items coming within the scope of the reciprocal tariff:—
| Article. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Excluded from reciprocal tariff from 30th November, 1925. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Maize | 3,446 | 1,112 | 1,896 | 5,803 | 6,797 |
| Wine | 77,555 | 10,837 | 17,680 | 15,267 | 15,712 |
| Tobacco* | 1,029 | 184 | 4,920 | .. | 455 |
| Apparel | 1,554 | 156 | 297 | 264 | 721 |
| Ostrich-feathers | 286 | 7 | .. | 262 | .. |
Prior to the amendment of the Customs tariff in 1921 Australian goods entering the Dominion were accorded British preferential treatment, although articles of New Zealand origin or manufacture entered Australia under the general tariff. From the 22nd December, 1921, however, goods produced in the Commonwealth were placed on the general tariff, and were required in consequence to pay the same duties as were levied on foreign goods. Since the 1st September, 1922, a tariff agreement, confirmed by the Tariff Agreement (New Zealand and Australia) Ratification Act, 1922, has been in operation, under which, with the object of promoting trade between the Commonwealth and the Dominion, New Zealand and Australia grant mutual concessions in the matter of Customs duties.
In addition to these reciprocal arrangements, which have operated from the 1st September, 1922, the tariff agreement provides further that goods which are imported into Australia and are subsequently transhipped to Now Zealand, and which, if they had been imported direct from the country of origin into New Zealand, would have been entitled to be entered under the British preferential tariff, shall be admitted to the Dominion under the British preferential tariff. A similar provision relates to goods imported into the Dominion and transhipped to the Commonwealth. These concessions have operated from the 1st May, 1922.
The main reciprocal agreement covers 129 items, in some cases the reduction of the rate of duty amounting to less, and in some more, than that accorded British goods under the ordinary scale of preferential duties. In any instance where the rate of duty has not been lowered at least to the extent provided for British goods, the reason may generally be found in the fact that protection is sought for the development of a secondary industry in the country retaining the higher rate of duty. Then, apart from the 129 items which are thus specifically mentioned, all other goods which are produced or manufactured in either Australia or Now Zealand are admitted to the other country concerned at British preferential rates of duty.
The item which figures most largely in the trade between the two countries is timber (rough-sawn). Australian-produced timber now enters New Zealand free, in lieu of the former general duty of 2s. per 100 superficial feet. New Zealand timbers, similarly, now enter the Commonwealth free, the rates superseded varying from 1s. per 100 superficial feet on timber for the manufacture of boxes (mainly white-pine) to 4s., 5s. 6d., and 7s. per 100 superficial feet on larger sizes. The duty on imports from Australia of grain and pulse in an unmanufactured condition has been reduced from 2s. per cental to 1s. 6d. per cental, and boots, shoes, &c., from Australia benefit also by a reduction of duty from 45 per cent. ad valorem to 35 per cent. ad valorem.
It is as yet a little premature to make a pronouncement as to what items of trade will be affected most by this measure, for the reason that one primary object of the reciprocal arrangement was to encourage expansion of trade in some classes of goods which have not hitherto figured very largely in commercial activities between the Commonwealth and the Dominion. During the last five years trade between the two countries has been as follows:—
| — | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Imports of Australian origin | 8,624,885 | 5,460,381 | 3,293,632 | 3,653,420 | 5,651,027 |
| Exports to Australia | 2,351,799 | 2,070,013 | 2,208,280 | 2,642,266 | 2,509,322 |
Exports show a moderate increase since the introduction of the tariff, although the advance is due to increases in items outside of the agreement, such as wool, butter, and hides. Imports also have increased, particularly in 1924, when an advance of practically £2,000,000 was recorded. As in the case of exports, however, the tariff items were not prominent in bringing about this result. The bulk of the increase was accounted for by wheat for the New Zealand Government (£1,024,946), coal (£254,954), and sugar (£93,620). Coming to items within the scope of the agreement, it is found that the average yearly value of timber imported from Australia during 1919-21 was £344,740, while the actual figures in 1923 and 1924 were £434,990 and £722,685 respectively. The explanation of the increase probably lies more in the demand for poles in connection with the extension of hydro-electricity throughout the country than in the removal of the duty. In the case of chaff, the development since 1921, as illustrated by the following figures, has also been considerable: Yearly average, 1919-21, £35; 1923, £25,816; 1924, £84,278. Here again the increased demand on account of a shortage locally has probably much to do with the increase in the imports.
IN the earliest statistical publication for New Zealand as a whole—covering the period 1853-56—and in its successors up to and including 1867, much more prominence was given to the overseas trade of individual New Zealand ports than to the countries with which the young colony was trading. Even the total trade with individual countries was not published, the only distinction made in this connection being as to trade with (1) the United Kingdom, (2) British possessions, and (3) foreign countries.
In 1868, however, a complete change was made, and detailed statistics of imports from and exports to individual countries were instituted. From this year the port details were reduced step by step until, in place of the elaborate detailed statements for each port, two tables showing for each port only the exports to and imports from each country were presented in the annual statistical volume. Later—in 1914—the system of details for each port was partially reverted to, particulars of items imported and exported being given for Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin separately, and all other ports in conjunction.
New Zealand has twenty-one ports of entry for Customs purposes, eleven in the North Island and ten in the South. It is interesting to compare the present list with that of ports for which statistics were compiled in the “fifties.” Of the latter no fewer than seven do not appear among the present-day ports of entry, though oversea vessels occasionally arrive direct at some of them. The list of ports of entry in 1853 and 1924 is as follows:—
| 1853. |
| Mangonui. |
| Russell. |
| Whangarei. |
| Hokianga. |
| Kaipara. |
| Auckland. |
| Kawhia. |
| Napier. |
| New Plymouth. |
| Wanganui. |
| Wellington. |
| Nelson. |
| Lyttelton. |
| Akaroa. |
| Chatham Islands. |
| Otago (Dunedin). |
| Bluff. |
| 1924. |
| Kaipara. |
| Auckland. |
| Tauranga. |
| Tokomaru Bay. |
| Gisborne. |
| Napier. |
| Waitara. |
| New Plymouth. |
| Patea. |
| Wanganui. |
| Wellington. |
| Wairau (including Picton). |
| Nelson. |
| Westport. |
| Greymouth. |
| Hokitika. |
| Lyttelton. |
| Timaru. |
| Oamaru. |
| Dunedin. |
| Invercargill (Bluff). |
Dealing with the overseas trade of the Dominion, the following table gives the actual amount of imports for the several ports of entry for the five years 1920-24:—
| Ports. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Auckland | 18,732,082 | 14,677,394 | 12,496,209 | 15,030,915 | 16,389,712 |
| Kaipara | 1,452 | 4,961 | 3,459 | 3,575 | 14,540 |
| Tauranga | 6,177 | 6,162 | 13,343 | 8,217 | 36,066 |
| Gisborne | 331,414 | 233,380 | 160,932 | 209,984 | 238,534 |
| New Plymouth | 499,009 | 463,682 | 467,081 | 637,215 | 813,562 |
| Patea | 77,213 | 59,941 | 31,114 | 40,019 | 37,803 |
| Wanganui | 573,814 | 461,695 | 288,591 | 454,893 | 617,025 |
| Wellington | 21,037,039 | 13,196,788 | 10,187,390 | 12,725,654 | 14,064,782 |
| Napier | 1,130,157 | 878,581 | 591,099 | 883,490 | 1,096,629 |
| Wairau (incl. Picton) | 65,585 | 61,038 | 47,349 | 60,032 | 75,545 |
| Nelson | 207,019 | 148,715 | 141,463 | 200,404 | 214,798 |
| Westport | 63,693 | 41,852 | 58,483 | 61,823 | 57,229 |
| Greymouth | 129,219 | 133,986 | 153,488 | 109,666 | 113,173 |
| Hokitika | 10,268 | 10,314 | 8,353 | 11,178 | 14,557 |
| Lyttelton | 9,774,261 | 6,761,320 | 5,672,470 | 6,305,373 | 6,965,094 |
| Timaru | 717,133 | 531,089 | 376,350 | 592,011 | 969,809 |
| Oamaru | 123,801 | 109,304 | 101,033 | 124,197 | 179,580 |
| Dunedin | 7,057,823 | 4,530,995 | 3,592,777 | 4,878,297 | 5,290,550 |
| Invercargill | 1,058,069 | 631,246 | 621,577 | 981,550 | 1,338,615 |
| Totals | 61,595,828 | 42,942,443 | 35,012,561 | 43,378,493 | 48,527,603 |
During each of the live years covered by the above table well over half the imports came in by way of Wellington or Auckland, the actual proportion in 1924 being 62 per cent. From 1921 onwards Auckland has displaced Wellington for the premier position on the list of importing ports.
From 1914 to 1921 the Customs Department allocated exports as far as possible to the appropriate district of production, whether exported through the port for such district or not, and no complementary figures are available to show the export trade from each individual port for this period. From the 1st January, 1922, however, the system in force was changed to allow of exports being credited to the final port of shipment, as was the case prior to 1914.
The export districts to which New Zealand produce and manufactures were credited during the eight years ending with 1921 are as under:—
Auckland: Including the counties of Mongonui, Whangaroa, Hokianga, Bay of Islands, Hobson, Whangarei, Otamatea, Rodney, Waitemata, Eden, Manukau, Raglan, Waikato, Ohinemuri, Thames, Hauraki Plains, Coromandel, Kawhia, Waipa, Great Barrier, Piako, Matamata, Rotorua, Whakatane, Franklin, Opotiki, Waitomo, Ohura, and West Taupo; but not including Kaipara exports.
Kaipara: Including the exports through the Port of Kaipara.
Tauranga: Including the County of Tauranga.
Gisborne: Including the counties of Waiapu, Matakaoa, Waikohu, Uawa, and Cook.
Tokomaru Bay: Including as nearly as possible the exports through the Port of Tokomaru Bay. Up to the end of 1920 was included in Gisborne.
New Plymouth: Including as nearly as possible the exports through the Port of New Plymouth.
Waitara: Including as nearly as possible the exports through the Port of Waitara.
Patea: Including as nearly as possible the exports through the Port of Patea.
Wanganui: Including the counties of Waitotara, Waimarino, Wanganui, Rangitikei, Kiwitea, Pohangina, Oroua, Kairanga, Manawatu, and Kaitieke.
Wellington: Including the counties of Pahiatua, Akitio, Eketahuna, Mauriceville, Masterton, Castlepoint, Wairarapa South, Featherston, Hutt, Makara, and Horowhenua.
Napier: Including the counties of Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, East Taupo, Waipawa, Patangata, Waipukurau, Dannevirke, Woodville, and Weber.
Wairau (including Picton): Including the counties of Awatere, Sounds, and Marlborough.
Nelson: Including the counties of Waimea, Murchison, Takaka, and Collingwood.
Westport: Including the County of Buller.
Greymouth: Including the counties of Inangahua and Grey.
Hokitika: Including the County of Westland.
Lyttelton: Including the counties of Kaikoura, Amuri, Cheviot, Waipara, Tawera, Ashley, Kowai, Oxford, Rangiora, Eyre, Selwyn, Ellesmere, Halswell, Heath-cote, Malvern, Paparua, Springs, Waimairi, Mount Herbert, Akaroa, Wairewa, Ashburton, and Chatham Islands.
Timaru: Including the counties of Geraldine, Levels, Mackenzie, and Waimate.
Oamaru: Including the County of Waitaki.
Dunedin: Including the counties of Vincent, Maniototo, Waihemo, Waikouaiti, Peninsula, Taieri, Tuapeka, Bruce, and Clutha.
Invercargill: Including the counties of Southland. Wallace, Fiord, Lake, and Stewart Island.
The system of showing exports according to the district of production was introduced in 1914 on account of complaints from the smaller ports as to the injustice done them when goods produced in their surrounding districts were shown as an export of one of the larger ports to which they had been sent by railway or coastal vessel. The system, however, did not prove satisfactory in practice, and the former method of showing exports according to the port at which the goods were placed on board the exporting-vessel was reverted to.
The two tables following give for the latest five years available (1) overseas exports according to district of production, and (2) overseas exports according to the port at which they are actually placed on board the overseas vessel. Tauranga, which is omitted from the second table, was not a port of entry prior to 1915, and has had no overseas exports since the introduction of the present system.
| District. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Auckland | 5,712,467 | 6,027,988 | 9,847,296 | 9,383,603 | 11,943,224 |
| Kaipara | 96,121 | 93,463 | 54,507 | 80,611 | 72,773 |
| Tauranga | 67,482 | 74,722 | 43,326 | 5,436 | 127,082 |
| Tokomaru Bay | 1,699,781 | 1,228,449 | 3,466,502 | 2,333,212 | 322,546 |
| Gisborne | 1,633,241 | ||||
| New Plymouth | 1,038,769 | 1,113,557 | 2,133,601 | 1,869,185 | 2,985,942 |
| Waitara | 345,450 | 214,097 | 555,265 | 486,128 | 86,295 |
| Patea | 976,922 | 1,329,100 | 2,369,581 | 1,813,522 | 2,371,832 |
| Wanganui | 1,986,983 | 1,900,467 | 3,975,354 | 4,037,116 | 3,759,494 |
| Wellington | 6,954,263 | 5,846,342 | 9,506,957 | 7,268,778 | 6,045,828 |
| Napier | 3,216,055 | 2,364,734 | 4,504,387 | 3,515,546 | 2,672,404 |
| Wairau (incl. Picton) | 298,223 | 287,399 | 836,317 | 460,235 | 587,194 |
| Nelson | 219,191 | 165,255 | 482,660 | 297,812 | 328,792 |
| Westport | 47,850 | 38,832 | 45,099 | 56,894 | 86,898 |
| Greymouth | 320,469 | 194,971 | 330,820 | 467,776 | 315,323 |
| Hokitika | 48,019 | 39,807 | 47,885 | 72,601 | 126,566 |
| Lyttelton | 3,926,241 | 3,225,428 | 6,702,130 | 6,029,542 | 4,487,376 |
| Timaru | 925,788 | 831,764 | 2,214,237 | 1,862,276 | 1,578,764 |
| Oamaru | 201,052 | 351,713 | 539,539 | 429,547 | 360,176 |
| Dunedin | 1,720,309 | 1,786,068 | 3,366,731 | 3,104,926 | 2,284,783 |
| Invercargill | 1,754,897 | 1,281,596 | 2,874,580 | 2,767,192 | 2,566,110 |
| Parcels-post | 31,215 | 120,436 | 76,301 | 100,008 | 86,184 |
| Totals | 31,587,547 | 28,516,188 | 53,970,075 | 46,441,946 | 44,828,827 |
| Port. | 1912. | 1913. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Auckland | 3,381,938 | 4,024,740 | 9,595,225 | 11,336,676 | 12,295,834 |
| Kaipara | 146,479 | 79,283 | 27,339 | 13,401 | 6,392 |
| Tokomaru Bay | 1,192,067 | 1,216,354 | 337,149 | 1,662,024 | 374,829 |
| Gisborne | .. | .. | 1,939,140 | .. | 1,608,690 |
| New Plymouth | 575,583 | 631,258 | 1,038,469 | 1,282,869 | 1,232,317 |
| Waitara | 348,453 | 310,462 | .. | .. | .. |
| Patea | 795,071 | 692,336 | 160,336 | .. | .. |
| Wanganui | 579,727 | 532,285 | 1,547,243 | 1,754,132 | 2,254,863 |
| Wellington | 4,692,428 | 5,322,808 | 11,842,144 | 13,788,209 | 16,017,834 |
| Napier | 1,768,171 | 1,949,288 | 2,577,431 | 2,738,796 | 3,834,134 |
| Wairau (incl. Picton) | 345,061 | 303,686 | 416,617 | 238,316 | 223,550 |
| Nelson | 167,961 | 160,216 | 302,205 | 136,974 | 68,016 |
| Westport | 50,727 | 40,345 | 46,934 | 42,149 | 28,755 |
| Greymouth | 344,537 | 375,451 | 191,969 | 238,874 | 259,967 |
| Hokitika | 31,032 | 14,047 | 25,581 | .. | .. |
| Lyttelton | 2,904,148 | 2,983,266 | 5,034,968 | 5,169,323 | 6,249,852 |
| Timaru | 1,148,385 | 1,205,241 | 2,285,747 | 1,877,624 | 1,992,317 |
| Oamaru | 251,176 | 209,298 | 455,205 | 249,727 | 237,013 |
| Dunedin | 1,595,176 | 1,582,020 | 2,442,453 | 2,739,320 | 3,482,791 |
| Invercargill | 1,413,029 | 1,302,776 | 2,392,770 | 2,624,958 | 2,369,985 |
| Parcels-post | 39,432 | 51,562 | 67,324 | 73,793 | 75,572 |
| Totals | 21,770,581 | 22,986,722 | 42,726,249 | 45,967,165 | 52,612,711 |
The west-coast ports of both Islands, as well as Nelson and Wairau in the northern portion of the South Island, send much of their produce to Wellington for loading on to the overseas vessels, and it will be observed that all of these ports show considerable decreases as a result of the reintroduction of the system in force prior to 1914.
Neither under the system in force from 1914 to 1921, when exports were shown according to district of production, nor under the present system of allocating the goods to the port at which they are placed on board the exporting-vessel is it possible to show properly the total work and progress of each port, since overseas trade only is dealt with, and goods passing over two wharves can only be shown under one without duplication in the trade statistics of the Dominion. Moreover, by dealing only with values the progress of a port cannot be accurately estimated from year to year owing to the extent to which these total values are affected by the variation in price of the goods included. The work of a port is properly gauged by the tonnage handled; the revenue is levied on a tonnage basis, and a proper estimate of the progress and development of a port from year to year is better obtained by a study of the statistics of tonnage handled than of values. In comparing one port with another, however, care must be taken to observe whether there is any great difference in the character and value of the cargo handled, and allowance made accordingly: a port which handles principally coal, timber, or cement is not properly comparable with a port handling principally butter and cheese.
To meet the lack of proper statistics for the close observation and study of individual ports a system was introduced in 1922 to show on a tonnage basis the total exports of each port, whether placed on the overseas vessel there, sent to a central port for shipment overseas, or despatched coastwise to another port for consumption in New Zealand. The inclusion of the coastal trade is of especial value. The statistics of overseas trade, on either of the systems hitherto followed, covered considerably less than half of the total sea-borne trade of the Dominion, and the smaller ports were placed under an even greater disadvantage than the larger ports on account of the greater disparity between coastal and direct overseas trade in the case of the former. The usefulness of a port and the importance of the service rendered by it to the district are determined not by its foreign trade but by its total trade; it is quite as necessary and valuable to the district to provide the facilities required for the home coastal trade as for the foreign trade.
In order to obtain statistics of the total trade of each port, a system of monthly returns from the various port authorities has been instituted, showing under some forty headings the quantity of goods handled, distinguishing inwards and outwards cargo, coastal and overseas and transhipments. For obvious reasons, total values of goods shipped coastwise cannot be obtained, and the statistics are compiled and published on a tonnage basis.
Detailed tables are published for each of forty-seven ports in the “Annual Statistical Report on Trade and Shipping.” In addition, successive issues of the Monthly Abstract of Statistics contain cumulative figures of the total tonnage handled at each port, and details of items for the eighteen more important ports. Space will not permit the inclusion in the Year-book of all these details, but the following table shows for each port the total cargo inwards and outwards in 1924, distinguishing between overseas and coastal and giving the transhipments separately. The huge proportion of transhipments in the case of Wellington is very noticeable.
| Port. | Inwards. | Outwards. | Total. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal. | Overseas. | Transhipments (included once only). | Coastal. | Overseas. | ||
* Coal, coke, live-stock, and timber only. | ||||||
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| Russell | 6,412 | .. | 3 | 5,282 | 11,102 | 22,799 |
| Hokianga | 4,327 | 26 | .. | 10,908 | 6,027 | 21,288 |
| Mangonui | 2,638 | .. | .. | 978 | .. | 3,616 |
| Whangarei | 24,410 | .. | .. | 128,158 | .. | 152,568 |
| Kaipara | 822 | 6,722 | .. | .. | .. | 7,544 |
| Mangawai | 971 | .. | .. | 676 | .. | 1,647 |
| Auckland | 597,817 | 826,819 | 84,931 | 245,434 | 112,619 | 1,867,620 |
| Onehunga | 17,644 | .. | .. | 38,130 | .. | 55,774 |
| Whitianga | 657 | .. | .. | 1,979 | .. | 2,636 |
| Great Barrier | 536 | .. | .. | 493 | .. | 1,029 |
| Kawhia | 2,352 | .. | .. | 729 | .. | 3,081 |
| Raglan | 2,513 | .. | .. | 883 | .. | 3,396 |
| Thames | 13,056 | .. | .. | 2,860 | .. | 15,916 |
| Tauranga | 36,025 | .. | 518 | 12,917 | .. | 49,460 |
| Opotiki | 8,205 | .. | .. | 3,363 | .. | 11,568 |
| Whakatane | 12,355 | .. | .. | 5,269, | 1,506 | 19,130 |
| Tolaga Bay | 2,456 | .. | .. | 1,401 | .. | 3,857 |
| Tokomaru Bay | 5,805 | 1,134 | 397 | 986 | 3,895 | 12,217 |
| Gisborne | 50,887 | 6,867 | 499 | 20,555 | 20,671 | 99,479 |
| Wairoa | 11,172 | .. | 2,353 | 5,037 | .. | 18,562 |
| Waikokopu | 1,707 | 329 | .. | 1,316 | .. | 3,352 |
| Napier | 78,050 | 48,701 | 16,077 | 25,237 | 42,050 | 210,115 |
| Mokau | 517 | .. | .. | 333 | .. | 850 |
| Waitara | 738 | .. | .. | 916 | .. | 1,654 |
| New Plymouth | 63,935 | 61,823 | .. | 18,059 | 21,506 | 165,323 |
| Patea | 4,543 | .. | .. | 17,549 | .. | 22,092 |
| Wanganui | 86,655 | 33,099 | .. | 24,753 | 28,273 | 172,780 |
| Foxton | 11,532 | .. | .. | 3,811 | .. | 15,343 |
| Wellington | 398,168 | 551,116 | 343,849 | 169,796 | 142,983 | 1,605,912 |
| Wairau | 12,327 | 679 | 8,971 | .. | 21,977 | .. |
| Kaikoura | 4,168 | .. | .. | 1,789 | .. | 5,957 |
| Picton | 27,822 | .. | .. | 23,581 | 3,320 | 54,723 |
| Nelson | 53,996 | 4,908 | 19,588 | 26,960 | 484 | 105,936 |
| Waitapu | 2,094 | .. | .. | 1,367 | .. | 3,461 |
| Motueka | 10,562 | .. | 63 | 14,526 | .. | 25,151 |
| Westport* | 30 | .. | .. | 556,050 | 2,315 | 558,395 |
| Greymouth | 21,167 | 45 | .. | 269,680 | 56,385 | 347,277 |
| Hokitika | 237 | .. | .. | 221 | .. | 458 |
| Lyttelton | 154,692 | 342,006 | 1,951 | 150,372 | 56,159 | 705,180 |
| Akaroa | 998 | .. | .. | 107 | .. | 1,105 |
| Timaru | 26,214 | 55,549 | 49 | 38,637 | 20,619 | 141,068 |
| Oamaru | 9,173 | 15,741 | .. | 21,152 | 2,808 | 48,874 |
| Otago | 105,717 | 219,289 | 6,734 | 84,151 | 32,223 | 448,114 |
| Invercargill | 8,726 | .. | .. | 756 | .. | 9,482 |
| Bluff | 28,159 | 87,714 | 92 | 16,229 | 34,521 | 166,715 |
| Riverton | 58 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 58 |
| Half-moon Bay | 605 | .. | .. | 414 | .. | 1,019 |
| Totals | 1,913,650 | 2,261,888 | 477,783 | 1,962,771 | 599,466 | 7,215,558 |
The above table shows the quantity of cargo placed on board the overseas vessels at the respective ports, and a table will be found in the shipping section of the Year-book showing the number and tonnage of overseas vessels calling at each port. These tables give a good indication of the extent to which each port enters directly into the overseas trade of the Dominion. The following table shows for the year 1924 the total shipments (overseas and coastwise) from each port of the nine principal commodities exported overseas by the Dominion, and clearly indicates from which ports they originate, thus showing the extent to which the various ports handle our overseas exports, although the goods may be sent outwards coastwise for transhipment at another port. The tonnage of transhipments included in the totals given in the table is shown in italics above the figures for each port.
(Transhipments included shown in italics above the figures for the appropriate port.)
| Port. | Wool. | Frozen Meat. | Butter | Cheese. | Tallow | Hides, Skins, and Pelts. | Coal. | Hemp (Fibre and Tow). | Timber. | All other Goods. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 3 | |
| Russell | 441 | 2,702 | 502 | .. | 271 | 258 | 1,882 | 117 | 8,875 | 1,339 | 16,387 |
| Hokianga | 98 | .. | 344 | .. | 1 | 19 | .. | .. | 15,861 | 612 | 16,935 |
| Mangonui | 94 | .. | 285 | .. | .. | 21 | .. | .. | .. | 578 | 978 |
| Whangarei | 596 | 6 | 2,162 | 9 | 18 | 48 | 37,558 | .. | 258 | 87,503 | 128,158 |
| Mangawai | 14 | .. | 7 | .. | .. | 8 | .. | .. | .. | 647 | 676 |
| Auckland | 754 | 1 | 9,877 | 3,077 | 415 | 755 | 8,410 | 2,342 | 3,124 | 56,176 | 84,931 |
| 9,998 | 7,889 | 36,112 | 10,225 | 4,210 | 7,405 | 18,781 | 3,035 | 27,577 | 317,752 | 442,984 | |
| Onehunga | 86 | 4 | 95 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 1,648 | .. | 705 | 35,572 | 38,130 |
| Whitianga | 21 | .. | 121 | .. | 1 | 4 | .. | .. | 1,756 | 76 | 1,979 |
| Great Barrier | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 493 | 493 | .. |
| Kawhia | 326 | .. | 178 | .. | .. | 10 | .. | .. | .. | 215 | 729 |
| Raglan | 233 | .. | 204 | .. | .. | 41 | .. | 25 | 229 | 151 | 883 |
| Thames | 12 | .. | 57 | 667 | 38 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2,084 | 2,860 |
| .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 34 | 1 | 483 | 518 | ||
| Tauranga | 150 | .. | 2,507 | .. | 34 | 218 | 34 | 556 | 5,504 | 4,432 | 13,435 |
| Opotiki | 221 | .. | 678 | 49 | 8 | 72 | .. | .. | .. | 2,335 | 3,363 |
| Whakatane | 187 | 1,439 | 442 | 1,116 | 167 | 236 | .. | 34 | 77 | 3,077 | 6,775 |
| Tolaga Bay | 1,184 | .. | 56 | .. | 7 | 53 | .. | .. | 3 | 98 | 1,401 |
| Tokomaru | 228 | 95 | .. | 74 | 397 | ||||||
| Bay | 1,559 | 2,584 | .. | .. | 233 | 287 | 95 | .. | .. | 520 | 5,278 |
| Gisborne | 370 | 23 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 106 | 499 | ||
| 8,723 | 12,718 | 1,069 | 2 | 1,311 | 1,439 | .. | .. | 3,082 | 13,381 | 41,725 | |
| Wairoa | .. | 2,353 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,353 | |
| 2,258 | 2,353 | 139 | 75 | 205 | 237 | .. | 741 | 1 | 1,381 | 7,390 | |
| Waikokopu | 270 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | .. | .. | 8 | 1,033 | 1,316 |
| Napier | 4,363 | 2,394 | .. | 217 | 252 | 296 | 2,116 | 306 | 6,133 | 16,077 | |
| 22,787 | 24,514 | 58 | 32 | 2,810 | 03 | 912 | 2,117 | 1,867 | 25,364 | 83,364 | |
| Mokau | 30 | .. | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 49 | .. | 104 | 52 | 333 |
| Waitara | .. | .. | .. | .. | 50 | .. | 1 | .. | 55 | 810 | 916 |
| New Plymouth | 198 | 11,275 | 9,013 | 12,640 | 1,024 | 1,122 | .. | .. | 105 | 4,188 | 39,565 |
| Patea | 176 | 730 | 1,480 | 13,680 | 389 | 547 | .. | .. | 4 | 543 | 17,549 |
| Wanganni | 11,132 | 14,643 | 4,964 | 5,073 | 1,621 | 1,932 | 174 | .. | 1,768 | 11,719 | 53,026 |
| Foxton | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3,811 | 3,811 |
| Wellington | 4,947 | 628 | 11,367 | 29,709 | 968, | 1,468 | 183,398 | 3,216 | 3,184 | 104,964 | 343,849 |
| 32,104 | 30,386 | 20,483 | 47,640 | 7,242 | 9,020 | 183,499 | 11,170 | 7,205 | 307,889 | 656,628 | |
| Wairau | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 679 | 679 |
| 1,253 | .. | .. | .. | 67 | .. | .. | .. | 8,330 | 9,650 | .. | |
| Kaikoura | 465 | .. | 157 | 55 | .. | 24 | .. | .. | 189 | 899 | 1,789 |
| Picton | 1,372 | 1,710 | 16 | 495 | 195 | 28 | 500 | 628 | .. | 21,927 | 26,901 |
| Nelson | 235 | 253 | 551 | 17 | 44 | 6,402 | 92 | 96 | 11,898 | 19,588 | |
| 1,319 | 237 | 862 | 581 | 123 | 335 | 8,020 | 97 | 163 | 35,295 | 47,032 | |
| Waitapu | 234 | .. | 313 | 63 | .. | 45 | .. | .. | 72 | 635 | 1,367 |
| Motueka | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 63 | 63 | .. |
| 193 | .. | 88 | .. | .. | 33 | .. | 78 | 23 | 14,174 | 14,539 | |
| Westport | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 549,714 | .. | 4,901 | 3,750 | 558,365 |
| Greymouth | 52 | .. | 23 | 11 | 84 | 266 | 245,866 | 42 | 77,858 | 1,863 | 326,065 |
| Hokitika | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 | 217 | 221 |
| Lyttelton | 10 | 131 | 437 | 75 | 120 | 1 | 1,177 | 1,951 | |||
| 18,897 | 22,954 | 2,189 | 1,743 | 3,265 | 3,608 | 540 | 124 | 434 | 154,728 | 208,482 | |
| Akaroa | 46 | .. | .. | 11 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 50 | 107 |
| Timaru | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 49 | 49 |
| 7,415 | 9,904 | 546 | 428 | 1,264 | 807 | .. | .. | 106 | 38,835 | 59,305 | |
| Oamaru | 458 | 2,107 | .. | .. | 210 | 117 | .. | .. | .. | 21,068 | 23,960 |
| Otago | 14 | .. | .. | .. | 72 | 282 | 105 | 6,261 | 6,734 | ||
| 11,150 | 7,157 | 1,401 | 2,273 | 1,329 | 4,585 | 54 | 870 | 1,086 | 93,203 | 123,108 | |
| Invercargill | 88 | 21 | .. | .. | .. | 7 | 92 | .. | 7 | 541 | 756 |
| Bluff | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 92 | 92 | .. |
| 6,278 | 7,398 | 1,043 | 9,199 | 1,441 | 795 | 60 | 1,456 | 4,685 | 18,487 | 50,842 | |
| Half - moon Bay | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 414 | 414 |
| Totals | 10,921 | 5,376 | 21,651 | 33,774 | 1,617 | 2,666 | 198,755 | 8,048 | 6,817 | 188,158 | 477,783 |
| 142,118 | 162,731 | 87,632 | 106,075 | 27,559 | 36,612 | 1,049,469 | 21,090 | 164,663 | 1,242,071 | 3,040,020 |
Transhipments of cargo during 1924 are shown in the two preceding tables to have totalled 477,783 tons, of which 343,849 tons were transhipped at Wellington. Transhipments are of four classes, as follows:—
Coastal to Coastal.—Cargo which has been loaded on a vessel at one New Zealand port and is transhipped to another vessel for discharge at another New Zealand port.
Coastal to Overseas.—Cargo which has been loaded on a vessel at a New Zealand port and is transhipped to another vessel for discharge at a port outside of the Dominion.
Overseas to Coastal.—Cargo which has come from overseas and is transhipped to another vessel for discharge at a New Zealand port.
Overseas to Overssas.—Cargo which has come from overseas and is transhipped to another vessel for discharge outside New Zealand.
The first class represents purely coastal trade, but each of the others may be added to the appropriate figures of overseas trade shown previously to get the total tonnage of goods arriving from or departing overseas. The total inwards tonnage from overseas is found to be 2,417,603, and the total outward tonnage going overseas 835,904. It should be noted that, in the compilation of statistics, tonnage is reckoned by weight for some items and by measurement for others.
Two tables are appended showing the transhipment trade of each port affected for 1924, and the transhipments of the various items of merchandise, &c., a distinction being made in each case between the four classes referred to above.
| Port. | Coastal to Coastal. | Coastal to Overseas. | Overseas to Coastal. | Overseas to Overseas. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| Russell | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| Auckland | 16,056 | 19,913 | 38,911 | 10,051 | 84,931 |
| Tauranga | 518 | .. | .. | .. | 518 |
| Tokomaru Bay | 74 | 228 | 95 | .. | 397 |
| Gisborne | 116 | 383 | .. | .. | 499 |
| Wairoa | .. | 2,353 | .. | .. | 2,353 |
| Napier | 5,144 | 9,320 | 1,613 | .. | 16,077 |
| Wellington | 68,847 | 177,000 | 81,376 | 16,626 | 343,849 |
| Wairau | 650 | 8 | 21 | .. | 679 |
| Nelson | 19,173 | .. | 415 | .. | 19,588 |
| Motueka | 63 | .. | .. | .. | 63 |
| Lyttelton | 321 | 556 | 1,074 | .. | 1,951 |
| Timaru | .. | .. | 49 | .. | 49 |
| Otago | 1,342 | .. | 5,392 | .. | 6,734 |
| Bluff | .. | .. | 92 | .. | 92 |
| Totals | 112,307 | 209,761 | 129,038 | 26,677 | 477,783 |
| Item. | Coastal to Coastal. | Coastal to Overseas. | Overseas to Coastal. | Overseas to Overseas. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| Butter | 281 | 21,370 | .. | .. | 21,651 |
| Cheese | 645 | 33,129 | .. | .. | 33,774 |
| Coal | 62,776 | 114,260 | 9,827 | 11,892 | 198,755 |
| Fruit | 9,941 | 7,487 | 4,675 | 46 | 22,149 |
| Hemp, fibre, and tow | 375 | 7,672 | 1 | .. | 8,048 |
| Hides, skins, and pelts | 432 | 2,197 | 2 | 35 | 2,666 |
| Kerosene, benzine, and other fuel oils | 385 | .. | 22,190 | 4,497 | 27,072 |
| Manures, artificial | 1,367 | 9 | 2,391 | .. | 3,767 |
| Meat, frozen (beef, mutton, and lamb) | .. | 5,376 | .. | .. | 5,376 |
| Sugar | 1,516 | 79 | 189 | 167 | 1,951 |
| Tallow | 31 | 1,584 | 2 | .. | 1,617 |
| Timber | 353 | 305 | 5,957 | 202 | 6,817 |
| Wines, spirits, ale, and beer | 1,081 | 7 | 1,093 | 62 | 2,243 |
| Wool | 431 | 10,332 | 88 | 70 | 10,921 |
| All other goods | 32,693 | 5,954 | 82,623 | 9,706 | 130,976 |
| Totals | 112,307 | 209,761 | 129,038 | 26,677 | 477,783 |
Table of Contents
THE number and tonnage of the registered vessels belonging to the several ports of registry in the Dominion on the 31st December, 1924 (distinguishing sailing-vessels, steamers, and motor-vessels), were as under:—
| Ports. | Sailing-vessels. | Steam-vessels. | Motor-vessels. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessels. | Gross Tonnage. | Net Tonnage. | Vessels. | Gross Tonnage. | Net Tonnage. | Vessels | Gross Tonnage. | Net Tonnage. | |
| Auckland | 77 | 5,945 | 4,776 | 105 | 21,630 | 10,839 | 144 | 4,767 | 2,317 |
| Napier | 4 | 266 | 253 | 23 | 4,233 | 2,251 | 7 | 634 | 398 |
| Wellington | 12 | 5,308 | 4,898 | 51 | 68,022 | 39,474 | 6 | 583 | 321 |
| Nelson | 3 | 56 | 54 | 12 | 4,467 | 2,209 | 6 | 296 | 150 |
| Lyttelton | 9 | 2,290 | 2,199 | 20 | 6,930 | 3,262 | .. | .. | .. |
| Timaru | .. | .. | 1 | 942 | 488 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Dunedin | 17 | 7,090 | 6,898 | 57 | 55,190 | 32,713 | .. | .. | .. |
| Invercargill | 1 | 342 | 314 | 7 | 1,074 | 514 | 2 | 79 | 42 |
| Totals | 123 | 21,297 | 19,392 | 276 | 162,488 | 91,750 | 165 | 6,359 | 3,228 |
Auckland is the port of registry of the majority of the vessels forming New Zealand's “mosquito” fleet, the average net tonnage of the 325 vessels on the Auckland register being only 55 tons. At Dunedin many of the vessels of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand are registered. Shortly after the outbreak of the late war, however, several of the principal vessels of this company were transferred to the London register.
| Year. | Sailing-vessels. | Steam and Motor Vessels. | Totals. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessels. | Gross Tonnage. | Net Tonnage. | Vessels. | Gross Tonnage. | Net Tonnage. | Vessels. | Gross Tonnage | Net Tonnage. | |
| 1915 | 196 | 23,546 | 21,762 | 385 | 126,549 | 71,695 | 581 | 150,095 | 93,457 |
| 1916 | 190 | 23,664 | 21,853 | 390 | 124,833 | 70,442 | 580 | 148,497 | 92,295 |
| 1917 | 184 | 24,356 | 22,404 | 376 | 115,683 | 65,092 | 560 | 140,039 | 87,496 |
| 1918 | 178 | 25,200 | 23,158 | 379 | 116,551 | 65,388 | 557 | 141,751 | 88,546 |
| 1919 | 174 | 24,354 | 22,216 | 382 | 116,261 | 64,943 | 556 | 140,615 | 87,159 |
| 1920 | 163 | 23,334 | 21,223 | 384 | 116,611 | 64,837 | 547 | 139,945 | 86,060 |
| 1921 | 161 | 25,461 | 23,201 | 401 | 122,371 | 68,705 | 562 | 147,832 | 91,906 |
| 1922 | 138 | 23,583 | 21,484 | 418 | 127,006 | 70,860 | 556 | 150,589 | 92,344 |
| 1923 | 127 | 21,718 | 19,812 | 428 | 143,164 | 80,850 | 555 | 164,882 | 100,662 |
| 1924 | 123 | 21,297 | 19,392 | 441 | 168,847 | 94,978 | 564 | 190,144 | 114,370 |
The number of sailing-vessels on the register has decreased rapidly during recent years, there having been a continuous decline since 1907, in which year 323 sailing-vessels were on the register.
The tonnage of vessels entered and cleared during 1924 amounted to 4,440,162 as compared with 4,172,381 for 1923. The number of vessels also, while less than the figure for 1920, showed a substantial increase over the previous year—from 1,303 to 1,419.
Of late years the tendency has been for vessels of a larger size to be employed in the New Zealand trade, in order to cope with the growing imports and exports of the Dominion and for the purposes of the passenger traffic. The increase over a period of years is thus more noticeable on a comparison of tonnage than by comparing the number of vessels. The number of vessels entered inwards and cleared outwards in 1914 was 1,303, of an aggregate tonnage of 3,506,821 tons—an average of 2,691 tons. The 1,419 vessels in 1924 aggregated 4,440,162 tons, the average being 3,128 tons-Dealing with steamships only (1,149 in 1914 and 1,380 in 1924), the average tonnage is found to be 2,970 and 3,207 tons respectively. The number of sailing-vessels arriving and departing decreased from 154 in 1914 to only 39 in 1924, the aggregate tonnage falling in the same time from 94,380 to 14,384 tons.
The number and tonnage of vessels entered and cleared during each of the last ten years, separating steam from sailing, are as shown in the following table:—
| Year. | Entered. | Cleared. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessels. | Tonnage. | Vessels. | Tonnage. | |||||
| Steam. | Sailing. | Steam. | Sailing. | Steam. | Sailing. | Steam. | Sailing. | |
| 1915 | 581 | 57 | 1,613,679 | 27,746 | 585 | 64 | 1,604,050 | 31,883 |
| 1916 | 520 | 54 | 1,418,991 | 29,526 | 534 | 56 | 1,461,597 | 29,996 |
| 1917 | 485 | 58 | 1,378,676 | 27,100 | 486 | 61 | 1,353,975 | 27,907 |
| 1918 | 458 | 85 | 1,225,481 | 54,067 | 464 | 80 | 1,264,105 | 46,522 |
| 1919 | 472 | 92 | 1,427,759 | 53,124 | 475 | 99 | 1,444,206 | 61,050 |
| 1920 | 665 | 79 | 2,025,175 | 37,195 | 637 | 70 | 1,942,903 | 33,352 |
| 1921 | 611 | 67 | 1,891,309 | 48,927 | 610 | 68 | 1,895,419 | 48,922 |
| 1922 | 552 | 19 | 1,774,886 | 8,101 | 551 | 18 | 1,782,436 | 7,544 |
| 1923 | 646 | 18 | 2,106,587 | 5,292 | 628 | 18 | 2,055,795 | 4,707 |
| 1924 | 694 | 19 | 2,205,424 | 7,531 | 686 | 20 | 2,220,354 | 6,853 |
The next table shows the number and tonnage of British, colonial, and foreign vessels entered and cleared in each of the ten years 1915 to 1924:—
| Year. | British. | Colonial. | Foreign. | Total. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessels. | Tons. | Vessels. | Tons. | Vessels. | Tons. | Vessels. | Tons. | |
| Entered. | ||||||||
| 1915 | 314 | 1,145,609 | 290 | 439,292 | 34 | 56,524 | 638 | 1,641,425 |
| 1916 | 255 | 998,388 | 283 | 388,961 | 36 | 61,168 | 574 | 1,448,517 |
| 1917 | 249 | 1,008,759 | 262 | 336,027 | 32 | 60,990 | 543 | 1,405,776 |
| 1918 | 193 | 838,198 | 289 | 374,130 | 61 | 67,220 | 543 | 1,279,548 |
| 1919 | 266 | 1,114,479 | 239 | 285,383 | 59 | 81,021 | 564 | 1,480,883 |
| 1920 | 363 | 1,477,965 | 302 | 403,025 | 79 | 181,380 | 744 | 2,062,370 |
| 1921 | 353 | 1,386,467 | 280 | 438,680 | 45 | 115,089 | 678 | 1,940,236 |
| 1922 | 356 | 1,369,799 | 200 | 360,365 | 15 | 52,823 | 571 | 1,782,987 |
| 1923 | 398 | 1,543,817 | 242 | 498,483 | 24 | 69,579 | 664 | 2,111,879 |
| 1924 | 342 | 1,393,545 | 329 | 691,272 | 42 | 128,138 | 713 | 2,212,955 |
| Cleared. | ||||||||
| 1915 | 317 | 1,138,873 | 293 | 437,388 | 39 | 59,672 | 649. | 1,635,933 |
| 1916 | 259 | 1,027,088 | 294 | 400,646 | 37 | 63,859 | 590 | 1,491,593 |
| 1917 | 253 | 995,346 | 261 | 327,822 | 33 | 58,714 | 547 | 1,381,882 |
| 1918 | 203 | 872,204 | 289 | 377,383 | 52 | 61,040 | 544 | 1,310,627 |
| 1919 | 273 | 1,139,812 | 239 | 286,062 | 62 | 79,382 | 574 | 1,505,256 |
| 1920 | 345 | 1,421,814 | 291 | 393,091 | 71 | 161,350 | 707 | 1,976,255 |
| 1921 | 356 | 1,388,147 | 267 | 417,786 | 55 | 138,408 | 678 | 1,944,341 |
| 1922 | 350 | 1,365,722 | 203 | 369,491 | 16 | 54,767 | 569 | 1,789,980 |
| 1923 | 387 | 1,517,096 | 237 | 478,086 | 22 | 65,320 | 646 | 2,060,502 |
| 1924 | 342 | 1,418,158 | 332 | 674,702 | 42 | 134,347 | 706 | 2,227,207 |
British vessels entered in 1924 showed a drop in tonnage of approximately 150,000 as compared with 1923; while colonial ships increased by nearly 200,000 tons. Foreign tonnage also advanced considerably during the year.
Of the colonial vessels entered inwards in 1924, 212, with an aggregate net tonnage of 440,618 tons, were of New Zealand registry. The foreign vessels entered inwards consisted of 20 American (66,239 tons), 9 Norwegian, 5 Chinese, 3 Dutch, 2 French, 2 Swedish, and 1 Danish.
Particulars of the number and net tonnage of vessels entered and cleared between New Zealand and various countries during the years 1923 and 1924 are given below:—
| Country. | 1923. | 1924. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered. | Cleared. | Entered. | Cleared. | |||||
| No. | Tonnage. | No. | Tonnage. | No. | Tonnage. | No. | Tonnage. | |
| United Kingdom | 69 | 387,987 | 92 | 523,663 | 69 | 376,025 | 93 | 525,230 |
| Hong Kong | 2 | 7,496 | 1 | 3,748 | 2 | 7,496 | 1 | 3,748 |
| India | 5 | 18,675 | .. | .. | 5 | 22,665 | .. | .. |
| Straits Settlements | 3 | 5,395 | 3 | 6,303 | 2 | 2,482 | 1 | 3,944 |
| Egypt | 1 | 2,816 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| South African Union | 1 | 1,014 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Canada | 47 | 192,098 | 20 | 105,218 | 42 | 174,654 | 19 | 104,536 |
| Australia | 395 | 1,045,264 | 457 | 1,211,532 | 423 | 1,082,982 | 507 | 1,338,655 |
| Fiji | 20 | 53,779 | 19 | 48,737 | 21 | 58,237 | 16 | 45,594 |
| Gilbert and Ellice Island | 1 | 2,841 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3,662 |
| Nauru (Pleasant) Island | 8 | 17,080 | 5 | 14,245 | 11 | 33,404 | 2 | 6,455 |
| Ocean Island | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2,993 | .. | .. |
| Minor British Pacific Islands | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3,231 | .. | .. |
| Solomon Islands | 2 | 806 | 3 | 894 | 2 | 806 | 2 | 806 |
| Belgium | 2 | 11,810 | .. | .. | .. | 3,168 | .. | .. |
| France | 3 | 13,535 | 2 | 7,376 | 2 | 8,762 | .. | .. |
| Italy | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3,510 | .. | .. |
| Norway | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4,882 | .. | 4,882 |
| Sweden | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3,662 | .. | .. |
| Dutch East Indies | 9 | 27,172 | 1 | 3,944 | 13 | 34,603 | .. | 3,500 |
| Portuguese East Africa | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 5,164 | .. | .. |
| Chile | 1 | 3,748 | 1 | 3,909 | 3 | 11,244 | .. | 2,882 |
| United States of America | 81 | 298,470 | 23 | 92,844 | 93 | 351,511 | 37 | 144,217 |
| Mexico | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4,454 | .. | .. |
| Panama Canal Zone | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3,748 | .. |
| Uruguay | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 5,296 |
| Peru | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3,172 | .. | .. |
| New Caledonia | 5 | 4,616 | 7 | 19,547 | 4 | 3,796 | 6 | 12,558 |
| Society Islands | 5 | 4,090 | 10 | 16,101 | 5 | 4,720 | .. | 8,458 |
| Tonga | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 12 | .. | 12 |
| Tuamotu Archipelago | 6 | 13,187 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2,510 |
| Tutuila | .. | .. | 2 | 2,441 | .. | .. | 1 | 1,194 |
| Whale Fisheries | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 | 5,320 | 6 | 5,320 |
| Totals | 664 | 2,111,879 | 646 | 2,060,502 | 713 | 2,212,955 | 706 | 2,227,207 |
More than half of the vessels, representing slightly less than half of the total tonnage inwards during the two years covered by the foregoing table, came from Australia, while a somewhat higher proportion of the shipping outwards was cleared for Australia. The United Kingdom ranks second, the United States third, Canada fourth, and Fiji fifth, shipping entered from or cleared to other countries being comparatively insignificant, though the aggregate for the numerous islands of the Pacific (other than Fiji) is fairly high. The figures for the principal countries for each of the last ten years are as follow:—
| Year. | Australia. | United Kingdom. | United States. | Canada. | Fiji. | Other Pacific Islands. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entered. | ||||||
| .. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. |
| 1915 | 785,699 | 330,487 | 180,849 | 136,378 | 57,894 | 32,997 |
| 1916 | 651,549 | 287,451 | 221,047 | 115,830 | 55,301 | 16,678 |
| 1917 | 614,055 | 308,932 | 205,440 | 112,969 | 50,077 | 28,674 |
| 1918 | 778,416 | 190,758 | 123,605 | 83,312 | 47,038 | 21,983 |
| 1919 | 637,368 | 388,303 | 220,819 | 70,066 | 57,877 | 27,385 |
| 1920 | 1,076,585 | 339,173 | 101,461 | 131,989 | 61,260 | 42,202 |
| 1921 | 888,287 | 415,020 | 324,089 | 167,951 | 70,461 | 33,894 |
| 1922 | 872,175 | 375,361 | 211,223 | 193,161 | 57,705 | 34,072 |
| 1923 | 1,045,264 | 387,987 | 298,470 | 192,098 | 53,779 | 42,620 |
| 1924 | 1,082,982 | 376,025 | 351,511 | 174,654 | 58,237 | 54,282 |
| Cleared. | ||||||
| 1915 | 822,296 | 461,647 | 75,306 | 90,182 | 44,173 | 25,492 |
| 1916 | 684,966 | 438,548 | 51,377 | 84,642 | 57,707 | 23,411 |
| 1917 | 654,237 | 428,799 | 50,540 | 77,730 | 38,732 | 30,929 |
| 1918 | 577,504 | 417,945 | 62,816 | 74,430 | 38,027 | 18,055 |
| 1919 | 683,432 | 559,476 | 58,256 | 75,603 | 40,909 | 31,071 |
| 1920 | 1,185,707 | 473,822 | 56,065 | 89,167 | 33,943 | 35,935 |
| 1921 | 1,178,138 | 535,273 | 84,571 | 69,416 | 56,223 | 15,578 |
| 1922 | 974,872 | 543,821 | 111,483 | 70,148 | 54,190 | 18,314 |
| 1923 | 1,211,532 | 523,663 | 92,844 | 105,218 | 48,737 | 53,228 |
| 1924 | 1,338,655 | 525,230 | 144,217 | 104,536 | 45,594 | 40,975 |
New Zealand has twenty-one ports of entry for Customs purposes, and there are numerous other ports around the coast. A vessel arriving from overseas may call at several ports in the Dominion to discharge and load cargo, and is recorded as an overseas arrival at the first port of call, and as an overseas departure from the port from which it finally sails. Its movements from one port to another in New Zealand are treated as coastwise shipping. The figures in the following table must simply be taken as showing the extent to which various ports are made the first port of arrival or the last port of departure, and not as indicating the relative overseas trade of the various ports.
| Port. | Entered. | Cleared. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| Kaipara | 653 | 1,736 | 2,995 | 1,873 | 1,038 | .. |
| Auckland | 920,747 | 1,120,883 | 1,229,298 | 620,006 | 768,377 | 809,471 |
| Tauranga | .. | 2,065 | 1,367 | 2,357 | .. | .. |
| Tokomaru Bay | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Gisborne | 18,266 | 20,370 | 15,703 | 20,298 | 8,207 | 8,564 |
| Napier | 40,167 | 43,368 | 21,289 | 11,882 | 33,965 | 39,109 |
| Waitara | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| New Plymouth | 31,874 | 34,609 | 31,652 | 37,540 | 21,269 | 49,558 |
| Patea | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Wanganui | 11,213 | 27,992 | 29,365 | 4,795 | 5,862 | 12,238 |
| Wellington | 480,450 | 580,908 | 541,805 | 731,865 | 743,205 | 759,740 |
| Picton | 3,775 | 9,234 | 4,753 | 8,648 | 1,247 | 4,162 |
| Nelson | 13,309 | 5,166 | 2,065 | 1,860 | 1,541 | .. |
| Westport | 8,305 | 15,311 | 2,533 | 12,028 | 24,502 | 20,584 |
| Greymouth | 503 | 498 | 1,526 | 27,833 | 34,172 | 34,608 |
| Hokitika | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Lyttelton | 90,145 | 93,420 | 124,267 | 93,018 | 116,473 | 97,319 |
| Timaru | 23,817 | 6,892 | 8,155 | 24,223 | 18,509 | 21,019 |
| Oamaru | 1,305 | 3,466 | 7,703 | 4,042 | .. | 1,860 |
| Otago | 54,215 | 50,397 | 63,088 | 126,123 | 191,031 | 256,296 |
| Bluff | 84,243 | 95,564 | 125,391 | 61,589 | 91,104 | 112,679 |
| Totals | 1,782,987 | 2,111,879 | 2,212,955 | 1,789,980 | 2,060,502 | 2,227,207 |
Complementary to the statistical tables of overseas shipping entered and cleared, a table of coastwise shipping was until 1922 published annually in the successive volumes of Trade and Shipping Statistics, and the two sets of figures taken in conjunction showed the total shipping of each port. A drawback of the table of coastwise shipping, however, was that it made no distinction between vessels engaged merely in the coastal trade and overseas vessels moving from port to port. To remedy this deficiency a new series of tables was instituted in 1922, showing for each of fifty-one ports (now fifty-five) the total shipping entered and cleared, and distinguishing between overseas and coastal vessels, irrespective of whether the former had been entered or cleared overseas or coastwise. From this series of tables may be seen at a glance not only the total shipping of each port, but the number and tonnage of vessels calling there which are engaged in the overseas trade.
A summary is here given showing for each of the fifty-five ports referred to the number and tonnage of all vessels entered during 1923 and 1924. In this summary no distinction is made between overseas and coastal vessels.
| Port. | 1923. | 1924. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Tonnage. | Number. | Tonnage. | |
* Returns not collected in 1923. | ||||
| Parengarenga | 6 | 1,112 | 14 | 2,262 |
| Awanui | 79 | 9,269 | 92 | 12,288 |
| Whangaroa | 209 | 46,381 | 211 | 52,845 |
| Russell | 189 | 91,763 | 177 | 91,991 |
| Herekino | 1 | 52 | 1 | 6 |
| Whangape | 37 | 2,958 | 34 | 2,556 |
| Hokianga | 101 | 22,396 | 101 | 21,533 |
| Mangonui | 112 | 23,270 | 107 | 25,014 |
| Whangarei | 1,215 | 236,600 | 1,247 | 239,768 |
| Kaipara | 42 | 6,268 | 13 | 4,294 |
| Mangawai | 72 | 3,658 | 58 | 2,972 |
| Auckland | 7,952 | 2,134,918 | 9,342 | 2,355,124 |
| Onehunga | 362 | 95,157 | 343 | 89,022 |
| Whitianga | 140 | 14,767 | 105 | 12,866 |
| Great Barrier | 53 | 7,081 | 63 | 7,945 |
| Kawhia | 53 | 9,849 | 47 | 10,019 |
| Raglan | 54 | 9,880 | 48 | 9,120 |
| Thames | 654 | 73,388 | 684 | 76,426 |
| Coromandel | 108 | 8,961 | 124 | 9,185 |
| Tauranga | 347 | 64,989 | 361 | 112,937 |
| Opotiki | 80 | 6,512 | 71 | 6,736 |
| Whakatane | 130 | 35,819 | 132 | 41,655 |
| Tolaga Bay | 78 | 32,489 | 101 | 39,112 |
| Tokomaru Bay | 272 | 155,861 | 277 | 143,658 |
| Gisborne | 489 | 402,423 | 498 | 410,491 |
| Wairoa | 210 | 15,029 | 225 | 17,332 |
| Waikokopu | 36 | 8,763 | 32 | 7,126 |
| Napier | 650 | 582,719 | 703 | 622,172 |
| Awakino | * | * | 14 | 196 |
| Mokau | 38 | 524 | 34 | 467 |
| Waitara | 53 | 5,911 | 55 | 1,124 |
| New Plymouth | 310 | 307,010 | 352 | 328,083 |
| Patea | 185 | 17,375 | 174 | 17,206 |
| Wanganui | 502 | 270,804 | 534 | 310,042 |
| Foxton | 68 | 8,908 | 86 | 10,374 |
| Wellington | 2,983 | 2,985,743 | 3,107 | 2,983,743 |
| Wairau | 193 | 14,331 | 243 | 16,727 |
| Havelock | 28 | 1,329 | 45 | 2,434 |
| Kaikoura | 151 | 22,005 | 160 | 22,534 |
| Picton | 420 | 211,901 | 410 | 214,447 |
| Nelson | 1,360 | 255,943 | 1,544 | 247,427 |
| Waitapu | 319 | 12,569 | 305 | 12,416 |
| Motueka | 363 | 26,804 | 386 | 30,843 |
| Westport | 570 | 302,576 | 565 | 318,739 |
| Greymouth | 409 | 203,283 | 367 | 193,567 |
| Hokitika | 13 | 303 | 15 | 360 |
| Lyttelton | 1,597 | 1,850,219 | 1,554 | 1,867,824 |
| Akaroa | 33 | 4,512 | 32 | 5,107 |
| Timaru | 387 | 466,484 | 370 | 520,571 |
| Oamaru | 190 | 153,381 | 176 | 163,654 |
| Otago | 552 | 916,666 | 589 | 1,077,101 |
| Invercargill | 96 | 5,936 | 133 | 8,820 |
| Bluff | 327 | 381,092 | 396 | 423,553 |
| Riverton | 3 | 249 | 3 | 249 |
| Half-moon Bay | 86 | 1,117 | 109 | 1,642 |
| Totals | 24,967 | 12,529,307 | 26,969 | 13,207,705 |
Wellington ranks as the first port of the Dominion as regards aggregate tonnage of shipping entered, followed by Auckland, Lyttelton, Otago, and Napier in that order. Wellington and Lyttelton are the termini of the daily inter-Island ferry service and to this fact is due a large part of the coastwise shipping credited to these two ports.
The number and tonnage of overseas vessels included in the totals given on the previous page for the various ports concerned are now given. This table covers all vessels engaged in the overseas trade, whether entered overseas or coastwise, and the figures for individual ports differ greatly from those given in a previous table, wherein the tonnage of overseas vessels entered is counted only for the port of first entry in the Dominion.
| Port. | 1923. | 1924. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Tonnage. | Number. | Tonnage. | |
| Awanui | 3 | 594 | 1 | 200 |
| Whangaroa | 1 | 1,513 | 3 | 4,408 |
| Russell | 12 | 48,435 | 15 | 47,529 |
| Whangape | 3 | 1,158 | 2 | 772 |
| Hokianga | 9 | 9,662 | 11 | 8,540 |
| Whangarei | 17 | 18,423 | 8 | 8,460 |
| Kaipara | 4 | 2,683 | 4 | 2,995 |
| Auckland | 423 | 1,449,447 | 453 | 1,571,958 |
| Thames | 3 | 1,126 | 3 | 872 |
| Tauranga | 1 | 748 | 1 | 1,367 |
| Whakatane | 5 | 26,922 | 6 | 33,510 |
| Tokomaru Bay | 15 | 69,109 | 14 | 60,383 |
| Gisborne | 58 | 223,852 | 72 | 241,522 |
| Waikokopu | 1 | 1,700 | 1 | 3,300 |
| Napier | 94 | 411,666 | 112 | 452,504 |
| Waitara | 1 | 5,166 | .. | .. |
| New Plymouth | 67 | 202,946 | 82 | 219,181 |
| Wanganui | 48 | 179,400 | 67 | 214,640 |
| Wellington | 427 | 1,713,726 | 436 | 1,702,470 |
| Picton | 23 | 83,986 | 22 | 71,115 |
| Nelson | 8 | 23,943 | 11 | 23,925 |
| Westport | 101 | 135,975 | 117 | 146,931 |
| Greymouth | 97 | 89,752 | 153 | 127,879 |
| Lyttelton | 243 | 973,386 | 245 | 1,022,348 |
| Akaroa | 1 | 1,500 | 1 | 1,500 |
| Timaru | 95 | 293,928 | 114 | 379,821 |
| Oamaru | 18 | 43,266 | 49 | 96,918 |
| Otago | 195 | 703,705 | 274 | 935,674 |
| Bluff | 112 | 337,256 | 135 | 385,106 |
| Totals | 2,085 | 7,054,973 | 2,412 | 7,767,828 |
Overseas vessels are shown to have called at twenty-eight ports during 1924, including eleven which were not first ports of call for a single overseas vessel. The total entries of the 713 overseas vessels during the year were 2,412, which gives an average of somewhat over three ports called at on each visit to the Dominion. Many vessels—as, for instance, those engaged in the transport of timber and coal, and those merely touching at a New Zealand port while en route between Australia and America—call at only one port in the Dominion, while, on the other hand, vessels engaged in the Home trade generally call at half a dozen or more ports.
The examinations for masters, mates, engineers, &c., of vessels are controlled by the Marine Department, and the regulations relating to these examinations are based upon those of the Imperial Board of Trade, with such modifications as are necessitated by local conditions; but the British Board of Trade recognizes the following New Zealand certificates only as of Imperial validity: Master, extra; master, ordinary; master, steamship; first mate, only mate, and second mate, ordinary and steamship; first- and second-class marine engineers. It is a condition of such recognition that candidates must possess service qualifications and pass examinations similar and not inferior to those prescribed by the British Board of Trade.
New regulations for the examination of masters and mates were issued by the Board of Trade in 1921, and corresponding regulations were made in New Zealand and came into force on 6th June, 1923.
During 1924-25 some 438 candidates sat for examinations. Of the 266 who passed, 135 were masters, mates, and engineers of seagoing ships; 2 were for voluntary examination in compass deviation; 17 were masters, mates, and engineers of steamers plying within restricted limits; 32 were engineers of seagoing motor-propelled boats; and 80 were engineers of such boats plying within restricted limits.
The Shipping and Seamen Act of 1908, and its amendment of 1909, provide for an annual survey by Government surveyors of all vessels, with a view to ensuring their seaworthiness. Certificates of survey were issued in 1924-25 to 250 steamers, 500 oil-engine vessels, and 28 sailing-vessels.
The long coast-line of the Dominion is marred in many places by hidden rocks or reefs and other perils to navigation. This has compelled the erection of some forty-three coastal lighthouses of various types. No fewer than twelve of these are situated in the stormy area of Cook Strait and the bays opening therefrom, reaching from where the red and white rays of Cape Farewell light give warning of the seven-mile-long sandspit at the northern extremity of the South Island to the bluff shore marked by the Cape Palliser light at the southern point of the North Island.
The buildings are of varying kinds, as necessitated by their respective situations. In some thirty cases the light apparatus is classed as of the dioptric order—i.e., a central lamp sending its rays through a combination of surrounding lenses; and in one catadioptric, in which system the light rays are both reflected and refracted. Automatic lights are used in the remainder of the coastal lighthouses.
The most powerful light is that of Stephen Island, which, placed some 600 ft. above high water, is visible at a distance of 32 1/2 nautical miles. Next in order come Cape Brett light (altitude 510 ft.), and East Cape (505 feet), both visible at 30 1/2 miles; Godley Head (altitude 450 ft.), visibility 29 miles; Cuvier Island light (altitude 390 ft.), and Mokohinou (altitude 385 ft.), both of which have a visibility of 27 miles. Sixteen other lights have a range of 20 miles or over.
All manually-attended coastal lighthouses are equipped with signalling flags and lamps, the keepers being competent to transmit or receive messages. Coastal lights—i.e., those outside the bounds of the various harbour authorities, are maintained by the Marine Department.
The average cost of erection and equipment of the coastal lighthouses was about £6,000 per light. The two most costly were Cape Brett Lighthouse (£11,237) on the Auckland Peninsula, and Dog Island Lighthouse (£10,481) in Foveaux Strait. The cost of maintenance of all lighthouses under the control of the Marine Department was for 1924-25—Salaries, £17,858; oil, £1,556; stores and maintenance, £5,546; working-expenses of tender, £20,000; administration expenses, £6,000; interest and sinking-fund charges, £15,000; depreciation, £8,000; total, £73,960. Light dues collected during 1924-25 totalled £80,467.
In the case of any wreck or shipping casualty in or near the coast of New Zealand a Collector of Customs, Superintendent of Mercantile Marine, or other person empowered by the Minister of Marine institutes an inquiry into the cause and circumstances of such casualty. If necessary, a formal investigation is held by a Magistrate, who has power to cancel or suspend the certificate of any officer where the damage has resulted from his wrongful act or default.
Should any wreck occur on the coast the Receiver of Wrecks for that district, usually an officer of the Customs, has the necessary authority to be used in the preservation of life and property.
During the year 1924-25, 100 inquiries into shipping casualties were held, the number of vessels involved being 107. The principal casualty was the wreck of the s.s. “Ripple” off Cape Palliser, in which 18 lives were lost. Another life was lost in the foundering of the small oil-launch “Toi Toi” at the entrance to Lyttelton Harbour.
Ninety — five of the casualties occurred on or near New Zealand coasts. A summary of these is given.
| Strandings— | No. | Tonnage. |
|---|---|---|
| Total wrecks | 4 | 1,582 |
| Slight damage | 3 | 239 |
| No damage | 18 | 8,243 |
| Collisions— | ||
| Total loss | 1 | 4 |
| Partial loss | 1 | 15 |
| Slight damage | 30 | 16,744 |
| No damage | 5 | 113 |
| Foundered | 2 | 192 |
| Fires— | No. | Tonnage. |
| Total loss | 3 | 15 |
| Partial loss | .. | .. |
| Slight damage | 7 | 16,196 |
| No damage | 1 | 5,055 |
| Miscellaneous | 20 | 14,550 |
| Totals | 95 | 62,948 |
Table of Contents
RAILWAY history in New Zealand dates from the year 1860 only. In that year a contract was let for the construction of a line from Christchurch to Lyttelton. The first portion of this line was opened on the 1st December, 1863, so that to Canterbury Province belongs the honour of first having railway communication within its borders. Four years later the Lyttelton Tunnel (1 1/2 miles long) had been pierced and the line completed. Meanwhile other lines were being proceeded with inland towards the Canterbury Plains. Following the lead of Canterbury Province, the Provincial Council of Southland commenced in 1863 a line from Invercargill to Bluff Harbour, which was opened on the 5th February, 1867. Driven by the necessity for efficient military transport, the Provincial Council of Auckland in 1863 began the construction of a line from Auckland to Drury.
The effect of the various short railways being constructed by different authorities is apparent in the different gauges adopted. The General Government recommended the adoption of a 5 ft. 6 in. gauge; nevertheless the Canterbury lines were using a 5 ft. 3 in. gauge, while the Auckland and Otago lines had the standard English gauge of 4 ft. 8 in.
Happily, these troubles were solved by the historic Railways Act of 1870. At this date only forty-six miles of railway were in operation. This Act, which was part of the public-works policy of the late Sir Julius Vogel, provided a general railway policy for the colony. Six years later, when the abolition of provinces placed the earlier-constructed lines in the hands of the General Government, railway mileage had risen to 718 miles.
Although practically all the railways are State-owned, some were built by private enterprise. Of these the more important were constructed by the Midland and Wellington-Manawatu Railway Companies. The former line, of which some eighty-seven miles were in use, was taken over by the Government on the 27th May, 1895. The latter, from Wellington to Longburn, a distance of eighty-four miles, was acquired by the State by purchase in December, 1908.
On the 4th August, 1923, the Otira Tunnel—the connecting-link of the two railway systems on the cast and west coasts of the South Island—was opened for through traffic, and this event marked the completion of one of New Zealand's greatest engineering achievements.
The Arthur's Pass Tunnel, as it is sometimes called, is seventh on the list of the world's longest tunnels, and is the longest tunnel in the British Empire.
The contract for driving the tunnel was let to a private firm as far back as 1908, for the sum of nearly £600,000, and the work was to be finished in five years, but events proved that this was impossible. The Government, realizing that the work was of national importance, decided to take over the task, and the construction fell to the lot of the Public Works Department. After a lapse of sixteen years the tunnel was completed at a cost of something like £1,500,000.
The working of the electrified section, Otira — Arthur's Pass, 8 miles 18 chains, including the tunnel of 5 1/4 miles, has been provided for by the erection of a power-station at Otira containing three modern steam boilers and two turbine-driven generators. Each of the five 50-ton electric locomotives attached to the section is capable of hauling a train of 140 tons up the ruling grade of 1 in 33 to Arthur's Pass.
The tunnel enters the mountain-side on the east (Arthur's Pass) at an altitude of 2,435 ft. above sea-level, burrows under the summit of Arthur's Pass on a downward course, and emerges after 5 miles 25 chains 12 feet at an altitude of 1,586 ft. above sea-level.
An interesting development on the New Zealand railways during the last few years has been the introduction of automatic and electric-power signalling to increase the efficient and economical working of traffic. The system as installed has been developed to suit the railway conditions in New Zealand, and the installations now in use are proving very satisfactory, while further extensions are being proceeded with.
At present automatic signalling is in operation between Lambton and Upper Hutt, a distance of 21 miles, and between Addington and Stillwater, a distance of 97 miles. The latter installation is particularly interesting, inasmuch as the older type of three-position semaphore signal has been discarded, and the indications are given by means of coloured lenses both by day and by night.
The system of railway-management has recently been reorganized and is at present carried on by a Board of three, consisting of a Chairman and two other members. There are two Divisional Superintendents, one in charge of the North Island lines with headquarters at Auckland and the other at Christchurch who controls the South Island system. In regard to the earlier organization of railway-management it was in the year 1876 that the railways of New Zealand passed from the control of the Provincial Governments to the Public Works Department. A few years later the opened lines were handed over to the Working Railways Department, and in 1889 a Board of three Railway Commissioners was appointed. This form of management, however, lasted only for five years, at the end of which period a General Manager, responsible to the Minister of Railways, took over the administration, and this system continued for close on thirty years.
At the present time there are some 3,085 miles of State railways open for traffic, divided into eight distinct sections, as follows:—
| Section. | Length. |
|---|---|
| Miles. | |
| North Island main lines and branches | 1,158 |
| Whangarei | 88 |
| Kaihu | 24 |
| Gisborne | 60 |
| Total, North Island | 1,330 |
| South Island main lines and branches | 1,595 |
| Westport | 43 |
| Nelson | 61 |
| Picton | 56 |
| Total, South Island | 1,755 |
Government railways are constructed by the Public Works Department, and are transferred to the Railways Department when completed.
The gauge is 3 ft. 6 in., and a steel rail of 70 lb. weight per lineal yard is the standard for the permanent-way, and is in use on 1,484 miles of line. Some 1,498 miles are still in 53 lb., 55 lb., and 56 lb. steel rails, and most of the remainder is of lighter material. Sleepers, which are laid down to the number of 2,100 to the mile, are principally Australian hardwoods or New Zealand silver-pine or totara.
All carriages and wagons required for use on the State railways have, since 1901, been manufactured in the railway workshops of the Dominion, with the exception of 2,500 four-wheeled wagons imported from England in 1921-22. Most of the locomotives also are now built in the Dominion, partly in the railway workshops and partly by an engineering firm at Thames. The Railways Department commenced building new engines in 1889 in the Addington Workshops (Christchurch). Since that year building operations have been gradually extended, the work being restricted to two of the four principal workshops of the Department. One of these, Addington, has specialized in tender-engines, while the other, Hillside (Dunedin), has confined itself to the construction of tank engines. Up to the present time 211 new locomotives have been built by the Department, of which 79 were tender-engines and 132 tank engines. The weights of the tender-engines in working trim vary from 63 to 94 tons, while those of the tank engines run from 29 1/2 to 71 tons.
A new passenger locomotive, Class AB, was Drought into operation during 1915, and has been adopted as a standard type. This is a simple superheated tender-engine of the “Pacific” type—weight in working trim, 79 tons; tractive power, 20,000 lb. The AB locomotive is of sufficient power to be also easily adapted for use as a goods engine. The standard goods locomotive used is of the four-cylinder balanced compound type, weighs 94 tons, and has a tractive power of 29,840 lb. Standard carriages are 50 ft. in length, fitted with chair seats to accommodate forty-four passengers, and lighted by the Pintsch-gas system. On the Auckland-Wellington Main Trunk express trains electric lighting is being substituted for gas lighting. The Westinghouse brake is fitted to all rolling-stock with the exception of that on the Kaihu, Picton, Nelson, and Westport Sections.
Information as to the rolling-stock in use on the State railways in each of the last ten years is given in the following table:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Locomotives. | Passenger-vehicles. | Wagons and Brake-vans. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 585 | 1,452 | 21,994 |
| 1917 | 607 | 1,480 | 22,380 |
| 1918 | 624 | 1,488 | 22,517 |
| 1919 | 620 | 1,489 | 22,658 |
| 1920 | 616 | 1,492 | 22,937 |
| 1921 | 608 | 1,492 | 23,119 |
| 1922 | 637 | 1,496 | 23,974 |
| 1923 | 639 | 1,498 | 26,106 |
| 1924 | 655 | 1,506 | 26,198 |
| 1925 | 662 | 1,568 | 26,488 |
The following statement shows the number of miles of Government railways open in the Dominion, the number of train-miles travelled and of passengers carried, and the tonnage of goods traffic for the last twenty years:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Length open (Miles). | Train-mileage. | Passengers. | Season Tickets issued. | Goods and Live-stock.* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* The equivalent tonnage for live-stock has been given. | |||||
| Tons. | |||||
| 1906 | 2,407 | 6,413,573 | 8,826,382 | 147,989 | 4,415,166 |
| 1907 | 2,458 | 6,755,454 | 9,600,786 | 165,504 | 4,824,563 |
| 1908 | 2,474 | 7,051,274 | 9,756,716 | 185,174 | 5,070,176 |
| 1909 | 2,674 | 7,458,236 | 10,457,144 | 192,547 | 5,135,408 |
| 1910 | 2,717 | 7,889,166 | 11,141,142 | 199,371 | 5,490,018 |
| 1911 | 2,753 | 8,141,075 | 11,200,613 | 222,104 | 5,863,674 |
| 1912 | 2,798 | 8,371,687 | 11,891,134 | 236,957 | 5,887,908 |
| 1913 | 2,851 | 9,016,224 | 13,123,879 | 265,259 | 6,246,128 |
| 1914 | 2,854 | 9,319,268 | 13,355,893 | 287,037 | 6,019,633 |
| 1915 | 2,945 | 9,383,420 | 13,565,772 | 302,912 | 6,453,472 |
| 1916 | 2,960 | 9,356,522 | 14,201,506 | 330,622 | 6,370,945 |
| 1917 | 2,960 | 9,146,331 | 14,173,115 | 355,832 | 6,239,172 |
| 1918 | 2,983 | 7,468,646 | 11,408,156 | 322,487 | 5,742,968 |
| 1919 | 2,983 | 7,477,583 | 11,374,521 | 351,124 | 5,613,739 |
| 1920 | 2,996 | 7,408,608 | 12,760,814 | 400,621 | 6,000,279 |
| 1921 | 3,009 | 9,303,392 | 15,315,640 | 464,691 | 6,487,279 |
| 1922 | 3,021 | 8,717,265 | 14,262,440 | 472,865 | 6,321,351 |
| 1923 | 3,028 | 8,346,731 | 14,256,610 | 485,681 | 6,618,588 |
| 1924 | 3,053 | 9,024,503 | 13,836,311 | 525,744 | 6,925,517 |
| 1925 | 3,085 | 9,083,623 | 12,424,012 | 537,544 | 7,033,459 |
The figures for passengers in the foregoing table are exclusive of season-ticket holders. If these be included the total number of passengers in 1924-25 becomes 26,106,859, as against 28,436,475 in 1923-24.
The total cost of construction of open lines up to the 31st March, 1925, was £44,570,746. The amount spent on lines in course of construction and not handed over to the Working Railways Department for traffic purposes was £6,262,754, making the total capital invested in State railways £50,833,500. The figures for each of the last five years are given.
| — | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Lines open for traffic | 37,235,254 | 39,309,097 | 40,275,161 | 41,399,427 | 44,570,746 |
| Lines under construction | 4,190,242 | 5,380,651 | 6,575,910 | 7,339,394 | 6,262,754 |
| Totals | 41,425,496 | 44,689,748 | 46,851,071 | 48,738,821 | 50,833,500 |
So varied are the geographical features of the Dominion that a great disparity exists in the cost of constructing the individual sections of lines. The numerous mountain-chains and the innumerable rivers fed by the heavy rainfall make railway-construction in general both difficult and expensive, as the next statement shows.
| Section. | Capital Cost of Open Lines to 31st March, 1925. | Capital Cost per Mile (Open Lines). | Net Revenue, 1924-25. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Mile of Open Line. | Per Cent. of Capital Cost. | |||
* Loss. | ||||
| North Island— | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Whangarei | 1,184,198 | 13,457 | — 197.76* | .. |
| Kaihu | 192,164 | 8,007 | - 6.38* | .. |
| Gisborne | 864,825 | 14,414 | 39.95 | 0.22 |
| Main lines and branches | 20,134,115 | 17,387 | 1,058.67 | 6.12 |
| Totals | 22,375,302 | 16,824 | 915.08 | 5.46 |
| South Island— | ||||
| Westport | 703,063 | 16,350 | 1,069.83 | 5.56 |
| Nelson | 445,246 | 7,300 | — 116.81* | .. |
| Picton | 688,246 | 12,290 | — 37.48* | .. |
| Main lines and branches | 20,179,781 | 12,652 | 208.99 | 1.67 |
| Totals | 22,016,336 | 12,545 | 207.79 | 1.67 |
| Lake Wakatipu steamer service | 44,300 | .. | .. | .. |
| Stock of stores, &c. | 134,808 | .. | .. | .. |
| Grand totals | 44,570,746 | 14,448 | 511.72 | 3.55 |
The cost of construction has been relatively greater in the North Island than in the South, but the net revenue per mile of open line and per cent. of capital cost has in recent years been considerably greater in the North than in the South. The North Island main lines and branches and the Westport Section show a greater capital cost per mile than any other section, but they give the highest percentage of net revenue.
The railways in New Zealand have never been regarded, or run, as a profit-making concern. Even if practicable, there is little doubt that such a policy would not meet with the approval of the public, nor would it bring about any material improvement in the condition of affairs as a whole. If, in the construction and working of the railway, considerations of financial return only were regarded, much greater profit would be earned. The railways have contributed in a great measure towards bringing the Dominion to its present high state of productiveness, and have given practical assistance in the development of the country, and have encouraged local industry. For many years a profit of 3 per cent. was regarded as sufficient, and any excess over this rate was followed by reductions in passenger charges or in freights. Consequent on the extension of settlement and the soundness of the Dominion's industries, a higher rate than 3 per cent. has been aimed at in recent years. The rate looked for in 1909-10 was 3 3/4 per cent., and in 1910-11 4 per cent., followed in 1911-12 by a return to 3 3/4 per cent. These rates were obtained, as will be seen from the table following. The rates for 1913-14 and 1914-15 fell below expectations, a result due in the earlier year to the extended strike which obtained during nearly three months of the year and to the outbreak of smallpox in the North Island, and in the later year to the outbreak of the European War. In 1915-16 and 1916-17, however, there were considerable increases, bringing the revenue up to 4 3/4 per cent. and 5 1/4 per cent. respectively. The returns for the next three years all fell slightly below the figure for 1916-17; in 1920-21 there was an abrupt fall to somewhat less than 3 1/2 per cent., and in 1921-22 the unprecedentedly low figure of slightly over 1 per cent. was reached, a state of affairs brought about by high running-costs, the competition of motor transport, and especially the state of depression which was in evidence during the year. The year 1922-23 showed a considerable improvement over the preceding period, the return being slightly over 3 per cent.; while for the year 1923-24 the policy rate of 3 3/4 per cent. was slightly exceeded. The restrictions imposed by the Health Department on account of the epidemic of infantile paralysis considerably affected the passenger traffic for the year 1924-25, and to this may be attributed the decrease in the rate of interest earned—viz., slightly over 3 1/2 per cent.
It has been the policy of the Department that all revenue in excess of the amount required to pay the rate of interest on the capital cost, as specified above, should be returned to the public in the form of concessions in fares and freights. In pursuance of this policy handsome concessions have been granted in the matter of fares to encourage people to live in the suburbs. At the present rate the workers' weekly and the twelve-trip weekly tickets are unremunerative, while the concession to school-children results in a considerable annual loss to the Department. Many concessions have been granted in the parcels and goods branches. For instance, half a hundredweight of New-Zealand-grown fresh fruit is carried any distance for 8d. Lime for farm lands is conveyed for distances up to 100 miles free of charge; empty fruit-cases made from New Zealand timber under certain conditions are carried free for distances up to 100 miles, and a similar concession applies to timber consigned for the purpose of making fruit-cases. Native brown coal is carried at an extremely low rate. Native timbers are carried at one-third less than the rate charged for imported timbers. Stock, implements, produce, &c., consigned to agricultural shows are returned free of charge. Many commodities of New Zealand manufacture are granted preferential rates on the railways in order to protect and foster the industries of the Dominion. All these are cases in which immediate financial return is sacrificed to secure general advantage to the community, and the revenue obtained from most of the services which are the subject of concessions is actually below what it costs the Department to perform these services.
Information as to the revenue of the railways during each of the last twenty years is given in the following table:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Gross Revenue from | Total Gross Revenue. | Net Revenue. | Percentage of Net Revenue to Capital Cost. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger-fares. | Parcels, Luggage, and Mails. | Goods and Live-stock. | Rents and Miscellaneous. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1906 | 786,873 | 142,642 | 1,346,038 | 74,151 | 2,349,704 | 728,465 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
| 1907 | 892,053 | 151,913 | 1,498,686 | 81,948 | 2,624,600 | 812,118 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
| 1908 | 912,978 | 176,876 | 1,582,328 | 89,756 | 2,761,938 | 812,179 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| 1909 | 1,011,658 | 187,040 | 1,630,704 | 100,124 | 2,929,526 | 814,711 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 1910 | 1,171,040 | 192,585 | 1,772,547 | 113,618 | 3,249,790 | 1,080,316 | 3 | 16 | 0 |
| 1911 | 1,223,412 | 193,789 | 1,961,078 | 115,903 | 3,494,182 | 1,190,910 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 1912 | 1,319,114 | 203,334 | 2,032,785 | 121,276 | 3,676,509 | 1,210,613 | 3 | 19 | 7 |
| 1913 | 1,461,873 | 215,209 | 2,157,686 | 136,234 | 3,971,002 | 1,265,393 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| 1914 | 1,450,480 | 236,761 | 2,209,398 | 146,689 | 4,043,328 | 1,163,005 | 3 | 12 | 3 |
| 1915 | 1,482,382 | 227,521 | 2,249,399 | 146,155 | 4,105,457 | 1,185,002 | 3 | 10 | 7 |
| 1916 | 1,722,702 | 236,705 | 2,423,493 | 165,456 | 4,548,356 | 1,637,473 | 4 | 14 | 4 |
| 1917 | 1,873,048 | 243,832 | 2,498,862 | 185,068 | 4,800,810 | 1,873,946 | 5 | 5 | 11 |
| 1918 | 1,802,597 | 254,110 | 2,465,241 | 165,752 | 4,687,700 | 1,644,793 | 4 | 11 | 11 |
| 1919 | 1,950,281 | 258,525 | 2,608,336 | 171,490 | 4,988,632 | 1,680,057 | 4 | 12 | 11 |
| 1920 | 2,303,987 | 290,453 | 2,956,237 | 201,810 | 5,752,487 | 1,647,420 | 4 | 10 | 8 |
| 1921 | 2,658,079 | 335,754 | 3,676,665 | 238,033 | 6,908,531 | 1,271,931 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| 1922 | 2,418,227 | 339,482 | 3,646,594 | 239,288 | 6,643,591 | 405,864 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1923 | 2,420,620 | 393,322 | 3,671,008 | 242,852 | 6,727,802 | 1,225,305 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| 1924 | 2,349,599 | 406,832 | 3,953,213 | 274,567 | 6,984,211 | 1,580,445 | 3 | 16 | 6 |
| 1925 | 2,288,571 | 417,550 | 4,122,017 | 284,386 | 7,112,524 | 1,567,108 | 3 | 11 | 0 |
The revenue from passenger-fares during the year 1924-25 represented an expenditure on railway travel of £1 13s. 8d. per head of mean population, including Maoris. The total revenue was equal to £5 4s. 7d. per capita.
A table is added showing information as to railway revenue in each of the Australian States for the year ended 30th June, 1924. Figures for New Zealand for the year ended 31st March, 1924, are also given.
| State. | Miles of Line open. | Train-miles run (,000 omitted). | Gross Revenue (,000 omitted). | Net Revenue. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount (,000 omitted). | Per Train-mile. | Per Cent. of Capital. | |||||
* Loss. † Year ended 31st March, 1924. | |||||||
| £ | £ | s. | d. | ||||
| Queensland | 6,040 | 11,647 | 5,714 | 723 | 1 | 3 | 1.53 |
| New South Wales | 5,523 | 23,707 | 15,617 | 4,699 | 3 | 11 1/2 | 5.12 |
| Victoria | 4,435 | 17,079 | 11,959 | 3,241 | 3 | 9 1/2 | 4.92 |
| South Australia | 2,452 | 6,187 | 3,929 | 1,028 | 3 | 4 | 4.80 |
| Western Australia | 3,629 | 4,839 | 3,227 | 929 | 3 | 10 | 4.90 |
| Tasmania | 673 | 1,416 | 586 | 36 | 0 | 6 | 0.55 |
| Federal lines | 1,733 | 771 | 353 | —122* | —3 | 2* | —106* |
| Totals for Australia | 24,485 | 65,646 | 41,385 | 10,534 | 3 | 2 1/2 | 4.00 |
| New Zealand† | 3,053 | 9,024 | 6,984 | 1,580 | 3 | 6 | 3.83 |
Expenditure on State railways open for traffic during the year ended 31st March, 1925, amounted to £5,545,416 or 77.97 per cent. of the gross revenue, as compared with 77.37 per cent. in 1923-24 and 64.91 per cent. in 1917-18. The figures for each of the last twenty years are as follow:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Expenditure. | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount. | Per Cent. of Revenue. | |
| £ | ||
| 1906 | 1,621,239 | 69.00 |
| 1907 | 1,812,482 | 69.06 |
| 1908 | 1,949,759 | 70.59 |
| 1909 | 2,114,815 | 72.19 |
| 1910 | 2,169,474 | 66.76 |
| 1911 | 2,303,272 | 65.92 |
| 1912 | 2,465,896 | 67.07 |
| 1913 | 2,705,609 | 68.13 |
| 1914 | 2,880,323 | 71.24 |
| 1915 | 2,920,455 | 71.14 |
| 1916 | 2,910,883 | 64.00 |
| 1917 | 2,926,864 | 60.97 |
| 1918 | 3,042,907 | 64.91 |
| 1919 | 3,308,575 | 66.32 |
| 1920 | 4,105,067 | 71.37 |
| 1921 | 5,636,601 | 81.59 |
| 1922 | 6,237,727 | 93.89 |
| 1923 | 5,502,497 | 81.79 |
| 1924 | 5,403,766 | 77.37 |
| 1925 | 5,545,416 | 77.97 |
The expenditure under various heads for each of the last ten years has been as follows:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Maintenance of Way.* | Locomotive Power. | Carriages and Wagons. | Traffic. | Lake Wakatipu Steamers. | Head and Departmental offices. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including “Signal and Electrical”—£81,201 in 1924-25. | |||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 740,349 | 934,737 | 225,968 | 889,991 | 6,377 | 113,461 | 2,910,883 |
| 1917 | 720,840 | 937,780 | 238,868 | 904,318 | 6,602 | 118,456 | 2,926,864 |
| 1918 | 710,655 | 962,222 | 283,248 | 954,142 | 7,664 | 124,976 | 3,042,907 |
| 1919 | 752,558 | 1,075,489 | 306,308 | 1,032,609 | 6,985 | 134,626 | 3,308,575 |
| 1920 | 837,910 | 1,397,993 | 387,498 | 1,301,935 | 7,964 | 171,767 | 4,105,067 |
| 1921 | 1,053,049 | 2,124,877 | 531,935 | 1,712,376 | 10,458 | 203,906 | 5,636,601 |
| 1922 | 1,184,227 | 2,567,382 | 566,782 | 1,703,049 | 13,339 | 202,948 | 6,237,727 |
| 1923 | 1,108,317 | 2,121,532 | 535,622 | 1,527,033 | 14,100 | 195,893 | 5,502,497 |
| 1924 | 1,214,193 | 1,893,156 | 550,902 | 1,530,652 | 10,456 | 204,407 | 5,403,766 |
| 1925 | 1,194,249 | 1,917,626 | 575,090 | 1,599,668 | 12,279 | 246,504 | 5,545,416 |
The number of men employed in operating the State railways at the 31st March, 1925, was 17,246. The staff is divided into two divisions—namely, the first or clerical division, and the second or out-of-door division—and is further classed in four branches, as shown in the following table, which gives the number of employees in March of each of the last ten years:—
| As at 31st March. | General. | Traffic. | Maintenance. | Locomotive. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 693 | 5,041 | 3,931 | 5,303 | 14,968 |
| 1917 | 675 | 4,798 | 3,586 | 4,649 | 13,708 |
| 1918 | 660 | 4,612 | 3,410 | 4,320 | 13,002 |
| 1919 | 661 | 4,505 | 3,347 | 3,878 | 12,391 |
| 1920 | 876 | 4,740 | 3,364 | 4,405 | 13,385 |
| 1921 | 927 | 4,930 | 3,576 | 4,819 | 14,252 |
| 1922 | 974 | 5,138 | 3,855 | 5,695 | 15,662 |
| 1923 | 1,038 | 5,039 | 3,796 | 5,855 | 15,728 |
| 1924 | 1,147 | 5,124 | 4,087 | 5,995 | 16,353 |
| 1925 | 1,495 | 5,212 | 4,194 | 6,345 | 17,246 |
Railway employees are under a system of classification, first introduced in 1896, and revised at various times since then.
Appeal Boards (one in each Island) have been constituted to hear and redress grievances of men dissatisfied with decisions respecting the withholding of annual increments, promotion, loss of status, or breaches of discipline involving fines in excess of £2. Each Board consists of a Magistrate and two members of the Railway service elected by the members thereof. The Minister of Railways has the power of veto in respect of any decision of the Board.
A superannuation fund in connection with the Railway service was established in 1903. Full information concerning this is given in the section dealing with “Pensions, Superannuation, &c.”
On the morning of Friday, 6th July, 1923, the express train from Auckland to Wellington ran into a slip near Ongarue Station. A huge boulder struck the engine of the train just as it was passing through the cutting, causing the engine to be badly derailed and some of the carriages to be telescoped. Seventeen passengers were killed and twenty-nine more or less injured. With the exception of this accident the history of railways in New Zealand has been one of comparative freedom from accidents of a serious nature. A table is given dealing with railway accidents during each of the last ten years.
| Year ended 31st March. | To Passengers. | To Employees. | To Others. | Fatal. | Serious. | Minor. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 28 | 919 | 27 | 33 | 6 | 935 | 974 |
| 1917 | 25 | 852 | 22 | 24 | 8 | 867 | 899 |
| 1918 | 11 | 765 | 29 | 22 | 13 | 770 | 805 |
| 1919 | 33 | 715 | 29 | 23 | 22 | 732 | 777 |
| 1920 | 22 | 827 | 39 | 42 | 34 | 812 | 888 |
| 1921 | 10 | 987 | 41 | 24 | 44 | 970 | 1,038 |
| 1922 | 8 | 1,215 | 16 | 22 | 43 | 1,174 | 1,239 |
| 1923 | 18 | 1,448 | 60 | 64 | 35 | 1,427 | 1,526 |
| 1924 | 74 | 1,777 | 51 | 62 | 40 | 1,800 | 1,902 |
| 1925 | 23 | 1,657 | 94 | 37 | 30 | 1,707 | 1,774 |
Of the persons meeting with fatal accidents in 1924-25, 5 were passengers, 17 employees, and 15 neither passengers nor employees.
Private railways have a total mileage of 119 miles. A complete list is as follows:—
| Railway. | Location. | Length of Railway. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | C. | L. | ||
| Waipa Railway and Collieries (Limited) | Ngaruawahia | 5 | 50 | 0 |
| Taupo Totara Timber Company (Limited) | Putaruru | 50 | 40 | 0 |
| Waihi Gold-mining Company (Limited) | Waikino | 5 | 72 | 0 |
| Sanson Tramway | Sanson-Himatangi | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Castlecliff Railway | Wanganui-Castlecliff | 3 | 40 | 0 |
| Napier Harbour Board's line | Port Ahuriri | 1 | 24 | 50 |
| Waronui Coal Company | Milton | 5 | 33 | 0 |
| Taratu Coal Company | Lovell's Flat | 7 | 47 | 0 |
| Kaitangata Coal Company | Stirling | 5 | 45 | 0 |
| Dunedin City Corporation's Ocean Beach Railway | Dunedin (about) | 3 | 14 | 0 |
| Nightcaps Coal Company | Wairio-Nightcaps | 2 | 33 | 63 |
| Ohai Railway | From Wairio | 5 | 60 | 0 |
| Denniston Incline (Westport Coal Company's line) | Waimangaroa-Conn's Creek | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Paparoa Company's Railway | (Worked by N.Z.R.) | 1 | 68 | 21 |
| Reefton Coal Company | Reefton | 2 | 20 | 0 |
| Tongariro Timber Company | Kakahi | .. | .. | .. |
| Total mileage | .. | 118 | 69 | 34 |
Table of Contents
AT the 31st December, 1924, there were 2,035 post-offices in New Zealand, this number being exclusive of 35 receiving offices, 1 delivering office, 4 marine post-offices, and 10 railway travelling post-offices. At the same date there were 2,044 street letter-boxes in the Dominion. The number of post-offices, reckoning only those which are combined receiving and delivering offices, has shown a decrease in each of the last five years, the figures for which are—
| Year. | Number of Post-offices. |
|---|---|
| 1920 | 2,207 |
| 1921 | 2,178 |
| 1922 | 2,109 |
| 1923 | 2,081 |
| 1924 | 2,035 |
The following table, showing the number of articles posted and delivered during each of the last ten years, gives an indication of the extent to which the people of New Zealand utilize the postal facilities:—
| Year. | Letters and Letter-cards. | Post-cards. | Books and Pattern-packets. | Parcels. | Newspapers. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 242,547,859 | 9,242,792 | 57,693,130 | 5,724,576 | 41,311,535 |
| 1916 | 242,121,361 | 8,133,697 | 48,868,537 | 6,085,103 | 41,807,999 |
| 1917 | 245,796,945 | 7,549,867 | 44,934,218 | 6,314,875 | 40,366,792 |
| 1918 | 242,527,369 | 7,145,606 | 42,301,230 | 6,376,469 | 35,476,212 |
| 1919 | 247,143,183 | 7,292,922 | 44,320,385 | 6,193,475 | 35,498,263 |
| 1920 | 259,743,234 | 6,937,554 | 49,619,161 | 6,588,293 | 37,859,247 |
| 1921 | 253,767,131 | 6,548,655 | 53,635,951 | 6,464,244 | 38,680,982 |
| 1922 | 239,997,081 | 6,277,428 | 67,578,435 | 6,700,121 | 35,635,219 |
| 1923 | 252,021,959 | 6,603,293 | 79,546,000 | 6,886,858 | 38,138,697 |
| 1924 | 272,311,925 | 7,273,802 | 98,690,911 | 7,028,501 | 41,602,497 |
Articles which are both posted and delivered in Now Zealand (representing, of course, the great bulk of the volume) are counted twice in the ascertainment of the above figures. Separate figures of articles posted and delivered during the year 1924 are:—
| Posted. | Delivered. | |
|---|---|---|
| Letters and letter-cards | 136,516,784 | 135,795,141 |
| Post-cards | 3,364,245 | 3,909,557 |
| Books, &c. | 50,578,257 | 48,112,654 |
| Newspapers | 18,352,868 | 23,249,629 |
| Parcels | 3,383,995 | 3,644,506 |
The above figures include registered articles, of which 1,940,802 were posted in the Dominion and 2,190,867 delivered therein. New Zealand apparently sends overseas more letters and books, but fewer post-cards, parcels, newspapers, and registered articles than she receives in exchange.
During recent years the Post Office has made very substantial extensions in the establishment of rural-mail deliveries. Many of these are performed by contractors mounted on motor-cycles. By means of such deliveries it has been possible to give settlers living in the back country an efficient service.
The average number of letters, &c., actually posted in the Dominion per head of mean population (including Maoris) in the last ten years is as shown in the next table:—
| Year. | Letters and Letter-cards. | Post-cards. | Books and Parcels. | Newspapers. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 107.03 | 3.62 | 30.14 | 16.26 | 157.05 |
| 1916 | 104.87 | 3.07 | 24.71 | 16.47 | 149.12 |
| 1917 | 105.36 | 2.87 | 23.39 | 15.87 | 147.49 |
| 1918 | 107.71 | 2.81 | 22.55 | 14.49 | 147.56 |
| 1919 | 106.07 | 2.85 | 23.13 | 13.95 | 146.00 |
| 1920 | 103.58 | 2.49 | 23.77 | 13.46 | 143.30 |
| 1921 | 95.35 | 2.25 | 25.69 | 12.94 | 136.23 |
| 1922 | 89.68 | 2.18 | 29.66 | 11.90 | 133.42 |
| 1923 | 92.27 | 2.22 | 33.73 | 12.82 | 141.04 |
| 1924 | 100.93 | 2.49 | 39.90 | 13.57 | 156.89 |
The facilities afforded for the transmission of parcels through the Post Office to places within and without the Dominion have proved of much convenience to the public. The regulations admit of parcels up to 11 lb. in weight being sent to almost all the important countries of the world, and up to 28 lb. in weight for inland parcels for or from places served the whole way by railway or steamer.
The following table shows the number and weight of parcels received from and despatched overseas during each of the last five years, with the declared value of those received and the Customs duty collected on them:—
| Year. | Parcels received. | Parcels despatched. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Weight. | Declared Value. | Customs Duty. | Number. | Weight. | |
| lb. | £ | £ | lb. | |||
| 1920 | 344,021 | 2,010,990 | 2,250,828 | 450,266 | 44,995 | 160,040 |
| 1921 | 233,698 | 1,281,322 | 1,318,733 | 244,684 | 47,700 | 179,123 |
| 1922 | 302,639 | 1,725,098 | 1,332,719 | 276,865 | 42,506 | 158,246 |
| 1923 | 303,041 | 1,846,207 | 1,343,726 | 307,022 | 43,510 | 162,792 |
| 1924 | 303,092 | 1,802,656 | 1,333,745 | 277,468 | 46,360 | 184,605 |
The figures plainly show the huge preponderance of inwards parcels among the overseas parcels-post business of New Zealand. Of the parcels received from overseas in 1924 no fewer than 176,284 came from the United Kingdom (including those from foreign countries via London), while 62,486 came from the United States and 47,325 from Australia. These countries, with 19,340, 3,939, and 15,661 respectively, also ranked highest among countries to which parcels were sent from Now Zealand.
There are (August, 1925) 306 publications on the Register of Newspapers for New Zealand. Of these, some 61 are published daily, 21 being morning papers and 40 evening papers. Twenty-four appear three times per week, 29 twice per week, 85 weekly, 5 fortnightly, 1 twice monthly, 2 four-weekly, and 99 monthly.
The number of offices open for the transaction of money-order business at the end of 1924 was 862.
During 1924 731,511 money orders, for a total sum of £4,692,929, were issued and 619,830 (£4,309,840) were paid. The money-orders from places beyond New Zealand and payable in the Dominion numbered 39,222, for the amount of £198,521, while those issued in New Zealand and payable overseas numbered 150,942, and represented ah aggregate value of £579,118.
The number of offices open for the sale of postal notes at the 31st March, 1925, was 1,107. During the preceding twelve months 2,846,333 postal notes were sold, representing a value of £860,029. The notes paid numbered 2,835,420, of a total value of £839,256.
British postal orders issued in the Dominion during the year ended 31st March, 1925, numbered 132,348, of a value amounting to £75,554. Those paid numbered 27,168, and represented £16,136.
Up to the 31st March, 1925, a total sum of £5,348,848 had been expended on telegraph construction, including the construction of telephone exchanges. The amount expended during the financial year 1924-25 was £957,294.
There were 12,938 miles of telegraphic and inter-urban telephone pole line open at the end of March, 1925, carrying 56,415 miles of wire. Of the latter, 4,542 miles were in use exclusively for telephone toll traffic, 10,803 exclusively for telegraphic traffic, and 41,049 simultaneously or conjointly for toll and telegraphic traffic, making totals of 45,591 available for toll traffic and 51,852 for the transmission of telegrams. A total of 11,028 miles of wire has been gained to the 31st March, 1925, for the purpose of telegraphic transmission, by the superimposing of existing telephone circuits.
During the year ended 31st March, 1925, telegrams and toll communications to the number of 15,471,950 were transmitted, 15,410,390 of these being “paid” messages, and the balance free Government telegrams. The revenue from telegrams and toll communications was £749,100, to which should be added £367,218 revenue of telephone exchanges and £15,190 miscellaneous receipts, making a total telegraph and telephone revenue of £1,631,508.
A table is given showing the growth of telegraph business since 1866.
| Year ended | Number of Telegrams and Toll Messages forwarded during the Year. | Revenue (including Miscellaneous Receipts). | Value of Government Messages. | Total Value of Business done during the Year. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private and Press. | Government. | Total. | Telegraph and Toll. | Telephone Exchange. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 30 June, 1866 | 24,761 | 2,746 | 27,507 | 5,562 | .. | 483 | 6,045 |
| 30 June, 1876 | 890,382 | 160,704 | 1,051,086 | 62,716 | .. | 16,154 | 78,870 |
| 31 Dec., 1886 | 1,583,717 | 252,549 | 1,836,266 | 106,639 | .. | 27,281 | 133,920 |
| 31 Mar., 1896 | 1,899,632 | 224,579 | 2,124,211 | 97,178 | 25,933 | 25,844 | 148,955 |
| 31 Mar., 1906 | 5,351,084 | 289,135 | 5,640,219 | 184,369 | 89,542 | 24,168 | 208,079 |
| 31 Mar., 1916 | 10,708,910 | 127,841 | 10,836,751 | 549,627 | 287,547 | 9,085 | 846,259 |
| 31 Mar., 1917 | 10,734,168 | 140,952 | 10,875,120 | 527,249 | 317,275 | 10,774 | 855,298 |
| 31 Mar., 1918 | 11,510,710 | 114,010 | 11,624,720 | 516,865 | 344,368 | 6,949 | 868,182 |
| 31 Mar., 1919 | 11,989,882 | 101,135 | 12,091,017 | 615,786 | 373,169 | 5,036 | 993,991 |
| 31 Mar., 1920 | 14,957,615 | 116,452 | 15,074,067 | 619,188 | 419,318 | 5,830 | 1,044,336 |
| 31 Mar., 1921 | 13,884,466 | 116,385 | 14,000,851 | 704,228 | 533,535 | 7,036 | 1,244,799 |
| 31 Mar., 1922 | 12,782,037 | 152,428 | 12,934,465 | 697,864 | 614,367 | 8,458 | 1,320,689 |
| 31 Mar., 1923 | 13,342,823 | 170,385 | 13,513,208 | 713,380 | 595,967 | 9,727 | 1,319,074 |
| 31 Mar., 1924 | 14,407,269 | 69,597 | 14,476,866 | 711,895 | 830,470 | 4,930 | 1,547,295 |
| 31 Mar., 1925 | 15,410,390 | 61,560 | 15,471,950 | 764,290 | 867,218 | 4,420 | 1,635,928 |
Prior to the 1st September, 1869, inland telegrams were charged for on a mileage basis. From that date a uniform rate was fixed of 2s. 6d. for ten words and 6d. for each additional five words. From the 1st April, 1870, the minimum charge was reduced to is. From the 1st November, 1873, the rate was further reduced to 1s. for ten words and 1d. for each additional word, address and signature, hitherto charged for, being free up to ten words. From the 1st July, 1877, there was introduced the “urgent” code, at double the ordinary rate. From the 1st July, 1878, a “delayed” system was introduced, the rate being fixed at 6d. for ton words, exclusive of address and signature up to ten words, and 1/2d. for each additional word. From the 1st February, 1892, the number of words allowed for the minimum charge in each case was increased to twelve, with free address and signature up to six words. From the 15th August, 1892, the ordinary rate was fixed at 1s. for eighteen words, including address and signature. From the 1st June, 1896, the rate was fixed at 6d. for twelve words, including address and signature, and 1d. for each additional word, and “delayed” telegrams were abolished. From the 1st November, 1906, the charge for additional words was reduced to 1/2d. each. From the 23rd September, 1915, the ordinary rate was increased from 6d. to 8d. for twelve words ("urgent,” 1s. 2d.); and on the 1st August, 1920, it was further increased to 1s. for twelve words and 1d. for each additional word ("urgent” 2s., and 2d. for each additional word); Sundays and holidays, double rates. From the 1st November, 1920, there was introduced a system of night letter-telegrams, to be delivered by post on the morning following the day of presentation. The rate (since altered) was 1s. 6d. for thirty-six words and 1/2d. for each additional word. From the 1st February, 1923, the rate for ordinary telegrams was reduced to 9d. for twelve words, the charge for each additional word remaining at 1d. ("urgent” 1s. 6d., and 2d. for each additional word). From the same date the night-letter-telegram rate was reduced to 9d. for twenty-seven words and 1d. for each additional three words.
At the 31st March, 1925, there were 340 telephone exchanges in the Dominion. Of this number, 328 are wholly of the magneto type, 3 common battery, 7 wholly automatic, and 2 mixed exchange areas—partly magneto and partly automatic—in which 7 automatic exchanges are operated. The exchanges which are wholly automatic are Auckland, Blenheim, Hamilton, Masterton, Oamaru, Palmerston North, and Wanganui.
The following statement shows the automatic-exchange equipment installed and in use in the Dominion on the 31st March, 1925:—
| Exchange. | Number of Individual Lines installed. | Number of Party — lines installed. | Number of Individual-line Stations. | Number of Party-line Stations. | Total Number of Main Stations. | Number of Extension Stations | Total Number of Automatic-telephone Stations. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-party. | Four-party. | |||||||
* Auxiliary apparatus. † Seventy-six lines used for Individual stations. | ||||||||
| Auckland Exchange area— | ||||||||
| Wellesley Street | 7,300 | .. | .. | 5,033 | .. | 5,033 | 1,682 | 6,715 |
| Remuera | 1,600 | .. | 100 | 990 | .. | 990 | 101 | 1,091 |
| Mount Eden | 1,600 | .. | 100 | 1,280 | .. | 1,280 | 68 | 1,348 |
| Ponsonby | 1,200 | .. | 100 | 888 | .. | 888 | 73 | 961 |
| Onehunga | 400 | .. | .. | 259 | .. | 259 | 18 | 277 |
| Christchurch Exchange area— | ||||||||
| Hereford Street* | 1,500 | .. | .. | 1,497 | .. | 1,497 | 146 | 1,643 |
| St. Albans* | 500 | .. | .. | 500 | .. | 500 | 54 | 554 |
| Sydenham* | 300 | .. | .. | 300 | .. | 300 | 33 | 333 |
| Wellington Exchange area— | ||||||||
| Courtenay Place | 3,400 | 100 | 100 | 3,310 | 156 | 3,466 | 831 | 4,297 |
| Wellington South | 1,400 | 100 | 100 | 1,134 | 406 | 1,540 | 97 | 1,637 |
| Kelburn | 1,200 | .. | .. | 871 | .. | 871 | 57 | 928 |
| Khandallah | .. | 100 | 100 | 76† | 240 | 316 | 7 | 323 |
| Single-office exchanges— | ||||||||
| Blenheim | 700 | .. | 100 | 660 | 119 | 779 | 86 | 865 |
| Hamilton | 1,400 | .. | 100 | 1,395 | 309 | 1,704 | 261 | 1,965 |
| Masterton | 1,000 | .. | 100 | 900 | 200 | 1,100 | 173 | 1,273 |
| Oamaru | 700 | .. | 100 | 641 | 80 | 721 | 91 | 812 |
| Palmerston North | 1,800 | .. | 100 | 1,680 | 199 | 1,879 | 214 | 2,093 |
| Wanganui | 2,000 | .. | 100 | 1,915 | 279 | 2,194 | 441 | 2,635 |
| Totals | 28,000 | 300 | 1,200 | 23,329 | 1,988 | 25,317 | 4,433 | 29,750 |
The following table indicates the phenomenal growth of the New Zealand telephone-exchange service during the last ten years:—
| — | 1916. | 1918. | 1920. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Prior to 1917 toll-stations were accounted for differently. | |||||||
| Exchanges | 259 | 280 | 291 | 301 | 320 | 327 | 340 |
| Subscribers, main stations | 44,836 | 53,501 | 64,396 | 76,307 | 82,459 | 86,605 | 94,371 |
| Toll and service stations* | 5,274 | 3,434 | 3,512 | 3,666 | 3,856 | 3,906 | 3,882 |
| Public call offices | 198 | 261 | 295 | 339 | 351 | 371 | 380 |
| Extension stations | 8,668 | 10,567 | 12,520 | 14,371 | 15,366 | 15,882 | 16,916 |
| Telephone-station totals | 58,976 | 67,763 | 80,723 | 94,683 | 102,032 | 106,764 | 115,549 |
The total number of telephone-stations shows an increase over the period of 56,573, or 96 per cent. Subscribers contributed largely to this phenomenal growth, accounting for individually 49,535, or a percentage of 110. The enormous demand for public call offices is clearly revealed in the table, showing as they do an increase from 198 in 1916 to 380 in 1925. Extension stations have nearly doubled.
In addition to the above, there are 4,229 stations connected by private telephone-lines with departmental toll — stations, and 319 stations connected with non-departmental rural exchanges, which do not have communication with the departmental system, making a grand total of 120,097 telephone-stations in New Zealand on the 31st March, 1925.
The following table shows, for each class of exchange, the percentage of business and residential stations, the percentage of individual and party-line stations, also the number of exchanges in each class:—
| — | Class I: Exchanges or Networks observing Continuous Attendance and having more than 3,500 Paying Subscribers' Main Stations connected therewith. | Class II: Exchanges or Networks observing Continuous Attendance and having 1,001 to 3,500 Paying Subscribers' Main Stations connected therewith. | Class III: Exchanges or Networks observing Continuous Attendance and having 201 to 1000 Paying Subscribers' Main Stations connected therewith. | Class IV: Exchanges or Networks where the Attendance is restricted. | Dominion Percentages. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| Business stations | 46 | 36 | 32 | 26 | 36 |
| Residential stations | 54 | 64 | 68 | 74 | 64 |
| 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Individual-line stations | 87 | 75 | 60 | 43 | 67 |
| Party- and rural-line stations | 13 | 25 | 40 | 57 | 33 |
| 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Number of exchanges in each class | 4 | 11 | 42 | 283 | .. |
The “party” line system of telephone service is being largely availed of, particularly by those whose premises are situated at a distance from the exchange In March, 1925, the number of party-line connections was 8,387 with a total of 31,187 subscribers.
The first coin-in-slot telephones erected in the Dominion were installed at Wellington on the 17th August, 1910. There are now 380 such instruments in use in the Dominion, the charges for which are as follow:—
| One penny | 316 |
| Twopence | 40 |
| Threepence | 16 |
| Sixpence | 8 |
The revenue of slot telephones during the year ended 31st March, 1925, was £24,647
The telephone-exchange system included on the 31st March, 1955, 9,499 miles of pole line and 331,453 miles of wire.
An analysis of the wire in existence in connection with telephone exchanges is as follows:—
| In lead-covered cables— | Miles. |
|---|---|
| Underground | 183,102 |
| Aerial | 74,532 |
| Open aerial— | |
| Metallic circuit | 65,406 |
| Earth-working | 3,413 |
| 331,453 | |
The capital expenditure on the equipment, &c., of the telephone exchanges up to the 31st March, 1925, was £4,259,146, equal to an average cost of £36 17s. 2d. for each connection. The telephone-exchange receipts for the twelve months ended 31st March, 1925, were £867,218.
The first wireless-telegraph station opened in New Zealand for communicating with ships at sea was that at Wellington, on the 26th July, 1911. Details of the stations now under the control of the Post and Telegraph Department are—
| Station and Call Signal. | Hours of Service. | Wave-length, in Metres (Normal in Heavy Type). | Daylight Range (in Knots) on Normal Wavelength. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Observes continuous listening service for distress signals. † Communicates with ship stations mainly between 6.30 p.m. and 11 p.m. ‡ Raratonga time is 22 hours 9 minutes behind New Zealand time. § Station handling restricted public correspondence only, and erected for point-to-point communication. ¶ Radio-telephone station. | |||
| Radio — Awanui (VLA), 173° 14' 34.44” E., 35° 4' 58.17” S. | 8 a.m.-11 p.m.*† | 300, 600, 1,000, 2,000, 2,500, 3,500 | 500 |
| Radio — Awarua (VLB), 168° 22' 21.5” E., 46° 30' 27.6” S. | Continuous | 300, 600, 1,000, 2,000 2,500, 3,500 | 300 |
| Radio-Apia, Samoa (VMG), 171° 49' 42” W., 13° 50' 17” S. | Continuous | 300, 600, 2,000 | 500 |
| Radio-Wellington (VLW), 174° 45' 55” E., 41° 16' 26” S. | Continuous | 00, 00 | 300 |
| Radio-Chatham Islands (VLC), 176° 31' 4” W., 43° 57' 2” S. | 4 p.m.-midnight | , 600, 1,600 | 300 |
| Radio-Auckland (VLD), 174° 46' 8.3” E., 36° 50” 36.9” S. | Continuous | 300,600 | 300 |
| Radio-Rarotonga, Cook Islands (VMR), 159° 48' 51.4” W., 21° 11' 54” S. | 6 p.m. — 1 a.m. (local time).‡ Midnight to 1 a.m. attendance not observed on Sundays or holidays | 300, 600, 1,700 | 300 |
| §Radio-Aitutaki, Cook Islands (VLF), 159° 46' 30” W., 18° 52' 32” S. | 8-9 a.m., 6-7 p.m. | 450, 600 | 150 |
| §Radio-Mangaia, Cook Islands (VLG), 157° 56' W., 21° 55' S. | 8-9 a.m., 6-7 p.m. | 450, 600 | 150 |
| §¶Radio-Niue (VLK), 169° 55' 15” W., 19° F 42” S. | Noon — 1 p.m., 6-30 — 11-30 p.m. | 600 | 350 |
| §Radio-Kawau Island (VLO), 174° 50' E., 36° 26' S. | 9 a.m.-6 p.m | 600 | 50 |
The Rarotonga station is of the Marconi synchronous gap type; the remainder use the Telefunken quenched gap (500 cycles) vertical spark system. The aerial system in most cases comprises an umbrella aerial, with earthed counterpoise for long waves and a T aerial for short waves.
By means of the radio-stations at Awanui, Apia, and Rarotonga, communication is maintained between New Zealand and the Pacific islands.
Communication is effected with outer islands in the Cook Group by Radio-Rarotonga through small feeder-stations at Aitutaki and Mangaia; and a small radio-telephone station on Niue (or Savage Island) communicates with Radio-Apia.
The radio business transacted by the New Zealand coast stations during the last five years was as follows:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Forwarded. | Received. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messages. | Words. | Value. | Messages. | Words. | Value.* | |
** Amount earned by New Zealand. | ||||||
| £ | £ | |||||
| 1921 | 11,267 | 181,853 | 7,201 | 20,756 | 246,407 | 4,861 |
| 1922 | 12,152 | 223,562 | 6,503 | 20,086 | 226,886 | 4,328 |
| 1923 | 11,940 | 230,481 | 5,628 | 19,715 | 215,013 | 3,792 |
| 1924 | 13,907 | 244,955 | 6,414 | 22,576 | 242,390 | 4,401 |
| 1925 | 16,259 | 293,189 | 7,331 | 25,669 | 270,814 | 4,777 |
The foregoing table does not include free (service) messages.
The general rate for transmission of radio-telegrams has been fixed at 5d. a word for all vessels on the Australian or New Zealand register.
The New Zealand coast stations are all connected with the land-line systems. Complete arrangements exist for the prompt transmission of wireless telegrams over them, and for ensuring that distress-signals shall be immediately communicated to the proper authorities.
Private radio-stations are at present governed by the Regulations for Radio Receiving, Amateur Transmitting and Receiving, and Experimental Stations, and by the Regulations for Radio Broadcasting Stations and the Sale of Radio Apparatus, which were gazetted on the 5th and 12th March, 1925, respectively.
The licenses for radio receiving-stations are designed to provide for reception from radio-telephone broadcasting stations as well as for experimental reception, and may be obtained at any postal money-order office or at any District Radio Inspector's office on payment of the prescribed fee.
The licenses for amateur transmitting and receiving stations are intended to provide facilities for experimental transmission to those interested in radio science, and are issued subject to the qualifications of the applicants being satisfactory.
The licenses for “experimental stations” are intended to provide facilities for the work of pure research in radio science, and are issued only to persons of recognized attainment in the theory or practice of radio-telegraphy, or to universities or other scientific institutions engaged in conducting experiments for the development of the science of radio-telegraphy.
The regulations governing radio-telephone broadcasting are designed to render the broadcasting of music, lectures, religious services, news, and other items of interest as widely available as possible, not only to the more thickly populated areas but also to scattered communities. At the same time an endeavour is made to reduce to a minimum the objectionable features of interference which have marred the success of such services in other countries. A scheme is being inaugurated whereunder radio — telephone broadcasting will be organized on a proper financial basis, and controlled be an organization representative of all interested parties, including the “listeners-in.”
The regulations for the sale of radio apparatus are intended to provide for the proper control of the sale of apparatus designed and intended for use in connection with wireless telegraphy. The regulations govern the issue of three classes of radio-dealers' licenses, viz.—
Class I. for dealers in any of the four main cities.
Class II, for dealers in towns with a population of more than 5,000.
Class III, for dealers in towns with a population of 5,000 or less.
At the 31st March, 1925, there were 7 broadcasting licenses in force, and 4,180 broadcast listeners' licenses. There were also 102 licenses for experimental stations, and 24 ship licenses.
The Pacific cable, opened for traffic between New Zealand and Australia and Fiji on the 9th April, 1902, was completed to Bamfield, Vancouver Island, on the 31st October following, and opened for international business on the 8th December, 1902.
The route is from Auckland to Vancouver, via Norfolk Island, Fiji, and Fanning Island. The Australian connection is at Norfolk Island. The deep-sea portion of the Vancouver — Fanning Island cable is stated to be the longest in the world.
Direct communication between Auckland and Sydney was established on the 31st December, 1912, thus giving the Pacific Cable Board an alternative route to Australia.
Additional facilities have been provided between New Zealand and Fiji by the laying, by the Pacific Cable Board, of a new cable between Auckland and Suva. This work was completed on the 12th August, 1923. Contracts have now been placed for the duplication of the two northern sections—Vancouver to Fanning Island and Fanning Island to Fiji. It is expected that the duplication of these sections will be completed in September, 1926.
In addition, the Eastern Extension, Australasia, and China Telegraph Company (Limited) provide and operate, as part of their telegraph system, two cables between Australia and Now Zealand, the terminal offices being at Sydney and Wellington.
During the year 1924-25 the Pacific route took 65.3 per cent. of the outward business, and the Eastern route 34.7 per cent., the messages sent by the two routes numbering 185,080 and 98,571 respectively.
The length of submarine cable in use in the Dominion, apart from ocean-cable services, is 421 knots.
The huge volume and multifarious business of the Post and Telegraph Department entail the employment of a numerous staff. The Secretary, under the Ministerial control of the Postmaster-General, is the administrative head.
A return of the staff as at 31st March, 1925, is as follows: Permanent, 7,884; temporary, 2,500: total, 10,384. In addition, there are 2,031 country Postmasters and Telephonists who act as such in conjunction with other pursuits and do not rank as officers of the Department. There are also 99 officers of the Railways Department who act as Postmasters.
The receipts and payments of the Post and Telegraph Department for the financial year 1924-25 are shown in the following table:—
| Item. | Postal. | Telegraph. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Postages | 988,387 | .. | 988,387 |
| Money-order and postal-note commission | 50,704 | .. | 50,704 |
| Money-order commission received from foreign offices | 939 | .. | 939 |
| Private box and bag rents and rural-delivery fees | 49,856 | .. | 49,856 |
| Miscellaneous receipts | 168,056 | 15,189 | 183,245 |
| Paid telegrams | .. | 404,707 | 404,707 |
| Paid tolls | .. | 344,393 | 344,393 |
| Telephone exchanges | 867,219 | 867,219 | .. |
| Totals | 1,257,942 | 1,631,508 | 2,889,450 |
| Item. | Postal. | Telegraph. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Salaries | 602,832 | 886,494 | 1,489,326 |
| Conveyance of mails by sea | 76,425 | .. | 76,425 |
| Conveyance of inland mails | 134,011 | .. | 134,011 |
| Conveyance of mails by railway | 102,023 | .. | 102,023 |
| Money-order commission credited to foreign offices | 2,821 | .. | 2,821 |
| Maintenance of telegraph and telephone lines | .. | 234,284 | 234,284 |
| Motor services and workshops | 37,144 | 33,809 | 71,113 |
| Miscellaneous | 151,274 | 154,980 | 306,254 |
| Totals | 1,106,530 | 1,309,727 | 2,416,257 |
| Balance of receipts over payments | 151,412 | 321,781 | 473,193 |
The figures of receipts and payments in 1881-82, 1891-92, 1901-02, 1911-12, and each of the last ten years are as follow:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Receipts. | Payments. |
|---|---|---|
| 1882 | 234,529 | 233,291 |
| 1892 | 320,058 | 268,343 |
| 1902 | 488,573 | 465,756 |
| 1912 | 1,087,710 | 988,911 |
| 1916 | 1,695,757 | 1,296,522 |
| 1917 | 1,809,317 | 1,370,810 |
| 1918 | 1,837,260 | 1,489,446 |
| 1919 | 1,972,539 | 1,702,048 |
| 1920 | 2,106,995 | 1,944,161 |
| 1921 | 2,590,441 | 2,591,786 |
| 1922 | 2,811,535 | 2,451,572 |
| 1923 | 2,687,768 | 2,114,994 |
| 1924 | 2,688,953 | 2,120,585 |
| 1925 | 2,889,450 | 2,416,257 |
In addition to its ordinary business, the Post and Telegraph Department performs an enormous amount of work for almost every other Department of State. The monetary value of this business reaches many millions of pounds annually, and the operations range from the receipt of advances-to-settlers payments (£6,328,655 during the twelve months ended 31st March, 1925), to the sale of fishing licenses (£1,922), and from the payment of pensions (£2,510,754) to the performance of marriage ceremonies. The registration of motor-vehicles under the Motor-vehicles Act, 1924, is carried out by the Postal Department.
Table of Contents
THE total area of the Dominion, excluding the Cook and other Pacific islands annexed in 1901, is 66,390,262 acres. Of this total, 43,632,372 acres were returned in 1925 as being in occupation, including reserves and Native lands leased, but excluding areas within borough boundaries, holdings of less than 1 acre in extent, and Native land held on the communal system.
According to information published by the Lands Department, the following is the condition of the land in the Dominion:—
| Acres. | |
|---|---|
| Total area sold or granted and held on freehold | 21,068,660 |
| Total area reserved for public purposes | 14,425,181 |
| Total area of Crown lands leased under all tenures (exclusive of reserves leased by the Crown) | 18,226,492 |
| Total area of Crown land available for future disposal | 2,925,410 |
| Total area of Native land | 5,881,571 |
| Land unfit for settlement, including rivers, lakes, roads, &c. | 3,862,948 |
| Total | 66,390,262 |
The numbers of holdings and percentages of total holdings in occupation in groups of sizes, as returned at the last five collections, are given below:—
| Area, in Acres. | Number of Holdings. | Percentages of Total. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. | |
| (Inclusive) | ||||||||||
| 1 to 10 | 15,746 | 15,629 | 15,450 | 15,540 | 15,381 | 18.73 | 18.41 | 18.07 | 18.04 | 17.89 |
| 11 to 50 | 13,662 | 13,898 | 14,030 | 14,277 | 14,205 | 16.25 | 16,371 | 16.40 | 16.57 | 16.59 |
| 51 to 100 | 10,708 | 11,073 | 11,393 | 11,555 | 11,495 | 12.74 | 13.04 | 13.32 | 13.42 | 13.37 |
| 101 to 200 | 13,801 | 14,015 | 14,193 | 14,291 | 14,371 | 16.41 | 16.51 | 16.59 | 16.59 | 16.71 |
| 201 to 820 | 8,718 | 8,739 | 8,861 | 8,909 | 8,846 | 10.37 | 10.29 | 10.36 | 10.34 | 10.29 |
| 321 to 640 | 10,375 | 10,378 | 10,415 | 10,422 | 10,395 | 12.34 | 12.23 | 12.18 | 12.10 | 12.09 |
| 641 to 1,000 | 4,186 | 4,230 | 4,259 | 4,216 | 4,261 | 4.98 | 4.98 | 4.98 | 4.89 | 4.96 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 5,703 | 5,844 | 5,322 | 5,832 | 5,864 | 6.80 | 6.88 | 6.81 | 6.77 | 6.82 |
| 5,001 to 10,000 | 551 | 565 | 569 | 573 | 570 | 0.66 | 0.67 | 0.67 | 0.67 | 0.66 |
| 10,001 to 20,000 | 313 | 301 | 301 | 290 | 301 | 0.37 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.34 | 0.35 |
| 20,001 to 50,000 | 163 | 168 | 167 | 168 | 169 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.20 |
| Over 50,000 | 60 | 59 | 59 | 60 | 59 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0.07 |
| Totals | 84,076 | 84,899 | 85,519 | 86,139 | 85,977 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Seventy-five per cent. of the holdings are seen to be not more than one-half a square mile in area. These, however, represent only 13 1/4 per cent. of the total area of occupied land in the Dominion, and from the two following tables, showing areas of holdings in occupation by size-groups and the percentage each group represents of the total area in occupation, it is seen that 68 per cent. of the occupied land is held in areas of over 1,000 acres, and 42 per cent. in areas of over 5,000 acres.
| Sizes of Holdings, in Acres. | Aggregate Area of Group. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. | |
| (Inclusive) | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. |
| 1 to 10 | 73,452 | 73,445 | 73,073 | 73,746 | 73,700 |
| 11 to 50 | 386,046 | 392,768 | 397,253 | 405,642 | 405,650 |
| 51 to 100 | 830,488 | 860,009 | 881,756 | 892,793 | 887,840 |
| 101 to 200 | 2,041,412 | 2,072,357 | 2,094,165 | 2,109,410 | 2,118,701 |
| 201 to 320 | 2,238,596 | 2,240,664 | 2,270,585 | 2,281,501 | 2,265,477 |
| 321 to 640 | 4,734,534 | 4,737,640 | 4,745,854 | 4,750,329 | 4,735,425 |
| 641 to 1,000 | 3,376,221 | 3,417,338 | 3,428,628 | 3,392,881 | 3,425,566 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 11,432,485 | 11,453,335 | 11,393,459 | 11,386,971 | 11,477,823 |
| 5,001 to 10,000 | 3,826,981 | 3,891,874 | 3,893,329 | 3,886,902 | 3,905,686 |
| 10,001 to 20,000 | 4,424,373 | 4,252,754 | 4,235,050 | 4,169,966 | 4,242,147 |
| 20,001 to 50,000 | 4,991,560 | 5,094,088 | 5,170,089 | 5,151,061 | 5,139,745 |
| Over 50,000 | 5,190,609 | 5,042,065 | 5,069,922 | 5,071,363 | 4,954,612 |
| Totals | 43,546,757 | 43,528,337 | 43,653,163 | 43,572,564 | 43,632,372 |
| Percentage of Total Area occupied. | |||||
| Sizes of Holdings, in Acres. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. |
| (Inclusive) | |||||
| 1 to 10 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 017 | 0.17 |
| 11 to 50 | 0.88 | 0.90 | 0.91 | 0.93 | 0.93 |
| 51 to 100 | 1.92 | 1.98 | 2 02 | 2 05 | 2.03 |
| 101 to 200 | 4.69 | 4.76 | 4.80 | 4.84 | 4.86 |
| 201 to 320 | 514 | 515 | 5.20 | 5.24 | 5.19 |
| 321 to 640 | 10.87 | 10.88 | 10.87 | 10.90 | 10.85 |
| 641 to 1,000 | 7.75 | 7.85 | 7.85 | 7.79 | 7.85 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 26.25 | 26.31 | 2610 | 2613 | 26.31 |
| 5,001 to 10,000 | 8.79 | 8.94 | 8.92 | 8.92 | 8.95 |
| 10,001 to 20,000 | 1016 | 9.77 | 9.70 | 9.57 | 9.72 |
| 20,001 to 50,000 | 11.46 | 11.71 | 11.84 | 11.82 | 11.78 |
| Over 50,000 | 11.92 | 11.58 | 11.62 | 11.64 | 11.36 |
| Totals | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Taking the years 1920 and 1925, it is now possible to show the increase or decrease in the percentages of numbers and areas of holdings according to size-groups.
| Sizes of Holdings, in Acres. | 1920. | 1925. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. of Total. | Increase or Decrease compared with Percentages of 1920. | |||
| Number. | Area. | Number. | Area. | |
| (Inclusive) | ||||
| 1 to 10 | 19.06 | 0.17 | -1.17 | .. |
| 11 to 50 | 16.38 | 0.87 | +021 | +0.06 |
| 51 to 100 | 12.31 | 1.80 | + 1.06 | +0.23 |
| 101 to 200 | 1603 | 4.47 | + 0.68 | +0.39 |
| 201 to 320 | 10.42 | 5.03 | -0.13 | +0.16 |
| 321 to 640 | 12.46 | 10.68 | -0.37 | +017 |
| 641 to 1,000 | 5.00 | 7.59 | -0.04 | +0.26 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 7.01 | 26.00 | -0.19 | + 0.31 |
| 5,001 to 10,000 | 0.67 | 8.80 | -0.01 | + 0.15 |
| 10,001 to 20,000 | 0.37 | 9.74 | -0.02 | -0.02 |
| 20,001 to 50,000 | 0.21 | 12.35 | -001 | 0.57 |
| Over 50,000 | 0.08 | 12.50 | -0.01 | -1.14 |
The following table gives the numbers and average areas of holdings for each land district in the Dominion as ascertained at the 1925 collection of agricultural and pastoral statistics.
As regards counties, Waimairi County is the most closely settled, the average area of holdings being 18.13 acres, while Fiord County shows the largest average—viz., 18,000 acres. In the latter county, however, there is in occupation only one holding of an acre or more. There are no counties in the North Island having an average in excess of 2,500 acres, but in the South Island there are no fewer than six — viz., Awatere, Amuri, Tawera, Mackenzie, Lake, and Fiord.
The average area of holdings for the Dominion is 507.49 acres, and this average is exceeded by twenty-three counties out of seventy-eight in the North Island, and by twenty-six out of fifty-one in the South Island. The average area for the North Island is 363.28 acres, and for the South 722.01 acres.
| Land District. | Number of Holding | Total Area occupied. | Average Area of Holdings. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acres. | Acres. | ||
| North Auckland | 13,860 | 3,016,853 | 217.67 |
| Auckland | 12,404 | 4,120,548 | 332,19 |
| Gisborne | 2,833 | 2,758,767 | 973.80 |
| Hawke's Bay | 4,604 | 2,096,388 | 455.34 |
| Taranaki | 6,599 | 1,726,966 | 261.70 |
| Wellington | 11,114 | 4,958,119 | 446.11 |
| Nelson | 3,796 | 1,299,617 | 342.36 |
| Marlborough | 1,994 | 2,560,922 | 1,284.31 |
| Westland | 1,517 | 1,774,373 | 1,169.66 |
| Canterbury | 13,434 | 8,102,996 | 603.17 |
| Otago | 7,965 | 7,981,282 | 1,002.04 |
| Southland | 5,857 | 3,235,541 | 552.42 |
| Totals, Dominion | 85,977 | 43,632,372 | 507.49 |
Land in occupation in each land district, tabulated according to tenure, is given in the following table:—
| Land District. | Total of Holdings. | Freehold, including land held on Deferred Payment (occupied, by Owner). | Leased from Private Individuals or Public Bodies. | Leased from Natives. | Held from Crown under different Tenures, not including Land held on Deferred Payment. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including 2,605 acres the tenure of which was unspecified. † Of which 1,260,028 acres were returned as leased from private individuals, and 781,532 acres from public bodies. | |||||
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | |
| North Auckland | 3,016,853 | 2,391,065 | 180,614 | 82,998 | 362,176 |
| Auckland | 4,120,548 | 2,827,660 | 189,869 | 251,292 | 851,727 |
| Gisborne | 1 2,758,767 | 1,407,377 | 226,677 | 503,346 | 621,367 |
| Hawke's Bay | 2,096,388* | 1,397,525 | 216,131 | 67,864 | 412,263 |
| Taranaki | 1,726,966 | 893,341 | 259,246 | 78,828 | 495,551 |
| Wellington | 4,958,119 | 3,335,251 | 441,610 | 435,184 | 746,074 |
| Nelson | 1,299,617 | 618,847 | 60,707 | 13,040 | 607,023 |
| Marlborough | 2,560,922 | 1,192,058 | 19,043 | 17,942 | 1,301,881 |
| Westland | 1,774,373 | 141,748 | 33,376 | 3,330 | 1,595,919 |
| Canterbury | 8,102,996 | 3,181,666 | 598,330 | 10,260 | 4,312,740 |
| Otago | 7,981,282 | 1,653,608 | 271,761 | 7,302 | 6,048,611 |
| Southland | 3,235,541 | 1,494,192 | 214,196 | 6,826 | 1,520,327 |
| Totals | 43,632,372* | 20,534,336 | 2,741,560† | 1,478,212 | 18,875,659 |
The acreage in the last column does not agree exactly with the figures published in the report of the Lands and Survey Department, for the reason that, although these figures include Crown reserves leased, they do not include Crown lauds not in occupation at the time of collecting the agricultural and pastoral statistics. Further, all land held on deferred payment is shown as freehold, irrespective of whether in process of purchase from the Crown or not; also, the figures are as at the 31st January, whilst those figures published by the Lands and Survey Department are as at the 31st March.
In point of area the most important Crown-lands tenure is “pastoral run,” the area for 1925 being 9,752,414 acres. Considerable areas are also held under the following tenures: Small grazing-runs, 2,752,157 acres; lease in perpetuity, 1,676,329 acres; occupation with right of purchase, 1,291,028 acres; renewable lease, 2,069,624 acres.
Further details of tenure, &c., of Crown lands will be found in Subsection B of this section.
Lands in occupation are, however, not strictly comparable with Crown lands alienated or in process of alienation, for certain lands have passed into the hands of Europeans which were never made waste lands of the Crown. It must also be remembered that of the freehold land in the Dominion a considerable area is unoccupied and unused.
A special classification of holdings (according to purpose for which principally used) is made three times in each decennium. The following table gives a comparison of the last two classifications—viz., those of 1919-20 and 1922-23. Figures exclude borough holdings and holdings under 1 acre in extent.
| Classification. | 1919-20. | 1922-23. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Holdings. | Area. | Number of Holdings. | Area. | |
| Acres. | Acres. | |||
| Agricultural | 10,146 | 2,220,207 | 10,489 | 2,129,802 |
| Dairying | 29,111 | 4,244,986 | 38,818 | 6,267,597 |
| Pastoral and other (including unspecified) | 42,335 | 37,007,886 | 36,212 | 35,255,764 |
| All holdings | 81,592 | 43,473,079 | 85,519 | 43,653,163 |
Maori holdings are classified in the same way each year, and a comparison of the last three years is given. It should be noted that Maori holdings include those held and worked by full-blooded, three-quarter-caste, and half-caste Maoris. Maori lands held on the communal system are excluded.
| Classification. | 1922-28. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Holdings. | Area. | Number of Holdings. | Area. | Number of Holdings. | Area. | |
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | ||||
| Agricultural | 144 | 4,789 | 134 | 8,309 | 157 | 9,226 |
| Dairying | 947 | 143,024 | 1,090 | 164,260 | 1,245 | 173,799 |
| Pastoral and other (including unspecified) | 1,527 | 582,207 | 1,383 | 573,804 | 1,324 | 622,353 |
| All holdings | 2,618 | 730,020 | 2,607 | 746,373 | 2,726 | 805,378 |
The land in occupation in the Dominion at the 31st January, 1925, is classified according to condition and use as follows:—
| Acres. | |
|---|---|
| In grain and pulse crops | 699,844 |
| In grasses and clovers (for hay and seed) and green and root crops | 1,068,459 |
| In fallow | 124,459 |
| In grasses and clovers, not cut for hay or seed | 16,450,625 |
| In vineyards and orchards | 27,749 |
| In market gardens, nurseries, and seed-gardens | 4,998 |
| In private gardens and pleasure-grounds | 63,206 |
| In plantations | 71,218 |
| Total area in cultivation | 18,510,558 |
| Unimproved land | 25,121,814 |
| Total area in occupation | 43,632,372 |
Further details of land in cultivation and of the various crops grown are given under their respective headings in Subsection B of the next section. Unimproved lands are not again referred to, and accordingly a table is appended showing by land districts more detailed information as to the condition of unimproved occupied land.
| Land District. | Phormium Tenax. | Tussock and other Native Grasses. | Fern, Scrub, and Second Growth. | Standing Virgin Bush. | Barren and Unproductive Land. | Total Unimproved Occupied Land. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | |
| North Auckland | 2,874 | 149,996 | 840,425 | 352,049 | 73,690 | 1,419,034 |
| Auckland | 9,270 | 210,988 | 1,117,002 | 619,340 | 29,894 | 1,986,494 |
| Gisborne | 1,170 | 191,068 | 255,357 | 408,385 | 12,592 | 868,572 |
| Hawke's Bay | 244 | 386,604 | 165,066 | 53,061 | 10,985 | 615,960 |
| Taranaki | 60 | 6,193 | 112,572 | 286,730 | 4,757 | 410,312 |
| Wellington | 16,729 | 570,438 | 338,537 | 383,658 | 77,399 | 1,386,761 |
| Nelson | 1,904 | 325,061 | 165,729 | 412,112 | 30,790 | 935,599 |
| Marlborough | 883 | 1,294,810 | 221,584 | 190,300 | 395,775 | 2,103,352 |
| Westland | 14,491 | 190,774 | 105,075 | 1,036,941 | 280,684 | 1,627,965 |
| Canterbury | 1,061 | 4,190,893 | 91,628 | 167,724 | 851,854 | 5,303,160 |
| Otago | 969 | 5,440,989 | 448,482 | 276,169 | 371,770 | 6,538,379 |
| Southland | 5,159 | 1,513,176 | 193,303 | 144,864 | 69,727 | 1,926,229 |
| Totals | 54,814 | 14,470,990 | 4,054,760 | 4,331,333 | 2,209,917 | 25,121,814 |
The diagram on the next page shows clearly the condition of land in occupation at the 31st January, 1925. Of the total of 43,632,372 acres, unimproved land amounted to 25,121,814 acres, and improved land to 18,510,558 acres. As might be expected in a pastoral-dairying country like New Zealand, permanent pasture (16,450,625 acres) forms a considerable portion of the land occupied. Grain and pulse crops, grasses and clovers (cut for hay or seed), and green and root crops aggregated 1,168,303 acres, or about 4 per cent. of the total area occupied. The various groups of these crops are given in subdivisions of the broader general divisions.
Prior to 1870 conveyancing in New Zealand was based upon the English laws of real property as existing at the date of the constitution of the colony, varied in some important particulars by the Conveyancing Ordinance of 1842 and other colonial legislation, now embodied in the Property Law Act, 1908. Considerable areas of land in all parts of the Dominion are still held and dealt with under this system. Although provision is made for the registration of deeds affecting such land, registration is no guarantee of their validity, and a purchaser has to rely for the security of his title upon the skill and care of his legal adviser.
By the Land Transfer Act, 1870, the system of title by registration was introduced. The title to land under this system is not affected by the execution of documents. Registration is the fundamental principle, and it is only on registration that any interest passes. The Land Transfer Department assumes all responsibility for the registration, and any person named in the register as taking an interest under a registered instrument acquires a practically indefeasible title.
At the present time it is estimated that 81.4 per cent. of the land in the Dominion alienated from the Crown in fee-simple has been brought under the provisions of the Land Transfer Act. The estimated percentages for the various registration districts are—
| Registration District. | Deeds. | Land Transfer. |
|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| Auckland | 24.5 | 75.5 |
| Poverty Bay | 1.5 | 98.5 |
| Taranaki | 14.0 | 86.0 |
| Wellington | 8.6 | 91.4 |
| Hawke's Bay | 25.5 | 74.5 |
| Marlborough | 35.8 | 64.2 |
| Nelson | 33.0 | 67.0 |
| Westland | 14.7 | 85.3 |
| Canterbury | 9.1 | 90.9 |
| Otago | 26.5 | 73.5 |
| Invercargill | 11.7 | 88.3 |
| Totals for Dominion | 18.6 | 81.4 |
The estimated number of holdings or titles still under the deeds-registration system is seventy thousand, and the number is increasing at a rate of about 4 per cent. per annum, in spite of lands being brought under the Land Transfer Act.
By the Land Transfer (Compulsory Registration of Titles) Act, 1924, title by registration is to be made compulsory. The Land Transfer system of title by registration has great advantages over the other and older system of title by deeds, even when the deeds are duly registered. The state of a Land Transfer title can be ascertained by a search of the register with very much greater facility than can the state of a title under the other system, and the powers vested in Registrars under the Land-Transfer Act enable them to keep the register simple, clear, and free from doubts, which is not the case under the other system; the simplicity of searching, and of the preparation of instruments under the Land Transfer system enables transactions with land under that system to be carried out at less cost than under the other system; and under the Land Transfer system there is the State guarantee of a practically indefeasible title, as mentioned above.
These considerations led to the passing in 1924 of the Land Transfer (Compulsory Registration of Titles) Act, which has for its object the bringing under the provisions of the Land Transfer Act, 1915, of all land alienated by the Crown and not already under the provisions of that Act, except lands held by aboriginal Natives of New Zealand under their customs and usages.
The Registrars in charge of the various registration districts constituted under the Land Transfer Act, 1915, are directed by the new Act to make what will be in effect an official examination of all the titles to land not subject to the Land Transfer Act, and to issue certificates of title to the persons entitled to estates of freehold therein. Such certificates of title will, in cases where the Registrar finds that the title is free from any defect or doubt, be ordinary certificates of title under which the holder's title is fully guaranteed by the State. If, however, it appears that the owner's title is defective or doubtful, it is the duty of the Registrar to issue what is termed a limited certificate of title, the effect of which is that the owner's title is guaranteed except as to the specific defects or doubts that may be found by the Registrar to exist. It is open to the owner to have the defects or doubts remedied or removed, and he will then be entitled to receive a certificate of title fully guaranteed. Owners or claimants of interest in land other than registered proprietors are given twelve years in which to prove their titles or to substantiate their claims, if such claims or interest have been excepted from the guarantee, and if they do not do so, then at the expiration of the twelve years the registered proprietor will be entitled to an ordinary fully-guaranteed certificate of title, upon his proving to the satisfaction of the Registrar merely that he is in possession of the land comprised in his certificate of title.
As soon as a certificate of title, whether fully guaranteed or limited, has been issued for any particular parcel of land, it will no longer be necessary for conveyancers to examine the various deeds which have affected the title. All they will need to do will be to search the certificate of title and the Registrar's minutes setting forth the defects (if any).
Provision has existed since 1841 and is now contained in the Deeds Registration Act, 1908, for the registration of deeds and instruments affecting land which is not subject to the provisions of the Land Transfer Act. Registration is not essential to the validity of the instrument, but it is highly important as a record and to secure priority. The Act provides that every deed shall be void as against any person claiming for valuable consideration under any subsequent deed duly registered unless the earlier deed was registered before the subsequent one. The Department is not responsible for the form or matter of the instruments registered beyond seeing that they are duly stamped and contain a sufficient description of the land to identify it.
Provision is made for the deposit of instruments in the Deeds Registry Office for safe custody and reference, and such deposit operates as a release from any covenant for production.
The Deeds Index and all recorded and deposited instruments are open to public inspection, and certified copies may be obtained on payment of the prescribed fees.
Information as to transactions under the Deeds Registration Act for each of the last ten years is given in the following statement:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Deeds recorded. | Fees. £ |
|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 15,348 | 15,429 |
| 1917 | 15,664 | 14,371 |
| 1918 | 13,673 | 13,226 |
| 1919 | 12,798 | 13,148 |
| 1920 | 24,650 | 25,157 |
| 1921 | 38,122 | 32,251 |
| 1922 | 25,352 | 21,956 |
| 1923 | 23,176 | 20,897 |
| 1924 | 25,411 | 23,706 |
| 1925 | 27,347 | 25,152 |
The land — transfer system in New Zealand originated, as stated earlier, with the Land Trailer Act, 1870. This, re-enacted with amendments, is now the Land Transfer Act, 1915.
The land subject to the Land Transfer Act comprises all land alienated from the Crown since 1870, all land included in any order under the Native Land Acts vesting such land in any person in freehold tenure, and all land vested in any person in fee-simple by virtue of any Act of the General Assembly, besides land which has been brought under the Act on the application of the proprietors after investigation and acceptance of the title by the Department.
Information as to applications to bring land under the Land Transfer Act during each of the last ten years is given in the next table:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Applications. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Area. | Value. | ||
| Town and Suburban. | Country. | |||
| Acres. | Acres. | £ | ||
| 1916 | 428 | 185 | 64,914 | 1,215,552 |
| 1917 | 409 | 133 | 37,447 | 1,029,143 |
| 1918 | 316 | 99 | 89,388 | 965,089 |
| 1919 | 291 | 133 | 76,441 | 776,403 |
| 1920 | 497 | 175 | 85,237 | 1,343,243 |
| 1921 | 619 | 208 | 70,536 | 1,767,397 |
| 1922 | 491 | 197 | 31,786 | 1,181,317 |
| 1923 | 407 | 130 | 34,515 | 815,855 |
| 1924 | 447 | 241 | 25,656 | 1,285,587 |
| 1925 | 423 | 876 | 25,626 | 1,285,325 |
The following table shows the number of certificates issued for the last ten years. Included in the totals are those certificates issued in lieu of Crown grants, 761 being the number for 1924-25.
| Year ended 31st March. | Number. |
|---|---|
| 1916 | 10,525 |
| 1917 | 10,350 |
| 1918 | 10,230 |
| 1919 | 7,988 |
| 1920 | 11,637 |
| 1921 | 16,010 |
| 1922 | 19,653 |
| 1923 | 14,045 |
| 1924 | 14,077 |
| 1925 | 14,206 |
The table next following shows transfers registered under the Land Transfer Act during each of the last ten years:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Number. | Area. | Consideration-money. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town and Suburban. | Country. | |||
| Acres. | Acres. | £ | ||
| 1916 | 22,394 | 7,073 | 2,414,007 | 22,264,623 |
| 1917 | 22,187 | 79,316 | 2,676,691 | 34,288,831 |
| 1918 | 19,949 | 6,156 | 2,008,370 | 18,083,634 |
| 1919 | 22,496 | 21,156 | 1,992,312 | 25,197,384 |
| 1920 | 45,128 | 107,432 | 3,775,251 | 62,446,574 |
| 1921 | 55,746 | 16,154 | 4,557,328 | 81,790,063 |
| 1922 | 33,784 | 10,652 | 1,984,695 | 35,436,823 |
| 1923 | 31,021 | 7,955 | 2,499,123 | 29,980,153 |
| 1924 | 33,293 | 10,697 | 1,796,871 | 33,871,246 |
| 1925 | 34,289 | 8,589 | 2,007,984 | 33,625,622 |
Monthly figures of transfers registered under the Land Transfer Act are available from April, 1923, onwards, and are given in the table which follows, a distinction being made between town and suburban transactions on the one hand and country transactions on the other. Slight discrepancies exist between the totals shown above and those arrived at for the last two years by the addition of the monthly figures, this being due to correction of minor errors in the annual figures, without the corresponding adjustment being made in the totals for the appropriate months.
| Month. | Town and Suburban Properties. | Country Properties. | All Properties. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Consideration. | Number. | Consideration. | Number. | Consideration. | |
| 1923-24. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| April | 1,764 | 1,115,338 | 525 | 1,074,406 | 2,289 | 2,189,744 |
| May | 2,662 | 1,567,417 | 775 | 1,418,625 | 3,437 | 2,986,042 |
| June | 2,189 | 1,714,237 | 663 | 1,299,999 | 2,852 | 3,014,236 |
| July | 2,151 | 1,787,845 | 728 | 1,345,949 | 2,879 | 3,133,794 |
| August | 2,370 | 1,611,597 | 776 | 1,400,740 | 3,146 | 3,012,337 |
| September | 2,130 | 1,557,490 | 692 | 1,444,923 | 2,822 | 3,002,413 |
| October | 2,513 | 1,459,618 | 732 | 1,407,294 | 3,245 | 2,866,912 |
| November | 2,323 | 1,615,060 | 675 | 1,411,969 | 2,998 | 3,027,029 |
| December | 2,087 | 1,026,164 | 550 | 1,672,491 | 2,637 | 2,698,655 |
| January | 1,583 | 1,082,000 | 476 | 770,510 | 2,059 | 1,852,510 |
| February | 1,598 | 1,401,327 | 3,064 | 1,553,707 | 2,662 | 2,955,034 |
| March | 2,255 | 1,643,430 | 655 | 1,489,113 | 2,910 | 3,132,542 |
| Year 1923-24 | 25,625 | 17,581,623 | 8,311 | 16,289,726 | 33,936 | 33,871,249 |
| 1924-25. | ||||||
| April | 1,905 | 1,650,994 | 541 | 1,272,625 | 2,446 | 2,923,619 |
| May | 2,472 | 1,762,561 | 701 | 1,378,048 | 3,173 | 3,140,609 |
| June | 2,190 | 1,408,780 | 663 | 1,380,468 | 2,853 | 2,789,248 |
| July | 2,512 | 1,676,069 | 786 | 1,533,196 | 3,298 | 3,209,265 |
| August | 1,806 | 1,506,165 | 1,228 | 1,471,532 | 3,034 | 2,977,697 |
| September | 2,195 | 1,580,084 | 641 | 1,043,587 | 2,836 | 2,623,671 |
| October | 2,339 | 1,418,902 | 680 | 1,282,721 | 3,019 | 2,701,623 |
| November | 2,044 | 1,327,178 | 667 | 1,279,587 | 2,711 | 2,606,765 |
| December | 2,321 | 1,550,642 | 743 | 1,589,652 | 3,064 | 3,140,294 |
| January | 1,423 | 803,489 | 410 | 788,167 | 1,833 | 1,591,656 |
| February | 2,169 | 1,470,046 | 671 | 1,308,956 | 2,840 | 2,779,002 |
| March | 2,487 | 1,570,682 | 654 | 1,494,924 | 3,141 | 3,065,606 |
| Year 1924-25 | 25,863 | 17,725,592 | 8,385 | 15,823,463 | 34,248 | 33,549,055 |
| 1925-26. | ||||||
| April | 1,703 | 1,180,302 | 738 | 1,264,542 | 2,441 | 2,444,844 |
| May | 2,195 | 1,686,257 | 949 | 1,971,039 | 3,144 | 3,657,296 |
| June | 2,243 | 1,481,353 | 976 | 1,637,963 | 3,219 | 3,119,316 |
| July | 2,471 | 1,665,694 | 1,134 | 2,435,907 | 3,605 | 4,101,601 |
| August | 2,265 | 1,538,445 | 810 | 1,360,847 | 3,075 | 2,899,292 |
| September | 2,343 | 1,445,636 | 806 | 1,397,438 | 3,149 | 2,843,074 |
Information as to mortgages registered under the Land Transfer and Deeds Registration Acts is contained in the section of this book dealing with “Mortgages.”
THE Crown lands are administered under the authority of the Land Act, 1908, the Land for Settlements Act, 1908, and the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, by the Minister of Lands at Wellington, his executive officer being the Under-Secretary of Lands, who is the permanent head of the Department of Lands and Survey. New Zealand is divided into twelve land districts, each being under the local direction of a Commissioner of Crown Lands and a Land Board. The Commissioner's office is known as the principal land office, and in some of the larger districts there are one or more local land offices. It is with these land offices that the selector has to transact all business, from the first consultation of the maps to the final receipt of the Crown title.
The names of the land districts and of the towns where the principal office of each is situated are as under:—
| Land District. | Principal Land Office situated at |
|---|---|
| North Auckland | Auckland. |
| Auckland | Auckland. |
| Gisborne | Gisborne. |
| Hawke's Bay | Napier. |
| Taranaki | New Plymouth. |
| Wellington | Wellington. |
| Nelson | Nelson. |
| Marlborough | Blenheim. |
| Westland | Hokitika. |
| Canterbury | Christchurch. |
| Otago | Dunedin. |
| Southland | Invercargill. |
Commissioners of Crown Lands are executive officers of the land districts, having large discretionary powers under the Act. Each is the Chairman of the Land Board of his district, and transacts all its routine business in the sale, letting, and occupation of Crown lands. The Commissioners deal with trespassers and intruders (persons and cattle), removing the former and prosecuting the owners of the latter; they recover all penalties, ascertain the boundaries of Crown lands, enforce all contracts for the disposition of Crown lands, recover rents and either moneys, deal with determinable contracts, prosecute and defend suits, and do whatever is necessary in the course of their duties.
A Land Board consists of five members—viz., the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the district (who is ex officio Chairman), three members nominated by the Governor-General, and one member elected by the Crown tenants of the district.
The Boards transact all business connected with the sale, letting, disposal, and occupation of Crown lands, and all matters connected with the management and control of the public lands in their hands. They are the sole judges of the fulfilment of conditions in leases and licenses, and they can declare them forfeit. All meetings are open to the Press and public, with certain limitations.
A selector may purchase for cash, or may select for occupation with right of purchase or for renewable lease. Every applicant must be of the age of seventeen years or upwards, and must apply for Crown land solely for his own use and benefit, and not directly or indirectly for the use or benefit of any other person. Including the land he applies for, he is not to be the owner, holder, or occupier under any tenure of more than one year's duration, either severally or jointly or in common with any other person or persons, of any land anywhere in New Zealand exceeding in the whole 5,000 acres of land, computed as follows:—
Every acre of first-class land is reckoned as 7 1/2 acres;
Every acre of second-class land is reckoned as 2 1/2 acres;
Every acre of third-class land is reckoned as 1 acre.
The annual rental payable for occupation-with-right-of-purchase selections is 5 per cent. on the cash price of the land, and for lands selected for renewable lease the annual rental is 4 per cent. on the cash price of the land.
Crown land may be selected and occupied under the following tenures and systems:—
Town, suburban, and village lands—
For cash and deferred payment, by public auction;
By lease for terms up to ten years;
By renewable lease for thirty-three years.
Rural land (unimproved), (under optional system)—
For cash, by application;
Occupation with right of purchase for twenty-five years;
Renewable lease for sixty-six years.
Village settlements—
Under the three foregoing tenures of optional system.
Improved-farm settlements (rural land)—
Under special conditions, and either (a) on occupation-with-right-of-purchase license or (b) on renewable lease.
Special settlements (rural land)—
On renewable lease for sixty-six years and under special regulations.
Land-for-settlement estates (improved rural and pastoral land)—
Under renewable lease for thirty-three years, with limited right to acquire freehold;
For cash or on deferred payments, by auction.
Pastoral land—
By small-grazing-run lease for twenty-one years, with right of renewal (maximum area, 20,000 acres);
By pastoral license on terms up to thirty-five years.
Land within mining districts—
On pastoral licenses under special regulations, with right to acquire the freehold or exchange to a renewable lease;
On occupation leases under special regulations, with similar rights as to purchase of freehold and exchange.
Miscellaneous—
Temporary occupation on terms up to five years;
Sale or occupation for special purposes;
Outlying land.
Full particulars are given in the Crown Lands Guide, issued periodically and obtainable at any land office, as to the conditions of lease and occupation. A certain amount of improvements is required to be effected on rural land purchased for cash or held under occupation-with-right-of-purchase or renewable-lease tenures, and residence is compulsory for certain periods on most Crown leaseholds. Rebate of rent is given in many cases when the half-yearly instalment of rent is paid within thirty days of its becoming due. Applications for mortgage, transfer, and sublease of a Crown leasehold under most of the tenures require the approval of the Land Board of the district.
National endowments may be disposed of under renewable lease, small-grazing-run lease, or pastoral license. These lands are occupied on the same conditions as ordinary Crown lands, with the exception that the freehold cannot be acquired while such lands continue to be included in the endowment. Under section 302 of the Land Act, 1924, the Governor-General is authorized to remove from the endowment certain lands comprised therein, including lands occupied by discharged soldiers under any tenure, and small grazing-runs held under leases issued under the Land Act, 1892, or the Land Act, 1908, up till the 10th December, 1918. Upon the removal of such lands from the endowment the occupiers thereof can acquire the freehold in manner prescribed by section 24 of the Land Act, 1924.
Lands held under pastoral license and forming part of the national-endowment area which have been held for not less than seven years may likewise, with the consent of the Land Board and Minister, be removed from the national endowment and the freehold acquired at valuation if not suitable for closer subdivision.
Education endowments are available for leasing under the Education Reserves Amendment Act, 1910 (modifying the Education Reserves Act, 1908), which permits of a lease being granted under the Public Bodies' Leases Act, 1908, as well as under the Land Act, 1924. The freehold of the land cannot be acquired.
Public reserves not vested in trustees or a local authority may be leased under the Public Reserves and Domains Amendment Act, 1911, for any term not exceeding twenty-one years, with right of renewal for a further term. The freehold of. the land cannot be acquired.
During the year ended 31st March, 1925, an area of 168,748 acres of land was offered for selection under the various tenures provided by the Land Act, Land for Settlements Act, and Education Reserves Act.
Under renewable lease an area of 60,236 acres was offered, 20,218 acres being national endowment, 33,287 acres land for settlements, and 6,731 acres ordinary Crown lands; while an area of 57,691 acres of ordinary Crown land was offered under the optional system. The pastoral-run area comprised 17,773 acres.
In addition to the above a total area of 2,914 acres of Crown, settlement, and national-endowment lands was set apart for selection by discharged soldiers, under the ordinary tenures of the Land Act and the Land for Settlements Act, and the special tenures of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act. Fuller particulars regarding these lands will be found at the end of this subsection.
The total selections during the year covered an area of 463,946 acres, by 1,327 selectors. These figures include, however, 154 purchases of small town, suburban, and rural lands, aggregating 3,656 acres, offered for sale at auction. The ordinary Crown lands holdings represented 342,997 acres; land for settlements and Cheviot Estate, 41,848 acres; national endowment, 28,899 acres; educational endowments, 50,187 acres; and other endowments, 15 acres. Selections by discharged soldiers are included in the foregoing totals.
Areas under this heading include all lands sold for cash or selected on the deferred-payment system, small grazing-runs, and leases under the following tenures: Renewable lease, occupation with right of purchase, mining districts land occupation leases, educational-endowment leases, and pastoral licenses in mining districts under special regulations. A five-years summary of selections is as follows:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Sold for Cash. | Deferred-payment Licenses. | Leases and Licenses (Ordinary Settlement). | Small Grazing-runs. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | No. | No. | No. | No. | |
| 1921 | 301 | 129 | 1,260 | 17 | 1,707 |
| 1922 | 218 | 213 | 779 | 9 | 1,219 |
| 1923 | 233 | 121 | 596 | 4 | 954 |
| 1924 | 163 | 247 | 503 | 3 | 916 |
| 1925 | 154 | 115 | 459 | 1 | 729 |
The acreage represented by the selections included in the foregoing table is as follows:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Sold for Cash. | Deferred-payment Licenses. | Leases and Licenses (Ordinary Settlement). | Small Grazing-runs. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | |
| 1921 | 17,997 | 4,433 | 304,582 | 78,029 | 405,041 |
| 1922 | 11,410 | 1,443 | 165,442 | 21,161 | 199,456 |
| 1923 | 8,140 | 1,741 | 85,707 | 4,347 | 99,935 |
| 1924 | 2,371 | 53,846 | 97,664 | 1,245 | 155,126 |
| 1925 | 3,656 | 3,891 | 125,259 | 905 | 133,711 |
The following table shows in a condensed form the area of land held from the Crown at 31st March, 1925, the yearly rental payable, and the area made freehold to that date:—
| Tenure. | Total Number of Selectors. | Total Area held. | Total Yearly Rental or Instalment payable. | Total Area made Freehold. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Purchasers. | Area. | ||||
* Excluding “cash lands.” | |||||
| Acres. | £ | Acres. | |||
| Cash lands | .. | .. | .. | .. | 13,243,729 |
| Deferred payment | 2,208 | 297,121 | 59,852 | 10,410 | 1,236,050 |
| Perpetual lease | 180 | 10,395 | 1,193 | 3,098 | 862,078 |
| Occupation with right of purchase | 4,238 | 1,291,028 | 108,370 | 4,579 | 1,185,984 |
| Lease in perpetuity | 7,743 | 1,676,329 | 198,557 | 3,037 | 519,722 |
| Renewable lease | 7,489 | 2,069,624 | 443,904 | 221 | 38,502 |
| Agricultural lease | 9 | 282 | 18 | 1,408 | 140,896 |
| Mining districts land occupation leases | 720 | 20,204 | 1,775 | 118 | 3,649 |
| Homestead | .. | .. | .. | 61 | 80,453 |
| Pastoral licenses in mining districts under special regulations | 750 | 170,603 | 4,285 | 72 | 16,017 |
| Small grazing-runs | 864 | 2,752,157 | 102,963 | 46 | 56,463 |
| Pastoral runs | 647 | 9,752,414 | 92,322 | 3 | 4,339 |
| Miscellaneous leases and licenses | 6,745 | 1,166,091 | 44,660 | 105 | 10,834 |
| Totals | 31,593 | 19,206,248 | 1,057,899 | 23,158* | 17,398,716 |
| Thermal-springs leases (Rotorua) | 327 | 2,102 | 2,064 | 13 | 157 |
| Education endowments— | |||||
| Primary | 3,441 | 766,949 | 112,710 | 3 | 86 |
| Secondary | 481 | 40,321 | 8,238 | .. | .. |
| Totals | 4,249 | 809,372 | 123,012 | 16 | 243 |
| Grand totals | 35,842 | 20,015,620 | 1,180,911 | 23,174* | 17,398,959 |
| Other endowment lands | 758 | 353,285 | 15,461 | 4 | 5,019 |
National-endowment lands are included in the above table in the figures for the various tenures under which they are held. National-endowment lands of an aggregate area of 6,847,755 acres were held at 31st March, 1925, by 4,497 selectors, the annual rental payable being £138,254. Settlement lands under the Land for Settlements Act, which are dealt with later on in this subsection, are also included.
The next table shows the area of Crown land made freehold during the year ended 31st March, 1925, together with the amount of purchase-money. The information is given for the various tenures under which the land was held immediately prior to the freehold being acquired by the occupier.
| Tenure. | Area. | Amount realized. |
|---|---|---|
| Acres. | £ | |
| Cash lands sold | 4,147 | 41,720 |
| Freehold acquired under following tenures— | ||
| Deferred payment (Acts of 1912 and 1913) | 9,833 | 37,393 |
| Perpetual lease | 50 | 19 |
| Occupation with right of purchase | 38,514 | 36,919 |
| Lease in perpetuity | 4,444 | 8,949 |
| Renewable lease | 563 | 4,932 |
| Mining districts land occupation lease | 103 | 610 |
| Pastoral licenses in mining districts | 312 | 438 |
| Small grazing-runs | 551 | 579 |
| Miscellaneous | 46 | 3,097 |
| Pastoral runs | 3,648 | 5,000 |
| Totals | 62,211 | 139,656 |
Much of the land legislation of recent years has been in the direction of preventing large areas of good land from being acquired or retained by a single individual. Part III of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1912, makes provision for an agreement being made between the Minister of Lands and the owner in fee-simple of any land for the subdivision of that land, and for the disposal by public tender of the allotments by way of sale or by way of lease with right of purchase.
Section 49 provides for similar agreements between the Minister and the owners of Native freehold land in respect of the disposition by sale of lease of that land.
In Part VI of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1913, provision is made whereby the Minister of Lands may at any time in writing notify an owner of land that such land or a portion thereof is required for purposes of settlement. The owner of the land is required, within six months after such notice has been gazetted, to notify the Minister whether he elects (a) to himself subdivide and offer the land for sale in subdivisions, or (b) to enter into an agreement with the Minister as above, or (c) that the land shall be taken compulsorily under the Land for Settlements Act.
In sections 381 and 382 of the Land Act, 1924, provision exists for compulsorily taking private land (not within a borough or town district) in cases where in the opinion of the Board of Land Purchase Commissioners such land has been acquired by way of aggregation, and where such aggregation is contrary to the public interest. Compensation is payable for all land so taken.
The purchase of private lands by the Crown for closer settlement purposes is authorized by the Land for Settlements Act, 1908, and its amendments. In each land, district is a local Land Purchase Board, of which the Commissioner of Crown Lands is the Chairman, and its recommendations are dealt with by the Dominion Land Purchase Board (Wellington), consisting of the Land Purchase Controller (Chairman), the Under-Secretary of Lands, the Surveyor-General, and a nominated member.
The number of estates offered during the year ended 31st March, 1925, was 40, of an area of 61,690 acres. In addition several were submitted direct to the Commissioners of Crown Lands of the several districts and considered by the local Boards. The figures given herein do not include any purchases under section 2 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Act, 1917. The area purchased during the year was 1,719 acres, of a value of £30,290.
The total number of estates purchased since the inception of the land-for-settlements scheme is 630, of a total area of 1,982,023 acres, the aggregate amount of purchase-money being £12,979,495. The figures for each land district are—
| Land District. | Number. | Area. | Purchase-money. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Including North Auckland. † Including Gisborne. | |||
| Acres. | £ | ||
| Auckland* | 95 | 386,488 | 1,498,957 |
| Hawke's Bay† | 61 | 301,498 | 2,292,083 |
| Taranaki | 25 | 27,628 | 369,818 |
| Wellington | 143 | 157,335 | 2,226,840 |
| Marlborough | 21 | 223,957 | 751,635 |
| Nelson | 14 | 48,821 | 150,473 |
| Westland | 2 | 5,125 | 8,343 |
| Canterbury | 172 | 447,349 | 3,444,252 |
| Otago | 72 | 293,185 | 1,779,308 |
| Southland | 25 | 90,637 | 457,786 |
| Totals | 630 | 1,982,023 | 12,979,495 |
The transfer of certain areas from Crown to settlement lands, and the adjustment of areas to account for ascertained surpluses or deficiencies, bring the total area to 2,175,036 acres at the 31st March, 1925. Of this, 256,449 acres have been sold for cash or made freehold, the total purchase-money being £921,373, and 30,388 acres are occupied by roads or by reserves unlet. At the 31st March, 1925, 7,034 selectors were holding a total of 1,796,418 acres, the annual rental for which amounts to £560,953; and the remaining 91,781 acres were unlet. The figures for each land district are as follow:—
| District. | Net Area acquired, including Ascertained Surplus. | Area occupied by Roads and Reserves unlet. | Area of Land unlet, including Land forfeited, surrendered, or resumed and not relet, and also Land not yet offered for Selection. | Total Area purchased for Cash or made Freehold to Date. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Purchasers. | Area. | Price realized. | ||||
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | £ | ||
| North Auckland | 40,992 | 873 | 5,608 | 188 | 1,774 | 25,228 |
| Auckland | 353,562 | 13,238 | 40,943 | 655 | 176,427 | 376,455 |
| Gisborne | 76,246 | 390 | 4,079 | 39 | 6,110 | 49,124 |
| Hawke's Bay | 227,373 | 2,489 | 302 | 98 | 17,380 | 106,834 |
| Taranaki | 28,234 | 246 | 3,798 | 42 | 1,461 | 34,426 |
| Wellington | 142,812 | 1,104 | 7,472 | 162 | 8,563 | 87,142 |
| Nelson | 66,434 | 929 | 14,019 | 6 | 1,635 | 3,033 |
| Marlborough | 235,250 | 2,643 | 3,474 | 39 | 8,858 | 34,394 |
| Westland | 5,124 | 82 | .. | 2 | 192 | 116 |
| Canterbury | 605,709 | 4,176 | 2,232 | 258 | 15,453 | 122,164 |
| Otago | 296,100 | 3,169 | 8,349 | 54 | 6,277 | 31,338 |
| Southland | 97,200 | 1,049 | 1,505 | 90 | 12,319 | 51,119 |
| Totals | 2,175,036 | 30,388 | 91,781 | 1,633 | 256,449 | 921,373 |
| District. | Total Lands leased at 31st March, 1925 | Rent and other Payments received during 1924-25 | Total Receipts from Inception to 31st March 1925. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Selectors. | Area. | Annual Rental. | |||
| Acres | £ | £ | £ | ||
| North Auckland | 273 | 32,737 | 14,069 | 8,658 | 125,304 |
| Auckland | 894 | 122,954 | 34,470 | 32,881 | 768,132 |
| Gisborne | 237 | 65,667 | 24,426 | 33,577 | 147,524 |
| Hawke's Bay | 617 | 207,202 | 78,449 | 74,264 | 447,247 |
| Taranaki | 140 | 22,729 | 13,910 | 9,763 | 152,479 |
| Wellington | 932 | 125,673 | 93,366 | 68,310 | 740,232 |
| Nelson | 62 | 49,851 | 4,485 | 4,746 | 46,204 |
| Marlborough | 492 | 220,275 | 35,235 | 34,657 | 604,619 |
| Westland | 30 | 4,850 | 537 | 397 | 12,700 |
| Canterbury | 1,887 | 583,848 | 163,481 | 142,691 | 2,647,953 |
| Otago | 1,120 | 278,305 | 79,805 | 70,056 | 1,214,337 |
| Southland | 350 | 82,327 | 18,720 | 17,744 | 357,064 |
| Totals | 7,034 | 1,796,418 | 560,953 | 497,744 | 7,263,795 |
On the 1st January, 1910, the Land Settlement Finance Act, which is described fully in the 1915 issue of this book, came into force. The associations incorporated now number forty-six. There were no transactions during the year 1924-25.
Under the provisions of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, and amendments, any person is entitled to the benefits of the Act who, as a member of a New Zealand Naval or Expeditionary Force, served beyond New Zealand in connection with the late war, returned to New Zealand, and received an honourable discharge, together with any person who immediately prior to the commencement of the war was a bona fide resident of New Zealand, and also served during the war with some portion of His Majesty's Naval or Military Forces (not being Forces raised in New Zealand) and received an honourable discharge therefrom. In addition, all discharged members of an Expeditionary Force who, having been classed as medically fit for service beyond the seas, served as members of that Force in a camp of military training and remained attached to that camp on the 12th November, 1918 (being the date of the cessation of hostilities with Germany), are entitled to apply for advances or private land under section 2 or 3 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Act. 1917.
There is power to dispose of land under the ordinary tenures of the Land Act, 1924, and the Land for Settlements Act, 1908—i.e., for cash, or occupation with right of purchase, or on renewable lease under the former Act, and renewable lease under the latter Act; also under the “special tenures” of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, which are cash, deferred payment, or a renewable lease with a purchasing clause. The various tenures mentioned may be explained as under, and are given under two headings—viz., “Ordinary Tenures” and “Special Tenures.”
Cash.—In all cases of purchase of land for cash the applicant is required to pay one-fifth of the purchase-money at the date of the sale, and the balance, with the Crown-grant fee, within thirty days from the date of the approval of the application.
Occupation with Right of Purchase.—Term, twenty-five years; rental, 5 per cent. on the capital value of the land; right of purchase after the license has been held six years, provided the residence and improvement conditions have been complied with. If the licensee does not acquire the freehold prior to the expiration of the term of twenty-five years he has a prior right to a renewable lease.
Renewable Lease under the Land Act.—Term, sixty-six years, with a perpetual right of renewal; rental, 4 per cent. on the capital value of the land. There is a right to the freehold.
Renewable Lease under the Land for Settlements Act.—Term, thirty-three years, with perpetual right of renewal; rental, 4 1/2 per cent. on the capital value of the land. Right of purchase at any time during the currency of the lease. Purchase of the freehold may be made on the deferred-payment system if desired.
Cash.—The remarks already under “Cash” heading apply to cash selections under “Special Tenures.”
Deferred Payment under Special Tenures.—Term, such period as the Board may determine, usually nineteen years; licensee to deposit 5 per cent. of the purchase-money, and thereafter pay the balance of 95 per cent. by equal annual payments, together with interest at 5 per cent., payable half-yearly, on all outstanding balances. The licensee has the right to pay off the whole or any part of the outstanding money at any time during the currency of the license.
Renewable Lease with Purchasing Clause under Special Tenures.—Term may be for any period not exceeding thirty-three years in the case of settlement land, and sixty-six years in the case of Crown land, with perpetual rights of renewal for thirty-three years or sixty-six years as the case may be. Freehold may be acquired any time during the currency of the lease. Purchase of the freehold may be made on the deferred-payment system if desired.
The following table shows the total area proclaimed under the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915. Of the total area proclaimed, ordinary Crown lands amounted to 587,286 acres, Cheviot Estate to 3,356 acres, land for settlements to 390,700 acres, and national-endowment land to 430,998 acres.
| District. | Under Section 3 of the Act. (Ordinary Tenures.) | Under Section 4 of the Act. (Special Tenures.) | Total Area proclaimed. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the Year ended 31st March, 1925. | Total to 31st March, 1925. | For the Year ended 31st March, 1925. | Total to 31st March, 1925. | For the Year ended 31st March, 1925. | Total to 31st March, 1925. | |
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | |
| North Auckland | .. | 23,595 | 39 | 42,743 | 39 | 66,338 |
| Auckland | 100 | 62,273 | 675 | 149,400 | 775 | 211,673 |
| Gisborne | .. | .. | 259 | 8,733 | 259 | 8,733 |
| Hawke's Bay | .. | 27,263 | .. | 172,411 | .. | 199,674 |
| Taranaki | .. | 15,657 | .. | 38,787 | .. | 54,444 |
| Wellington | .. | 2,490 | .. | 108,083 | .. | 110,573 |
| Nelson | .. | 35,380 | 1,161 | 34,660 | 1,161 | 70,040 |
| Marlborough | .. | .. | .. | 20,674 | .. | 20,674 |
| Westland | .. | 27,752 | .. | 480 | .. | 28,232 |
| Canterbury | .. | 254,401 | .. | 46,480 | .. | 300,881 |
| Otago | .. | 239,780 | 680 | 76,297 | 680 | 316,077 |
| Southland | .. | 10,824 | .. | 14,177 | .. | 25,001 |
| Totals | 100 | 699,415 | 2,814 | 712,925 | 2,914 | 1,412,340 |
During the year ended 31st March, 1925, 123 applications were made under the provisions of tie Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, and allotments were made in the case of 47 applicants. The following table shows the number of applications for land in each of the several land districts of the Dominion, and also the number of applications granted, together with the areas so allotted:—
| District. | Applications. | Allotments. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Area. | ||
| Acres. | |||
| North Auckland | |||
| Auckland | 23 | 12 | 1,800 |
| Gisborne | 7 | 6 | 2,052 |
| Hawke's Bay | |||
| Taranaki | 2 | 3 | 469 |
| Wellington | 18 | 18 | 3,326 |
| Nelson | |||
| Marlborough | 4 | 2 | 215 |
| Westland | |||
| Canterbury | 67 | 5 | 430 |
| Otago | 1 | 1 | 722 |
| Southland | 1 | .. | .. |
| Totals | 123 | 47 | 9,014 |
The various systems of financial assistance in connection with the settlement of discharged soldiers were dealt with in the 1924 and previous issues of the Year-book Operations at the present time are confined to advances on current account for stocking and developing farms.
From the inception of the scheme of discharged-soldiers settlement in 1915 to the end of the financial year 1924-25, £22,208,300 had been advanced to 22,326 discharged soldiers as follows:—
| Class. | Number of Soldiers. | Amount. £ |
|---|---|---|
| Advances on current account (including £1,405,000 for the erection of buildings on farms) | 4,918 | 4,663,600 |
| Advances towards purchase of farms, market gardens, and orchards, and discharge of mortgages | 5,507 | 8,938,800 |
| Advances towards purchase and erection of dwellings and discharge of mortgages thereon in town and suburban areas | 11,901 | 8,605,900 |
| Totals | 22,326 | £22,208,300 |
Repayments of principal to the 31st March, 1925, total £3,889,800, of which £921,365 was repaid during the financial year 1924-25. Receipts in respect of interest and sundries brought the total receipts for the year to £1,591,483.
During 1924-25, loans totalling £344,800 were granted. Of this amount £33,900 was for the erection of dwellings, and £310,900 towards the improvement and stocking of lands. Advances actually made during the year, including loans previously authorized and readvances from current account, totalled £702,000.
By the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Act, 1923, a Dominion Revaluation Board was constituted with power to revalue and reduce where necessary the capital values of lands leased by soldiers from the Crown, and also to reduce mortgages in cases where soldiers had acquired lands by means of Government advances. To assist this Board twenty-four district revaluation committees were set up, whose reports were submitted for consideration and action. The work of revaluation has been practically completed. Of 5,347 applications received for revaluation the Dominion Board has issued determinations in 5,284 cases, while the remaining 63 applications have lapsed owing to forfeiture' or abandonment. Reductions have been made in capital and mortgage values to the total of £2,298,470, and negotiations with private mortgagees and unsecured creditors have resulted in mortgages and debts of various descriptions totalling £130,310 being reduced over 73 per cent. In addition, private mortgages totalling £41,276 have been purchased by the Crown at a discount of approximately £17,000.
NATIVE land is of two kinds—namely, customary land and Native freehold land. Customary land is land which has never been the subject of a Crown grant and is held by Natives under the customs and usages of the Maori people. It is land in respect of which the ancient customary Native title as recognized and guaranteed by the Treaty of Waitangi has not yet been extinguished. Such land, since it has not been Crown-granted, remains vested in the Crown, subject, however, to the customary title of the Natives, and to their right to have the customary title transformed into a freehold title by the Native Land Court.
Customary land has always been restricted from alienation except in favour of the Crown. By the Treaty of Waitangi the exclusive right to purchase such land was reserved to the Crown, and in all statutes since passed the alienation of customary land to private individuals has been prohibited, and this prohibition is now extended to the Crown. Native freehold land is the land held by Natives under an English freehold title, though subject to certain restrictions on alienation and other special incidents which are unknown to the ordinary law.
Whether land is Native or European land depends upon the beneficial ownership of it, and not merely on the legal ownership. If land is held by a European upon trust for a Native, it is Native land; if it is held in trust by a Native for a European, it is European land. There are, however, four exceptions to this:—
When once land has become European land, it never again becomes Native land unless by special enactment.
Land purchased by a Native from the Crown for a pecuniary consideration is not Native land.
Land held by a Native in severalty may be declared to be European land by the Native Appellate Court.
Under certain circumstances the Native owner may be declared a European.
Even though one of many Native owners may sell, the land remains Native land until all have disposed of their interest, or until the purchaser has had his interests partitioned off. A “Native” means a Maori or half-caste, or a person intermediate in blood between a Maori and half-caste.
The Native Land Court consists of a Chief Judge and such other Judges as the Governor-General thinks fit to appoint. All powers of the Court may be exercised by a single Judge, but there are certain important powers vested exclusively in the Chief Judge. Commissioners are appointed who exercise such jurisdiction of a Judge as the Governor-General authorizes. The chief matters within the jurisdiction of the Court are:—
The investigation of title to customary land, and transforming it into Native freehold land.
The exclusive power of partitioning land among the owners.
The sanctioning of exchanges for other Native land and European land.
Granting probates of wills and succession orders to Natives.
Making orders for the adoption of children.
Appointing trustees for Natives who are minors or under other disability.
The incorporation of the owners of Native land.
The determination of various claims as between Natives.
Particulars of the business dealt with by the Native Land Court during the twelve months ended 31st March, 1925, are as follow:—
| Number of sittings | 122 |
|---|---|
| Number of cases notified | 16,708 |
| Number of cases for which orders were made | 6,607 |
| Number of cases dismissed | 2,253 |
| Number of cases adjourned sine die | 8,009 |
| Number of partitions made | 755 |
| Area affected (acres) | 159,876 |
| Number of investigations of title | 8 |
| Area affected (acres) | 19 |
| Number of succession orders made | 5,139 |
| Number of other orders made | 2,338 |
The Native Appellate Court consists of any two or more Judges of the Native Land Court. With certain exceptions the Appellate Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine appeals, whether on law or fact, from all final orders of the Native Land Court.
There are seven Maori Land Boards, each consisting of the Judge and Registrar of the Native Land Court district, the Judge acting as President. The chief functions of a Maori Land Board are—
To grant confirmation of alienation of Native land.
To administer certain large areas of Native land vested in those Boards in trust for the Native owners, the Boards having extensive powers of sale, lease, and management.
To act as statutory agent of the Native owners in respect of certain areas of Native land set apart for Native settlement.
To control the administration and disposition of Native land, by resolution of the assembled owners.
The total area vested in and administered by the various Maori Land Boards as at the 31st March, 1925, was 684,449 acres.
During the year 2,302 acres of vested land were disposed of by lease and 2 acres by way of sale, while 8,168 acres were revested in the Native owners.
With regard to Native freehold land, the Boards during the year approved of 296 leases, comprising 26,728 acres, and confirmed 530 transfers (apart from sales to the Crown) affecting 33,838 acres of freehold land.
The ordinary provisions as to alienation of Native land do not affect the power to dispose of land by will, but a Native cannot will to a European except it be a husband or wife or a relative of the person making the will. A Native cannot dispose of customary land, whether by will or otherwise. No alienation of Native land by a Native has any effect until it is confirmed by a Maori Land Board, and the instrument of alienation must be attested by a solicitor, a Justice of the Peace, a Magistrate, a Judge, a Registrar, a Commissioner of the Native Land Court, or a Postmaster. If the Native has not a sufficient knowledge of the English language it must also be attested by a licensed interpreter, who must certify that the Native understood the effect of the instrument. It must also have a translation and a plan of the land affected endorsed.
The Board, before confirming an alienation, must satisfy itself—
That the instrument has been duly executed:
That the alienation is not contrary to good faith or the interests of the Native alienating:
That no Native is rendered landless by the alienation:
That the consideration is adequate:
That the purchase-money is paid or secured:
That the rules as to limitation of area have not been infringed:
That the alienation is not a breach of trust and is not otherwise prohibited by law.
A lease cannot be for a longer term than fifty years, and a mortgage must have the approval of the Governor-General in Council.
For the purpose of effecting the purchase of Native land by the Crown there is constituted a Native Land Purchase Board, consisting of the Native Minister, the Under-Secretary for Crown Lands, the Under-Secretary of the Native Department, and the Valuer-General. The duty of the Board is to undertake, control, and carry out negotiations for purchase, and the performance and completion of contracts entered into. Pending any purchase by the Crown the Governor-General may, by Order in Council, prohibit any attempt at alienation otherwise than to the Crown. Any such attempted alienation is absolutely void, and constitutes an offence punishable by fine or imprisonment. Upon the purchase being completed the land is proclaimed Crown land, and is subject to administration under the Land Act, 1924. Where it is subject to lease when purchased the option may be extended to the tenant of purchasing the land from the Crown or having at the expiration of his lease a renewable lease granted to him.
Since the Board was constituted, on the 1st April, 1910, 1,357,810 acres of Native land has been purchased by the Crown, the aggregate purchase-money paid being £3,277,355. The total area of Native land alienated by way of sale to the Crown or other purchasers since 1910 is 2,887,838 acres.
The estimated area of Native land still held by Natives in the North Island is. estimated at 4,256,993 acres, and in the whole Dominion at 4,527,978 acres. In many cases the Natives are utilizing their land for pastoral and dairying purposes. Other lands are being farmed for them by Maori Land Boards and by the East Coast Commissioner. Various returns disclose that there are under Maori ownership upwards of 500,000 sheep, 50,000 cattle, 13,000 horses, and 10,000 pigs.
The Native Trustee is a statutory officer, and administers many reserves of Native land on behalf of the beneficiaries and grants leases thereof. The beneficial owners of these reserves have no power of alienation.
The Native Trustee also, whore necessary, acts as trustee for Natives who are minors or under other disability, and is sometimes called upon to administer the estates of deceased Natives.
THE surveys of Crown lands, Native lands, and land purchased under the Land for Settlements Act, 1908, or the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915, are executed under the authority of the Minister of Lands, and are carried out by staff and contract surveyors licensed by the Surveyors' Board constituted under the Surveyors' Institute and Board of Examiners Act, 1908.
In respect of surveys for the purpose of the Land Transfer Act, an additional and special license under the hand of the Surveyor-General is required, in terms of section 177 of the Land Transfer Act, 1915.
Any surveyor or other person, in pursuance of the written authority of the Surveyor-General or of the Chief Surveyor of the district, may enter upon Native land for survey purposes, and any person who obstructs any surveyor or other person so authorized is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction by fine or imprisonment (vide section 403 of the Native Land Act, 1909).
Authority for a surveyor and his assistant to enter on any land for the purpose of making a survey under the Public Works Act. 1908, must be obtained from either the Minister of Public Works, the Minister of Lands, the Surveyor-General or his Deputy, or the local body, as the case may be (vide Public Works Act, 1905, section 97).
Regulations for conducting the survey of the Dominion lands are made by the Surveyors' Board in terms of the Surveyors' Institute and Board of Examiners Act, 1908, as amended by the Surveyors' Institute and Board of Examiners Amendment Act, 1922.
In terms of section 5 of the last-mentioned Act power is conferred on the Surveyor-General to make rules for all or any of the following purposes:—
The conduct and control of fundamental or basic surveys to be made for standard, topographical, geodesical, or other scientific purposes.
The conduct and control of the technical operations carried out by the Department of Lands and Survey.
Prescribing the fees to be paid for the inspection or examination or checking of plans, and also prescribing rates of payment for surveys executed under the direction of the Crown.
The Surveyor-General is the custodian of the legal standards of length for survey purposes. All measurements of land affecting titles are to be expressed in terms of the chain of 100 links, and all areas in acres, roods, perches, and decimals of a perch (Land Act, 1924, section 8 (1)).
Comparison of surveyors' measuring-bands with certified copies of these are made on request free of cost by the Chief Surveyors, or at the Surveyor-General's Office.
The present Surveyor-General is Mr. W. T. Neill.
Until the abolition of the provincial system of government in November, 1876, the surveys of New Zealand were conducted by nine survey departments, each independent of the other, and working on no common system. At that date an amalgamation into one department was accomplished. Several of the provincial services had conducted their surveys on a trigonometrical basis, but, as the others were building one survey on another by traverse on magnetic or other azimuthal bearings, without any reference to true meridian or the independent check of triangulation, a state of considerable confusion and uncertainty had arisen in the survey records.
In these circumstances it was necessary to devise a system that would rapidly bring the surveys under control and record, so that settlers might be placed in secure possession of their land, and the Crown be safe to issue titles on reliable plans and descriptions.
The plan adopted was to divide the country into twenty-eight districts, designated “meridional circuits.” At the initial or main station of each the astronomical meridian was determined from observations of circumpolar stars, and the latitude from observations of stars north and south of zenith. Lines of bearings on the true astronomical meridian of the initial station were extended throughout its circuit to the plains and valleys where surveys were in progress. Within three years these standard bearings had been so extended as to enable all the surveys to be conducted on the true meridian of their respective circuits; for, following immediately on this operation, a base-line was measured, and a minor triangulation of two- and three-mile sides, starting from one of the stations of the standard bearings, was spread over the country wherever most required for the check and connection of the settlement surveys. In this way the Dominion was placed very quickly under a system of correct recordable survey, readily adjustable to the requirements of a population rapidly spreading over areas widely apart. The intervening spaces have since been filled in, and the network of triangles is a continuous chain extending over the Islands from north to south a distance of 1,100 miles. Simultaneously with the minor triangulation of the country a topographical survey was carried on, giving the positions of rivers, plains, mountains, forests; best lines for future roads; altitudes of valleys, passes, and mountains; and generally a correct representation of the features of the country, to a scale of 2 in. to the mile.
Settlement survey, as the name implies, is the marking off of the land purchases already made, or the subdivision by survey of the Crown lands into areas for future selection. The surveyor, aided by the topographical map of the district, makes a careful examination of the country, selecting and grading, if need be, the most suitable main and occupation lines of road which he traverses, proving the accuracy of his work by beginning on one of the stations of the minor triangulation and closing on another. This satisfactorily done, the sectioned areas are designed so as, to fairly distribute road-frontages, water-supply, and natural advantages to the several sections. The boundary-lines of sections are marked at each corner by stout pegs, and by lock-spits, with additional pegs and lock-spits on the lines giving the range from the road-frontage. Lithographic plans of these surveys are published showing road-lines, number of sections, areas, streams, and natural features, thereby enabling settlers to find their purchases or make selections without any chance of mistake.
The main object of the survey is to enable the settlement of the lands to proceed on a system of survey and record which, for the settler, will give him possession of a definite piece of land which cannot ever afterwards be overridden by a rival claim, and for the Crown the assurance that its guarantee of title will not involve it in embarrassing claims for compensation through overlapping boundaries.
The settlement surveys comprise Crown and Native lands, land purchased under the Land for Settlements Act, 1908, and the' Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915.
In the measurement of lines the linked chain has been superseded for several years by steel and invar tapes adjusted to the standard band in the custody of the Chief Surveyor at each district office, or at the Head Office in Wellington.
In base and verification fines the ground is cleared of surface irregularities, the steel or invar tape is stretched with an even strain, the terminals are marked by a fine puncture on lead, the inclination of surface and changes of temperature noted and allowed for, and the measurement repeated three times alternately from opposite ends of base.
In traverse-lines there is no preparation of surface, but the angle of slope is taken, also the temperature, and the corresponding correction made. In bush and rugged country the work is greatly expedited by using a 1/16 in. tape in 4- or 5-chain lengths. It is very light, is unwound from a reel, and stretches taut across rivers, gullies, or uneven surface. The maximum error allowed in traverse is 4 links to the mile; but since the introduction of the steel tape the error rarely exceeds 2 links even in the most difficult circumstances.
For convenience of record the country is divided into survey districts of 12 1/2 miles or 1,000 chains square, and then again into survey blocks of 3 1/8 miles or 250 chains square. The trigonometrical and topographical sheets of the survey districts are to a scale of 2 in. to the mile, and the survey blocks, which contain the working-plans of the subdivision for sale and settlement, are to a scale of 8 in. to the mile. The sheets are of a uniform size of 30 in. square, and are kept flat in portfolios on shelves or in drawers in fireproof rooms.
The reduction of the trigonometrical stations is made on the meridian and perpendicular of the initial station of the circuit, or the initial station of the survey district, according to circumstances. The traverse-lines of the survey blocks are reduced to one of the trigonometrical stations in the survey block. These reductions are tabulated, and, being all connected and held in one complete network of check, serve ever afterwards as an unmistakable means of rehabilitating the survey should boundaries become obliterated or be challenged by rival landowners.
In a new country it is of the first importance that all surveys should stand the mathematical test of reduction to the meridian and perpendicular of a governing trigonometrical survey, for, unlike the surveys of old countries, where time-honoured landmarks and a settled population conserve boundaries, the surveys of a new country have no such aids, but, instead, have to create boundaries in the unoccupied wilderness, which at best can only be marked by perishable surface marks. Then, again, the frequent changes of ownership of land in the Dominion facilitated by the Land Transfer system, and the responsibility of the Government in guaranteeing all titles under it, are cogent reasons why the rigid mathematical system of reduction of traverse to the meridian and perpendicular of the stations of a trigonometrical survey should be adopted and maintained.
The computations in connection with the reduction of lines to the meridian and perpendicular are greatly facilitated, by the use of various patterns of computing-machines and arithmometers.
The geodetic survey of New Zealand was commenced in 1909 by the measurement of a base-line in the Wairarapa District, and its activities continued until the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, when the work was stopped. Operations were resumed in 1921, and have been continually extended up to the present time.
The ultimate aim of the geodetic survey is to establish, by means of a primary triangulation, a number of fixed points over the country at fairly regular intervals, and with a high degree of accuracy.
As the triangulation progresses, surveys of lesser degrees of accuracy are connected to it, and thus finally geographic results over the Dominion can be moulded into one harmonious whole on a co-ordinated scheme, and on a basis which gives the correct relation of one part to another, with no possibility of overlapping where the different systems join.
Precise levelling is being conducted in connection with the geodetic survey. All elevations are on a mean sea-level datum, and are based on the principal tidal stations.
The standard bench-marks consist of a galvanized-iron tube set in concrete. In selecting sites for these bench-marks, which are generally about one mile apart, every effort is made to place them so as to be secure from disturbance in the future.
The Imperial standard of length is now uniformly used on all surveys throughout the Dominion. Steel bands are in the custody of the Chief Surveyors in the various land districts, which are true copies of the Imperial standard at a temperature of 62° F. and under a tension of 15 lb. avoirdupois.
For the purpose of standardization of the invar tapes used on the base-line measurements, an apparatus was obtained from the Cambridge Scientific Instrument Company, England, in 1912. The apparatus consists of a standard bar, 10 links long, and comparator, and is the standard with which the tapes used in the measurement of base-lines are compared.
The azimuth and latitude of the initial station of each of the meridional circuits were determined by astronomical observations of stars with a large-pattern theodolite. More accurate determinations of latitude have been made with a zenith telescope by Talcott's method; and the Almucantar method, advocated by Mr. S. C. Chandler,. of Harvard College Observatory, has been used with satisfactory results.
The method adopted to determine the absolute longitude of the initial stations in 1871 was that technically termed “moon culminations.” Since then the electric telegraph has been used in longitude work, and the most recent determination of differences of longitude has been accomplished by wireless telegraphy.
With the object of facilitating land-transfer work, standard points have been laid down in the streets of most of the principal towns in the Dominion and on some of the main highways, and there are still other towns and main roads in which these surveys are now in progress, or soon will be.
The Department in making these surveys does not attempt to settle the-boundaries of properties. Permanent monuments are laid down, the bearings and. distances between them are accurately observed and measured, and their relation to-the occupancy shown on a large-scale plan, which furnishes a sure guide and standard of reference for all surveys under the land-transfer system.
The utility of this work in permanently establishing a base on which the building-line can be referred is so obvious that the local authorities gladly share in the cost.
For this precise work much more accurate instruments are used than would suffice for ordinary land surveys. In the more recent surveys precise levelling has been included in the operations, and the height of each monument above the mean, sea-level is shown on the plan.
A basic topographical survey of the Dominion is in progress, which aims at collecting information for the purpose of constructing a map showing with practical accuracy all the drainage, culture, and relief features which the scale of representation will permit. It is the foundation or mother map from which can be constructed any variety of maps for the serving of separate purposes, or on which can be indicated, in colours or otherwise, any special class of information.
Work was commenced by mapping for the Defence Department an area of 200 square miles in 1899 surrounding the City of Dunedin, and since then several areas have been surveyed in Auckland, Wellington, and Nelson Districts. These surveys are now in progress in the thermal — springs region, Rotorua, and in the Motueka Valley, Nelson District, and soon will be commenced in Taranaki and other land districts.
A Geographic Board has been appointed provisionally to deal with the following subjects:—
To adopt rules for the orthography of geographic names.
To examine cases of doubtful spelling of geographic names and decide on the spelling of such names for use on the official maps of the Department.
To investigate and decide on the priority of the discovery of any geographical feature, and recommend the name to be given to such feature.
To collect original Maori place-names for record on the official maps.
To determine any alien names appearing on the official maps that shall be replaced by Native or British names.
To investigate and decide upon any proposed alteration of a geographic name.
The members of the Board are well-known authorities in such matters, and comprise the following: The Venerable Archdeacon Williams (Gisborne), Hon. Sir Frederick Chapman, Messrs. Elsdon Best, M. Crompton-Smith, J. C. Andersen, and W. T. Neill (Surveyor-General). Mr. T. E. Ward is Secretary to the Board.
The tidal work carried out by the Department at the commencement of the survey operations in the Dominion consisted of determinations of mean high-water mark (H.W.M.) for the purpose of defining the boundary of land abutting on tidal waters.
Later the adoption of mean sea-level as the datum of reference for the heights shown on the maps of the trigonometrical and precise levelling surveys led to a more accurate system of tidal observations being initiated; but it was not until 1909 that a complete tidal survey was inaugurated, at the request of the Admiralty, to include the predictions of the times and heights of high and low water of the ports of Auckland and Wellington in the Admiralty Tide-tables.
The tidal observations are made mainly by the self-registering tide-gauges, in which a curve is traced which shows the height of the water at any time above an arbitrary datum. This curve is decomposed, by a process devised by Lord Kelvin, and known as “harmonic analysis,” into its harmonic elements. These components are now computed for the ports of Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, Bluff, and Westport, from which the predicted times and heights of high and low water are obtained by means of the tide-predictor at the Tidal Institute, University of Liverpool, and published in advance in the “New Zealand Nautical Almanac,” the Admiralty Tide-tables, and several of the maritime publications of foreign nations.
The six ports for which tide-tables are prepared serve as standards of reference on which to base, by means of tidal difference, the times and heights of high and low water of all the other ports in the Dominion.
A magnetic survey of the Dominion was commenced in February, 1899, with instruments of the Kew pattern kindly lent to the Department by the Royal Society, London.
Observations of the magnetic declination, inclination, and horizontal intensity were taken over the period from 1899 to 1909. During this period observations were obtained at 334 stations, distributed as uniformly as possible throughout the islands of New Zealand.
The usual field methods of observation and reduction were adopted, and the results reduced to epoch 30th June, 1903, chiefly by the aid of data and magneto-grams obtained at the base station, Christchurch Observatory, from 1902 onwards.
The results were published in “The Magnetic Survey of New Zealand,” by the Department of Lands and Survey, in 1916, and are in constant practical use by the mariner, surveyor, and aviator.
A reobservation at a few selected repeat stations has twice been performed since 1909 by observers of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, and the stations on the Chatham Island have been reobserved by officers of the Department in 1924.
The Christchurch Magnetic Observatory was established in the Botanic Gardens in 1901 to serve as a base station for the magnetic survey of the Dominion, then in progress, and as a base for the magnetic work of various expeditions.
The work of recording magnetic declination, horizontal force, and vertical force by the Adie magnetographs was commenced in January, 1902, and since then the records have been continuous, though since 1905 the vertical component of the field has been artificially disturbed. A subsidiary station was therefore established at Amberley, twenty-five miles north of Christchurch, beyond the range of artificial disturbance. A complete set of Eschenhagen magnetographs is in operation there in an above-ground insulated structure.
The activities of the Observatory include meteorological, seismological, and atmospheric electric observations, the results of which are published annually in the “Records of the Survey of New Zealand.”
The facilities at the Christchurch Observatory for comparison and standardization of magnetic instruments have beer, availed of by the following expeditions:—
The British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04 (Captain R. F. Scott, s.v. “Discovery”).
The “Nimrod” in 1907 (Sir Ernest Shackleton).
The “Galilee” in 1907 (Carnegie Institution of Washington).
The “Terra Nova” in 1910 (Captain Scott's second Antarctic expedition).
The “Carnegie” in 1915 (Carnegie Institution of Washington).
The “Carnegie” in 1916 (Carnegie Institution of Washington).
The “Carnegie” in 1920 (Carnegie Institution of Washington).
The annual reports of parties and officers conducting basic surveys and scientific operations are collected into a publication under the title of “The Records of the Survey of New Zealand.” This makes them readily available for reference to the public and scientific societies interested.
Maps on various scales are published by the Lands and Survey Department when drawn, and the present state of the publication is indicated below. Catalogues and price-lists may be had on application to the Surveyor-General, and the maps may be purchased from him or through any bookseller. Local maps may also be obtained from the Chief Surveyors of the land districts.
Two series of maps are published on this scale, one of the separate survey districts, which are areas 1,000 chains square, and the other comprising the county. The detail shown is practically the same in each series, being chiefly of a cadastral nature, showing sections, areas, roads, streams, and trig, stations with heights. Of the survey district, maps those within the Land Districts of Taranaki, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson, Otago, and Southland are practically complete; North Auckland, Westland, and Canterbury are partly so; and Auckland, Gisborne, and Hawke's Bay are not yet commenced. In all, 550 out of the total 1,005 are drawn and published. County maps covering the whole of the North Island and the greater part of the South Island are also published, so that maps of any area may be obtained on a scale of 1 mile to 1 inch except that portion within the Fiord County, of which detailed surveys have not yet been made.
A series on this scale has only recently been commenced. The intention is to publish sheets comprising 1° in longitude by 1/2° in latitude, covering the whole of the Dominion in about 100 sheets. The detail shown will be similar to the 1-mile maps mentioned above, and these maps will eventually supersede the county maps. Up to the present seven only have been published.
Maps on this scale may be had covering the whole of the Dominion, but they are not similar in character. For instance, the five sheets comprising the northern half of the North Island show sectional detail, whilst the others omit these and give more prominence to topographical features. The styles of draughting are, moreover, varied, which does not permit of these being assembled into a homogeneous whole. A now series now being drawn, consisting of thirty-six sheets 2° in longitude by 1° in latitude, will overcome this difficulty.
There is published a map on this scale, in seven sheets, covering the whole of the Dominion. In this, mountain features are shown by vertical hachures. A map in sheets covering 4° in longitude by 2° in latitude is now in course of publication, in which the roads and towns are given prominence.
Wall-maps on 10 and 16 miles to 1 inch and 1 : 1,000,000 are published—each Island separately; and on 24 miles, both Islands in their relative position. A 32-miles-to-1-inch map of each Island is also published, besides smaller scale outline maps suitable for a base for book-illustrating.
Up to the present very little has been done, but topographical surveys are in hand, and maps will be published as the surveys are completed. Dunedin and vicinity map, on a scale of 40 chains to 1 inch, and Auckland and Wellington sheets, on 1 : 125,000 (approximately 2 miles to 1 inch), have been published; while Rotorua and Nelson sheets are being prepared.
Maps on scales of from 5 to 10 chains to 1 inch have been published of the six cities and of about a hundred of the boroughs, town districts, and towns.
Table of Contents
THE Dominion of New Zealand is a country specially favoured for primary production. The soil covering is varied in character, a considerable portion of it being of exceptional fertility; but even the poorer soils are largely capable of profitable utilization by reason of the comparatively mild and equable weather conditions. The best grasses and fodder plants flourish in the congenial environment, and the country has gained a world-wide reputation for the quality of its pastures. Numerous streams intersect the country, and present to the farmer a great potential source of cheap power. Electricity is now put to a variety of uses on the farm, but by far the most important is that of providing power for milking-machinery. More than half of the power used on farms is employed in the Auckland Land District.
A conspicuous feature of New Zealand farming is that the stock do not require to be stalled in the winter, though the pastures are more or less supplemented by fodder crops in the colder months of the year. This fact, combined with the factor of soil-fertility, enables the New Zealand farmer to produce stock at a much smaller cost than the farmer in countries where artificial feeding has to be employed or where droughts periodically occur.
New Zealand is primarily a grazing-country, and, while more of the land is every year being given up to the cultivation of fodder crops, its future will, no doubt, be inseparably associated with stock-raising, principally of dairy cattle and sheep. Though less than a century has elapsed since the colonization of New Zealand, sixteen million acres of land in the Dominion have been sown down in English grasses. A great proportion of the crops grown in the Dominion are for the production of such commodities as meat, wool, and dairy-produce.
Grain crops, principally oats and wheat, are grown on a fairly large scale in the eastern and southern districts of the South Island. Barley is also grown, but to a very much smaller extent. Much of the crop of oats produced is chaffed for stock-feeding purposes within the country. Root crops, principally turnips, are grown on a large scale for winter feed and for stock-fattening purposes, more particularly in the South Island. Owing to the comparative difficulty of growing large areas of turnips free from disease, other stock-foods are coming into prominence. Mangolds are being cultivated to a larger extent, and farmers are beginning to realize the great value of lucerne. Ensilage-making, particularly in the stack form, is increasing in the dairying districts. Quite a feature of milk — producing operations is the growing of green fodder crops to maintain the milk-supply during the drier months of the year. It will be seen that live-stock in New Zealand is for the most part maintained on food produced on the farm itself.
The North Island of the Dominion is remarkable for the congenial environment it furnishes for many phases of primary production. In no part is the winter really severe, and the question of stalling stock during the colder months of the year has not to be considered. It is more a grazing than an agricultural country, and practically all the cereal crops raised are used for feeding farm stock. The dominant industries are dairying and sheep-farming. There is probably no finer sheep-country in the world than the limestone downs of Hawke's Bay. It may be said with every confidence that there is more butterfat produced to the acre on many farms in the Taranaki District than on any equal area in the world when it is considered that all the food provided for the stock is produced on the farm itself. The standard of dairy-farming is steadily improving, not only by reason of special fodder being provided for the drier parts of the summer and the colder months of the year, but on account of the fact that the farmer is coming to realize the value of herd testing and culling.
In various parts of the Island fruitgrowing, principally of apples, pears, and peaches, is being placed on a sound commercial basis. In the northern portion citrus fruits can be successfully produced, and, with the adoption of better storage and marketing methods, lemons in particular are being cultivated on a considerable scale. Outdoor grapes are freely grown. Both the North and the South Islands have established an export trade in apples, and to a less extent in pears.
During recent years the Waikato district and the Auckland Provincial District in general have shown themselves to be admirably adapted to the dairy industry, and dairying has made remarkable development. The Auckland District, in fact, has become easily the largest exporter of butter in the Dominion, while it also loads in the production of milk-powder.
With the adoption of improved methods in the treatment of the land, and the demonstration of correct manurial treatment, farming in the Auckland Provincial District has been placed on a much more stable basis. Assisted by a favourable climate, of which a short and mild winter is a feature, stock-raising of all descriptions is being carried on with conspicuous success. The country is eminently adapted for the production of root and fodder crops, and stock can be brought to maturity and fattened for the market at a minimum of cost.
The South Island was the portion of the Dominion where agriculture proper was first established, the settlement of the land being greatly facilitated by the fact that on the eastern, southern, and northern portions large fertile plains, rolling downs, and hills were available, devoid of the forests which in a very large portion of the North Island have had to be cleared before the land could be utilized by the farmer. Agricultural operations in the South have been maintained at a high standard for many years, principally in Otago and Canterbury, many of the pioneers of which districts were British yeomen farmers who brought with them the best methods of the Old Land. So in the breeding of live-stock, many of the original holders of land in the South, and the shepherds and herdsmen they employed, were well trained in stock — management by live-stock breeders of the Mother — country. The South Island may be fairly said to have been the nursery of the live-stock of the Dominion, and the high quality of the stock bred in the country is in a large measure due to the capacity of the men who founded and developed the flocks and herds in the eastern and southern districts. The growing of the finer wools, and the raising of fat lambs for the frozen-meat industry, are features of primary production in the South Island, while the dairy industry is also well represented, especially in Otago and Southland. Draught horses of a very fine stamp are also bred on a considerable scale in some districts.
While the climate in the southern districts of the South Island is not so congenial as that in the northern, there are only a few portions where the winter is at all rigorous. The Nelson Provincial District, in the north-west corner of the Island, is noted for its climate, which is remarkably equable in character. Nelson has a sunshine-record which is equalled in but few parts of the Temperate Zone. The district is specially suitable for fruitgrowing, which is being developed on a rapidly expanding commercial scale. At the other end of the Island, in Central Otago, a peculiar configuration of the country enables fruitgrowing to be prosecuted with great success. The winter is comparatively severe, but the warm summer sun and the absence of wind make it an ideal environment for fruitgrowing.
In some sections, particularly in Canterbury, Otago, and Marlborough, grain-growing is prosecuted on a considerable scale. The Canterbury Plains, extending a hundred and fifty miles north and south and running inland for forty miles from the sea, represent an area of over 3,000,000 acres. This forms the principal grain-growing area. Wheat, oats, and barley are cultivated to a large extent. In Otago and Southland oats are the grain principally produced. In some of the richer lands the yield of wheat has reached very high figures, even up to 80 or 90 bushels per acre, while over 100 bushels to the acre have been recorded for crops of oats. In root crops up to 70 tons per acre of turnips have been secured, while the yield of mangolds has frequently reached 90 tons.
Under the control of the Minister of Agriculture the Department of Agriculture is a service which is mainly concerned in advancing the interests of primary production. Under a Director-General of Agriculture there are Directors of Divisions of Live-stock, Dairy, Fields, and Horticulture, also a Chemistry Section.
While the service is mainly educative, it also carries out important inspection-work. Under the Live-stock Division, all meat exported is inspected by qualified officers. Cattle are inspected for tuberculosis and other bovine troubles; sheep and swine also receive attention; slaughterhouses are licensed and controlled; and all stock exported and imported is examined by the veterinarians of the Department. Special instruction and advice are given in swine husbandry and in wool growing and handling. The Division is provided with a well-equipped laboratory mainly devoted to veterinary research, &c.
Dairy-produce is inspected and graded prior to shipment, a close supervision being also exercised over the moisture content of butter and cheese, as well as over the weights of such produce; dairy-farm premises are inspected; herd-testing is promoted, and a system of semi-official testing of purebred dairy cows is in operation. Milk-samples are tested for dairy companies and farmers.
The duties of the Fields Division comprise agricultural instruction, the control of experimental areas, the laying-out of experimental work on State farms, advice regarding crops, pastures, and farm-management, co-operative experimental work, agricultural investigations generally, including crop-management and the control of crop diseases and crop pests, seed-testing, hemp-grading, and grain-grading.
The Horticulture Division is charged with orchard instructional work and instruction to beekeepers, and the inspection of fruit and trees imported and offered for sale. It inspects orchards and apiaries, and generally controls diseases of plants and bees.
The Chemistry Section carries out analyses of soils, limestones, fertilizers, water, &c. The Biological Laboratory attached to the Division investigates and gives advice in agricultural botany, plant-pathology, entomology, and related subjects.
There are several experimental farms and horticultural stations which carry out experiments and demonstrations of national as well as local import, including the breeding of purebred cattle and sheep. Several of the farms were established to solve local problems, and the objective in each case has been attained. The principal establishments are those at Ruakura (Hamilton), Weraroa (Levin), Te Kauwhata (Lower Waikato), and Ashburton. Other experimental areas are operated at Puwera (Whangarei), Albany (Auckland), Marton, Gore, Winton, and Galloway (Central Otago).
The agricultural instructional work covers a comprehensive field, farmers being assisted by visits or by letters of advice. Thousands of farmers visit the experimental farms and areas. Comprehensive educational displays are frequently made at winter shows, largely illustrative of the experiments conducted by the Department. Numbers of farmers also co-operate with the Department in conducting experiments on their farms. A monthly journal, the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, is published at a low rate of subscription, and bulletins are frequently issued. Any farmer can obtain advice regarding his soil, have seed examined for germination-capacity and purity, milk tested for butterfat content or for the presence of disease, plants identified, and diseases of either animals or plants described, and remedies suggested—all these services being rendered free of charge.
By an Act of Parliament passed in 1913 provision was made for the establishment of a Board of Agriculture, consisting of not more than twelve members appointed by the Governor-General, of whom not more than four were to be appointed on the recommendation of the agricultural and pastoral societies of the North Island, and an equal number on the recommendation of such societies in the South Island. The functions of the Board are to advise the Minister of Agriculture on matter relating to the development of agricultural and other rural industries in New Zealand. In particular, but without limiting the application of the term “agricultural and rural industries,” the functions of the Board extend to the following matters:—
The aiding, improving, and developing of agriculture and all rural industries, including fruit-culture, horticulture, forestry, dairying, the breeding of stock and poultry, beekeeping, and the flax industry;
The prevention and control of disease in stock and poultry, the control of rabbits and noxious weeds, and the dipping of sheep;
The establishment of agricultural colleges and agricultural education generally; and
The aiding or facilitating of the carriage and distribution of produce.
In the years previous to and inclusive of 1908-9 complete agricultural and pastoral statistics were collected annually by sub-enumerators appointed by the Department of Agriculture; in 1909-10 full statistics were not collected, but the areas under the principal grain and root crops were ascertained, and an estimate was made of the yields; for 1910-11 complete information was obtained in connection with the 1911 census. In the four succeeding years returns were collected by post regarding the acreage and yield of the principal crops; but this method of collection was found to be less satisfactory than the personal visit, and the figures for these years are probably not quite accurate.
Beginning with the 1915-16 season, a new and comprehensive system of collection of agricultural and pastoral statistics was instituted. Under this system complete collections of agricultural and pastoral statistics are made annually by the Census and Statistics Office through the agency of officers of the Police Department. Practically every holding of one acre or over (with the exception of those within borough boundaries and Maori lands held on the communal system) is canvassed personally. Interim returns of principal crops and live-stock are published in the New Zealand Gazette, and when the collection is completed the full statistics are published in the “Annual Statistical Report on Agricultural and Pastoral Production.” As a refinement of the personal canvass a system of postal verification of yields of linseed and potatoes has recently been instituted. This was found necessary owing to the fact that at the time of visitation of farmers a large proportion of the crops mentioned was not harvested. The results have fully justified the new system.
In addition to the main collection of agricultural and pastoral statistics the following supplementary inquiries are undertaken: Areas sown or intended to be sown in wheat, oats, and potatoes (taken at the end of September); stocks of flour, wheat, and oats in the hands of millers, merchants, storekeepers, and farmers (at the end of November); estimated yields of wheat and oats (early in February); and returns of wheat and oats threshed (throughout the threshing season). The results of these first three inquiries are gazetted, and they are also, together with the figures of threshings, published from time to time in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics.
Summarized statistical information concerning agricultural and pastoral production will be found in Subsections B and C respectively of this section. Farm machinery and farm employees are probably best dealt with together (the more particularly as part of the machinery in use cannot be definitely allocated to one branch or the other of farming), and are accordingly referred to in this subsection.
Information concerning farm machinery is of value as showing in some measure the degree of reliance placed upon mechanical labour. The number of persons employed upon farms (including working proprietors or managers) is also given in the appropriate tables.
The number of milking plants shown in the returns for 1925 was 15,561, as against 14,553 in 1924. Cream-separators numbered 44,656, being an increase of 2,183 over the number shown for 1924 (42,473). Some 56,226 cows could be milked simultaneously by the machinery in use in the Dominion on the 31st January, 1925, as against 52,943 in 1924. The approximate number of cows milked by machinery on 31st January, 1925, was 705,033, as against 670,934 in 1924.
| Land District (excluding Interior Boroughs.) | Persons employed on Holdings used principally for Dairying Purposes (including Working Proprietors of Managers). | Milking Plants. | Cream-separators. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Number. | Cows capable of being milked simultaneously. | ||
| North Auckland | 10,132 | 4,784 | 14,916 | 2,226 | 7,653 | 7,373 |
| Auckland | 12,767 | 5,113 | 17,880 | 4,600 | 16,931 | 6,607 |
| Gisborne | 1,080 | 511 | 1,591 | 240 | 939 | 1,415 |
| Hawke's Bay | 1,714 | 1,069 | 2,783 | 595 | 1,980 | 2,254 |
| Taranaki | 7,789 | 3,720 | 11,509 | 2,774 | 10,493 | 1,914 |
| Wellington | 7,864 | 2,757 | 10,621 | 2,389 | 8,322 | 4,839 |
| Nelson | 1,313 | 260 | 1,573 | 281 | 881 | 1,939 |
| Marlborough | 552 | 432 | 984 | 192 | 670 | 1,236 |
| Westland | 660 | 368 | 1,028 | 115 | 388 | 569 |
| Canterbury | 2,956 | 1,165 | 4,121 | 859 | 2,761 | 8,268 |
| Otago | 2,382 | 1,473 | 3,855 | 401 | 1,498 | 4,718 |
| Southland | 3,397 | 2,718 | 6,115 | 889 | 3,710 | 3,524 |
| Totals, 1924-25 | 52,606 | 24,370 | 76,976 | 15,561 | 56,226 | 44,656 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 52,671 | 24,152 | 76,823 | 14,553 | 52,943 | 42,473 |
The number of shearing plants returned in 1925 was 5,728, controlling 18,445 stands. As against this, the number of shearing plants was 5,480 in 1924, and the number of stands 17,844. Wool-presses totalled 8,601 in 1925, as against 8,035 in 1924.
| Land District (excluding Interior Boroughs). | Persons employed on Holdings used principally for Pastoral and other (including unspecified) Purposes (including Working Proprietors or Managers). | Shearing-machines. | Wool-presses. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Plants. | Stands. | ||
| North Auckland | 2,849 | 728 | 3,577 | 319 | 841 | 327 |
| Auckland | 3,127 | 458 | 3,585 | 397 | 1,127 | 454 |
| Gisborne | 3,087 | 389 | 3,476 | 624 | 2,846 | 659 |
| Hawke's Bay | 3,709 | 801 | 4,510 | 721 | 2,623 | 786 |
| Taranaki | 1,652 | 324 | 1,949 | 272 | 844 | 391 |
| Wellington | 7,571 | 1,585 | 9,156 | 1,821 | 5,578 | 2,201 |
| Nelson | 1,196 | 210 | 1,406 | 91 | 215 | 270 |
| Marlborough | 1,484 | 654 | 2,138 | 161 | 578 | 458 |
| Westland | 393 | 106 | 499 | 15 | 30 | 49 |
| Canterbury | 7,894 | 1,603 | 9,497 | 850 | 2,467 | 1,521 |
| Otago | 5,060 | 2,146 | 7,206 | 310 | 922 | 1,006 |
| Southland | 3,302 | 1,490 | 4,792 | 147 | 374 | 479 |
| Totals, 1924-25 | 41,297 | 10,494 | 51,791 | 5,728 | 18,445 | 8,601 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 41,233 | 10,811 | 52,044 | 5,480 | 17,844 | 8,035 |
Agricultural tractors numbered 1,026 in 1925 (512 in 1924), with a nominal horse-power of 17,222 (as against 8,813 in 1924). The number of reapers-and-binders was 15,881; of threshing-machines, 477; and of chaffcutters, 2,903. In 1924, reapers-and-binders numbered 15,048, threshing-machines 332, and chaffcutters 2,970. Particulars regarding other machinery used specifically for agricultural purposes are not collected.
| Land District (excluding Interior Boroughs). | Persons employed on Holdings used principally for Agricultural Purposes (including Working Proprietors or Managers). | Agricultural Tractors. | Reapers- and-binders. | Threshing-machines. | Chaffcutters. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Number. | Nominal Horse-power. | ||||
| North Auckland | 576 | 74 | 650 | 59 | 1,016 | 268 | 32 | 544 |
| Auckland | 364 | 64 | 428 | 114 | 1,892 | 1,232 | 19 | 278 |
| Gisborne | 92 | 22 | 114 | 15 | 300 | 104 | 5 | 71 |
| Hawke's Bay | 538 | 178 | 716 | 68 | 1,117 | 376 | 32 | 152 |
| Taranaki | 27 | 5 | 32 | 14 | 279 | 567 | 1 | 96 |
| Wellington | 610 | 88 | 698 | 129 | 2,202 | 875 | 46 | 336 |
| Nelson | 1,076 | 21 | 1,097 | 34 | 647 | 361 | 7 | 117 |
| Marlborough | 336 | 205 | 541 | 25 | 409 | 935 | 26 | 82 |
| Westland | 3 | .. | 3 | 7 | 128 | 92 | 1 | 105 |
| Canterbury | 5,505 | 1,137 | 6,642 | 294 | 4,849 | 5,897 | 230 | 322 |
| Otago | 1,750 | 566 | 2,316 | 96 | 1,721 | 3,055 | 48 | 724 |
| Southland | 521 | 217 | 738 | 171 | 2,662 | 2,119 | 30 | 76 |
| Totals, 1924-25 | 11,398 | 2,577 | 13,975 | 1,026 | 17,222 | 15,881 | 477 | 2,903 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 12,047 | 2,785 | 14,832 | 512 | 8,813 | 15,048 | 332 | 2,970 |
Farm engines cannot be allocated to any definite branch of the farming industry. Information concerning the various classes of farm engines is given below for the season 1924-25, and 1923-24 figures are given for comparative purposes:—
| Land District (excluding) Interior Boroughs | Stationary Engines. | Portable or Traction Engines. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water-wheels or Motors. | Electric Motors. | Steam. | Internal Combustion. | |||||||
| Number. | Approximate Horse-power.* | Number. | Nominal Horse-power. | Number. | Nominal Horse-power. | Number. | Nominal Horse-power. | Number. | Nominal Horse-power. | |
Being aggregate power of cases where specified. | ||||||||||
| North Auckland | 32 | 142 | 29 | 86 | 31 | 182 | 2,942 | 9,167 | 33 | 286 |
| Auckland | 55 | 252 | 1,924 | 3,762 | 39 | 187 | 3,495 | 10,008 | 28 | 250 |
| Gisborne | 2 | 11 | 21 | 99 | 53 | 277 | 851 | 3,320 | 35 | 231 |
| Hawke's Bay | 37 | 216 | 32 | 105 | 126 | 537 | 1,293 | 4,354 | 160 | 762 |
| Taranaki | 333 | 1,023 | 244 | 567 | 18 | 64 | 2,414 | 6,688 | 16 | 72 |
| Wellington | 63 | 257 | 307 | 719 | 159 | 708 | 3,901 | 12,784 | 237 | 1,371 |
| Nelson | 53 | 187 | 17 | 42 | 29 | 149 | 642 | 1,792 | 16 | 98 |
| Marlborough | 14 | 134 | 13 | 69 | 31 | 126 | 405 | 1,432 | 37 | 237 |
| Westland | 13 | 37 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 67 | 153 | 444 | 4 | 53 |
| Canterbury | 106 | 454 | 554 | 1,020 | 46 | 275 | 1,873 | 6,307 | 145 | 1,109 |
| Otago | 90 | 452 | 74 | 208 | 23 | 139 | 1,056 | 3,998 | 77 | 563 |
| Southland | 48 | 160 | 232 | 548 | 50 | 264 | 869 | 2,500 | 66 | 395 |
| Totals. 1924-25 | 846 | 3,325 | 3,451 | 7,235 | 622 | 2,975 | 19,894 | 62,794 | 854 | 5,427 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 871 | 3,881 | 2,587 | 5,553 | 626 | 3,128 | 18,864 | 60,509 | 799 | 4,966 |
A summary of persons employed on farms in each land district is given below for each of the last five years. The figures are inclusive of working proprietors and managers.
| Land District (excluding Interior Boroughs). | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Auckland | 17,049 | 17,251 | 19,795 | 19,760 | 19,143 |
| Auckland | 19,387 | 21,332 | 22,677 | 22,438 | 21,893 |
| Gisborne Hawke's Bay | 11,647 | 10,277 | 5,001 6,763 | 4,903 7,777 | 5,181 8,009 |
| Taranaki | 12,777 | 13,146 | 13,603 | 11,383 | 13,490 |
| Wellington | 18,438 | 18,561 | 19,957 | 20,139 | 20,475 |
| Nelson | 4,069 | 4,254 | 4,501 | 4,490 | 4,076 |
| Marlborough | 2,592 | 2,850 | 2,978 | 3,173 | 3,663 |
| Westland | 1,424 | 1,390 | 1,539 | 1,508 | 1,530 |
| Canterbury | 23,118 | 22,013 | 23,097 | 22,403 | 20,260 |
| Otago | 12,688 | 13,759 | 14,308 | 13,530 | 13,377 |
| Southland | 10,071 | 10,562 | 12,161 | 12,195 | 1,645 |
| Totals | 133,260 | 135,395 | 146,380 | 143,699 | 142,742 |
The following summary of farm machinery employed on holdings outside borough boundaries during the last five years is of interest as showing the greatly increased use now being made of electricity and of mechanical equipment as compared with the position disclosed only four years previously:—
| Class of Machinery, &c. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milking plants | 10,450 | 12,468 | 13,553 | 14,553 | 15,561 |
| Cream-separators | 32,024 | 38,861 | 40,916 | 42,473 | 44,656 |
| Shearing-machines— | |||||
| Plants | 5,354 | 5,468 | 5,317 | 5,480 | 5,728 |
| Stands | 17,618 | 17,788 | 17,394 | 17,844 | 18,445 |
| Wool-presses | 7,903 | 8,253 | 8,179 | 8,035 | 8,601 |
| Agricultural tractors | 380 | 412 | 439 | 512 | 1,026 |
| Reapers-and-binders | 13,105 | 15,645 | 15,380 | 15,048 | 15,881 |
| Threshing-machines | 387 | 390 | 343 | 332 | 477 |
| Chaffcutters | 3,140 | 3,179 | 3,061 | 2,970 | 2,903 |
| Water-wheels or motors | 640 | 934 | 1,129 | 871 | 846 |
| Electric motors | 456 | 778 | 1,339 | 2,587 | 3,451 |
| Steam-engines | 719 | 740 | 709 | 626 | 622 |
| Internal-combustion engines | 15,685 | 17,551 | 18,209 | 18,864 | 19,894 |
OF the total area of 18,510,558 acres under cultivation in 1924-25, 699,844 acres were in grain and pulse crops. If from this total be deducted areas under crops not intended for threshing, the total is reduced to 371,944 acres. The areas and the total and per-acre yields of the principal grain and pulse crops for threshing are given below for each of the last ten years:—
| Season. | Wheat. | Oats. | Barley. | Maize. | Peas and Beans. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | |
| 1915-16 | 329,207 | 212,688 | 30,204 | 8,086 | 9,209 |
| 1916-17 | 217,743 | 177,524 | 29,646 | 6,359 | 11,905 |
| 1917-18 | 280,978 | 156,202 | 18,860 | 8,151 | 11,685 |
| 1918-19 | 208,030 | 172,686 | 18,753 | 9,792 | 17,929 |
| 1919-20 | 139,611 | 179,800 | 22,907 | 9,064 | 14,416 |
| 1920-21 | 219,985 | 147,559 | 46,802 | 1,514 | 14,466 |
| 1921-22 | 352,918 | 170,655 | 33,078 | 10,522 | 12,789 |
| 1922-23 | 275,775 | 143,090 | 17,473 | 19,732 | 24,449 |
| 1923-24 | 173,864 | 63,842 | 21,286 | 8,208 | 18,676 |
| 1924-25 | 166,964 | 147,387 | 25,138 | 8,621 | 14,027 |
| Total Yields. | |||||
| Season. | Wheat. | Oats. | Barley. | Maize. | Peas and Beans. |
| Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | |
| 1915-16 | 7,108,360 | 7,653,208 | 820,174 | 340,372 | 163,273 |
| 1916-17 | 5,051,227 | 5,371,436 | 738,050 | 274,283 | 243,297 |
| 1917-18 | 6,807,536 | 4,942,759 | 568,702 | 367,761 | 312,582 |
| 1918-19 | 6,567,629 | 6,884,609 | 710,932 | 413,595 | 505,950 |
| 1919-20 | 4,559,934 | 6,967,862 | 815,807 | 405,775 | 369,306 |
| 1920-21 | 6,872,262 | 5,225,115 | 1,586,711 | 500,845 | 355,395 |
| 1921-22 | 10,565,275 | 6,752,663 | 1,151,813 | 488,452 | 339,398 |
| 1922-23 | 8,395,023 | 5,688,157 | 598,040 | 505,776 | 697,548 |
| 1923-24 | 4,174,537 | 1,964,511 | 597,416 | 405,855 | 362,787 |
| 1924-25 | 5,447,758 | 5,707,174 | 798,128 | 426,875 | 410,582 |
| Average Yields per Acre. | |||||
| Season. | Wheat. | Oats. | Barley. | Maize. | Peas and Beans. |
| Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | |
| 1915-16 | 21.59 | 35.98 | 27.15 | 42.09 | 17.73 |
| 1916-17 | 23.19 | 30.26 | .. | 43.13 | 20.43 |
| 1917-18 | 24.23 | 31.64 | .. | .. | 26.73 |
| 1918-19 | 31.57 | 39.87 | .. | 42.17 | 28.16 |
| 1919-20 | 32.66 | 38.75 | .. | .76 | 25.62 |
| 1920-21 | 31.24 | 35.41 | .. | .50 | 24.54 |
| 1921-22 | 29.94 | 39.56 | .. | .42 | 26.54 |
| 1922-23 | 30.44 | 39.75 | .. | .96 | 28.51 |
| 1923-24 | 24.01 | 30.77 | .. | 49.40 | 19.43 |
| 1924-25 | 32.62 | 38.72 | 31. | 49.47 | 29.27 |
Information as to the area and yield of wheat and oats from the season 1868-69 to that of 1924-25 is given in the following table. Probably the most remarkable feature of this table is the decline in the production of oats (grain). Oats, however, are more generally grown for chaffing than for threshing, while the amount of wheat grown for purposes other than threshing is relatively insignificant. The production of wheat in the season 1921-22 reached eight figures in bushels for the fourth time in the history of the country, being exceeded only by the 1898-99 season. The total wheat-yield for 1923-24 was the third smallest for any season since the late “seventies,” while the oat crop for that season was the lowest recorded in the fifty-seven seasons under review. An improvement was recorded for both wheat and oats in 1924-25, but the total yield for each of these crops was nevertheless much below the average of the previous twenty years, without making allowance for the increase in population.
| Season. | Wheat. | Oats. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area. | Yield. | Yield per Acre. | Area. | Yield. | Yield per Acre. | |
* Yield probably overstated for seasons Immediately preceding 1915-16, due to total being obtained by applying ascertained averages to areas returned by farmers as sown for threshing. In view of results disclosed by collection under present system, It is evident that areas returned In previous years as intended for threshing were, in many cases, eventually utilized for other purposes. | ||||||
| Acres. | Bushels. | Bushels. | Acres. | Bushels. | Bushels. | |
| 1868-69 | 64,517 | 1,619,169 | 25.10 | 85,056 | 2,655,294 | 31.22 |
| 1869-70 | 86,163 | 2,349,914 | 27.27 | 99,475 | 3,329,586 | 33.47 |
| 1870-71 | 77,843 | 1,833,548 | 23.55 | 121,829 | 3,802,729 | 31.21 |
| 1871-72 | 108,720 | 2,448,203 | 22.52 | 139,185 | 3,726,810 | 26.78 |
| 1872-73 | 131,797 | 3,188,696 | 24.19 | 96,958 | 2,618,085 | 27.00 |
| 1873-74 | 132,428 | 3,391,634 | 25.61 | 109,472 | 3,292,807 | 30.08 |
| 1874-75 | 105,674 | 2,974,340 | 28.14 | 157,545 | 5,548,729 | 35.22 |
| 1875-76 | 90,804 | 2,863,619 | 31.54 | 168,252 | 6,357,431 | 37.78 |
| 1876-77 | 141,614 | 4,054,377 | 28.63 | 150,718 | 4,707,836 | 31.24 |
| 1877-78 | 243,406 | 6,336,369 | 26.03 | 190,344 | 5,929,962 | 31.15 |
| 1878-79 | 264,861 | 6,076,604 | 22.94 | 278,031 | 8,365,586 | 30.09 |
| 1879-80 | 270,198 | 7,610,012 | 28.16 | 330,208 | 12,062,607 | 36.53 |
| 1880-81 | 324,949 | 8,147,797 | 25.07 | 215,030 | 6,891,961 | 32.05 |
| 1881-82 | 365,715 | 8,297,890 | 22.69 | 243,387 | 6,924,848 | 28.45 |
| 1882-83 | 390,818 | 10,270,591 | 26.28 | 319,858 | 10,520,428 | 32.89 |
| 1883-84 | 377,706 | 9,827,136 | 26.02 | 262,954 | 9,231,339 | 35.11 |
| 1884-85 | 270,043 | 6,866,777 | 25.43 | 354,794 | 12,360,449 | 34.84 |
| 1885-86 | 173,891 | 4,242,235 | 24.40 | 329,488 | 8,603,702 | 26.11 |
| 1886-87 | 253,025 | 6,297,638 | 24.89 | 387,228 | 11,973,295 | 30.92 |
| 1887-88 | 357,359 | 9,424,059 | 26.37 | 336,474 | 10,512,119 | 31.24 |
| 1888-89 | 362,153 | 8,770,246 | 24.22 | 367,225 | 10,977,065 | 29.89 |
| 1889-90 | 335,861 | 8,448,506 | 25.15 | 426,071 | 13,673,584 | 32.10 |
| 1890-91 | 301,460 | 5,723,610 | 18.99 | 346,224 | 9,947,036 | 28.73 |
| 1891-92 | 402,273 | 10,257,738 | 25.50 | 323,508 | 11,009,020 | 34.03 |
| 1892-93 | 381,245 | 8,378,217 | 21.98 | 326,531 | 9,893,989 | 30.30 |
| 1893-94 | 242,737 | 4,891,695 | 20.15 | 376,646 | 12,153,068 | 32.27 |
| 1894-95 | 148,575 | 3,613,037 | 24.32 | 351,852 | 10,221,393 | 29.05 |
| 1895-96 | 245,441 | 6,843,768 | 27.88 | 364,788 | 12,263,540 | 33.62 |
| 1896-97 | 258,608 | 5,926,523 | 22.92 | 372,597 | 11,232,803 | 30.15 |
| 1897-98 | 315,801 | 5,670,017 | 17.95 | 354,819 | 9,738,391 | 27.44 |
| 1898-99 | 399,034 | 13,073,416 | 32.76 | 417,320 | 16,511,388 | 39.56 |
| 1899-1900 | 269,749 | 8,581,898 | 31.81 | 398,243 | 16,325,832 | 40.99 |
| 1900-1 | 206,465 | 6,527,154 | 31.61 | 449,534 | 19,085,837 | 42.45 |
| 1901-2 | 163,462 | 4,046,589 | 24.76 | 405,924 | 15,045,233 | 37.06 |
| 1902-3 | 194,355 | 7,457,915 | 38.37 | 483,659 | 21,766,708 | 45.00 |
| 1903-4 | 230,346 | 7,891,654 | 34.26 | 409,390 | 15,107,237 | 38.57 |
| 1904-5 | 258,015 | 9,123,673 | 35.36 | 342,189 | 14,553,611 | 42.53 |
| 1905-6 | 222,183 | 6,798,934 | 30.60 | 354,291 | 12,707,982 | 35.86 |
| 1906-7 | 206,185 | 5,605,252 | 27.18 | 351,929 | 11,201,789 | 31.83 |
| 1907-8 | 193,031 | 5,567,139 | 28.84 | 386,885 | 15,021,861 | 38.82 |
| 1908-9 | 252,391 | 8,772,790 | 34.75 | 406,908 | 18,906,788 | 46.46 |
| 1909-10 | 311,000 | 8,861,100 | 28.00 | 377,000 | 13,804,000 | 37.00 |
| 1910-11 | 322,167 | 8,290,221 | 25.73 | 302,827 | 10,118,917 | 33.41 |
| 1911-12 | 215,528 | 7,261,138 | 33.69 | 403,668 | 19,662,668* | 48.71 |
| 1912-13 | 189,869 | 5,179,626 | 27.28 | 386,786 | 13,583,924* | 35.12 |
| 1913-14 | 166,774 | 5,231,700 | 31.37 | 361,741 | 14,740,946* | 40.75 |
| 1914-15 | 229,600 | 6,644,336 | 28.94 | 287,561 | 11,436,301* | 39.77 |
| 1915-16 | 329,207 | 7,108,360 | 21.59 | 212,688 | 7,653,208 | 35.98 |
| 1916-17 | 217,743 | 5,051,227 | 23.19 | 177,524 | 5,371,436 | 30.29 |
| 1917-18 | 280,978 | 6,807,536 | 24.23 | 156,202 | 4,942,759 | 31.64 |
| 1918-19 | 208,030 | 6,567,629 | 31.57 | 172,686 | 6,884,609 | 39.87 |
| 1919-20 | 139,611 | 4,559,934 | 32.66 | 179,800 | 6,967,862 | 38.75 |
| 1920-21 | 219,985 | 6,872,262 | 31.24 | 147,559 | 5,225,115 | 35.41 |
| 1921-22 | 352,918 | 10,565,275 | 29.94 | 170,655 | 6,752,663 | 39.56 |
| 1922-23 | 275,775 | 8,395,023 | 30.44 | 143,090 | 5,688,157 | 39.75 |
| 1923-24 | 173,864 | 4,174,537 | 24.01 | 63,842 | 1,964,511 | 30.77 |
| 1924-25 | 166,964 | 5,447,758 | 32.62 | 147,387 | 5,707,174 | 38.72 |
Wheat is principally grown in the central and southern portions of the South Island. Eighty-three per cent. of the grain produced in 1924-25 came from Canterbury, Otago and Southland together produced 14 per cent., while the remainder of the South Island and the whole of the North Island contributed the remaining 3 per cent.
Reference to the diagram on the next page will give a clear conception of the relationship between area and yield of wheat for the period 1868-69 to 1924-25. It is seen that in later years the yield curve diverges considerably from that for the area, the tendency being upward. As a matter of fact, the average yield per acre for the ten seasons at the end of the curve is fully 2 bushels more than the average for the first ten seasons.
The heavy black fine can be taken as representing not only the area sown (in acres), but also the yield which that area would have produced had a standard yield of 25 bushels per acre been maintained throughout. Prior to the 1899-1900 season the average yield per acre fell below 25 bushels per acre on fourteen occasions, while subsequent to that date the yield has been above 25 bushels per acre, except on only five occasions. This increase in the average yield has bean ascribed to various reasons, the main one being the increased use of artificial manures. While this explanation is not without foundation, due weight must also be given to the economic law of marginal utility, whereby, following the varying fortunes of demand and supply, varying classes of land will be sown. When the demand is insufficient to induce farmers to grow on the poorer lands, the average yield must certainly, other things being equal, tend to be higher than would be the case where the demand (or anticipated demand) is greater. This law is well illustrated by the fact that the fifteen occasions upon which the demand (or anticipated demand) was sufficient to induce 300,000 acres or more to be sown include six occasions upon which the average yield fell below 25 bushels per acre. The average yield over the whole period amounts to 27.2 bushels per acre, while for the fifteen occasions upon which 300,000 acres or more were sown the average was 24.88 bushels per acre.
The area (for threshing) and the production of wheat per head of population (including Maoris) for the last ten years are now given. The population is taken at the 1st April, a date corresponding approximately to harvest-time.
| Year | Per Head of Population. | |
|---|---|---|
| Area. | Production. | |
| Acres. | Bushels. | |
| 1915-16 | 0.29 | 6.18 |
| 1916-17 | 0.19 | 4.42 |
| 1917-18 | 0.24 | 5.90 |
| 1918-19 | 0.18 | 5.57 |
| 1919-20 | 0.11 | 3.69 |
| 1920-21 | 0.17 | 5.42 |
| 1921-22 | 0.27 | 8.12 |
| 1922-23 | 0.21 | 6.33 |
| 1923-24 | 0.13 | 3.10 |
| 1924-25 | 0.12 | 3.95 |
Unless there is a considerable carry-over from the previous season, importation of wheat requires to be made when the production falls below about 6 bushels per head of population. In 1916, 51,512 bushels of wheat were imported; in 1917, 719,977 bushels; in 1918, 1,370,542 bushels; in 1919, 1,336,222 bushels; in 1920, 1,905,163 bushels; and in 1921, 306,257 bushels. In 1922 the abnormal harvest of 10,500,000 bushels permitted almost 1,250,000 bushels to be exported, the imports in that year being insignificant, while in 1923 there was again a surplus, although small, of exports over imports. The abnormally low production in 1923-24 involved heavy importations, which amounted to 4,181,422 bushels for the twelve months ended February, 1925.
It is estimated that New Zealand annually requires an average of about 8,000,000 bushels of wheat, not more than 7,350,000 bushels of this total being milling-wheat, and representing 153,000 tons of flour at the rate of 48 bushels of wheat to the ton of flour. Of the remaining 650,000 bushels of wheat about 350,000 bushels are annually required for seed purposes, and, roughly, 300,000 bushels are of threshing-millers' seconds. The latter would probably be used entirely for fowl-wheat, as would also a small amount of the milling wheat.
The following information is based on the production figures as ascertained at the five collections of agricultural and pastoral statistics previous to and including 1924, whilst due weight is given to imports and exports of wheat and estimated carryover. The calculations below give an estimated annual consumption of 7,958,708 bushels.
| Year. | Production of Wheat at Harvest. | Excess of Imports over Exports of Wheat.* | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Including flour converted on the basis of 48 bushels of wheat to 1 ton of flour. † Excess of exports over imports. | |||
| Bushels. | Bushels. | Bushels. | |
| 1920 | 4,559,934 | 1,780,863 | 6,340,797 |
| 1921 | 6,872,262 | 304,363 | 7,176,625 |
| 1922 | 10,565,275 | 1,208,784† | 9,356,491 |
| 1923 | 8,395,023 | 3,172† | 8,391,851 |
| 1924 | 4,174,537 | 3,538,783 | 7,713,320 |
| Total for five years | 34,567,031 | 4,412,053 | 38,979,084 |
| Average | 6,913,406 | 882,411 | 7,795,817 |
| Plus average net decrease in carry-over | .. | 162,891 | .. |
| Estimated average annual consumption | 7,958,708 | .. | .. |
Information concerning carry-over or surplus at the end of the season was first collected under the present system in 1916. At the 30th November, 1924. there was a surplus (allowing for flour) of 1,583,338 bushels, while the carry-over on the 30th November, 1919, was 2,397,791 bushels (or the equivalent), the surplus having thus decreased during the five years by 814,453 bushels, or at the rate of 162,891 bushels annually.
The amount of wheat sown per acre for seed purposes varies in different districts, but after making due allowance for these differences it is estimated that on the average about 1 1/2 bushels are sown to the acre throughout the Dominion. The following table gives particulars upon which this estimate is based:—
| District. | Amount of Seed sown per Acre. | Mean Sowings per Acre. | Area under Wheat in 1924-25. | Estimated Sowings, 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushels. | Bushels. | Acres. | Bushels. | |
| North Auckland, Auckland | 2 to 2 1/2 | 2.250 | 370 | 832 |
| Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa | 1 1/4 to 2 | 1.625 | 1,174 | 1,908 |
| Taranaki, Wellington (excluding Wairarapa) | 2 to 2 1/2 | 2.250 | 1,041 | 2,342 |
| Nelson, Marlborough, Westland, Canterbury, North Otago | 1 to 1 3/4 | 1.375 | 153,124 | 210,545 |
| South Otago, Southland | 2 to 3 | 2.500 | 13,385 | 33,462 |
| Dominion totals | 1 to 3 | 1.473 | 169,094 | 249,089 |
Taking an average of the last five seasons it is found that 240,933 acres are annually put down in wheat for all purposes, and at the rate of 1 1/2 bushels per acre this would represent an average annual seed requirement of 361,400 bushels.
The amount of fowl-wheat annually consumed within the Dominion is extremely difficult to assess. Wheat for this purpose comes into competition with oats, and therefore price-variations must necessarily play a prominent part among the various factors concerned in the amount used for this purpose. Moreover, in years of plenty flour-millers will tend to be more strict in the application of standards, and thus much wheat (which in other years would be ground into” flour) would be rejected. This wheat would probably all be sold subsequently as fowl-wheat. The proportions of threshing-millers' seconds and of firsts for the last five seasons are given below:—
| Season. | Proportion of Total Yield. | |
|---|---|---|
| Firsts. | Seconds. | |
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1920-21 | 96.84 | 3.16 |
| 1921-22 | 94.76 | 5.24 |
| 1922-23 | 95.00 | 500 |
| 1923-24 | 96.41 | 3.59 |
| 1924-25 | 95.06 | 4.94 |
The average for the five seasons gives 4.39 per cent. as seconds, and on the average of five seasons this represents 303,499 bushels annually, or roughly 300,000 bushels. It is noteworthy that the proportion of millers' seconds is greatest when the harvest is poorest, and least when the harvest is exceptionally good.
The area and yield of wheat in 1923-24 for each State of the Commonwealth of Australia and for New Zealand were as shown in the following table.
| State. | Wheat Crop. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Area. | Total Yield. | Average Yield per Acre. | |
| Acres. | Bushels. | Bushels. | |
| Queensland | 51,149 | 243,713 | 4.76 |
| New South Wales (including Federal Territory) | 2,945,335 | 33,176,000 | 11.26 |
| Victoria | 2,454,117 | 37,795,704 | 15.40 |
| South Australia | 2,418,415 | 34,551,955 | 14.29 |
| Western Australia | 1,656,915 | 18,920,271 | 11.42 |
| Tasmania | 14,503 | 305,628 | 21.07 |
| Totals for Commonwealth | 9,540,434 | 124,993,271 | 13.10 |
| New Zealand | 173,864 | 4,174,537 | 24.01 |
| Grand totals | 9,714,298 | 129,167,808 | 13.30 |
The average production per acre for the ten seasons ending with 1923-24 is—for New Zealand, 27.78 bushels per acre; and for Australia, 11.23 bushels per acre.
It may be said that, although from twenty to thirty countries in the world generally produce more wheat than does New Zealand, only one or two European countries have a better record of production per acre. This says much for the fertility of the soil of the Dominion, for cultivation here is naturally less intensive than it is in the closely settled Continental countries.
In point of area oats is the most important grain crop of the Dominion. About 80 per cent. is grown in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland, 5 per cent. in the remainder of the South Island, and 15 per cent. in the North Island. The greater portion of the oat crop is usually converted into chaff without threshing, but the proportion so dealt with depends partly on the condition of the crop and partly on market conditions. In 1915-16, 33.12 per cent. of the crop harvested was threshed; in 1916-17, 33.36 per cent.; in 1917-18, 33.41 per cent.; in 1918-19, 36.40 per cent.; in 1919-20, 35.82 per cent.; in 1920-21, 25.67 per cent.; in 1921-22. 33.16 per cent.; in 1922-23. 30.51 per cent.; in 1923-24 only 15.29 per cent.; and in 1924-25, 31.21 per cent.
The total and average yields per acre of grain and of chaff, hay, or ensilage for the last ten seasons were as follows:—
| Season. | Grain. | Chaff, Hay, or Ensilage. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Yield. | Average per Acre. | Total Yield. | Average per Acre. | |
| Bushels. | Bushels. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| 1915-16 | 7,653,208 | 35.98 | 572,435 | 1.33 |
| 1916-17 | 5,371,436 | 30.26 | 432,878 | 1.22 |
| 1917-18 | 4,942,759 | 31.64 | 419,434 | 1.35 |
| 1918-19 | 6,884,609 | 39.87 | 461,739 | 1.53 |
| 1919-20 | 6,967,862 | 38.75 | 467,640 | 1.45 |
| 1920-21 | 5,225,115 | 35.41 | 557,023 | 1.36 |
| 1921-22 | 6,752,663 | 39.56 | 538,194 | 1.56 |
| 1922-23 | 5,688,157 | 39.75 | 480,147 | 1.59 |
| 1923-24 | 1,964,511 | 30.77 | 366,546 | 1.12 |
| 1924-25 | 5,707,174 | 38.72 | 507,173 | 1.64 |
New Zealand has no regular export of oats, and in some years has practically no surplus available for export. In 1901 the export reached 10,514,924 bushels, in 1909 5,133,473 bushels, and in 1912 4,123,920 bushels. The 1923-24 oat crop was so phenomenally small that in 1924 1,074,070 bushels were imported, a state of affairs unprecedented in the history of the Dominion. The quantity exported in each of the last ten years was as follows:—
| Year. | Bushels. |
|---|---|
| 1915 | 682,652 |
| 1916 | 220,265 |
| 1917 | 5,767 |
| 1918 | 3,250 |
| 1919 | 144,827 |
| 1920 | 227,027 |
| 1921 | 431,472 |
| 1922 | 685,680 |
| 1923 | 478,147 |
| 1924 | 5,332 |
The oat crop for 1923-24 in the States of the Commonwealth of Australia was as follows:—
| Acres. | Bushels. | Average per Acre. Bushels. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland | 216 | 2,427 | 11.24 |
| New South Wales | 86,402 | 1,564,970 | 18.11 |
| Federal Capital Territory | 291 | 5,330 | 18.32 |
| Victoria | 520,654 | 9,366,205 | 17.99 |
| South Australia | 176,299 | 2,157,938 | 12.24 |
| Western Australia | 241,608 | 2,846,670 | 11.78 |
| Tasmania | 51,460 | 1,359,785 | 26.42 |
| Totals for Commonwealth | 1,076,930 | 17,303,325 | 16.07 |
The area under barley for threshing for the season 1924-25 was 25,138 acres, the crop amounting to 798,128 bushels, an average of 31.75 bushels per acre. In 1923-24 the area under barley was 21,286 acres, and the yield 597,416 bushels, or 28.07 bushels per acre.
The returns for 1924-25 show that 8,621 acres of maize were sown for grain, being an increase of 413 acres on the area for the previous season (8,208 acres). The yield for the 1924-25 harvest was 426,875 bushels of corn, an average of 49.47 bushels per acre, and in 1923-24 405,855 bushels, an average of 49.47 bushels per acre. Practically all the maize is grown in the North Island.
The area under peas and beans for threshing in the season 1924-25 was 14,027 acres, yielding 410,582 bushels. The area under these crops in 1923-24 was 18,676 acres.
New Zealand has a considerable export of peas and beans, the figures for the last ten years being—
Particulars of the areas under cereals, grasses, and clovers cut for chaff, hay, or ensilage, or for use as green fodder, are next given for each of the last ten seasons, together with information as to yields.
| Season. | Wheat for Chaff, &c. | Oats for Chaff, &c. | Barley for Chaff, &c. | Maize for Ensilage, &c. | Grasses and Clovers for Hay. | Green Fodder. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | |
| 1915-16 | 6,215 | 429,437 | 2,040 | 624 | 94,330 | 229,496 |
| 1916-17 | 3,738 | 354,550 | 1,240 | 711 | 106,723 | 218,452 |
| 1917-18 | 2,258 | 311,316 | 634 | 613 | 111,181 | 180,867 |
| 1918-19 | 1,646 | 301,724 | 530 | 272 | 131,557 | 149,622 |
| 1919-20 | 2,125 | 322,174 | 711 | 589 | 117,110 | 166,758 |
| 1920-21 | 1,623 | 410,059 | 670 | 667 | 161,820 | 185,284 |
| 1921-22 | 1,252 | 344,051 | 793 | 1,039 | 187,363 | 201,351 |
| 1922-23 | 1,181 | 302,216 | 428 | 739 | 175,558 | 249,417 |
| 1923-24 | 1,629 | 320,652 | 590 | 958 | 188,979 | 239,052 |
| 1924-25 | 1,105 | 308,527 | 242 | 600 | 229,644 | 240,061 |
| Season. | Wheat. | Oats. | Barley. | Maize. | Hay. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| 1915-16 | 7,440 | 572,435 | 3,387 | 3,493 | 177,165 |
| 1916-17 | 5,186 | 432,878 | 2,151 | 5,107 | 179,505 |
| 1917-18 | 3,549 | 419,434 | 1,240 | 3,335 | 180,436 |
| 1918-19 | 2,554 | 461,739 | 938 | 1,378 | 225,549 |
| 1919-20 | 3,172 | 467,640 | 1,182 | 2,909 | 184,115 |
| 1920-21 | 2,481 | 557,023 | 1,220 | 4,418 | 272,515 |
| 1921-22 | 2,443 | 538,194 | 1,469 | 6,470 | 336,273 |
| 1922-23 | 1,724 | 480,147 | 901 | 4,231 | 316,573 |
| 1923-24 | 2,146 | 366,546 | 976 | 5,852 | 317,616 |
| 1924-25 | 1,753 | 507,173 | 398 | 2,414 | 426,738 |
The growing of linseed increased at a fast rate during the six seasons following 1917-18, but the area sown in 1924-25 was only about half as great as in 1923-24. Linseed would appear to have suffered more than any other crop from the weather conditions in the season 1923-24 as, although the area sown in that year was a record for the Dominion, the yield per acre was exceptionally low, being but little more than one-fifth of a ton to the acre. The following table summarizes the information available in regard to this crop:—
| Season. | Area sown. | Total Yield. | Yield per Acre. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Not available. | |||
| Acres. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| 1916-17 | 1,431 | * | * |
| 1917-18 | 1,456 | * | * |
| 1918-19 | 3,890 | * | * |
| 1919-20 | 5,046 | 2,291 | 0.45 |
| 1920-21 | 9,663 | 4,552 | 0.47 |
| 1921-22 | 5,880 | 2,830 | 0.48 |
| 1922-23 | 10,645 | 5,133 | 0 48 |
| 1923-24 | 12,119 | 2,705 | 0.22 |
| 1924-25 | 6,679 | 2,135 | 0.32 |
By far the greater portion of the linseed is grown in Canterbury (6,555 acres in 1924-25).
The areas and yields of seed and root crops for each of the ten seasons 1915-16 to 1924-25 are next given. It should be understood that the areas shown for seed crops represent only those crops actually cut for seed.
| Season. | Rye-grass. | Cocksfoot. | Chewings Fescue. | Red Clover and Cow-grass. | White Clover. | Potatoes. | Turnips. | Mangolds. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | |
| 1915-16 | 43,095 | 13,293 | 5,787 | 1,643 | 888 | 29,809 | 572,137 | 13,046 |
| 1916-17 | 79,135 | 16,134 | 5,514 | 2,978 | 1,330 | 26,156 | 526,283 | 9,073 |
| 1917-18 | 70,220 | 16,595 | 4,372 | 6,907 | 3,722 | 22,854 | 450,819 | 8,712 |
| 1918-19 | 31,250 | 19,318 | 2,329 | 6,682 | 6,798 | 19,169 | 438,045 | 8,233 |
| 1919-20 | 39,580 | 16,789 | 3,425 | 6,181 | 2,284 | 24,933 | 542,310 | 9,546 |
| 1920-21 | 56,471 | 17,527 | 3,469 | 6,347 | 3,356 | 22,068 | 551,190 | 9,170 |
| 1921-22 | 51,356 | 14,987 | 6,231 | 6,910 | 3,030 | 19,418 | 508,520 | 10,063 |
| 1922-23 | 34,850 | 13,431 | 6,423 | 13,494 | 5,526 | 20,197 | 492,974 | 9,694 |
| 1923-24, | 43,487 | 11,619 | 9,279 | 5,543 | 4,161 | 20,993 | 477,381 | 9,989 |
| 1924-25 | 66,764 | 12,258 | 4,459 | 10,400 | 3,196 | 23,092 | 452,894 | 15,111 |
| Yields. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season. | Rye-grass. | Cocksfoot. | Chewings Fescue. | Red Clover and Cow-grass. | White Clover. | Potatoes. |
* Of 20 lb. | ||||||
| Bushels.* | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | Tons. | |
| 1915-16 | 795,416 | 1,577,285 | 1,230,219 | 385,638 | 141,469 | 128,807 |
| 1916-17 | 1,152,487 | 1,907,043 | 1,247,545 | 443,861 | 143,465 | 133,642 |
| 1917-18 | 1,355,612 | 2,410,557 | 1,013,042 | 1,076,360 | 461,853 | 100,596 |
| 1918-19 | 646,194 | 3,761,814 | 551,588 | 1,255,478 | 958,360 | 105,483 |
| 1919-20 | 652,672 | 2,201,729 | 827,769 | 1,146,882 | 335,203 | 144,705 |
| 1920-21 | 1,015,507 | 2,724,816 | 680,116 | 1,554,770 | 512,480 | 126,648 |
| 1921-22 | 952,933 | 2,713,648 | 1,650,327 | 1,518,824 | 362,812 | 112,090 |
| 1922-23 | 681,709 | 1,971,135 | 2,334,386 | 2,570,650 | 870,087 | 113,826 |
| 1923-24 | 725,959 | 1,428,759 | 1,499,177 | 1,213,835 | 581,676 | 105,552 |
| 1924-25 | 1,517,554 | 1,852,754 | 1,198,111 | 2,015,486 | 490,073 | 122,184 |
The area under potatoes in 1924-25 was 23,092 acres, yielding a return of 122,184 tons, or a rate of 5.27 tons per acre, against 20,993 acres and 105,552 tons (or 5.03 tons per acre) in 1923-24.
These figures do not include areas of less than a quarter of an acre, so that a considerable quantity of potatoes grown for private use has not been taken into account.
The following table shows the average yield per acre of potatoes in each of the Australian States and in New Zealand from 1919-20 to 1923-24:—
| State. | 1910-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| Queensland | 1.77 | 2.17 | 1.76 | 1.37 | 1.45 |
| New South Wales | 2.49 | 2.29 | 1.96 | 1.58 | 2.79 |
| Victoria | 2.71 | 2.74 | 2.72 | 2.40 | 4.02 |
| South Australia | 3.23 | 3.55 | 3.21 | 3.02 | 4.07 |
| Western Australia | 3.69 | 3.14 | 3.77 | 4.20 | 3.74 |
| Tasmania | 2.32 | 2.77 | 2.92 | 2.94 | 2.70 |
| Federal Territory | 3.43 | 3.67 | 3.33 | 2.67 | 4.48 |
| Commonwealth | 2.58 | 2.66 | 2.60 | 2.42 | 3.33 |
| New Zealand | 5.79 | 5.72 | 5.76 | 5.63 | 5.03 |
Turnips form a most important crop in a sheep-breeding country such as New Zealand, and in 1924-25 the area under this crop was 452,894 acres, while there were 15,111 acres of mangolds.
The figures for these crops for 1923-24 were 477,381 acres and 9,989 acres respectively.
The area under rye-grass for seed in the season 1924-25 was 66,764 acres, yielding 1,517,554 bushels of 20 lb., or an average of 22.61 bushels per acre, as against 725,959 bushels from 43,487 acres (average 16.63 bushels per acre) in 1923-24.
In cocksfoot there were 12,258 acres, which yielded 1,852,754 lb., or an average of 150.39 lb. per acre. The area in the previous season was 11,619 acres, and the total yield 1,428,759 lb., the average yield per acre being 122.85 lb. The area returned by farmers as being under cocksfoot (for seed) is decreasing steadily, having been 41,918 acres in 1910-11. Much of the waste land of the Dominion is laid down in cocksfoot, including a large proportion of the land enclosed with the State railway-lines. Much of this is harvested, but no record of the amount obtained from this source is kept. Second or catch crops are taken account of in the yield figures, the total yield including crops obtained from areas which had previously yielded some other crop in the season concerned. The areas, however, do not include second crops, and average yields cannot therefore be obtained by the mere division of the total yield by the area shown.
There were 738 acres under hops in 1924-25, 732 acres of this area being in the Nelson Land District. The total produce amounted to 1,138,413 lb., an average of 1,542,57 lb. per acre.
Of the minor crops for threshing, rye was the most important in 1924-25, amounting to 1,699 acres. The area sown in vetches was 685 acres. The following table gives details for the seasons 1923-24 and 1924-25:—
| — | Area. | Yield. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923-24. | 1924-25. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. | |
| Acres. | Acres. | Bushels. | Bushels. | |
| Rye | 488 | 1,699 | 7,424 | 34,418 |
| Vetches, tares | 681 | 685 | 11,031 | 16,340 |
| Lupins | 21 | 5 | 657 | 162 |
| Buckwheat | .. | 1 | .. | 50 |
| Unspecified | 52 | .. | 1,580 | .. |
| Totals | 1,242 | 2,390 | 20,692 | 50,970 |
Minor green and root crops (including certain “industrial'” crops) amounted to 3,950 acres in 1924-25, as against 3,682 acres in 1923-24. The following table gives details for the two seasons:—
| — | 1923-24. | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|
| Acres. | Acres. | |
| Kumeras (sweet potatoes) | 159 | 234 |
| Pumpkins, marrows, &c. (for stock) | 1,271 | 1,485 |
| Carrots (for stock) | 1,617 | 1,475 |
| Millet | 98 | 110 |
| Rye-straw | 50 | 6 |
| Chicory | 7 | 26 |
| Tobacco | 28 | 206 |
| Artichokes | .. | 126 |
| Unspecified | 422 | 282 |
| Totals | 3,682 | 3,950 |
Large areas in various parts of New Zealand are covered with phormium tenax, or New Zealand flax, the fibre of which is largely used for ropemaking, &c. At the census of factory production for the year 1923-24 forty-eight flax-mills were returned, employing 967 hands, the total value of the year's output being £334,169. The export of fibre and tow during each of the last ten years was as follows:—
In 1924-25 there were 4,516 acres in market gardens, 482 acres in nurseries and seed-gardens, and 63,206 acres in private gardens and pleasure-grounds. The area in plantations (not virgin bush) was 71,218 acres.
The area in orchard in 1924-25 (exclusive of that within borough boundaries) was 27,525 acres; in 1923-24 29,689 acres were returned.
The following table gives particulars, by land districts, of areas for private use and for commercial purposes:—
| Land District. | For Commercial Purposes. | For Private Use only. | Total Area in Orchard. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bearing. | Not bearing. | |||
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | |
| North Auckland | 4,104 | 661 | 1,257 | 6,022 |
| Auckland | 602 | 130 | 764 | 1,496 |
| Gisborne | 150 | 26 | 296 | 472 |
| Hawke's Bay | 1,751 | 583 | 256 | 2,590 |
| Taranaki | 28 | 1 | 112 | 141 |
| Wellington | 386 | 33 | 598 | 1,017 |
| Nelson | 6,540 | 517 | 350 | 7,407 |
| Marlborough | 560 | 46 | 114 | 720 |
| Westland | 22 | 1 | 16 | 39 |
| Canterbury | 1,616 | 244 | 942 | 2,802 |
| Otago | 3,775 | 409 | 425 | 4,609 |
| Southland | 13 | .. | 197 | 210 |
| Dominion | 19,547 | 2,651 | 5,327 | 27,525 |
Commercial orchards are defined for statistical purposes as “those producing fruit for sale to the value of £50 and upwards annually, or, if not in full bearing, or if for any reason the crop has been a failure, that are calculated to produce fruit for sale to that value when in full bearing or in normal seasons, as the case may be.” This definition must not be confused with the definition of a “commercial” orchard used for the purpose of assessing orchard-tax under the Orchard-tax Amendment Act, 1921.
Private orchards consist chiefly of small areas the produce of which is consumed principally on the holding, or, if sold, does not aggregate an annual value of £50. Larger areas, which through age, disease, or other cause are incapable of producing a yearly revenue of the stipulated amount, are also included in private orchards.
Large areas have of recent years been planted in fruit-trees, especially in the Nelson Land District, where tracts of land which formerly bore nothing but stunted manuka, and were looked upon as practically useless, have now been proved to be very suitable for growing fruit, particularly apples. A good market exists locally for choice, clean fruit, but, as the large areas recently planted come into bearing, growers are having to look to outside markets to take the surplus. With a view to assisting towards building up an export trade in apples and pears the State in 1924 (and again in 1925) guaranteed growers a net return of 1d. per lb. on fruit exported in compliance with the Government's requirements as to grading, &c.
For the purpose of the proper control of the fruit industry the Fruit Control Act was passed in the session of 1924. Part I of the Act provides for a Dominion Fruit-export Control Board, to have power of control of all fruit intended for export, while Part II provides for local boards to have control over fruit intended for local consumption. Neither part was to come into operation until a proposal to that effect was carried at a poll of the producers.
Polls taken in December, 1924, resulted in the provisions of Part I being carried by a majority of 151 votes, Otago Provincial District being, however, excluded from the operation of the control on account of a petition to that effect having been signed by 70 per cent. of the producers in that district. The proposal with respect to provincial control of fruit intended for sale in New Zealand was negatived in each provincial district. A voluntary local Control Board was, however, established in the Nelson District for the handling of the 1924-25 fruit crop.
The Department of Agriculture assists orchardists by supplying information on fruitgrowing generally, and as to the most up-to-date methods to adopt for the control of diseases and insect pests, pruning, &c. Practical demonstrations of pruning, spraying, and the grading and packing of fruit are given regularly by the Orchard Instructors attached to the Department.
Extensive experiments have been carried out in the growing of tomatoes and the control of diseases affecting them, many thousands of pounds having been lost through failure of the tomato crops grown under glass during the last few years. The results of these experiments have proved of great value, and have enabled growers to adopt successful methods for the production of large and profitable crops. There are approximately 880 glasshouses in the Dominion used for the production of tomatoes, table grapes, &c.
The total acreage in vineyards outside of borough boundaries is 224 acres. The growing of outdoor grapes is chiefly confined to the districts situated between the North Cape and Hawke's Bay. The greater portion of the crop is used for wine-making, but a considerable quantity of outdoor-grown grapes is sold for table use.
Since 1913 the State has had authority to borrow money for the purpose of making advances for the establishment of cold stores for fruit and of fruit-canning works, and otherwise for the assistance of the fruitgrowing industry.
The Orchard-tax Act, 1916, provided for the levying, in each year from 1916 to 1921, of a tax of 1s. per acre on commercial orchards (with a minimum of 2s. 6d.), the proceeds to be paid over to the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation and to be expended in aid of the fruitgrowing industry. The operation of the Act was extended for a further period of five years by the Orchard-tax Amendment Act, 1921. Registrations of commercial orchards during 1924-25 numbered 6,774, the amount of £1,970 being collected in orchard tax.
New Zealand is essentially suited for grazing purposes. Wherever there is light and moisture English grasses thrive when the natural bush and fern are cleared off, and, from the mildness of the winter season, there are few places where there is not some growth even in the coldest months of the year, enabling stock to winter on the pastures.
Sown-grass land, as might be expected, heads the list of cultivations. At the beginning of the year 1925 there were 16,450,625 acres under artificial (pasture) grasses. Seeds for sowing pasture lands are used much as in Great Britain.
In addition to the artificially sown pastures, the returns for 1924-25 show that 14,470,990 acres in tussock or native grass belonged to the occupied holdings, and were available for stock-feeding by the sheep and cattle farmers.
THE numbers of live-stock of various kinds at each of the last five annual enumerations are as shown in the following table. With the exception of the figures for sheep as disclosed by the special annual collection of sheep returns as at the 30th April, the figures relate to the 31st January.
| — | 1921. | 1922. | 1923 | 1924. | 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horses | 337,259 | 332,105 | 330,818 | 330,430 | 326,830 |
| Asses and mules | 245 | 266 | 205 | 148 | 190 |
| Dairy cows | 1,004,666 | 1,137,055 | 1,248,643 | 1,312,588 | 1,323,432 |
| Cattle (including dairy cows) | 3,139,223 | 3,323,223 | 3,480,694 | 3,563,497 | 3,503,744 |
| Sheep shorn during season | 21,923,009 | 21,100,550 | 20,420,119 | 21,077,684 | 22,335,528 |
| Lambs tailed during season | 9,614,548 | 10,267,550 | 10,895,521 | 11,133,336 | 11,467,147 |
| Sheep (including lambs) as at 30th April | 23,285,031 | 22,222,259 | 23,081,439 | 23,775,776 | 24,547,955 |
| Pigs | 349,892 | 384,333 | 400,889 | 414,271 | 440,115 |
| Goats— | |||||
| Angora | 5,533 | 5,904 | 4,338 | 5,579 | 5,696 |
| Other | 11,834 | 11,576 | 12,733 | 12,617 | 13,279 |
The following table gives the number of the principal kinds of live-stock in Australia and New Zealand for the year 1923-24:—
| State. | As at | Sheep. | Cattle. | Horses. | Pigs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Sheep, 30th April, 1924; others, 31st January, 1924. | |||||
| New South Wales | 30 June, 1924 | 37,407,013 | 2,932,437 | 656,939 | 322,762 |
| Victoria | 1 Mar., 1924 | 11,059,761 | 1,591,367 | 486,075 | 259,795 |
| Queensland | 31 Dec., 1923 | 16,756,101 | 6,396,514 | 660,387 | 132,3 |
| South Australia | 30 June, 1924 | 6,596,875 | 413,272 | 258,489 | 73,414 |
| Western Australia | 31 Dec., 1923 | 6,595,867 | 953,764 | 181,944 | 61,478 |
| Tasmania | 1 Mar., 1924 | 1,557,716 | 220,351 | 37,570 | 47,101 |
| Northern Territory | 31 Dec., 1923 | 4,728 | 843,718 | 44,603 | 647 |
| Federal Capital Territory | 30 June, 1924 | 132,400 | 6,085 | 1,433 | 434 |
| Totals for Commonwealth | .. | 80,110,461 | 13,357,508 | 2,327,440 | 897,874 |
| New Zealand | * | 28,775,776 | 3,563,497 | 330,430 | 414,271 |
The following diagram will give an idea of the large increase in the number of horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs in New Zealand since 1858:—
The Dominion is eminently suited for sheep-breeding, practically every description of sheep finding a favourable local habitat. In the hilly and down country of the South Island the Merino has been bred for very many years, and was the original sheep depastured. In fact, the Merino ewe furnished the foundation of the crossbred stock which has made Canterbury mutton famous on British meat-markets. In the early days of the Canterbury meat trade the English Leicester of the original type was the favourite ram for putting to the Merino ewe. Of later years the Lincoln has been largely employed to cross with the Merino, and black-faced rams have been further employed to put to the crossbred ewes. Systematic inbreeding of Merino-longwool half-bred sheep produced the now world-known Corriedale breed. In the North Island the Romney sheep, which suits the rather moist climate of this portion of the Dominion, has become the most popular sheep; it is also increasing in numbers in the South Island. The Lincoln and the Border Leicester are also favoured in both Islands, while the Southdown is taking the lead for fat-lamb production throughout the Dominion.
The flocks of the North Island increased from 5,285,907 sheep in the year 1886 to 10,009,731 in 1906 and 13,880,799 in 1916, or at the rate of 89 per cent. in the first twenty years of the period, and of 38 1/2 per cent. between 1906 and 1916; but subsequent to 1918 there was a decrease, which was not broken till 1923.
The number of sheep in the South Island has fluctuated considerably, decreases from previous years having lately been more numerous than increases. The greatest number (11,780,024) was attained in 1918, after which year a steady decrease was recorded until checked in 1923.
Both Islands and the Dominion as a whole had a greater number of sheep in 1925 than in any of the five years immediately preceding.
| Year. | North Island. | South Inland. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 13,315,916 | 11,585,505 | 24,901,421 |
| 1916 | 13,880,799 | 10,907,351 | 24,788,150 |
| 1917 | 14,567,128 | 10,703,258 | 25,270,386 |
| 1918 | 14,758,278 | 11,780,024 | 26,538,302 |
| 1919 | 14,211,944 | 11,616,610 | 25,828,554 |
| 1920 | 13,166,750 | 10,753,220 | 23,919,970 |
| 1921 | 12,774,323 | 10,510,708 | 23,285,031 |
| 1922 | 12,095,805 | 10,126,454 | 22,222,259 |
| 1923 | 12,809,663 | 10,271,776 | 23,081,439 |
| 1924 | 13,478,717 | 10,297,059 | 23,775,776 |
| 1925 | 13,719,541 | 10,828,414 | 24,547,955 |
In the table given above the Chatham Islands are included in the South Island, as they form portion of the Canterbury-Kaikoura Sheep District. In dealing with land districts, however, they are included with Wellington.
The following table shows the number of sheep and of breeding-ewes in the Dominion on the 30th April, 1924 and 1925. It will be noted that of the land districts Wellington had the most sheep in 1925, followed by Canterbury, Gisborne, Otago, and Hawke's Bay, in that order. Each of the twelve land districts showed an increase as compared with 1924.
| Land District. | Sheep on 30th April, | Breeding-ewes on 30th April, | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924. | 1925. | 1924. | 1925. | |
| North Auckland | 683,504 | 774,793 | 385,402 | 429,504 |
| Auckland | 836,599 | 883,760 | 446,504 | 498,681 |
| Gisborne | 3,028,087 | 3,055,726 | 1,603,946 | 1,619,472 |
| Hawke's Bay | 2,921,594 | 2,950,796 | 1,555,945 | 1,646,267 |
| Taranaki | 757,777 | 786,673 | 376,505 | 399,192 |
| Wellington | 5,334,509 | 5,353,749 | 2,817,770 | 2,908,230 |
| Nelson | 397,905 | 425,050 | 225,815 | 233,009 |
| Marlborough | 991,412 | 1,041,406 | 499,613 | 537,681 |
| Westland | 57,646 | 63,580 | 35,530 | 41,613 |
| Canterbury | 4,453,312 | 4,719,959 | 2,754,843 | 2,881,191 |
| Otago | 2,857,629 | 3,021,932 | 1,516,863 | 1,621,349 |
| Southland | 1,455,802 | 1,470,531 | 857,358 | 899,034 |
| Totals | 23,775,776 | 24,547,955 | 13,076,094 | 13,715,223 |
A considerable increase in the number of breeding-ewes was recorded, the number as at 30th April, 1925, being 13,715,223, as against 13,076,094 in 1924. The number of rams (stud and flock) in the Dominion on the 30th April, 1925, was 355,579, as against 332,814 in 1924, an increase of 22,765.
The following table shows the number of breeding-ewes and of rams in the Dominion for the last five years; the number of dry ewes is also given.
| As at 30th April, | Rams (Stud and Flock). | Breeding-ewes. | Dry Ewes. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 322,144 | 12,147,788 | 1,345,819 |
| 1922 | 322,072 | 12,496,054 | 960,068 |
| 1923 | 330,055 | 13,063,003 | 817,932 |
| 1924 | 332,814 | 13,076,094 | 1,046,450 |
| 1925 | 355,579 | 13,715,223 | 883,766 |
The number of breeding-ewes has varied considerably from time to time, the maximum having been attained in 1925. The number of dry ewes on 30th April, 1925, was 883,766, being a decrease of 162,684 compared with the previous year.
The number of lambs returned in 1922 was the smallest since 1906, but a recovery was made in 1923, the total for that year being on a par with that recorded for 1920, while further increases are shown by the figures for 1924 and 1925. The figures for the last five years are as follows:—
| Number or Lambs. | |
|---|---|
| As at 30th April, 1921 | 5,834,481 |
| As at 30th April, 1922 | 5,716,461 |
| As at 30th April, 1923 | 6,318,822 |
| As at 30th April, 1924 | 6,513,386 |
| As at 30th April, 1925 | 6,529,724 |
In sympathy with the increase in sheep in 1925, the number of flocks has increased almost proportionately, as is shown by the following table:—
| Size of Flocks. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 500 | 13,045 | 13,067 | 12,118 | 11,927 | 11,953 |
| 500 and under 1,000 | 5,167 | 4,803 | 5,017 | 5,071 | 5,461 |
| 1,000 and under 2,500 | 4,236 | 4,047 | 4,233 | 4,393 | 4,637 |
| 2,500 and under 5,000 | 1,276 | 1,233 | 1,335 | 1,356 | 1,399 |
| 5,000 and under 10,000 | 505 | 492 | 515 | 522 | 536 |
| 10,000 and under 20,000 | 140 | 139 | 130 | 128 | 138 |
| 20,000 and upwards | 24 | 19 | 25 | 26 | 22 |
| Totals (all flocks) | 24,393 | 23,800 | 23,373 | 23,423 | 24,146 |
The average size of the flocks is found to have been 957 sheep in 1921, 934 in 1922, 988 in 1923, 1,015 in 1924, and 1,017 in 1925.
The numbers of the different classes composing the flocks in April, 1925, were as follows:—
| — | North Island. | South Island. | Total in Dominion. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stud sheep (entered in Flock-book)— | |||
| Merino | .. | 27,697 | 27,697 |
| Lincoln | 13,469 | 2,109 | 15,578 |
| Romney | 104,686 | 47,876 | 152,562 |
| Border Leicester | 708 | 23,061 | 23,769 |
| English Leicester | 1,141 | 20,304 | 21,445 |
| Shropshire | 1,106 | 3,708 | 4,814 |
| Southdown | 29,346 | 12,408 | 41,754 |
| Corriedale | 2,087 | 41,685 | 43,772 |
| Other breeds | 967 | 4,138 | 5,105 |
| Totals | 153,510 | 182,986 | 336,496 |
| Sheep of a distinctive breed, but not entered in Flock-book— | |||
| Merino | 28,182 | 949,572 | 977,754 |
| Lincoln | 118,084 | 29,485 | 147,569 |
| Romney | 2,483,692 | 556,673 | 3,040,365 |
| Border Leicester | 14,935 | 81,905 | 96,840 |
| English Leicester | 4,690 | 56,532 | 61,222 |
| Shropshire | 4,780 | 9,591 | 14,371 |
| Southdown | 51,267 | 15,563 | 66,830 |
| Corriedale | 27,448 | 720,827 | 748,275 |
| Half-bred | 11,986 | 1,349,554 | 1,361,540 |
| Other breeds | 2,984 | 4,119 | 7,103 |
| Totals | 2,748,048 | 3,773,821 | 6,521,869 |
| Flock sheep— | |||
| Crossbreds and others not otherwise enumerated | 10,817,983 | 6,871,607 | 17,689,590 |
| Grand totals | 13,719,541 | 10,828,414 | 24,647,955 |
The most recent statistics (30th April, 1925) show that the Romney is still the predominating breed in all land districts with the exception of Marlborough, Canterbury, and Otago, where half-breds occupy the premier position.
The number of sheep in the Australian States and in New Zealand at enumerations corresponding approximately to the end of the years 1905, 1910, 1915, 1920, and 1924 was as follows:—
| — | 1905. | 1910. | 1915. | 1920. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Includes Federal Capital Territory. † Includes Northern Territory. | |||||
| Queensland | 12,535,231 | 20,331,838 | 15,950,154 | 17,404,840 | 16,756,101 |
| New South Wales | *39,506,764 | *45,560,969 | 32,874,359 | 33,691,838 | 37,407,013 |
| Victoria | 11,455,115 | 12,882,665 | 10,545,632 | 12,171,084 | 11,059,761 |
| South Australia | † | 6,339,542†6,324,717 | 3,744,747 | 6,366,006 | 6,596,875 |
| Western Australia | 3,120,703 | 5,158,516 | 4,831,727 | 6,532,965 | 6,595,867 |
| Tasmania | 1,583,561 | 1,788,310 | 1,624,450 | 1,570,832 | 1,557,716 |
| Federal Territory | .. | .. | 134,679 | 159,990 | 137,128 |
| New Zealand | 19,180,875 | 23,996,126 | 24,788,150 | 23,285,031 | 24,547,955 |
| Totals | 93,671,791 | 116,043,14l | 94,493,898 | 101,182,586 | 104,658,416 |
The following figures, compiled partly from “The Statesman's Year-book” (1925 edition), partly from various publications of the International Institute of Agriculture, and partly from other sources, give some idea of the sheep flocks in the principal countries in respect of which the information is available:—
| Country. | Number of Sheep. |
|---|---|
* Union of Soviet Republics excluding Turkestan and Transcaucasia. † Including goats. | |
| Australia (1923-24) | 80,110,461 |
| Russia, Soviet (1924) | 69,100,000*† |
| United States (1925) | 39,645,000 |
| Argentine Republic (1922) | 30,671,841 |
| South African Union (1923) | 31,223,746 |
| New Zealand (1925) | 24,547,955 |
| British India (1921-22) | 22,082,000 |
| Spain (1924) | 18,459,627 |
| England and Wales (1925) | 15,974,400 |
| Rumania (1923) | 12,480,967 |
| Italy (1921) | 12,060,000 |
| Turkey | 11,913,703† |
| Uruguay (1916) | 11,472,852 |
| France (1924) | 10,171,520 |
| Algeria (1920) | 9,140,000 |
| Bulgaria (1920) | 8,922,604 |
| Brazil (1920) | 7,933,437 |
| Jugo-Slavia (1923) | 7,542,110 |
| Morocco, French (1923) | 7,120,792 |
| Scotland (1924) | 6,886,152 |
| Greece (1921) | 5,789,113 |
| Germany (1924) | 5,717,198 |
| Chile (1923) | 4,569,166 |
| Portugal (1920) | 3,850,733 |
| Irish Free State (1924) | 3,127,921 |
| Canada (1924) | 2,684,743 |
| Poland (1921) | 2,178,216 |
| Sudan, French (1921) | 2,029,550 |
| Hungary (1924) | 1,814,155 |
| Mexico (1924) | 1,728,216 |
| Sweden (1920) | 1,568,000 |
| Norway (1923) | 1,525,281 |
| Latvia (1923) | 1,460,800 |
| Tunis (1923) | 1,451,412 |
| Lithuania (1924) | 1,399,000† |
| Egypt (1924) | 1,084,703 |
Wool obtained from sheep shorn during the season 1924-25 amounted to 178,234,612 lb., whilst lambs yielded 6,795,933 lb. The following table shows the amount of wool produced in each land district in the Dominion during the season 1924-25, while figures for 1923-24 are also given for purposes of comparison:—
| Land District. | Wool obtained during Season 1923-24 from | Wool obtained during Season 1924-25 from | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheep. | Lambs. | Sheep. | Lambs. | |
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | |
| North Auckland | 4,412,118 | 271,263 | 5,225,451 | 358,699 |
| Auckland | 5,657,324 | 458,939 | 6,588,384 | 451,234 |
| Gisborne | 22,202,801 | 1,472,829 | 23,888,540 | 1,710,861 |
| Hawke's Bay | 20,434,402 | 768,957 | 24,729,478 | 888,861 |
| Taranaki | 5,669,184 | 519,984 | 6,284,452 | 521,933 |
| Wellington | 39,778,349 | 2,675,144 | 44,212,679 | 2,691,628 |
| Nelson | 2,047,161 | 24,921 | 2,323,788 | 37,141 |
| Marlborough | 6,904,920 | 64,595 | 7,497,370 | 91,887 |
| Westland | 317,213 | 5,589 | 340,061 | 7,687 |
| Canterbury | 27,067,274 | 24,683 | 29,165,063 | 32,024 |
| Otago | 16,861,134 | 3,923 | 18,709,512 | 1,468 |
| Southland | 8,267,481 | 3,436 | 9,269,834 | 2,510 |
| Totals | 159,619,361 | 6,294,263 | 178,234,612 | 6,795,933 |
It should be noted that these figures cover only sheep shorn by farmers. Wool obtained by the various freezing companies from sheep consigned to them for slaughtering is not covered by this inquiry.
The following table gives the average weight of fleece for each land district in each of the last five years:—
| Land District. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | |
| North Auckland | 6.83 | 711 | 7.27 | 7.10 | 7.29 |
| Auckland | 7.16 | 6.88 | 7.33 | 7.12 | 7.27 |
| Gisborne | 8.15 | .. | 8.08 | 7.92 | 8.17 |
| Hawke's Bay | .. | .. | 848 | 8.17 | 9.03 |
| Taranaki | 7.76 | 7.34 | 7.77 | 7.63 | 7.86 |
| Wellington | 8.24 | 8.09 | 847 | 8.32 | 8.82 |
| Nelson | 5.82 | 5.60 | 6.80 | 5.85 | 6.35 |
| Marlborough | 7.61 | 713 | 7.32 | 7.60 | 7.91 |
| Westland | 5.76 | 5.63 | 5.66 | 6.23 | 6.10 |
| Canterbury | 7.05 | 6.92 | 7.24 | 7.14 | 7.42 |
| Otago | 6.62 | 6.80 | 7.18 | 6.79 | 7.29 |
| Southland | 6.15 | 6.43 | 6.58 | 6.62 | 6.77 |
| Dominion | 7.48 | 7.39 | 7.72 | 7.57 | 7.98 |
The approximate annual production of wool for the last twenty years, taking the exports for the twelve months immediately preceding the commencement of shearing and adding thereto the quantity used in the Dominion for manufacturing purposes, is shown in the next table, but no addition has been made for wool on sheep-skins exported, nor for loss in scouring and washing.
| Year ended 30th September. | Quantity exported. | Quantity purchased by Local Mills. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| lb. | lb. | lb. | |
| 1906 | 152,765,232 | 4,372,472 | 157,137,704 |
| 1907 | 164,006,579 | 4,116,722 | 168,123,301 |
| 1908 | 163,930,722 | 4,779,198 | 168,709,920 |
| 1909 | 187,619,181 | 5,202,821 | 192,822,002 |
| 1910 | 194,472,934 | 5,642,113 | 200,115,047 |
| 1911 | 184,854,149 | 6,048,164 | 190,902,313 |
| 1912 | 189,553,723 | 6,284,114 | 195,837,837 |
| 1913 | 195,353,533 | 6,823,545 | 202,177,078 |
| 1914 | 196,499,896 | 6,846,960 | 203,346,856 |
| 1915 | 208,908,118 | 6,628,019 | 215,536,137 |
| 1916 | 200,119,016 | 8,772,467 | 208,891,483 |
| 1917 | 162,043,634 | 7,590,445 | 169,634,079 |
| 1918 | 110,054,315 | 7,488,932 | 117,543,247 |
| 1919 | 258,363,524 | 6,720,400 | 265,083,924 |
| 1920 | 165,821,508 | 8,599,212 | 174,420,720 |
| 1921 | 174,950,190 | 5,307,495 | 180,257,685 |
| 1922 | 325,256,613 | 8,483,140 | 333,739,753 |
| 1923 | 214,845,027 | 9,170,697 | 224,015,724 |
| 1924 | 210,582,999 | 7,786,337 | 218,369,336 |
| 1925 | 195,394,999 | 5,141,473 | 200,536,472 |
The following summary is interesting as showing the various classes of wool purchased by the New Zealand mills. For 1924-25 greasy wool represents over 97 per cent. of the total.
| — | Merino. | Half-bred. | Crossbred. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | |
| Greasy | 830,562 | 2,136,701 | 2,048,159 | 5,015,422 |
| Washed | .. | .. | 16,615 | 16,615 |
| Scoured | 41,990 | 3,435 | 1,160 | 46,585 |
| Sliped | 5,768 | 16,037 | 41,046 | 62,851 |
| Totals, 1924-25 | 878,320 | 2,156,173 | 2,106,980 | 5,141,473 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 1,409,655 | 4,025,580 | 2,351,102 | 7,786,337 |
The percentages of greasy, scoured, and washed wool to the total quantities exported during the last ten years are—
| Year. | Greasy. | Scoured and Sliped. | Washed. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1915 | 78.62 | 21.09 | 0.29 |
| 1916 | 79.27 | 20.24 | 0.49 |
| 1917 | 81.77 | 18.07 | 0.16 |
| 1918 | 77.92 | 21.21 | 0.87 |
| 1919 | 71.78 | 28.07 | 0.15 |
| 1920 | 65.53 | 34.29 | 0.18 |
| 1921 | 74.50 | 25.42 | 0.08 |
| 1922 | 70.95 | 28.96 | 0.09 |
| 1923 | 76.01 | 23.89 | 0.10 |
| 1924 | 78.58 | 21.30 | 0.12 |
The following diagram shows the increase in the weight of wool exported since 1882, also the great expansion of the frozen-meat trade in the same period. The decrease during the war period is attributable to lack of shipping facilities.
Most of the leading breeds of the cattle of Great Britain are represented in the Dominion by herds bred on sound lines, though the development of the beef breeds of later years has received a check owing to the advance taking place in dairying operations. There are still very many fine Shorthorn herds of the beef type, while Hereford and Aberdeen-Angus cattle are also largely bred. There are herd-books for each of these breeds.
The breeding of dairy cattle has made great progress in recent years. Herd-book societies are established for the Jersey, Friesian, Ayrshire, Milking Shorthorn, and Red Poll breeds. The various societies have heartily co-operated in a scheme for establishing registers of merit in connection with the certificate-of-record testing of purebred dairy cattle, thus giving a great fillip to the breeding of purebred dairy stock. The dairy-farmer is encouraged to use purebred bulls and thereby to assist materially in raising the standard of the dairy stock of the country. He is now coming to appreciate the value of herd-testing work, and thus, knowing the really profitable cows in his herd, will be anxious to secure a bull which will enable them to perpetuate their good qualities.
An important factor responsible for the improved position of dairy cattle in New Zealand is the milking-machine, which is making the farmer more independent of hired labour. With the higher price of land there is a gradual tendency towards smaller farms and the keeping of fewer but better cows. Also, there is a growing realization of the necessity for a more liberal system of feeding, particularly in the direction of growing special fodder crops to maintain the milk-flow at all seasons of the year. Generally, dairy-farming in New Zealand is being conducted on a sound basis, and the industry now ranks fully with meat and wool production in importance.
A policy which has been partly responsible for placing the breeding of dairy cattle on up-to-date principles has been the establishment of purebred herds at three of the State experimental farms, where they are bred according to an exact record of performance. High-priced stock have been imported in order that the foundation herds at the farms may be of the best quality. The yearling bulls from these State milk-record herds command high values. The appreciation of the farming community for this officially tested stock has been chiefly responsible for the gratifying manner in which private breeders of pedigree stock have participated in the certificate-of-record testing system of the Department of Agriculture and the herd-book societies. With regard to the testing of dairy-farmers' herds, the Department in the season of 1910-11 established a model herd-testing association in the Wairarapa district, carrying out the work of testing and of recording results free of all charge to the farmers taking part. This had the effect of creating at once wide interest in the important herd-testing movement, and the following season model associations were established in several leading dairying districts. These were intended not only to demonstrate the value of herd-testing when properly conducted and with full comparative records published at the end of the season, but also to encourage farmers to establish co-operative testing associations on their own account. The object was achieved, and many associations are now in operation. The larger number of these are supervised by the Department of Agriculture.
The total number of cattle in the Dominion at the enumeration of 1925 was 3,503,744, as against 3,563,497 in 1924. The figures for the two years, according to the classification in use, are as follows:—
| Bulls two years old and over, for stud— | 1924. | 1925. |
|---|---|---|
| For beef purposes | 12,136 | 12,679 |
| For dairy purposes | 46,798 | 47,141 |
| Cows and heifers two years old and over, for dairying— | ||
| In milk | 1,167,914 | 1,178,504 |
| Dry | 124,372 | 124,625 |
| Cows and heifers two years old and over, other than for dairying | 487,651 | 518,284 |
| Heifers one and under two years old | 438,084 | 441,510 |
| Steers two years old and over | 433,575 | 405,768 |
| Steers and bulls one and under two years old | 189,569 | 189,801 |
| Calves (heifer and steer) under one year old | 630,130 | 552,164 |
| Cattle in boroughs, &c. | 33,268 | 33,268 |
| Totals | 3,563,497 | 3,503,744 |
Out of a total of 3,503,744 cattle, the North Island had 2,838,248, or 81 per cent., while the South Island had 665,496, or 19 per cent. The figures for each land district were—
| Land District. | Number. |
|---|---|
| North Auckland | 477,143 |
| Auckland | 681,484 |
| Gisborne | 334,589 |
| Hawke's Bay | 267,154 |
| Taranaki | 376,843 |
| Wellington | 701,035 |
| Nelson | 65,240 |
| Marlborough | 46,247 |
| Westland | 44,881 |
| Canterbury | 201,269 |
| Otago | 137,389 |
| Southland | 170,470 |
| Total | 3,503,744 |
The total number of dairy cows and heifers intended for dairying was 1,323,432, and of this number the North Island had 1,026,396, or 77 1/2 per cent., and the South Island 297,036, or 22 1/2 per cent.
In connection with the enumeration of live-stock in 1924 information was collected as to breeds of cattle, horses, and pigs, in addition to the usual details of age, sex, &c. A summary of the results of this enumeration as regards cattle is given below:—
| Breed. | Bulls Two Years Old and over for Breeding only. | Cows and Heifers Two Years Old and over. | Heifers One and under Two Years Old. | Steers Two Years Old and over. | Steers and Bulls One and under Two Years Old. | Calves (Heifer and Steer) under One Year Old. | Total Cattle. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purebred— | |||||||
| Jersey | 6,458 | 10,336 | 3,048 | 2,983 | 1,763 | 3,966 | 28,554 |
| Guernsey | 6 | 14 | 6 | .. | .. | 10 | 36 |
| Alderney | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 |
| Friesian | 1,533 | 3,675 | 1,203 | 126 | 262 | 1,378 | 8,177 |
| Ayrshire | 477 | 2,082 | 551 | 29 | 105 | 588 | 3,832 |
| Red Poll | 136 | 485 | 132 | 9 | 48 | 244 | 1,054 |
| Shorthorn (including Milking Shorthorns) | 1,219 | 3,995 | 786 | 33 | 158 | 1,097 | 7,288 |
| Hereford | 467 | 1,994 | 453 | 242 | 245 | 833 | 4,234 |
| Polled Angus | 572 | 2,011 | 448 | 32 | 381 | 851 | 4,295 |
| Other purebred-cattle | 2 | .. | .. | 14 | .. | .. | 16 |
| Crossbred with predominating strain of— | |||||||
| Jersey and other Channel Island breeds | 18,855 | 539,636 | 135,375 | 7,888 | 6,946 | 174,370 | 883,070 |
| Friesian | 4,837 | 159,076 | 35,929 | 19,724 | 8,971 | 46,731 | 275,268 |
| Ayrshire | 983 | 34,041 | 6,150 | 1,820 | 943 | 7,460 | 51,397 |
| Milking Shorthorn | 8,481 | 489,727 | 101,321 | 30,420 | 20,181 | 124,061 | 774,691 |
| Red Poll | 316 | 1,773 | 654 | 406 | 225 | 1,039 | 4,413 |
| Other dairy breeds (including unspecified) | 16 | 3,946 | 581 | 430 | 164 | 831 | 5,968 |
| Shorthorn | 6,498 | 231,577 | 66,154 | 195,781 | 66,055 | 100,422 | 666,487 |
| Hereford | 4,750 | 183,768 | 53,113 | 118,820 | 53,085 | 100,992 | 514,528 |
| Polled Angus | 3,262 | 108,137 | 30,483 | 51,874 | 28,960 | 63,225 | 285,941 |
| Devon | 62 | 723 | 185 | 322 | 151 | 475 | 1,918 |
| Other beef breeds (including unspecified) | 5 | 3,339 | 1,100 | 2,639 | 930 | 1,629 | 9,642 |
| Total, purebred | 10,871 | 24,592 | 6,627 | 3,468 | 2,963 | 8,967 | 57,488 |
| Total, crossbred | 48,065 | 1,755,743 | 431,545 | 430,124 | 186,611 | 621,235 | 3,473,323 |
| Dominion totals | 58,936 | 1,780,335 | 438,172 | 433,592 | 189,574 | 630,202 | 3,530,811 |
Such information as is available concerning cattle in the main countries of the world is appended hereto. Figures have been compiled mainly from “The Statesman's Year-book,” partly from various publications of the International Institute of Agriculture, and partly from other sources.
| Country. | Number of Cattle. |
|---|---|
* Union of Soviet Republics excluding Turkestan and Transcaucasia. | |
| British India (1922) | 116,665,000 |
| United States (1925) | 66,341,000 |
| Russia, Soviet (1924) | 46,200,000* |
| Argentine Republic (1922) | 37,064,850 |
| Brazil (1920) | 34,271,324 |
| Germany (1924) | 17,296,280 |
| China (1921) | 16,000,000 |
| France (1924) | 14,024,960 |
| Australia (1923-24) | 13,357,508 |
| Canada (1924) | 9,460,836 |
| South African Union (1923) | 9,315,182 |
| Uruguay (1924) | 8,431,613 |
| Poland (1921) | 7,894,586 |
| Madagascar (1921) | 7,829,183 |
| Italy (1918) | 6,239,741 |
| England and Wales (1925) | 6,163,300 |
| Rumania (1923) | 5,553,871 |
| Paraguay (1915) | 5,249,043 |
| Cuba (1923) | 5,085,031 |
| Czecho-Slovakia (1921) | 4,376,765 |
| Irish Free State (1924) | 4,194,189 |
| Jugo-Slavia (1923) | 4,053,115 |
| Siam (1924) | 3,798,890 |
| Turkey (1923) | 3,551,449 |
| Japanese Empire (1922) | 3,520,691 |
| New Zealand (1925) | 3,503,744 |
| Spain (1924) | 3,436,129 |
| Sweden (1921) | 2,736,000 |
| Denmark (1924) | 2,665,684 |
| Mexico (1924) | 2,187,867 |
| Austria (1923) | 2,162,385 |
| Venezuela (1920) | 2,077,684 |
| Netherlands (1921) | 2,062,771 |
| Chile (1923) | 1,995,538 |
| Bulgaria (1920) | 1,877,108 |
| Finland (1923) | 1,864,645 |
| Hungary (1924) | 1,814,388 |
| Morocco, French (1923) | 1,682,998 |
| Belgium (1924) | 1,627,655 |
| Switzerland (1921) | 1,425,341 |
| Ceylon (1923) | 1,383,000 |
| Lithuania (1924) | 1,252,000 |
| Scotland (1924) | 1,164,397 |
| Norway (1923) | 1,131,120 |
| Sudan, French (1921) | 1,025,345 |
| Algeria (1923) | 1,022,000 |
The Dairy Industry Act, 1908, a consolidation of previous legislation, provides for the appointment of Inspectors of dairy stock and factories or other places used for the manufacture of dairy-produce, and power is given to condemn or forbid their use, if necessary. The sale of unwholesome milk or other dairy-produce is prohibited, and provision is made for the inspection, grading, and shipping of all such produce exported. Provision is made for the framing of regulations for the registration of dairies, the licensing of persons carrying on the manufacture or sale of the produce, the registration of trade-marks or brands, and for inspection and grading. A fine not exceeding £50 may be inflicted for any offence under this part of the Act.
Authority is given for State advances to dairy companies, on the security of their assets, for the purposes of acquiring land or of erecting buildings and machinery for carrying on the manufacture of dairy-produce. Loans are repayable by equal half-yearly instalments within fifteen years, and bear interest at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum.
The Act also provides for the registration of co-operative dairy companies, and shareholders are protected in the event of certain contingencies.
A short amending Act was passed in 1915, but does not affect the main points of the measure as summarized.
The following table shows the number of factories registered under the Dairy Industry Act, together with the amount of butter and cheese forwarded for export and the number of suppliers to such factories.
The table establishes the fact that the popular description of Taranaki as the “butter” province is no longer justified, pride of place in this connection being easily taken by Auckland. Taranaki, however, forwarded for export in 1924-25 more than two and a half times the amount of cheese which was forwarded by her nearest competitor (Wellington). Taranaki comes second and Wellington third in butter-production. Disregarding dual-plant factories, the returns for the season 1924-25 indicated an average of 455.53 tons per factory for butter and 269.72 tons for cheese, while if dual-plant factories are included the averages are 315.84 tons and 214.33 tons respectively.
| District. | Number of Factories. | Forwarded for Export, 1924-25. | Number of Suppliers. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter. | Cheese. | Dual Plant. | Butter. | Cheese. | Butter. | Cheese.* | |
* Suppliers to dual-plant establishments included in this column only. | |||||||
| Tons. | Tons. | ||||||
| Auckland | 65 | 32 | 5 | 41,062 | 9,370 | 16,635 | 913 |
| Hawke's Bay | 11 | 15 | 4 | 3,786 | 3,568 | 3,722 | 690 |
| Taranaki | 19 | 71 | 38 | 9,388 | 32,970 | 2,982 | 3,398 |
| Wellington | 17 | 50 | 12 | 8,858 | 12,418 | 4,574 | 1,729 |
| Nelson | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1,164 | 441 | 939 | 485 |
| Marlborough | 4 | 4 | 3 | 789 | 821 | 660 | 304 |
| Westland | 10 | .. | 1 | 675 | 100 | 904 | 32 |
| Canterbury | 10 | 13 | 4 | 2,787 | 1,616 | 5,997 | 1,526 |
| Otago and Southland | 15 | 78 | 1 | 2,554 | 10,712 | 6,968 | 2,730 |
| Totals, 1924-25 | 156 | 267 | 69 | 71,063 | 72,016 | 43,381 | 11,807 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 156 | 295 | 64 | 57,818 | 71,255 | 41,704 | 12,926 |
Returns of factory production showed that during the year ended 31st March, 1924, 1,442,880 cwt. of butter was produced by butter-factories in the Dominion. In addition to this, 30,903 cwt. of whey butter was manufactured. For the twelve months ended 31st January, 1924, 52,064 cwt. of butter was produced on holdings of 1 acre and over, followed by 55,370 cwt. for the year 1924-25.
Returns from cheese-factories give the quantity manufactured during the twelve months ended 31st March, 1924, as 1,534,980 cwt.
The total export of butter and cheese in the last twenty years, and the total quantity of each commodity sent to the United Kingdom, are tabulated below:—
| Calendar Year. | Total Export of Butter. | Butter exported to the United Kingdom. | Total Export of Cheese. | Cheese exported to the United Kingdom. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | |
| 1905 | 305,722 | 282,275 | 88,562 | 85,653 |
| 1906 | 320,225 | 306,739 | 131,206 | 129,321 |
| 1907 | 328,441 | 314,081 | 236,833 | 234,517 |
| 1908 | 229,971 | 211,242 | 280,798 | 276,212 |
| 1909 | 321,108 | 301,693 | 400,607 | 398,619 |
| 1910 | 356,535 | 345,400 | 451,915 | 449,167 |
| 1911 | 302,387 | 283,505 | 439,174 | 435,616 |
| 1912 | 378,117 | 316,857 | 577,070 | 572,562 |
| 1913 | 372,258 | 288,224 | 611,663 | 608,933 |
| 1914 | 434,067 | 361,381 | 863,776 | 859,986 |
| 1915 | 420,144 | 371,959 | 817,258 | 803,917 |
| 1916 | 358,632 | 283,412 | 949,416 | 942,773 |
| 1917 | 254,397 | 250,721 | 885,751 | 865,152 |
| 1918 | 431,023 | 415,250 | 883,445 | 844,198 |
| 1919 | 345,818 | 336,606 | 1,572,355 | 1,517,102 |
| 1920 | 312,009 | 282,679 | 1,222,070 | 1,220,409 |
| 1921 | 898,478 | 878,737 | 1,368,786 | 1,368,051 |
| 1922 | 1,120,200 | 1,081,512 | 1,161,196 | 1,160,285 |
| 1923 | 1,250,140 | 1,119,355 | 1,441,460 | 1,428,762 |
| 1924 | 1,269,455 | 1,174,894 | 1,594,486 | 1,585,635 |
Exports of butter to countries other than the United Kingdom in 1924 include 37,164 cwt. to Canada, 20,805 cwt. to the United States, 11,381 cwt. to Hawaii, and 8,290 cwt. to Germany, besides smaller quantities to other countries.
The quantities of butter and cheese exported continued about equal till the year 1895. During the period 1896-1907 butter assumed the lead, reaching its maximum of comparative importance in 1903, in which year the export was nearly four times that of cheese. A remarkable rise then took place in the cheese exports, and the increase in the exports continued so rapidly that 1919 saw the quantity of cheese nearly five times that of butter. Cheese exports then declined slightly in volume, and butter made great strides, having more than trebled in four years, until in 1922 quantities of butter and cheese exported were about equal. Cheese, however, went to the fore again in 1923 and increased its lead still further in 1924, which year witnessed record shipments of both butter and cheese. On a value basis, of course, butter exports greatly exceed cheese, the figures for 1924 being £11,641,668 for butter and £7,023,297 for cheese.
Under the Dairy-produce Export Control Act, 1923, there has been established a Board consisting of two Government nominees, nine representatives of suppliers to dairy factories, and one person representing manufacturers of dairy-produce. A London agency of the Board has also been constituted, to consist of such number of persons as may be decided upon by the Board—but at least one person must be appointed by the Government, through the Director-General of Agriculture. Broadly defined, the duties of the Board are to control the export and sale of butter and cheese in the interests of the producers, whilst the London agency is required to keep the Board informed as to current prices and other matters relating to the disposal of New Zealand dairy-produce in England. The funds of the Board are to be derived from levies on butter and cheese exported, and by Gazette notice published on 14th February, 1924, a levy of 1/16d. on butter and 1/32d. on cheese exported after Saturday, 16th February, 1924, was imposed.
The operation of the Act was subject to veto by the majority of the dairy-producers of the Dominion as determined by popular vote, but the number of votes polled amounted to 22,284 for and 9,255 against the bringing of the Act into operation, there being thus a majority of 13,029 for the proposal.
Figures showing sheep and lambs slaughtered for food purposes during each of the last ten years, together with the exports of frozen mutton and lamb, are given in the tables following.
In addition to the figures of slaughterings given below there are the killings by farmers for their own use. During the 1924-25 season farmers killed 552,002 sheep and 45,049 lambs for food, and on the basis of these figures it is estimated that about 5,500,000 sheep, representing a weight of 330,000,000 lb., and 500,000 lambs, of a weight of 18,000,000 lb., were killed by farmers for local consumption during the ten years shown. This gives a total of approximately 1,200,000,000 lb., equal to an average annual consumption per head of population, including Maoris, of about 110 lb.
| Year ended 31st March. | Sheep slaughtered for Food Purposes. | Frozen Mutton exported. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Approximate Weight. | Number of Carcases, including Pieces at 60 lb. to a Sheep. | Weight. | |
| Cwt. | Cwt. | |||
| 1916 | 4,018,578 | 2,152,809 | 2,939,611 | 1,498,843 |
| 1917 | 3,601,284 | 1,929,259 | 2,409,899 | 1,228,696 |
| 1918 | 3,631,344 | 1,945,416 | 2,150,505 | 1,118,014 |
| 1919 | 4,381,005 | 2,346,967 | 1,300,047 | 680,732 |
| 1920 | 5,512,482 | 2,953,116 | 4,127,853 | 2,097,678 |
| 1921 | 4,615,520 | 2,472,600 | 5,488,976 | 2,740,493 |
| 1922 | 4,127,226 | 2,211,014 | 3,340,548 | 1,737,025 |
| 1923 | 2,913,578 | 1,560,845 | 2,530,232 | 1,278,065 |
| 1924 | 2,774,043 | 1,486,094 | 1,719,437 | 863,145 |
| 1925 | 3,354,300 | 1,796,946, | 2,037,953 | 1,021,736 |
| Totals for ten years | 38,929,360 | 20,855,066 | 28,045,061 | 14,264,427 |
| Year ended 31st March. | Lambs slaughtered for Food Purposes. | Frozen Lamb exported. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Approximate Weight. | Number of Carcases. | Weight. | |
| Cwt. | Cwt. | |||
| 1916 | 4,091,085 | 1,314,992 | 3,750,590 | 1,152,736 |
| 1917 | 3,431,943 | 1,103,125 | 2,797,290 | 838,569 |
| 1918 | 2,695,443 | 866,392 | 2,048,612 | 623,022 |
| 1919 | 2,950,316 | 945,316 | 916,914 | 277,822 |
| 1920 | 3,280,601 | 1,054,479 | 3,420,220 | 1,070,340 |
| 1921 | 3,563,970 | 1,145,562 | 4,350,964 | 1,342,193 |
| 1922 | 5,085,269 | 1,634,551 | 4,842,545 | 1,491,450 |
| 1923 | 4,545,793 | 1,461,148 | 5,479,780 | 1,670,722 |
| 1924 | 5,226,850 | 1,680,059 | 5,076,429 | 1,575,697 |
| 1925 | 4,923,373 | 1,582,513 | 4,401,142 | 1,373,197 |
| Totals for ten years | 39,794,643 | 12,788,137 | 37,084,486 | 11,415,748 |
The following table shows the number and approximate weight of cattle slaughtered for food purposes in each of the last ten years, together with the weight of beef exported:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Cattle slaughtered for Food Purposes. | Weight of Frozen Beef exported. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Approximate Weight. | ||
| Cwt. | Cwt. | ||
| 1916 | 369,647 | 2,640,336 | 750,938 |
| 1917 | 385,129 | 2,750,921 | 1,008,689 |
| 1918 | 341,300 | 2,437,857 | 882,982 |
| 1919 | 355,357 | 2,538,264 | 804,512 |
| 1920 | 413,206 | 2,951,471 | 576,054 |
| 1921 | 366,565 | 2,618,321 | 810,322 |
| 1922 | 261,718 | 1,869,414 | 839,598 |
| 1923 | 348,399 | 2,488,564 | 613,597 |
| 1924 | 411,034 | 2,935,957 | 696,704 |
| 1925 | 488,138 | 3,486,700 | 597,304 |
| Totals for ten years | 3,740,493 | 26,717,805 | 7,580,700 |
In addition to these figures there were 12,541 bullocks and cows and 5,063 calves slaughtered by farmers for local consumption during the twelve months ended the 31st January, 1925.
Under the Meat-export Control Act, 1921-22, there has been formed a Meat-producers Board consisting of eight members. Five of these members represent producers of meat for export, two are appointed by the Government, and one represents stock and station agents. Briefly, the objects of the Board are to control the export of meat in the interests of the producers.
Since its inauguration the Board has performed a great deal of work. Matters which have received attention have been marking of parcels, grading of meat, loading and discharging frozen produce, regulation of shipments, freights (rail and sea), and freezing charges, besides other matters of prime importance to the producers of meat for export. The Board has fixed the size of shipping-parcels of mutton and lamb at a minimum of 250 carcases. The question of grading has been firmly tackled with consequent improvement in uniformity throughout the Dominion. Shipments are regulated to avoid (so far as possible) causing a glut in the Home market.
The Board has succeeded in arranging for successive reductions in the shipping freight-rates, as shown in the table following.
| Freight to London. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Rate. Per lb.* | 1922-23 Rate. Per lb.† | 1923-24 Rate. Per lb.† | 1924-25 Rate (3-years contract). Per lb.† | |
* Plus 2 1/2 per cent. † Net. | ||||
| d. | d. | d. | d. | |
| Mutton | 1 5/8 | 1 1/4 | 1 1/8 | 1 3/32 |
| Lamb | 1 3/4 | 1 1/2 | 1 3/8 | 1 9/32 |
| Veal | 1 5/8 | 1 1/8 | 1 1/8 | 7/8 |
| Pork | 1 5/8 | 1 | 1 | 7/8 |
| Beef, quarters | 1 3/8 | 1 1/8 | 1 | 7/8 |
| Boned beef, cases | 1 5/8 | 1 1/8 | 1 | 7/8 |
| Boned beef, bags | 1 3/4 | 1 1/8 | 1 | 7/8 |
| Frozen sundries, cases | 1 1/8 | 3/4 | 3/4 | 3/4 |
| Frozen sundries, bags | 1 3/4 | 3/4 | 3/4 | 3/4 |
| Mutton, legs and pieces, cases | 1 5/8 | 1 7/16 | 1 5/16 | 1 1/8 |
| Mutton, legs and pieces, bags | 1 3/4 | 1 7/16 | 1 5/16 | 1 1/8 |
On average-sized carcases the reductions to 1924-25 are equivalent to the following sums per head, namely—sheep 2s. 10d., lambs 1s. 6d., pigs 5s. 11d., bullocks 32s.
Reductions have also been effected in other charges since 1922, the per unit reductions to date for various services being—
| Sheep. | Lambs. | Bullocks. | Pigs. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipping freight— | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. |
| Frozen meat | 2 | 10 | 1 | 6.2 | 32 | 0 | 5 | 11.2 |
| Tallow, pelts and hides | 0 | 2.5 | 0 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | .. | .. |
| Insurance | 0 | 2.4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4.2 | 0 | 3.6 |
| London charges (based on six weeks' storage) | 0 | 3.8 | 0 | 2.2 | 3 | 10.3 | 0 | 5.8 |
| Kidney-fat in lambs | .. | .. | 0 | 10 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Freezing charges (not all companies have reduced to this extent) | 1 | 7.8 | 0 | 11.5 | 19 | 9.6 | 2 | 5.7 |
| New Zealand railway tariff (based on works 50 miles from port) | 0 | 2.2 | 0 | 1.3 | 0 | 2.65 | 0 | 3.3 |
| Totals | 5 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 60 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
The Board regulates shipments from the Dominion with a view to securing, as far as may be possible, steady prices to the consumer. The following table shows shipments during each month of the season 1923-24 and the first ten months of the season 1924-25:—
| Month of Shipment. | Season 1923-24. | Season 1924-25. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef. | Mutton. | Lamb. | Beef. | Mutton. | Lamb. | |
| Quarters. | Carcases. | Carcases. | Quarters. | Carcases. | Carcases. | |
| November | 8,690 | 56,241 | 81,951 | 13,510 | 110,381 | 27,194 |
| December | 1,405 | 48,095 | 202,590 | 36,832 | 142,056 | 204,746 |
| January | 1,595 | 120,356 | 536,253 | 7,480 | 108,173 | 380,326 |
| February | 20,200 | 230,786 | 704,933 | 17,876 | 290,113 | 704,594 |
| March | 58,652 | 382,139 | 636,618 | 32,031 | 209,102 | 373,425 |
| April | 31,637 | 139,730 | 512,739 | 43,505 | 208,733 | 822,588 |
| May | 45,639 | 95,321 | 606,004 | 77,170 | 204,260 | 905,589 |
| June | 24,213 | 47,776 | 548,763 | 33,657 | 140,531 | 478,603 |
| July | 33,365 | 193,487 | 617,549 | 12,860 | 147,174 | 347,301 |
| August | 17,842 | 142,542 | 217,827 | 21,146 | 222,693 | 223,585 |
| September | 32,409 | 241,439 | 123,827 | .. | .. | .. |
| October | 11,349 | 197,056 | 45,353 | .. | .. | .. |
There were 326,830 horses in the Dominion on the 31st January, 1925, being a decrease of 3,600 on the total for the previous year. The following table gives details by land districts:—
| Land District. | Stallions Three Years Old and over. | Geldings Three Years Old and over. | Mares Three Years Old and over. | Fillies under Three Years Old. | Colts or Geldings under Three Years Old. | Other Horses, and Horses unspecified. | Total Horses. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry. | With Foal and Foot or to foal this Season. | |||||||
* At the time of collecting the borough figures the classification for age was as to whether two years old and over, or under two years. | ||||||||
| North Auckland | 143 | 16,709 | 13,815 | 1,246 | 1,176 | 1,067 | 91 | 34,247 |
| Auckland | 204 | 20,726 | 18,234 | 1,907 | 2,111 | 1,746 | 223 | 45,151 |
| Gisborne | 143 | 8,048 | 6,977 | 1,413 | 1,426 | 1,264 | 224 | 19,495 |
| Hawke's Bay | 102 | 7,471 | 6,562 | 795 | 737 | 765 | 141 | 16,573 |
| Taranaki | 101 | 9,482 | 9,323 | 725 | 701 | 538 | 54 | 20,924 |
| Wellington | 269 | 17,248 | 16,465 | 2,117 | 1,981 | 1,607 | 368 | 40,055 |
| Nelson | 44 | 2,985 | 3,057 | 276 | 311 | 269 | 20 | 6,962 |
| Marlborough | 42 | 2,934 | 2,636 | 411 | 525 | 421 | 10 | 6,979 |
| Westland | 13 | 943 | 993 | 85 | 115 | 80 | 7 | 2,236 |
| Canterbury | 249 | 25,360 | 22,815 | 2,983 | 3,617 | 3,028 | 591 | 58,643 |
| Otago | 144 | 13,274 | 13,108 | 1,558 | 2,143 | 1,951 | 155 | 32,333 |
| Southland | 86 | 10,720 | 10,286 | 1,229 | 1,682 | 1,258 | 264 | 25,525 |
| Totals | 1,540 | 135,900 | 124,271 | 14,745 | 16,525 | 13,994 | 2,148 | 309,123 |
| Boroughs, &c.* | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 17,707 |
| Total, Dominion | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 326,830 |
Details of breeds of horses, as ascertained at the collection of 1924, are as given in the following table:—
| — | Thoroughbred. | Trotting. | Ponies under Fourteen Hands. | Other Light Horses (Hack or Harness). | Draught (including Three-quarter-draught.) | Spring Cart or Light Artillery (including Half-draught). | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stallions three years old and over | 247 | 137 | 133 | 188 | 712 | 61 | 1,478 |
| Geldings three years old and over | 1,700 | 1,403 | 3,833 | 47,682 | 57,964 | 27,060 | 139,642 |
| Dry mares three years old and over | 1,572 | 1,069 | 4,071 | 42,887 | 54,399 | 25,412 | 129,410 |
| Mares three years old or over with foal at foot or to foal this season | 752 | 334 | 422 | 4,351 | 6,341 | 1,597 | 13,797 |
| Fillies under three years old | 582 | 308 | 441 | 4,766 | 7,044 | 1,662 | 14,803 |
| Colts or geldings under three years old | 486 | 265 | 334 | 3,790 | 5,991 | 1,520 | 12,386 |
| Other horses and horses unspecified | 30 | 31 | 198 | 1,019 | 211 | 192 | 1,681 |
| Total horses | 5,369 | 3,547 | 9,432 | 104,683 | 132,662 | 57,504 | 313,197 |
The numbers of horses in each of the last five years have been as follows:—
| Year (31st January). | Number of Horses. | Numerical Decrease. | Decrease per Cent. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 337,259 | 9,148 | 2.64 |
| 1922 | 332,105 | 5,154 | 1.50 |
| 1923 | 330,818 | 1,287 | 0.39 |
| 1924 | 330,430 | 388 | 0.12 |
| 1925 | 326,830 | 3,600 | 1.09 |
Asses and mules numbered 190 as at the 31st January, 1925, being an increase of 42 on the figures for 1924.
Excluding boroughs, there wore 407,042 pigs in the Dominion on the 31st January, 1924. The following table shows the classification by breeds:—
| Breed. | Pigs under One Year Old. | Breeding-Boars One Year Old and over | Breeding-Sows One Year Old and over. | Other Pigs One Year Old and over. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Berkshire | 71,295 | 5,338 | 18,010 | 6,536 | 101,179 |
| Pure Yorkshire | 4,548 | 492 | 1,850 | 338 | 7,228 |
| Other purebred pigs | 2,394 | 265 | 935 | 244 | 3,838 |
| Crossbred pigs | 236,552 | 4,853 | 34,553 | 18,839 | 294,797 |
| Totals | 314,789 | 10,948 | 55,348 | 25,957 | 407,042 |
After earlier vicissitudes, pig-breeding now shows signs of being in a more stable condition, increases in the total number having been recorded in each year since 1919. The number on the 31st January, 1925, was 440,115, as against 414,271 in 1924.
| Land District. | Pigs under One Year Old. | Breeding-boars One Year Old and over. | Breeding-sows One Year Old and over. | Other Pigs One Year Old and over. | Total Pigs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Auckland | 48,237 | 1,764 | 8,980 | 5,051 | 64,032 |
| Auckland | 81,077 | 2,968 | 15,364 | 6,893 | 106,302 |
| Gisborne | 10,632 | 349 | 2,002 | 901 | 13,884 |
| Hawke's Bay | 13,403 | 503 | 2,535 | 1,027 | 17,468 |
| Taranaki | 39,550 | 1,602 | 7,831 | 6,125 | 55,108 |
| Wellington | 51,871 | 1,963 | 10,192 | 4,686 | 68,712 |
| Nelson | 11,433 | 337 | 1,673 | 335 | 13,778 |
| Marlborough | 4,941 | 204 | 931 | 1,070 | 7,146 |
| Westland | 3,930 | 149 | 597 | 185 | 4,861 |
| Canterbury | 38,819 | 1,134 | 5,946 | 3,621 | 49,520 |
| Otago | 16,908 | 511 | 2,418 | 238 | 20,075 |
| Southland | 8,699 | 302 | 1,263 | 1,628 | 11,892 |
| Totals | 329,500 | 11,786 | 59,732 | 31,760 | 432,778 |
| Boroughs, &c. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 7,337 |
| Grand total | .. | .. | .. | .. | 440,115 |
During the ten years ended the 31st March. 1925, 2,191,680 pigs were slaughtered at a battoirs and registered slaughterhouses, and during the decennium to 31st January, 1925, 480,239 were slaughtered by farmers on holdings of 1 acre or over; the total slaughterings during the ten years representing approximately 3,100,000 cwt. of pork, bacon, and ham. The figures for each year are—
| Year. | Pigs slaughtered | Approximate Weight of Pork, Bacon, and Ham. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Abattoirs, &c. | On Farms | Total. | Pigs slaughtered at Abattoirs, &c. | Pigs slaughtered on Farms. | Total. | |
| Number | Number. | Number. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | |
| 1915-16 | 219,041 | 45,873 | 264,914 | 254,244 | 53,245 | 307,489 |
| 1916-17 | 202,834 | 44,908 | 247,742 | 235,432 | 52,125 | 287,557 |
| 1917-18 | 179,540 | 41,121 | 220,661 | 208,395 | 47,730 | 256,125 |
| 1918-19 | 155,960 | 47,974 | 203,934 | 181,025 | 55,684 | 236,709 |
| 1919-20 | 200,952 | 35,783 | 236,735 | 233,248 | 41,534 | 274,782 |
| 1920-21 | 169,700 | 43,707 | 213,407 | 196,973 | 50,731 | 247,704 |
| 1921-22 | 230,446 | 56,578 | 287,024 | 267,482 | 65,671 | 333,153 |
| 1922-23 | 221,201 | 59,117 | 280,318 | 256,751 | 68,618 | 325,369 |
| 1923-24 | 266,384 | 53,769 | 320,153 | 309,196 | 62,410 | 371,606 |
| 1924-25 | 345,622 | 51,409 | 397,031 | 401,168 | 59,675 | 460,843 |
| Totals, 10 years | 2,191,680 | 480,239 | 2,671,919 | 2,543,914 | 557,423 | 3,101,337 |
Exports of frozen pork during the ten calendar years 1915-24 totalled 109,513 cwt., of which 76,744 cwt. were shipped during the last three years. During the ten years 22,052 cwt. of bacon and hams and 98 cwt. of salted pork were also exported. Over the whole period nearly 96 per cent. of the pork, bacon, and ham produced was consumed in the Dominion.
The number of Angora goats in the Dominion on the 31st January, 1925, was 5,696, an increase of 117 since 1924. Other goats also increased (by 662) during the period, the number in 1925 being 13,279.
The number of poultry in New Zealand at the taking of the 1921 census was ascertained to be 3,991,009, an increase of 525,371 over the number for the year 1916 (3,465,638).
The figures of poultry for each of the last four censuses are as follows:—
| Census Year. | Fowls. | Ducks. | Geese. | Turkeys. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | 2,784,269 | 281,999 | 44,300 | 77,101 | 3,187,669 |
| 1911 | 3,215,031 | 329,230 | 45,389 | 97,933 | 3,687,583 |
| 1916 | 3,141,354 | 220,808 | 46,955 | 56,521 | 3,465,638 |
| 1921 | 3,491,567 | 379,988 | 46,234 | 73,220 | 3,991,009 |
In connection with the census of 1921, statistics were compiled as to the sizes of flocks of fowls, and the results are instructive as showing that, though poultry-farming as a definite branch of farming exists to some small extent, poultry-keeping is generally carried on merely as a side-line.
The classification of flocks of fowls is—
| Size of Flock. | Number of Flocks. |
|---|---|
| Under 12 | 43,913 |
| 12 and under 25 | 54,130 |
| 25 and under 50 | 32,180 |
| 50 and under 75 | 8,285 |
| 75 and under 100 | 2,102 |
| 100 and under 150 | 1,414 |
| 150 and under 200 | 422 |
| 200 and under 250 | 205 |
| 250 and under 300 | 113 |
| 300 and under 400 | 147 |
| 400 and under 500 | 71 |
| 500 and under 600 | 33 |
| 600 and under 700 | 16 |
| 700 and under 800 | 23 |
| 800 and under 900 | 16 |
| 900 and under 1,000 | 8 |
| 1,000 and under 1,250 | 21 |
| 1,250 and under 1,500 | 5 |
| 1,500 and under 1,750 | 6 |
| 1,750 and under 2,000 | 5 |
| 2,000 and under 2,250 | 1 |
| 2,250 and under 2,500 | 1 |
| 2,500 and under 3,000 | .. |
| 3,000 and over | 2 |
| Total | 143,119 |
The average number of fowls per flock was thus only two dozen. The total number of households keeping poultry of any kind was 145,993, of which no fewer than 61,459 were in boroughs.
Information concerning the Poultry Act, 1924, will be found in the “Summary of Legislation” towards the end of this book.
The dairying-lands of the Dominion are eminently suited for the rearing of bees, and a very high-grade product is put on the market from local apiaries. The export trade is, of course, small when compared with the main primary industries, but is capable of considerable development. Honey from the apiaries of the Dominion is much appreciated wherever it is known.
In New Zealand the Department of Agriculture devotes proportionately the same attention to detail in the case of honey for export as is given to butter and cheese forwarded for consumption beyond the Dominion. Honey must be forwarded to grading-stores at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Timaru, Dunedin, and Bluff for grading prior to export, and may be exported only through the ports of Auckland, Waitara, Wellington, Lyttelton, Timaru, and Dunedin. Stringent regulations have been enacted in order to control foul-brood, bee-moths, and other diseases of bees. Beekeepers are required to register their apiaries triennially, and of late years have been called upon to supply certain statistics at the time of such registration.
For the triennial registration as at 31st May, 1923, 6,289 apiaries were registered by the Director of the Horticulture Division, Department of Agriculture, the following table showing the classification as regards sizes:—
| Land District. | Size of Apiary. | Total. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 Hives. | 5 Hives and under 10. | 10 Hives and under 25. | 25 Hives and under 50. | 50 Hives and under 100. | 100 Hives or more. | ||
| North Auckland | 471 | 151 | 117 | 42 | 51 | 10 | 842 |
| Auckland | 256 | 109 | 96 | 86 | 96 | 43 | 686 |
| Gisborne | 48 | 22 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 99 |
| Hawke's Bay | 134 | 36 | 34 | 24 | 6 | .. | 234 |
| Taranaki | 163 | 85 | 62 | 73 | 21 | 4 | 408 |
| Wellington | 397 | 142 | 134 | 83 | 53 | 9 | 818 |
| Nelson | 196 | 75 | 46 | 12 | 4 | .. | 333 |
| Marlborough | 67 | 31 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 131 |
| Westland | 53 | 22 | 31 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 140 |
| Canterbury | 342 | 181 | 209 | 112 | 79 | 19 | 942 |
| Otago | 523 | 201 | 164 | 42 | 33 | 10 | 973 |
| Southland | 364 | 148 | 95 | 45 | 21 | 10 | 683 |
| Totals | 3,014 | 1,203 | 1,016 | 552 | 388 | 116 | 6,289 |
Information in regard to the predominating breed of the colonies registered is given below.
| Land District. | Hives registered, 1923. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italian. | Black. | Crossbred. | Total. | |
| North Auckland | 4,026 | 2,019 | 3,789 | 9,834 |
| Auckland | 9,606 | 2,155 | 5,890 | 17,651 |
| Gisborne | 581 | 342 | 882 | 1,805 |
| Hawke's Bay | 563 | 630 | 1,069 | 2,262 |
| Taranaki | 3,496 | 937 | 1,660 | 6,093 |
| Wellington | 3,550 | 1,948 | 5,819 | 11,317 |
| Nelson | 222 | 1,134 | 841 | 2,197 |
| Marlborough | 325 | 379 | 771 | 1,475 |
| Westland | 694 | 1,271 | 918 | 2,883 |
| Canterbury | 4,624 | 4,980 | 7,537 | 17,141 |
| Otago | 2,563 | 3,456 | 3,737 | 9,756 |
| Southland | 1,162 | 2,585 | 3,439 | 7,586 |
| Totals | 31,412 | 21,836 | 36,352 | 89,600 |
The results of the last four quinquennial censuses may be briefly summarized as follows:—
| Census. | Number of Households keeping Bees. | Number of Beehives. | Honey produced during Year. | Beeswax produced during Year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lb. | lb. | |||
| 1906 | 15,396 | 74,341 | 1,003,940 | 31,682 |
| 1911 | 11,011 | 71,605 | 1,457,429 | 28,061 |
| 1916 | 8,244 | 57,540 | 1,363,334 | 31,032 |
| 1921 | 8,426 | 85,861 | 2,807,346 | 51,180 |
Of the colonies in 1921, 29,672 were of black, 26,184 hybrid, 25,925 of Italian, and 4,080 of other (including unspecified) bees.
Exports of honey for the last five years were—
| Year. | Quantity. | Value. |
|---|---|---|
| lb. | £ | |
| 1920 | 935,786 | 34,122 |
| 1921 | 861,921 | 28,428 |
| 1922 | 1,289,135 | 46,821 |
| 1923 | 972,038 | 25,588 |
| 1924 | 1,186,269 | 29,721 |
A system of control on much the same lines as in the case of meat and dairy-produce was introduced by the Honey Export Control Act, 1924. The function of the Board set up (after a poll of producers, who decided by a large majority in favour of the scheme), is to control all honey intended for export.
Table of Contents
THE administration of the State forests and of the afforestation activities of New Zealand was for many years under the control of the Lands and Survey Department, but in 1919 a separate Forestry Department was formed. This was reorganized in 1920 as the State Forest Service, and on the passing of the Forests Act, 1921-22, the Forest Authority was defined as the Minister of Forestry (also called the Commissioner of State Forests), the Director of Forestry, the Secretary of Forestry, and such Conservators, rangers, and other officers as may from time to time be appointed as officers of the State Forest Service.
The central management and administrative control of the Service consists of the Director of Forestry (assisted by the Chief Inspector) and the Secretary of Forestry, with the Head Office at Wellington. Other personnel consists of five Conservators, a Milling Expert, an Engineer in Forest. Products, a Grazing Specialist, a Surveyor, rangers, forest guards, and a clerical staff, the total personnel of the State Forest Service being at present 95.
The rapid advance of settlement since 1840 (too often indiscriminate), the operations of sawmills, and the ravages caused by fires of kauri-gum diggers, mining prospectors, and other pioneers, have resulted in the original forest area of New Zealand being rapidly reduced, so that according to the forest inventory the remaining total area of forest in the Dominion is now only about 12,593,000 acres, or 19.1 per cent. of the total area. A considerable proportion of this area, however, being ordinary Crown land, Native land, and privately-owned land, will probably be deforested and surrendered for settlement. About half of the area is alpine meadow-land, subalpine scrub-land, or protection forest.
A classification of the total area of the North, South, and Stewart Islands, as disclosed by the national forest inventory completed in 1923, shows the following position:—
(National Forestry Inventory, 1923.)
| Acres. | |
|---|---|
| Land used for agricultural and pastoral purposes | 40,687,019 |
| Forest land | 12,592,811 |
| State plantations | 44,610 |
| Non-productive (above and below timber-line) | 10,692,423 |
| Lakes, roads, and rivers | 1,847,737 |
| 65,864,600 |
Of the forest land, 5,589,501 acres carry timber stands of over 5,000 superficial feet to the acre, and may be classed as “merchantable” forest land.
(National Forest Inventory, 1923.)
| Species. | Million Super. Feet. | Percentage of Total. |
|---|---|---|
| Softwoods— | ||
| Kauri | 368.6 | 0.6 |
| Totara | 3,176.1 | 5.1 |
| Rimu | 28,074.6 | 45.2 |
| Kahikatea | 3,054.5 | 4.9 |
| Matai | 2,617.7 | 4.2 |
| Silver-pine | 334.4 | 0.5 |
| Miro | 854.1 | 1.4 |
| Kaikawaka | 398.0 | 0.7 |
| Total softwoods | 38,878.0 | 62.0 |
| Hardwoods— | ||
| Beech | 20,311.7 | 32.7 |
| Tawa | 2,875.9 | 4.7 |
| Total hardwoods | 23,187.6 | 37.4 |
| Total milling-timber | 62,065.6 | 100.0 |
The kauri is practically all gone, and a great proportion of that left is State-owned. The quantities of totara and matai are not considerable, and are chiefly concentrated in the central part of the North Island. The normal life of the white-pine resources is not more than twelve years. Rimu to-day is the principal economic softwood timber, but this timber must gradually give way, in about forty years, to plantation and hardwood timbers. The total quantity of economically available softwoods, after deducting all areas of inaccessible, protection, and climatic forests, is 25,000,000,000 ft., board measure. The hardwoods will function in the national timber problem only as a subsidiary source of supply, because of their general distribution in the mountain and plateau regions, and because, owing to their normal refractory qualities, they do not lend themselves readily to industrial and constructional and building uses. Over 90 per cent. of New Zealand's demand, as of all civilized countries, is for softwoods.
The policy of dedicating for forest management all Crown forests and other forest lands chiefly valuable for timber cropping and conservation and not for agricultural or pastoral uses has been maintained by the Government since the inauguration of the present forest policy, with the results shown in the following schedule:—
| Period. | Permanent State Forests. | Provisional State Forests. | Forest Deserves and Miscellaneous. | Total Area. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* 418,370 acres reserved prior to 1919: of this 96,409 acres have been transferred to the control of the Forest Service. | ||||
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | |
| Dedicated prior to year 1919 | 1,662,007 | .. | * | 1,062,007 |
| Dedicated during the period 1919-25 (net increase) | 98,506 | 5,630,668 | 96,409 | 5,823,583 |
| Total at 31st March, 1925 | 1,758,513 | 5,630,668 | 96,409 | 7,485,590 |
Acquisition by purchase of forested lands through the medium of the State Forests Account during the period 1920-25 aggregated over 101,000 acres.
The composition and distribution of the forest types of New Zealand are dependent chiefly upon altitude and climatic conditions, the amount of precipitation with the resulting soil-moisture being the main determining climatic factor. At least four broad forest divisions may be distinguished:—
(1.) Kauri Division.—Kauri-forest type, in that part of the Dominion lying north of a line drawn from Tauranga to Port Waikato. Kauri is the predominant tree.
(2.) Taxad or Rain-forest Division.—(a.) Rimu types common throughout on the foothills up to 2,000 ft.; the heaviest stands occur in the central part of the North Island, the west coast and southern, portions of the South Island.
(b.) Kahikatea type, found on alluvial flats throughout the Dominion.
(c.) Totara type, on the drier spurs of the rain-forest region, with its optimum in the central and eastern portions of the North Island.
(3.) Eastern Dry Division.—Beech type, on high land, generally above 2,000 ft., in the central part of the North Island, and over most of the South Island, generally between 1,000 ft. and 4,000 ft. altitude.
(4.) Scrub Types.—Manuka type; gorse and blackberry type; mangrove type; &c.
From the number of species, the abundance of lianes, perching-plants, tree-ferns, filmy ferns, &c., the rain forests have the Appearance and general character of tropical forests. The components of the rain forest vary, however, in different localities, and often one or two species dominate the association to such an extent as to warrant the application of a type name — e.g., “tawa association,” “tawhero association,” &c.
Though the forest-trees of New Zealand are ninety-nine in number, there are only about twenty of them which are of value as timber-trees: in fact, at present only six are being used to any extent by sawmillers, and, of these, five are coniferous (softwood) timbers. There are already indications that the high prices and growing scarcity of many of our best timbers will bring about the use of many of those now neglected. There are several timbers—e.g., puriri, kohekohe, pukatea—which possess very high qualities, but which are now to be obtained only in such small quantities that they are of little commercial importance. A short description of each of the chief forest-trees appeared in the 1924 number of the Year-book.
The principal timbers milled in New Zealand, at present are rimu and kahikatea. The figures of the output of sawn timber by bush mills for the year 1915-16 and for each of the last three years for which statistics are available are as follows:—
| Kind. | 1915-16. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity. | Per Cont. of Total. | ||||
| Sup. ft. | Sup. ft. | Sup. ft. | Sup. ft. | ||
| Rimu | 134,462,145 | 157,345,928 | 155,627,936 | 181,093,581 | 57.1 |
| Kahikatea | 85,353,955 | 68,486,633 | 66,088,219 | 56,699,443 | 17.9 |
| Matai | 11,609,669 | 24,830,368 | 23,747,049 | 24,326,148 | 7.7 |
| Kauri | 49,707,738 | 21,435,728 | 22,460,759 | 19,743,196 | 6.2 |
| Totara | 10,983,352 | 19,570,561 | 20,843,718 | 18,904,361 | 6.0 |
| Beech | 5,710,060 | 4,863,184 | 5,227,018 | 6,528,981 | 2.1 |
| Tawa | 623,342 | 678,092 | 606,507 | 508,603 | 0.2 |
| Rata | 31,300 | 74,322 | 115,847 | 372,669 | 0.1 |
| Puriri | 50,000 | 174,485 | 108,000 | 95,691 | .. |
| Silver-pine | 18,000 | 1,900 | 56,200 | 60,971 | .. |
| Taraire | 490,077 | 188,481 | 116,336 | 35,844 | .. |
| Pukatea | 3,300 | 97,831 | 13,588 | 70,244 | .. |
| Pinus radiata (insignia) | 25,000 | 10,815,485 | 7,683,602 | 7,386,249 | 2.3 |
| Bluegum | .. | 35,583 | 4,000 | 144,808 | .. |
| Poplar | .. | 814,943 | 759,531 | 159,129 | 0.1 |
| Undefined | 9,500,340 | 5,558,786 | 893,567 | 939,298 | 0.3 |
| Totals | 308,568,278 | 314,972,310 | 304,351,877 | 317,069,216 | 100.0 |
A huge decrease in the output of kauri is disclosed, and that of kahikatea is also steadily falling off, while that of rimu and matai is, on the whole, steadily increasing. The year 1915-16 saw a modest beginning of the utilization of Pinus radiata (insignis) as a timber-tree in the Dominion, some 25,000 ft. having been milled in that year. Four years later the annual output had increased to nearly 6,000,000 ft. and by 1921-22 to nearly 11,000,000 ft., but fell in the next two years to between 7,000,000 ft. and 8,000,000 ft.
During the year 1924 some 39,196,057 superficial feet of timber, 5,634,540 laths, 4,433,457 shingles, 624,316 palings, 290,433 sleepers, and other items of lumber not measured in superficial feet, were imported, the total value of timber imports being £767,144, as compared with £638,540 in 1923. The chief varieties imported in 1924 were: Oregon pine (sawn rough and dressed), 13,835,742 superficial feet, value £122,332; ironbark (logs and sawn timber), 13,037,650 superficial feet, value £226,937; jarrah (logs and sawn timber), 4,305,006 superficial feet, value £65,359; and oak (sawn rough and dressed), 2,051,869 superficial feet, valued at £75,514. Exports of New Zealand timber amounted to 42,928,726 superficial feet, of a value of £472,120, including kahikatea, 33,375,607 superficial feet (£360,188); rimu, 5,451,106 superficial feet (£45,953) and kauri, 1,946,489 superficial feet (£38,620).
New Zealand in 1920 evolved a definite national forest policy, which, has for its main objectives—
The development of an economic policy of New Zealand timber for the New Zealand people, ensuring ample timber-supplies for the Dominion by the management of the forest domain on a sustained-yield basis;
Regulation of stream-flow, conservation of water-supplies, and maintenance of climate stability through protection forests;
Restoration of denuded forest lands to a timber-production basis;
Dedication of all the national forest resources as State forests.
Much work has been done and much progress achieved since the inauguration of the national forest policy in 1920, and the foundation has been laid for the proper utilization of the Dominion's forest resources and for the systematic provision of timber for future requirements.
A national forest inventory and stocktaking, which took over three years to compile, was completed in 1923. This examination now makes available for the first time in the forestry history of New Zealand an accurate survey of the Dominion's resources in forest wealth, and provides the means for accurately building future plans of management.
General forest reconnaissance of the State forests has, during the collection of data for the national forest inventory, or during timber inspections, investigation of watershed protection forests, &c., since 1920, been carried out over practically the whole of the State forests.
The programme of land-classification so necessary to the application of scientific wood-cropping plans is now 36 per cent. completed, an area of 2,680,530 acres having been examined in the field. All forest areas chiefly valuable for agriculture have been earmarked for excision, and, as the commercial timbers are removed, will be released for settlement. All open areas of pastoral value are also being deleted from within forest boundaries.
Demarcation of the State forests has been 7 per cent. completed, 515,340 acres having been permanently defined in the field, and forty-two standard survey plans for these areas prepared and approved.
The forest atlas is being gradually built up by the addition of topographic and forest type features to these authoritative plans.
Permanent forest improvements have been built wherever urgently required, and include seven dwellinghouses for officers at outlying stations, patrol huts, a seed-extraction house, and other buildings; over thirty-five miles of forest telephone-line; several miles of forest roads; and over one hundred miles of new forest tracks. Four modern fire lookout stations and many fire-fighting-tool depots were erected in the State plantations.
Preliminary working plans are in operation for Westland Forest Experiment Station and Nursery. Progress in forest demarcation, forest improvements, forest statistics, and in silvical, incremental, and utilization studies has been such that forest-management plans can be prepared and applied to certain forests as the necessary technical staff becomes available.
Forest — management investigations include volume — tables and will — conversion studies for the native “pine” (taxad) trees in both Islands, and investigations into the rate of growth in diameter, height, and volume of the most important indigenous and introduced tree species. A Forest Service log-scale has been published.
The State Forest Service co-operates with and advises other Government Departments in regard to timber lands under their control, timber production, planting, &c. For local bodies, forest planting and other similar projects are investigated and reported upon, whilst for prospective industrial and private planters reports and advisory memoranda are prepared. The services of the Department are also readily given to the public with regard to all timber technological problems, and to a thousand-and-one other aspects of woods and forestry.
Silvicultural investigations have been carried out into the response as regards rate of growth of indigenous forests and plantations after thinning; underplanting of indigenous forest with exotic conifers; fixation of sand-dunes and tree-planting thereon; and the planting of exotic tree species on a forest scale in fresh districts, as on the Westland Forest Experiment Station, and on the gum lands of North Auckland. There are now in operation seventy — two permanent sample plots, compared with ten in 1919-20. In addition, many experiments have been made with a view to improving forest nursery and plantation technique and economy, and already results have been applied to large-scale operations with success. Ecological and silvical study of the life-history of the beech forests has been completed, that of the kauri forests and of the West Coast forests practically completed, and a study of the tawa forests commenced. These and forest-management studies afford the essential preliminary data for the preparation of scientific forest — management plans designed to regulate the growth and harvesting of timber crops.
Investigations with a view to eliminating the enormous waste in the utilization of the Dominion's timber forests have been carried out by the State Forest Service. Since 1921 a broad study of all phases of wood conversion and manufacture by both primary and secondary industries have been completed as a basis for a broad scheme of research. A revision of building by-laws is already reflected in closer utilization of timber by the building industry.
Strength properties of native and exotic woods in the form of poles, cross-arms, and plywoods have been determined accurately. Important improvements have been found possible in the technique of the drying of native woods by air-seasoning and kiln-drying, and in the use of wood-preservatives in poles and fencing-posts cut from State plantations. An effective remedy has been found for sapstain, and the forest and timber insects of the Dominion have been investigated, classified, and described. Other researches include kauri-bleeding, destructive distillation of kauri waste, and the use of native woods for the manufacture of pulp and paper.
The greater part of the forest-products research work already done has been carried out in co-operation with the University Colleges of Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury.
A modern and efficient sales policy for the disposal of the ripe and mature timber in State forests was put into operation in 1920, with splendid consequential results both to the State and to the wood-using and consuming public, for New Zealand is now securing a fairer and larger share of the competitive market value of all merchantable forests sold for exploitation. The receipts from timber sales during the last five years are as follows:—
| Year. | Timber sold. | Contract Price obtained. |
|---|---|---|
* Includes three extraordinary departmental sales amounting to £140,000. | ||
| Sup. ft. | £ | |
| 1920-21 | 6,987,000 | 17,055 |
| 1921-22 | 35,669,000 | 38,208 |
| 1922-23 | 78,830,000 | 95,357 |
| 1923-24 | 212,085,000 | 266,388* |
| 1924-25 | 69,253,000 | 96,158 |
The total forest income and expenditure during each of the last six years is given in the next statement. The increase in revenue and in the proportion of the expenditure met by income accruing from the forests themselves is very noticeable.
| Year. | Forest Income. | Forest Expenditure. | Source of Expended Moneys. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timber-sales, Tree-sales, Grazing, Miscellaneous Revenue. | Protection, Management, Surveys, Administration, &c. | Forest Land Purchases, Extension of State Plantations, &c. | Debentures. | Service Income. | |
* Includes £100,000 for purchase of Selwyn Settlement forest. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1919-20 | 8,514 | 5,975 | 30,844 | 87.3 | 12.7 |
| 1920-21 | 19,518 | 14,570 | 64,981 | 75.5 | 24.5 |
| 1921-22 | 30,784 | 38,087 | 69,495 | 71.4 | 28.6 |
| 1922-23 | 63,372 | 38,337 | 47,073 | 25.8 | 74.2 |
| 1923-24 | 93,479 | 42,897 | 55,406 | 4.9 | 95.1 |
| 1924-25 | 161,468 | 43,091 | 171,205* | 24.6 | 75.4 |
The conservation and control of wild life within State forests has received serious attention, for a very close and intimate relationship exists between the indigenous avifauna and the regeneration of the taxad or native “pine” forests. Investigation indicates that “No native bird-life means no taxad forests; and no forests means no native bird-life.” For that reason the State Forest Service has co-operated closely with the controlling Government authority (the Department of Internal Affairs), the Native Bird Protection Society, and others, with a view to building up a better bird sentiment, and where possible and desirable prosecutions for illegal shooting have been carried through.
The deer herds throughout the Dominion, which, unfortunately for the welfare of the forest growth, harbour in the forests, had so rapidly increased during the past generation that further investigation was made into this menace. It was found that there were approximately 300,000 head in the Dominion, that the annual increase is probably over 25 per cent., and that the yearly damage is in the neighbourhood of £180,000, whilst the problematical annual benefit through licenses and tourists was only £7,000. As a result of representations to the responsible agency, open seasons were declared over 11,250 square miles in the South Island, and bounty moneys were made available for all deer destroyed. To date at least 20,000 deer have been exterminated in the Dominion by systematic culling, payment of bounty, and open seasons.
The wild-pig nuisance in the Taranaki district has also received attention during the period, and bounty has been paid on pigs destroyed to the number of 14,533.
The opossum-trapping industry, as far as State forests are concerned, is being carefully regulated, in order to avoid overtrapping and extermination of this highly valuable yet forest — harmless animal. During the last five years approximately 165,550 opossum-skins of a value of £54,500 have been taken from State forests.
One of the greatest problems of forest — conservation is that of fire — prevention, and in New Zealand the problem is probably greater than in countries of the Northern Hemisphere, the primitive taxad timber-trees of the Dominion being much more susceptible to death or damage by the agency of fire than are modern types of conifers. The Forest Authority is concerned with the prevention and suppression of fires on and contiguous to State forests. The annual losses by forest fires prior to 1920 ranged from 40 to 150 square miles per annum. Immediate steps were taken to solve the problem by—
(1.) Systematic protection patrol in the hazardous areas:
(2.) Application of the forest fire district machinery and closed seasons:
(3.) Appointment of honorary forest rangers:
(4.) Development of co-operative patrols by sawmilling operators:
(5.) Operation of fire lookout stations, clearing of fire-breaks and tracks:
(6.) Direct personal appeals to settlers, mill and wood workers, travellers, sportsmen, and tourists:
(7.) General educational propaganda by Press and posters.
The results of these operations have been highly satisfactory, and the fire menace is now within control. The amount represented by fire losses in 1924 was only £61.
The policy of popularizing forestry, a love of trees and of nature, and of developing a wide appreciative knowledge of the benefits to be secured from tree-culture, has been steadily pursued. By popular lectures, by exhibits at agricultural shows, by moving-picture films, by free advice, by producing and selling trees for planting at lowest prices, by publication and Dominion-wide circulation of descriptive literature, by advertisement, by the “forestry in the schools” campaign, and by many other means the lesson of forestry has been driven home.
State schools to the number of 765 have begun school-tree nurseries and plantations. Local bodies, Harbour Boards, Electric-power Boards, &c., to the number of nineteen are now carrying on forest-planting projects to the extent of 92,075 acres; proprietary companies to the number of eighteen are committed to the formation of 91,900 acres, whilst thousands of farmer-settlers are planting millions of trees per annum.
University educational facilities by way of a School of Forestry have been provided at Canterbury University College for the training of professional forest engineers and technicians, and for the giving of special and applied instruction to timber-land owners, operators, and workers, whilst similar equal facilities have also been made available at Auckland University College.
New Zealand has 4,859,658 acres of fern, scrub, and second-growth land at present unproductive but highly suitable for the growth of trees. Over 140,000 acres have been afforested by the State (62,900 acres) and by local-body and private agencies.
State afforestation on an organized basis dates from 1896, when an Afforestation Branch of the Lands Department was formed, and forest-tree nurseries were established at Tapanui and Eweburn in the South Island, and at Rotorua in the North Island. Shortly afterwards afforestation was started on an extensive scale at these and other localities.
The total expenditure on State afforestation up to the 31st March, 1925, has been £701,675. During 1924 profitable thinning was carried out on an experimental scale, with a view to extending thinning operations over several thousand acres where it is needed to improve the volume increment.
The total area of State plantations is now 62,945 acres, of which 44,250 acres are in the Rotorua district, in three plantations — Whakarewarewa (8,037 acres), Waiotapu (7,010 acres), and Kaingaroa (29,203 acres).
The reserve known as Whakarewarewa Plantation is situated immediately behind Rotorua Nursery (where all trees required in the North Island plantations are raised), whence it extends in a southerly direction for a distance of seven miles. Waiotapu Plantation, which is twenty miles distant by road from Rotorua, comprises a large block of undulating country lying to the east of the Rotorua — Taupo Road. Joining this plantation on the cast is the reserve on the Kaingaroa Plains, distant from Rotorua some thirty miles, and comprising a comparatively small part of the extensive plateau which lies between the Rangitaiki River on the east and the Waiotapu Valley on the west. Here are situated the youngest portions of the State plantations and the present centre of the tree-planting activities.
While a considerable number of species was experimented with in the initial stages of the work, the chief species used to any considerable extent in the Rotorua district were European larch, Austrian pine, Corsican pine, Western yellow-pine, and a variety of eucalypti. Of more recent years the species used for planting have been Douglas fir, Western yellow-pine, Pinus radiata, Corsican pine, and, to a smaller extent, Weymouth pine.
With the exception of a small plantation of 1,200 acres at Puhipuhi, North Auckland, where an area of cut-out kauri has been replanted with exotic trees, and of 68 acres at Tangimoana, on the Rangitikei sand-dune experimental area, the remainder of the State plantations are in the South Island. The South Island plantations have an aggregate area of 17,427 acres, of which 6,721 acres are in the northern portion of the Canterbury Land District, 2,385 acres in Central Otago, 7,503 acres in South Otago, 340 acres at the Westland Forest Experiment Station, and 257 acres in Marlborough, whilst the balance of 221 acres consists of small experimental plots in various localities.
During the period over which State afforestation has been in progress in the South Island practically all the best-known commerce trees of the Northern Hemisphere have been experimented with, but many have been discarded as unsuitable for various reasons, until at the present time operations are being conducted with a comparatively small range of conifers of proved economic importance, which experience has shown will most readily adapt themselves to local conditions. The principal species now being raised for afforestation purposes are Pinus radiata, P. ponderosa, P. Laricio, and Douglas fir.
The following table gives a summary of operations in State plantations from the inauguration of the system of State afforestation in 1896. The figures shown for expenditure are inclusive of the cost of buildings, &c., and of trees from the State nurseries:—
| Plantation. | Trees. | Expenditure to Date. | Area planted. | Expenditure per Acre planted. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raised from Seed sown in Situ. | Received from Nursery. | Used to replace Losses. | Total in Plantations. | ||||||
* Including £175 unallocated. | |||||||||
| £ | Acres. | £ | s. | d. | |||||
| Whakarewarewa | 109,725 | 20,603,250 | 3,976,664 | 16,736,311 | 120,909 | 8,037 | 15 | 0 | 11 |
| Waiotapu | 83,121 | 23,506,152 | 4,860,134 | 18,729,139 | 91,657 | 7,010 | 13 | 1 | 6 |
| Kaingaroa Plantation | 124,600 | 32,901,960 | 3,188,160 | 29,838,400 | 158,184 | 20,203 | 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Puhipuhi | .. | 1,419,000 | 419,000 | 1,000,000 | 12,766 | 1,200 | 10 | 4 | 5 |
| Conical Hills | .. | 10,759,001 | 1,472,705 | 9,286,296 | 64,219 | 3,533 | 18 | 3 | 5 |
| Pukerau | .. | 903,135 | 83,138 | 819,997 | 9,982 | 573 | 17 | 8 | 6 |
| Dusky Hill | .. | 3,061,997 | 881,160 | 2,180,837 | 24,574 | 746 | 32 | 16 | 1 |
| Greenvale | .. | 3,700,745 | 372,855 | 3,327,890 | 47,183 | 2,651 | 17 | 15 | 10 |
| Gimmerburn | .. | 936,235 | 783,339 | 152,896 | 6,907 | 88 | 78 | 9 | 9 |
| Naseby | .. | 5,733,698 | 796,680 | 4,937,018 | 46,718 | 2,297 | 20 | 6 | 9 |
| Hanmer Springs | .. | 10,443,623 | 4,854,699 | 8,588,924 | 57,069 | 4,233 | 13 | 9 | 7 |
| Balmoral | .. | 3,558,447 | 739,990 | 2,818,457 | 39,346 | 2,488 | 15 | 16 | 2 |
| Raincliff | .. | .. | .. | 50,000 | 1,143 | 206 | 5 | 10 | 11 |
| Experimental Group. | |||||||||
| Waitahuna | .. | 42,025 | 11,500 | 30,525 | 330 | 11 | 30 | 0 | 8 |
| Dumgree | .. | 1,712,265 | 1,110,125 | 602,140 | 16,884 | 257 | 63 | 13 | 10 |
| Galloway | .. | 6,930 | 3,050 | 3,880 | 85 | 2 | 42 | 9 | 11 |
| Omarama | .. | 4,390 | .. | 4,390 | 81 | 2 | 40 | 6 | 5 |
| Westland | .. | 215,450 | .. | 215,450 | 3,156 | 340 | 9 | 5 | 8 |
| Tangimoana | .. | 47,000 | .. | 47,000 | 207 | 68 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Totals | 317,446 | 119,555,303 | 20,553,199 | 99,416,550 | 701,675* | 62,945 | 11 | 2 | 11 |
To provide trees for the State plantations, and also for distribution to local bodies and private individuals, four nurseries are maintained, the principal being that at Rotorua, where 97,540,561 trees have been raised since 1898. The South Island nurseries are situated at Hanmer, Tapanui, and Naseby. These, with three other nurseries now closed, had successfully raised 59,806,196 trees to the 31st March, 1925, the total for all State nurseries to that date being 157,346,757.
Of the total trees raised in nurseries to the 31st March, 1925, 119,240,640 had been utilized in State plantations and 13,669,784 for distribution to local bodies and settlers, the balance remaining in stock in the nurseries.
During the year ended 31st March, 1925, the nurseries disposed of 10,297,399 trees, of which 7,187,835 went to the State plantations and 3,109,564 to settlers, &c.
A large nursery was opened in 1923 at the South Island Forest Experiment Station in Westland.
The year 1924-25 has set a new record in the history of New Zealand in the areas of tree plantations, wind-breaks, shelter-belts, and wood lots established by interests other than the State. A special feature of the State Forest Service activities is the raising of forest-tree plants of high quality for sale, at prices that cover merely actual cost and overhead expenses, to local bodies, School Committees, settlers, proprietary and co-operative afforestation companies, and others. This system, inaugurated in 1915, has resulted in the supply to date of some 13,670,000 trees, of which 3,109,500 were supplied during the year ended 31st March, 1925. In addition, many trees are obtained for private afforestation from the Dominion Federated Nurserymen's Association.
During 1924-25 the State Forest Service, which now operates an up-to-date seed-extracting plant, supplied 1,220 lb. of tree-seeds to Dominion growers, and also co-operated with Forest Administrations abroad by exchanging considerable quantities of tree-seeds.
The State Forest Service encourages and fosters private planting by means of expert advice, personal instruction, correspondence, lectures and demonstrations at agricultural and industrial shows, distribution of circulars and leaflets, and preparation of planting plans. There is a special forest-extension officer in each Island.
During 1924-25 several tree-planting companies, organized for the purpose of planting and growing timber crops, have embarked on planting projects involving ultimately at least 30,000 acres. The sum total of new private and company plantations and shelter-belts established by farmers and settlers is about 9,000 acres. A total of 1,600 acres of artificial forests was formed by Borough and County Councils and Power Boards during the year.
In addition to the routine work carried out to this end by the State Forest Service, by authority of the Forests Act, 1921-22, great assistance is afforded by the State in other ways.
The method first adopted in New Zealand for inducing the planting of trees for the production of timber was by means of “land grants"—a settler being given a free grant of land if he planted a certain portion of his land with suitable trees. In Canterbury, where the system was adopted in the early “seventies,” an area of as much as two acres of Crown lands for one acre planted with trees was sometimes granted. Several large plantations that were established in Canterbury by this method may now be seen; and in some cases very good returns have during late years been obtained from the milling of these. The Selwyn and Ashburton County Councils are the outstanding examples of local bodies taking advantage of this scheme, and are now netting handsome revenues from their tree plantations.
The State assists also by reduction of rent to Crown-land tenants planting trees on their land, by granting subsidies to local bodies to aid in tree-planting schemes, and by remission of taxation on tree plantations.
New Zealand legislation gives distinct encouragement to the extension of afforestation by exempting the growing stock in plantations, though not the land itself, from the payment of certain taxes and rates. Income-tax is, of course, payable on profits from all classes of forests and forest products, but the royalty paid, or the cost of planting and growing the trees, is allowed as an item in the cost of production, and is not taxed. Land-tax is levied on plantation as well as on indigenous forest land, the unimproved value—and this is appraised as if the land were grazing-land only—being the basis for taxation. The remaining taxes—viz., death duties (estate, succession, and gift duties) and local rates—are levied on the value of the land, which is defined for this purpose to include, amongst other things, “all timber or flax growing or standing thereon . . . provided that native bush or trees which have been planted for shelter or ornamental or utility purposes shall not be included in the definition of land under this section.” (Section 2 of Valuation of Land Act, 1925). In the case of indigenous forests the value of the growing stock is included in the value of the land; in the case of plantations it is not. As soon as a timber license is granted in respect to standing timber in a block of State (indigenous) forest the millable timber becomes subject to payment of local rates, payable by the licensee. Whether rating is on the improved or on the unimproved value, the value of standing timber in plantations—the sale value in the case of mature timber, and the cost value in the case of young crops—is not included in the value of the land for rating purposes.
Table of Contents
IN her fisheries, both sea and fresh-water, New Zealand possesses a most valuable asset, as her natural advantages in this connection are undoubtedly superior to those of any other country in the Southern Hemisphere. With its great extent of coast-line, splendid harbours, and numerous sheltered bays, and with an abundance and splendid variety of edible fishes, this Dominion must in time become a great fishing-centre in the South Pacific, providing for its people a regular and abundant supply of this necessary food, besides developing a large export trade in fresh, cured, and canned fish to other countries.
In all countries which possess large supplies of food fishes the harvest of the sea is recognized as a great and extremely reproductive one for the employment of capital, and there is no doubt that when the fishing industry of this Dominion is placed on a proper footing capital will be readily invested, and that it will at once become one of the important and profitable sources for the employment of labour. The value and importance of New Zealand's fisheries at the present time are as nothing compared with the possibilities which the future holds.
It is important to call attention to the fact that the resources of the sea, unlike food resources produced from the land, are not endangered in time of war and international trouble. A nation with well-developed sea-fisheries is never in danger of starvation. The vast schools of fish in the sea, unlike the resources of the land, are available at practically all times, and can be most economically and reliably utilized. Great international crises and dangers of war do not affect the inhabitants of the deep, which do not require constant human labour to cultivate. Agriculture, stock-raising, &c., demand such constant labour and so much investment of capital that in time of trouble the utilization of these resources may be seriously interested with, and farms are liable to be laid waste, and the activities essential to their cultivation and utilization may be turned to military duties or to other purposes. It is not too much to say, therefore, that the fish resources are amongst the most valuable and most lasting of all national resources.
Provision exists in the Fisheries Act, 1908, whereby owners of boats and fish-curers may be required to make returns to the Marine Department in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed by the Governor-General in Council, but advantage of this provision has not yet been taken to enable information to be collected as to quantity of fish caught. A statement is, however, compiled annually by the Chief Inspector of Fisheries as to the weight and value of fish caught. The figures for each fishing-port are as follows for the year ended 31st March, 1925:—
| Name of Port. | Principal Kinds of Fish caught. | Quantity. | Total Value. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Information not available. | |||
| Cwt. | £ | ||
| Russell | Flounder, snapper, mullet, crayfish, kingfish | 17,700 | 10,620 |
| Whangarei | Mullet, flounder, hapuku, snapper, trevally | 2,299 | 3,132 |
| Kaipara | Flounder, mullet, snapper | 4,350 | 7,750 |
| Auckland (including Thames, Coromandel, and Manukau) | Snapper, tarakihi, john-dory, flounder, sole, mullet, hapuku, moki, gurnard, kahawai, rook-cod, butter-fish, kingfish, crayfish | 134,552 | 126,151 |
| sacks | |||
| Mussels | 1,900 | 475 | |
| Tauranga | Hapuku, flounder, trevally, kahawai, snapper, gurnard, moki, kingfish, mullet, garfish | 2,100 | 3,150 |
| Gisborne | Flounder, gurnard, hapuku, moki, red cod, snapper, sole, tarakihi, crayfish | 2,183 | 3,735 |
| Napier | Flounder, sole, brill, snapper, tarakihi, moki, gurnard, hake, kingfish, barracouta | 20,948 | 27,965 |
| Sacks | |||
| Crayfish | 720 | 1,350 | |
| Shell-fish | 225 | 141 | |
| Cwt. | |||
| New Plymouth | Snapper, tarakihi, hapuku, cod, kahawai, crayfish | 1,983 | 2,921 |
| Wanganui | Snapper, flounder, hapuku, blue cod | 277 | 440 |
| Foxton | Flounder, snapper, hapuku, kahawai, whitebait | 400 | 1,400 |
| Wellington | Groper, moki, butterfish, blue cod, hake, tarakihi, gurnard, flounder, sole, snapper, ling, warehou | * | * |
| Picton | Blue cod, butterfish, moki, crayfish, hapuku | 7,520 | 11,280 |
| Blenheim | Blue cod, red cod, flounder, sole, snapper, gurnard, crayfish, butterfish, whitebait | 1,450 | 2,700 |
| Nelson | Snapper, flounder, gurnard, crayfish, hapuku, blue cod, kahawai | 2,063 | 2,488 |
| Westport | Flounder, sole, snapper, groper, herring, gurnard, crayfish, kahawai, whitebait | 684 | 1,468 |
| Greymouth | Flounder, blue cod, red cod, groper, sole, snapper, herring, whitebait | 80 | 448 |
| Hokitika | Flounder, red cod, snapper, herring, whitebait | 461 | 2,363 |
| Kaikoura | Groper, trumpeter, butterfish, hake, tarakihi | 3,600 | 4,000 |
| Rangiora | Whitebait, flounder, herring | 15 | 215 |
| Kaiapoi | Whitebait, flounder, kahawai, red cod | 194 | 1,048 |
| Southbridge | Flounder, herring, red cod | 400 | 2,000 |
| Lyttelton | Barracouta, butterfish, blue cod, red cod, flounder, groper, gurnard, ling, kingfish, moki, skate, sole, trumpeter, trevally, warehou, tarakihi, crayfish | 1,800 | 3,450 |
| Akaroa | Groper, ling, tarakihi, butterfish, flounder, sole, moki, gurnard, hake, barracouta, warehou, garfish, trevally, crayfish | 1,000 | 1,800 |
| Timaru | Brill, flounder, sole, groper, ling, red cod, gurnard, barracouta, elephant-fish | 9,857 | 14,785 |
| Oamaru | Groper, red cod, blue cod, moki, barracouta, tarakihi | 1,785 | 1,622 |
| Moeraki | Blue cod, red cod, moki, trumpeter, groper, barracouta, crayfish | 3,618 | 4,602 |
| Otago | Groper, kingfish, ling, barracouta, trumpeter, mullet, gurnard, moki, trevally, kahawai, red cod, tarakihi, elephant-fish, blue cod, bream, garfish, flounder, sole, brill, skate | 42,620 | 43,500 |
| Invercargill | Blue cod, red cod, ling, barracouta, groper, moki, flounder, sole | 1,700 | 4,000 |
| Bluff | Blue cod, groper, flounder, sole, trumpeter, trevally | 8,913 | 20,459 |
| Stewart Island | Blue cod, groper, trumpeter, moki, butterfish, crayfish | 7,664 | 13,927 |
| Chatham Islands | Blue cod, hapuku, trumpeter, tarakihi | 10,779 | 4,074 |
Excluding the figures for Wellington, which are not available, 286,289 cwt. and 4,074 sacks of fish, exclusive of oysters and the produces of the whale-fisheries, were brought in from the fishing-grounds during the twelve months ended 31st March, 1925, representing a wholesale value of £336,164. If the Wellington figures for the previous year be taken (42,850 cwt., valued at £74,440), the total production may be set down at approximately 330,000 cwt. of a value of about £410,000. In addition, the produce of the oyster-fisheries was valued at £23,268, and of the whale-fisheries at £15,000.
Included in New Zealand produce exported during the last five years were—
| Item. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Fish | 27,522 | 34,337 | 43,356 | 69,328 | 58,417 |
| Oysters | 1,323 | 965 | 1,713 | 762 | 571 |
| Whalebone | 3,100 | 244 | .. | 425 | 290 |
| Whale-oil | 23,304 | 7,505 | 2,310 | 6,072 | 6,515 |
| Ambergris | 1,700 | .. | .. | 75 | 2,000 |
| Other products of fisheries | 2,974 | 165 | 44 | 89 | 103 |
| Totals | 59,923 | 43,216 | 47,423 | 76,751 | 67,896 |
The value of fish (preserved) imported in 1924 was £179,946.
A further table is given showing for each port from which returns have been received the number of steam trawlers, oil-engine trawlers, and other vessels employed in line and net fishing, with the number of fishermen employed, and approximately the total number of persons engaged in the fishing industry for the year ended the 31st March, 1925.
| Name of Port. | Steam Trawlers. | Oil-engine Trawlers. | Line- and Net-fishing Vessels. | Number of Fishermen employed. | Persons other than Fishermen employed. | Total Number of Persons employed. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* including Thames, Coromandel, Manukau. † Danish seiners. | ||||||
| Hokianga | .. | .. | 13 | 16 | .. | 16 |
| Russell | .. | .. | 41 | 157 | 30 | 187 |
| Whangarei | .. | .. | 12 | 22 | 6 | 28 |
| Kaipara | .. | .. | 28 | 40 | 15 | 55 |
| Auckland* | 8 | 22† | 123 | 470 | 250 | 720 |
| Tauranga | .. | .. | 39 | 40 | 10 | 50 |
| Gisborne | 1 | .. | 21 | 33 | 11 | 44 |
| Napier | 10 | 19 | 83 | 167 | 20 | 187 |
| New Plymouth | 1 | .. | 36 | 73 | 28 | 101 |
| Wanganui | .. | .. | 6 | 8 | 4 | 12 |
| Foxton | .. | .. | 23 | 46 | .. | 46 |
| Wellington | 1 | .. | 120 | 282 | 105 | 387 |
| Picton | 1 | .. | 38 | 76 | .. | 76 |
| Blenheim | .. | 6 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 18 |
| Nelson | .. | 5 | 73 | 115 | .. | 115 |
| Westport | 1 | 3 | 14 | 20 | .. | 20 |
| Greymouth | 1 | .. | 9 | 10 | 6 | 16 |
| Hokitika | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| Kaikoura | .. | .. | 18 | 30 | 2 | 32 |
| Rangiora | .. | .. | 13 | 13 | .. | 13 |
| Kaiapoi | .. | .. | 29 | 29 | .. | 29 |
| Southbridge | .. | .. | 20 | 20 | .. | 20 |
| Lyttelton | 2 | 2 | 13 | 18 | 3 | 21 |
| Akaroa | .. | 2 | 13 | 23 | .. | 23 |
| Timaru | 3 | 18 | 4 | 27 | 8 | 35 |
| Oamaru | .. | .. | 10 | 12 | .. | 12 |
| Moeraki | .. | .. | 26 | 28 | 9 | 37 |
| Otago | 4 | 9 | 90 | 180 | 120 | 300 |
| Invercargill | 1 | .. | 31 | 50 | 20 | 70 |
| Bluff | 4 | .. | 49 | 104 | 16 | 120 |
| Stewart Island | .. | .. | 31 | 75 | 11 | 86 |
| Chatham Islands | .. | .. | 10 | 24 | 12 | 36 |
| Totals | 38 | 86† | 1,060 | 2,224 | 697 | 2,921 |
The principal oyster-beds round the coast of New Zealand are those situated in Foveaux Strait, between South and Stewart Islands, and the rock-oyster beds on the east and west coasts of the Auckland Peninsula. The Foveaux Strait beds are very extensive, and are considered to be inexhaustible. An official prospecting cruise was carried out in respect of these beds in 1904, resulting in a number of new beds being discovered and reliable information being ascertained concerning the areas and qualities of the various beds.
During the 1924 season 23,796 sacks of oysters, valued at £14,873, were picked from the Foveaux Strait beds.
The rock-oyster beds of Auckland were worked for many years under a variety of systems, including the leasing of the beds to individuals and the licensing of pickers to take oysters on payment of a fee, but owing to stripping of the beds close seasons had frequently to be proclaimed. For soma years an export duty of 6d. per hundredweight was payable on all North Island oysters exported, and in 1899 the export of rock-oysters and also of mangrove-oysters was absolutely prohibited. A further step towards conserving the beds was taken in 1908, when the picking and wholesale marketing of rook-oysters from the North Island beds was undertaken by the State, private picking being prohibited. A table is given showing the quantity and value of oysters picked and sold by the State during each of the last five years; also the cost of picking and selling, this item Including interest and depreciation on the cost of the oil-launches used by the Inspectors. It will be seen that a profit accrues to the State, and the scheme has, moreover, resulted in the conservation and extension of the beds.
| Season. | Oysters sold. | Prices realized. | Cost of Picking and Selling. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacks. | £ | £ | |
| 1920 | 6,797 | 5,968 | 5,495 |
| 1921 | 7,160 | 7,763 | 4,531 |
| 1922 | 7,323 | 7,703 | 4,731 |
| 1923 | 6,801 | 7,132 | 4,410 |
| 1924 | 6,841 | 8,395 | 5,503 |
Various attempts were made several years ago by private persons to form artificial oyster-beds, but none of these met with success.
Realizing the necessity for extending and improving the oyster-beds in the Auckland District, the Marine Department in 1909 and 1910 commenced replanting the bays and foreshore on the Coromandel coast. These beds had been practically wiped out by the old system of licensed picking. The system adopted by the Department for stocking depleted areas consisted of taking rocks covered with oysters of all ages from well-stocked beds and planting them in suitable places along the foreshore. The work done on the Coromandel coast and at the Bay of Islands has been very successful, and several of the replanted beds are now well stocked with mature oysters. Recently the formation of new beds has been undertaken. This consists of the building of hollow rock walls in sheltered bays and on tidal flats. In the spawning season the oyster-spat attaches itself to the under-side of the rocks, which are allowed to remain in that position until a month or two before the next spatting season comes round, when they are turned over and the other side of the rocks in turn becomes covered with spat.
During the last few years a total of eight miles of walls has been built at Bay of Islands, Great Barrier, Whangarei, and the Coromandel coast. On a good part of this there is now a heavy fixing of young oysters, and the work done is promising very satisfactory results.
In the earlier part of the nineteenth century New Zealand was the centre of an important whale-fishery, many whaling-stations being established in the North of Auckland and in Cook and Foveaux Straits. The industry gradually declined in importance until at present only two or three stations remain. The whales caught are mostly of the hump-back variety. At Whangamumu, North Auckland a whaling-steamer, fitted with the most modern appliances for killing and handling whales, has been placed in commission, and a very serviceable whaling plant has been established. Fifty-five whales were taken lost season in this locality, yielding 30 tons of oil and 50 tons of bonedust, of a total value of approximately £8,000. Whaling operations are also carried on from Kaikoura and Tory Channel, in Marlborough. The value of the product of the Marlborough whale-fisheries in 1924-25 (336 tons of oil and 3 cwt. of whalebone) was £7,222, 52 hump-back and 2 right whales being caught.
A reference to the whaling operations carried out in the Ross Sea appears in the section on “Islands attached to New Zealand.”
A close season for seals existed in New Zealand from the end of August, 1894, until 1913, but owing to poaching, which it was found impossible to stop, the seals did not increase to any great extent. It was proposed a few years ago to grant licenses for the right to take seals, one of the conditions of which was that a royalty should be paid on each skin. Tenders were invited for the licenses, but none was received. At present the taking of seals is prohibited.
A site for a marine fish-hatchery was selected at Purakanui, Otago, in 1900, but this being found unsuitable for its intended purpose another site was chosen at Portobello, in Otago Harbour. The erection of the hatchery was carried out by a Board set up to superintend the work of the hatchery, funds being provided by the State, and grants being made by the Otago Institute, the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, and a number of acclimatization societies. The State makes an annual grant towards the maintenance of the hatchery, the buildings and equipment of which have also been added to from time to time.
Experiments have been carried out with a view to introducing English food fishes to New Zealand waters, and these have been fairly successful as regards the three species dealt with so far—viz., lobsters, edible crabs, and turbot. Much valuable work has also been done in the direction of hatching the spawn of various indigenous fishes and in making a study of their life-habits.
The early colonists who emigrated from Britain to New Zealand were much surprised to find a country with such splendid rivers and lakes, but with no fish of any commercial or sporting value in them. In a few years the question of introducing some of the British salmonidæ was considered, and as early as 1864 the matter assumed definite shape when the Otago Provincial Council took it up, and voted a sum for the importation of Atlantic salmon and English brown trout. There was, however, some delay in arranging for shipment, and it was not until 1868 that the first consignments of salmon and trout eggs arrived. Since that time the English brown trout (S. fario), Loch Leven (S. levenensis), American rainbow (S. irideus), American brook-trout (S. fontinalis), Quinnat salmon (O. tschawytscha), Atlantic salmon, English perch and tench, have been successfully acclimatized.
Ova of the sockeye or blue-back salmon were imported in 1902, and specimens of this fish were caught in 1907. A number exist in Lake Ohau, having acquired a land-locked habit. These fish run up creeks at the head of the lake and spawn there every season in March and April.
Several shipments of whitefish-ova have been made since 1898, the fry being liberated in Lakes Kanieri and Tekapo. Reports as to the fish having been seen are received from time to time, but so far as is known no white fish have yet been caught.
With the exception of the Hot Lakes District, which is under the control of the Department of Internal Affairs, the propagation of trout and the oversight of fishing operations is carried out by local Acclimatization Societies, fishing licenses being issued on payment of a small fee.
As already stated, the first shipment of Atlantic — salmon eggs arrived in 1868, and from that year to 1902 about fifteen consignments were brought out Some of the earlier shipments arrived in bad condition, and none had a loss of less than 25 per cent. Up to 1908 there was no proof that these fish had been acclimatized, and the Government that year decided to make a vigorous and systematic effort to establish them in one of our best rivers. The Waiau, in Southland, was chosen as the most suitable, and a hatchery, capable of accommodating a million eggs, was erected on a cold-water creek near the lower end of Lake Te Anau. A quarter of a million eggs were obtained from eastern Canada in 1908, and one million from England in 1909, and the same number from England in 1911. In each case an expert was sent to pack the eggs and attend to them on the voyage out, with the result that each shipment arrived with a loss of not more than 1 per cent.
In the 1920-21 and 1921-22 angling seasons salmon-smolts were taken near the mouth of the Waiau. Inspection of the Upokororo, the tributary into which mast of the young fish hatched from the three shipments referred to above had been liberated, disclosed the fact that a number of salmon had spawned there, and three specimens caught on the spawning-beds were definitely identified as Atlantic salmon. In 1922-23 fifty-six Atlantic salmon were caught in the Waiau and its tributaries. During the 1923-24 season good catches were made by anglers in the Upokororo and Eglington Rivers and in Lake Te Anau near its outflow, and several were caught in the lower reaches of the Waiau. The total number taken by anglers that season was approximately three hundred. A quantity of eggs was hatched out at the new hatchery on Waitea Creek, Upper Wanganui, and the young fish were successfully liberated in the tributaries of the main river.
During the season 1924-25 approximately 450 salmon were caught by anglers, fish up to 17 lb. being taken. This fish is increasing rapidly. Salmon to the number of 537 were taken for spawning purposes and 936,500 eggs were collected for the establishment of this fish in other New Zealand rivers.
The first importation of quinnat-salmon eggs was made in 1875, and from that date to 1880 several shipments were made. On the arrival of these consignments the eggs were parcelled out to the different acclimatization societies, and the young fish hatched wore planted in rivers from the north of Auckland to the far south, but no results were obtained from these shipments.
In 1900 the Government decided to make a vigorous effort to establish this fish, and decided to confine its efforts to one of the rivers considered to be the most suitable, and the Waitaki was chosen, as in its general characteristics it bears a considerable resemblance to some of the salmon rivers on the Pacific coast of America. The first shipment of eggs for the Government salmon-hatchery arrived in January, 1900. From that year to 1907 annual importations of half a million eggs each year were made, and, as they were specially packed and attended to by an expert during the voyage, they invariably arrived in splendid condition; the loss would not be more than 1/2 per cent. The result of the systematic effort made to establish the quinnat has been highly successful. In the seasons of 1905 and 1906 they were found spawning in the Hakataramea and other tributaries of the Waitaki, and in 1907 fifty thousand eggs were collected from salmon caught in the Hakataramea. Since then there has been a steady increase in the Waitaki every season, and they have now spread into all the snow-fed rivers north as far as the Waiau, North Canterbury.
The run in the 1924-25 season was not so good in the Canterbury rivers as for some seasons previously, but was especially good in the Clutha. The Marine Department again collected eggs for establishing this fish in the Wairau River and 150,000 eggs were sent to Tasmania.
Netting licenses are issued for taking these fish in the estuaries of the salmon rivers as are also licenses empowering anglers to sell their catches. Sea fishermen may also take quinnat salmon at sea during the open season, and may market their catches.
Table of Contents
IN no other country of equal size to New Zealand are indications of a greater number of economic minerals to be found, yet, with the exception of iron-ore, the known mineral reserves are not great in comparison with those in many other countries. The coal reserves of the Dominion are considerable, however, and their duration will be extended by the utilization of the enormous water-power resources of the country.
The gold-mining industry, which in its early stages contributed greatly to the progress and settlement of New Zealand, has for a number of years declined in importance, in common with the experience of most other gold-producing countries.
The following statement shows the quantity and value of the production of metalliferous mines, of stone-quarries under the Stone-quarries Act, and of coal-mines during 1923 and 1924:—
| Mineral. | 1923. | 1924. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | |
* In respect of gold, ounces of the fineness of 20 carats and upwards. | ||||
| Oz. | £ | Oz. | £ | |
| Gold and silver (estimated)* | 692,090 Tons cwt. | 737,170 | 652,855 Tons cwt. | 607,253 |
| Tungsten-ore | 5 9 | 218 | 3 | 126 |
| Iron | .. | .. | 630 0 | 4,725 |
| Stone | .. | 370,995 | .. | 373,827 |
| Pumice.. | 3,716 0 | 10,029 | 1,629 0 | 4,956 |
| Coal | 1,969,834 0 | 1,909,834 | 2,083,207 0 | 2,083,207 |
| Totals | .. | 3,088,240 | .. | 3,074,094 |
The production of gold and silver is of necessity taken together, as separate figures are not available. Kauri-gum, the fossilized resin of former kauri forests, is counted as a mineral, but the production figures are not available.
The next statement shows the value of New Zealand minerals exported from the 1st January, 1853, to the 31st December, 1924, with separate details for the years 1923 and 1924:
| — | 1923. | 1921. | Increase or Decrease. | Total from 1st January, 1853, to 31st December, 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Gold | 698,583 | 551,788 | Dec. 146,795 | 91,414,828 |
| Silver | 62,851 | 71,981 | Inc. 9,130 | 2,904,651 |
| Quicksilver | .. | .. | .. | 8,336 |
| Tungsten-ore | 875 | 1,156 | Inc. 281 | 301,870 |
| Manganese | 43 | 36 | Dec. 7 | 61,994 |
| Kauri-gum | 596,222 | 443,576 | Dec. 152,646 | 21,108,085 |
| Other minerals | 16,622 | 12,692 | Dec. 3,930 | 432,954 |
| Coal | 173,833 | 161,432 | Dec. 12,401 | 5,685,099 |
| Totals | 1,549,029 | 1,242,661 | Dec. 306,368 | 121,917,817 |
Gold-mining operations in New Zealand are divided into three branches, viz.: (1) Quartz-mining, (2) alluvial mining, and (3) dredging.
The actual figures of gold-production are not available owing to no distinction being made between gold and silver in the case of mines which produce both. The following statement shows the value of the bullion-production during 1924, also the number of persons employed, and the number of gold-mines and dredges:—
| — | Production of Bullion.* | Number of Persons ordinarily employed at Productive and Unproductive Mines. | Number of Productive Mines and Dredges. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity. | Value. | |||
* Including a proportion of silver. | ||||
| Oz. | £ | |||
| Quartz-mining | 625,162 | 490,850 | 1,283 | 23 |
| Dredge mining | 13,336 | 58,540 | 78 | 5 |
| Alluvial mining | 14,357 | 57,863 | 468 | 273 |
| Totals, 1924 | 652,855 | 607,253 | 1,829 | 301 |
| Totals, 1923 | 692,090 | 737,170 | 2,026 | 160 |
The quantity of bullion produced during the year 1924 was 39,235 oz. less than in the previous year, and the value less by £129,917. This reduction was principally due to the diminished returns from quartz-mining in Waihi Borough and Tauranga County, though decreases were also shown in the gold got from dredging and from alluvial mining.
The export of gold according to districts of production during 1923 and 1924, with the total to 31st December, 1924, is as shown in the next table.
| District. | 1923. | 1924. | Total, 1857-1924. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | |
| Oz. | £ | Oz. | £ | Oz. | £ | |
| Auckland | 110,205 | 462,503 | 82,757 | 347,032 | 7,164,017 | 27,772,725 |
| Wellington | .. | .. | .. | .. | 188 | 706 |
| Marlborough | 32 | 127 | 27 | 110 | 105,479 | 410,754 |
| Nelson | 600 | 2,389 | 148 | 576 | 1,741,101 | 6,903,363 |
| West Coast | 45,377 | 179,794 | 38,667 | 454,599 | 6,408,916 | 25,438,359 |
| Canterbury | 2 | 9 | 13 | 50 | 135 | 532 |
| Otago | 12,968 | 52,440 | 11,451 | 46,150 | 7,748,510 | 30,856,822 |
| Unknown | 328 | 1,321 | 568 | 2,371 | 7,745 | 31,567 |
| Totals | 169,512 | 698,583 | 133,631 | 551,788 | 23,176,091 | 91,414,828 |
The most important gold-mining operations in New Zealand consist in the working of quartz lodes and the extraction of the precious metals therefrom. Quartz-mining is conducted in the North Island in the Ohinemuri County, and to a less extent in the Tauranga, Thames, and Coromandel Counties. The mountain-ranges and hills of andesite and other volcanic rooks which form the Hauraki Goldfields are intersected by lodes containing gold and silver. In the South Island quartz-mining operations are carried on in the Reefton and Blackwater districts, also to a small extent in the Wakamarina Valley (Marlborough). In Otago operations are generally confined to the working of quartz-mines in which scheelite is associated with gold.
Alluvial gold is found chiefly on the west coast of the South Island and in Otago, where mining operations have been conducted over an area of 17,000 square miles. On the West Coast the auriferous alluvium originated from the weathering and denudation of the gold-bearing lodes during countless ages. The rich leads or defined placers of auriferous wash are the result of concentration. The first transportation of auriferous gravel from the mountains was by streams, and following this the glaciers carried much material from the interior seawards. During the advance and retreat of these glaciers immense masses of drift were deposited all over the low lands and even high up on the lower hills. Since glacial times the rivers have continued the movement of auriferous gravel from the interior to the sea, In Otago the conditions are different—the alluvial gold rests in the hollows of the denuded surface of the schistose rocks, from which it has most probably been derived.
The method of working these deposits depends on the depth of the superincumbent strata and the elevation at which they occur; where there is ample fall and a good supply of water, hydraulic sluicing has been generally adopted; but where the material is mainly or partly below water-level, and is comparatively free from hard boulders or hard matrix, hydraulic sluicing and elevating or dredging is employed.
This system of gold-mining, which originated in New Zealand, is generally employed upon rivers and streams and at places where the sluicing method may not be advantageously applied owing to the absence of water-supply or to excessive water in the deposits. Gold-dredging is rapidly declining in importance, the number of productive dredges having decreased from 167 during 1906 to five during 1924.
The greatest weekly output by a New Zealand gold-dredge was attained by the “Lady Ranfurly” during six days ended the 4th November, 1904, when operating on the River Molyneux (Clutha), 1,273 oz. of gold being obtained.
The following table shows the result of gold-dredging operations in New Zealand from 1915 to 1924 inclusive:—
| Year. | Total Number of Dredges working. | Value of Production. | Average Production per Dredge. | Dividend-paying Dredges owned by Registered Companies. | Number of Persons employed. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Dividends. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 1915 | 52 | 164,605 | 3,165 | 21 | 26,333 | 427 |
| 1916 | 45 | 125,317 | 2,785 | 10 | 9,915 | 392 |
| 1917 | 35 | 91,666 | 2,619 | 6 | 4,800 | 260 |
| 1918 | 28 | 63,691 | 2,274 | 5 | 4,925 | 187 |
| 1919 | 19 | 47,838 | 2,464 | 4 | 2,845 | 138 |
| 1920 | 12 | 34,672 | 2,889 | 1 | 1,400 | 112 |
| 1921 | 11 | 36,179 | 3,289 | 1 | 600 | 136 |
| 1922 | 11 | 67,239 | 6,112 | .. | .. | 121 |
| 1923 | 8 | 68,003 | 8,500 | 1 | 3,283 | 100 |
| 1924 | 5 | 58,540 | 11,708 | 1 | 6,536 | 78 |
During the year 1924 the Kawarau Gold-mining Company (Limited) made a commencement with the damming of Lake Wakatipu. That work is to be effected by means of ten stony sluice-gates, each having an effective waterway 40 ft. in width by 7 ft. 6 in. in height, and each being supported at its end by massive concrete pillars, of which there are eleven, including the abutments. The object of this work is to keep back the water in Lake Wakatipu during certain months of the year, and thus enable mining operations to be carried out as far as possible in the Kawarau River. The company has, it is understood, arranged to sublease, under tribute agreements, portions of the mining rights held by it in the Kawarau River. Substantial sums of money have been raised by the subsidiary companies for the purpose of carrying on mining operations in the river.
The following figures showing the world's gold-production for the last ten years have been compiled from official sources by the American Bureau of Metal Statistics:—
| Year. | Fine Ounces. |
|---|---|
| 1915 | 22,593,833 |
| 1916 | 21,976,437 |
| 1917 | 20,611,049 |
| 1918 | 18,556,920 |
| 1919 | 17,629,977 |
| 1920 | 16,125,697 |
| 1921 | 15,983,772 |
| 1922 | 15,444,830 |
| 1923 | 17,786,472 |
| 1924 | 18,574,098 |
Nearly the whole of the silver exported from New Zealand, amounting in value at the end of 1924 to £2,904,651, has been obtained from the refinement of bullion from the quartz-mines, principally those of the Hauraki Goldfield, where the two precious metals are found alloyed, the ratio of the two metals in the alloy varying greatly. No other silver-mining operations have been carried out profitably in this country.
Iron-ore occurs in New Zealand at Parapara, Golden Bay; on the seashore in Taranaki; at Kerr Point and Waitangi River, North Auckland; in the Raglan-Kawhia district; on Mount Peel, Nelson; on Mount Royal, near Palmerston; on Table Hill, near Milton; in the Lake Wakatipu district; and in the Mount Cook district, Westland.
The most extensive iron-ore deposits occur near Parapara and Onakaka, Golden Bay, in the Nelson Province. The limonite-deposit of this locality is of great extent, and it is estimated in “Iron-ore Resources of the World,” published by the Internationl Geological Congress, to contain 64,000,000 metric tons, of which about 30,000,000 tons occur in the Onakaka Block.
At Onakaka the ore and crystalline limestone flux occur at an altitude of about 1,200 ft. above the works, being conveyed thereto by aerial tramway 8,000 ft. in length.
During 1921 the Onakaka Iron and Steel Company constructed a blast-furnace installation on its lease at Onakaka. The present capacity of the plant is 25 tons of pig iron per day, but it could be altered at little cost to produce an output of 50 tons per day.
Between the 26th April and 5th May, 1922, the blast furnace, was given a trial run, and produced during that time over 80 tons of pig iron. The early part of the run, say, two to three days, was taken up in “blowing in,” and the last two or three days in “blowing down,” giving four to six days of actual normal smelting. The first half of the run was made with coke imported from Australia, and the second half with coke from Miramar gasworks made from Liverpool (N.Z.) coal. The latter gave results at least as good as those from Australian coke, and the consumption of coke in both cases was 22 cwt. per ton of pig iron produced. The pig iron was of good marketable quality, and was reported on favourably by users in different parts of the Dominion. The two important facts demonstrated by the test were—(1) That a good foundry pig iron could be produced by the Onakaka plant; (2) that the furnace could be run with Miramar coke as fuel and with a consumption of 22 cwt. of coke per ton of iron.
The company has erected a wharf about 1,000 ft. in length at Onakaka for the purpose of providing facilities for landing coal or coke and shipping its products to different parts of the Dominion. Between the 12th January, 1924, and the 8th of the following month about 1,000 tons of pig iron were produced. It was then found that the cost of transportation of coal from the wharf to the works, and of pig iron from the works to the wharf, by means of motor-wagons along the road was too high. The company thereupon arranged to have a rope-road constructed, which work has now been completed. It was also found that the number of coke-ovens previously built was inadequate, and additional coke-ovens have been erected.
| Brand of Pig Iron. | Chemical Composition per Cent. | Kind of Iron. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron. | Graphitic Carbon. | Combined Carbon. | Silicon. | Phosphorus. | Sulphur. | Manganese. | ||
| Onakaka, sample 2 | 92.10 | 2.89 | 0.19 | 3.92 | 0.22 | 0.04 | 0.64 | Foundry. |
| Carron, Scotland (as imported to New Zealand) | 91.82 | 3.50 | 0.14 | 2.80 | 0.70 | 0.035 | 1.00 | No. 1 foundry |
| Ditto | 92.63 | 3.35 | 0.20 | 2.15 | 0.70 | 0.06 | 0.91 | No. 2 foundry. |
| Summerlee (as imported to New Zealand) | 92.03 | 3.00 | 0.25 | 2.75 | 0.80 | 0.03 | 0.85 | No. 3 foundry. |
| Lithgow (Hoskins), New South Wales, 1914 | .. | .. | .. | 2.00 | 0.85 | 0.03 | 1.00 | Foundry. |
| Characteristic samples quoted in “The Manufacture and Properties of Iron and Steel,” by H. H. Campbell | 92.37 | 3.52 | 0.13 | 2.44 | 1.25 | 0.02 | 0.28 | No. 1 grey. |
| 92.31 | 2.99 | 0.37 | 2.52 | 1.08 | 0.02 | 0.72 | No. 2 grey. | |
| Alabama | .. | 3.49 | 0.07 | 2.8 to 3.5 | .. | .. | .. | No. 1 foundry. |
| Iron-ore (Limonite). | Crystalline Limestone (Flux). | Slag from Furnace. | |
|---|---|---|---|
* Equivalent to metallic iron, 50.16 per cent. | |||
| Silica (SiO2) | 12.13 | 10.26 | 40.03 |
| Alumina (Al2O3) | 2.79 | 2.12 | 12.87 |
| Ferrous oxide (FeO) | .. | .. | 2.73 |
| Ferric oxide (Fe2O3) | 71.66* | 1.76 | .. |
| Titanium dioxide (TiO2) | 0.20 | 0.17 | 0.49 |
| Lime (CaO) | 0.10 | 47.10 | 40.27 |
| Magnesia (MgO) | 0.33 | 1.24 | 1.19 |
| Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) | 0.23 | 0.07 | 0.10 |
| Manganous oxide (MnO) | 0.72 | .. | 0.45 |
| Calcium sulphide (CaS) | .. | .. | 2.54 |
| Sulphur (S) | 0.13 | 0.21 | .. |
| Loss on ignition | 12.01 | 37.18 | .. |
| 100.30 | 100.11 | 100.67 | |
Along the seashore from Patea to New Plymouth occur large quantities of magnetic ironsand more or less titaniferous. This has originated through the disintegration of hornblende-andesites and their tufas, which occur very extensively near New Plymouth around the volcanic cone of Mount Egmont. It is quite impossible to give any definite idea of the quantity of this ironsand; undoubtedly, however, it exists in immense quantities, and is measurable in millions of tons.
The most extensive deposit of ironsand occurs near Patea, the quantity of which has been estimated to be at least 5,374,000 tons of high-grade ore in addition to a great quantity of low-grade ironsand.
Between the years 1869 and 1918 several attempts were made to smelt Taranaki ironsand.
In 1921 the Mines Department arranged for the shipment of 20 tons of Taranaki ironsands to Messrs. Thomas Summerson and Sons' works at Darlington, England, for the purpose of having tests made to ascertain the suitability by that firm's process of the sand for the production of pig iron and steel therefrom. The experiments, which were conducted under the supervision of Professor Harbord, representing the New Zealand Government, were made in an electric furnace. The results were not quite satisfactory, considered from a commercial point of view, as the cost of producing pig iron and steel was too high.
Professor Harbord's report shows that in his opinion the production of steel direct from the ore or in one furnace is not commercial, and that two furnaces are essential—one to reduce the ore, and the other to refine the metal produced and to convert it into steel.
The conclusion arrived at by Professor Harbord is that the conditions in New Zealand are such that a blast furnace and modern steel plant are not at present feasible, but if power, coke, coal, and limestone are obtainable at reasonable prices small quantities of pig iron and steel may be produced to partially meet the local requirements, and this would form the basis for building up a larger industry when the demand is increased sufficiently to justify expansion on a larger scale.
The report also shows that both pig iron and steel of satisfactory quality, containing little titanium, can be produced from titaniferous ironsands in the electric furnace. The full text of the report appears in parliamentary paper C.-15, 1922.
Near the Breakwater, New Plymouth, the New Zealand Iron-ore Smelting Company (Limited), which was formed for working the beach ironsand, commenced smelting during the latter part of 1917, and after several trials pig iron was obtained in grades varying from white to grey. The company subsequently went into liquidation, and the furnace was removed to Onakaka.
The following is an analysis of the ironsand which, after magnetic concentration, was used in the blast-furnace charge:—
| Silica (SiO2) | 5.40 |
|---|---|
* Equivalent to phosphorus, 0.30 per cent. † Equivalent to metallic iron, 56.36 per cent. | |
| Alumina (Al2O3) | 1.53 |
| Lime (CaO) | 1.81 |
| Magnesia (MgO) | 2.80 |
| Phosphoric anhydride* | 0.69 |
| Titanium dioxide (TiO2) | 10.45 |
| Ferrous oxide (FeO)† | 28.71 |
| Ferric oxide (Fe2O3)† | 48.61 |
| 100.00 | |
At Kerr Point the deposit of iron-ore consists of limonite, but does not probably exceed 100,000 tons. The iron-ore near the head of the Waitangi River is also limonite of excellent quality, hut does not exceed 100,000 tons. The limonite deposits in the Kawhia-Raglan district and on Table Hill, so far as known, are not large. Little authentic information exists concerning the iron-ore deposits at Mount Peel or at Mount Royal. In the Lake Wakatipu district from Moke Creek, through Benmore in the direction of Mount Gilbert, a band of hæmatite has been reported to occur, also at Maori Point, Shotover River. On the Westland side of Mount Cook large quantities of magnetite are disseminated through chlorite schist.
During 1914 the Government, with a view to stimulating interest in this industry, passed an Act having for its object the payment of fairly large bonuses for the production in New Zealand of pig iron, puddled bar iron, and steel. In 1920, the time-limit, as specified by the principal Act, in which notice of intention to claim the bounty was to be given, having expired, an amendment was passed reviving the payment of bonuses, and extending the time-limit in which notice of intention to claim the bounty was to be given. The bonus on pig iron was by an amendment passed in 1925 increased to £1 10s. per ton, the increased rate to be payable on all pig iron produced at any time after the 1st January, 1925. No bounties under the Act are payable after the 31st March, 1934.
Scheelite, one of the principal ores of tungsten, was for a number of years mined on a fairly extensive scale in conjunction with gold, the principal gold-scheelite mines being those at or near Glenorchy, Paradise, Macrae's, Stoneburn, Hyde, and Barewood, Otago; and at Wakamarina Valley, Marlborough.
Since the termination of the war there has been a considerable collapse in the tungsten-ore-mining industry owing to the great decline in price on the Home market due greatly to accumulated stocks. During the war the Empire's supply was commandeered, and the price increased to £3 8s. per unit (on a 65-per-cent. WO3 basis per ton); the price now quoted is less than a quarter of that. The industry is now practically dormant pending an improvement in prices.
The following statement shows the quantity and value of scheelite exported in each of the last twenty years:—
| Year. | Quantity exported. | Value. |
|---|---|---|
| Tons. | £ | |
| 1905 | 28 | 1,848 |
| 1906 | 55 | 3,407 |
| 1907 | 137 | 15,486 |
| 1908 | 68 | 6,055 |
| 1909 | 58 | 4,263 |
| 1910 | 143 | 15,070 |
| 1911 | 138 | 11,853 |
| 1912 | 135 | 13,347 |
| 1913 | 221 | 22,933 |
| 1914 | 204 | 21,498 |
| 1915 | 194 | 27,784 |
| 1916 | 266 | 49,070 |
| 1917 | 161 | 28,972 |
| 1918 | 169 1/2 | 37,922 |
| 1919 | 131 | 29,489 |
| 1920 | 10 1/10 | 1,378 |
| 1921 | .. | .. |
| 1922 | 7 11/20 | 528 |
| 1923 | 13 | 875 |
| 1924 | 14 19/20 | 1,156 |
| Totals to end of 1924 | 2,308 1/10 | 299,082 |
Ores of copper are found in New Zealand in no fewer than thirty-two localities, but during the last fifty years attempts at their successful exploitation have been unprofitable, the total recorded copper-production to the end of 1924 amounting in value to only £19,390. Prior to the inauguration of systematic records there was a considerable production from mines on Great Barrier and Kawau Islands.
Copper-mines have been worked on Kawau and Great Barrier Islands in the Hauraki Gulf, and on the Dun Mountain, near Nelson. Underground prospering has been carried on near Kaeo, Whangaroa; at Maharahara, near Woodville; and at Mount Radiant, near Karamea; but no conclusive results have been obtained. A syndicate is now engaged in reopening the mine at Maharahara.
Manganese-ore has been found at Otau, Wairoa, Bay of Islands, Purua Bay, Mangapai, Otonga, Waiheke Island, and Taieri Mouth. Many years ago a considerable amount of manganese-ore was mined at Tikiora, near the Bay of Islands At a later period operations wore carried on at Waiheke Island, distant about twelve miles from Auckland. On that island manganese-ore may be traced for several miles, where it occurs in massive but bunchy form and of excellent quality, bulk analyses returning 56.5 per cent. metallic manganese. Some thousands of tons have been exported, but it is supposed that fluctuating prices prevented expansion of this industry. The total quantity of manganese-ore exported to the end of 1924 amounted to 19,380 tons, of a value of £61,994.
After several unsuccessful attempts, extending over a number of years, to work cinnabar-deposits in the Auckland Province, satisfactory results were obtained by the New Zealand Quicksilver-mines (Limited), whose mine and furnace are situated at Puhipuhi, about twenty-eight miles by road from Whangarei. This company, to the end of 1922, had produced 16 1/5 tons of quicksilver, valued at £8,103, but did not continue production, having decided to raise additional capital before resuming operations on a more comprehensive scale. The company is now in course of reconstruction.
Cassiterite in the form of “stream-tin” occurs near Port Pegasus, Stewart Island, where it has been worked to some extent. “Lode-tin” has been found in the same locality, and is now being prospected. Small quantities of cassiterite have also been detected in the stream-gravels of the Reefton, Greymouth, and Westport districts. Among other localities in winch traces of tin occur are Wet Jacket Arm (Otago) and Campbell Island.
In the published lists of minerals of New Zealand platinum is stated to occur in several places associated generally with gold in gravel. It is only from Southland however, that platinum has been mined and exported.
The Customs Department has not kept any separate record of the quantity and value of platinum entered for exportation, the value of this metal exported being included in a general total of exports by parcel-post, by which means platinum has generally been despatched from the Dominion.
In Southland native platinum occurs in auriferous wash, and is distributed on the beaches and coastal terraces from Blue Cliffs, west of Invercargill, to Longbeach, Waikawa River, east of Invercargill, over a distance of about ninety-two miles. It is probable that the platiniferous sands of Southland have been derived from serpentine or other olivine-bearing rocks, which are known to occur in Fiordland. In Russia and in Lapland platinum has been found in a matrix of serpentine (altered peridotite).
Native platinum has been obtained in payable quantities from claims at Cameron Creek, Groveburn, Orepuki, Pahi, Round Hill, Steel Head, Bushy Point, Waipapa, Otara Beach, Twelve-mile Beach, and Waikawa. The coarsest and heaviest samples have been obtained from west of Waiau River, that obtained east of Otara being extremely fine. Direct from the gold-saving mats at the alluvial workings at the Waikoau River, Rowallen, as high a proportion as 1 oz. platinum to 3 oz. gold has been obtained.
The platinum is collected by miners as a residue, after amalgamation, of alluvial gold, and is reduced by further washing to about a 50-per-cent. concentrate, the remainder of the concentrate being chiefly iridosmine (osmiridium).
During the earlier and more prosperous era of gold-raining alluvial miners did not save the platinum, as the banks would not give more than a few shillings per ounce for mat concentrates of platinum and osmiridium; consequently by far the greater proportion collected on the gold-saving matting at alluvial claims was thrown away. As years passed the pries increased; during 1924 the price ruling on the London metal-market varied, from £23 to £29 per ounce.
The following are the results of assays of concentrates taken direct from the gold-saving mats of Smith's Claim, Round Hill: No. 1 sample—Gold per ton of concentrate, 55 oz.; platinum per ton of concentrate, 72 oz. No. 2 sample—Gold per ton of concentrate, 15 oz.; platinum per ton of concentrate, 51.5 oz.
The following is the result of an assay of a sample of concentrate from rich wash from the Otara Claim: Osmiridium, 15 dwt. 7 gr. per ton; platinum, 7 dwt. 14 gr. per ton; gold, 4 dwt. 22 gr. per ton; monazite, 2.07 per cent.; thoria, 0.67 per cent. This industry is now again engaging attention in the Orepuki District.
Native sulphur in sufficient quantity to be profitably worked occurs in the thermal districts of the North Island, near Rotorua and Lake Taupo, and at White Island. With the exception of the lake deposit on White Island, all the known native sulphur in payable quantity occurs in the form of pockets in pumice, or sinter around fumaroles or thermal springs (from which it has been sublimed in crystalline form), and as black sulphur. The fumarolic deposits, although of high grade generally, are inextensive when compared with those of massive form in seams or in veins as extensively worked in Japan, Sicily, and North America.
Sulphur is destined in the future to play an important part in the progress of the Dominion, and, recognizing this, the Government in 1922 completed the purchase of a large block of sulphur-bearing land in the North Island, which, when served by a railway, will constitute a most valuable asset.
The White Island Chemical Company has made preparations to commence active operations on the sulphur deposits at White Island this year.
The sulphur exported to the end of 1924 amounted to 4,927 tons, valued at £13,241.
Coal, varying in grade from anthracite to lignite, occurs in many parts of New Zealand. In proportion to the present yearly consumption of somewhat under 2,300,000 tons (10 to 15 per cent. of which is in normal times imported), the supply may be considered relatively large, but in comparison with probable future needs it is decidedly small. It is likely, indeed, that the proved bituminous-coal resources of the Dominion will be practically exhausted within a hundred years. The resources of brown coal are very much greater.
An estimate of the proved and probable coal in New Zealand, which was prepared by the Director of the Geological Survey of New Zealand in May, 1919, is as follows:—
| Class of Coal. | Proved. | Probable. | Possible. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Tons. | Imperial Tons. | ||
| Anthracite | Very little. | Very little. | Small. |
| Bituminous | 187,000,000 | 477,000,000 | Moderate. |
| Semi-bituminous | 68,000,000 | 196,000,000 | Moderate. |
| Brown | 194,000,000 | 728,000,000 | Large. |
| Lignite | 161,000,000 | 420,000,000 | Large. |
| Totals | 610,000,000 | 1,821,000,000 | Large. |
No individual coal-seam has yet been traced for more than a few miles in any direction. The variations in thickness are extraordinary. There are many instances of seams 10 ft. to 20 ft. thick thinning to 1 ft. or 2 ft. in distances of a quarter of a mile or less. The following instances of thick seams may be mentioned: In the Waikato district (Auckland), 50 ft. to 60 ft. of brown coal; in the Buller-Mokihinui district (Nelson), 53 ft. of bituminous coal; in the Kaitangata district (Otago), 30 ft. or more of brown coal; at Coal Creek, near Roxburgh, Central Otago, 80 ft. (or, according to Professor Park, 100 ft.) of lignite; at Nightcaps (Southland), 36 ft. of brown coal.
In New Zealand the difficulties in settling the relative ages of the principal coalfields are such that for many years the subject has been a controversial one. The known facts may be summarized as follows: In south-east Otago (Waikawa, Catlin's River) and in Southland (Hokonui Hills) small seams of coal occur in Jurassic rocks, but in no case is a workable seam known to be present. The chief coal-bearing rocks are probably of early Tertiary age, but late Cretaceous coal-seams almost certainly occur. There are also considerable quantities of lignite of Miocene, Pliocene, and possibly even Pleistocene age.
The output of the several classes of coal mined in each inspection district during 1924 is summarized as follows:—
| Class of Coal. | Output of Coal during 1024. | Total Output to the End of 1924. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern District (North Island). | West Coast District (South Island). | Southern District (South Island). | Totals. | ||
| Bituminous and semi-bituminous | 129,927 | 955,077 | .. | 1,085,004 | 36,938,671 |
| Brown | 507,598 | 35,173 | 296,246 | 839,017 | 18,990,027 |
| Lignite | .. | 362 | 158,824 | 159,186 | 3,675,650 |
| Totals for 1924 | 637,626 | 990,612 | 455,070 | 2,083,207 | 59,604,348 |
| Totals for 1923 | 633,865 | 849,029 | 486,940 | 1,969,834 | .. |
The annual production of coal and the quantity of coal imported since 1913 are as follows:—
| Year. | Coal produced. | Coal Imported. | Total Quantity of Coal produced and imported. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| 1913 | 1,888,005 | 468,940 | 2,356,945 |
| 1914 | 2,275,593 | 518,070 | 2,793,663 |
| 1915 | 2,208,624 | 353,471 | 2,562,095 |
| 1916 | 2,257,135 | 293,956 | 2,551,091 |
| 1917 | 2,068,419 | 291,597 | 2,360,016 |
| 1918 | 2,034,250 | 255,332 | 2,289,582 |
| 1919 | 1,847,848 | 391,434 | 2,239,282 |
| 1920 | 1,843,705 | 476,343 | 2,320,048 |
| 1921 | 1,809,095 | 822,459 | 2,631,554 |
| 1922 | 1,857,819 | 501,478 | 2,359,297 |
| 1923 | 1,969,834 | 445,792 | 2,415,626 |
| 1924 | 2,083,207 | 674,483 | 2,757,690 |
The gross output of coal for 1924 was 113,373 tons in excess of the output for 1923. This increase is wholly due to the increased output of bituminous coal, which is 149,307 tons in excess of the output for the previous year. Brown coal shows a reduction of 21,343 tons, and lignite a reduction of 14,591 tons.
In the Northern District the output of bituminous coal from the Hikurangi mines was 3,809 tons over that for 1923, and the output of brown coal from the Waikato mines was 149 tons less.
In the West Coast District there was an increase of 145,498 tons in the output of bituminous coal, a reduction of 3,537 tons in the output of brown coal, mostly from the Reefton mines, and a reduction of 378 tons of lignite, making altogether a net increase of 141,583 tons for the district.
In the Southern District there was a reduction of 17,657 tons in the amount of brown coal produced, and of 14,213 tons of lignite, a total reduction of output for the district of 31,870 tons.
The market for all classes of coal was dull throughout the year, and at many of the mines a considerable amount of slack time was worked. The industry was almost free from stoppages due to labour trouble. Co-operative mining still continues to be successfully carried out in the Northern and West Coast Districts.
The following statement shows the tons of coal raised, the number of persons employed, and the number of lives lost by accidents in or about coal-mines, &c., in each of the last twenty years:—
| Year | Output. | Persons employed above and below Ground. | Tons raised per each Person employed Underground. | Lives lost. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Per Million Tons raised. | Per Thousand Persons employed. | ||||
* Year of Ralph's (Huntly) explosion. | ||||||
| Prior to 1905 | 20,101,220 | .. | .. | 182 | .. | .. |
| 1905 | 1,585,756 | 3,269 | 651 | 6 | 3.78 | 1.83 |
| 1906 | 1,729,536 | 3,692 | 687 | 6 | 3.46 | 1.62 |
| 1907 | 1,831,009 | 3,910 | 662 | 12 | 6.55 | 3.07 |
| 1908 | 1,860,975 | 3,894 | 641 | 5 | 2.68 | 1.28 |
| 1909 | 1,911,247 | 4,191 | 630 | 7 | 3.66 | 1.67 |
| 1910 | 2,197,362 | 4,599 | 634 | 16 | 7.28 | 3.48 |
| 1911 | 2,066,073 | 4,290 | 706 | 14 | 6.77 | 3.26 |
| 1912 | 2,177,615 | 4,328 | 681 | 9 | 4.13 | 2.08 |
| 1913 | 1,888,005 | 4,250 | 590 | 6 | 3.18 | 1.41 |
| 1914* | 2,275,614 | 4,734 | 639 | 49 | 21.53 | 10.35 |
| 1915 | 2,208,624 | 4,156 | 711 | 9 | 4.07 | 2.16 |
| 1916 | 2,257,135 | 3,988 | 752 | 6 | 2.65 | 1.50 |
| 1917 | 2,068,419 | 3,983 | 715 | 4 | 1.93 | 1.00 |
| 1918 | 2,034,250 | 3,994 | 703 | 6 | 2.95 | 1.50 |
| 1919 | 1,847,848 | 3,944 | 648 | 10 | 5.41 | 2.53 |
| 1920 | 1,843,705 | 4,078 | 630 | 1 | 0.54 | 0.24 |
| 1921 | 1,809,095 | 4,367 | 574 | 10 | 5.52 | 2.28 |
| 1922 | 1,857,819 | 4,556 | 552 | 6 | 3.23 | 1.31 |
| 1923 | 1,969,834 | 5,000 | 540 | 5 | 2.53 | 1.00 |
| 1924 | 2,083,207 | 4,869 | 594 | 10 | 4.80 | 2.05 |
| Totals to date | 59,604,348 | .. | .. | 379 | .. | .. |
With a view to the utilization of much of the slack from the collieries of New Zealand, for which at present there is no profitable market, an experimental briquetting-press was installed at the Dominion Laboratory early in 1924. A series of preliminary tests showed that New Zealand brown coals cannot be briquetted without a binder, but that the lignites and possibly some of the bituminous coals can be so briquetted. A large amount of work has been carried out on the brown coals to determine the most suitable binder or combination of binders, and the best conditions of working—pressure, temperature, &c. Very promising results have been obtained, but it will be necessary to continue the investigations for some time longer until the best conditions for manufacture have been determined. When that stage is reached it is intended to commence systematic tests on the briquetting of bituminous coals, and finally on lignites.
At the present time the most satisfactory means for preventing explosions in coal-mines is the use of stone-dust for underground roadways. In order to acquire reliable information as to the relative inflammability of New Zealand coals and the amount of stone-dusting required to render the mines safe from the dangers of coal-dust explosions, arrangements were made with the British Mines Department in 1923 to carry out a series of teats on representative New Zealand coals. Seven samples of 10 tons each were sent, and were tested during 1924. The report is now to hand, and with other data which is being obtained will be considered with a view, if necessary, to amending the present law in order to provide greater security against coal-dust explosions.
The Coal-mines Act of 1901 provided for the acquisition and working of State coal-mines in New Zealand under the direct control of the Minister of Mines. At the present time two State collieries are in operation.
During 1924-25 the Liverpool Colliery produced 111,487 tons of marketable Coal, a decrease of 18,176 tons on the previous year's production. The James colliery produced 26,445 tons of marketable coal during the year.
The disposal, inclusive of stock on hand at beginning of year, was as follows:—
| Supplied to | Tons. |
|---|---|
| Depots | 36,507 |
| Railways | 5,760 |
| Other Government Departments | 8,092 |
| Shipping companies | 21,924 |
| Gas companies | 63,324 |
| Other consumers | 4,317 |
| Total | 139,924 |
The total sales of State coal from the Liverpool Mine for the year amounted to 112,197 tons, value £168,600, as compared with 129,329 tons, value £204,176, for 1923-24, a decrease of 17,132 tons, with a decrease in value of £35,576.
The average price realized by the mine on the total sales for the year was £1 10s. 0.65d. per ton, a decrease of 1s. 6.24d. on the previous year's average. This decrease is due to sales to the Christchurch depot being changed from a c.i.f. Lyttelton basis to f.o.r. Rewanui, consequent upon the opening of the Otira tunnel.
The total sales of State coal from the James Mine for the year amounted to 27,727 tons, value £41,219, giving an average of £1 9s. 8.78d. per ton, a decrease of 2s. 8.59d. on last year's average.
The sales of coal, &c., through the medium of the depots totalled 104,486 tons, value £210,619, as against 119,387 tons, value £246,976, for 1923-24.
The losses at the mines were £3,390, and the profits at the depots, &c., £4,211, making a net profit of £821. The sum of £4,552 was applied to Sinking Fund Account out of the General Reserve.
Losses on coal sold to miners, concessions in the form of special railway facilities, and of allowances for railway fares to miners and workmen, amounted to £5,458, and this sum was allowed for in arriving at the net profit for the year.
Drilling for petroleum has, as in past years, been carried on in Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, Canterbury, and Westland. Throughout the Dominion twenty-six deep bore-holes in search of petroleum have been drilled, the deepest being that of the Paritutu Oil Company (formerly the Blenheim Oil Company) at Moturoa, near New Plymouth, which has attained a depth of approximately 6,000 ft. Petroleum of good quality but in limited quantity has been proved at Moturoa, but up to the present time boring for petroleum in the Dominion has attained only a small and intermittent flow.
The search for petroleum in the Taranaki District is again being prosecuted. A well is being drilled at Tarata, and another at Moturoa, and expert oil geologists are searching for a favourable structure or structures in the vicinity of those localities. Similar field-work is being carried out in the Gisborne — East Cape district.
Oil-prospecting operations throughout the Dominion have received very liberal financial assistance from the Government in the forms of bonuses, subsidies, and loans.
The kauri-gum industry is under the administration of a separate Department controlled by a Superintendent. During 1924, 5,261 tons of kauri-gum, valued at £443,576, were exported, the total quantity of gum exported to the end of 1924 being 389,052 tons, valued at £21,108,085.
The European market for this fossil resin—used in the manufacture of varnish and linoleum—being greatly restricted by the recent war, new but smaller markets were obtained. The Kauri-gum Industry Act, 1914, providing for State purchase of gum from diggers and the disposal of the gum, served a useful purpose in enabling the industry to keep going in spite of the disorganization occasioned by the war.
At Clarendon and Milburn, Otago, considerable deposits of phosphate rock were discovered in 1902, and have since been actively worked. A thin bed of phosphatic rock has been identified at Kaikoura and Amuri Bluff, in Marlborough. A similar bed occurs near Port Robinson. Phosphatic nodules are found in the Kaikorai Valley (near Dunedin), at Weka Pass (North Canterbury), and elsewhere. A limestone containing 10.6 per cent. of tricalcic phosphate occurs in the neighbourhood of Onewhero, Waikato district. Other districts where phosphatic material of good quality, though, so far as known, not in commercial quantity, is found are Amberley, Dipton, Oamaru, Waimate, Wangaputu Clarence Valley, Tutira Block (Mangaharuru Survey District, Hawke's Bay), and Whangarei.
Phosphatic minerals, the most common of which is the hydrous iron phosphate vivianite, have been discovered in numerous other localities besides those mentioned above, but commercially these occurrences are of little importance.
The only operations during 1924 in connection with the quarrying of phosphates were those of the Milburn Lime and Cement Company at Clarendon, Otago, which produced 1,575 tons.
The mineral nephrite, the “pounamu” of the Maori, more popularly known as one of the varieties of “greenstone,” whenever observed in situ, occurs as rounded segregations in talc or talc-serpentine rocks. Those segregations vary up to 2 ft. or even more in lateral dimensions. As a rule they average less than 1 ft. in width. So far as is known, the mineral has been found in its original locus only in the Griffin Range, Turiwhate Survey District, North Westland.
Pounamu is a deep-green semi-transparent mineral with dark opaque patches. With the wearing-away of the enclosing matrix the segregations are freed as rounded masses, and were once transported by the Arahura, Taramakau, and other glaciers, and are now found as boulders in the glacial debris along the lower streams of the Arahura and Taramakau Valleys. From boulders all greenstone ornaments have hitherto been manufactured.
New Zealand possesses a great variety of handsome and durable building-stones scattered throughout both Islands. In Auckland there are basalt, andesite, porphyrite, and quartz biotite-diorite, known in the building trade as Coromandel “granite,” a hard, coarsely crystalline rock, capable of taking a fine polish. Besides these rooks are the Whangarei limestone and Raglan stone, the former an excellent building-stone, the latter a good freestone. Taranaki has the hornblende andesites of New Plymouth and Mount Egmont, and Wellington the andesites of Ruapehu.
In Nelson there is the granite of Tata Island and Tonga Bay, and the marble or crystalline limestones of the Pikiruna (Riwaka) Range. The Parliamentary Buildings at Wellington were constructed of this marble. West Nelson and Westland are well provided with granites and limestones of good quality, well adapted for building purposes; and in the Griffin Range, North Westland, there is found an abundance of finely coloured serpentine, unsurpassed as a decorative stone. Building-stone is scarce in Marlborough, but Canterbury is well supplied, having an abundance of Lyttelton bluestone (andesite) and Mount Somers stone, a limestone of exceptional quality. In Otago there is an abundance of excellent building-stone, ranging from the well-known Oamaru stone to the granite, gneiss, and limestones of Fiordland, all close to deep water. In Southland there is the so-called Ruapuke “granite,” the norite of -the Bluff, and the granites of Stewart Island.
Many of the principal buildings in New Zealand have been constructed in stone from local quarries.
During 1924 the value of stone &c., produced was £373,827, as against £370,995 for the previous year.
The following is a table showing the number of quarries under the Stone-quarries Act, also the number of persons ordinarily employed thereat, and the annual output and value of crude stone during 1924:—
| Provincial District. | Number of Working Quarries under the Act. | Number of Persons ordinarily employed. | Output of Crude Stone. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stone or Gravel for Macadamizing or Ballast. | Stone for Harbour works. | Building or Monumental Stone. | Limestone for Agriculture. | Limestone for Cement or Mortar. | Phosphate for Agriculture. | Miscellaneous. | Value at quarry. | |||
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tens. | £ | |||
| Auckland | 141 | 848 | 496,899 | 58,250 | 2,624 | 18,132 | 196,800 | .. | .. | 178,679 |
| Hawke's Bay | 16 | 73 | 11,929 | 12,084 | 460 | 6,160 | .. | .. | .. | 6,218 |
| Taranaki | 10 | 43 | 8,695 | 10,682 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3,492 |
| Wellington | 34 | 215 | 90,914 | 10,120 | .. | 7,000 | .. | .. | .. | 36,257 |
| Canterbury | 13 | 123 | 111,283 | 4,246 | 3,682 | 5,976 | .. | .. | .. | 42,583 |
| Nelson | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Westland | 11 | 111 | 9,335 | .. | 92 | 15,256 | 23,537 | .. | 1,150 | 12,539 |
| Marlborough | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Otago | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Southland | 35 | 335 | 126,903 | 8,399 | 6,316 | 86,210 | 40,620 | 1,575 | .. | 94,059 |
| Totals, 1924 | 260 | 1,748 | 855,958 | 103,781 | 19,174 | 138,734 | 260,957 | 1,575 | 1,150 | 373,827 |
| Totals, 1923 | 242 | 1,644 | 864,412 | 316,182 | 34,458 | 103,566 | 143,248 | 2,383 | 80 | 370,995 |
By section 2 of the Stone-quarries Amendment Act, 1920, the application of the Act was extended to include every place, not being a mine, in which persons work in quarrying stone and any part of which has a face more than 15 ft. deep, and also in any tunnel in the construction of which explosives are used. The Act, however, does not apply to any Government operations, or any road or railway cutting, or excavations for buildings.
The following is a table showing the number and proportion of persons killed at coal-mines, metal-mines, and at quarries and places under the Stone-quarries Act for the last ten years:—
| Year. | Coal-mines. | Metal-mines. | Stone-quarries. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Deaths. | Proportion per 1,000 Persons employed. | Number of Deaths. | Proportion per 1,000 Persons employed. | Number of Deaths. | Proportion per 1,000 Persons employed. | |
| 1915 | 9 | 2.16 | 10 | 2.38 | 2 | 1.27 |
| 1916 | 6 | 1.50 | 9 | 2.42 | 2 | 1.23 |
| 1917 | 4 | 1.00 | 7 | 2.03 | 2 | 2.00 |
| 1918 | 6 | 1.50 | 2 | 0.77 | 2 | 1.40 |
| 1919 | 10 | 2.53 | 4 | 1.82 | 1 | 0.71 |
| 1920 | 1 | 0.24 | 1 | 0.51 | .. | .. |
| 1921 | 10 | 2.28 | 1 | 0.48 | 1 | 0.64 |
| 1922 | 6 | 1.31 | 1 | 0.47 | 2 | 1.44 |
| 1924 | 5 | 1.00 | .. | .. | 3 | 1.82 |
| 1923 | 10 | 2.05 | 3 | 1.61 | 4 | 2.28 |
In no other country does the State offer such liberal and varied assistance to miners and prospectors as in New Zealand. During and since the war State aid to mining in this Dominion has been given in several forms, viz.:—
(1) Geological survey and bulletins; (2) financial aid to prospecting; (3) Government prospecting-drills; (4) loans for mining operations; (5) schools of mines; (6) subsidized roads to mining-fields; (7) Government water-races.
Since the first discovery of coal and the precious metals in New Zealand the Government has employed skilled geologists, who have reported, after examination, on all the known mineral deposits. Since 1916 the Geological Survey Branch of the Mines Department has been enlarged, and has included on its staff the most eminent geologists of the Dominion.
During the field season ended 31st May, 1925, the geological survey of the Rodney district was completed, and a detailed report on this and on the adjoining Dargaville district is now in course of preparation. The survey of the Motueka district has been carried on under considerable difficulties, due mainly to the mountainous nature of much of the country and to the lack of suitable labour. It will not be finished until next season. The survey of the Kaitangata district was extended westward to include most of the northern part of Clutha County, and north-eastward toward the Green Island coalfield. This survey also at the end of the field season was unfinished.
The old fossil collections of the Geological Survey and those made during later years are being examined as rapidly as circumstances permit. In addition to the work done by the palæontologist, help is being given by outside scientists, both in New Zealand and abroad.
During the year a detailed report (Bulletin No. 27) on the Whangarei — Bay of Islands Subdivision, and palæontological reports on Cretaceous and Tertiary foraminifera and on Triassic fossils were sent to the printer. Detailed reports (with map) on the Egmont Subdivision, the Tongaporutu-Ohura Subdivision, and the Waiapu Subdivision are nearly ready for publication. Since each of these reports deals with possible petroliferous areas, it is hoped that the important information contained in them will soon be available to the public, and more especially to those who are now endeavouring to develop the petroleum resources of this country.
The only official publication of the Geological Survey issued during the year was its annual report, but several papers by officers of the survey have been published in the “Transactions of the New Zealand Institute” and elsewhere.
As an aid towards the development of the mining industry the Government offers varied and liberal assistance to prospectors in the form of subsidies, loans, expert and technical advice, use of plant, &c. Subject to the provisions of the Mining Act, the holder of a valid miner's right is entitled to prospect for gold or any other metal or mineral (except coal) on any Crown land. He may also obtain authority from the Governor-General to prospect on Native land, and he may also prospect on private land with the consent of the owner. Wardens in mining districts and Commissioners of Crown Lands in other districts may, with the consent of the Minister of Mines, grant prospecting licenses for coal.
Assistance is offered to prospectors as under:—
1. Subsidies for prospecting (vide Regulation 127 under the Mining Act):—
(a.) For prospecting new ground by parties of not less than two men, a subsidy not exceeding £1 19s. per week per man.
(b.) For sinking in dry ground by parties of not less than two men—from surface to 15 ft., 1s. 11d. per foot; from 15 ft. to 30 ft., 3s. 3d. per foot; from 30 ft. to 60 ft., 3s. 11d. per foot; over 60 ft., 5s. 2d. per foot.
(c.) For sinking in wet ground whore slabbing is necessary, double the foregoing rates. For sinking in solid rock by blasting, 9s. 9d. per foot; but if the cost exceeds £1 19s. per foot, then 13s. per foot may be paid.
(d.) For tunnelling or driving through drift or blue reef—up to 400 ft., 1s. 11d. per foot; 400 ft. to 700 ft., 3s. 3d. per foot; 700 ft. to 1,000 ft., 3s. 11d. per foot; over 1,000 ft., 5s. 2d. per foot.
(e.) For tunnelling or driving through hard rock by blasting, a subsidy of 6s. 6d. per foot is offered; but if the cost exceeds £1 per foot, then 8s. 8d. per foot may be paid. When timbering by sets is necessary, then a subsidy not exceeding 2s. 7d. per foot of driving, or one-half the cost of the timber, may be paid.
2. Subsidies for prospecting deep levels for gold-quartz lodes down to a depth of not less than 1,000 ft., and for alluvial drift not less than 250 ft. (vide Regulation 125 under the Mining Act): Such subsidies up to half the estimated cost of the work, but not to exceed £10,000.
3. The identification and assaying, free of charge, of samples from bona fide prospectors, at the Dominion Laboratory, Wellington, or at the schools of mines.
4. Any prospector desiring information regarding favourable localities, or the most suitable method of prospecting, or any other matter connected with mining, may receive free advice upon application to the Mines Department, Wellington.
During the year ended 31st March, 1925, a total of £15,412 was expended in subsidies for prospecting, and 105 persons were employed in connection therewith.
Prospecting-drills of various types suitable for the conditions existing in the Dominion are lent to bona fide prospectors. A monthly rental is charged for the plant, and the hirer is required to maintain it in good order and condition, as security for which a deposit is required, together with a bond varying in amount according to the class of drill loaned.
Where the Government provides an expert drill superintendent to take charge, one-half of his salary, together with one-half the amount of the authorized travelling allowances and expenses incurred while proceeding from his last employment to the site of the drilling operations, and one-half of his camp allowance while the work is in progress, is paid by the Mines Department, but if the hirer provides the drill superintendent the whole of his salary is paid by the hirer. All working-expenses are also paid by the hirer, including renewals, &c., and the loss on carbons.
The hirer is required to furnish to the Mines Department weekly reports of boring results.
For boring in rock for coal and oil-shale seams or for mineral lodes (reefs) the following drills are available:—
One Schram-Harker steam-power-driven diamond drill of 1,100 ft. capacity; weight, 8 tons (casing excluded).
One Schram-Harker kerosene-engine driven combination diamond drill of 600 ft. capacity; weight, 7 tons (including casing). Will drill to 75 ft. in gravels by percussion method. Suitable drill for boring lignite or soft deposits.
One Sullivan C.N. steam-power-driven diamond drill of 800 ft. capacity; weight, 10 tons (including casing).
The above drills produce cores of the rocks penetrated.
For boring in gravel or other alluvium for alluvial gold:—
Three Keystone percussion traction drills, driven by steam-power, of 150 ft. capacity in favourable ground; weight of each drill, 9 tons (including 100 ft. of 6 in. drive pipe).
One hand placer drill of 60 ft. capacity; weight, about 30 cwt.; can be transported on field by hand labour.
Considerable use was made of the Government prospecting-drills during 1924, an aggregate of 5,948 ft. being drilled in fifty-two holes for nine parties, as follows:—
| Number of Holes drilled. | Aggregate Depth drilled. | Mineral searched for. | Type of Drill used. | Cost per Foot. | Results. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drilling. | Transport. | |||||||
| Ft. | s. | d. | s. | d. | ||||
| 1 | 1,156 | Coal .. | Diamond | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 1/2 | 6 ft. coal at 1,149 ft. |
| 1 | 307 | Coal .. | Diamond | 5 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 11 ft. 6 in. coal at 293 ft. |
| 1 | 564 | Coal .. | Diamond | .. | .. | .. | .. | Completion of work postponed temporarily. |
| 2 | 1,356 | Coal .. | Diamond | .. | .. | .. | .. | Testing character of country; inconclusive. |
| 16 | 752 | Gold .. | Keystone | .. | .. | .. | .. | Fair; unfinished. |
| 5 | 661 | Gold .. | Keystone | 33 11 3/4 | 3 10 1/4 | .. | .. | Good. |
| 6 | 477 | Gold .. | Keystone | .. | .. | .. | .. | Poor; unfinished. |
| 17 | 295 | Gold .. | Hand placer | .. | .. | .. | .. | Fair; unfinished. |
| 3 | 380 | Gold .. | Keystone | 13 0 | 2 2 | .. | .. | Traces of gold got. |
During 1924, loans of sums amounting to £5,000 were made to mining companies and operators.
For the education of prospectors and mining students eight schools of mines are subsidized or entirely supported, by the Government, in addition to the Otago University School of Mines. The schools of mines are situated at Coromandel, Thames, Waihi, Huntly, Reefton, Westport, Kaitangata, and Nightcaps.
The expenditure on these schools by the Government during the year ended the 31st March, 1925, was £3,502, as against £3,173 during the previous year.
A great deal of useful and necessary work continues to be performed by the schools of mines, but in those districts where mining has seriously declined and been replaced by other industries few of the students taking the classes are engaged or likely to be engaged in mining.
The expenditure on roads and tracks by subsidies and direct grants out of the Public Works Fund vote “Roads on Goldfields” during the year ended the 31st March, 1925, amounted to £2,989, as compared with £2,867 during the previous year. In addition, £1,137 was expended out of the Consolidated Fund on account of maintenance of roads and works.
To enable alluvial-gold mining to be carried on in the neighbourhood of Kumara (Westland) and Naseby (Central Otago), the Government, during former years, constructed or acquired water-races of great capacity, at an approximate cost of about £350,000, and for a number of years the water from these races, which was supplied to parties of miners at a reasonable price, enabled considerable quantities of gold to be won, and thus gave profitable employment to many persons. Of late years, however, the gold-production has greatly declined.
During the year ended the 31st March, 1925, claims employing 16 miners were supplied with water from Government races, and gold to the approximate value of £3,544 was obtained. The expenditure upon the upkeep of the races was £1,636, and the cash received for sales of water £1,435. The control of the Mount Ida water-races was transferred to the Public Works Department on the 1st September, with the intention that water not being used in gold-mining should be utilized for irrigation.
Another form of Government assistance to mining consists of the publication of information as to localities recommended to the attention, of prospectors. The undermentioned localities are so recommended:—
Coromandel County.—Between Cabbage Bay and Tokatea, also from Mahakirau to Gumtown. In different parts of these localities loose specimen ore has been found Numerous lodes varying in size have been discovered, some of which by assay contain payable values; but the source of the rich specimen ore referred to has not hitherto been located. At Mahakirau there is a small Government battery.
Thames County.—A large area of unprospected country occurs on the main range between Waikawau and Whangamata. The locality which offers the best prospects lies between Tararu and Tapu Creek. Some rich pockets have been found, but in most cases the ore is accompanied by lead and zinc, and the treatment plants installed, with the exception of that at the New Sylvia Mine, have failed to reduce this class of ore.
Thames Borough.—All the auriferous ground within this borough has been well prospected. Numerous shoots of exceedingly rich ore have been found above the 500 ft. level, but these invariably gave out at depth. The total value of bullion obtained within the borough exceeds £5,000,000. Prospecting by driving at the 1,000 ft. level proved nothing of value, and operations were stopped on account of large quantities of carbon-dioxide gas being given off in the workings, rendering mining dangerous. By cessation of pumping the mine-water has been allowed to rise to sea-level.
Ohinemuri County.—A large area of promising unprospected country exists behind the Talisman Mine and Te Aroha Mountain. Large lodes are known to exist, and it is possible that rich ore may be found.
Piako County.—The low levels of Hardy's Mine, Waiorongomai, expose a large mineralized lode which for 100 ft. assayed up to £3 per ton.
Tauranga County.—No attempt has yet been made to prospect the country surrounding the recently opened mine of Muir's Gold Beefs (Limited), near Te Puke. Quartz lodes outcrop on the main range two miles from that mine, the country there being similar to that at the mine.
Buller and Waimea Counties.—Between Karamea and Wangapeka, embracing all the country up to Collingwood. In the far north of this area a number of quartz lodes have been worked more or less in past years, and a variety of minerals has been found; this somewhat inaccessible region has not been systematically prospected, it being difficult to convey supplies.
Westland County.—The locality of the Upper Arahura River, including the Wilberforce River country. Auriferous quartz lodes have been found in this locality. The country is difficult of access, and, owing to its altitude, cannot be prospected during winter. The Bald Hill Range, in Totara Survey District, due east from Mount Greenland, deserves attention, as lodes are in evidence. At the head of Donnelly's Creek small quartz lodes have been worked. In the ranges eastward of Okarito, which are rough and difficult of access, some quartz lodes have been found, but owing to difficulty of access little prospecting has been done, although there are reasonable prospects of the discovery of gold-quartz lodes.
Payable returns were obtained from quartz-mines in the following localities in the early days of mining, and there are possibilities of new lodes or new lenses of known lodes being found at lower levels than hitherto developed:—
Taieri County.—Hindon and Barewood.
Tuapeka County.—Waipori.
Vincent County.—Bendigo, Carrick Range, and Old Man Range.
Lake County.—Macetown, Upper Shotover, and head of Lake Wakatipu.
Examinations are held by the Board of Examiners annually of candidates for certificates as first-class and second-class mine-managers, battery-superintendents, and dredgemasters under the Mining Act, and for certificates as first-class and second-class mine-managers under the Coal-mines Act. Examinations of candidates for certificates as underviewers and firemen and deputies under the Coal-mines Act are held periodically when necessary. No candidate is permitted to present himself for examination unless he holds an authority from the Secretary to the Board of Examiners stating that his certificates of service comply with the Acts and regulations, and have been accepted by the Board.
As required by the Coal-mines Act, 1908, the owner of every coal-mine contributes 1/2d. per ton on all coal sold, for the relief of the coal-miners who may be injured whilst working, and for the relief of families of coal-miners who may be killed or injured. The proceeds of this levy are administered partly by the Public Trustee, under the title of “Coal-miners' Relief Fund,” and partly by miners' associations, under the title of “Sick and Accident Fund.”
The following is a statement of the Coal-miners' Relief Fund Account during the last two financial years:—
| Year ended 31st March, 1924. | Year ended 31st March, 1925. | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Contributions | 1,950 | 1,870 |
| Allowances on account of accidents | 1,673 | 1,559 |
| Balance carried forward | 13,363 | 13,775 |
The following is a statement of the Sick and Accident Funds for the calendar years 1923 and 1924:—
| Year ended 31st December. 1923. | Year ended 31st December. 1924. | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Contributions | 2,549 | 2,060 |
| Allowances on account of accidents | 3,203 | 2,949 |
| Balance carried forward | 13,800 | 13,962 |
Table of Contents
THE population of New Zealand is as yet insufficient to maintain a wide range of secondary industries, and consequently the Dominion's manufacturing field is for the main part limited to the treatment of the principal primary products. Statistics for recent years, however, indicate brisk advancement among the principal branches of manufacture, as well as a tendency, with the increasing population, for greater diversity in the branches covered.
Statistics of factory production were collected in New Zealand from 1867 to 1916 in conjunction with the population census—viz., in 1867, 1871, 1874, 1878, and 1881, and quinquennially thereafter. Commencing with the year 1918-19, the collection became an annual one.
Under the regulations authorizing the collection of statistics of factory production a “factory” is defined as an establishment engaged in manufacture, repair, or preparation of articles for wholesale or retail trade or for export, which employs at least two heads or uses motive power, with the exception of the following, which are expressly excluded: Bakeries, butcheries, laundries, smithies, waterworks, shops engaged in retail trade only, and farmers or others using motive power for their own individual and private use. The following are, however, required to furnish returns even although employing less than two hands and not using motive power: Tanneries; bacon, butter, cheese, soap or candle factories; brickyards; and limeworks.
The definition is fairly comprehensive, and clearly includes such industries as, for instance, jewellery and watch repairing, boot, shoe, and saddlery repairing, and similar trades. In former years a number of small establishments thus engaged were included in the statistics, but such are now excluded unless they are also engaged in actual manufacture employing at least two hands.
Other classes of establishments formerly covered by the statistics but excluded from 1921-22 onwards are those engaged in dressmaking and millinery (unless manufacturing wholesale for sale in retail shops), bespoke tailors, and establishments engaged in tea blending and packing, bottling liquor, stone quarrying and crushing, asphalting, or monumental masonry. The latter industries were excluded to bring the statistics into line with other parts of the Empire, and in any case the information which is collected from these concerns is, for obvious reasons, unsatisfactory. In addition, returns are not pressed for from plumbers or from builders who make joinery for their own building contracts.
This has had the effect of showing an apparent decrease in the number of establishments in some industries and also in the total of all industries; but in other respects the effect on the statistics is negligible, the number of employees and the value of materials used, products, &c., covered by the trades concerned being comparatively small. The comparative tables which follow have, where necessary, been adjusted to some extent by deducting from the totals figures for industries which appear in some years and not in others.
It should be noted that these statistics do not cover, and do not purport to cover, all establishments registered as factories in the Dominion, for the following reason: “One man” businesses are excluded with the exception of tanneries, bacon, butter, cheese, soap or candle factories, brickyards, or limeworks; some small repair-shops (as explained previously) are excluded even although they may employ two or more hands, and in some cases where a factory has two or more branches it has been found impracticable to obtain separate returns, and all branches have been treated as one establishment.
In comparing figures for different years the foregoing remarks should be borne in mind, and also the fact that in some of the earlier years, owing to the longer intervals between collections, greater prevalence of lax methods of book-keeping, less understanding of the requirements of the Statistical Office, and less appreciation of the necessity for and value of the statistics compiled, no doubt to a certain extent impaired the accuracy of the published results.
The establishments recorded in 1923-24 numbered 4,461, an excess of 126 over the number recorded in the previous year. This increase is confined mainly to a few industries, the principal being—Motor and cycle engineering, 35; saw-milling, 20; printing, &c., 12; engineering, 36; woodware, 17; and flax-milling, 6. A number of industries showed decreases, but the establishments that have gone out of existence appear to be of the smaller type.
It is not surprising to find the number of motor and cycle, printing, engineering, and woodware establishments having their numbers swelled each year. These industries have been appropriately termed “neighbourhood” industries, and are usually found serving defined communities. Each community, however small has its own motor-garage, printing-works, and joinery-shop, and in a growing community the tendency is for new establishments to come into existence as against the expansion of those already in existence.
In quite a few cases decreases in the number of establishments were recorded, but in the majority of such cases the decrease was very slight, and was due, no doubt, to the lives of many concerns bing brought to an end by the death or retirement of the proprietor or by other cognate causes. The decreases, however, recorded in meat-freezing (6), boiling-down, &c. (7), brick and tile (7), and clothing (11) industries are much greater in proportion to those referred to, and merit special consideration. During the war and immediate post-war years the number of freezing-works in the Dominion climbed steadily upwards from 45 in 1916 to 51 in 1921, when this industry reached its zenith. Following the slump in the latter part of 1921, the fall in prices of meat in the Home markets made it quite clear that the meat-freezing industry in the Dominion could not shoulder the burden of overhead involved in the upkeep of 51 works, and subsequent years saw a gradual diminution in the number of works, until in 1924 there were 46 works in operation. Generally speaking, the brick and tile industry showed an all-round increase as compared with the previous year, and it would appear that the decrease in the number of works was due to amalgamation among existing concerns rather than to the actual closing-down of works. The number of clothing establishments showed steady increases up to 1922, but the depression experienced in this industry in 1923 was no doubt responsible for the decrease in the number of factories as disclosed by the figures for the latter year.
The remarks made above regarding comparisons between the figures for different years are particularly applicable in connection with the number of establishments. A comparison between the gross figures for the years shown in the subjoined table gives an altogether wrong impression of the actual state of affairs. The net figures common to all years are comparable, and show that the number of establishments returned in the latest collection is larger than that for any other year shown.
| Provincial District. | 1900-1. | 1910-11. | 1915-16. | 1920-21. | 1922-28. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 885 | 934 | 1,236 | 1,312 | 1,218 | 1,272 |
| Taranaki | 247 | 253 | 246 | 250 | 235 | 228 |
| Hawke's Bay | 214 | 251 | 256 | 293 | 254 | 256 |
| Wellington | 846 | 982 | 953 | 1,028 | 943 | 961 |
| Marlborough | 61 | 95 | 57 | 54 | 67 | 70 |
| Nelson | 236 | 214 | 156 | 153 | 141 | 150 |
| Westland | 112 | 107 | 105 | 109 | 108 | 117 |
| Canterbury | 696 | 724 | 776 | 748 | 650 | 675 |
| Otago | 889 | 549 | 579 | 570 | 468 | 469 |
| Southland | .. | 293 | 306 | 287 | 251 | 263 |
| Totals | 4,186 | 4,402 | 4,670 | 4,804 | 4,336 | 4,461 |
| Deduct certain industries included in some years and not in others | 669 | 878 | 971 | 853 | 76 | 53 |
| Totals, industries common to all years | 3,517 | 3,524 | 3,699 | 3,951 | 4,259 | 4,408 |
In point of numbers Auckland claims the premier position, having over 300 more establishments than Wellington, which occupies an almost similar position in regard to Canterbury, with Otago approximately 200 behind Canterbury. Southland, Hawke's Bay, and Taranaki all have between 200 and 300 establishments, followed by Nelson, Westland, and Marlborough in that order.
The following table shows the number of establishments, classified by industries and provincial districts, for the year ended 31st March, 1924:—
| Class of Industry. | Auckland. | Taranaki. | Hawke's Bay. | Wellington. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago. | Southland. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal food | 111 | 73 | 36 | 106 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 58 | 46 | 72 | 538 |
| Vegetable food | 39 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 4 | .. | 32 | 28 | 4 | 130 |
| Drinks, narcotics, and stimulants | 39 | 11 | 22 | 41 | 6 | 17 | 11 | 36 | 20 | 8 | 211 |
| Animal matters (not otherwise classed) | 16 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 4 | .. | 66 |
| Working in wood | 195 | 12 | 32 | 122 | 19 | 44 | 56 | 58 | 46 | 41 | 625 |
| Vegetable produce for fodder | 2 | 1 | .. | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 8 |
| Paper manufactures | 4 | .. | .. | 4 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 6 | 1 | 17 |
| Heat, light, and power | 37 | 11 | 13 | 27 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 28 | 9 | 8 | 146 |
| Processes relating to stone, clay, glass, &c. | 56 | 3 | 10 | 36 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 166 |
| Metals other than gold or silver | 115 | 15 | 15 | 81 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 67 | 46 | 16 | 375 |
| Precious metals | 12 | .. | 3 | 18 | .. | .. | .. | 8 | 11 | 1 | 53 |
| Books and publications | 90 | 14 | 13 | 63 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 47 | 35 | 16 | 292 |
| Musical instruments | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | .. | 7 |
| Ornaments and minor art products | 14 | .. | 3 | 15 | .. | .. | .. | 14 | 8 | 1 | 55 |
| Equipment for sports and games | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 4 |
| Designs, medals, type, and dies | 2 | .. | .. | 8 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 12 |
| Ammunition and explosives | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Machines, tools, and implements | 7 | 2 | .. | 8 | .. | .. | .. | 13 | 4 | 2 | 36 |
| Carriages and vehicles | 195 | 51 | 62 | 170 | 10 | 22 | 14 | 101 | 68 | 45 | 738 |
| Harness, saddlery, and leather-ware | 49 | 3 | 11 | 27 | .. | 1 | 1 | 42 | 18 | 9 | 161 |
| Ships, boats, and their equipment | 29 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 2 | .. | 7 | 6 | 2 | 62 |
| House furnishings | 113 | 15 | 16 | 59 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 50 | 17 | 10 | 294 |
| Chemicals and by-products | 11 | 2 | 3 | 17 | .. | .. | .. | 14 | 13 | .. | 60 |
| Textile fabrics | 3 | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 4 | 5 | 1 | 16 |
| Apparel | 117 | 6 | 2 | 81 | .. | 1 | 2 | 51 | 47 | 4 | 311 |
| Fibrous materials | 13 | .. | 1 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 15 | .. | 63 |
| Miscellaneous | 8 | .. | .. | 11 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 1 | 24 |
| Totals | 1,281 | 228 | 256 | 961 | 70 | 150 | 118 | 677 | 476 | 254 | 4,471 |
The number of establishments is not a very satisfactory basis on which to judge of the development of the various industries. In those industries where the initial capital outlay is large and the materials operated upon are easily transferable (e.g., meat-freezing, &c.), there is a tendency for the establishments to expand within themselves, while in other cases, such as motor and cycle engineering, where the initial capital outlay is small and where each establishment supplies the needs of individual communities, a mushroom-like growth in the number of establishments is evident.
An interesting classification of establishments is according to the number of hands engaged, and the following table gives the establishments for the years 1920-21, 1921-22, 1922-23, and 1923-24 classified in this way:—
| Year. | 10 or under. | 11-20. | 21-60. | 51-100. | Over 100. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-21 | 2,646 | 603 | 493 | 175 | 116 | 4,033 |
| 1921-22 | 2,772 | 643 | 509 | 140 | 116 | 4,180 |
| 1922-23 | 2,913 | 637 | 509 | 160 | 116 | 4,335 |
| 1923-24 | 2,933 | 691 | 544 | 165 | 128 | 4,461 |
To enable a proper comparison to be made, certain industries covered in 1920-21, but not in later years, have been omitted from the figures for the first-mentioned year in this and the two succeeding tables.
As might be expected, the establishments with the smaller numbers of employees reflect greater movements during the last four years than the larger establishments, but it is particularly interesting to note that the establishments employing over 100 persons showed an increase of 12 over the figure for the previous three years. Prior to 1924 the number of establishments employing 10 workers or under showed increases of over 100 as compared with the immediately preceding year, but in that year the increase in the establishments under this heading over the numbers recorded in the previous year was only 20. The proportionately lower increase in the smaller establishments was, however, counteracted by an upward movement in the establishments employing between 10 and 100 hands. The movements in the numbers of establishments under each heading are disclosed perhaps a little more clearly in the following table showing the percentages of each group to the total over the last four years.
| Year. | 10 or under. | 11-20. | 21-50. | 51-100. | Over 100. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1920-21 | 65.61 | 14.95 | 12.22 | 4.34 | 2.88 | 100.00 |
| 1921-22 | 66.32 | 15.38 | 12.18 | 3.35 | 2.77 | 100.00 |
| 1922-23 | 67.20 | 14.69 | 11.74 | 3.69 | 2.68 | 100.00 |
| 1923-24 | 65.75 | 15.49 | 12.19 | 3.70 | 2.87 | 100.00 |
The following table shows the number of employees engaged in factories of the various categories, with the percentage of each to the total, and the number of employees per establishment:—
| Year. | 10 or under. | 11-20. | 21-50. | 51-100. | Over 100. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Employees. | ||||||
| 1920-21 | 11,245 | 8,961 | 15,351 | 12,345 | 24,384 | 72,286 |
| 1921-22 | 11,501 | 9,448 | 15,422 | 9,870 | 24,075 | 70,316 |
| 1922-23 | 12,451 | 9,429 | 16,275 | 11,219 | 24,288 | 73,662 |
| 1923-24 | 12,330 | 10,127 | 16,921 | 11,481 | 26,802 | 77,661 |
| Percentages of Total | ||||||
| 1920-21 | 15.55 | 12.40 | 21.24 | 17.08 | 33.73 | 100.00 |
| 1921-22 | 16.35 | 13.44 | 21.93 | 14.04 | 34.24 | 100.00 |
| 1922-23 | 16.90 | 12.80 | 22.09 | 15.24 | 32.97 | 100.00 |
| 1923-24 | 15.88 | 13.04 | 21.79 | 14.78 | 34.51 | 100.00 |
| Employees per Establishment. | ||||||
| 1920-21 | 4.25 | 14.86 | 31.14 | 70.64 | 210.20 | 17.92 |
| 1921-22 | 4.15 | 14.69 | 30.30 | 70.50 | 207.54 | 16.82 |
| 1922-23 | 4.27 | 14.80 | 31.97 | 70.12 | 209.38 | 16.99 |
| 1923-24 | 4.20 | 14.66 | 31.10 | 69.58 | 209.39 | 17.41 |
As figures for the last four years only are considered in the above table it would not be proper to draw definite conclusions therefrom. It is significant, however, that the tendency shown by the figures for the first three years in the above table for the number of employees engaged in the smaller factories to increase at a greater rate than these employed in the larger factories was completely reversed by the 1924 figures, which showed an actual decrease in the number of hands engaged in the smaller factories with a much greater proportionate increase in the numbers working in the larger concerns.
Prior to 1918-19 information regarding productive employees only was asked for, but since that date information regarding all employees has been sought under the following heads, viz.: Administrative, productive, and distributive. The following table shows the total employees returned at each of the last five collections, classified by provincial districts:—
| Year. | Auckland. | Taranaki. | Hawke's Day. | Wellington. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago. | Southland. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers. | |||||||||||
| 1919-20 | 21,013 | 2,755 | 2,868 | 15,408 | 366 | 11,113 | 1,067 | 13,741 | 11,753 | 2,805 | 72,889 |
| 1920-21 | 24,675 | 2,519 | 2,828 | 16,447 | 432 | 1,255 | 1,389 | 14,666 | 11,557 | 3,085 | 78,853 |
| 1921-22 | 21,814 | 2,325 | 2,587 | 14,947 | 504 | 1,108 | 1,259 | 12,865 | 10,263 | 2,644 | 70,316 |
| 1922-23 | 23,838 | 2,312 | 2,692 | 14,842 | 549 | 1,154 | 1,353 | 13,539 | 10,583 | 2,800 | 73,662 |
| 1923-24 | 25,290 | 2,450 | 2,716 | 15,493 | 589 | 1,336 | 1,695 | 13,934 | 11,041 | 3,117 | 77,661 |
| Percentages of Dominion Total. | |||||||||||
| 1919-20 | 28.83 | 3.78 | 3.94 | 21.14 | 0.50 | 1.53 | 1.46 | 18.85 | 16.12 | 3.85 | 100.00 |
| 1920-21 | 31.29 | 3.19 | 3.59 | 20.86 | 0.55 | 1.59 | 1.76 | 18.60 | 14.66 | 3.91 | 100.00 |
| 1921-22 | 31.02 | 3.31 | 3.68 | 21.26 | 0.72 | 1.57 | 1.79 | 18.29 | 14.60 | 3.76 | 100.00 |
| 1922-23 | 32.36 | 3.14 | 3.65 | 20.15 | 0.75 | 1.57 | 1.84 | 18.37 | 14.37 | 3.80 | 100.00 |
| 1923-24 | 32.56 | 3.16 | 3.50 | 19.95 | 0.76 | 1.72 | 2.18 | 17.94 | 14.22 | 4.01 | 100.00 |
The drop in the total employees in 1921-22, as compared with the preceding years, was caused by the exclusion, in that and following years, of dressmaking and other industries. It is interesting to note that more than 50 per cent. of the total employees are located in the Auckland and Wellington Provincial Districts, and that for the latest year Auckland alone accounted for over 30 per cent of the total, as against 20 per cent. for Wellington. The gross figures show that all the provincial districts record increases in the number of employees, while the percentages given indicate that the Auckland, Marlborough, Nelson, Westland, and Southland Provincial Districts are increasing at a relatively higher rate than the other districts.
It is not surprising to find that the distribution of the sexes in the employees shows a considerable preponderance of males. In 1918-19 the number of females per 100 males was 32, which figure fell to 28 in the two following years, the decrease being due, no doubt, to the re-entry of many overseas troops into industrial life. In 1921-22 the exclusion of the dressmaking industry was responsible for a further decrease in the proportion of females to males, but the figures for that and the two succeeding years have remained fairly constant except for a slight upward movement in 1922-23. The following table gives the number of females per 100 males employed in factories in each provincial district for the years 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22, 1922-23, and 1923-24:—
| Provincial District. | 1910-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 25 | 26 | 21 | 22 | 22 |
| Taranaki | 10 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Hawke's Bay | 12 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Wellington | 26 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
| Marlborough | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Nelson | 20 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
| Westland | 7 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Canterbury | 38 | 37 | 25 | 26 | 25 |
| Otago | 43 | 44 | 37 | 40 | 38 |
| Southland | 17 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Totals | 28 | 28 | 22 | 23 | 22 |
In the smaller districts there are few industries employing female labour- to any extent, and the preponderance of males in such districts is very great; but this preponderance is considerably smaller in the four main districts, where female labour is in greater demand. In Otago the excess of males is less than in any other district, being as a matter of fact approximately two-thirds of that in Auckland and Wellington. Canterbury also has a comparatively small excess, but the presence of woollen-mills, which employ mainly female labour, is no doubt responsible for the position in both districts.
The subjoined table shows the employees for the last five collections classified according to the class of employment—i.e., the numbers employed in administrative, productive, and distributive capacities—and the percentage of each class of the total:—
| Year. | Administrative. | Productive. | Distributive. | Total. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Per Cent. of Total. | Number. | Per Cent. of Total. | Number. | Per Cent. of Total. | ||
| 1919-20 | 2,497 | 3.43 | 64,951 | 89.11 | 5,441 | 7.46 | 72,889 |
| 1920-21 | 2,775 | 3.52 | 70,255 | 89.10 | 5,823 | 7.38 | 78,853 |
| 1921-22 | 2,859 | 4.07 | 61,542 | 87.52 | 5,915 | 8.41 | 70,316 |
| 1922-23 | 2,808 | 3.81 | 64,658 | 87.78 | 6,196 | 8.41 | 73,662 |
| 1923-24 | 3,175 | 4.09 | 67,945 | 87.49 | 6,541 | 8.42 | 77,661 |
The amount of salaries and wages paid offers a good basis upon which to study the development of factories. Since 1906 the amount paid in productive wages has approximately trebled, while during the same period the “added value” shows a similar increase. The inflation of prices which marked the early post-war period is particularly manifest in the figures for salaries and wages, and the aggregate amounts paid to labour during 1918-19 and the two subsequent years show violent fluctuations. Indeed, within the twelve months following the year 1918-19 the amount paid away in this connection increased by nearly £2,000,000, to be followed in 1920-21 with another increase of £3,000,000 over 1919-20 and of £5,000,000 over 1918-19. During this time the number of employees had not, however, remained stationary, but did not show increases nearly commensurate with the increase in salaries and wages; the percentage increases of the figures for the years 1919-20 and 1920-21 ever the year immediately preceding, and of 1920-21 over 1918-19, were 8.94 per cent., 8.18 per cent., and 17.85 per cent. respectively. Similar increases in salaries and wages show percentages of 22.73, 25.85, and 54.45 respectively.
The following table shows the wages paid during the last five years according to provincial districts:—
| Year. | Auckland. | Taranaki. | Hawke's Bay. | Wellington. | Marlborough. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1919-20 | 3,414,477 | 482,277 | 489,367 | 2,676,266 | 58,636 |
| 1920-21 | 4,649,341 | 478,068 | 521,375 | 3,300,905 | 72,789 |
| 1921-22 | 4,293,067 | 459,696 | 510,414 | 3,051,375 | 91,455 |
| 1922-23 | 4,451,192 | 430,415 | 503,443 | 2,900,206 | 95,601 |
| 1923-24 | 4,907,600 | 473,373 | 519,957 | 3,000,546 | 90,159 |
| Year. | Nelson. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago. | Southland. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1919-20 | 161,536 | 188,224 | 2,041,788 | 1,672,169 | 444,666 | 11,629,406 |
| 1920-21 | 203,643 | 268,068 | 2,589,254 | 2,003,943 | 548,215 | 14,635,601 |
| 1921-22 | 186,116 | 286,465 | 2,437,173 | 1,851,646 | 509,969 | 13,677,376 |
| 1922-23 | 184,640 | 279,276 | 2,610,882 | 1,799,784 | 509,445 | 13,764,884 |
| 1923-24 | 219,324 | 344,717 | 2,551,320 | 1,901,511 | 564,934 | 14,573,441 |
The amounts received by male and female employees, and the average amount received per employee of each sex, as recorded in the last five collections, are set out below:—
| Year. | Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total. | Average. | Total. | Average. | Total. | Average. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1919-20 | 10,331,373 | 181.36 | 1,298,033 | 81.52 | 11,629,406 | 159.55 |
| 1920-21 | 12,989,629 | 210.35 | 1,645,972 | 96.26 | 14,635,601 | 185.61 |
| 1921-22 | 12,477,854 | 215.78 | 1,199,522 | 96.05 | 13,677,376 | 194.51 |
| 1922-23 | 12,492,799 | 208.13 | 1,272,085 | 93.28 | 13,764,884 | 186.87 |
| 1923-24 | 13,220,908 | 207.13 | 1,352,533 | 97.78 | 14,573,441 | 187.65 |
Owing to the fact that employees who were engaged for part of the year only were not excluded from the figures in computing the averages given above, and, further, as it was not practicable to take into consideration other factors which would disturb the accuracy of the final averages, the figures given in the above table cannot be regarded in other than a general way.
The classification of the salaries and wages paid according to the class of employees is interesting, but, owing to the difficulty in many cases of differentiating between the three classes, the figures given below are in many cases the result of estimations.
The following table shows the total salaries and wages paid during the last five years classified according to the class of employees, together with the percentage which the amount received by each class bears to the total amount paid:—
| Year. | Administrative. | Productive. | Distributive. | Total Amount. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount. | Per Cent. of Total | Amount. | Per Cent. of Total. | Total Amount. | Per Cent. of Total. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 1919-20 | 643,824 | 5.54 | 10,019,043 | 86.15 | 966,539 | 8.31 | 11,629,406 |
| 1920-21 | 805,869 | 5.50 | 12,569,904 | 85.89 | 1,259,828 | 8.61 | 14,635,601 |
| 1921-22 | 826,554 | 6.04 | 11,519,975 | 84.23 | 1,330,847 | 9.73 | 13,677,376 |
| 1922-23 | 834,324 | 6.06 | 11,549,146 | 83.90 | 1,381,414 | 10.04 | 13,764,884 |
| 1923-24 | 925,260 | 6.35 | 12,136,394 | 83.28 | 1,511,787 | 10.37 | 14,573,441 |
The increase in the proportions received by the administrative and distributive employees since 1920-21 is probably due to the exclusion in subsequent years of the dressmaking and other industries where the administrative and distributive wages would be relatively small.
The average amounts received annually during the last five years by administrative, productive, and distributive employees are given in the following table:—
| Year. | Administrative. | Productive. | Distributive. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1919-20 | 280.78 | 116.16 | 176.52 | 79.95 | 187.18 | 100.65 |
| 1920-21 | 318.15 | 127.55 | 203.82 | 94.59 | 229.52 | 116.91 |
| 1921-22 | 318.18 | 126.65 | 208.39 | 93.73 | 239.12 | 115.53 |
| 1922-23 | 324.99 | 124.83 | 199.75 | 91.08 | 236.07 | 115.87 |
| 1923-24 | 321.67 | 122.40 | 197.50 | 95.71 | 254.86 | 116.80 |
The average amounts received by all classes of employees during the last year show substantial increases over the figures for 1919-20, the largest increase being enjoyed by the male distributive employees, whose wages in 1923-24 had increased by 36 per cent. over those in 1919-20. Strange to say, the male-productive employees show the smallest increase (12 per cent.), as against 20 per cent. in the case of females. A tendency for the amounts received by each class of employees to increase is manifest up to 1921-22, but the latest figures show an all-round decrease with the exception of female productive and all distributive employees, which show increases.
The following table shows the salaries and wages paid during the year ended 31st March, 1924, in each class of industry, classified according to whether paid on account of administration, production, or distribution.
| Class of Industry. | Salaries and Wages paid on account of | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administration. | Production. | Distribution. | Total | |||||||||
| To Males. | To Females. | Total. | To Males. | To Females. | Total. | To Males. | To Females. | Total. | To Males. | To Females. | Total. | |
* Included in “Miscellaneous.” | ||||||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Animal food | 170,816 | 11,226 | 182,042 | 2,021,902 | 17,940 | 2,039,842 | 65,712 | 7,016 | 72,728 | 2,258,430 | 36,182 | 2,294,612 |
| Vegetable food | 37,230 | 405 | 37,635 | 395,841 | 97,122 | 492,963 | 59,107 | 10,368 | 69,475 | 492,178 | 107,895 | 600,073 |
| Drinks, narcotics, and stimulants | 39,626 | 1,480 | 41,106 | 280,528 | 14,659 | 295,187 | 87,155 | 5,746 | 92,901 | 407,309 | 21,885 | 429,194 |
| Animal matters (not otherwise classed) | 24,271 | 2,632 | 26,903 | 169,455 | 7,013 | 176,468 | 14,030 | 1,282 | 15,312 | 207,756 | 10,927 | 218,683 |
| Working in wood | 95,463 | 1,814 | 97,277 | 2,047,915 | 7,287 | 2,055,202 | 141,920 | 3,262 | 145,182 | 2,285,298 | 12,363 | 2,297,661 |
| Vegetable produce for fodder | 2,412 | .. | 2,412 | 12,418 | 1,689 | 14,107 | 2,355 | 796 | 3,151 | 17,185 | 2,485 | 19,670 |
| Paper manufactures | 4,561 | 1,160 | 5,721 | 37,692 | 16,302 | 53,994 | 1,509 | 585 | 2,094 | 43,762 | 18,047 | 61,809 |
| Heat, light, and power | 90,539 | 11,328 | 101,867 | 611,718 | 1,536 | 613,254 | 707,808 | 8,807 | 716,615 | 1,410,065 | 21,671 | 1,431,736 |
| Processes relating to stone, clay, glass, &c. | 19,664 | 1,084 | 20,748 | 512,213 | 2,092 | 514,305 | 35,820 | 2,410 | 38,230 | 567,697 | 5,586 | 573,283 |
| Metals other than gold or silver | 73,981 | 2,623 | 76,604 | 1,083,859 | 11,034 | 1,094,893 | 34,793 | 5,356 | 40,149 | 1,192,633 | 19,013 | 1,211,646 |
| Precious metals | 377 | 234 | 611 | 35,431 | 590 | 36,021 | 1,067 | 410 | 1,477 | 36,875 | 1,234 | 38,109 |
| Books and publications | 110,326 | 7,639 | 117,965 | 913,430 | 123,409 | 1,036,839 | 94,829 | 11,396 | 106,225 | 1,118,585 | 142,444 | 1,261,029 |
| Musical instruments | 595 | .. | 595 | 11,485 | 142 | 11,627 | 618 | 190 | 808 | 12,698 | 332 | 13,030 |
| Ornaments and minor art products | 983 | .. | 983 | 38,697 | 3,926 | 42,623 | 1,259 | 961 | 2,220 | 40,939 | 4,887 | 45,826 |
| Equipment for sports and games | 700 | 364 | 1,064 | 7,811 | .. | 7,811 | 1,341 | 348 | 1,689 | 9,852 | 712 | 10,564 |
| Designs, medals, type, and dies | 1,151 | 71 | 1,222 | 10,967 | 182 | 11,149 | 130 | 120 | 250 | 12,248 | 373 | 12,621 |
| Ammunition and explosives* | ||||||||||||
| Machines, tools, and implements | 12,999 | 2,212 | 15,211 | 173,601 | 6,551 | 180,152 | 35,036 | 4,697 | 39,733 | 221,636 | 13,460 | 235,096 |
| Carriages and vehicles | 46,887 | 4,174 | 51,061 | 609,838 | 12,354 | 622,192 | 3,437 | 380 | 3,817 | 660,162 | 16,908 | 677,070 |
| Harness, saddlery, and leatherware | 24,596 | 1,086 | 25,682 | 327,274 | 14,069 | 341,343 | 30,779 | 3,650 | 34,429 | 382,649 | 18,805 | 401,454 |
| Ships, boats, and their equipment | 4,006 | 302 | 4,308 | 177,332 | 7,872 | 185,204 | 1,057 | 465 | 1,522 | 182,395 | 8,639 | 191,034 |
| House-furnishings | 16,393 | 1,481 | 17,874 | 374,594 | 25,669 | 400,263 | 19,483 | 4,156 | 23,639 | 410,470 | 31,306 | 441,776 |
| Chemicals and by-products | 12,213 | 400 | 12,613 | 101,943 | 24,452 | 126,395 | 15,982 | 1,651 | 17,633 | 130,138 | 26,503 | 156,641 |
| Textile fabrics | 10,410 | 326 | 10,736 | 256,722 | 142,584 | 399,306 | 13,528 | 2,229 | 15,757 | 280,660 | 145,139 | 425,799 |
| Apparel | 57,717 | 6,498 | 64,215 | 506,244 | 654,363 | 1,160,607 | 49,197 | 8,940 | 58,137 | 613,158 | 669,801 | 1,282,959 |
| Fibrous materials | 6,881 | 396 | 7,277 | 190,932 | 5,501 | 196,433 | 3,644 | 632 | 4,276 | 201,457 | 6,529 | 207,986 |
| Miscellaneous | 1,468 | 60 | 1,528 | 20,263 | 7,951 | 28,214 | 2,942 | 1,396 | 4,338 | 24,673 | 9,407 | 34,080 |
| Totals | 866,265 | 58,995 | 925,260 | 10,930,105 | 1,206,289 | 12,136,394 | 1,424,538 | 87,249 | 1,511,787 | 13,220,908 | 1,352,533 | 14,573,441 |
A supply of cheap motive power is essential for the development of factory production. New Zealand industries have in the past been somewhat handicapped in this respect, as coal and oil, which were in the earlier days the only sources of power, were by no means cheap. The difficulties in the way of obtaining a plentiful supply of cheap motive power are now being overcome by the development of hydroelectric power, for which New Zealand is geographically ideal. The Government has in recent years developed this phase of the Dominion's resources, and in doing so has provided a margin of power for attracting special industries depending on a supply of cheap motive power, as well as amply meeting present demands. The question also of providing large surplus power to attract special export industries by offering cheap electric power is realized to be an important one, and is receiving full consideration.
The following table shows the number of each class of engine used for the last five years, with figures of horse-power for the last three years:—
| Class of Engine. | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | No. | 2,004 | 2,266 | 2,266 | 2,310 | 2,263 |
| H.P. | .. | .. | 101,083 | 98,875 | 113,894 | |
| Coal-gas | No. | 524 | 577 | 519 | 561 | 505 |
| H.P. | .. | .. | 10,295 | 10,088 | 12,177 | |
| Suction gas | No. | 244 | 234 | 237 | 246 | 239 |
| H.P. | .. | .. | 14,181 | 13,949 | 12,381 | |
| Oil | No. | 307 | 372 | 389 | 418 | 395 |
| H.P. | .. | .. | 5,466 | 6,451 | 6,966 | |
| Electric | No. | 4,186 | 4,812 | 5,235 | 5,784 | 6,673 |
| H.P. | .. | .. | 49,571 | 56,108 | 62,221 | |
| Water | No. | 212 | 216 | 222 | 210 | 221 |
| H.P. | .. | .. | 39,104 | 41,630 | 43,272 | |
| Totals | No. | 7,477 | 8,477 | 8,868 | 9,529 | 10,296 |
| H.P. | 193,784 | 217,174 | 219,700 | 227,101 | 250,911 | |
The aggregate available horse-power of the engines used shows enormous increases over the last twenty years, and since 1900-1 has increased approximately sixfold. In 1900-1 the average horse-power of the engines used per establishment and per employee was 10.7 and 0.8 respectively, while in 1923-24 the corresponding figures appeared as 56.25 and 3.69. During the last five years the averages per establishment and per productive employee have increased from 37.38 and 2.70 to 56.25 and 3.69 respectively.
The table on the opposite page shows the engines used and their horse-power as recorded in the last live collections, classified according to the various classes of industries. The total horsepower of engines engaged in the production of heat, light, and power is seen to have increased from 67,049 in 1919-20 to 93,907 in 1923-24. Establishments engaged in the preparation of animal food, which rank second as regards aggregate horse-power used, also show a substantial increase during the period, while a much greater advance is disclosed by the figures for the timber-milling and wood-working industry, which ranks third.
| Class of Industry. | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Engines. | Horsepower. | Number of Engines. | Horsepower. | Number of Engines. | Horsepower. | Number of Engines. | Horsepower. | Number of Engines. | Horsepower. | |
* Included in “Miscellaneous.” | ||||||||||
| Animal food | 2,012 | 46,820 | 2,122 | 49,543 | 2,452 | 56,786 | 2,548 | 57,034 | 2,657 | 53,865 |
| Vegetable food | 321 | 7,728 | 327 | 7,520 | 359 | 7,642 | 385 | 8,063 | 435 | 8,219 |
| Drinks, narcotics, and stimulants | 433 | 3,253 | 489 | 3,576 | 461 | 3,328 | 471 | 3,394 | 488 | 3,564 |
| Animal matters (not otherwise classed) | 209 | 3,796 | 248 | 4,181 | 158 | 2,084 | 138 | 1,688 | 128 | 1,507 |
| Working in wood | 843 | 21,548 | 1,157 | 28,014 | 1,200 | 30,481 | 1,313 | 35,491 | 1,422 | 33,924 |
| Vegetable produce for fodder | 8 | 163 | 15 | 232 | 11 | 279 | 25 | 337 | 24 | 331 |
| Paper manufactures | 30 | 1,306 | 33 | 1,130 | 29 | 1,169 | 32 | 1,162 | 58 | 3,403 |
| Heat, light, and power | 166 | 67,049 | 185 | 75,992 | 180 | 74,711 | 170 | 71,801 | 186 | 93,907 |
| Processes relating to stone, clay, glass, &c. | 320 | 10,948 | 444 | 14,399 | 348 | 10,957 | 384 | 12,573 | 408 | 14,027 |
| Metals other than gold or silver | 535 | 6,055 | 574 | 6,132 | 603 | 6,537 | 625 | 6,953 | 745 | 7,932 |
| Precious metals | 50 | 68 | 54 | 105 | 62 | 89 | 62 | 82 | 61 | 77 |
| Books and publications | 673 | 4,544 | 744 | 4,735 | 803 | 4,964 | 884 | 5,246 | 986 | 5,364 |
| Musical instruments | 3 | 17 | 8 | 42 | 10 | 51 | 12 | 55 | 8 | 38 |
| Ornaments and minor art products | 12 | 27 | 25 | 51 | 19 | 35 | 20 | 47 | 23 | 44 |
| Equipment for sports and games | * | * | 12 | 46 | * | * | 12 | 52 | 12 | 51 |
| Designs, medals, type, and dies | 14 | 20 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 29 |
| Ammunition and explosives | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| Machines, tools, and implements | 67 | 861 | 73 | 960 | 94 | 557 | 117 | 990 | 129 | 1,080 |
| Carriages and vehicles | 425 | 1,846 | 554 | 2,293 | 646 | 2,727 | 750 | 3,147 | 781 | 3,145 |
| Harness, saddlery, and leatherware | 288 | 4,739 | 242 | 2,734 | 264 | 2,912 | 273 | 3,020 | 287 | 2,925 |
| Ships, boats, and their equipment | 93 | 707 | 91 | 668 | 83 | 659 | 98 | 662 | 90 | 656 |
| House-furnishings | 308 | 2,217 | 374 | 2,899 | 375 | 2,964 | 397 | 3,129 | 435 | 3,202 |
| Chemicals and by-products | 63 | 587 | 58 | 466 | 85 | 792 | 111 | 1,097 | 164 | 1,551 |
| Textile fabrics | 52 | 3,484 | 68 | 3,989 | 79 | 3,936 | 97 | 4,544 | 111 | 4,938 |
| Apparel | 422 | 1,793 | 427 | 1,963 | 423 | 2,054 | 462 | 2,052 | 477 | 2,195 |
| Fibrous materials | 90 | 3,943 | 98 | 4,012 | 87 | 3,735 | 106 | 4,276 | 127 | 4,665 |
| Miscellaneous | 40 | 265 | 48 | 430 | 25 | 233 | 22 | 186 | 37 | 272 |
| Totals | 7,477 | 193,784 | 8,477 | 216,125 | 8,868 | 219,700 | 9,529 | 227,101 | 10,296 | 250,911 |
As regards kind of power used, the most remarkable development is the large increase in electric motors. Where electric current is available new installations of power are almost invariably of this type, and with increasing facilities electricity will no doubt become correspondingly preponderant. The subjoined table shows the number of engines or motors of each kind in use at five censuses, together with the percentage each represents of the total number of engines or motors in the respective years:—
| Kind of Power. | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Engines or Motors. | Per Cent. of Total. | No. of Engines or Motors. | Per Cent. of Total. | No. of Engines or Motors. | Per Cent. of Total. | No. of Engines or Motors. | Per Cent. of Total. | No. of Engines or Motors. | Per Cent. of Total. | |
| Steam | 2,004 | 26.80 | 2,266 | 26.72 | 2,266 | 25.55 | 2,310 | 24.24 | 2,263 | 21.98 |
| Coal-gas | 524 | 7.01 | 577 | 6.81 | 519 | 5.85 | 561 | 5.89 | 505 | 4.90 |
| Suction gas | 244 | 3.26 | 234 | 2.76 | 237 | 2.67 | 246 | 2.58 | 239 | 2.32 |
| Oil | 307 | 4.10 | 372 | 4.39 | 389 | 4.39 | 418 | 4.39 | 395 | 3.84 |
| Electric | 4,186 | 55.99 | 4,812 | 56.77 | 5,235 | 59.03 | 5,784 | 60.70 | 6,673 | 64.81 |
| Water | 212 | 2.84 | 216 | 2.55 | 222 | 2.51 | 210 | 2.20 | 221 | 2.15 |
| Totals | 7,477 | 100.0 | 8,477 | 100.0 | 8,868 | 100.0 | 9,529 | 100.0 | 10,296 | 100.0 |
In conjunction with the returns of factory production, statistics as to the quantity of coal used in the various manufacturing industries are now collected. The most noticeable feature of the figures for 1923-24 is that 68 per cent. of the coal used as above in the Dominion was shown as consumed in the North Island. The biggest contributing factor to this is undoubtedly the extensive use of hydroelectric power in the two main centres of the South Island. The most remarkable differences appear in tramways, electric supply, and gasworks. Tramways in the North Island used 57,991 tons of coal, as against 625 tons used in the South Island; electric supply. 82,662 in the North, as against 13,067 in the South; and gas-supply, 176,766 tons in the North, as against 72,944 tons in the South.
The appended table shows the quantity of coal consumed in connection with the principal manufacturing industries in the two Islands for the year ended 31st March, 1924, with Dominion figures for 1923-24 and 1922-23:—
| Industry. | 1923-24. | 1922-23. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Island | South Island. | Total. | Total. | |
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| Meat freezing and preserving | 83,665 | 32,467 | 116,132 | 114,815 |
| Butter, cheese, and condensed-milk manufacture | 54,176 | 29,160 | 83,336 | 85,324 |
| Grain-milling | 5,559 | 6,929 | 12,488 | 11,788 |
| Brewing and malting | 4,289 | 6,167 | 10,456 | 10,868 |
| Gas making and supply | 176,766 | 72,944 | 249,710 | 242,740 |
| Electricity generation and supply | 82,662 | 13,067 | 95,729 | 50,255 |
| Electric tramways | 57,991 | 625 | 58,616 | 67,643 |
| Lime crushing and burning and cement-making | 66,303 | 39,103 | 105,406 | 65,514 |
| Brick, tile, and pottery making | 25,937 | 15,906 | 41,843 | 35,966 |
| Engineering, boilermaking, and other metal-working | 3,805 | 8,409 | 12,214 | 8,106 |
| Tanning, fellmongering, and wool-scouring | 3,603 | 8,085 | 11,688 | 13,235 |
| Woollen-milling | 4,638 | 17,704 | 22,342 | 21,814 |
| Biscuits, confectionery — making, and sugar-boiling | 1,022 | 6,330 | 7,352 | 7,366 |
| Soap and candle making | 4,086 | 2,366 | 6,452 | 7,060 |
| Boiling-down and manure-making | 3,140 | 3,896 | 7,036 | 8,832 |
| Sawmilling and sash and door making | 3,388 | 3,847 | 7,235 | 6,390 |
| Flaxmilling, rope and twine making | 4,082 | 2,669 | 6,751 | 5,764 |
| Other industries | 36,519 | 16,746 | 53,265 | 51,840 |
| Totals | 621,631 | 286,420 | 908,051 | 815,320 |
The value of materials used or operated upon does not afford a very satisfactory basis of comparison as between one industry and another, for the reason that the changes wrought during the process of manufacture vary considerably in degree. For instance, materials used or operated upon in the tanning, fellmongering, and wool-scouring industry were in 1923-24 valued at £2,042,321, while those used in printing, publishing, and bookbinding were valued at less than one half of this figure (£916,818). If, however, value of output be considered, it is found that the figure for tanning, fellmongering, and wool-scouring (£2,702,534) is almost £1,000,000 less than that for printing, &c. (£3,623,123), the added value in the former case being only £660,213, as against £2,706,305 in the latter.
The appended table gives the value of materials used in manufacturing industries, according to provincial districts, for the years 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22, 1922-23, and 1923-24:—
| Provincial District. | 1910-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Auckland | 13,247,444 | 18,883,924 | 13,296,016 | 14,585,802 | 15,133,139 |
| Taranaki | 4,210,400 | 4,156,284 | 2,759,931 | 3,544,365 | 3,694,745 |
| Hawke's Bay | 2,346,821 | 2,156,182 | 1,709,729 | 2,106,844 | 2,486,654 |
| Wellington | 9,935,995 | 10,440,828 | 8,084,038 | 9,184,643 | 9,448,411 |
| Marlborough | 229,349 | 322,373 | 288,577 | 304,208 | 324,590 |
| Nelson | 518,386 | 650,590 | 527,775 | 491,605 | 598,641 |
| Westland | 245,652 | 242,325 | 169,175 | 189,639 | 174,526 |
| Canterbury | 9,015,685 | 10,212,772 | 7,242,065 | 8,382,918 | 8,674,880 |
| Otago | 5,238,734 | 6,030,856 | 4,241,885 | 4,320,204 | 4,328,022 |
| Southland | 2,049,465 | 2,415,029 | 1,725,134 | 1,985,459 | 2,163,425 |
| Totals | 47,037,931 | 55,511,163 | 40,044,325 | 45,095,687 | 47,027,033 |
The value of materials used in the various classes of industries during the last five years is given in the table hereunder:—
| Class of Industry. | Value of Materials used. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | |
* Included in “Miscellaneous.” | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Animal food | 23,668,674 | 28,437,982 | 20,202,850 | 25,581,683 | 26,354,325 |
| Vegetable food | 4,576,702 | 5,719,645 | 5,274,154 | 4,739,775 | 4,717,299 |
| Drinks, narcotics, and stimulants | 1,215,086 | 1,621,146 | 910,353 | 781,223 | 786,403 |
| Animal matters (not otherwise classed) | 1,199,320 | 1,322,594 | 692,626 | 603,519 | 587,313 |
| Working in wood | 1,900,047 | 1,829,503 | 1,281,550 | 1,408,105 | 1,604,431 |
| Vegetable produce for fodder | 31,869 | 52,113 | 95,024 | 67,184 | 77,048 |
| Paper manufactures | 86,958 | 138,705 | 75,204 | 85,602 | 82,365 |
| Heat, light, and power | 1,398,459 | 1,898,009 | 2,175,024 | 2,160,587 | 2,357,151 |
| Processes relating to stone, clay, glass, &c. | 334,288 | 764,353 | 336,252 | 294,246 | 320,411 |
| Metals other than gold or silver | 1,064,574 | 1,476,705 | 1,252,766 | 1,067,951 | 1,223,819 |
| Precious metals | 66,742 | 68,917 | 67,715 | 52,277 | 49,172 |
| Books and publications | 886,794 | 1,213,039 | 1,125,142 | 885,123 | 916,818 |
| Musical instruments | 9,225 | 12,709 | 4,870 | 7,427 | 5,867 |
| Ornaments and minor art products | 39,774 | 61,167 | 54,901 | 52,909 | 54,838 |
| Equipment for sports and games | * | 18,468 | * | 12,937 | 13,334 |
| Designs, medals, type, and dies | 4,011 | 3,846 | 5,367 | 5,430 | 6,512 |
| Ammunition and explosives | * | * | * | * | * |
| Machines, tools, and implements | 270,499 | 489,058 | 276,409 | 266,699 | 286,382 |
| Carriages and vehicles | 555,826 | 641,913 | 618,511 | 619,682 | 678,469 |
| Harness, saddlery, and leatherware | 4,209,810 | 3,038,905 | 1,300,413 | 1,936,117 | 2,237,734 |
| Ships, boats, and their equipment | 328,467 | 375,882 | 285,345 | 190,292 | 204,384 |
| House-furnishings | 569,073 | 755,224 | 551,477 | 530,778 | 642,395 |
| Chemicals and by-products | 314,152 | 366,128 | 345,378 | 426,095 | 586,612 |
| Textile fabrics | 611,189 | 684,715 | 569,708 | 722,794 | 764,848 |
| Apparel | 3,140,530 | 3,823,307 | 2,059,697 | 2,250,106 | 2,122,452 |
| Fibrous materials | 416,652 | 452,811 | 297,623 | 296,789 | 296,852 |
| Miscellaneous | 139,210 | 244,319 | 185,936 | 50,357 | 49,799 |
| Totals | 47,037,931 | 55,511,163 | 40,044,325 | 45,095,687 | 47,027,033 |
The cost of the materials used at the factory is asked for on the returns, but in the butter, cheese, &c., industry this information has not been supplied. The establishments engaged in this industry are mainly co-operative companies and do not actually purchase the milk, &c., from the suppliers, but treat it on their behalf, and divide the proceeds of the manufactured goods acording to the quantity of milk, &c., supplied.
The figures shown do not represent the actual cost price of the milk and cream used in these concerns, but are in such cases the proceeds from the sale of the manufactured products, less the expenses of manufacture.
The products of manufacture are valued at the current selling-price of the goods manufactured or work done at the factory, where a valuation on this basis is possible, but in many of the principal industries, such as butter, cheese, &c., and meat-freezing, where the commodities are marketed abroad, it is possible that the values of the products are in excess of the actual values as at the factory. By excluding indirect expenses incurred beyond the factory from the value of the products based on the actual selling-prices an attempt has been made to reduce the values shown in such cases to the value at the factory.
In making use of the value of gross products it must be borne in mind that the figures include the value of raw materials operated upon, which constitutes more than half of the total value; in fact, the cost of materials used has represented no less than 69, 67, 67, 60, 61, and 61 per cent. respectively of the value of the products in the last six years. Where the products of one industry—for example, sawmilling — are treated again in other industries, such as furniture-making, joinery, &c., it must be obvious that the value of timber shown as products of the former industry appears again as the materials of the latter industry and enters into the value of joinery and furniture made. Duplication of this kind is apparent in many industries.
The following table shows the gross value of products by provincial districts for the years 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22, 1922-23, and 1923-24:—
| Provincial District. | 1910-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Auckland | 19,954,502 | 27,153,253 | 22,287,176 | 24,544,257 | 25,764,304 |
| Taranaki | 5,160,596 | 5,523,081 | 3,999,789 | 4,850,053 | 4,979,022 |
| Hawke's Bay | 3,514,820 | 3,358,023 | 3,001,692 | 3,324,982 | 3,681,129 |
| Wellington | 14,896,926 | 16,135,888 | 13,572,042 | 14,923,815 | 15,386,201 |
| Marlborough | 346,702 | 468,187 | 472,386 | 498,527 | 484,783 |
| Nelson | 806,685 | 1,068,755 | 914,378 | 935,845 | 1,076,288 |
| Westland | 576,792 | 762,311 | 732,527 | 710,693 | 826,577 |
| Canterbury | 13,245,284 | 15,042,223 | 11,916,895 | 13,023,529 | 13,469,075 |
| Otago | 8,226,595 | 9,445,723 | 7,514,251 | 7,727,816 | 8,053,579 |
| Southland | 3,051,304 | 3,516,125 | 2,735,133 | 3,313,906 | 3,275,439 |
| Totals | 69,780,296 | 82,473,569 | 67,146,269 | 73,853,423 | 76,996,397 |
The following table shows the gross value of products by classes of industries as recorded in the last five collections:—
| Class of Industry. | Value of Products. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | |
* Included in “Miscellaneous.” | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Animal food | 29,471,865 | 33,393,950 | 26,245,828 | 32,640,666 | 33,173,678 |
| Vegetable food | 5,594,639 | 7,068,650 | 6,861,581 | 6,462,845 | 6,395,407 |
| Drinks, narcotics, and stimulants | 2,263,504 | 2,878,117 | 2,054,324 | 1,875,170 | 1,871,803 |
| Animal matters (not otherwise classed) | 1,721,606 | 1,896,635 | 1,221,692 | 1,172,517 | 1,073,878 |
| Working in wood | 3,956,387 | 5,620,092 | 5,572,082 | 5,534,604 | 5,857,322 |
| Vegetable produce for fodder | 48,828 | 66,139 | 87,872 | 109,433 | 110,462 |
| Paper manufactures | 219,304 | 311,086 | 153,245 | 221,303 | 217,389 |
| Heat, light, and power | 2,820,275 | 3,637,605 | 4,113,248 | 4,224,835 | 4,562,343 |
| Processes relating to stone, clay, glass, &c. | 927,480 | 1,997,088 | 1,383,519 | 1,439,476 | 1,858,086 |
| Metals other than gold or silver | 2,451,520 | 3,303,513 | 3,038,149 | 2,779,687 | 3,161,570 |
| Precious metals | 135,226 | 160,963 | 158,330 | 135,331 | 129,946 |
| Books and publications | 2,639,362 | 3,395,276 | 3,464,224 | 3,531,936 | 3,623,123 |
| Musical instruments | 26,092 | 29,995 | 26,467 | 27,921 | 22,319 |
| Ornaments and minor art products | 95,028 | 140,540 | 133,489 | 129,738 | 138,473 |
| Equipment for sports and games | * | 33,290 | * | 32,704 | 30,710 |
| Designs, medals, type, and dies | 20,378 | 16,896 | 23,136 | 28,785 | 32,589 |
| Ammunition and explosives | * | * | * | * | * |
| Machines, tools, and implements | 609,095 | 938,343 | 704,961 | 602,259 | 720,907 |
| Carriages and vehicles | 1,304,519 | 1,676,173 | 1,652,598 | 1,705,917 | 1,867,320 |
| Harness, saddlery, and leatherware | 5,307,675 | 3,845,295 | 1,951,732 | 2,822,641 | 3,088,276 |
| Ships, boats, and their equipment | 611,538 | 721,611 | 557,273 | 417,941 | 463,586 |
| House-furnishings | 1,155,766 | 1,514,001 | 1,221,266 | 1,186,107 | 1,365,040 |
| Chemicals and by-products | 542,523 | 551,005 | 606,174 | 808,831 | 1,019,839 |
| Textile fabrics | 1,171,116 | 1,364,169 | 1,252,613 | 1,164,342 | 1,475,855 |
| Apparel | 5,619,295 | 6,643,777 | 3,737,709 | 4,051,437 | 3,939,034 |
| Fibrous materials | 821,397 | 873,412 | 648,963 | 635,774 | 674,677 |
| Miscellaneous | 245,878 | 395,948 | 275,794 | 111,223 | 122,765 |
| Totals | 69,780,296 | 82,473,569 | 67,146,269 | 73,853,423 | 76,996,397 |
As indicated under the heading of “products,” the value of products is not always a satisfactory measure of either the absolute or the relative importance of a given industry, for the reason that only part of this value is actually created by the manufacturing processes carried on in the industry itself. Another part, and in many cases by far the larger portion, represents the value of the materials used. From a manufacturing standpoint, therefore, the best measure of the importance of an industry is the value created by the manufacturing operations carried on within the industry. This value is obtained by deducting the cost of materials used from the gross value of the products, and is referred to as the “added value.” As the basis of the added value is the value of products, it is clear that it must be affected by fluctuations in values, and this fact should not be lost sight of when use is made of these figures.
For the purpose of eliminating the effect of fluctuations in prices from the added value special index numbers have been prepared, on the basis of wholesale prices in 1914, for commodities that are chiefly manufactured or produced in New Zealand, and the added value has been adjusted in accordance therewith. The adjusted figures, together with the increase per cent. of the figure for each year over the immediately preceding one, are given hereunder, and represent comparable monetary units whose purchasing-power during each of the years covered was the same as the purchasing-power of the sovereign in 1914.
| £ | increase per Cent. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1918-19 | 11,187,483 | .. |
| 1919-20 | 12,326,486 | 10.18 |
| 1920-21 | 12,345,424 | 0.15 |
| 1921-22 | 12,856,710 | 4.14 |
| 1922-23 | 16,331,344 | 27.03 |
| 1923-24 | 17,577,340 | 7.63 |
It is not claimed that the above figures are quite free from the effects of price -fluctuations—to render the figures so would be for practical purposes impossible—but it is submitted that the gross figures for each year, having been reduced to a common price-level, are sufficiently accurate to be comparable, and can be accepted as an index, though only an approximate one, of the value created in the factories and works during the years given. Even though the adjusted figures are of necessity only roughly approximate, they are infinitely more truly indicative of the actual state of affairs than the unadjusted figures.
The rapid growth in the Dominion's manufactories during recent years is reflected in the added-value figure recorded at successive collections. Taking the totals for industries common to all years, which permit of comparison, the added value, which appeared at £9,702,780 in 1906, reached the imposing figure of £29,969,364 in 1924, an increase of over 300 per cent. The largest increase shown by the figures for one collection over those for the immediately preceding one was between the years 1920 and 1921, the added value in the latter year exceeding that in the former by approximately £4,000,000. This increase was mainly due to the phenomenal rise in the prices of manufactured articles at that time.
The added value by provincial districts for the last five collections, taking all industries into account, is given in the table hereunder:—
| Provincial District. | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Auckland | 6,707,058 | 8,269,329 | 8,991,160 | 9,958,455 | 10,631,165 |
| Taranaki | 950,196 | 1,366,797 | 1,239,858 | 1,305,688 | 1,284,277 |
| Hawke's Bay | 1,167,999 | 1,201,841 | 1,291,963 | 1,218,138 | 1,194,475 |
| Wellington | 4,960,931 | 5,695,060 | 5,488,004 | 5,739,172 | 5,937,790 |
| Marlborough | 117,353 | 145,814 | 183,809 | 194,319 | 160,193 |
| Nelson | 288,299 | 418,165 | 386,603 | 444,240 | 477,647 |
| Westland | 331,140 | 519,986 | 563,352 | 521,054 | 652,051 |
| Canterbury | 4,229,599 | 4,829,451 | 4,674,830 | 4,640,611 | 4,794,195 |
| Otago | 2,987,861 | 3,414,867 | 3,272,366 | 3,407,612 | 3,725,557 |
| Southland | 1,001,929 | 1,101,096 | 1,009,999 | 1,328,447 | 1,112,014 |
| Totals | 22,742,365 | 26,962,406 | 27,101,944 | 28,757,736 | 29,969,364 |
For the last five years the Auckland Provincial District has contributed the largest proportion of the total added value, with Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago following in that order, and Southland, Taranaki, and Hawke's Bay just in excess of one million each. Fairly event increases have been recorded for the Auckland District, where a large variety of industries is located, while in Taranaki, where mainly butter and cheese making is carried on, the movement in the added-value figure over the period approximates to the fluctuations in the prices for dairy-produce. In the Wellington Province a similar movement of a less marked nature is evident, and it is somewhat remarkable that the 1923-24 figures in this case show an increase of 20 per cent. only over those for 1919-20. Auckland during the same period showed an increase of 58 per cent.
The following table shows various percentages and rates that have been computed in connection with the added value for the last five years:—
| — | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Added value per head of mean population | 18.83 | 21.53 | 21.08 | 21.93 | 22.47 |
| Added value per productive employee | 350.15 | 383.78 | 440.38 | 444.77 | 444.08 |
| Added value per £100 expended on productive wages | 226.99 Per Cent. | 214.50 Per Cent. | 235.26 Per Cent. | 249.00 Per Cent. | 246.94 Per Cent. |
| Percentage of productive wages to added value | 44.05 | 46.62 | 42.51 | 40.16 | 40.50 |
| Percentage of added value to cost of materials used | 48.35 | 48.57 | 67.68 | 63.77 | 67.97 |
In 1919-20 the added value per productive employee was £350.15, while in 1923-24 it had reached £444.08, an increase of 21.13 per cent. The wholesale-prices index numbers for the years shown in this table do not show increases commensurate with the increase in added value; in fact, the general index number for 1923 (1803) shows an actual decrease as compared with the figure for 1919-20 (1834). As the general index number is based on many commodities which are not manufactured to any extent in the Dominion, it is well to consider the movements in the index numbers (already referred to) which have been computed in regard to New Zealand manufactures only. The index numbers in question decreased from 1845 in 1919 to 1705 in 1923. During the same period the aggregate mechanical power available increased by 29 per cent., which is quite out of proportion to the increase of approximately 10 per cent. in the total productive employees. In view of the above it seems a reasonable conclusion that the increase in the added value per employee has been due to the following factors: (a) Fluctuations in values; (b) increased motive power; and (c) increase in productivity of labour. It is difficult to measure the influence exerted by each, but it would seem that the increased motive power has been responsible for the major part of the increase, while fluctuations in values have accounted for most of the balance, with perhaps increased productivity of labour taking credit for the small remainder.
The figures given in respect of the added value per £100 expended on productive wages are interesting, inasmuch as they indicate to a certain extent the manufacturer's return for each £100 paid away as wages. It is perhaps not out of place to point out that this comparison is merely an arbitrary one, and that other factors such as cost of motive power, general overhead, &c., combine with labour in the creation of the value. Taking into consideration the increase in motive power and ignoring fluctuations in values, the upward tendency in the added value per £100 expended on productive wages is due principally to the expanding use of motive power.
More or less conflicting results are shown by the proportion per cent. of productive wages to added value during the period under review, but up to 1921-22 the figures illustrate the tendency for wages to follow fluctuations in prices. In 1919-20, when prices soared, wages did not increase in proportion, with the result that labour's share of the fund created by manufacture dropped slightly, but in 1920-21, when prices fell and wages lagged behind, labour secured an increased share (46 per cent.). Wages did not drop until some time after the fall in prices, with the result that the proportion paid away as wages was higher than usual, and industry became relatively unprofitable. Further, the increased real cost of labour reduced the demand for it, and unemployment followed. The following year recorded a fall in wages, while prices had recovered to some extent, and the proportion received by labour was therefore smaller, being 42.51 per cent. A further fall in the percentage paid away as wages was recorded in 1922-23, but a slightly upward tendency is manifested by the figure for 1923-24. Although the relation between the aggregates of wages paid and of added value bear out to a certain extent the changing times through which industry has passed in the last five years, yet definite conclusions cannot be arrived at without due regard to the effects brought about by the increased use of machinery and changes in the relative importance of different groups of industries. Some idea of the effects of the latter consideration can be seen from the following table showing the percentages of wages to added value in the principal classes of industries:—
| — | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| Animal food | 35.03 | 46.28 | 38.27 | 29.67 | 29.91 |
| Vegetable food | 31.11 | 28.97 | 28.36 | 29.79 | 31.82 |
| Drinks, narcotics, and stimulants | 27.96 | 29.19 | 29.18 | 31.98 | 28.95 |
| Animal matters (not otherwise classed) | 37.73 | 43.21 | 38.25 | 32.95 | 36.27 |
| Working in wood | 70.13 | 54.89 | 45.92 | 46.60 | 48.32 |
| Heat, light, and power | 23.96 | 28.69 | 26.08 | 22.86 | 27.81 |
| Books and publications | 31.36 | 37.12 | 36.63 | 31.68 | 38.31 |
| Designs, medals, type, and dies | 40.11 | 41.30 | 40.06 | 43.64 | 42.75 |
| Machines, tools, and implements | 44.75 | 49.93 | 42.64 | 51.09 | 41.46 |
| Apparel | 56.18 | 59.99 | 61.38 | 71.41 | 63.89 |
| Fibrous materials | 51.58 | 45.33 | 50.10 | 50.07 | 51.99 |
The table given hereunder shows the added value by classes of industries for the years 1919-20, 1920-21. 1921-22, 1922-23, and 1923-24:—
| Class- | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Included in “Miscellaneous.” † Decreased value. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Animal food | 5,803,191 | 4,955,968 | 6,042,978 | 7,058,983 | 6,819,353 |
| Vegetable food | 1,017,937 | 1,349,005 | 1,587,427 | 1,723,070 | 1,678,108 |
| Drinks, narcotics, and stimulants | 1,048,418 | 1,256,971 | 1,143,971 | 1,093,947 | 1,095,400 |
| Animal matters (not otherwise classed) | 522,280 | 574,041 | 529,066 | 568,998 | 486,565 |
| Working in wood | 2,056,340 | 3,790,589 | 4,290,532 | 4,126,499 | 4,252,391 |
| Vegetable produce for fodder | 16,959 | 14,026 | -7,152† | 42,249 | 33,414 |
| Paper manufactures | 132,346 | 172,381 | 78,041 | 135,701 | 135,024 |
| Heat, light, and power | 1,421,816 | 1,739,596 | 1,938,224 | 2,064,248 | 2,205,192 |
| Processes relating to stone, clay, glass, &c. | 593,192 | 1,232,735 | 1,047,267 | 1,145,230 | 1,537,675 |
| Metals other than gold or silver | 1,386,946 | 1,826,808 | 1,785,383 | 1,711,736 | 1,937,751 |
| Precious metals | 68,484 | 92,046 | 90,615 | 83,054 | 80,774 |
| Books and publications | 1,752,568 | 2,182,237 | 2,339,082 | 2,646,813 | 2,706,305 |
| Musical instruments | 16,867 | 17,286 | 21,597 | 20,494 | 16,452 |
| Ornaments and minor art products | 55,254 | 79,373 | 78,588 | 76,829 | 83,635 |
| Equipment for sports and games | * | 14,822 | * | 19,767 | 17,376 |
| Designs, medals, type, and dies | 16,367 | 13,050 | 17,769 | 23,355 | 26,077 |
| Ammunition and explosives | * | * | * | * | * |
| Machines, tools, and implements | 338,596 | 449,285 | 428,552 | 335,560 | 434,525 |
| Carriages and vehicles | 748,693 | 1,034,260 | 1,034,057 | 1,086,235 | 1,188,851 |
| Harness, saddlery, and leatherware | 1,097,865 | 806,390 | 651,319 | 886,524 | 840,542 |
| Ships, boats, and their equipment | 283,071 | 345,729 | 271,928 | 227,649 | 259,202 |
| House-furnishings | 586,693 | 758,777 | 669,789 | 655,329 | 722,645 |
| Chemicals and by-products | 228,371 | 184,877 | 260,796 | 382,736 | 433,227 |
| Textile fabrics | 559,927 | 679,454 | 682,905 | 441,548 | 711,007 |
| Apparel | 2,478,765 | 2,820,470 | 1,678,012 | 1,801,331 | 1,816,582 |
| Fibrous material | 404,745 | 420,601 | 351,340 | 338,985 | 377,825 |
| Miscellaneous | 106,668 | 151,629 | 89,858 | 60,866 | 72,966 |
| Totals | 22,742,365 | 26,962,406 | 27,101,944 | 28,757,736 | 29,969,364 |
The values of the fixed assets give some idea as to the permanency and stability of the manufacturing industries in New Zealand as well as affording the means of judging to some extent of the amount of capital that has been sunk therein.
In connection with the following table it should be understood that the figures given are of necessity only approximate, the principal reason for this being that where one building houses two or more factories carrying on different industries an apportionment has to be made between the industries, and this cannot be done with absolute accuracy. Furthermore, in many instances fixed assets are stated at their book value, and this may be an understatement owing to appreciated site-value, or an overstatement owing to insufficient allowance being made for depreciation, obsolescence, &c. Where premises occupied are rented or leased (particularly if only a portion) it has been found impossible to arrive at the correct value. In such circumstances the practice has been to ascertain the annual rental value and capitalize this.
The following table shows the value of land, buildings, and plant and machinery recorded in the years 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22, 1922-23, and 1923-24 by provincial districts:—
| Provincial District. | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Auckland | 10,406,729 | 13,321,327 | 14,005,480 | 14,684,367 | 15,877,209 |
| Taranaki | 1,753,264 | 1,887,057 | 2,043,310 | 1,900,321 | 1,788,372 |
| Hawke's Bay | 1,424,257 | 1,711,480 | 1,684,389 | 1,779,534 | 1,812,904 |
| Wellington | 7,781,084 | 8,989,942 | 9,352,441 | 10,009,230 | 9,974,750 |
| Marlborough | 195,834 | 195,256 | 259,814 | 308,086 | 325,853 |
| Nelson | 481,788 | 626,042 | 578,662 | 588,664 | 705,431 |
| Westland | 523,806 | 585,996 | 703,845 | 715,462 | 711,878 |
| Canterbury | 5,764,656 | 6,667,649 | 7,166,652 | 8,152,851 | 8,065,429 |
| Otago | 3,724,187 | 3,988,082 | 4,120,110 | 4,457,568 | 4,590,221 |
| Southland | 1,380,515 | 1,592,006 | 1,469,516 | 1,623,042 | 1,646,007 |
| Totals | 33,436,120 | 39,564,837 | 41,384,219 | 41,219,125 | 45,498,054 |
The value of land, buildings, and plant and machinery may be taken as representing approximately the fixed capital, and a classification by classes of industries is therefore interesting, as it shows to a certain extent the amount of this capital required in the various classes. It is recognized that electric-supply undertakings and gasworks require heavy expenditure on plant and machinery, &c., and it is not surprising that the value of fixed assets employed in the industries coming under the “Heat, light, and power” class is much greater than that for any other class, notwithstanding that the added value in this case is relatively small. It is particularly interesting to note that while the added value in the “Animal food” class amounts to £6,819,353, as against £2,205,192 for heat, light, and power, the fixed capital in the latter case is £16,786,878, while in the former it is £8,502,359—over £7,000,000 less. The following table shows the value of land, buildings, plant, and machinery by classes of industries for the years 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22, 1922-23, and 1923-24:—
| Class of Industry. | Value of Land, Buildings, Plant, and Machinery. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | |
* Included in “Miscellaneous.” | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Animal food | 7,180,390 | 8,880,840 | 9,616,370 | 9,470,214 | 8,502,359 |
| Vegetable food | 1,214,120 | 1,323,709 | 1,625,489 | 1,698,223 | 1,919,501 |
| Drinks, narcotics, and stimulants | 1,095,164 | 1,251,448 | 1,211,797 | 1,350,464 | 1,167,199 |
| Animal matters (not otherwise classed) | 530,187 | 713,828 | 479,846 | 445,383 | 431,542 |
| Working in wood | 2,451,226 | 2,852,255 | 3,126,000 | 3,243,686 | 3,274,955 |
| Vegetable produce for fodder | 22,104 | 55,989 | 65,178 | 91,554 | 83,002 |
| Paper manufactures | 103,163 | 109,993 | 121,339 | 168,991 | 194,039 |
| Heat, light, and power | 9,731,504 | 10,922,598 | 12,549,066 | 14,333,367 | 15,786,878 |
| Processes relating to stone, clay, glass, &c. | 1,197,819 | 1,767,486 | 1,467,302 | 1,279,184 | 1,435,351 |
| Metals other than gold or sliver | 1,428,374 | 1,553,444 | 1,650,507 | 1,760,763 | 1,916,217 |
| Precious metals | 137,577 | 148,480 | 151,208 | 125,537 | 140,289 |
| Books and publications | 1,604,355 | 2,022,374 | 2,197,228 | 2,312,734 | 2,454,826 |
| Musical instruments | 79,58 | 22,792 | 33,015 | 31,106 | 24,944 |
| Ornaments and minor art products | 98,239 | 110,220 | 120,436 | 118,834 | 151,715 |
| Equipment for sports and games | * | 16,504 | * | 17,280 | 16,947 |
| Designs, medals, type, and dies | 27,717 | 13,190 | 25,725 | 27,326 | 32,374 |
| Ammunition and explosives | * | * | * | * | * |
| Machines, tools, and implements | 256,708 | 309,623 | 322,380 | 430,702 | 386,318 |
| Carriages and vehicles | 1,377,588 | 1,679,519 | 2,064,067 | 2,256,035 | 2,155,913 |
| Harness, saddlery, and leatherware | 610,163 | 581,942 | 617,088 | 636,160 | 607,111 |
| Ships, boats, and their equipment | 187,259 | 205,898 | 247,072 | 245,231 | 267,785 |
| House-furnishings | 570,803 | 711,853 | 774,086 | 855,305 | 868,586 |
| Chemicals and by-products | 197,829 | 171,461 | 213,116 | 467,881 | 518,333 |
| Textile fabrics | 512,653 | 622,299 | 677,236 | 706,844 | 822,634 |
| Apparel | 2,125,757 | 2,628,922 | 1,351,178 | 1,518,488 | 1,615,750 |
| Fibrous materials | 587,710 | 710,467 | 562,118 | 557,835 | 630,767 |
| Miscellaneous | 108,127 | 177,893 | 115,372 | 69,998 | 92,719 |
| Totals | 33,436,120 | 39,564,837 | 41,384,219 | 44,219,125 | 45,498,054 |
The relation between the value of (a) land and buildings, and (b) plant and machinery illustrates the tendency for the latter to increase at a proportionately faster rate than the former. In 1906 the proportions per cent. of land and buildings and plant and machinery to the total fixed assets were 57 and 43 respectively, but in the last collection these positions were reversed, the percentages being 42 1/2 and 57 1/2. Each collection since 1906 has shown a gradual and consistent decrease in the percentage of the value of land and buildings to the total fixed assets, and an increase in the figure for plant and machinery. The table given hereunder shows the movement during the last five years:—
| Year. | Land and Buildings. | Plant and Machinery. | Total Amount. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount. | Per Cent. of Total. | Amount. | Per Cent. of Total. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| 1919-20 | 16,811,870 | 50.28 | 16,624,250 | 49.72 | 33,436,120 |
| 1920-21 | 19,707,988 | 49.81 | 19,856,849 | 50.19 | 39,564,837 |
| 1921-22 | 19,244,031 | 46.50 | 22,140,188 | 53.50 | 41,384,219 |
| 1922-23 | 19,904,178 | 45.01 | 24,314,947 | 54.99 | 44,219,125 |
| 1923-24 | 19,289,484 | 42.40 | 26,208,570 | 57.60 | 45,498,054 |
Although information as to the amount of capital sunk in each factory has been collected for some years, the figures in this respect have been found to be inaccurate and have not been made use of. The chief factors militating against the collection of satisfactory information in this connection are the lax methods of accounting in use in many of the smaller establishments, and the difficulty of apportioning the capital where an establishment, is only partly manufacturing. In the case of joint-stock companies the capital figures have been found to be reasonably accurate, and have been published in the “Annual Statistical Report on Factory Production” for some years. The following table shows particulars of the capital employed in factories by joint-stock companies at the 1911 and each succeeding collection:—
| — | Number of Companies. | Subscribed Capital. | Paid-up Capital. | Percentage of Paid-up Capital to Total Capital. | Loan Capital (excluding Bank Overdraft). | Percentage of Loan Capital to Total Capital. | Total Capital (Paid-up and Loan Capital). | Paid-up Shares issued Vendors as Part of Purchase Consideration, included under heading “Paid-up Capital.” |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including co-operative companies. | ||||||||
| Private Companies. | ||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| 1911 | 433 | 2,950,765 | 2,606,435 | 88.87 | 326,275 | 11.13 | 2,932,710 | 798,050 |
| 1916 | 595 | 5,751,073 | 5,115,045 | 87.98 | 699,059 | 12.02 | 5,814,104 | 1,561,841 |
| 1919 | 761 | 7,918,816 | 7,209,558 | 89.16 | 876,698 | 10.84 | 8,086,256 | 1,347,371 |
| 1920 | 788 | 6,846,867 | 6,328,721 | 86.68 | 972,366 | 13.32 | 7,301,087 | 1,214,773 |
| 1921 | 954 | 8,665,683 | 7,829,180 | 86.69 | 1,202,008 | 13.31 | 9,031,188 | 1,481,147 |
| 1922 | 897 | 9,439,728 | 8,686,580 | 88.29 | 1,152,147 | 11.71 | 9,838,727 | 1,183,415 |
| 1923 | 980 | 10,616,977 | 9,743,238 | 87.82 | 1,351,306 | 12.18 | 11,094,544 | 1,367,205 |
| 1924 | 1,073 | 11,145,577 | 10,290,736 | 86.11 | 1,660,217 | 13.89 | 11,950,953 | 1,099,693 |
| Public Companies. | ||||||||
| 1911 | 566 | 12,497,095 | 10,501,692 | 85.80 | 1,738,126 | 14.20 | 12,239,818 | 1,778,786 |
| 1916 | 445 | 15,442,482 | 12,432,852 | 86.62 | 1,920,739 | 13.38 | 14,353,591 | 1,387,341 |
| 1919 | 447 | 17,649,958 | 15,052,664 | 85.28 | 2,597,309 | 14.72 | 17,049,973 | 1,702,944 |
| 1920 | 428 | 18,999,051 | 16,518,568 | 87.76 | 2,303,752 | 12.24 | 18,822,320 | 1,683,078 |
| 1921 | 43 | 19,897,588 | 17,515,421 | 90.06 | 1,933,123 | 9.94 | 19,448,544 | 2,260,432 |
| 1922 | 426 | 18,089,454 | 16,092,693 | 86.52 | 2,507,411 | 13.48 | 18,600,104 | 4,209,195 |
| 1923* | 845 | 24,405,077 | 20,549,176 | 87.45 | 2,949,846 | 12.55 | 23,499,022 | 2,245,922 |
| 1924 | 833 | 26,455,416 | 22,647,701 | 85.63 | 3,800,539 | 14.37 | 26,448,240 | 3,316,417 |
| Total (Public and Private Companies). | ||||||||
| 1911 | 9 | 15,447,860 | 13,108,127 | 86.39 | 2,064,401 | 13.61 | 15,172,528 | 2,576,836 |
| 1916 | 1,040 | 21,193,555 | 17,547,897 | 87.01 | 2,619,798 | 12.99 | 20,167,695 | 2,949,182 |
| 1919 | 1,208 | 25,568,774 | 22,262,222 | 86.50 | 3,474,007 | 13.50 | 25,736,229 | 3,050,315 |
| 1920 | 1,216 | 25,845,918 | 22,847,289 | 87.46 | 3,276,118 | 12.54 | 26,123,407 | 2,897,851 |
| 1921 | 1,437 | 28,563,271 | 25,344,601 | 88.99 | 3,135,131 | 11.01 | 28,479,732 | 3,741,579 |
| 1922 | 1,323 | 27,529,182 | 24,779,273 | 87.13 | 3,659,558 | 12.87 | 28,438,831 | 5,392,640 |
| 1923 | 1,825 | 85,022,054 | 30,292,414 | 87.57 | 4,301,152 | 12.43 | 34,593,566 | 3,613,127 |
| 1924 | 1,906 | 37,600,993 | 32,938,437 | 85.78 | 5,460,756 | 14.22 | 38,399,193 | 4,416,110 |
An examination of the above figures reveals that from 1911 onwards a little more than 10 per cent. of the capital invested in the factories and works operated by companies was obtained by way of loan. It is of interest to note that public companies work on a slightly higher percentage of loan capital than private companies, and that from 1916 onwards the paid-up and loan capital of private companies has been consistently in excess of the subscribed capital, while public companies have only twice— and then by comparatively small margins—since 1911 had the use of paid-up and loan capital in actual excess of the subscribed capital. This dealing within the margin of the subscribed capital by public companies is due, no doubt, to the fact that such concerns are, in comparison with private companies, at a more or less disadvantage as regards procuring extra capital, and keep a wide margin of uncalled capital available to meet emergencies. The relationship between the paid-up and loan capital invested as shown in the percentages in the previous table has shown slight, though highly significant, movements during the last six years. The general contraction of credit and the difficulty in' obtaining loans which followed the slump in 1921 were responsible for the percentage of loan capital to the total capital in that year falling slightly below normal. Since 1921 the percentage of loan capital has shown an upward tendency, and the figure for the latest collection for both private and public companies is the highest recorded.
The following table, showing the added value per £100 of capital (loan and paid up) for private and public companies, throws considerable light on the relative returns on capital invested in both kinds of companies:—
| Year. | Added Value per £100 Capital. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private Companies. | Public Companies. | Private and Public Companies. | |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 60.75 | 32.17 | 37.70 |
| 1916 | 50.72 | 36.87 | 40.86 |
| 1919 | 58.40 | 35.65 | 42.80 |
| 1920 | 79.12 | 43.67 | 53.58 |
| 1921 | 79.54 | 47.06 | 57.36 |
| 1922 | 73.57 | 49.08 | 57.55 |
| 1923 | 70.34 | 48.15 | 55.91 |
| 1924 | 73.56 | 40.81 | 51.74 |
The figures show that the added value per £100 capital is higher in the case of private companies than for public companies, and indicate either that the capital in the former companies is put to better use than in the latter, or that there is relatively more capital employed in public than in private companies.
In considering the figures given in regard to capital it must be borne in mind that the registered capital is taken in each case, except where the company may not be fully engaged in manufacture, in which case an apportionment on the basis of fixed assets is taken, and that the capital necessarily includes capital invested in securities outside the company. This excess capital, as it may be called, would for various reasons be more likely to be found to any great extent in public companies than in private companies, and has, no doubt, the effect of swelling the capital figure for public companies to some considerable extent, beyond the amount actually invested in the various factories. The smaller return for each £100 capital invested in the case of public companies is no doubt due in some measure to this fact, but the main cause for the difference would appear to lie in the more economical administration of the private companies as compared with the public companies.
The average capital per productive employee in factories operated by public and private companies is given for the last seven collections: 1916, £1,162; 1919, £614, 1920, £580; 1921, £575; 1922, £628; 1923, £659; 1924, £708.
Information as to the character of organization of the establishments engaged in factory production is given in the following table for each of the last three years.
| Character of Organization. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923.24. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Added Value. | No. | Added Value. | No. | Added Value. | |
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Individual | 1,394 | 3,060,910 | 1,463 | 3,141,420 | 1,505 | 3,163,128 |
| Private firm or partnership | 932 | 2,817,494 | 924 | 2,804,032 | 923 | 2,951,230 |
| Public registered company | 426 | 9,128,162 | 426 | 9,950,116 | 409 | 9,740,105 |
| Private registered company | 897 | 7,238,843 | 980 | 7,804,284 | 1,073 | 8,790,617 |
| Municipal | 111 | 1,307,602 | 116 | 1,458,752 | 124 | 1,575,370 |
| Co-operative and miscellaneous | 420 | 3,548,933 | 4261 | 3,599,132 | 427 | 3,748,914 |
| Totals | 4,180 | 27,101,944 | 4,335 | 28,757,736 | 4,461 | 29,969,364 |
The figures, in the above table show that the excellent facilities offered by the limited-liability company have been taken advantage of by the larger manufacturing establishments. Although the majority of establishments were either individual or partnership concerns, the actual added value of such concerns during each of the periods shown has been only slightly in excess of 20 per cent. of the total added value. Public and private registered companies contributed more than 50 per cent., of the total output during the same periods.
A table is now given showing for the various classes of industries the number of establishments instituted during the periods indicated:—
| Class of Industry. | Number established. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prior to 1860. | 1860-69. | 1870-79. | 1880-89. | 1890-99. | 1900-09. | 1910-21. | 1922. | 1923. | Not stated. | Total. | |
| Animal food | 3 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 80 | 112 | 228 | 16 | 17 | 51 | 538 |
| Vegetable food | 5 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 27 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 120 |
| Drinks, narcotics, and stimulants | 6 | 20 | 23 | 31 | 14 | 38 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 37 | 211 |
| Animal matters (not otherwise classed) | .. | 2 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 66 |
| Working in wood | 7 | 8 | 27 | 28 | 38 | 106 | 279 | 35 | 44 | 53 | 625 |
| Vegetable produce for fodder | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 4 | 1 | .. | .. | 8 |
| Paper manufactures | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | .. | 2 | 2 | 2 | .. | 2 | 17 |
| Heat, light, and power | .. | 4 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 33 | 64 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 146 |
| Processes relating to stone, clay, glass, &c. | 3 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 36 | 65 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 166 |
| Metals other than gold or silver | 10 | 18 | 21 | 26 | 34 | 68 | 117 | 13 | 15 | 53 | 375 |
| Precious metals | .. | 5 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 16 | .. | .. | 3 | 53 |
| Books and publications | 7 | 29 | 30 | 36 | 46 | 47 | 59 | 5 | 4 | 29 | 292 |
| Musical instruments | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 7 |
| Ornaments and minor art products | .. | .. | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 21 | .. | 1 | 8 | 55 |
| Equipment for sports and games | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
| Designs, medals, type, and dies | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | .. | 1 | 12 |
| Ammunition and explosives | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Machines, tools, and implements | .. | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 36 |
| Carriages and vehicles | 1 | 6 | 15 | 33 | 45 | 89 | 362 | 46 | 31 | 110 | 738 |
| Harness, saddlery, and leather-ware | 2 | 5 | 11 | 27 | 23 | 30 | 37 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 161 |
| Ships, boats, and their equipment | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 2 | .. | 9 | 62 |
| House-furnishings | 2 | 9 | 5 | 19 | 28 | 45 | 135 | 13 | 7 | 31 | 294 |
| Chemicals and by-products | .. | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 2 | .. | 4 | 60 |
| Textile fabrics | .. | .. | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 16 |
| Apparel | 3 | 4 | 14 | 22 | 30 | 51 | 120 | 17 | 14 | 36 | 311 |
| Fibrous materials | .. | .. | 6 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 63 |
| Miscellaneous | .. | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | .. | 5 | 1 | .. | 5 | 24 |
| Totals | 53 | 146 | 224 | 337 | 442 | 754 | 1,653 | 176 | 166 | 510 | 4,461 |
Out of the total manufacturing establishments in existence in New Zealand in 1924, only 53 were in operation prior to 1860, so that in the 64 years following that date, excluding those cases where the date of establishment is unknown, 3,898 establishments came into existence, at an average rate over the whole period of 61 per annum, or just over 5 per month. The actual rate of increase, however, has been much greater from 1910 onwards. The growth of the meat-freezing, &c., and butter and cheese, &c., establishments can be traced to the inauguration of refrigeration in 1882, which was responsible for the coming into operation in the 1880-89 period of 10 of the former establishments and 17 of the latter.
Individual particulars regarding the principal industries for the years 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22, 1922-23, and 1923-24 are set out in the following pages. Fuller details for individual years are given in successive issues of the Annual Statistical Report on Factory Production.
| — | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Not available. * Not available. * Not available. * Including £21,667 not allocated under the previous headings. | ||||||
| Meal Freezing and Preserving. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 50 | 51 | 50 | 48 | 46 |
| Hands employed | .. | 8,562 | 8,631 | 8,245 | 7,408 | 7,361 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 1,578,000 | 1,737,843 | 1,649,650 | 1,419,063 | 1,335,281 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 36,555 1/4 | 38,434 | 40,841 | 39,576 1/2 | 34,972 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 3,060,784 | 3,593,702 | 3,763,197 | 3,875,548 | 2,874,865 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 1,738,150 | 1,920,708 | 2,039,096 | 2,098,923 | 1,780,137 |
| Frozen sheep— | ||||||
| Carcases | No. | 3,798,858 | 3,336,926 | 2,707,801 | 2,052,226 | 1,792,475 |
| Value | £ | 4,637,604 | 3,834,483 | 2,668,631 | 2,334,786 | 2,251,243 |
| Frozen lambs— | ||||||
| Carcases | No. | 2,875,749 | 3,302,274 | 4,452,011 | 4,945,973 | 4,832,820 |
| Value | £ | 2,679,846 | 3,331,073 | 4,584,785 | 5,985,997 | 5,914,122 |
| Frozen mutton and lamb pieces— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 51,927 | 23,769 | 24,997 1/2 | 30,990 1/4 | 12,174 |
| Value | £ | 120,378 | 51,375 | 52,666 | 69,389 | 30,645 |
| Frozen beef— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 899,359 1/2 | 841,767 | 554,215 | 729,830 1/4 | 825,613 |
| Value | £ | 2,048,163 | 1,462,604 | 572,072 | 791,546 | 977,469 |
| Frozen rabbits—Value | £ | 45,881 | 21,027 | 30,724 | 8,459 | 9,541 |
| Preserved meats— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 183,212 | 135,532 | 74,269 | 76,248 | 75,379 |
| Value | £ | 722,147 | 566,212 | 241,318 | 242,683 | 245,560 |
| Tallow— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 455,758 | 417,129 | 352,434 | 344,389 | 323,573 |
| Value | £ | 1,353,191 | 718,026 | 492,742 | 517,706 | 506,551 |
| Bonedust— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 192,883 | 458,761 | 106,292 | 161,051 | 99,202 |
| Value | £ | 123,390 | 228,404 | 45,078 | 112,915 | 45,001 |
| Other manures— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 531,362 | 705,690 | 394,271 | 483,315 | 364,818 |
| Value | £ | 224,425 | 319,794 | 161,861 | 222,021 | 130,776 |
| Neatsfoot and trotter oil— | ||||||
| Quantity | Gallons | 52,907 | 43,061 | 37,734 | 38,592 | 37,780 |
| Value | £ | 11,788 | 10,823 | 6,750 | 6,383 | 7,184 |
| Bones, horns, hoofs, &c.— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 4,256 | 3,947 | 3,495 | 4,514 | 1,622 |
| Value | £ | 2,567 | 947 | 1,675 | 6,282 | 1,720 |
| Other products—Value | £ | 4,395,074 | 3,124,334 | 1,671,805 | 2,358,040 | 3,160,311 |
| Total value of output | £ | 16,364,394 | 13,669,102 | 10,530,107 | 12,677,331 | 13,261,678 |
| Ham and Bacon Curing. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | 36 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 38 | .. |
| Hands employed | 199 | 221 | 276 | 290 | 288 | .. |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 40,825 | 41,773 | 54,568 | 61,493 | 68,948 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 466 1/2 | 619 | 1,266 | 1,301 | 1,388 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 98,355 | 107,199 | 115,134 | 127,220 | 118,679 |
| Machinery and plant. | £ | 38,395 | 53,832 | 61,478 | 60,030 | 82,213 |
| Pigs dealt with— | ||||||
| Number | 77,963 | 90,376 | 109,476 | 151,201 | 175,917 | .. |
| Value | £ | 410,625 | 493,113 | 430,796 | 476,462 | 634,476 |
| Value of other material used | £ | 23,742 | 20,232 | 30,563 | 33,286 | 27,615 |
| Hams and bacon—Quantity | Cwt. | 74,889 | 78,214 | 97,182 | 137,006 | 168,328 |
| Lard—Quantity | Cwt. | 500,289 | 4,109 | 3,683 | 7,014 1/2 | 7,888 |
| Total value of output | £ | 515,908 | 599,131 | 581,644 | 657,496 | 906,042 |
| Fish Curing and Preserving. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | 12 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 9 | .. |
| Hands employed | 128 | 94 | 96 | 114 | 99 | .. |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 40,465 | 29,844 | 30,368 | 37,696 | 33,994 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 13,912 | 15,153 | 14,939 | 17,967 | 16,477 |
| Fish cured—Value | £ | 58,551 | 96,702 | 111,596 | 109,514 | 75,243 |
| Fish canned—Value | £ | 18,467 | 1,788 | 3,595 | 6,000 | 3,485 |
| Value of other products | £ | 18,875 | 25,180 | 14,928 | 8,701 | .. |
| Total value of output | £ | 95,893 | 123,670 | 130,119 | 124,215 | 78,728 |
| Butter, Cheese, and Condensed-milk Making. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Factories | 426 | 423 | 436 | 431 | 445 | .. |
| Hands employed | 3,352 | 3,762 | 4,138 | 4,212 | 4,321 | .. |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 554,448 | 712,249 | 813,489 | 810,858 | 868,006 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 9,650 1/2 | 10,372 1/4 | 14,553 1/2 | 16,000 | 17,325 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 1,292,574 | 1,542,570 | 1,926,031 | 1,707,041 | 1,720,205 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 897,755 | 1,617,834 | 1,666,127 | 1,545,789 | 1,875,789 |
| Number of separators— | ||||||
| At home | 15,708 | 24,404 | 32,114 | 34,845 | 36,414 | .. |
| At butter-factories | 513 | 547 | 553 | 613 | 824 | .. |
| Butterfat separated— | ||||||
| At home | lb. | 46,920,498 | 62,438,996 | 90,683,490 | 108,182,546 | 112,068,684 |
| At butter-factories | lb. | 7,112,629 | 15,790,973 | 23,482,681 | 40,089,862 | 32,500,710 |
| Milk received by cheese-factories | lb. | 1,394,647,290 | 1,242,520,939 | 1,408,257,610 | 1,287,360,988 | 1,680,417,442 |
| Fat received | lb. | 53,562,220 | 47,098,181 | 53,946,628 | 52,509,031 | 70,092,509 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 10,430,165 | 16,400,926 | 11,528,370 | 15,696,639 | 15,136,630 |
| Butter produced (including whey butter)— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 577,065 | 829,698 | 1,205,441 | 1,576,444 | 1,473,783 |
| Value | £ | 5,182,677 | 11,296,717 | 9,098,244 | 12,822,056 | 12,207,741 |
| Cheese produced— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 1,262,892 1/2 | 1,115,650 | 1,268,534 | 1,247,987 | 1,534,980 |
| Value | £ | 6,260,261 | 6,254,350 | 4,838,375 | 5,473,173 | 5,994,651 |
| Value of other produce | £ | 1,052,732 | 1,450,980 | 1,067,339 | 886,395 | 724,838 |
| Total value of all produce | £ | 12,495,670 | 19,002,047 | 15,003,958 | 19,181,624 | 18,927,230 |
| Grain-mills. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Mills | 52 | 53 | 52 | 53 | 52 | .. |
| Hands employed | 584 | 644 | 688 | 670 | 695 | .. |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 115,904 | 150,396 | 166,471 | 165,913 | 167,467 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 4,264 | 4,238 1/2 | 4,442 1/2 | 4,603 1/2 | 4,384 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 335,405 | 333,382 | 388,365 | 390,060 | 403,698 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 237,528 | 251,532 | 277,080 | 282,302 | 319,157 |
| Wheat used—Quantity | Bushels | 5,940,299 | 6,200,483 | 5,655,563 | 6,258,159 | 6,470,496 |
| Total grain—Value | £ | 2,230,639 | 2,599,405 | 2,326,297 | 2,272,122 | 1,933,679 |
| Flour produced | Tons | 126,712 1/2 | 131,766 1/2 | 121,663 | 139,702 | 133,428 |
| Oatmeal produced | Tons | 7,449 | 6,485 1/2 | 5,035 | 5,529 | 7,259 |
| Other products—Value | £ | 437,711 | 534,080 | 503,559 | 505,415 | 484,254 |
| Total value of output | £ | 2,807,916 | 3,426,965 | 3,156,530 | 3,059,004 | 2,718,611 |
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | 49 | 51 | 58 | 60 | 59 | .. |
| Hands employed | 1,654 | 1,698 | 1,886 | 2,032 | 2,290 | .. |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 194,596 | 230,844 | 258,057 | 261,847 | 290,928 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 1,534 | 1,692 | 1,589 1/2 | 1,838 1/2 | 2,214 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 249,141 | 274,677 | 278,797 | 276,527 | 412,756 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 175,405 | 201,281 | 228,120 | 273,196 | 306,069 |
| Flour used—Quantity | Tons | 5,273 | 5,343 | 4,939 1/2 | 4,771 1/2 | 4,964 |
| Sugar used—Quantity | Tons | 6,386 1/4 | 5,390 1/2 | 5,626 1/2 | 6,603 1/4 | 6,830 |
| Value of other materials | £ | 395,003 | 460,238 | 402,901 | 422,933 | 489,937 |
| Biscuits and confectionery made | £ | 1,065,370 | 1,237,685 | 1,174,550 | 1,165,104 | 1,283,218 |
| Other products | £ | 12,586 | 33,311 | 63,475 | 65,259 | 101,248 |
| Total value of products | £ | 1,077,956 | 1,270,996 | 1,238,025 | 1,230,363 | 1,384,466 |
| Fruit-preserving and Jam-making. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | .. |
| Hands employed | 325 | 310 | 229 | 322 | 298 | .. |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 36,903 | 44,210 | 39,133 | 42,181 | 50,103 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 49,630 | 49,372 | 57,828 | 49,218 | 46,120 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 23,119 | 21,838 | 19,011 | 27,174 | 28,436 |
| Fruit used | Tons | 2,960 | 4,473 1/4 | 2,633 | 3,293 | 2,762 |
| Value of— | ||||||
| Fruit used | £ | 56,133 | 79,547 | 42,947 | 62,691 | 51,100 |
| Sugar and other ingredients | £ | 52,495 | 89,552 | 68,560 | 58,480 | 55,137 |
| Fruit bottled or preserved | £ | 31,022 | 14,344 | 22,561 | 18,902 | 16,359 |
| Jams and jellies made— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cwt. | 73,195 | 83,921 | 68,170 | 51,763 | 54,708 |
| Value | £ | 173,749 | 281,222 | 231,539 | 189,158 | 200,866 |
| Other preserves—Value | £ | 5,831 | 21,109 | 24,776 | 29,135 | 26,481 |
| Total value of output | £ | 210,612 | 316,675 | 278,876 | 237,195 | 243,706 |
| Breweries and Malt-houses. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Establishments. | 57 | 66 | 53 | 54 | 53 | .. |
| Hands employed | 1,090 | 1,129 | 1,047 | 1,038 | 974 | .. |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 228,235 | 289,823 | 275,448 | 283,158 | 228,510 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 2,121 1/2 | 2,297 3/4 | 2,172 3/4 | 2,175 3/4 | 2,244 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 393,497 | 428,571 | 472,435 | 567,458 | 407,502 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 255,373 | 270,571 | 264,337 | 305,837 | 291,803 |
| Barley used in production of malt | Bushels | 597,291 | 687,544 | 623,648 | 657,357 1/2 | 523,926 |
| Hops used | Cwt. | 5,984 3/4 | 6,244 | 6,864 | 5,352 1/2 | 6,313 |
| Sugar used | Cwt. | 34,513 | 24,420 | 24,550 1/2 | 22,675 | 20,374 |
| Ale brewed | Gallons | 13,818,049 | 14,331,989 | 13,054,110 | 12,241,835 | 10,921,367 |
| Stout brewed | Gallons | 1,118,611 | 1,308,295 | 1,165,095 | 1,496,566 | 1,011,830 |
| Ale bottled | Doz. qts. | 714,749 | 807,063 | 649,573 | 547,529 | 464,211 |
| Stout bottled | Doz. qts. | 339,636 | 339,607 | 350,956 | 324,845 | 286,352 |
| Value of output | £ | 1,084,121 | 1,463,558 | 1,286,186 | 1,053,016 | 943,030 |
| Total cost of materials used | £ | 484,185 | 648,566 | 530,205 | 393,591 | 363,560 |
| Aerated-water and Cordial Factories. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 114 | 124 | 124 | 121 | 123 |
| Hands employed | .. | 551 | 537 | 611 | 582 | 589 |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 94,459 | 102,192 | 121,118 | 113,796 | 123,804 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 142,392 | 184,226 | 182,369 | 181,438 | 180,980 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 80,459 | 92,344 | 104,344 | 115,192 | 125,619 |
| Aerated waters—Quantity | Doz. | 2,292,982 | 2,236,296 | 1,906,894 | 1,874,181 | 2,067,628 |
| Cordials—Quantity | Doz. | 47,405 | 44,328 | 43,406 | 34,650 1/2 | 46,078 |
| Hop-beer—Quantity | Doz. | 170,056 | 163,943 | 148,511 | 221,314 | 202,278 |
| Total value of all manufactures | £ | 343,329 | 370,613 | 364,048 | 354,341 | 404,795 |
| Total cost of materials used | £ | 102,977 | 136,445 | 122,698 | 107,968 | 131,770 |
| Other expenses | £ | * | 48,008 | 54,626 | 57,360 | 68,313 |
| Sauce, Pickle, and Vinegar Making. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | 16 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 19 | .. |
| Hands employed | 280 | 275 | 247 | 269 | 279 | .. |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 42,437 | 48,174 | 41,324 | 46,030 | 46,688 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 50,566 | 60,029 | 61,757 | 70,295 | 51,768 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 17,753 | 21,140 | 25,100 | 26,319 | 27,322 |
| Total value of all manufactures | £ | 172,751 | 184,528 | 186,998 | 188,773 | 198,326 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 103,206 | 119,605 | 102,753 | 100,185 | 103,353 |
| Other expenses of manufacture | £ | * | 28,974 | 28,442 | 23,347 | 21,357 |
| Number of—Soap and Candle Works. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | 18 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 20 | .. |
| Hands employed | £ | 344 | 374 | 406 | 397 | 464 |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 56,402 | 77,594 | 84,328 | 85,492 | 92,765 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 92,360 | 110,545 | 99,429 | 106,131 | 117,008 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 55,231 | 75,372 | 84,637 | 82,644 | 121,891 |
| Soap manufactured— | ||||||
| Quantity | Tons | 6,976 | 6,159 | 7,348 | 6,521 3/4 | 8,557 |
| Value | £ | 274,424 | 267,085 | 301,722 | 302,123 | 272,552 |
| Candles manufactured— | ||||||
| Quantity | lb. | 2,980,071 | 3,355,515 | 3,448,401 | 3,932,150 | 3,806,805 |
| Value | £ | 135,128 | 161,008 | 140,074 | 125,468 | 105,495 |
| Other manufactures—Value | £ | 69,959 | 108,309 | 109,002 | 124,637 | 118,693 |
| Total value of all manufactures | £ | 479,511 | 536,402 | 550,798 | 552,228 | 496,740 |
| Clothing and Waterproof Factories. | ||||||
| Number of works | 161 | 197 | 213 | 224 | 213 | .. |
| Number of hands employed— | ||||||
| Males | 787 | 905 | 945 | 1,085 | 1,202 | .. |
| Females | 4,438 | 5,547 | 5,430 | 6,033 | 5,645 | .. |
| Amount of wages paid— | ||||||
| To males | £ | 159,208 | 209,445 | 219,994 | 360,996 | 267,004 |
| To females | £ | 359,327 | 522,949 | 511,415 | 541,060 | 548,980 |
| Approximate value of — | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 430,673 | 669,926 | 762,730 | 875,346 | 927,995 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 96,569 | 114,759 | 142,719 | 155,599 | 156,485 |
| Output— | ||||||
| Suits | No. | 106,935 | 232,004 | 117,799 | 163,258 | 159,787 |
| Shirts | Doz. | 61,951 1/2 | 70,597 | 80,669 | 103,993 | 106,572 |
| Caps and hats | Doz. | 62,722 1/2 | 50,318 | 57,637 | 60,257 1/4 | 141,634 |
| Other garments | No. | 714,916 | 973,565 | 716,759 | 684,188 | 913,145 |
| Total value | £ | 2,029,579 | 2,859,439 | 2,225,042 | 2,409,377 | 2,400,278 |
| Hosiery-factories. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 10 |
| Hands employed | .. | 161 | 215 | 276 | 300 | 304 |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 16,581 | 21,077 | 37,315 | 34,472 | 33,504 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 14,276 | 16,739 | 32,414 | 37,525 | 30,573 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 16,724 | 27,733 | 39,019 | 44,464 | 45,616 |
| Total value of all manufactures | £ | 130,916 | 146,750 | 178,255 | 171,626 | 155,773 |
| Boot and Shoe Factories. | ||||||
| Number of works | .. | 64 | 74 | 73 | 80 | 81 |
| Number of hands employed— | ||||||
| Males | .. | 1,600 | 1,523 | 1,534 | 1,716 | 1,586 |
| Females | .. | 847 | 763 | 797 | 977 | 887 |
| Amount of wages paid— | ||||||
| To males | £ | 288,673 | 320,746 | 299,917 | 353,531 | 331,387 |
| To females | £ | 73,938 | 81,806 | 80,422 | 102,389 | 96,195 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 200,412 | 224,267 | 238,894 | 254,921 | 302,890 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 102,539 | 108,171 | 117,971 | 126,079 | 128,217 |
| Manufactures— | ||||||
| Boots and shoes | Pair | 1,442,535 | 1,285,058 | 1,329,158 | 1,431,093 | .. |
| Slimier | Pair | 26,605 | 21,488 | 32,811 | 20,529 | 17,217 |
| Shoe-ettes | Pair | 107,778 | 36,037 | 29,296 | 49,041 | 56,299 |
| Uppers | Pair | 4,046 | 1,978 | 1,295 | 1,741 | 2,111 |
| Leggings | Pair | 12 | 577 | 6 | 25 | 53 |
| Total value of all manufactures | £ | 1,443,436 | 1,496,474 | 1,310,059 | 1,441,701 | 1,354,83 |
| New Zealand leather— | ||||||
| Purchased by measurement | Ft. | 2,103,464 | 1,851,939 | 2,138,716 | * | * |
| Purchased by weight | lb. | 2,683,598 | 2,317,292 | 2,173,850 | * | * |
| Total value | £ | 498,018 | 473,639 | 368,243 | 397,757 | 366,655 |
| Imported leather— | ||||||
| Purchased by measurement | Ft. | 1,663,639 | 1,413,189 | 1,279,851 | * | * |
| Purchased by weight | lb. | 107,466 | 301,136 | 366,379 | * | * |
| Total value | £ | 220,258 | 252,320 | 188,820 | 247,710 | 250,964 |
| Flax-milling. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 47 | 36 | 34 | 42 | 48 |
| Hands employed | .. | 1,010 | 834 | 681 | 755 | 967 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 170,186 | 148,372 | 117,871 | 118,334 | 149,001 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 2,888 | 2,554 1/2 | 2,412 1/2 | 2,779 1/2 | 2,942 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 420,627 | 527,203 | 406,637 | 375,141 | 421,165 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 94,691 | 75,799 | 54,386 | 64,898 | 81,855 |
| Raw material used— | ||||||
| Quantity | Tons | 83,096 1/2 | 53,409 | 62,486 | 74,951 | 98,444 |
| Value | £ | 111,924 | 77,948 | 67,809 | 72,196 | 73,903 |
| Fibre dressed— | ||||||
| Quantity | Tons | 13,072 1/2 | 10,236 | 8,972 | 9,502 1/2 | 11,553 |
| Value | £ | 399,574 | 323,495 | 241,430 | 252,747 | 305,071 |
| Tow produced— | ||||||
| Quantity | Tons | 1,469 | 1,313 1/2 | 1,321 1/2 | 1,463 | 1,768 |
| Value | £ | 9,755 | 14,897 | 17,849 | 19,120 | 23,215 |
| Total value of output | £ | 409,329 | 344,086 | 260,267 | 277,267 | 334,169 |
| Sawmilling. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Mills | 330 | 389 | 397 | 426 | 446 | .. |
| Hands employed | .. | 7,265 | 9,135 | 8,423 | 8,638 | 9,435 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 1,421,867 | 2,036,878 | 1,970,571 | 1,893,464 | 2,058,774 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 19,470 | 24,918 1/2 | 27,721 1/2 | 32,403 3/4 | 30,843 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 750,248 | 764,638 | 894,882 | 863,704 | 883,151 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 822,353 | 1,087,600 | 1,249,377 | 1,227,618 | 1,161,392 |
| Tramways | £ | 567,069 | 655,279 | 624,147 | 735,822 | 810,847 |
| Sawn timber— | ||||||
| Quantity | Ft. | 250,075,980 | 290,213,087 | 314,972,310 | 304,351,877 | 317,069,216 |
| Value | £ | 2,181,805 | 3,149,673 | 3,272,203 | 3,048,220 | 3,164,569 |
| Posts, rails, &c.—Value | £ | 10,728 | 16,638 | 20,714 | 19,961 | 18,430 |
| Resawing, planed, flooring, skirting, &c.— | ||||||
| Quantity | Ft. | 54,376,530 | 63,825,814 | 50,089,047 | 62,284,953 | 67,558,213 |
| Value | £ | 714,219 | 1,007,525 | 888,906 | 974,806 | 1,135,371 |
| Moulding— | ||||||
| Quantity | Ft. | 2,881,388 | 3,361,777 | 3,696,481 | 4,677,147 | 7,894,759 |
| Value | £ | 31,000 | 40,967 | 42,481 | 80,444 | 87,991 |
| Doors and sashes—Value | £ | 127,394 | 168,960 | 194,266 | 134,948 | 127,669 |
| Joinery, undescribed | £ | 179,724 | 328,340 | 353,752 | 311,696 | 488,226 |
| Total value of output | £ | 3,244,870 | 4,712,003 | 4,772,322 | 4,570,075 | 5,022,256 |
| Gasworks. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 46 | 50 | 50 | 53 | 51 |
| Employees | .. | 1,745 | 1,856 | 1,806 | 1,859 | 2,011 |
| Amount paid in wages | £ | 273,916 | 345,961 | 358,367 | 340,126 | 443,020 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 535,580 | 592,516 | 499,680 | 532,405 | 584,112 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 2,585,539 | 2,695,618 | 2,959,917 | 3,259,128 | 3,358,934 |
| Coal used— | ||||||
| Quantity | Tons | 235,495 | 247,277 | 247,471 | 242,740 | 249,710 |
| Value | £ | 466,498 | 623,649 | 674,948 | 608,146 | 572,166 |
| Total gas made | Cub. ft. | 3,259,614,556 | 3,401,337,490 | 3,438,856,791 | 3,670,431,350 | 3,730,206,434 |
| Gas sold— | ||||||
| Quantity | Cub. ft. | 2,884,132,108 | 3,003,222,172 | 3,008,060,710 | 3,121,423,299 | 3,241,070,596 |
| Value | £ | 976,539 | 1,146,796 | 1,277,720 | 1,308,447 | 1,303,849 |
| Coke sold— | ||||||
| Quantity | Tons | 88,232 | 100,356 | 83,416 1/2 | 84,167 1/4 | 80,009 |
| Value | £ | 115,893 | 156,437 | 171,049 | 141,442 | 140,377 |
| Tar sold — | ||||||
| Quantity | Gallons | 2,335,565 | 2,564,524 | 2,462,424 | 2,481,837 | 2,465,545 |
| Value | £ | 57,151 | 62,589 | 67,251 | 68,461 | 70,729 |
| Other receipts | £ | 40,171 | 72,619 | 87,873 | 40,737 | 53,646 |
| Total receipts | £ | 1,189,754 | 1,438,441 | 1,603,893 | 1,559,087 | 1,568,601 |
| Total expenditure | £ | 1,054,532 | 1,335,923 | 1,444,344 | 1,378,176 | 1,376,863 |
| Quantity of gas sold for— | ||||||
| Street lighting | Cub. ft. | 70,973,846 | 61,578,026 | 61,209,710 | 65,692,622 | 63,290,018 |
| General lighting | Cub. ft. | 324,581,262 | 449,988,270 | 199,842,400 | 270,617,450 | 459,832,600 |
| Heating and cooking | Cub. ft. | 290,747,900 | 368,657,450 | 444,537,700 | 350,266,900 | 371,483,500 |
| Motive power | Cub. ft. | 29,352,400 | 34,492,800 | 24,258,700 | 31,399,500 | 30,084,300 |
| Undefined | Cub. ft, | 2,168,476,700 | 2,088,505,626 | 2,278,212,200 | 2,403,446,827 | 2,316,380,178 |
| Total | Cub. ft. | 2,884,132,108 | 3,003,222,172 | 3,008,060,710 | 3,121,423,299 | 3,241,070,596 |
| Electric Current. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 68 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 85 |
| Employees | .. | 834 | 1,022 | 1,020 | 1,082 | 1,247 |
| Amount paid in wages | £. | 153,895 | 206,072 | 220,644 | 223,665 | 267,165 |
| Horse-power available | H.p. | 67,049 | 75,992 | 74,711 | 71,801 | 93,907 |
| Fuel used— | ||||||
| Coal and coke | Tons | 58,469 | 131,281 | 127,707 | 54,968 | 95,729 |
| Oil | Gallons | 183,823 | 185,250 | 9,592 | 232,667 | 35,639 |
| Total units generated | .. | 117,130,284 | 170,211,048 | 193,542,420 | 207,379,021 | 258,413,218 |
| Revenue | £ | 647,071 | 900,858 | 1,036,345 | 1,155,357 | 1,430,951 |
| Expenditure | £ | 578,930 | 842,827 | 950,507 | 1,020,886 | 1,278,520 |
| Capital outlay— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 354,425 | 444,909 | 447,297 | 591,095 | 592,165 |
| Generating plant | £ | 1,125,312 | 1,363,361 | 1,733,339 | 2,061,798 | 2,442,661 |
| Distribution system and substations | £ | 1,136,572 | 1,417,730 | 1,877,018 | 2,372,566 | 2,997,858 |
| Other | £ | 552,350 | 686,792 | 957,904 | 1,145,745 | 1,775,834 |
| Total | £ | 3,168,659 | 3,912,792 | 5,015,558 | 6,171,204 | 7,830,185* |
| Current sold for— | ||||||
| Street lighting | Units | 3,246,755 | 3,489,378 | 3,467,024 | 3,729,171 | 4,655,632 |
| General lighting, heating, and cooking | Units | 47,385,616 | 68,194,084 | 59,789,826 | 104,509,217 | 147,115,339 |
| Motive power | Units | 29,052,260 | 39,787,400 | 60,490,292 | 36,701,032 | 37,726,568 |
| Tramway supply | Units | 11,194,415 | 13,327,661 | 20,508,723 | 22,452,511 | 22,162,670 |
| Other local purposes | Units | 1,889,787 | 3,365,614 | 2,120,669 | 3,927,825 | 3,779,438 |
| Total | Units | 92,767,833 | 128,164,137 | 146,376,534 | 171,319,756 | 215,439,647 |
| Lime and Cement Works. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 19 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 27 |
| Hands employed | .. | 621 | 773 | 684 | 840 | 999 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 123,507 | 150,608 | 151,211 | 184,306 | 203,610 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 6,949 3/4 | 8,902 1/4 | 7,039 1/4 | 8,380 3/4 | 9,992 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 273,710 | 316,263 | 323,975 | 245,149 | 220,745 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 350,687 | 499,271 | 429,533 | 282,542 | 425,199 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 206,185 | 285,416 | 174,679 | 149,979 | 134,281 |
| Total value of output | £ | 367,874 | 638,685 | 568,398 | 611,161 | 880,266 |
| Brick, Tile, and Pottery Works. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 56 | 60 | 73 | 76 | 69 |
| Hands employed | .. | 870 | 1,100 | 1,101 | 1,121 | 1,235 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 142,629 | 214,737 | 236,492 | 226,822 | 247,109 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 2,556 1/2 | 3,042 1/4 | 3,362 3/4 | 3,570 | 3,336 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 278,112 | 344,446 | 356,832 | 382,295 | 353,627 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 126,599 | 161,317 | 184,423 | 193,028 | 189,847 |
| Bricks manufactured— | ||||||
| Common | No. | 32,722,920 | 51,462,746 | 48,862,488 | 49,398,373 | 55,929,736 |
| Fire | No. | 1,072,822 | 1,156,243 | 2,243,648 | 1,372,883 | 3,417,519 |
| Total value | £ | 135,391 | 247,715 | 269,036 | 259,098 | 290,079 |
| Value of pottery manufactured | £ | 140,551 | 246,882 | 289,484 | 305,986 | 308,481 |
| Total value of all manufactures | £ | 275,942 | 494,597 | 568,520 | 565,084 | 598,560 |
| Number of— | Tinware and Sheet-metal Works. | |||||
| Works | .. | 84 | 91 | 120 | 119 | 119 |
| Hands employed | .. | 804 | 858 | 1,086 | 1,114 | 1,231 |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 130,553 | 161,778 | 208,091 | 202,980 | 226,146 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 199,241 | 225,877 | 282,658 | 266,879 | 262,169 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 67,742 | 84,792 | 101,290 | 107,461 | 114,115 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 288,916 | 389,489 | 380,369 | 306,961 | 333,444 |
| Total value of manufactures and repairs | £ | 493,511 | 670,655 | 740,499 | 661,782 | 706,469 |
| Number of— | Iron and Brass Foundries. | |||||
| Works | .. | 31 | 34 | 43 | 41 | 48 |
| Hands employed | .. | 546 | 528 | 633 | 607 | 832 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 100,697 | 104,873 | 138,705 | 120,768 | 164,467 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 1,121 | 623 1/2 | 1,159 1/2 | 1,005 1/2 | 1,511 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 106,731 | 112,198 | 155,882 | 125,042 | 154,761 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 70,854 | 53,112 | 79,582 | 75,188 | 81,392 |
| Value of materials used or operated on | £ | 152,501 | 160,069 | 189,295 | 116,197 | 170,090 |
| Total value of manufactures (including repairs) | £ | 350,086 | 356,222 | 424,601 | 327,705 | 435,475 |
| Number of— | Engineering-works. | |||||
| Works | .. | 120 | 143 | 131 | 147 | 159 |
| Hands employed | .. | 3,030 | 3,388 | 2,835 | 2,993 | 3,524 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 526,110 | 666,075 | 574,295 | 542,412 | 682,302 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 3,899 | 4,468 3/4 | 4,083 1/2 | 4,832 1/2 | 5,033 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 484,787 | 538,454 | 505,161 | 584,277 | 646,359 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 298,703 | 338,130 | 307,085 | 390,270 | 422,601 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 443,793 | 691,453 | 501,378 | 515,608 | 562,660 |
| Total value of manufactures (including repairs) | £ | 1,250,667 | 1,837,661 | 1,454,438 | 1,459,923 | 1,644,224 |
| Printing and Publishing Establishments. | ||||||
| Number of works | .. | 247 | 261 | 261 | 280 | 292 |
| Hands employed— | ||||||
| Males | No. | 3,427 | 3,743 | 3,712 | 4,288 | 4,562 |
| Females | No. | 1,020 | 1,161 | 1,141 | 1,167 | 1,317 |
| Wages paid— | ||||||
| To males | £ | 674,028 | 892,598 | 926,128 | 1,031,976 | 1,118,585 |
| To females | £ | 87,523 | 121,686 | 122,766 | 121,045 | 142,444 |
| Approximate value of land, buildings, machinery, and plant | £ | 1,604,355 | 2,022,374 | 2,197,228 | 2,312,734 | 2,454,826 |
| Value of all manufactures | £ | 2,639,363 | 3,395,276 | 3,464,224 | 3,531,936 | 3,623,123 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 886,794 | 1,213,039 | 1,125,142 | 885,123 | 916,818 |
| Agricultural and Dairying Machinery and Implement Making. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 27 | 29 | 33 | 30 | 25 |
| Hands employed | .. | 930 | 1,080 | 900 | 939 | 973 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 162,970 | 236,172 | 201,329 | 192,288 | 196,143 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 706 | 799 3/4 | 366 1/2 | 785 3/4 | 843 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 146,233 | 166,224 | 163,330 | 247,894 | 184,363 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 76,033 | 104,637 | 100,186 | 116,073 | 137,733 |
| Value of all materials used | £ | 224,285 | 418,311 | 224,701 | 214,805 | 231,919 |
| Total value of manufactures (including repairs) | £ | 519,040 | 800,673 | 591,240 | 483,966 | 597,699 |
| Coachbuilding-works. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 156 | 167 | 183 | 188 | 189 |
| Hands employed | .. | 1,014 | 1,166 | 1,021 | 1,127 | 1,302 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 163,276 | 240,264 | 211,561 | 208,630 | 242,857 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 695 | 888 3/4 | 820 3/4 | 983 3/4 | 1,073 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| land and buildings | £ | 267,361 | 312,512 | 313,697 | 361,698 | 371,336 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 52,692 | 66,624 | 58,556 | 66,769 | 70,487 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 210,259 | 278,264 | 231,824 | 216,735 | 260,962 |
| Total value of manufactures (including repairs) | £ | 482,710 | 700,236 | 605,467 | 591,265 | 711,081 |
| Motor and Cycle Works. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 334 | 398 | 473 | 514 | 549 |
| Hands employed | .. | 1,921 | 2,098 | 2,139 | 2,347 | 2,588 |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 293,989 | 362,776 | 378,734 | 384,229 | 434,213 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 897,629 | 1,085,106 | 1,403,839 | 1,607,758 | 1,408,180 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 159,906 | 215,277 | 287,975 | 319,810 | 305,910 |
| Total value of manufactures (including repairs) | £ | 821,810 | 975,937 | 1,047,131 | 1,114,652 | 1,156,239 |
| Harness, Saddlery, and Leatherware. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 56 | 61 | 73 | 71 | 77 |
| Hands employed | .. | 471 | 424 | 391 | 440 | 459 |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 75,378 | 82,121 | 76,726 | 79,625 | 87,465 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 138,980 | 106,699 | 145,839 | 157,959 | 157,527 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 10,113 | 11,196 | 11,849 | 11,868 | 13,015 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 154,300 | 150,471 | 131,378 | 102,724 | 125,946 |
| Total value of manufactures (including repairs) | £ | 248,922 | 264,150 | 228,035 | 208,074 | 250,027 |
| Tanning, Fellmongery, and Wool-scouring. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 70 | 54 | 58 | 62 | 60 |
| Hands employed | .. | 1,626 | 1,157 | 1,290 | 1,412 | 1,293 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 316,377 | 254,294 | 268,976 | 288,317 | 272,602 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 4,672 | 2,696 | 2,805 1/2 | 2,941 | 2,814 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 282,830 | 265,644 | 263,608 | 269,517 | 215,412 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 150,496 | 133,043 | 140,243 | 149,397 | 157,063 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 3,984,846 | 2,792,869 | 1,117,667 | 1,786,671 | 2,042,321 |
| Total value of manufactures and produce | £ | 4,941,998 | 3,435,212 | 1,625,861 | 2,463,227 | 2,702,534 |
| Materials operated upon— | ||||||
| Sheep-skins | No. | 3,449,816 | 2,960,271 | 2,696,105 | 2,033,203 | 1,342,759 |
| Greasy wool | lb. | 38,570,802 | 24,723,532 | 16,120,780 | 31,658,889 | 26,280,448 |
| Hides, pelts, &c. | No. | 1,765,298 | 557,232 | 803,660 | 890,163 | 571,748 |
| Bark used— | ||||||
| New Zealand | Tons | 247 | 210 1/4 | 146 1/2 | 100 3/4 | 70 |
| Other | Tons | 3,718 1/2 | 3,327 1/2 | 2,799 3/4 | 3,078 1/2 | 2,807 |
| Output— | ||||||
| Scoured and sliped wool | lb. | 39,041,778 | 26,884,735 | 21,405,074 | 29,033,929 | 24,397,358 |
| Pelts | No. | 859,793 | 588,852 | 704,555 | 941,907 | 615,096 |
| Leather | lb. | 7,485,342 | 6,688,470 | 4,622,081 | 4,602,455 | 5,219,713 |
| Basils | lb. | 207,240 | 142,543 | 296,186 | 285,477 | 235,914 |
| Pickled pelts | No. | 2,570,854 | 2,167,747 | 1,697,929 | 1,263,621 | 832,060 |
| Ship and Boat Building. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Establishments | .. | 25 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
| Hands employed | .. | 1,270 | 926 | 806 | 678 | 798 |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 202,290 | 233,083 | 190,936 | 139,032 | 160,869 |
| Total value of manufactures and repairs | £ | 389,903 | 459,748 | 381,695 | 280,272 | 325,187 |
| Number of vessels built | .. | 109 | 85 | 195 | 90 | 119 |
| Sail, Tent, and Oilskin Making. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Works | .. | 34 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 32 |
| Hands employed | .. | 253 | 289 | 227 | 186 | 203 |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 28,900 | 40,924 | 37,617 | 31,370 | 30,165 |
| Sails manufactured | No. | 815 | 739 | 637 | 1,057 | 883 |
| Tents and flies manufactured | No. | 10,861 | 9,110 | 7,340 | 8,747 | 13,045 |
| Oilskins manufactured | No. | 35,881 | 32,615 | 10,110 | 6,596 | 10,987 |
| Horse and cow covers manufactured | No. | 28,488 | 39,348 | 27,288 | 27,277 | 19,666 |
| Total value of all manufactures | £ | 221,635 | 261,863 | 175,578 | 137,669 | 138,399 |
| Furniture-making Works. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Factories | .. | 225 | 253 | 269 | 271 | 275 |
| Hands employed | .. | 2,149 | 2,226 | 2,002 | 2,042 | 2,219 |
| Amount of wages paid | £ | 332,133 | 433,143 | 380,644 | 364,691 | 389,855 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 441,578 | 531,836 | 576,766 | 636,317 | 642,985 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 91,054 | 108,476 | 117,670 | 118,695 | 119,400 |
| Value of materials used | £ | 458,652 | 586,405 | 436,304 | 421,930 | 486,320 |
| Total value of manufactures | £ | 990,233 | 1,238,539 | 1,028,144 | 1,003,770 | 1,113,806 |
| Woollen-mills. | ||||||
| Number of— | ||||||
| Mills | .. | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Hands employed | .. | 2,048 | 2,205 | 2,498 | 2,620 | 2,679 |
| Amount of— | ||||||
| Wages paid | £ | 287,109 | 333,261 | 364,105 | 396,436 | 418,905 |
| Horse-power | H.p. | 3,315 | 3,788 | 3,766 | 4,298 | 4,659 |
| Approximate value of— | ||||||
| Land and buildings | £ | 238,986 | 258,177 | 249,370 | 262,766 | 294,910 |
| Machinery and plant | £ | 263,058 | 353,143 | 420,716 | 437,229 | 519,761 |
| Scoured wool used— | ||||||
| Quantity | lb. | 4,014,286 | 4,902,059 | 4,438,993 | 4,951,670 | 5,810,421 |
| Value | £ | 497,925 | 530,278 | 412,398 | 551,719 | 607,018 |
| Output— | ||||||
| Tweed | Yards | 1,444,955 | 1,647,551 | 1,604,478 1/2 | 1,273,780 1/2 | 1,187,655 |
| Flannel | Yards | 845,968 | 778,139 | 1,379,711 | 1,526,579 | 1,242,139 |
| Blankets | Pairs | 74,877 | 88,709 | 96,948 | 105,433 | 117,500 |
| Rugs and shawls | No. | 24,351 | 23,667 | 42,483 | 52,149 | 58,755 |
| Yarn | lb. | 366,104 | 384,069 | 589,179 1/2 | 453,591 | 729,023 |
| Total value | £ | 1,143,265 | 1,332,451 | 1,229,829 | 1,132,082 | 1,420,853 |
Commencing with 1918-19, special annual returns as to wages and employment have been collected. The information contained in the returns is reasonably accurate, and an attempt has therefore been made to present it in such a form as to depict as far as possible the position regarding employment and wages in the various industries. The information collected can be divided under three headings: (1) Wage rates and number of employees; (2) overtime; (3) short time.
The period covered by the returns in this case is the nearest normal week to 31st March in each year, and the data collected include the number of employees engaged at each wage rate, as well as the total employees and the total earnings during the specified week. Working proprietors, managers, overseers, accountants, and clerks do not come within the scope of the return, which covers productive employees only, and out-workers, if any. All productive employees are covered, irrespective of age or sex, and the figures are therefore inclusive of many young male and female workers receiving low wages. The inclusion of these workers has had the effect of making the average earnings lower than they would otherwise have been, and this fact must not be overlooked when the figures are made use of.
A table is shown giving the figures for males, females, and both sexes over all industries for the last five collections. The figures for the five years covered have been adjusted by deducting certain industries which were included in some years and not in others, with the result that they are now comparable.
The weekly wage-bill of the manufacturing industries in the Dominion shows substantial increases over the last five years. The figure for the last collection shows an increase of £7,259 over that for 1922-23, and each collection, with the exception of that in 1921-22, shows an increase over the preceding one. In 1921-22 the slump was responsible for the weekly wage-bill in March of that year falling approximately £600 below that for the corresponding week in the previous year.
The average earnings of male workers during the week covered in 1919-20 was recorded as £4 1s. 11d., while the average for females in the same week was £1 14s. 3d. The collection of 1920-21 showed increases of 12s. 2d. in the average for males and 4s. 6d. in the case of females, the average earnings for males and females being in March, 1921, £4 14s. 1d. and £l 18s. 9d. respectively, the highest on record. In 1921-22 decreases of 4s. 8d and 11d. were recorded for males and females respectively, while the next collection showed a further decrease of 3s. 10d. for males and an increase of 8d. for females. The average earnings for males and females in the 1923-24 collection were £4 5s. 7d. and £1 17s. 4d., which, compared with those for the 1919-20 collection, show increases of 4s. 1d., or 5 per cent., and 2s. 11d., or 8 per cent., respectively.
Not only have there been substantial changes in the average weekly earnings over the period covered by the table, but there have also been movements in what may be called the standard wage rate—i.e., that received by the greatest number of employees. In 1919-20 employees who received between 80s. and 85s. were numerically the most important, but in 1920-21 this group ranked only eighth, first position being occupied by those in receipt of from 95s. to 100s. The group “90s. to 95s.” came first in 1921-22 and 1923-24, but gave way to the “80s. to 85s.” group in 1922-23.
The following table shows for the nearest normal week to 31st March in the years 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, and 1924 the number of employees engaged in all industries, classified according to wage rates, the total earnings during the week covered, and the average earnings per employee. Separate figures are given for male and female employees.
| Weekly Rate of Wages. | Males. | Females. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1919-20. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | |
| Under 20s. | 1,692 | 958 | 939 | 1,191 | 1,378 | 1,129 | 745 | 906 | 1,449 | 1,237 |
| 20s. and under 25s. | 1,196 | 1,181 | 1,311 | 1,398 | 1,605 | 1,168 | 1,091 | 1,082 | 1,269 | 1,337 |
| 25s. and under 30s. | 1,030 | 1,027 | 1,085 | 1,304 | 1,275 | 1,298 | 1,017 | 1,207 | 1,318 | 1,246 |
| 30s. and under 35s. | 979 | 1,027 | 1,226 | 1,372 | 1,375 | 1,287 | 1,196 | 1,318 | 1,361 | 1,249 |
| 35s. and under 40s. | 742 | 547 | 733 | 841 | 854 | 1,541 | 888 | 917 | 885 | 934 |
| 40s. and under 45s. | 828 | 798 | 891 | 987 | 963 | 1,454 | 1,616 | 1,048 | 1,956 | 1,915 |
| 459. and under 50s. | 601 | 479 | 577 | 704 | 792 | 975 | 1,387 | 2,050 | 1,665 | 1,486 |
| 50s. and under 55s. | 603 | 582 | 568 | 665 | 685 | 647 | 1,058 | 1,059 | 1,034 | 1,117 |
| 559. and under 60s. | 383 | 310 | 388 | 390 | 453 | 233 | 536 | 457 | 437 | 491 |
| 60s. and under 65s. | 1,296 | 739 | 960 | 1,036 | 916 | 227 | 441 | 385 | 414 | 375 |
| 65s. and under 70s. | 1,611 | 509 | 508 | 730 | 662 | 50 | 191 | 146 | 155 | 165 |
| 70s. and under 75s. | 3,824 | 896 | 1,020 | 1,556 | 1,022 | 63 | 94 | 94 | 89 | 105 |
| 75s. and under 80s. | 5,455 | 1,358 | 1,518 | 3,263 | 3,563 | 32 | 48 | 85 | 40 | 43 |
| 80s. and under 85s. | 7,556 | 3,089 | 3,244 | 6,433 | 5,871 | 24 | 53 | 51 | 62 | 61 |
| 85s. and under 90s. | 3,903 | 3,707 | 5,325 | 4,601 | 4,805 | 7 | 23 | 11 | 26 | 15 |
| 90s. and under 95s. | 4,588 | 4,992 | 6,127 | 6,302 | 7,050 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 22 | 23 |
| 95s. and under 100s. | 3,087 | 5,445 | 4,296 | 4,988 | 5,094 | 2 | 44 | 8 | 11 | 4 |
| 100s. and under 105s. | 3,075 | 4,905 | 5,272 | 4,482 | 4,800 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 15 |
| 105s. and under 110s. | 1,275 | 3,685 | 3,627 | 3,145 | 3,085 | .. | 3 | 9 | 9 | 6 |
| 110s. and under 115s. | 935 | 3,405 | 2,905 | 2,274 | 2,533 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | .. |
| 115s. and under 120s. | 435 | 1,099 | 1,254 | 969 | 783 | .. | 1 | 6 | 2 | .. |
| 120s. and under 180s. | 1,121 | 3,303 | 2,779 | 2,168 | 2,489 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 2 |
| 130s. and under 140s. | 667 | 1,291 | 891 | 918 | 943 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. |
| 140s. and under 160s. | 817 | 864 | 993 | 844 | 1,007 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 |
| 160s. and over | 529 | 784 | 798 | 510 | 649 | .. | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| £ s. d | £ s. d | £ s. d | £ s. d | £ s. d | £ s. d | £ s. d | £ s. d | £ s. d | £ s. d | |
| Earnings during specified week | 197,535 17 10 | 221,031 12 7 | 220,036 8 5 | 227,210 8 1 | 235,116 13 4 | 17,421 11 10 | 20,298 17 9 | 20,518 1 10 | 22,622 5 3 | 21,975 8 3 |
| Average earnings during week | 4 1 11 | 4 14 1 | 4 9 5 | 4 5 7 | 4 6 0 | 1 14 3 | 1 18 9 | 1 17 10 | 1 17 4 | 1 17 2 |
| Number of employees | 48,228 | 46,980 | 49,235 | 53,071 | 54,652 | 10,166 | 10,477 | 10,841 | 12,130 | 11,820 |
As the information collected in respect of overtime does not entail the keeping of special statistical books in each establishment, but can be readily ascertained from the records kept in the wages-books, the information contained in the table given below may be accepted as being fairly accurate. Although data relating to overtime have been collected since the inception of the “Special Returns as to Wages and Employment,” the figures have been published only since 1922-23.
That many of our industries are not fully manned is clearly indicated by the figures in respect of overtime. During the year ended 31st March, 1924, no less than 1,736,691 hours' overtime was worked in all industries furnishing returns, the efforts of male workers accounting for 1,636,049 hours, against 100,642 hours for females. Compiled with similar figures for the previous year the foregoing figures represent decreases of 62,542, 40,853, and 21,689 hours respectively. Of course, all employees are not actually affected by overtime, and out of the total engaged in all industries 8,852 males and 1,494 females were on the average directly concerned with overtime each week, the males working on the average 5.9 hours per week and the females 5.3 hours. If the number of employees during the nearest normal week to 31st March (54,652 males and 11,820 females) be taken as representing the average for the year, the average overtime for all employees works out at 29.9 hours per male and 8.5 per female for the year. Again, if all establishments worked overtime each would be occupied for 5.6 weeks, or over a month in excess of its ordinary time.
The table given hereunder shows particulars in respect of the overtime worked in the various industries during the year 1923-24:—
| Industry. | Number of Hours Overtime worked during Year. | Average Number of Weeks per Establishment during Which Overtime worked. | Average Number of Hours per Employee affected per Week. | Average Number of Hours' Overtime during Year for all Employees, whether working Overtime or not. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | ||
| Aerated waters | 22,397 | 136 | 4.0 | 7.6 | 5.7 | 61.1 | 10.5 |
| Agricultural machinery | 2,856 | .. | 3.4 | 4.6 | .. | 4.5 | .. |
| Bag and sack | 72 | 36 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 5.1 | 0.9 |
| Billiard-tables | 90 | .. | 3.8 | 1.5 | .. | 2.9 | .. |
| Biscuits and confectionery | 18,389 | 13,931 | 7.3 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 18.6 | 13.0 |
| Blindmaking | |||||||
| Boiling-down and manure | 9,980 | .. | 8.9 | 8.1 | .. | 50.7 | .. |
| Boots and shoes | 4,690 | 1,801 | 2.7 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.1 |
| Brewing and malting | 45,828 | 42 | 16.3 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 59.1 | 7.0 |
| Brick, tile, and pottery | 14,234 | .. | 7.7 | 6.1 | .. | 12.4 | .. |
| Brush and broom | 240 | 18 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 0.3 |
| Butter and cheese | 15,220 | 8 | 1.2 | 6.2 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 0.2 |
| Chemicals | 9,454 | 72 | 8.9 | 7.6 | 4.0 | 90.9 | 1.5 |
| Clothing | 10,330 | 39,340 | 6.7 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 12.5 | 7.0 |
| Coachbuilding | 16,240 | 3.5 | 6.2 | .. | 14.6 | .. | .. |
| Coffee and spice | 288 | 180 | 2.0 | 7.8 | 5.0 | 8.2 | 8.6 |
| Cooperages, packing-case, &c. | 3,204 | .. | 5.7 | 6.4 | .. | 120 | .. |
| Electric current | 108,816 | .. | 12.6 | 7.4 | .. | 70.2 | .. |
| Electrical engineering | 4,256 | .. | 4.5 | 5.9 | .. | 13.7 | .. |
| Electric tramways | 338,780 | .. | 32.4 | 4.6 | .. | 129.6 | .. |
| Electroplating | |||||||
| Engineering (general) | 98,140 | .. | 9.6 | 6.7 | .. | 31.2 | .. |
| Engraving | 167 | 5.6 | 17 | .. | 3.5 | .. | .. |
| Fibrous plaster and concrete | 6,244 | .. | 8.7 | 5.2 | .. | 20.2 | .. |
| Fish-curing | 36 | .. | 1.3 | 3.0 | .. | 0.6 | .. |
| Flax-milling | 1,050 | .. | 0.7 | 7.8 | .. | 1.1 | .. |
| Flock-milling | 160 | .. | 10.0 | 2.0 | .. | 8.0 | .. |
| Fruit-preserving and jam | 4,482 | 1,307 | 14.4 | 7.4 | 5.9 | 30.1 | 12.9 |
| Furniture and cabinetmaking | 11,554 | 792 | 2.1 | 6.6 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 5.5 |
| Gas-manufacture | 29,642 | .. | 12.4 | 35 | .. | 20.9 | .. |
| Grain-crushing | 1,443 | .. | 12.3 | 4.1 | .. | 24.5 | .. |
| Grain-milling | 17,175 | 832 | 6.3 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 33.9 | 55.5 |
| Ham and bacon curing | 2,544 | .. | 5.1 | 4.0 | .. | 9.8 | .. |
| Hosiery | 198 | 2,232 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 7.1 | 9.7 |
| Iron and brass foundries | 6,518 | .. | 6.8 | 4.5 | .. | 8.9 | .. |
| Leadlight-manufacture | 6,051 | .. | 7.1 | 7.1 | .. | 23.2 | .. |
| Leather goods | 1,373 | 906 | 3.8 | 11.9 | 4.0 | 10.9 | 10.3 |
| Lime and cement | 88,981 | .. | 5.5 | 12.1 | .. | 117.7 | .. |
| Mattress and bedding | 7,583 | 7,917 | 19.0 | 6.9 | 7.8 | 57.4 | 79.2 |
| Meat freezing and preserving | 316,483 | 64 | 19.2 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 50.1 | 1.6 |
| Motor and cycle | 52,702 | .. | 7.7 | 3.6 | .. | 23.0 | .. |
| Musical instruments | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Paint and varnish | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Paper bag and box | 5,537 | 3,135 | 15.3 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 78.0 | 21.6 |
| Perambulators and baskets | 2,196 | .. | 2.4 | 6.6 | .. | 12.6 | .. |
| Picture-framing | 722 | 12 | 5.9 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 20.0 | 2.4 |
| Polishes | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Printing and publishing | 133,970 | 19,214 | 12.8 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 41.3 | 20.7 |
| Proprietary medicines | 19,636 | 299 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 101.2 | 3.9 |
| Range-making | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Rope and twine | 9,700 | 288 | 13.3 | 8.3 | 12.0 | 50.5 | 12.5 |
| Saddlery and harness | 695 | 60 | 1.1 | 8.4 | 10.0 | 2.2 | 1.3 |
| Sail, tent, and oilskin | 1,651 | 147 | 2.5 | 8.1 | 3.7 | 15.4 | 2.0 |
| Sauce, pickle, and vinegar | 5,660 | 385 | 7.7 | 5.7 | 8.8 | 42.9 | 4.3 |
| Sausage-casings | 36,012 | .. | 10.0 | 9.8 | .. | 115.8 | .. |
| Sawmilling, &c. | 17,915 | .. | 1.6 | 5.0 | .. | 2.2 | .. |
| Ship and boat building | 33,404 | .. | 8.6 | 8.9 | .. | 46.1 | .. |
| Soap and candle | 4,732 | 36 | 11.6 | 4.7 | 6.0 | 16.9 | 0.5 |
| Tanning | 1,836 | .. | 6.7 | 4.5 | .. | 3.9 | .. |
| Tinware and sheet-metal | 15,401 | 300 | 3.2 | 7.2 | 6.1 | 15.1 | 7.5 |
| Umbrella-making | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Watch and jewellery | 335 | .. | 0.5 | 4.4 | .. | 1.8 | .. |
| Wirework. | 4,072 | .. | 6.5 | 6.3 | .. | 34.2 | .. |
| Woodware and turnery | 5,422 | .. | 1.8 | 6.6 | .. | 4.8 | .. |
| Woollen-mills | 38,160 | 6,912 | 25.3 | 6.8 | 4.9 | 33.7 | 5.0 |
| Woolscouring and fellmongery | 13,618 | .. | 7.8 | 49 | .. | 20.1 | .. |
| Miscellaneous | 573 | .. | 1.1 | 7 0 | .. | 10.8 | .. |
| Industries for which the number of returns received was less than four | 6,912 | 240 | 2.8 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 11.3 | 0.8 |
| Totals | 1,636,049 | 100,642 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 29.9 | 8.5 |
Information regarding time lost in factories has been collected for some years, but prior to 1923-24 it was found to be so unsatisfactory as not to warrant publication. The difficulties militating against the collection of satisfactory information on the question were overcome to an appreciable extent in the 1923-24 collection by the issue of more explicit instructions bearing on the matter, with the result that reasonably accurate information is now available on this important phase of the Dominion's industrial life.
For statistical purposes short-time is deemed to be time lost through machinery, tools, &c. being out of order, lack of materials, adverse market conditions, cessation of work due to weather conditions, and other cognate causes. Time lost through holidays (annual, ordinary, or public holidays) and sickness, however, is not counted as short-time. Information as to how much short-time can be attributed to each cause is, unfortunately, not available, and it is therefore impossible to form any definite conclusions as to the extent to which unavoidable circumstances are responsible. It is interesting, however, to note that the sawmilling, flax-milling, wool-scouring and fellmongering, and brick and tile industries, where many employees work exposed to the weather conditions, account altogether for nearly 25 per cent. of the total hours of short-time; also that the figures for the clothing and boot and shoe industries reflect only too well the depressions which were experienced in these industries during the year.
Altogether 659,220 hours short-time were recorded during the year, or, in other words, it would take 300 men working 44 hours a week a whole year to make up the deficiency in time. Male employees suffered in the aggregate 591,097 hours, against 68,123 hours for females. As in the case of overtime, short-time does not affect all employees, and out of the total employees (54,652 males, 11,822 females) only 3,999 males and 871 females were directly affected during the whole year. Although comparatively few employees were directly affected by short time, it would appear that those, who were affected suffered considerably, the average number of hours per employee affected per week being 13.8 hours in the case of males and considerably more (18.1 hours) in the case of females. Averages taken over the total establishments and employees and the total hours short-time for the year disclose the fact that if the short-time were evenly distributed each male worker would have lost 10.8 hours, each female worker 5.8 hours, and each establishment 1.3 weeks in the year.
Subjoined is a table showing particulars in respect of the short-time suffered in the various industries during the year 1923-24:—
| Industry. | Number of Hours Short-time worked during year. | Average Number of Weeks per Establishment during which Short-time worked. | Average Number of Hours per Employee affected per Week. | Average Number of Hours Short-time during Year for all Employees, whether working Short-time or not. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | ||
| Aerated waters | 1,640 | .. | 1.5 | 12.6 | .. | 3.7 | .. |
| Agricultural machinery | 1,164 | .. | 2.6 | 4.6 | .. | 1.8 | .. |
| Bag and sack | 84 | 546 | 1.5 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 6.0 | 13.7 |
| Billiard-tables | 833 | .. | 19.5 | 7.0 | .. | 26.9 | .. |
| Biscuits and confectionery | 1,053 | 1,464 | 0.2 | 20.0 | 23.9 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| Blind-making | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Boiling-down and manure | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Boots and shoes | 51,233 | 12,416 | 8.0 | 13.6 | 13.8 | 37.0 | 14.7 |
| Brewing and malting | 539 | .. | 0.2 | 18.0 | .. | 0.7 | .. |
| Brick, tile, and pottery | 17,334 | .. | 3.3 | 14.2 | .. | 151 | .. |
| Brush and broom | 252 | 96 | 0.2 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Butter and cheese | 25,319 | .. | 0.5 | 15.5 | .. | 8.8 | .. |
| Chemicals | |||||||
| Clothing | 7,786 | 44,435 | 2.1 | 25.4 | 20.8 | 9.4 | 7 9 |
| Coachbuilding | 5,647 | .. | 2.0 | 6.9 | .. | 5.0 | .. |
| Coffee and spice | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Cooperages, packing-case, &c. | 840 | .. | 0.3. | 40.0 | .. | 3.2 | .. |
| Electric current | 13,396 | 1.6 | 3.9 | .. | 8.6 | .. | .. |
| Electrical engineering | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Electric tramways | .. | .. | 0.5 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Electroplating | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Engineering (general) | 2,658 | .. | 5.0 | 18.2 | 0.8 | .. | .. |
| Engraving | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Fibrous plaster and concrete | 556 | .. | 2.6 | 3.7 | .. | 1.8 | .. |
| Fish-curing | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Flax-milling | 24,186 | 4.0 | 15.5 | 25.0 | .. | .. | .. |
| Flock-milling | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Fruit-preserving and jam | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Furniture and cabinetmaking | 4,922 | .. | 0.8 | 18.8 | .. | 2.6 | .. |
| Gas-manufacture | 1,260 | .. | 0.4 | 5.7 | .. | 0.9 | .. |
| Grain-crushing | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Grain-milling | 1,824 | .. | 0.6 | 8.0 | .. | 3.6 | .. |
| Ham and bacon curing | 39 | .. | 0.4 | 3.0 | .. | 0.2 | .. |
| Hosiery | .. | 1,904 | 5.5 | .. | 5.8 | .. | 68.0 |
| Iron and brass foundries | 41,720 | .. | 0.9 | 20.2 | .. | 56.9 | .. |
| Leadlight-manufacture | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Leather goods | 72 | 252 | 0.2 | 9.0 | 6.0 | 0.6 | 29 |
| Lime and cement | 6,572 | .. | 2.8 | 9.9 | .. | 8.7 | .. |
| Mattress and bedding | 88 | .. | 0.6 | 18.5 | .. | 0.7 | .. |
| Meat freezing and preserving | 222,228 | .. | 9.9 | 9.9 | .. | 35.2 | .. |
| Motor and cycle | 4,476 | .. | 0.8 | 7.2 | .. | 2.0 | .. |
| Musical instruments | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Paint and varnish | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Paper bag and box | .. | 675 | 0.3 | .. | 9.0 | .. | 4.7 |
| Perambulators and baskets | 416 | 264 | 0.4 | 24.0 | 44.0 | 2.3 | 6.9 |
| Picture-framing | 192 | .. | 1.9 | 6.0 | .. | 53 | .. |
| Polishes | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Printing and publishing | 312 | 824 | 0.3 | 7.0 | 38.6 | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| Proprietary medicines | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Range-making | 1,017 | .. | 0.9 | 5.1 | .. | 3.3 | .. |
| Rope and twine | 4 | .. | 0.2 | 2.0 | .. | 0.2 | .. |
| Saddlery and harness | 6,316 | 1,350 | 3.0 | 20.3 | 30.0 | 20.1 | 30.0 |
| Sail, tent, and oilskin | 128 | .. | 0.1 | 32.0 | .. | 1.2 | .. |
| Sauce, pickle, and vinegar | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Sausage-casings | 42,940 | .. | 2.5 | 22.0 | .. | 138.1 | .. |
| Sawmilling, &c. | 82,652 | .. | 2.1 | 11.1 | .. | 10.3 | .. |
| Ship and boat building | 3,304 | .. | 14 | 10.3 | .. | 4.6 | .. |
| Soap and candle | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Tanning | 576 | .. | 0.4 | 48.0 | .. | 1.2 | .. |
| Tinware and sheet-metal | 852 | .. | 0.4 | 12.5 | .. | 0.8 | .. |
| Umbrella-making | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Watch and jewellery | 24 | .. | 1.5 | 3.0 | .. | 0.1 | .. |
| Wirework | 1,920 | .. | 3.6 | 3.3 | .. | 16.1 | .. |
| Woodware and turnery | 106 | .. | .. | 5.3 | .. | 0.1 | .. |
| Woollen-mills | 210 | 1,440 | 0.9 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 |
| Woolscouring and fellmongery | 11,912 | .. | 3.1 | 17.1 | .. | 17.6 | .. |
| Industries for which the number of returns received was less than four | 495 | 2,457 | 0.6 | 33.0 | 9.0 | 0.8 | 84 |
| Totals | 591,097 | 68,123 | 1.3 | 13.8 | 18.1 | 10.8 | 5.8 |
Table of Contents
ALTHOUGH abundant water-power is available throughout New Zealand, comparatively little use had been made of it before 1900, but since then the development has been extensive, and promises to be still more extensive in the early future. In 1903 water-power to the extent of 9,911 horse-power was actually in use. By 1913 this amount had risen to 34,956 horse-power, and by 1925 to 70,143 1/2.
The Public Works Act, 1908, vests the sole right to use the water-power of the Dominion in His Majesty, subject to any existing rights, and gives the Government the right to develop such power, or to delegate such power to any local authority, or, outside a mining district, to any person or company, subject to conditions. Advantage has been taken of this in several cases, the right in the case of local authorities being issued subject to a royalty of Is. per year per kilowatt of maximum output, and in the case of private concerns developing water-power for electrical distribution, subject to a royalty of 4s. per year per kilowatt of maximum output.
The following table shows the actual horse-power in use in the various districts at the 31st March in each of the last five years:—
| District, | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.P. | H.P. | H.P. | H.P. | H.P. | |
| Auckland North | 2,707 | 2,747 | 2,747 | 2,747 | 2,967 |
| Auckland | 4,937 | 5,646 1/2 | 5,968 1/2 | 6,028 1/2 | 5,921 1/2 |
| Auckland South | 9,508 1/2 | 9,517 | 9,487 | 9,523 | 10,147 1/2 |
| Gisborne | .. | .. | 1,250 | 1,250 | 1,262 |
| Hawke's Bay | 137 | 137 | 109 | 379 | 322 3/4 |
| Taranaki North | 2,692 1/2 | 2,767 1/2 | 2,973 1/2 | 3,437 1/2 | 4,453 |
| Taranaki | 1,362 | 1,452 | 1,935 1/2 | 1,988 1/2 | 1,557 1/2 |
| Wellington North | 605 | 565 | 573 | 670 | 566 |
| Wellington | 258 1/2 | 260 | 392 | 1,584 1/2 | 1,491 |
| Nelson | 153 3/4 | 240 1/4 | 231 1/2 | 194 1/4 | 323 1/2 |
| Westland | 4,034 1/2 | 4,096 | 2,479 | 2,745 | 2,170 |
| Canterbury | 12,175 1/2 | 16,074 | 13,562 | 13,562 | 16,006 |
| Canterbury South | 149 | 149 | 147 | 206 | 206 |
| Otago | 10,447 1/2 | 10,478 1/2 | 10,463 1/2 | 10,827 1/2 | 12,492 |
| Southland | 1,946 3/4 | 1,956 3/4 | 1,925 3/4 | 3,643 3/4 | 10,257 3/4 |
| Totals | 51,114 1/2 | 56,086 1/2 | 64,244 1/4 | 58,686 3/4 | 70,143 1/2 |
The following table gives the analysis of the purposes for which water-power was employed as at the 31st March, 1925:—
| District. | Mining. | Electric Supply. | Flax-mills. | Sawmills. | Flour-mills. | Dairying. | Construction-works. | Freezing-works. | Paper-mills. | Miscellaneous. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.P. | H.P. | H.P. | H.P. | H.P. | H.P | H.P. | H.P. | H.P. | H.P. | H.P. | |
| Auckland North | .. | 2,850 | .. | .. | 43 | .. | 20 | .. | 54 | 2,967 | .. |
| Auckland | 2,700 | 1,625 | 10 | 17 1/2 | 18 | 94 | 6 | .. | 1,451 | 5,921 1/2 | .. |
| Auckland South | .. | 10,015 | 30 | .. | 72 1/2 | .. | .. | .. | 30 | 10,147 1/2 | .. |
| Gisborne | .. | 1,250 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 12 | 1,262 | .. | .. |
| Hawke's Bay | .. | 284 | .. | .. | 25 | .. | .. | .. | 13 | 322 3/4 | .. |
| Taranaki North | .. | 3,647 1/2 | .. | .. | 24 | 707 | .. | 10 | .. | 64 1/2 | 4,453 |
| Taranaki | .. | 1,135 | .. | .. | .. | 236 | .. | .. | .. | 186 1/2 | 1,557 1/2 |
| Wellington North | .. | 555 | .. | .. | .. | 11 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 566 |
| Wellington | .. | 1,301 | .. | 26 | .. | 41 1/2 | .. | .. | .. | 122 1/2 | 1,491 |
| Nelson | 115 | 49 | 46 | 47 | .. | 21 1/2 | .. | .. | .. | 45 | 323 1/2 |
| Westland | 414 1/2 | 1,419 | 21 | 175 | .. | 21 | .. | .. | .. | 119 1/2 | 2,170 |
| Canterbury | .. | 115,818 | 27 | .. | 109 | 9 | .. | .. | .. | 43 | 16,006 |
| Canterbury South | .. | 117 | 30 | .. | 44 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 15 | 206 |
| Otago | 26 1/2 | 12,239 | 7 | 12 | 64 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 143 1/2 | 12,492 |
| Southland | 78 | 7,688 | 36 | 19 | 69 | 21 | .. | 1,200 | 450 | 696 3/4 | 10,257 3/4 |
| Totals | 3,334 | 59,992 1/2 | 207 | 296 1/2 | 310 | 1,227 1/4 | 94 | 1,236 | 450 | 2,996 1/4 | 70,143 1/2 |
The following table gives details of the chief hydro-electric installations from which power is distributed for public supply.
| Locality. | Supply Authority. | Power installed. | Max. Load, Kw., Year ending 31st March, 1925. | Distance transmitted: Miles. | Voltage of Transmission. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Total | |||||
* Diesel auxiliary. † Gas auxiliary. ‡ Steam auxiliary. § Lake Coleridge plant. || Overload. ¶ Walpori plant. | ||||||
| H.P. | K.w. | |||||
| Wairua Falls | Wilsons (N.Z.) Cement Co. | 3,080 | 2,000 | 2,200|| | 22 | 22,000 |
| Horahora | Public Works Department | 9,000 | 6,300 | 8,300|| | 87 | 50,000 |
| Tauranga | Borough Council | 1,400 | 800 | 684 | 41 | 11,000 |
| Rotorua* | Tourist Department | 380 | 350 | 265 | 13 | 6,600 |
| Whakatane | Borough Council | 300 | 240 | 140 | 25 | 22,000 |
| Waikaremoana | Power Board | 1,000 | 700 | 588 | 23 | 11,000 |
| Havelock North | Town Board | 200 | 176 | 110 | 6 | 3,300 |
| New Plymouth | Borough Council | 3,000 | 3,000 | 1,400 | 10 | 6,600 |
| Stratford* | Borough Council | 120 | 280 | 195 | 1 | 2,200 |
| Kaponga | Town Board | 196 | 130 | 56 | .. | 230 |
| Opunake | Power Board | 450 | 320 | 220 | 30 | 6,600 |
| Hawera* | Electric Light Company | 900 | 625 | 438 | 20 | 5,500 |
| Patea† | Borough Council | 120 | 135 | 79 | 7 | 3,000 |
| Waverley | Town Board | 60 | 40 | 15 | 1 | 2,300 |
| Taumarunui | Borough Council | 600 | 425 | 420 | 7 | 3,300 |
| Ohakune† | Borough Council | 220 | 120 | 85 | 6 | 2,400 |
| Raetihi | Borough Council | 160 | 100 | 78 | 20 | 3,000 |
| Taihape† | Borough Council | 200 | 175 | 179|| | 1 | 460 |
| Mangaweka* | Town Board | 40 | 40 | 37 | 3 | 2,300 |
| Wairarapa | Power Board | 1,500 | 837 | 470 | 129 | 11,000 |
| Brightwater† | Waimea Electric Company | 140 | 100 | 103|| | 18 | 2,500 |
| Murchison | County Council | 140 | 100 | 87 | 6 | 3,300 |
| Reefton | Electric Supply Company | 90 | 80 | 60 | 1 | 230 |
| Lake Kanieri‡ | Company | 1,100 | 700 | 580 | 10 | 11,000 |
| Canterbury§ | Public Works Department | 10,000 | 12,000 | 13,180|| | 276 | 66,000 |
| Fairlie | County Council | 50 | 40 | 24 | .. | 400 |
| Waitaki† | Power Board | 230 | 270 | 284 | .. | 3,000 |
| Dunedin¶ | City Council | 13,500 | 9,000 | 7,910 | 60 | 35,000 |
| Gore | Borough Council | 320 | 240 | 220 | 8 | 11,000 |
| Mataura | Borough Council | 100 | 75 | 48 | .. | 220 |
| Queenstown | Borough Council | 115 | 60 | 32 | 4 | 3,300 |
Of the thirty-one stations mentioned, twenty-three are operated by local authorities, three by the State, and five by private companies.
The Aid to Water-power Works Act of 1910 empowered the State to establish hydro-electric-supply installations, and the first—at Lake Coleridge, sixty-five miles west of Christchurch—has been in operation for ten years. This plant was originally designed for a total capacity of 12,000 kilowatts (16,000 horse-power), but natural features of the lake and adjacent rivers allow of a very large extension of the supply up to 36,000 h.p. During March, 1921, the Harper River was diverted into the lake, and the level of the water in the lake has been appreciably raised thereby, thus ensuring an ample supply to meet the present demands.
The 66,000-volt transmission-line is constructed in triplicate to Christchurch, thus ensuring continuity of supply, two lines having a capacity of 12,000 kw. each, and the other a capacity of 5,000 kw. The present installed plant capacity is 16,000 h.p., and the work of driving a second tunnel, which will be approximately 111 chains in length, has been completed for about 50 chains. The erection of the two new pipelines is well in hand; contracts have been lot for two 12,650 h.p. turbines, two 7,500 kw. generators, and the necessary switch-gear. It is anticipated that the additional plant capacity of 15,000 kw. will be available in 1926, thus raising the total plant capacity to 27,000 kw. The population being served is over 210,000, and a large demand for power is being made. The capital outlay to the 31st March, 1925, was £1,008,491, the total revenue for the year 1924-25 was £92,163, and after payment of all charges, including interest and depreciation, an excess of £5,434 was shown. The accumulated deficiency on the Profit and Loss Account has been reduced by the above £5,434 from £23,172 to £17,738. The power-house maximum output was 13,180 kw., representing an overload of approximately 10 per cent. on the normal capacity of the plant.
In addition to the transmission-lines to Christchurch a single-circuit transmission-line is in operation, supplying the towns of Ashburton and Timaru, at which places the voltage is stepped down for local reticulation. Arrangements are being made for the erection of a second transmission-line to Timaru and an extension to Oamaru.
The standard rate of sale by the Public Works Department to local authorities and wholesale consumers is £10 per K.V.A. year for the first 200 K.V.A., and £8 per K.V.A. year for all over 200 K.V.A.
The growth of the supply and the general financial results are as follow:—
| Results Of Operation for | Fifth Year (ended March, 1920). | Seventh Year (ended March, 1922). | Eighth Year (ended March, 1923). | Ninth Year (ended March, 1924). | Tenth Year (ended March, 1925). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital outlay | £422,076 | £671,603 | £848,033 | £892,801 | £1,008,491 |
| Working-costs | £17,760 | £25,911 | £19,271 | £20,777 | £23,270 |
| Interest | £16,863 | £20,981 | £35,275 | £44,444 | £47,780 |
| Depreciation | £7,623 | £8,424 | £9,307 | £12,584 | £15,079 |
| Total costs | £42,246 | £65,316 | £63,853 | £77,805 | £86,729 |
| Total revenue | £45,331 | £50,814 | £69,153 | £78,508 | £92,163 |
| Maximum load, kw.— | |||||
| Power-house | 7,066 | 7,600 | 9,390 | 10,800 | 13,180 |
| Substations | 6,260 | 6,720 | 8,420 | 0,490 | 11,190 |
| Units output— | |||||
| Power-house | 33,010,130 | 37,929,750 | 43,451,660 | 48,777,886 | 56,935,840 |
| Substation | 29,572,160 | 33,947,100 | 39,065,420 | 45,778,007 | 53,261,142 |
| Total units sold | 28,017,976 | 32,943,934 | 37,561,627 | 43,792,372 | 51,287,033 |
| Average weekly load factor, per cent.— | |||||
| Power-house | 59.9 | 02.9 | 53.5 | 530 | 51.8 |
| Substation | 58.6 | 62.0 | 53.6 | 54.3 | 50.8 |
| Working-cost per unit sold | 015d. | 0.188d. | 0.123d. | 0.113d. | 0.109d. |
| Capital charge per unit sold | 0.21d. | 0214d. | 0.284d. | 0.313d. | 0.224d. |
| Total cost per unit sold | 0.36d. | 0.403d. | 0.408d. | 0.426d. | 0.406d. |
| Revenue per unit sold | 0.39d. | 0.414d. | 0.441d. | 0.430d. | 0.431d. |
| Total cost per kw. Substation maximum | £6.75 | £8.23 | £7.58 | £8.20 | £7.75 |
To the above costs must be added the cost of retailing by the various local authorities, and the gross results of distribution in the district for the year ended 31st March, 1925, are given in the following table:—
| Distributing Authority. | Number of Consumers. | Capital Outlay. | Revenue from Consumers. | Paid for Electricity. | Maintenance | Interest. | Depreciation. | Sinking Fund and Reserve Fund. | Net Profit. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* After deducting amount of sales to other distributing bodies. † After deducting amount paid by another distributing body. ‡ Loss. | |||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Public Works Department | 119 | 1,008,490 | 37,246* | .. | 23,270 | 47,780 | 15,679 | .. | 5,434 |
| Ashburton Power Board | 1,870 | 161,495 | 13,493 | 3,740 | 3,593 | 1,851 | .. | 1,000 | 3,520 |
| Banks Peninsula Power Board | 837 | 91,354 | 8,202 | 1,344 | 3,271 | 5,729 | .. | 882 | 1,917 |
| Christchurch City Council | 22,401 | 559,143 | 144,306* | 27,359† | 33,561 | 21,690 | 46,688 | 15,606 | 4,395 |
| Eyre County Council | 124 | 5,888 | 1,462 | 654 | 160 | 272 | .. | 50 | 326 |
| Halswell County Council | 174 | 6,482 | 1,171 | 566 | 568 | 263 | .. | 50 | -262‡ |
| Heathcote County Council | 840 | 20,329 | 5,066 | 2,520 | 1,328 | 580 | .. | 421 | 428 |
| Kaiapoi Borough Council | 465 | 4,500 | 2,457 | 1,016 | 576 | 236 | 81 | 45 | 523 |
| Kowai County Council | 236 | 17,561 | 1,849 | 242 | 149 | .. | .. | 161 | 1,010 |
| Lyttelton Borough Council | 421 | 5,000 | 3,606 | 1,305 | 1,572 | 235 | .. | 100 | 443 |
| Rangiora Borough Council | 391 | 8,626 | 2,773 | 788 | 662 | 349 | 408 | 75 | 689 |
| Rangiora County Council | 384 | 23,878 | 4,013 | 1,013 | 575 | 1,271 | .. | 255 | 299 |
| Riccarton Borough Council | 945 | 13,147 | 5,539 | 1,563 | 1,091 | 451 | .. | 132 | 2,935 |
| Springs — Ellesmere Power Board | 1,278 | 74,099 | 6,696 | 1,379 | 2,728 | 3,655 | 211 | 600 | -1,633‡ |
| Sumner Borough Council | 715 | 10,435 | 3,833 | 976 | 571 | 449 | 204 | 81 | 1,282 |
| Tai Tapu Dairy Company | 193 | 8,756 | 3,141 | 1,438 | 822 | .. | 577 | .. | -65‡ |
| Timaru Borough Council | 2,009 | 91,088 | 19,972 | 4,115 | 7,619 | 4,658 | .. | 2,016 | 1,735 |
| Waimairi County Council | 2,235 | 48,493 | 12,841 | 2,240 | 4,606 | 2,012 | .. | 400 | 3,664 |
| Totals | 35,727 | 2,159,364 | 277,666 | 52,858 | 86,722 | 91,481 | 63,828 | 21,874 | 26,649 |
The addition of revenue from rates (£4,867), Trading Account (£3,592), and other sources (£5,975) brings the total revenue to £292,100, or, including £52,858 received by the Public Works Department from other distributing bodies, to £344,958, while the aggregate expenditure, inclusive of an item of £1,546 miscellaneous, is found to be £318,309. The gross profit was thus £26,649, as shown above.
The column “Revenue from Consumers” omits, in the cases of the Public Works Department and Christchurch City Council, the revenue from the sale of energy to other local authorities for distribution, as this is resold and the actual revenue from the consumers is included in the revenue of the distributing local authority. The amounts thus paid for power in bulk for resale are shown in the column “Paid for Electricity.”
In November, 1920, the Waihi Gold-mining Company's electric-power plant at Horahora was acquired by the State for £212,500. The necessary transmission-lines have since been erected, and the plant has been extended. The capital account to the 31st March, 1925, stands at £522,973.
The main features of the plant acquired are the headworks and generating — station on the Waikato River at Horahora, seventeen miles from Cambridge, with a plant capacity of six generators, each capable of generating 1,050 kw., or a total of 6,300 kw.; the transmission-line of three No. 0 S.W.G. copper conductors on steel towers from Horahora to Waikino (fifty-five miles); and the transformer-station at Waikino, for transforming the energy supplied to the Waihi Company's mine. Extensions to the power-house building, and alterations to the head-race and tail-race, were completed during the year 1924-25, and one of the two new 2,000 kw. units was installed and placed in operation. The other unit is being installed, and will be in operation this year.
The operations for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1925, resulted in a gross revenue of £65,184, or £51,078 in excess of working-expenses. Interest amounted to £20,129, and depreciation to £9,757, leaving a surplus of £17,053 after paying working and capital charges and sinking fund.
| Results of Operation | Second Year (ended March, 1922) | Third Year (ended March, 1923) | Fourth Year (ended March, 1924) | Fifth Year (ended March, 1925). |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Capital outlay | 353,808 | 395,022 | 474,817 | 522,973 |
| Working-costs | 7,986 | 9,721 | 12,474 | 14,106 |
| Interest | 13,187 | 19,208 | 21,231 | 20,129 |
| Depreciation | 4,512 | 6,620 | 10,393 | 9,757 |
| Sinking Fund | .. | .. | .. | 4,139 |
| Total costs | 25,685 | 35,549 | 44,098 | 48,131 |
| Total revenue | 28,207 | 41,818 | 59,924 | 65,184 |
| Maximum load— | Kw | Kw | Kw | Kw. |
| Power-house, for year | 5,800 | 6,900 | 7,400 | 7,600 |
| Power-house, average weekly | 4,080 | 5,382 | 6,852 | 6,963 |
| Output— | Units | Units | Units | Units. |
| Power-house | 25,659,550 | 33,732,150 | 45,077,150 | 45,070,650 |
| Substations total | .. | 30,435,036 | 40,614,013 | 41,461,209 |
| Total units sold | 23,093,595 | 30,030,369 | 39,914,854 | 41,281,159 |
| Load-factor— | Per Cent | Per Cent | Per Cent | Per Cent. |
| Power-house, annual | 50.5 | 55.8 | 69.6 | 67.6 |
| Power-house, average weekly | 71.3 | 71.2 | 75.3 | 71.9 |
| d. | d. | d. | d. | |
| Working-cost per unit sold | 0.083 | 0.078 | 0.075 | 0.076 |
| Capital charge per unit sold | 0.184 | 0.206 | 0.194 | 0.200 |
| Total cost per unit sold | 0.267 | 0.284 | 0.277 | 0.277 |
| Revenue per unit sold | 0.293 | 0.334 | 0.360 | 0.379 |
| Total cost— | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Per kilowatt (power-house annual maximum) | 4.43 | 5.15 | 5.96 | 6.17 |
| Per kilowatt (power-house average weekly maximum) | 6.29 | 6.61 | 6.44 | 6.73 |
The Public Works Department supplies two large gold-mining companies and four large factories direct. The balance of the reticulation is carried out by four Electric-power Boards and the Hamilton, Thames, and Te Aroha Borough Councils. The general result of operation by all eight distributing authorities is a gross profit of £25,573 for the year 1924-25, as shown in the following table:—
| Distributing Authority. | Number of Consumers. | Capital Outlay. | Revenue from Consumers. | Revenue from Rates. | Paid for Electricity. | Maintenance Expenses. | Interest and Sinking Fund. | Depreciation | Profit. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* After deducting amount of sales to other distributing bodies. † Loss. | |||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Public Works Department | 12 | 522,973 | 22,350* | .. | 1,256 | 12,175 | 24,268 | 9,757 | 17,053 |
| Cambridge Power Board | 903 | 95,188 | 11,219 | .. | 3,527 | 2,904 | 6,762 | 100 | -1,714† |
| Central Power Board | 2,102 | 195,257 | 23,525 | .. | 6,202 | 4,617 | 4,290 | 8,200 | 856 |
| Hamilton Borough Council | 2,582 | 51,570 | 24,712 | .. | 5,461 | 7,555 | 5,077 | 2,130 | 4,508 |
| Te Aroha Borough Council. | 578,16,681 | 5,385 | .. | 1,372 | 1,497 | 764 | .. | 2,109 | .. |
| Te Awamutu Power Board | 1,018 | 131,610 | 14,581 | 2,132 | 4,251 | 5,061 | 10,582 | .. | -2,585† |
| Thames Borough Council | 957 | 29,306 | 8,682 | .. | 2,112 | 2,297 | 1,268 | .. | 2,874 |
| Thames Valley Power Board | 4,894 | 530,289 | 55,512* | 4,000 | 17,793* | 4,984 | 38,551 | .. | 2,472 |
| Totals | 13,046 | 1,572,874 | 165,966 | 6,132 | 41,974 | 41,090 | 91,562 | 20,187 | 25,573 |
Construction-work on the tunnels, two dams, pipe-lines, and power-house building in connection with the Mangahao electric-power-supply scheme was completed in 1924, and two of the main units of the plant (12,000 K.V.A.) were ready for operation at the beginning of November, 1924, when the official “turning-on” ceremony took place. The Khandallah substation was completed and placed in operation in December, 1924.
Power was supplied to Wellington City in March, 1925, and to the following Power Boards: Horowhenua, in November, 1924; Manawatu-Oroua, in December, 1924; Hutt Valley, in December, 1924; Tararua, in April, 1925; Wairarapa, in May, 1925; and Dannevirke, in May, 1925. The maximum demand at the power-house up to the end of September, 1925, was 9,080 kw.
The transmission-lines to Wellington, Bunnythorpe, Masterton, and Waipukurau were completed and placed in service, and the lines to Wanganui and Napier are nearing completion. About 300 route-miles of transmission-line and 200 route-miles of telephone-line were erected during the year.
A contract has been let for substation buildings at Wanganui, and tenders have been called for those at Napier. It is anticipated that power will be available at-Wanganui early in 1926.
Practically the whole of the available power from Mangahao has now been definitely allocated, and guarantees of revenue have been obtained from the Wellington City Corporation and the various Power Boards.
In addition to the Government schemes the following schemes of 1,000 kw. and over are in operation:—
Waipori River, thirty-two miles from Dunedin. Water is conducted from several artificial storage reservoirs on the Waipori River and its tributaries, through a tunnel and pipe-lines to the power-house, which is situated at the bottom of a narrow ravine. The present capacity of the plant is 9,000 kw., and the head available is 700 ft. Power is generated at 2,400 volts and transmitted at 35,000. The capital outlay to 31st March, 1925, was £907,869.
At Wairua Falls (Whangarei) a 2,000 kw. plant was installed in 1916 by the Dominion Portland Cement Company to furnish power for cement-making. The-energy is transmitted a distance of sixteen miles to the factory at a pressure of 22,000 volts. A branch-line also supplies the Borough of Whangarei and the farming districts en route.
New Plymouth has a plant of 3,000 kw. This plant was installed in 1906, and transmits power at 6,600 volts.
The Southland Electric — power Board has constructed a 4,000 kw. plant at Lake Monowai, and transmits power at 66,000 volts to Invercargill, Gore, and Winton. The Monowai River at its outlet from the lake is diverted through an open channel and steel pipe 8 ft. in diameter to a surge-chamber above the power-house on the hank of the Waiau River. A head of 180 ft. is available, permitting an ultimate development of 20,000 h.p. on a 50-per-cent. load-factor.
The Taranaki Electric-power Board is constructing a plant to develop 2,000 h.p. from the Manganui River. The Marlborough Electric-power Board propose to develop 1,000 kw. from the Waihopai River, and the Tauranga Borough Council is constructing a plant to develop 2,500 kw. from the Wairoa River.
Persistent demands were made for some years that the Government should develop the power sources of the Dominion itself for the benefit of the people generally, and in 1910 the Aid to Water-power Works Act was passed, and the Lake Coleridge scheme for the supply of Christchurch City and Canterbury Province was selected for development. Operations were commenced on these works in 1911 and completed in 1915, with a capacity of 4,500 kw., which has since been extended to 12,000 kw. This scheme has proved thoroughly successful. The demand will shortly exceed the capacity, and extensions to a total capacity of 27,000 kw. are under construction. After the successful inauguration of the Lake Coleridge scheme, a complete system was drawn up of interconnected power systems in both the North and South Islands.
A very complete report and estimate of the demand and cost of supply for the North Island was submitted by the then Chief Electrical Engineer, Mr. Evan Parry, B.Sc, &c., in October, 1918. After a lull discussion of the use of electricity in the Dominion he assessed the demand at 1/5 h.p. (0.15 kw.) per head of population, and estimated the total power required, allowing for losses, at 160,000 h.p. of installed capacity in the North Island and 110,000 h.p. in the South Island.
After careful comparisons with the developments in other countries and detailed estimates of the future demand in New Zealand, this has been adopted as the basis of the Government scheme. For the North Island it is proposed to develop the power at three main stations—viz., Mangahao (24,000 h.p.), Lake Waikaremoana (40,000 h.p., capable of extension to 130,000 h.p.), and the Arapuni Rapids, on the Waikato River (96,000 h.p., capable of extension to 160,000 h.p.). These three power-stations are to be ultimately interconnected by a complete system of 110,000-volt lines for a total length of 1,112 miles with 309 miles of branch mains at 50,000 and 33,000 volts.
The cost of the complete North Island scheme of wholesale generation and transmission as estimated in 1918 was as follows:—
| — | Amount | Per Horsepower. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generating-stations (total plant capacity, 160,000 h.p.)— | £ | £ | |||
| H.P | Cost. | Per H.P. | |||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Mangahao | 24,000 | 438,654 | 18.30 | ||
| Waikaremoana | 40,000 | 544,369 | 13.16 | ||
| Arapuni | 96,000 | 1,078,700 | 10.80 | ||
| 2,061,723 | 12.88 | ||||
| 160,000 | |||||
| Main transmission-lines | 1,553,880 | .. | |||
| Extra branch transmission-lines at lower voltage to main substations not on main lines | 241,360 | 11.22 | |||
| Main substations | 838,808 | 5.24 | |||
| Distribution-lines and secondary substations | 2,086,000 | 13.04 | |||
| 6,781,771 | 42.38 | ||||
| Interest during construction | 271,271 | 1.69 | |||
| Assistance to local authorities and power-users | 100,000 | 0.62 | |||
| Working capital | 150,000 | 0.94 | |||
| Total | 7,303,042 | 45.63 | |||
Between 1918 and the passing of the legislative authorizations in 1919 and 1920 costs generally increased to a large extent, and the authorizations were therefore increased accordingly. The items under each power scheme in the authorizations include, of course, the portion of the transmission-lines and substations supplied from each source.
It was estimated that the programme would take ten years to develop, and that the total annual charges when completed, allowing 7 1/2 per cent. to cover interest, depreciation, and sinking fund, and £220,000 per annum for working-expenses, would amount to £767,728—that is, practically £6 per horse-power, or £8 per kilowatt-year.
It is estimated that this scheme when in full operation will effect a saving of 1,000,000 tons of coal per year out of a total annual consumption of 2,400,000 tons in the whole Dominion.
On the same basis 110,000 h.p. is also required in the South Island, and towards this developments are in hand for an ultimate capacity as follows:—
| Horse-power | |
|---|---|
| Lake Coleridge (Public Works Department) | 36,000 |
| Waipori Falls (Dunedin City Council) | 25,000 |
| Lake Monowai (Southland Electric-power Board) | 16,000 |
| Total | 77,000 |
In addition the following schemes have been investigated in order to make up the balance:—
| — | Horse-power. |
|---|---|
| Teviot River | 25,000 |
| Lake Hawea | 80,000 |
| Lake Tekapo | 20,000 |
| Waimakariri River | 30,000 |
| Clarence River | 25,000 |
| Toaroha River | 10,000 |
| Arnold River | 4,000 |
| Waihopai River | 2,000 |
| Gowan River | 25,000 |
The final selection of the sources, their order of development, and the economical limits in each case, have not yet been determined.
The statutory authorizations to date for the development of hydro-electric power in the Dominion are as follow:—
| Aid to Water-power Works Act, 1910— | £ |
|---|---|
| Lake Coleridge electric-power works | 500,000 |
| Electric-power Works Loan Act, 1919— | |
| Arapuni electric-power works | 4,500,000 |
| Mangahao electric-power works | 1,600,000 |
| Lake Coleridge extensions | 257,500 |
| Horahora electric-power works | 412,500 |
| Waikaremoana—Surveys, &c. | 30,000 |
| Otago—Surveys, &c. | 30,000 |
| Finance Act, 1920— | |
| Waikaremoana electric-power works | 2,600,000 |
| Kaituna River | 160,000 |
| Lake Coleridge extensions | 720,000 |
| Surveys and investigations | 30,000 |
| £10,830,000 |
The total expenditure to the 31st March, 1925, including capital outlay, stocks, and debit balances on the trading accounts, is as follows:—
| Lake Coleridge | £ 1,096,261 |
|---|---|
| Horahora | 565,268 |
| Waikaremoana | 85,339 |
| Mangahao | 1,903,715 |
| Arapuni | 346,207 |
| Hutt River | 2,719 |
| Kaituna River | 1,355 |
| Other surveys | 5,362 |
| General expenditure | 4,440 |
| £4,010,666 |
Of the above, the Lake Coleridge, Horahora, Mangahao, and Waikaremoana systems are in commercial -operation, and Arapuni is under construction.
The policy of the Government generally is to supply power in bulk, leaving the reticulation and retail supply in the hands of the local authorities. Formerly the only local authorities available were the cities, boroughs, counties, and town districts, but with the extension of electric supply into the country areas a stronger organization became necessary, and this was provided under the Electric-power Boards Act of 1918. This Act provides for several local districts to combine for the purpose of Electric-power distribution, and to set up a special Electric-power Board to carry out the work, with rating-powers over the district concerned.
Amendments to the original Act, based on the results of experience, were passed in 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923. The legislation was consolidated and amended in the Electric-power Boards Act, 1925.
The development of the reticulation by means of Electric-power Boards has made substantial progress during the year. Four additional districts were formed, and there are now thirty-nine districts constituted, and twenty-five actually carrying out the distribution and sale of electrical energy. The total area covered is 62,520 square miles, or 61 per cent. of the total area of the Dominion. The total population concerned is 776,510, or 59 per cent. of the total population of the Dominion; and the unimproved value of the land included in the electric-power districts and outer areas is £231,485,074, or 70 per cent. of the total unimproved value of the Dominion.
So far only one of the four main cities — viz., Auckland — has been included in the inner area of a power district, but of the secondary towns, Palmerston North, Invercargill, Timaru, Napier, Gisborne, Oamaru, and Wanganui are included. The advantage of Power Board organization is more obvious to country than to city ratepayers, and yet the above position indicates that the cities are realizing that it is to their advantage generally to be associated with the country in undertaking the work of reticulation of electric power on a comprehensive scale.
The Boards already formed are getting to work energetically in carrying out their functions. Fifteen Boards—viz., Thames Valley, Cambridge, Central, Te Awamutu, Hutt Valley, Horowhenua, Manawatu-Oroua, Dannevirke, Tararua, Waira-rapa, Malvern, Banks Peninsula, Springs-Ellesmere, Ashburton, and South Canterbury —have carried out fairly complete reticulation of their areas, and are distributing power taken in bulk from the plants at Horahora, Mangahao, and Lake Coleridge. The Auckland Board has taken over the city electric-power station, and is providing for large extensions of both plant and mains. It has also entered into a contract to take the whole of its power, with a minimum of 15,000 kw., from the Government when the Arapuni Station is completed, which is estimated to be in 1928. Taranaki, while pushing on with its reticulation in anticipation of a general supply of hydroelectric power, is giving a partial supply from -smaller stations in the meantime. Wairoa is taking power in bulk from the Department's station at Lake Waikare-moana, and supplies the borough and a few consumers in the neighbourhood. Three —viz., Southland, Opunake, and Teviot—have local water-power stations in operation. Eight others—viz., Rangitikei, Waitemata, Central Hawke's Bay, Poverty Bay, Waitaki, Franklin, Hawke's Bay, and Waitomo—are arranging to take power in bulk from the Government hydro-electric sources, and are preparing their systems of reticulation with this end in view. The Grey Power Board is erecting a steam station of its own; the Wairere and Marlborough Power Boards are each erecting local water-power stations. The Tauranga, Otago, and Otago Central Boards have arranged to purchase power in bulk from other authorities. The other four—viz., Buller, Westland, Reefton, and Hobson—are making arrangements which have not yet been finalized.
The following table gives details of the date of constitution, the area, population, and rateable value of each of thirty-nine power districts already formed also the amounts of the loans already authorized, and the voting on each poll taken. The total amount of the loans authorized by the thirty-four districts which have taken their polls is £9,372,238. The population of the districts, concerned is 711,465, so that the loans authorized amount to £13.2 per head of population, as compared with £15.2 last year. The unimproved valuation of the districts is £260,990,882, the loans authorized amounting to 3.6 per cent. of the unimproved rateable value of the lands pledged as security for the loans. The voting at the polls totalled 37,606 to 5,016—i.e., a majority of 87 per cent.
| Name of Electric-power Board. | Proclamation constituting Power Board gazetted. | Number of Members on Board. | Approximate Area of District. | Population. | Value of Rateable Property. | Amount of Loan authorized | Voting for Loan Poll. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For | Ag'nst | |||||||
* For part area only. | ||||||||
| Sq. Miles. | £ | £ | ||||||
| Ashburton | 17/11/21 | 12 | 2,542 | 17,757 | 10,047,044 | 296,500 | 1,590 | 96 |
| Auckland | 1/4/22 | 12 | 300 | 150,000 | 50,491,865 | 1,722,500 | 4,179 | 288 |
| Banks Peninsula | 8/1/20 | 7 | 387 | 4,000 | 5,089,798 | 100,000 | 331 | 23 |
| Buller | 11/5/22 | 5 | 1,987 | 9,197 | 696,374 | Poll not | yet taken. | |
| Cambridge | 23/6/20 | 8 | 137 | 6,000 | 2,650,705 | 113,238 | 474 | 71 |
| Central | 8/7/20 | 8 | 520 | 11,700 | 4,170,999 | 200,000 | 515 | 19 |
| Central Hawke's Bay | 19/10/22 | 9 | 1,305 | 8,980 | 6,839,951 | 150,000 | 543 | 41 |
| Dannevirke | 11/8/21 | 10 | 673 | 12,081 | 4,666,713 | 175,000 | 646 | 95 |
| Franklin | 25/9/24 | 8 | 822 | 14,444 | 7,761,397 | 200,000 | 1,030 | 146 |
| Grey | 20/10/22 | 9 | 1,450 | 12,000 | 614,694 | 80,000 | 630 | 134 |
| Hawke's Bay | 19/6/24 | 8 | 1,684 | 40,985 | 17,231,315 | 4,000* | 57 | 2 |
| Hobson | 29/3/23 | 8 | 778 | 7,180 | 1,424,942 | Poll not | yet taken. | |
| Horowhenua | 1/12/21 | 9 | 630 | 11,795 | 3,403,255 | 260,000 | 973 | 26 |
| Hutt Valley | 6/7/22 11/12/24 | 11 | 530 | 26,725 | 3,119,920 | 240,000 | 1,748 | 146 |
| Malvern | 28/6/23 | 6 | 2,141 | 5,050 | 3,891,668 | 40,000 | 326 | 22 |
| Manawatu-Oroua | 1/12/21 | 12 | 1,301 | 38,000 | 13,955,493 | 500,000 | 1,141 | 96 |
| Marlborough | 25/10/23 | 8 | 3,198 | 14,696 | 9,442,042 | 300,000 | 1,334 | 300 |
| Opunako | 9/8/21 | 7 | 197 | 4,000 | 1,727,168 | 70,000 | 170 | 20 |
| Otago | 18/10/23 | 6 | 2,281 | 24,082 | 4,696,418 | 200,000 | 961 | 162 |
| Otago Central | 20/10/22 4/12/24 | 9 | 2,684 | 5,170 | 1,798,945 | 50,000 | 252 | 11 |
| Poverty Bay | 20/12/23 | 11 | 1,900 | 23,986 | 16,502,852 | Poll not | yet taken | |
| Reefton | 30/6/21 | 5 | 24 | 1,850 | 220,042 | ” | ” | .. |
| South Canterbury | 26/10/22 | 12 | 5,102 | 41,618 | 15,483,654 | 145,000 | 978 | 299 |
| Southland | 19/11/19 | 12 | 10,857 | 66,009 | 15,493,548 | 1,650,000 | 6,516 | 416 |
| Springs-Ellesmere | 8/7/20 | 11 | 412 | 11,270 | 6,540,577 | 114,000 | 797 | 41 |
| Taranaki | 18/5/22 | 7 | 1,637 | 22,000 | 10,582,430 | 350,000 | 635 | 190 |
| Tararua | 23/3/22 | 10 | 1,260 | 11,922 | 3,961,278 | 200,000 | 714 | 83 |
| Tauranga | 14/6/23 | 7 | 639 | 8,056 | 1,480,021 | 100,000 | 421 | 277 |
| Te Awamutu | 8/1/20 | 10 | 270 | 8,500 | 3,681,842 | 145,000 | 565 | 39 |
| Teviot | 22/7/20 | 7 | 320 | 2,400 | 211,567 | 38,500 | 191 | 27 |
| Thames Valley | 8/1/19 | 12 | 2,300 | 30,000 | 13,000,000 | 700,000 | 1,786 | 114 |
| Wairarapa | 25/3/20 | 9 | 1,996 | 18,500 | 12,739,997 | 310,000 | 1,703 | 225 |
| Wairere | 18/1/23 | 7 | 407 | 2,500 | 872,434 | 38,500 | 82 | 8 |
| Wairoa | 29/7/20 | 10 | 1,354 | 4,800 | 4,327,674 | 100,000 | 504 | 31 |
| Waitaki | 9/8/23 | 9 | 3,333 | 18,046 | 6,818,231 | 135,000 | 1,286 | 124 |
| Waitemata | 18/10/23 14/11/24 | 9 | 632 | 21,425 | 7,280,369 | 200,000 | 2,940 | 1,196 |
| Waitomo | 6/3/24 | 7 | 1,160 | 8,500 | 3,566,152 | 70,000 | 270 | 36 |
| Wanganui-Rangitikei | 1/12/21 | 12 | 2,620 | 48,014 | 23,507,837 | 375,000 | 1,315 | 214 |
| Westland | 28/10/20 | 9 | 750 | 3,272 | 196,268 | Poll not | yet taken. | |
| Totals | .. | .. | 62,520 | 776,510 | 300,187,509 | 9,372,238 | 37,606 | 5,016 |
The next table shows the capital expenditure incurred by each Board up to the end of the financial year 1924-25, the revenue and expenditure, and the amount of rates struck and collected.
The total capital outlay by the thirty Boards which have started construction is £5,993,028, but a great part of this is on works not yet in service. The gross revenue from the sale of electricity by the twenty Boards which had commenced supply was £538,615, of which 59 per cent. was received by the Auckland Board. The general result is a profit over the whole business of the Power Boards of £22,802. As a substantial portion of the interest on lines still under construction was charged to capital, the total amount that it was necessary to raise by rating in order to cover the losses of certain Boards was only £11,289. With so many of the schemes in the very early stages of supply this result is quite satisfactory. The rating for the next few years will have to be substantially heavier unless provision is made to enable Power Boards to carry forward losses in early stages of their operations, to be paid out of the profits which can be anticipated after the first few years, as the Public Works Department has done in connection with Lake Coleridge and Horahora. But, even so, such losses in the early stages do not indicate any want of security in the business as a whole, but are inherent in the commencement of any concern depending to such an extent on a largo initial capital outlay to earn a revenue which takes time to develop.
| Board. | Main supply commenced. | Capital Outlay. | Revenue. | Expenditure. | Profit. | Loss. | General Rate. | Special Rates. | Valuation Basis.‡ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sale of Electricity. (Gross.) | Sale of Materials. (Profit.) | General. | Capital Charges. | Power. | General. | Levied. | Collected. | Levied. | Collected. | ||||||
* Arrears † Boards capitalizing whole of interest and sinking funds not included. ‡ U—Unimproved; C—Capital value. Buller, Poverty Bay, Reefton, Wairere, Waitomo, and Westland Boards not yet in operation. | |||||||||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | d. | £ | d. | £ | |||
| Ashburton | 1923 | 161,495 | 13,494 | 24 | 195 | 2,851 | 3,740 | 3,594 | 3,528 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | U. |
| Auckland | 1908 | 1,618,368 | 318,573 | .. | 9,489 | 165,063 | 150,507 | .. | 12,492 | .. | .. | .. | 1.05 | Nil | C. |
| Banks Peninsula | 1922 | 91,354 | 8,177 | 322 | 94 | 6,611 | 1,344 | 3,271 | .. | 2,633 | 0.1 | 4,550 | 0.14 | Nil | C. |
| Cambridge | 1921 | 95,188 | 10,790 | 32 | 758 | 6,761 | 3,527 | 3,004 | .. | 1,712 | .. | .. | 1.06 | Nil | C. |
| Central | 1921 | 195,257 | 22,283 | .. | 2,222 | 12,490 | 6,202 | 4,957 | 856 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | U. |
| Central Hawke's Bay | .. | 90,000 | .. | .. | 87 | 56,186 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 0.4 | .. | .. | Nil | U. |
| Dannevirke | .. | 85,961 | .. | .. | 159 | 6,032 | .. | 174 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1.03 | Nil | U. |
| Franklin | .. | 783 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | C. |
| Grey | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3,404 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1.03 | Nil | |
| Hawke's Bay | .. | 882 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 605 | .. | .. | 0.02 | Nil | 1.37 | Nil | C. |
| Hobson | .. | 153 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 131 | .. | .. | 0.10 | 345 | .. | .. | U. |
| Horowhenua | 1924 | 117,321 | 4,358 | 241 | 444 | .. | 1,758 | 876 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | U. |
| Hutt Valley | 1925 | 128,233 | 864 | .. | 205 | .. | 562 | 245 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | U. |
| Malvern | .. | 8,529 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1,352 | .. | .. | 0.25 | Nil | .. | .. | C. |
| Manawatu-Oroua | 1924 | 272,869 | 8,911 | 964 | 352 | 1,119 | 2,646 | 2,313 | 4,149 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | U. |
| Marlborough | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 864 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | C. |
| Opunake | 1923 | 69,236 | 5,292 | 192 | 54 | 4,790 | .. | 1,747 | .. | 990 | .. | 800* | .. | .. | C. |
| Otago | .. | 18,947 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 0.12 | Nil | 1.25 | Nil | C. |
| Otago Central | 1925 | 26,901 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,300* | .. | .. | U. |
| South Canterbury | .. | 34,300 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,300* | .. | .. | U. |
| Southland | .. | 1,386,419 | 12,822 | 3,464 | 1,793 | 1,956 | 10,616 | 1,262 | 4,244 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | U. |
| Springs-Ellesmere | 1922 | 74,099 | 6,696 | 497 | 30 | 4,466 | 1,379 | 3,248 | .. | 1,870 | .. | 237* | .. | .. | C. |
| Taranaki | .. | 188,576 | 2,096 | 527 | 1 | .. | 694 | 733 | .. | .. | .. | 386* | .. | .. | C. |
| Tararua | .. | 92,673 | 4,169 | 419 | 105 | 1,481 | 2,571 | 970 | .. | 329 | .. | .. | 1.25 | Nil | U. |
| Tauranga | .. | 4,466 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | U. |
| Te Awamutu | 1921 | 131,610 | 14,174 | 198 | 804 | 10,286 | 4,251 | 5,357 | .. | 4,718 | 0.14 | 2,132 | .. | .. | C. |
| Teviot | 1924 | 34,395 | 2,472 | .. | .. | 3,325 | .. | .. | .. | 853 | 1.00 | Nil | 4.00 | Nil | U. |
| Thames Valley | 1921 | 530,289 | 59,001 | 7,000 | 2,862 | 38,550 | 21,282 | 10,559 | .. | 1,528 | .. | 479* | 0.25 | Nil | C. |
| Wairarapa | 1924 | 229,601 | 12,340 | 3,779 | 631 | 4,266 | 762 | 3,654 | 8,068 | .. | .. | .. | 0.26 | Nil | C. |
| Wairoa | 1920 | 54,381 | 6,761 | 754 | 224 | 2,614 | 2,440 | 3,252 | .. | 567 | .. | .. | .. | .. | C. |
| Waitaki | 1918 | 46,461 | 11,020 | 54 | 53 | 5,684 | 3,212 | 2,207 | 24 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | C. |
| Waitemata | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 0.56 | Nil | C. |
| Wanganui-Rangitikei | 1908 | 204,181 | 14,322 | .. | 38 | 3,090 | 5,337 | 1,283 | 4,650 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | C. |
| Totals | .. | 5,993,028 | 538,615 | 18,469 | 20,600 | 337,621 | 222,830 | 59,062 | 38,011† | 15,209† | .. | 11,289 | .. | Nil | |
During last year eight of the Boards struck a general rate, which was collected in only three cases, and twelve of the Boards struck special rates for the security for laans, none of which was collected.
Several of the Boards are passing through a critical stage owing to the high cost and high interest rates ruling in 1921 when they started construction-work, and to the fact that they have undertaken the construction of many lines without requiring the guarantees from consumers authorized by clause 7 (d) of the regulations. But costs and rates of interest are now substantially lower, and the other Boards are profiting by such experiences, and much better results will be attained by the Power Boards generally in future as the result of the experience of these earlier districts.
Including the Government plants, there are now fifty-six public electric-power stations in the Dominion.
The total installed capacity has increased during the year by 15,922 kw., or 24 per cent. (from 65,954 kw. to 81,876 kw.), while the sum of the maximum loads has increased by 13,976 kw., or 26 per cent. (from 54,112 kw. to 68,088 kw.).
The proportion of installed plant is now as follows:—
| Station. | Kilowatts. | Proportion per Cent. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water-power | 33 | 38,354 | 46.8 |
| Steam-power | 7 | 38,925 | 47.5 |
| Gas-power | 14 | 3,491 | 4.3 |
| Oil-power | 2 | 1,106 | 1.4 |
| 56 | 81,876 | 100.0 |
Next year the proportions of water-power will be considerably increased, owing to the completion of the Government station at Mangahao and by additional plant under construction at the Coleridge and Horahora stations.
The number of consumers supplied has increased from 124,705 to 148,699, an increase of 23,994, or 19 per cent., for the year.
The total population included in the various areas of electric-power supply is 930,980, or over 70 per cent. of the total population of the Dominion; so that the ideal of a supply being available to every home in the Dominion is well on the way to realization.
The maximum demand per head of population in the areas supplied is 0.073 kw., practically one-half of the allocation of 0.15 kw. or 0.2 h.p. per head of population, which is the basis of the design of the Government schemes. The units sold per head of population supplied were 214, as compared with 211 last year.
The total length of distributing-line is 6,011 route-miles, as compared with 4,878 last year, an increase of 1,133 miles, or 23 per cent. The number of consumers per route-mile is 24.8, as compared with 25.6 last year, the reduction being due to the large mileage of new lines erected during the year to which the full number of services is not yet connected, and to the increased proportion of country lines.
The power-demand per route-mile of line is now 11.4 kw., the sales 33,200 units, and the revenue £276. These are substantially smaller than last year, for the reason indicated above, but are still remunerative returns over the whole business.
The revenue per kilowatt of output of all stations was £24.4, as compared with £26.3 last year. The water-power stations show a revenue of £23.6 per kilowatt, steam stations of £24.1 per kilowatt, and gas stations of £37 per kilowatt. These are valuable figures for use in forecasting the revenue from systems of various descriptions. The water-power systems include the greatest proportion of large consumers, and the gas-engine stations the greatest proportion of small consumers.
Out of the eighty-seven distributing authorities, fifty-nine showed a profit for the year amounting to £162,376, and twenty-eight showed a loss amounting to £36,492. The general result is a net profit for the whole Dominion of £125,884 after paying working-costs (£780,826) and capital charges (£732,086) at the rate of 7.6 per cent. on the total capital outlay of £9,566,589. This shows a net profit of 1.31 per cent., as compared with 1.85 per cent. last year. The business on the whole is thus a thoroughly sound and remunerative one, as well as supplying a public necessity to 70 per cent. of the population of the Dominion.
| — | Water. | Steam. | Gas. | Oil. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Includes distribution. † Net loss. | |||||
| Number of stations | 33 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 56 |
| Average capacity (kilowatts) | 1,160 | 5,560 | 249 | 553 | 1,462 |
| Number of consumers | 84,134 | 50,993 | 10,234 | 3,338 | 148,699 |
| Installed capacity (kilowatts), (main plant only) | 38,354 | 38,925 | 3,491 | 1,106 | 81,876 |
| Maximum load (kilowatts) | 38,813 | 26,016 | 2,504 | 755 | 68,088 |
| Units generated | 163,786,074 | 82,342,500 | 5,812,643 | 1,858,701 | 253,799,918 |
| Annual load factor (per cent.) | 48.2 | 36.2 | 26.5 | 28.1 | 42.5 |
| Units sold | 128,766,428 | 64,296,213 | 4,679,052 | 1,570,210 | 199,311,903 |
| Total capital outlay* | £6,181,893 | £2,755,505 | £528,277 | £100,914 | £9,566,589 |
| Total capital per kilowatt installed* | £161 | £71 | £151 | £91 | £117 |
| Total annual working-costs | £384,162 | £319,120 | £62,829 | £14,715 | £780,826 |
| Total annual working-cost per unit sold | 0.72d. | 1.19d. | 3.22d. | 2.25d. | 0.94d. |
| Total annual working-cost per kilowatt, maximum | £9.9 | £12.2 | £25.1 | £19.5 | £11.5 |
| Total annual capital charges | £449,011 | £244,115 | £31,507 | £7,453 | £732,086 |
| Total annual capital charges per unit sold | 0.84d. | 0.91d. | 1.62d. | 1.14d. | 0.88d. |
| Total annual capital charges per kilowatt, maximum | £11.6 | £9.4 | £12.6 | £9.9 | £10.8 |
| Total annual capital charges, percentage of capital outlay | 7.3 | 8.9 | 6.0 | 7.4 | 7.6 |
| Total annual costs | £833,173 | £583,755 | £94,336 | £22,168 | £1,533,432 |
| Total annual cost per unit sold | 1.56d. | 2.10d. | 4.84d. | 3.39d. | 1.85d. |
| Total annual cost per kilowatt, maximum | £21.5 | £21.6 | £37.7 | £29.4 | £22.5 |
| Total annual revenue | £913,638 | £627,158 | £92,633 | £25,836 | £1,659,315 |
| Total annual revenue per unit sold | 1.70d. | 2.34d. | 4.76d. | 3.95d. | 2.0d. |
| Total annual revenue per kilowatt maximum | £23.6 | £24.1 | £37.0 | £34.2 | £24.4 |
| Net profit | £80,466 | £43,403 | -£1,653† | £3,668 | £125,884 |
The question of the daily load curve and the ratio of the average load to the maximum load or the load-factor is an important one in determining the selling-price of electric power. Each station must ascertain its own load-factor and determine its selling policy accordingly. But as a general guide the daily load curves of fourteen of the larger stations of the Dominion have, by the kind co-operation of the engineers to these places, again been obtained for two days of the current year—viz., Friday, 13th March (representing equinoctial conditions), and Friday, 26th June (representing midwinter conditions). Friday has been selected as the late-shopping night in most places, thus representing the most extreme conditions of loading. These fourteen stations have au installed capacity of 74,313 kw., or 91 per cent. of the total installed capacity of the “Dominion, so that the resultant curves may be taken to represent quite accurately the shape of the load curve of the combined output of the whole Dominion. Water-power and fuel stations are proportionately represented, including all the large stations of each type, and the diagram includes not only the total output, but the water-power and fuel-power outputs separately. The summation curves are plotted in the diagram on the opposite page, and the results are as follow:—
| — | Installed Capacity. | Maximum Load. | Units. | Daily Load-factor. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* Combined maximum. | ||||
| March, 13th, 1925— | Kilowatts. | Kilowatts. | .. | Per Cent. |
| Water-power | 32,925 | 29,072 | 497,794 | 71.3 |
| Fuel-power | 40,988 | 24,315 | 219,380 | 37.6 |
| Totals | 73,913 | 48,001* | 717,174 | 62.3 |
| June, 26th, 1925— | ||||
| Water-power | 32,925 | 32,890 | 537,720 | 68.2 |
| Fuel-power | 41,388 | 32,120 | 266,305 | 34.6 |
| Totals | 74,313 | 56,325* | 804,025 | 59.5 |
These are daily load-factors. The annual load-factors are, of course, substantially lower, being 48.2 per cent. for water-power, 36.2 per cent. for steam-power, and 42.5 per cent. for the whole output of the Dominion.
In addition to the developed power in New Zealand there is a practically unlimited amount of undeveloped power. The following table gives the particulars of the more important available water-powers, showing also the nearest market, consisting of a city or town or an actual or potential port. Many of these are suitable for general industrial development, but the largest ones, as a rule being in the unsettled portions of the South Island and near the deep-water sounds, are particularly suitable for utilization in connection with electro-chemical or electro-metallurgical industries.
| Source of Power. | Position of Powerhouse. | Avallable Flow: Cubic Feet per Second. | Avallable Head: Feet. | Average Power on 50 per Cent. Load-factor. | Nearest Town, Port, or Deep Water. | Distance: Miles. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.P. | Kw. | ||||||
* Signifies daily storage available to utilize 50 per cent. load-factor. † Signifies seasonal storage made available. | |||||||
| North Auckland District. | |||||||
| Wairua Falls | Wairua Falls | 150* | 130 | 3,200 | 2,400 | Whangarei | 18 |
| Omapere | Utakura Stream | 11* | 550 | 1,000 | 750 | .. | .. |
| South Auckland District. | |||||||
| Kaituna | Kaituna River | 500† | 784 | 65,000 | 50,000 | Tauranga | 25 |
| Auckland | 125 | ||||||
| Wairoa River | Wairoa | 420* | 80 | 5,600 | 4,200 | Tauranga | 20 |
| Waikato River | Aratiatia Rapids | 4,400† | 170 | 136,000 | 100,000 | Auckland | 154 |
| ” | Orakeikorako Rapids | 4,400† | 35 | 14,000 | 10,000 | ” | 148 |
| ” | Aniwhaniwha Falls | 4,400† | 80 | 32,000 | 24,000 | ” | 142 |
| ” | Atiamuri Rapids | 4,400† | 25 | 10,000 | 7,500 | ” | 139 |
| ” | Arapuni Gorge | 5,300† | 165 | 163,000 | 120,000 | ” | 105 |
| ” | Horahora Rapids | 5,300† | 27 | 13,000 | 10,000 | ” | 97 |
| Pokaiwhenua River | ” | 165* | 170 | 4,600 | 3,400 | ” | 97 |
| Marakopa Falls | Marokopa | 90 | 420 | 3,100 | 2,300 | Te Kuiti | 27 |
| Wairere Falls | Wairere Falls | 160* | 60 | 1,600 | 1,200 | ” | 22 |
| Hawke's Bay District. | |||||||
| Waikaremoana | Upper Waikaretsheki | 530† | 1,100 | 97,000 | 75,000 | Gisborne | 50 |
| ” | Lower Waikaretaheki | 530† | 360 | 32,000 | 24,000 | Napier | 60 |
| Te Reinga Falls | Te Reinga Falls | 124 | 125 | 1,300 | 1,000 | Gisborne | 35 |
| Waikohu River | Waikohu | 45† | 847 | 6,000 | 4,500 | ” | 28 |
| Wanganui District. | |||||||
| Mangawhero River | Raukawa Falls | 125 | 90 | 1,000 | 750 | Wanganui | 45 |
| ” | Wanganui River | 125 | 680 | 7,100 | 6,950 | ” | 24 |
| Rangitikei River | Makohine | 1,500† | 300 | 75,000 | 56,000 | ” | 48 |
| Wangaehu River | Wangaehu River | 260 | 70 | 1,500 | 1,100 | ” | 25 |
| Karioi | Karioi | 300* | 180 | 8,800 | 6,600 | ” | 60 |
| Taranaki District. | |||||||
| Waitara River | Waitara River | 400 | 140 | 4,600 | 3,600 | New Plymouth | 12 |
| Waiwakaiho | Waiwakaiho | 150† | 250 | 6,200 | 4,800 | ” | 4 |
| Manganui River | Waitara River | 415† | 340 | 20,000 | 19,400 | ” | 25 |
| Wellington District. | |||||||
| Mangahao River | Shannon | 160† | 895 | 24,000 | 18,000 | Wellington | 65 |
| Makuri River | Makuri Gorge | 100* | 384 | 6,400 | 4,800 | Pahiatua | 20 |
| Waiohine | Woodside | 120* | 120 | 2,400 | 1,800 | Masterton | 15 |
| Hutt River | Mungaroa | 200† | 330 | 11,000 | 8,300 | Wellington | 24 |
| Tauherenikau | Featherston | 150* | 440 | 11,000 | 8,300 | Wairarapa | .. |
| Kourarau | Kourarau | 20 | 755 | 2,680 | 2,000 | Masterton | 12 |
| Totals, North Island | .. | .. | .. | 776,080 | 582,650 | .. | |
| Source of Power. | Position of Powerhouse. | Avallable Flow: Cubic Feet per Second. | Avallable Head: Feet. | Average Power on 50 per Cent. Load-factor. | Nearest Town. Port, or Deep Water. | Distance: Miles. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.P. | Kw. | ||||||
* Signifies dally storage available to utilize 50 per cent. load-factor. † Signifies seasonal storage made available. | |||||||
| Marlborough District. | |||||||
| Clarence | Ericaburn | 640 | 158 | 8,300 | 6,300 | Blenheim | 45 |
| Waihopai River | Waihopai Gorge | 130* | 96 | 2,000 | 1,500 | ” | 28 |
| Nelson and Buller District. | |||||||
| Boulder Lake | Aorere River | 50* | 2,600 | 22,000 | 16,000 | Golden Bay | 10 |
| Rotoiti Lake | Buller River | 200† | 600 | 20,000 | 15,000 | Nelson | 50 |
| Rotoroa Lake | Gowan River | 900† | 400 | 60,000 | 45,000 | ” | 60 |
| Inangahua River | Blackwater River | 78 | 125 | 8,000 | 6,000 | Westport | 20 |
| Four-mile Creek | Four-mile Creek | 24* | 450 | 2,000 | 1,500 | ” | 4 |
| Westland District. | |||||||
| Lake Brunner | Stillwater | 1,750 | 200 | 29,000 | 22,000 | Greymouth | 10 |
| Kumara Water-race | Kumara | 87 | 330 | 2,400 | 1,800 | ” | 12 |
| Otira River | Otira | 40 | 700 | 2,300 | 1,700 | ” | 52 |
| Rolleston River | ” | 36 | 700 | 2,000 | 1,500 | ” | 52 |
| Kanieri Lake | Kanieri River | 100 | 330 | 2,800 | 2,100 | Hokitika | 12 |
| Toaroha River | Toaroha River | 150 | 760 | 10,000 | 7,500 | ” | 17 |
| Whitcombe River | Hokitika River | 250 | 800 | 16,000 | 12,000 | ” | 20 |
| Kakapotahi River | Kakapotahi River | 100 | 580 | 4,800 | 3,600 | ” | 26 |
| Wanganui River | Hende's Ferry | 830 | 580 | 40,000 | 30,000 | ” | 36 |
| Wataroa River | Wataroa | 1,360 | 700 | 80,000 | 60,000 | ” | 48 |
| Canterbury District. | |||||||
| Clarence River | Jollle's Pass | 200 | 1,160 | 20,000 | 15,000 | Christchurch | 90 |
| ” | Conway River | 1,150 | 1,050 | 100,000 | 75,000 | ” | 90 |
| Waiau-ua River | Culverden | 1,600 | 200 | 27,000 | 20,000 | ” | 75 |
| Waimakariri River | Gorge Bridge | 1,000* | 90 | 15,000 | 11,000 | .. | 30 |
| ” | Otarama | 1,000* | 150 | 30,150 | 22,500 | ” | 42 |
| Lake Coleridge | Rakaia River | 100† | 480 | 8,000 | 6,000 | ” | 65 |
| Acheron River | ” | 50† | 480 | 4,000 | 3,000 | ” | 65 |
| Harper River | ” | 320† | 480 | 25,000 | 18,000 | ” | 65 |
| Wilberforce River | ” | 1,100 | 480 | 44,000 | 33,000 | .. | 65 |
| Rakaia River | Gorge Bridge | 2,600 | 30 | 6,500 | 4,800 | ” | 50 |
| Luke Heron | Rakaia River | 300 | 200 | 4,000 | 3,000 | ” | 88 |
| Opihi River | Opihi Gorge | 200 | 400 | 8,700 | 5,000 | Timaru | 30 |
| Pukaki Lake | Pukaki | 5,000† | 460 | 50,000 | 37,000 | ” | 85 |
| Tekapo Lake | Fairlie | 5,100† | 900 | 400,000 | 300,000 | ” | 40 |
| Ohau Lake | Waitaki River | 5,000† | 300 | 125,000 | 90,000 | ” | 85 |
| Otago and Southland Districts. | |||||||
| Ahuriri River | Waitaki River | 600 | 200 | 10,000 | 7,500 | Oamaru | 62 |
| Waitaki River | ” | 15,000 | 30 | 37,000 | 28,000 | ” | 60 |
| Waipori Palls | Waipori River | 230† | 700 | 26,800 | 20,000 | Dunedin | 30 |
| Lee Stream | Outram | 15* | 750 | 1,800 | 1,300 | ” | 18 |
| Deep Stream | Taieri River | 110 | 900 | 8,400 | 6,300 | ” | 20 |
| Taieri River | Deep Stream | 700 | 220 | 12,000 | 9,000 | ” | 44 |
| Talla Burn | Clutha River | 30 | 890 | 2,200 | 1,600 | ” | 60 |
| Tevlot River | Roxburgh | 100† | 1,900 | 30,000 | 21,000 | ” | 90 |
| Manuherikia River | Chatto Creek | 200 | 350 | 5,800 | 4,400 | .. | 127 |
| Lake Hawea | Lake Wanaka | 2,500† | 205 | 80,000 | 60,000 | ” | 170 |
| Shotover | Lake Wakatipu | 500 | 250 | 10,000 | 7,500 | Invercargill | 112 |
| Lake Hall | Doubtful Sound | 220 | 2,625 | 48,000 | 36,000 | On seaboard | .. |
| Lake Cecil | Lake Te Anau | 200 | 900 | 15,000 | 11,200 | ” | .. |
| Lake Hilda | ” | 1,550 | 1,190 | 55,000 | 41,080 | ” | .. |
| Lake Te Anau | George Sound | 12,630 | 694 | 1,600,000 | 1,200,000 | ” | .. |
| Lake Manapouri | Smith Sound | 8,400† | 600 | 840,000 | 630,000 | ” | .. |
| Bowen Falls | Milford Sound | 700 | 600 | 35,000 | 25,000 | .. | .. |
| Lake Monowai | Waiau River | 500† | 160 | 16,000 | 12,000 | Invercargill | 60 |
| Lake Hauroto | Tewaewae Bay | 2,300 | 514 | 100,000 | 75,000 | ” | 51 |
| Totals, South Island | .. | .. | .. | 4,109,950 | 3,073,680 | .. | .. |
Water-power is extensively used for hydraulic mining in New Zealand, and to a smaller extent for hydro-electric transmissions and for water-motors installed to drive mining machinery.
During 1924 water was used for sluicing auriferous alluvium at 273 claims, employing 468 persons, in Otago and Southland and on the West Coast. The quantity of water utilized per claim ranges up to about 40 cubic feet per second. Most of the sources of water-supply are privately owned, but on the West Coast and in Central Otago the Government has constructed, and now maintains, very extensive water-races for the use of miners.
On the West Coast the Waimea-Kumara Government water-races, in length about thirty-nine miles, have a capacity of 182 cubic feet per second. The cost of construction has been approximately £223,262, and the value of gold obtained by use of water is about £1,424,502. In the Mount Ida district (Central Otago) the Government water-races, about twenty-two miles in length, have a capacity of 51 cubic feet per second; the cost of these races to the Government has been about £80,000. Of recent years the cash received for water sold has been less than the cost of the upkeep of the races. The Mount Ida Water-race is now controlled by the Public Works Department, and the intention is that water not used in gold-mining will be utilized for irrigation.
There are three hydro-electric mining transmissions. On the Waikato River the Waihi Gold-mining Company installed a 9,000 h.p. plant at Horahora Falls, near Cambridge, a distance of fifty miles from the mines and reduction-works at Waihi and Waikino. The transmission pressure is 50,000 volts. This source of supply has been taken over by the Government, which now sells the power to the public.
At Kanieri Forks, near Hokitika, there is a hydro-electric power-station, formerly the property of Ross Goldfields (Limited). The water-supply is carried from Lake Kanieri, and from the Pelton wheels at the power-house 675 h.p. is obtainable. This power is now used by the Rimu Gold-dredging Company, also for lighting the Borough of Hokitika.
From the Fraser River, near Alexandra, Otago, wt>ter is taken by the Earns-cleugh Gold-mining Company for hydro-electric power for its two gold-dredges, 300 electrical horse-power being utilized.
Table of Contents
THE legislation relating to the custody, administration, and audit of the public moneys and securities is contained in the Public Revenues Act, 1910, and amending Acts. All public moneys, excepting those payable to or received by the Post Office Savings-bank, the Government Insurance Office, the Public Trust Office, the Native Trust Office, the Commissioners of the Public Debt Sinking Funds, the State Advances Office, the State Fire and Accident Insurance Office, the Public Service Superannuation Fund, the National Provident Fund, and the deposits under the New Zealand Consols Act, are paid into one account at the bank called the “Public Account,” and are carried to one or other of the following funds or accounts in the books of the Treasury:—
The Consolidated Fund.
The Public Works Fund.
Separate accounts or funds specially created.
The main Consolidated Fund Account records the ordinary public revenue and expenditure. There are certain subsidiary accounts to this fund which come under the third head in the above category. The Public Works Fund Account contains receipts from loans or transfers from the Consolidated Fund and the expenditure on public works, immigration, or special services legally chargeable to that account.
The financial year commences on the 1st day of April and ends on the 31st day of March. The revenue of any financial year is the money received into the Public Account at the bank at Wellington within the year; the expenditure is the money paid at the Treasury within the year, and the money paid by imprestees of which accounts are received at the Treasury within the year. Imprests not accounted for at the end of a financial year are included in the accounts of the following year.
At the end of each financial year the Appropriation Acts lapse, but the Minister of Finance is authorized for a period of three months from the commencement of the next financial year to pay money in respect of any service, provided that the amount does not exceed the unexpended balance voted for that purpose in the previous year, together with an amount equal to one-fourth of such vote.
The usual practice is for Parliament to meet at the end of June in each year, and to vote supplies from month to month until the estimated expenditure for the year has been approved and the annual Appropriation Act is passed.
In the audit of expenditure both the pre-audit and post-audit systems are in operation. Pre-audit is applied to vouchers in respect of payments on account of salaries of new appointees, temporary officers, and officers claiming more than one month's salary at any time; interest, loan transactions, and return of deposits; unauthorized expenditure; or expenditure chargeable against the accounts of local bodies. Post-audit is applied to all other payments.
Vouchers must be certified as correct by the proper officer, and forwarded by him to the Head of his Department for approval Vouchers subject to pre-audit are then forwarded to the Audit Office, and on being found correct are sent on to the Treasury to be entered on requisitions for payment. Vouchers subject to post-audit are transmitted by the head of the Department direct to the Treasury. Payment is made by the Treasury, and the claim is afterwards submitted for audit.
Section 22 of the Appropriation Act, 1923, introduced an alteration in the treatment of moneys received from the sale of stores or material, or as payment for services, &c. Formerly such moneys were credited to the relative vote, and were deemed to be appropriated to the respective services in addition to the votes for such services. In compiling estimates of expenditure, the sums estimated to be received to the credit of each service were utilized to abate the total estimated expenditure of such service.
The new system, which came into force from the 1st April, 1924, is indicated by the following subsections of section 22 of the Appropriation Act, 1923:—
Moneys received by the Crown from the sale of stores or material, or as payment for services, or as recoveries in respect of expenditure, or as fees, or in respect of interdepartmental charges and adjustments of accounts, may, as the Treasury from time to time determines, be credited to the relative vote, and shall be known as credits in aid of that vote.
In preparing the estimates of the expenditure for any year the sums estimated to be received in that year as credits in aid of any vote shall be deducted from the total estimated expenditure for that vote for the year, and the amounts so estimated to be received as credits in aid shall be appropriated in the Appropriation Act of the year for the services of such vote: Provided that nothing herein shall be deemed to authorize the expenditure from any vote of any moneys in excess of the amounts appropriated for the services of that vote, otherwise than in respect of credits in aid, and the amount actually received in that year as credits in aid of that vote.
Any surplus in respect of any vote arising either from an excess of the moneys actually received as credits in aid over the amount estimated to be so received, or by way of reduction of expenditure, may, with the approval of the Treasury, be temporarily applied for the purposes of that vote, either in making up any deficiency in the amounts actually received as credits in aid, or in defraying expenditure which is not adequately provided for by appropriation.
The effect of the change is that, by comparison with former years, both receipts and expenditure for the year 1924-25 are increased by the amount of credits in aid. To enable a proper comparison to be made, the credits have been deducted from both sides in the 1924-25 figures given throughout this subsection in tables covering a series of years, and in the details of expenditure of the Consolidated Fund and the Public Works Fund the figures are given both inclusive and exclusive of credits in aid.
The total revenue and expenditure of the Consolidated Fund Account for the Financial years ended the 31st March, 1916 to 1925, is shown in the following table, together with the excess of revenue for each year and the amount of such excess transferred to the Public Works Fund in the succeeding year:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Revenue. | Expenditure. | Excess of Revenue over Expenditure. | Amount of Excess transferred to the Public Works Fund. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* Excess of expenditure over revenue. | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 14,507,530 | 12,493,107 | 2,014,423 | .. |
| 1917 | 13,355,194 | 14,058,770 | 4,296,424 | .. |
| 1918 | 20,206,222 | 15,120,288 | 5,085,934 | .. |
| 1919 | 22,352,372 | 18,673,599 | 3,678,773 | .. |
| 1920 | 26,081,340 | 23,781,524 | 2,299,816 | .. |
| 1921 | 34,260,961 | 28,068,730 | 6,192,231 | 500,000 |
| 1922 | 28,127,007 | 28,466,838 | 339,831* | .. |
| 1923 | 27,579,443 | 26,263,760 | 1,315,683 | .. |
| 1924 | 27,960,370 | 26,148,005 | 1,812,365 | 1,000,000 |
| 1925 | 28,643,000 | 27,399,200 | 1,243,800 | 1,000,000 |
| Totals, ten years | 248,073,439 | 220,473,821 | 27,599,618 | 2,500,000 |
To the amount of excess revenue for the ten years must be added the sum of £149,048 brought forward from the financial year ended the 31st March, 1915, an amount of £14,960 representing sinking funds set free (£2,607 in 1915-16 and £12,353 in 1916-17), and £4,422 in respect of other miscellaneous receipts (in 1924-25), making a total of £27,768,048. From this excess transfers to other funds have been made at various times during the ten years, and to ascertain the balance carried forward as at the 1st April, 1925, deductions require to be made for these amounts—namely, £2,500,000 to the Public Works Fund as shown above, £13,500,000 to the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account (£13,330,000 in 1920-21 and £170,000 in 1921-22), £200,000 to the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Depreciation Fund Account. (£50,000 in each year from 1920-21 to 1923-24), £2,000,000 to the Reserve Fund Securities Account (£1,200,000 in 1920-21 and £800,000 in 1922-23), £100,000 to the Education Loans Account (in 1923-24), and £5,317,242 to the Loans Redemption Account for debt-reduction purposes (£400 in 1919-20, £560,011 in 1921-22, £2,337,360 in 1922-23, £1,367,341 in 1923-24, and £1,052,130 in 1924-25), a total of £23,617,242. Deducting this total from the sum of £27,768,048 referred to, there remains a balance of £4,150,806, which has been carried forward to the current year's account.
The total amount of excess revenue transferred to the Public Works Fund during the thirty-four financial years ended the 31st March, 1925, was £12,805,000.
All transfers from the Consolidated Fund to other accounts are not regarded as out of surplus revenue, some items being included in the total of expenditure in the Treasury accounts. Transfers included in expenditure in 1924-25 were—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| To Loans Redemption Account (for reduction of funded debt) | 307,718 |
| To Main Highways Account | 67,500 |
| To Discharged Soldiers Settlement Depreciation Fund Account | 50,000 |
| Total | £425,218 |
An analysis of the revenue received during each of the last ten financial years is made in the next table.
Revenue under the head of “Taxation” includes Customs and excise duties, land-tax, income-tax, death duties, duties on instruments, a tax on bank-note issue totalizator-tax, and amusements-tax. Revenue from “Crown Lands” consists of rents and (prior to 1923-24) national-endowment net revenue, but does not include proceeds of sales. The principal item included in the receipts from “Other Sources” is interest on public moneys, other items being departmental receipts, registration and other fees, marine charges, revenue from tourist and health resorts, &c.
| Revenue derived from | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including national-endowment residue prior to 1923-24. | ||||||
| Year ended 31st March. | Taxation. | Railways. | Post and Telegraph. | Crown Lauds.* | Other Sources. | Total Revenue.* |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1916 | 7,266,966 | 4,484,337 | 1,695,757 | 311,969 | 748,501 | 14,507,530 |
| 1917 | 10,549,654 | 4,836,275 | 1,809,317 | 301,758 | 858,190 | 18,355,194 |
| 1918 | 12,340,853 | 4,668,273 | 1,837,260 | 306,136 | 1,053,700 | 20,206,222 |
| 1919 | 13,801,643 | 4,975,445 | 1,982,539 | 311,558 | 1,281,187 | 22,352,372 |
| 1920 | 16,251,769 | 5,766,015 | 2,036,565 | 331,597 | 1,695,394 | 26,081,340 |
| 1921 | 22,184,414 | 6,918,492 | 2,478,532 | 319,641 | 2,359,882 | 34,260,961 |
| 1922 | 16,370,516 | 6,683,236 | 2,748,480 | 303,178 | 2,021,597 | 28,127,007 |
| 1923 | 15,594,288 | 6,719,864 | 2,705,020 | 287,343 | 2,272,918 | 27,579,443 |
| 1924 | 16,416,870 | 6,954,469 | 2,681,240 | 222,378 | 1,685,413 | 27,960,370 |
| 1925 | 16,172,306 | 7,105,106 | 2,706,882 | 211,749 | 2,446,957 | 28,643,000 |
Up to the end of 1920-21 the total revenue shows in each year very large increases, and this feature is particularly apparent in the period immediately following the war. These increases were due in part to increases in taxation levied, as set out in the next subsection, but the exceptional increase in 1920-21 was due to the great increase in the total value of imports, and consequently in Customs revenue. A further reason was the increased charges for certain services to the public, notably railway fares and post and telegraph charges. The increased revenue from these latter sources was, however, comparatively small, and in no way kept pace with the heavily increased expenditure. The revenue for each of the four years following 1920-21 has been from £5,500,000 to £6,500,000 less than the abnormal total recorded in that year.
The total revenue of the Consolidated Fund per head of population, and the amounts per head derived from taxation and from other sources, during the last ten years are shown in the following table:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Revenue per Head derived from | Total Revenue per Head. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxation. | Other Sources. | ||||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1916 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 3 |
| 1917 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 19 | 5 |
| 1918 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 17 | 10 | 7 |
| 1919 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 3 |
| 1920 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 11 | 11 |
| 1921 | 17 | 14 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 27 | 7 | 3 |
| 1922 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 17 | 8 |
| 1923 | 11 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 0 | 7 |
| 1924 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 19 | 2 |
| 1925 | 11 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 1 | 3 |
Expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund is grouped under two main headings by the Treasury, “Permanent” and “Annual.” Permanent appropriations, as the name implies, are those fixed by special Acts of the Legislature. Annual appropriations are voted each year by resolution of Parliament, and include the cost of the business undertakings of the State. In the following table this grouping has not been adopted, as it is considered more desirable to show the growth of the main items of expenditure during the last ten financial years:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Amount expended on | Total Expenditure | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Railways. | Post and Telegraph. | Education | Public Debt services. | Other Expenses. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 2,964,006 | 1,294,712 | 1,441,398 | 3,190,798 | 3,602,193 | 12,493,107 |
| 1917 | 2,871,977 | 1,368,490 | 1,525,106 | 4,032,885 | 4,260,312 | 14,058,770 |
| 1918 | 3,067,658 | 1,487,145 | 1,640,988 | 4,430,779 | 4,493,718 | 15,120,285 |
| 1919 | 3,415,595 | 1,699,701 | 1,737,036 | 6,086,769 | 5,734,498 | 18,673,599 |
| 1920 | 4,305,965 | 1,941,494 | 2,190,587 | 7,249,426 | 8,094,052 | 23,781,524 |
| 1921 | 6,211,011 | 2,588,360 | 2,633,977 | 7,831,593 | 8,803,789 | 28,068,730 |
| 1922 | 6,473,234 | 2,448,688 | 2,652,299 | 8,442,278 | 8,450,339 | 28,466,838 |
| 1923 | 4,946,181 | 2,112,543 | 2,581,601 | 8,899,957 | 7,723,478 | 26,263,760 |
| 1924 | 5,153,141 | 2,117,952 | 2,604,508 | 8,881,877 | 7,390,527 | 26,148,005 |
| 1925 | 5,636,583 | 2,413,436 | 2,777,271 | 8,862,644 | 7,709,266 | 27,399,200 |
Public-debt charges, which, of course, grow with the public debt, are found to have absorbed 24.67 per cent. of the revenue in 1914-15 and 30.94 per cent. in 1924-25.
In addition to the amounts shown as having been expended on education out of the Consolidated Fund during the last two years, 70 per cent. of the net revenue of the National Endowment Account has also been applied for education purposes. Prior to 1923-24 the net revenue of the National Endowment Account was transferred to the Consolidated Fund, where it was included on the receipts side with the revenue from Crown Lands, and apportioned on the expenditure side between education and old-age pensions in the proportions of 70 per cent. and 30 per cent. respectively. From 1923-24, however, the apportionment is made direct from the National Endowment Account without the net revenue being first transferred to the Consolidated Fund. By comparison with previous years the revenue from Crown lands in 1923-24 and 1924-25, given in the table of revenue of the Consolidated Fund on page 547, is thus understated by £111,125 and £123,923, while expenditure on education is similarly understated by amounts of £77,788 and £86,746, and expenditure on old-age pensions by £33,337 and £37,177, in the respective years.
Details of receipts and expenditure of the Consolidated Fund during the year ended the 31st March, 1925, are given. The items of receipts are not grouped in the same form as is followed in the public accounts, on account of the desirability of showing all taxation items together. It should be explained that the amount shown for revenue from taxation is exclusive of the proceeds of tire-tax and of license fees under the Motor-vehicles Act, which are paid into the Main Highways Account and not into the Consolidated Fund.
| From taxation— | £ | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Customs revenue | 7,569,389 | .. |
| Excise duty | 650,384 | .. |
| Land-tax | 1,335,251 | .. |
| Income-tax | 3,386,052 | .. |
| Death duties | 1,520,749 | .. |
| Duty on instruments | 620,198 | .. |
| Bank composition | 197,626 | .. |
| Totalizator revenue | 590,385 | .. |
| Amusements-tax | 78,877 | .. |
| Other taxation | 223,395 | .. |
| .. | 16,172,306 | |
| Railways | .. | 7,105,106 |
| Postal | .. | 1,088,864 |
| Telegraph | .. | 757,970 |
| Telephone | .. | 860,048 |
| Crown lands | .. | 211,749 |
| Registration and other fees | .. | 189,346 |
| Marine | .. | 105,060 |
| Interest on public moneys | .. | 1,188,120 |
| Local Bodies' Loans Act (refund of cost of roads and bridges from proceeds of disposal of lands) | .. | 22,201 |
| Rents of buildings | .. | 23,266 |
| Tourist and health resorts | .. | 48,669 |
| Departmental and other receipts | .. | 870,295 |
| Net total | .. | 28,643,000 |
| Credits in aid and reduction | .. | 4,900,609 |
| Gross total | £33,543,609 |
| Gross. | Credits. | Net. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent charges— | £ | £ | £ |
| Civil List | 29,800 | 19 | 29,781 |
| Interest, sinking fund, and other debt charges | 10,937,811 | 2,075,166 | 8,862,645 |
| Pensions | 2,315,996 | 6,244 | 2,309,752 |
| Other | 1,571,248 | 134,915 | 1,436,333 |
| Total, permanent charges | 14,854,855 | 2,216,344 | 12,638,511 |
| Gross. | Credits. | Net. | |
| Annual appropriations— | £ | £ | £ |
| Legislative Departments | 70,605 | 8,496 | 62,109 |
| Treasury Department | 96,024 | 44,071 | 51,953 |
| Land and Income Tax Department | 53,402 | 2,996 | 50,406 |
| Stamp Duties Department | 93,224 | 7,319 | 85,905 |
| National Provident and Friendly Societies Department | 22,446 | 16 | 22,430 |
| Working Railways | 6,456,306 | 819,723 | 5,636,583 |
| Post and Telegraph working-expenses | 3,009,635 | 596,199 | 2,413,436 |
| Public buildings | 177,778 | 70,692 | 107,086 |
| Government domains | 5,792 | 6 | 5,786 |
| Maintenance and improvement of roads | 38,317 | 1,980 | 36,337 |
| Maintenance of irrigation-works | 3,642 | 1,416 | 2,226 |
| Native Department | 37,535 | 9,539 | 27,998 |
| Department of External Affairs | 41,641 | 1,040 | 40,601 |
| Cook Islands | 22,261 | 875 | 21,386 |
| Department of Industries and Commerce | 178,645 | 64,484 | 114,161 |
| Department of Justice | 46,529 | 1,655 | 44,874 |
| Supreme and Magistrates' Courts | 97,104 | 10,761 | 86,343 |
| Prisons Department | 144,485 | 68,119 | 76,366 |
| Crown Law Office | 6,484 | 949 | 5,535 |
| Police Department | 405,000 | 5,711 | 399,289 |
| Pensions Department | 217,533 | 123,085 | 94,448 |
| Mines Department | 39,043 | 1,015 | 38,028 |
| Department of Internal Affairs | 357,616 | 51,976 | 305,640 |
| Audit Department | 42,603 | 19,235 | 23,368 |
| Public Service Commissioner's Office | 8,087 | 2,029 | 6,058 |
| Printing and Stationery | 204,268 | .. | 204,268 |
| Mental Hospitals | 368,138 | 123,807 | 244,331 |
| Department of Health | 340,688 | 111,656 | 229,032 |
| Naval defence | 310,073 | 26,717 | 283,356 |
| Defence | 384,576 | 13,670 | 370,906 |
| Customs Department | 157,820 | 1,632 | 156,188 |
| Marine Department | 123,758 | 4,295 | 119,463 |
| Department of Labour | 47,029 | 1,557 | 45,472 |
| Department of Lands and Survey | 275,549 | 107,107 | 168,442 |
| Scenery-preservation | 2,981 | .. | 2,981 |
| Valuation | 53,119 | 3,770 | 49,349 |
| Electoral | 7,373 | 39 | 7,334 |
| Department of Agriculture | 359,920 | 104,795 | 255,125 |
| Tourist and Health Resorts | 66,556 | 262 | 66,294 |
| Education Department | 3,042,607 | 265,336 | 2,777,271 |
| Services not provided for | 28,762 | 6,235 | 22,527 |
| Total, annual appropriations | 17,444,954 | 2,684,265 | 14,760,689 |
| Grand total, expenditure | 32,299,809 | 4,900,609 | 27,399,200 |
If to the gross revenue for the year (£33,543,609) be added a balance of £4,954,714 brought forward from the previous year and an amount of £4,422 in respect of sundry miscellaneous items not classed as revenue, the total receipts become £38,602,745. In addition to the gross expenditure shown (£32,299,809), there were transfers to other accounts aggregating £2,052,130—viz., £1,052,130 to the Loans Redemption Account, and £1,000,000 to the Public Works Fund. The deduction of the resultant total (£34,351,939) from the total receipts (£38,502,745) leaves a balance of £4,150,806, which has been carried forward to the current year.
Included in the figures dealt with under the head of “Public Works Fund” are the Public Works Fund General Purposes Account and the separate subsidiary accounts established at various times for special public works. These subsidiary accounts are in general not of a permanent nature, and either become merged in the General Purposes Account or are eventually withdrawn from the Public Works Fund altogether. At present the only subsidiary accounts of the Public Works Fund are the Electric Supply Account and the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Account. The receipts of the Public Works Fund consist mainly of the proceeds of loans raised for the construction of public works. From time to time the fund has been aided by substantial transfers of surplus revenue from the Consolidated Fund Account. The receipts for the last ten years are shown in the next table:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Amounts received | Recoveries on account of Expenditure of Previous Years. | Receipts from other Sources. | Total Receipts. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Loans. | Transfers from Consolidated Fund. | Receipts from Safes of Electric Energy. | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 3,166,830 | .. | .. | 6,460 | 13,864 | 3,187,154 |
| 1917 | 1,095,000 | .. | .. | 5,712 | 5,125 | 1,105,837 |
| 1918 | 1,025,100 | .. | 16,415 | 43,492 | 6,188 | 1,091,195 |
| 1919 | 1,180,000 | .. | 35,063 | 20,176 | 5,441 | 1,240,680 |
| 1920 | 2,082,000 | .. | 42,761 | 112,864 | 5,764 | 2,243,389 |
| 1921 | 4,433,000 | 500,000 | 52,896 | 19,627 | 6,633 | 5,012,156 |
| 1922 | 9,639,682 | .. | 64,700 | 11,616 | 76,918 | 9,792,916 |
| 1923 | 3,476,890 | 250,000 | 92,431 | 40,175 | 109,069 | 3,968,565 |
| 1924 | 3,061,901 | 1,000,000 | 118,949 | 9,291 | 85,773 | 4,275,914 |
| 1925 | 3,598,996 | 1,000,000 | 135,587 | 40,795 | 57,902 | 4,833,280 |
The principal regular item under the heading of “Receipts from other Sources” was until recently receipts under sections 17 and 18 of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Act, 1910, which includes payments from the Consolidated Fund, payments from gold-mining companies, and an allotment from gold duty in fixed proportions but varying amounts, together with interest on securities. Another standing item covers receipts in connection with the Ellesmere and Forsyth reclamation; and, commencing with 1917-18, there have been miscellaneous receipts (other than from sales) under section 8 of the State Supply of Electrical Energy Act, 1917. Included in the amounts shown for the last four years are sums of £68,417, £98,828, £79,919, and £46,272 respectively, representing interest, on investments of the Electric Supply Account.
The next table shows the expenditure from the Public Works Fund, at intervals of five years from 1884-85 to 1914-15 and for each of the last ten financial years, upon services which are charged to the fund. As will be seen farther on, the whole of what may be termed public works are not included in this account.
| Year ended 31st March. | Immigration. | Railways. | Roads. | Development of Mining. | Telegraph Extension. | Public Buildings. | Lighthouses and Harbour Works. | Other Services. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1885 | 57,148 | 663,063 | 317,043 | 8,029 | 25,799 | 117,361 | 34,038 | 114,251 | 1,336,727 |
| 1890 | 867 | 289,572 | 84,126 | 284 | 16,346 | 35,473 | 9,434 | 46, | 482,464 |
| 1895 | 101 | 247,645 | 164,833 | 5,865 | 19,229 | 54,190 | 3,145 | 9,578 | 504,486 |
| 1900 | 385 | 417,937 | 285,532 | 21,815 | 26,771 | 115,427 | 9,026 | 116,330 | 993,228 |
| 1905 | 6,482 | 811,994 | 230,012 | 6,258 | 79,298 | 116,678 | 5,990 | 97,446 | 1,354,158 |
| 1910 | 17,002 | 1,279,807 | 367,230 | 18,598 | 123,422 | 276,949 | 16,683 | 116,706 | 2,216,397 |
| 1915 | 33,219 | 1,156,073 | 514,798 | 2,384 | 288,395 | 417,000 | 17,131 | 308,364 | 2,737,364 |
| 1916 | 10,010 | 1,205,287 | 424,637 | 6,602 | 249,554 | 385,774 | 13,673 | 337,675 | 2,583,212 |
| 1917 | 6,533 | 846,983 | 219,794 | 4,592 | 203,311 | 251,431 | 3,768 | 230,101 | 1,775,518 |
| 1918 | 3,856 | 607,931 | 185,642 | 27 | 213,955 | 229,288 | 2,976 | 208,162 | 1,401,837 |
| 1919 | Cr. 12,018 | 467,737 | 226,073 | 518 | 198,611 | 235,846 | 5,392 | 265,502 | 1,387,661 |
| 1920 | Cr. 62,561 | 842,082 | 388,562 | 1,173 | 249,379 | 469,195 | 3,498 | 341,487 | 2,232,815 |
| 1921 | Cr. 7,806 | 1,428,982 | 538,574 | 2,153 | 336,468 | 502,211 | 4,838 | 852,820 | 3,658,240 |
| 1922 | 247,510 | 3,265,879 | 564,159 | 2,130 | 579,899 | 361,109 | 18,774 | 1,836,176 | 6,876,636 |
| 1923 | 90,612 | 2,164,934 | 648,006 | Cr. 99 | 512,656 | 272,420 | 9,784 | 1,031,366 | 4,729,679 |
| 1924 | 92,600 | 1,776,413 | 749,737 | 442 | 717,410 | 196,344 | 10,805 | 1,114,521 | 4,658,272 |
| 1925 | 136,353 | 1,878,729 | 606,723 | .. | 957,294 | 225,281 | 3,275 | 1,674,414 | 5,482,069 |
The expenditure on roads out of the Public Works Fund does not comprise all of the moneys spent under that head by the General Government. Between 1896-97 and 1910-11, out of the moneys raised for loans to local bodies, the sum of £469,236 was expended on construction of roads to open up Crown lands, and further sums have been spent from time to time for this purpose and for the opening-up of national-endowment lands out of the Land for Settlements and National Endowment Accounts respectively. A new account has now been introduced from which payments will be made for the-construction, maintenance, and repair of the main highways of the Dominion.
The roading of lands purchased for closer settlement is made a charge upon the Land for Settlements Account, and is included in the value upon which the-rentals of those lands are based. The reclamation by drainage and opening up by means of roads of an area of the Hauraki Plains is provided for out of moneys-borrowed for that purpose and shown in a separate account.
The total for “Other Services” in the last few years has been greatly swelled by governmental activities in regard to the development of water-power for electricity.
The receipts and expenditure of the Public Works Fund and its subsidiary accounts during the financial year ended 31st March, 1925, were as under:—
| £ | £ | |
|---|---|---|
| Balance, 1st April, 1924 | .. | 1,995,858 |
| Consolidated stock under Finance Act, 1923, section 2 (Public Works) | 3,222,600 | .. |
| Consolidated stock under Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act. 1922 | 324,852 | .. |
| Consolidated stock under Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act, 1921 | 1,310 | .. |
| Debentures issued under Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Act, 1919, and Finance Act, 1922 | 50,000 | .. |
| Inscribed stock issued under Electric-power Works Loan Act, 1919 | 234 | 3,598,996 |
| Transfer from Consolidated Fund | .. | 1,000,000 |
| Interest on overdue instalments of loans | 12 | .. |
| Recoveries on account of expenditure of previous years | 40,795 | .. |
| Receipts in connection with Ellesmere and Forsyth Reclamation and Akaroa Railway Trust Account | 1,657 | .. |
| Sales of electric energy | 135,587 | .. |
| Miscellaneous receipts under the State Supply of. Electrical Energy Act, 1917 | 2,922 | .. |
| Interest on securities held by Investment Account under the State Supply of Electrical Energy Act, 1917 | 46,272 | .. |
| Receipts under the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Act, 1910 | 7,039 | 234,284 |
| Net total | .. | 6,829,138 |
| Credits in aid and in reduction | .. | 694,666 |
| Gross total | £7,523,804 |
| Gross. | Credits. | Net. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Public works, departmental | 186,991 | 59,498 | 127,493 |
| Railways | 1,992,177 | 113,448 | 1,878,729 |
| Public buildings— | |||
| General | 30,899 | 108 | 30,791 |
| Courthouses | 5,369 | 6 | 5,363 |
| Prisons | 25,406 | 127 | 25,279 |
| Police-stations | 18,744 | 191 | 18,553 |
| Postal and Telegraph | 66,915 | 998 | 65,917 |
| Agricultural | 7,247 | 4,005 | 3,242 |
| Mental hospitals | 68,567 | 129 | 68,438 |
| Hospitals and charitable institutions | 28,245 | 10 | 28,235 |
| Timber-supply, sawmills, &c. | 21,491 | 42,028 | Cr. 20,537 |
| Quarries | 11,480 | 9,665 | 1,815 |
| Lighthouses | 2,852 | .. | 2,852 |
| Harbour-works | 423 | .. | 423. |
| Gross. | Credits. | Net. | |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Tourist and health resorts | 15,513 | 3,170 | 12,343 |
| Immigration | 313,920 | 177,567 | 136,353 |
| Roads, &c. | 622,223 | 18,255 | 603,968 |
| Roads on goldfields | 2,988 | 233 | 2,755 |
| Telegraph extension | 1,072,990 | 115,696 | 957,294 |
| Motor transport service | 5,000 | .. | 5,000 |
| Contingent defence | 27,288 | 155 | 27,133 |
| Lands, miscellaneous | 34,404 | 232 | 34,172 |
| Irrigation and water-supply | 128,998 | 1,003 | 127,995 |
| Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers improvement | 67,933 | 14,046 | 53,887 |
| Development of water-power | 879,189 | 31,711 | 847,478 |
| Plant, material, and stores | 89,259 | 101,488 | Cr. 12,229 |
| Subsidy to Ellesmere Drainage Board | 439 | .. | 439 |
| Services not provided for | 960 | 897 | 63 |
| Charges of raising loans | 242,137 | .. | 242,137 |
| Recoupment of interest, sinking fund, and management charges | 206,688 | .. | 206,688 |
| .. | 6,176,735 | 694,666 | 5,482,069 |
| Transfer to Main Highways Account Construction Fund | 226,000 | .. | 226,000 |
| Redemption of Treasury bills | 500,000 | .. | 500,000 |
| Balance, 31st March, 1925 | 621,069 | .. | 621,069 |
| Totals | £7,523,804 | 694,666 | 6,829,138 |
The total net expenditure of the Public Works Fund proper since its inception in 1870 has been £92,661,847, spread over the various classes of public works as follows:—
| Class. | Amount. £ |
|---|---|
| Immigration | 2,825,413 |
| Public works, departmental | 2,166,556 |
| Railways | 46,609,380 |
| Roads | 15,120,263 |
| Land-purchases | 2,061,739 |
| Development of mining | 882,975 |
| Telegraph extension | 7,176,705 |
| Public buildings | 9,324,207 |
| Lighthouses, harbour-works, and defences | 1,198,165 |
| Contingent defence | 1,118,495 |
| Rates on Native lands | 68,672 |
| Thermal springs | 14,600 |
| Development of tourist resorts | 349,142 |
| Lands improvement | 229,677 |
| Plant, material, and stores | 350,912 |
| Charges and expenses of raising loans | 2,043,773 |
| Coal-mines | 10,835 |
| Interest and sinking fund | 218,500 |
| Irrigation and water-supply | 621,213 |
| Timber-supply, sawmills, &c. | 14,169 |
| Acquisition and operation of quarries | 1,815 |
| Motor transport service | 28,641 |
| Transfer to Main Highways Account Construction Fund | 226,000 |
| Total | £92,661,847 |
The total receipts of the fund to 31st March, 1925, were £93,041,286, of which £78,123,792 represented the proceeds of loans, and £13,805,000 transfers from the Consolidated Fund. The largest item in the residue of £1,112,494 was an amount of £506,820 in respect of sinking funds set free. The balance of the fund at 31st March, 1925, was £379,439.
The accounts included under this Leading in some cases comprise revenue of different kinds mixed up with loan-money, while others are merely records of transactions which of their nature cannot be considered as properly belonging to the Public Account. Among the former may be counted, the State Forests and State Coalmines Accounts, and among the latter the accounts of local bodies, which consist of revenue collected on behalf of and paid over to local authorities, and the Deposit Accounts, consisting partly of moneys held in trust and partly of moneys held in suspense for various reasons. As further indicating the function of these special accounts one or two of more recent creation may be mentioned: the War Expenses Account, which was called into existence by the war; the Education Loans Account, originated in 1919 for the purpose of raising money for acquisition of land and construction of buildings for educational purposes; and the Main Highways Account, created in 1923 for the purpose of providing finance for the construction and improvement of the main highways of the Dominion.
While in some instances transactions in the accounts have been on a fairly largo scale, yet from the nature of the subject it will readily be seen that most of the receipts and expenditure have been directly concerned with the special matters which were the objects of the creation of the separate funds. In the table following a summary is given of the receipts and expenditure of each separate account, together with the balances at the beginning and end of the financial year respectively. In order that the summary may the more completely indicate the main transactions of the whole of the public moneys, the main totals of the Consolidated and Public Works Funds, which have been treated earlier in this section, have also been included. All figures shown are gross amounts.
| Account. | Balance, 1st April, 1924. | Receipts. | Expenditure. | Balance 31st March, 1925. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Cash and Imprests. | In Investments. | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Consolidated Fund (proper) | 4,954,714 | 35,851,255 | 36,655,163 | 1,417,870 | 2,732,936 |
| State Coal-mines | 36,740 | 267,724 | 282,389 | 12,075 | 10,000 |
| State Coal-mines Sinking Fund | 35,407 | 6,262 | .. | 189 | 41,480 |
| Scenery Preservation | 3,144 | .. | 3,144 | .. | .. |
| Nauru and Ocean Islands | 40,754 | 38,129 | 37,167 | 1,716 | 40,000 |
| Nauru and Ocean Islands Sinking Fund | 7,227 | 6,312 | .. | 289 | 13,250 |
| Local Bodies | 14,472 | 26,327 | 30,237 | 10,562 | .. |
| Deposits | 600,661 | 3,671,072 | 3,854,576 | 16,957 | 400,200 |
| Public Works (General Purposes) | 888,023 | 5,240,134 | 5,748,718 | 379,439 | .. |
| Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement | 1,661 | 71,085 | 72,473 | 273 | .. |
| Electric Supply | 1,106,174 | 216,726 | 1,093,652 | 76,448 | 152,800 |
| Electric Supply Sinking Fund | .. | 12,109 | .. | 109 | 12,000 |
| Advances to other Governments | 65,216 | 272,791 | 337,570 | 437 | .. |
| Bank of New Zealand | 875,000 | .. | .. | .. | 875,000 |
| Cheviot Estate | 208,418 | 25,725 | 10,193 | 9,310 | 214,640 |
| Conversion | 6,074 | .. | .. | 6,074 | .. |
| Discharged Soldiers Settlement | 237,974 | 1,655,942 | 1,715,906 | 18,750 | 159,260 |
| Discharged Soldiers Settlement | 212,644 | 59,091 | .. | 1,485 | 270,250 |
| Loans Act 1920 Depreciation Fund | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Education Loans | 48,433 | 554,850 | 476,828 | 4,355 | 122,100 |
| General Purposes Relief | 27,597 | 8,226 | 17,654 | 3,169 | 15,000 |
| Hauraki Plains Settlement | 1,695 | 85,726 | 81,514 | 5,907 | .. |
| Howard Estate | .. | 232 | 232 | .. | .. |
| Hunter Soldiers' Assistance Trust | 2,086 | 490 | 28 | 2,548 | .. |
| Kauri-gum Industry | 6,968 | 15,619 | 20,152 | 2,435 | .. |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Land Assurance | 80,033 | 6,855 | 189 | 6,699 | 80,000 |
| Land for Settlements | 146,799 | 705,310 | 791,206 | 3,403 | 57,600 |
| Land for Settlements (Discharged Soldiers Settlement) | 33,199 | 104,857 | 130,425 | 7,631 | .. |
| Land for Settlements (Opening up Crown Lands) | 2,174 | 34,473 | 32,464 | 4,183 | .. |
| Loans to Employers for Workers' Dwellings | 91 | .. | 91 | .. | .. |
| Loans Redemption (net) | 46,590 | 20,372 | .. | 16,962 | 50,000 |
| Main Highways Account Revenue | 249,681 | 459,150 | 127,458 | 54,373 | 527,000 |
| Main Highways Account Construction | .. | 230,823 | 230,277 | 546 | .. |
| Mining Advances | 11,856 | 6,320 | 6,319 | 11,857 | .. |
| National Endowment | 124,663 | 132,113 | 130,121 | 45,555 | 81,100 |
| National Endowment Trust | 10,007 | 6,630 | .. | 937 | 15,700 |
| Native Land Settlement | 29,150 | 414,143 | 285,281 | 68,012 | 90,000 |
| Railways Improvement | 831,475 | 1,207 | 255,081 | 37,801 | 539,800 |
| Rangitaiki Land Drainage | 1,149 | 98,692 | 50,828 | 42,013 | 7,000 |
| Reserve Fund | 2,000,000 | .. | .. | .. | 2,000,000 |
| State Advances Loan | .. | 4,631,821 | 4,287,034 | 15,287 | 329,500 |
| State Forests | 155,614 | 299,961 | 286,175 | 4,400 | 165,000 |
| Swamp Land Drainage | 5,860 | 90,955 | 63,949 | 7,866 | 25,000 |
| War Expenses | 145,881 | 113,978 | 251,379 | 1,785 | 6,695 |
| Westport Harbour | 19,408 | 49,621 | 13,714 | 19,315 | 36,000 |
| New Zealand Consols | 475,992 | .. | .. | 7 | 475,985 |
| Totals | 13,750,704 | 55,493,108 | 57,379,587 | 2,319,029 | 9,545,196 |
The State Advances Account, covering State advances to settlers, workers, and local authorities, together with several minor accounts dealing with advances for various purposes, which are administered directly by the Advances Board, are not included in the above statement, and only the balances of the Loans Redemption Account have been utilized. In addition, there are the funds of the Government Life Insurance Department, the State Fire Insurance Department, and the Public Trust Office, which are administered by the Departments concerned. Reference to the working of these Departments will be found elsewhere in this book.
In the totals of receipts and expenditure given in the foregoing table, the figures represent gross amounts—i.e., inclusive of credits in aid and credits in reduction. A statement of the amounts involved in each account, which gives a good indication as to the extent to which comparisons with former years are disturbed, is appended:—
| Account or Fund. | £ |
|---|---|
| Consolidated | 4,900,609 |
| State Coal-mines | 2,163 |
| Public Works | 648,909 |
| Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement | 14,046 |
| Electric Supply | 31,711 |
| Discharged Soldiers Settlement | 41,472 |
| Education Loans | 14,616 |
| Hauraki Plains Settlement | 2,328 |
| Kauri-gum Industry | 27 |
| Land for Settlements | 45,555 |
| Land for Settlements (Discharged Soldiers Settlement) | 24,371 |
| Land for Settlements (Opening-up Crown Lands for Settlement) | 25 |
| Main Highways Account Revenue | 3,507 |
| Main Highways Account Construction | 4,823 |
| Mining Advances | 2 |
| Native Land Settlement | 770 |
| Railways Improvement | 1,207 |
| Rangitaiki Land Drainage | 1,569 |
| State Forests | 6,166 |
| Swamp Land Drainage | 746 |
| War Expenses | 112,537 |
| Westport Harbour | 55 |
| Total | £5,857,214 |
The total gross receipts of all accounts is seen to have been £55,493,108, and the total expenditure £57,379,587, the aggregate credit balance being thus reduced by £1,886,479 during the year. The excess of expenditure over revenue is, however, more than accounted for by funds aggregating £2,022,045 being paid out of various-accounts for the redemption of debentures. New loan-money to the amount of £9,378,010 was paid into accounts during the year, of which, however, £4,080,000, paid into the State Advances Loan Account, was immediately paid over to the State Advances Office (the accounts of which are not dealt with in this subsection), and represented merely a book entry.
The following table shows the year's receipts of loan - money by the various accounts concerned, together with the amounts paid out for redemption purposes:—
| Account or Fund. | Loan-money received. | Amount paid out for Redemptions. |
|---|---|---|
* For redemption of Treasury bills. | ||
| £ | £ | |
| Consolidated | £ 1,359,437 | |
| Public Works (General Purposes) | 3,547,451 | 500,000* |
| Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement | 50,000 | .. |
| Land for Settlements | .. | 151,212 |
| Discharged Soldiers Settlement | 22,870 | 4,100 |
| Native Land Settlement | 289,323 | .. |
| War Expenses | .. | 7,296 |
| Hauraki Plains Settlement | 70,000 | .. |
| Education Loans | 540,000 | .. |
| Rangitaiki Land Drainage | 37,100 | .. |
| State Forests | 100,000 | .. |
| Swamp Land Drainage | 90,000 | .. |
| State Advances Loan | 4,631,266 | .. |
| Totals, all accounts | 9,378,010 | 2,022,045 |
| Raised for redemptions in 1925-26 | 64,680 | .. |
| Charges and expenses | 5,562 | .. |
| Sinking funds set free | .. | 839,544 |
| Discount on securities redeemed below par | .. | 21,779 |
| Proceeds of sale of H.M.S. “New Zealand” | .. | 20,000 |
| From State Advances Account | .. | 300,008 |
| Raised in 1923-24 for redemptions | .. | 46,590 |
| Grand totals | 9,448,252 | 3,249,966 |
In the grand totals of £55,493,108 and £57,379,587 shown previously as the revenue and expenditure for the year a considerable amount of duplication occurs owing to the transfer of money from one account to another. A record of transfers during the year is given in the next table:—
| Account or Fund from which transferred. | Account or Fund to which transferred. | Amount. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Consolidated | Public Works (General Purposes) | 1,000,000 |
| ” | Main Highways | 35,000 |
| ” | ” (tire-tax) | 32,500 |
| ” | Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement | 2,236 |
| ” | Discharged Soldiers Settlement Loans Act 1920 Depreciation Fund | 50,000 |
| ” | Rangitaiki Land Drainage | 58,633 |
| Scenery Preservation | Consolidated | 3,144 |
| State Coal-mines | State Coal-mines Sinking Fund | 4,552 |
| Nauru and Ocean Islands | Nauru and Ocean Islands Sinking Fund | 5,849 |
| Public Works (General Purposes) | Main Highways | 226,000 |
| Electric Supply | Electric Supply Sinking Fund | 12,109 |
| Advances to other Governments | Consolidated | 59,598 |
| Cheviot Estate | ” | 872 |
| Land for Settlements | Land for Settlements (Opening up Crown Land for Settlement) | 15,000 |
| ” | Land for Settlements (Discharged Soldiers Settlement) | 14,299 |
| ” | Discharged Soldiers Settlement | 6,910 |
| Land for Settlements (Discharged Soldiers Settlement) | ” | 800 |
| Native Land Settlement | Consolidated | 4,718 |
| State Forests | National Endowment | 12,612 |
| ” | Land for Settlements | 100,000 |
| ” | Deposits | 459 |
| Total | 1,645,291 |
The items shown above by no means represent the total transfers between accounts. As stated previously, sums aggregating £2,022,045 were transferred from various accounts to the Loans Redemption Account for the redemption of debentures. Again, payments aggregating £1,319,750 were made to the Consolidated Fund by loan accounts to recoup interest and sinking-fund charges borne by that fund, and small payments aggregating £72 in respect of management charges of consolidated stock and other loan-money. Another transfer not included above is the transference of loan-money to the amount of £4,080,000 to the State Advances Account, which is not included in the Treasury accounts.
Two important items of receipts—viz., loan-money and transfers from other accounts—have been dealt with above. Another considerable item, and one of much interest, is the revenue obtained from the investment of securities and the lending of money by way of advances. It should again be pointed out that the public accounts of the Treasury do not cover the operations of the State Advances Department, and that consequently the figures shown in the table following do not cover interest on and repayments of money advanced under the schemes of advances to settlers, workers, and local authorities, which are dealt with in Subsection D of this section.
| Account or Fund. | Repayments of Principal.* | Interest. | Rents, Royalties, and Rates. | Sales. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Advances. | From Investment Account and other Sources. | ||||
* Including recoveries on account of expenditure of previous years. † Contribution by British Phosphate Commission towards interest and sinking fund. ‡ Excluding wharfage and port charges. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Consolidated | 132,862 | .. | 1,188,120 | 239,594 | .. |
| State Coal-mines | 85 | .. | 974 | .. | 264,502 |
| State Coal-mines Sinking Fund | .. | .. | 1,710 | .. | .. |
| Nauru and Ocean Islands | .. | .. | 2,280 | 35,849† | .. |
| Nauru and Ocean Islands Sinking Fund | .. | .. | 463 | .. | .. |
| Public Works (General Purposes) | 40,795 | .. | 12 | 1,657 | .. |
| Electric Supply | .. | .. | 46,272 | .. | 135,587 |
| Cheviot Estate | .. | .. | 8,288 | 17,422 | 15 |
| Discharged Soldiers Settlement | 921,365 | 618,097 | 7,416 | 15,211 | .. |
| Discharged Soldiers Settlement | .. | .. | 9,091 | .. | .. |
| Loans Act 1920 Depreciation Fund | .. | .. | .. | 9,091 | .. |
| General Purposes Relief | 4,028 | 3,390 | 808 | .. | .. |
| Hauraki Plains Settlement | .. | .. | 126 | 9,078 | 2,001 |
| Howard Estate | .. | .. | .. | 232 | .. |
| Hunter Soldiers' Assistance Trust | .. | .. | .. | 490 | .. |
| Kauri-gum Industry | .. | .. | .. | .. | 15,337 |
| Land Assurance | .. | .. | 3,836 | 3,018 | .. |
| Land for Settlements | 10,758 | .. | 77,142 | 347,232 | 124,377 |
| Land for Settlements (Discharged Soldiers Settlement) | .. | .. | 527 | 64,361 | 1,299 |
| Land for Settlements (Opening up Crown Lands for Settlement) | .. | .. | .. | 19,448 | .. |
| Main Highways Account Revenue | .. | .. | 10,840 | .. | .. |
| Mining Advances | 6,212 | 106 | .. | .. | .. |
| National Endowment | .. | .. | 4,488 | 116,978 | 35 |
| National Endowment Trust | .. | .. | 553 | .. | 6,077 |
| Native Land Settlement | 724 | 954 | 6,442 | 47,137 | 51,797 |
| Rangitaiki Land Drainage | .. | .. | .. | 1,203 | .. |
| State Forest | .. | .. | 6,727 | 136,537 | 21,752 |
| Swamp Land Drainage | .. | .. | .. | 209 | .. |
| War Expenses | 416 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Westport Harbour | .. | .. | 362 | 21,900‡ | .. |
| Totals | 1,117,245 | 622,547 | 1,376,477 | 1,077,556 | 622,779 |
The large total of £4,816,604 is shown to have been obtained during the year from the sources indicated. Absolute accuracy in compiling the above statement is not claimed, as it has been found impossible in some cases to distinguish between revenue from rents and from sales. Again, while no sales revenue appears opposite the Consolidated Fund, this is merely because such revenue is not separately shown in the public accounts. A proportion of the revenue classed under some of the items of the fund (as, for instance, departmental receipts) would be represented by sales, and it is possible that some of the remaining groups are also understated. Under the heading of repayments for this fund are included recoveries on account of expenditure of previous years and receipts under section 76 of the Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1908, which provides for recoupment of the cost of roads and bridges out of the proceeds of disposal of land. The item “Rents,” &c., is composed of territorial revenue (rents and royalties), rents of buildings, and marine receipts on account of foreshore rents and royalties.
The following table gives details of payments made to the Consolidated Fund during the year in recoupment of interest and sinking-fond charges borne by that fund.
| Account. | Interest. | Sinking Fund. |
|---|---|---|
* Not including £540,000 paid as interest on money transferred from Consolidated Fund. This is included in interest in preceding table. | ||
| £ | £ | |
| State Coal-mines | £ 9,252 | .. |
| Nauru and Ocean Islands | 30,000 | .. |
| Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement | 4,000 | 541 |
| Electric Supply | 202,117 | .. |
| Cheviot Estate | 8,866 | 451 |
| Discharged Soldiers Settlement | 338,049* | 11,705 |
| General Purposes Relief | 3,000 | 134 |
| Hauraki Plains Settlement | 1,744 | 998 |
| Kauri-gum Industry | 3,275 | 134 |
| Land for Settlements | 372,299 | 11,763 |
| Land for Settlements (Discharged Soldiers Settlement) | 90,000 | 5,741 |
| Land for Settlements (Opening up Crown Lands for Settlement) | 8,146 | 1,149 |
| Loans to Employers for Workers' Dwellings | 91 | .. |
| Mining Advances | 1,220 | 99 |
| Native Land Settlement | 147,775 | 5,986 |
| Rangitaiki Land Drainage | 20,915 | .. |
| State Forests | 23,157 | 893 |
| Swamp Land Drainage | 16,196 | .. |
| Westport Harbour | .. | 54 |
| Totals | 1,280,102* | 39,648 |
The above totals do not represent the whole of the recoveries by the Consolidated Fund in respect of interest and sinking-fund payments, being merely the recoupments from the various accounts included in the public accounts. The total recoveries during the year aggregated £2,026,138 for interest and £48,616 for sinking fund.
In addition to the recoupments to the Consolidated Fund, an amount, of £16,237 was transferred from the Land for Settlements Account to the State Advances Account as a payment towards sinking fund.
ALL revenue collected by means of taxation was until the end of the financial year 1921-22 paid into the Consolidated Fund and applied to general purposes. From 1922-23 onwards, however, part of the Customs revenue—i.e., that derived from the duty on tires—is being paid into the Main Highways Account Revenue Fund to help to defray the cost of improving and maintaining roads, and commencing with the year 1924-25 taxation derived from the licensing of motor-vehicles is also paid into the Main Highways Account Revenue Fund for a similar purpose.
Customs duties on imported goods, excise duties on beer and tobacco, land and income taxes, death duties, duties on instruments, licensing fees under the Motor-vehicles Act, a tax on bank-note issues, a tax on totalizator investments, and an amusements-tax are the main sources of revenue by taxation.
Particulars of the collections during the last ten years, under the main headings, are shown in the following table. The figures for 1924-25 include some of £119,803 in respect of tire-tax and £257,500 in respect of licensing fees under the Motor-vehicles Act, which amounts were paid direct into the Main Highways Account Revenue Fund. The total taxation for the year differs by these amounts from that shown in the preceding subsection as having been paid into the Consolidated Fund from taxation.
| Year ended 31st March. | Amount of Taxation derived from | Total. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customs and Excise Duties. | Land-tax. | Income-tax. | Death Duties. | Totalizator Taxes. | Other Taxes. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1910 | 3,524,063 | 1,048,356 | 1,392,119 | 610,350 | 179,547 | 512,531 | 7,266,966 |
| 1917 | 4,037,628 | 713,118 | 4,262,126 | 570,040 | 251,436 | 715,306 | 10,549,654 |
| 1918 | 3,601,383 | 1,385,708 | 5,619,561 | 805,511 | 213,932 | 714,758 | 12,340,853 |
| 1919 | 4,104,016 | 1,512,693 | 6,219,336 | 869,371 | 229,273 | 866,954 | 13,801,643 |
| 1920 | 5,185,728 | 1,557,003 | 6,369,765 | 978,095 | 413,654 | 1,746,624 | 16,251,769 |
| 1921 | 8,769,251 | 1,688,979 | 8,248,945 | 1,106,925 | 497,961 | 1,872,353 | 22,184,414 |
| 1922 | 5,554,334 | 1,637,816 | 6,002,987 | 1,512,754 | 515,249 | 1,147,376 | 16,370,516 |
| 1923 | 6,765,512 | 1,541,502 | 3,831,932 | 1,829,852 | 607,657 | 1,138,925 | 15,715,380 |
| 1924 | 7,993,877 | 1,426,463 | 3,781,532 | 1,517,315 | 618,425 | 1,202,826 | 16,540,438 |
| 1925 | 8,339,576 | 1,335,251 | 3,386,052 | 1,520,749 | 590,385 | 1,377,596 | 16,540,609 |
The percentage under each heading to the total amount collected for each year is as under:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Proportion per Cent, derived from | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customs and Excise Duties. | Land-tax. | Income-tax. | Death Duties. | Totalizator Taxes. | Other Taxes. | |
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1916 | 48.49 | 14.43 | 19.16 | 8.40 | 2.47 | 7.05 |
| 1917 | 38.27 | 6.76 | 40.40 | 5.40 | 2.38 | 6.79 |
| 1918 | 29.18 | 11.23 | 45.54 | 6.53 | 1.73 | 5.79 |
| 1919 | 29.74 | 10.96 | 45.06 | 6.30 | 1.66 | 6.28 |
| 1920 | 31.91 | 9.59 | 39.19 | 6.02 | 2.55 | 10.74 |
| 1921 | 39.53 | 7.61 | 37.18 | 4.99 | 2.24 | 8.45 |
| 1922 | 33.93 | 10.00 | 36.67 | 9.24 | 3.15 | 7.01 |
| 1923 | 43.05 | 9.81 | 24.38 | 11.64 | 3.87 | 7.25 |
| 1924 | 48.33 | 8.62 | 22.86 | 9.18 | 3.74 | 7.27 |
| 1925 | 50.39 | 8.07 | 20.46 | 9.19 | 3.57 | 8.32 |
Some remarkable alterations in percentages are noticed during the last few years, these being due to war and post-war conditions and to consequential alterations in the relative incidence of taxation.
The revenue from taxation per head of mean population, including Maoris, during the last ten years is shown in the next table:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Rate per Head. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d. | |
| 1916 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| 1917 | 9 | 3 | 7 |
| 1918 | 10 | 14 | 1 |
| 1919 | 11 | 17 | 1 |
| 1920 | 13 | 11 | 1 |
| 1921 | 17 | 14 | 4 |
| 1922 | 12 | 14 | 8 |
| 1923 | 11 | 19 | 8 |
| 1924 | 12 | 8 | 0 |
| 1925 | 12 | 3 | 5 |
In spite of higher imports (with consequential higher Customs revenue), and the imposition of a new class of taxation in the shape of licensing fees under the Motor-vehicles Act, a fall of 4s. 7d. per head is recorded in 1924-25 as compared with 1923-24. The 1924-25 rate per head, exclusive of motor-license fees, would have been £11 19s. 7d.
The amount of revenue derived from Customs and excise duties during each of the last ten years is shown below. The figures shown for the Main Highways Account Revenue Fund refer only to tire-tax paid direct into that fund. In addition to the amount of £119,803 shown under this head in 1924-25, the sum of £32,500, tax in respect of tires on imported cars, is included in the amount of £7,569,389 shown as Customs revenue of the Consolidated Fund, having been paid into that fund and subsequently transferred to the Main Highways Account Revenue Fund.
| Year ended 31st March. | Customs Duties. | Excise Duties. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Fund. | Main Highways Account Revenue Fund. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 3,366,171 | .. | 157,892 | 3,524,063 |
| 1917 | 3,849,675 | .. | 187,953 | 4,037,628 |
| 1918 | 3,364,308 | .. | 237,075 | 3,601,383 |
| 1919 | 3,830,682 | .. | 273,334 | 4,104,016 |
| 1920 | 4,830,325 | .. | 355,403 | 5,185,728 |
| 1921 | 8,408,726 | .. | 360,525 | 8,769,251 |
| 1922 | 5,095,436 | .. | 458,898 | 5,554,334 |
| 1923 | 6,032,292 | 121,092 | 612,128 | 6,765,512 |
| 1924 | 7,238,215 | 123,568 | 632,094 | 7,993,877 |
| 1925 | 7,569,389 | 119,803 | 650,384 | 8,339,576 |
The revenue from Customs duties in 1914-15 was £3,. 233, and the increase for the ten years is therefore 143 per cent. In the ten calendar years corresponding to the above period the value of imports (excluding specie) increased from £21,144,227 to £48,527,603, or approximately 130 per cent.
The abnormally high Customs revenue collected in 1920-21 was the direct outcome of the large importations resulting from the fulfilment of delayed orders of a very considerable quantity and value. As was to be expected, the revenue fell almost to its former level in 1921-22, but increased again after that year. The figure for 1924-25 was much in excess of any year prior to 1920-21, but, nevertheless, nearly three-quarters of a million pounds short of the total for the record year. Excise revenue has nearly doubled since 1920-21, owing to a corresponding increase in the rate of beer duty.
Generally speaking, in spite of slight increases in Customs duties as part of the war taxation, the average rate of duty has not increased greatly during the ten years. The increase in the total Customs duties collected is thus almost entirely due to the increased prosperity of the country as reflected by its trade.
For a fuller discussion of Customs taxation than can be given here the reader is referred to the section of this book dealing with “External Trade.”
Except in regard to minor details, the system of land and income taxation in force in 1915 had remained unaltered for many years. Probably the only noteworthy point was the gradual hardening-up of the graduated land-tax, designed to prevent aggregation of land and to compel the cutting-up of large estates rather than to secure additional revenue.
The war taxation of 1915, however, not only included increased rates of 33 1/3 per cent. in the case of income-tax, 1/4d. in the pound in the case of land-tax payable on mortgages, and 50 per cent. in the case of graduated land-tax, but also involved an important change of principle. Among the incomes previously exempt from income-tax were those derived directly from land, but in 1915 income-tax was made payable on such incomes.
With the exception of the abolition of the land-tax on mortgages and the substitution of an income-tax in its place, the principles of land-tax assessment were not altered in 1916, nor were the rates increased, but an entirely new scheme known as the excess-profits tax was brought into operation in respect of income-tax, the 1915 system remaining also, with increased rates, for ordinary income-tax. The excess-profits tax being found inequitable and otherwise unsatisfactory, a system of progressive land and income tax, with a special war tax on incomes, was adopted in 1917.
In 1920 a complete revision of the rates of taxation was made. The new rates became effective on assessments for the year commencing on the 1st April, 1921, and for following years. A feature of the new legislation was the introduction of a deduction from the amount of tax payable of 10 per cent. in respect of tax assessed on “earned income.”
In 1923 further alterations were made, the principal being the restoration of the exemption from income-tax of income derived from the direct use or cultivation of land. Reductions in the rates of taxation were also made, and are referred to in detail under the heading of “Income-tax” farther on.
Further reductions in income-tax rates were made in 1924 and 1925, and other alterations in respect of exemptions, method of assessment, &c., were also made.
The 1925 number of this book contains a summary of the recommendations of a Royal Commission which was appointed in April, 1924, to inquire into “the present system of land and income taxation in New Zealand in all its aspects, including the scope, rates, and incidence of the several taxes; allowances and reliefs; assessment, appeal, and collection; and prevention of evasion.”
Land-tax is assessed on the unimproved value of land after deductions provided for by statute have been made by way of special exemption. These exemptions are referred to hereunder.
The basis of taxation prior to 1917 was a double system of ordinary and graduated tax. For some years the ordinary rate had been 1d. for each pound of unimproved value, while the graduated tax ranged at a varying rate from 1/32d. to 5 5/6d. in the pound, according as to whether the value of the land was from £5,000 to £200,000 or more. This system of taxation was abolished in 1917, and in its place was instituted a single progressive tax.
As the amended law operated for the four financial years 1917-18 to 1920-21, the scale of taxation ranged from 1d. to 7d. in the pound. The 1d. rate applied in cases where the unimproved value on which tax was payable did not exceed £1,000, and the rate was increased by 1/32000 of a penny for every pound in excess of £1,000 up to a maximum of 7d. These rates, however, proved to be merely nominal, as for the four years concerned a super-tax of 50 per cent. virtually increased the rates from a minimum of 1 1/2d. to a maximum of 10 1/2d. in the pound. A further 50-per cent. increase on the total amount assessed is imposed in the case of absentees, including shareholders in companies, but not in the case of companies themselves.
Further alteration in the rate of land-tax was made by the Legislature in 1920, and became effective for assessments after the 1st April, 1921. The scale of taxation of land the unimproved value of which does not exceed £1,000 remained as before at the rate of a penny in the pound, but the rate thereafter was increased by 1/20000 of a penny for every pound in excess of £1,000 up to a maximum of 7 17/20d. For the year 1921-22 the rate of super-tax was reduced to 33 1/3 per cent., and on the whole of the land-tax a rebate of 10 per cent. was allowed for prompt payment. The super-tax was continued for the year 1922-23 at the rate of 10 per cent. only, without any rebate, and for the year 1923-24 was removed altogether, while for 1924-25 and 1925-26 a deduction of 5 per cent. from the tax computed according to the scale rates mentioned has been provided.
The special exemptions deductible from the unimproved value for the purpose of arriving at the assessable amount have not been materially altered by recent legislation. Under the law as it has operated since the 1st April, 1917, an owner of land the unimproved value of which does not exceed £1,500 is allowed an exemption of £500, and where the unimproved value lies between £1,500 and £2,500 there is a similar exemption, diminished, however, by £1 for every £2 over the £1,500 mark, so that no exemption is allowed when £2,500 is reached.
Where the land is subject to a registered mortgage an alternative scale is provided— viz., £10,000 in cases where the unimproved value does not exceed £10,000, the exemption of £10,000 to be diminished by £2 for every £1 above the margin of £10,000 of unimproved value. Where the capital value of the mortgage is less than the amount of deduction provided, such capital value is to be deducted instead. Prior to 1921, the mortgage exemption was £1,500 in cases where the unimproved value did not exceed £3,000, and from then to 1924, £4,000 up to a maximum of £6,000 unimproved value. A deduction of £1 for every £2 of unimproved value above the maximum was provided under the former scale, and of £2 for every £1 under the latter; so that the exemptions disappeared altogether at £6,000 and £8,000 respectively, as compared with £15,000 at present.
No special exemption is allowed in the case of land not situated in a borough, which has been owned by a person for three years and not improved to the extent of £1 per acre or equal to one-third of the unimproved value, when in the opinion of the Commissioner of Taxes it should have been so improved. In the case of such land, also, the rate of land-tax is 50 per cent. more than the ordinary rate.
In lieu of the special exemptions set out above, the Commissioner of Taxes has discretionary powers to grant relief in certain specified cases of hardship. Subject to deductions provided, lessees and life tenants are liable to tax, and joint owners are to be assessed jointly as regards the land held in conjunction, and also severally in respect of each owner's interest in such land and any other land. This liability for joint assessment also applies to companies owning land if half of the paid-up capital, or half (in nominal value) of the allotted shares of each company is held by or on behalf of shareholders in the other.
It has for some years been the law that in case of default by a taxpayer in respect of land-tax, the amount of tax may be demanded from his successor in title, from a tenant of the taxpayer or his successor, or from a mortgagee of the estate or interest concerned, Section XI of the Land and Income Tax Amendment Act, 1924, declares land-tax to constitute a charge on the land, and, notwithstanding any disposition of it, such land continues to be liable in the hands of a purchaser or other holder thereof for the payment of the tax so long as the charge remains in force. Registration of the charge is required, and no disposition of the land or of any interest in it may be registered while the charge remains in force. Relief in cases of hardship is provided for by the Land and Income Tax Amendment Act, 1925.
Income-tax is payable on the full incomes of registered companies and of absentees, and in other cases on incomes in excess of £300 per annum. Between £600 and £900 the exemption is reduced by £1 for every £1 above £600, and no exemption at all is allowed for incomes above £900. Certain specified incomes are wholly exempt from taxation, and a further £50 is deductible from assessable income for each child or grandchild under eighteen years of age who is dependent on the taxpayer, as are also amounts up to £50 contributed towards the support of the taxpayer's widowed mother. A maximum exemption of 15 per cent. is allowed for life-insurance premiums, National Provident Fund, superannuation, and similar contributions, and there is an exemption of 5 per cent. of the capital value of land used exclusively for the purpose of the taxpayer's business or for the purpose of deriving rent, royalties, or other profits. Income derived by the owner of land in respect of profits from the direct use or cultivation thereof is wholly exempt from income tax.
For the four financial years 1917-18 to 1920-21 the rates of progressive income-tax ranged from 6d. to 3s. in the case of persons and firms, and from 1s. to 3s. for companies. The 6d. rate for persons and firms applied where the taxable income was not more than £400, and the 1s. rate for companies where the taxable income did not exceed £1,600, the rates being increased by 1/200 of a penny for every additional pound until the maximum tax of 3s. in the pound was reached. Income derived by holders of company debentures from such debentures bore a uniform tax of 1s., plus a special war tax of 1s. 6d.
The special war tax also applied to assessable income in excess of £300 of all other income-tax payers. For incomes up to £400 the rate of special war tax was 9d. in the pound, and this was increased by 3/400 of a penny for every additional pound of income, but so as not to exceed 4s. 6d. in the pound. The maximum total rate of income-tax was thus 7s. 6d. in the pound.
New rates of income-tax were enacted in 1920. On the income of persons and firms the rate was fixed at 1s. in the pound up to a £400 limit of income, and between £400 and £6,000 the tax was increased by 1/100 of a penny for each pound of income in excess of £400. On incomes exceeding £6,000 the rate was made 5s. 8d. in the pound, increased by 1/200 of a penny for each pound in excess of £6,000, with a maximum tax of 7s. 4d. in the pound. In addition to these rates a super-tax of 20 per cent. was levied in 1921-22, and the whole of the income tax was made subject to a rebate of 5 per cent. for prompt payment. Both super-tax and rebate were in 1922-23 discontinued.
A new principle of taxation was introduced in the 1920 Act with regard to “earned income,” which is defined to mean the salary or wages (including bonuses) received by the taxpayer in relation to his employment, and further includes all income derived by a taxpayer (other than a company or local body) by reason of his personal exertions. The tax on such income is, up to a limit of £2,000, subject to a reduction of 10 per cent.
For the year commencing with the 1st April, 1923, income-tax rates were reduced by 20 per cent., and in the following year by 33 1/3 per cent., in all cases except in respect of income from debentures, for which special rates apply. For the year commencing on the 1st April, 1925, the rate of tax is 7d. in the pound for incomes not exceeding £300, the rate being increased by 2/300d. for every £1 in excess of £300, up to a maximum of £6,000. Above £6,000 the rate is 3s. 9d. in the pound, increased by 1/300d. for every £1 in excess of £6,000, but with a limit of 4s. 6d. in the pound.
Under the Act of 1920 a flat rate of 3s. in the pound was levied on income derived from company debentures, and of 2s. 6d. in the pound on income from debentures issued by local bodies in the Dominion. These rates still apply in respect of debentures issued prior to the 29th August, 1923, but for debentures (whether company or local body) issued after that date a uniform rate of 4s. 6d. in the pound was fixed as from the 1st April, 1924.
It should be noted that the rates referred to—2s. 6d., 3s., or 4s. 6d., as the case may be — are maximum rates, and therefore that investment in local- or public-authority debentures is a favoured one so far as income-tax is concerned. A person whose income carries the present maximum rate of tax, 4s. 6d., would pay only 2s. 6d. or 3s., as the case may be, on such portion of it as is derived from debentures issued prior to the 29th August, 1923; on the other hand, the person whose income from debentures is less than £300 would pay no income-tax at all in respect of debentures; while a person whose income carries a less rate than 2s. 6d., 3s., or 4s. 6d., as the case may be, would be charged only such lesser rate on debenture interest. Any deduction for tax which may be made by the local or public authority is adjusted later by the Land and Income Tax Department.
A holder, if resident outside New Zealand, of stock or debentures issued by the Government of New Zealand, or any local or public authority, or by the Public Trustee as agent of a land-settlement association, the interest on which is payable out of New Zealand, is not liable in New Zealand for income-tax on such interest.
Some interesting statistics of incomes, exemptions, and tax assessments are given in the section of this book relating to wealth and incomes.
The law dealing with these classes of duty is embodied in the Death Duties Act, 1921, as subsequently amended. The main heads of taxation are estate and succession duties, which are generally referred to by the collective title of “death duties.” In addition to these there is provision for a gift duty and a Native succession duty. The incidence of each is dealt with farther on in this subsection. Estate and succession duties are due and payable to the Commissioner of Stamp Duties on assessment, interest at 6 per cent. per annum being payable on duty not paid within three months after the death of the deceased. Gift duties are payable at the time the gift is made, and Native succession duties before the registration of the succession order by the Native Land Court. Generally the decision of the Commissioner of Stamp Duties in regard to matters of fact incidental to the assessment of duty is final, but there is an appeal on points of law or of fact by way of a case stated to the-Supreme Court. An appeal on a question of law may be referred to the Court of Appeal.
The net revenue received from death duties, including gift and Native succession, duties, during each of the last ten years was—
| Year ended 31st March. | Amount. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| 1916 | 610,350 |
| 1917 | 570,040 |
| 1918 | 805,511 |
| 1919 | 869,371 |
| 1920 | 978,095 |
| 1921 | 1,106,925 |
| 1922 | 1,512,754 |
| 1923 | 1,829,852 |
| 1924 | 1,517,315 |
| 1925 | 1,520,749 |
The total for the year ended 31st March, 1925, is made up as follows:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Death duty | 986,104 |
| Estate duty | 369,927 |
| Succession duty | 91,116 |
| Gift duty | 73,602 |
| Total | £1,520,749 |
When the final balance of the dutiable estate of a deceased person, estimated as at the date of his death, exceeds £1,000 an estate duty is levied on the amount thereof. In the case of any estate the final balance of which does not exceed £10,000, any interest acquired by the wife of the deceased up to the value of £5,000 is exempt from estate duty. The value of any life-insurance policy or policies comprised in the estate is also deductible up to a maximum of £1,000, irrespective of the amount of the estate. The rate of duty on the whole estate must, however, be determined before any deduction is made under either head.
Up to 1920 duty was leviable on property in excess £500, and the scale of duties ranged from 1 per cent. in cases where the net estate was between £500 and £1,000 to a maximum of 15 per cent. for large estates. The amendment made to the scale in 1920 considerably increased the duty payable, and the rates, which are now embodied in the Act of 1921, run from 1 per cent. on estates not exceeding £2,000 in value to 20 per cent. on estates of more than £100,000. The scale of duties is shown in the table below.
| Final Balance of Estate. | Rate per Cent. |
|---|---|
| £ £ | |
| 1,000 to 2,000 | 1 |
| 2,000 to 3,000 | 2 |
| 3,000 to 4,000 | 3 |
| 4,000 to 6,000 | 4 |
| 6,000 to 8,000 | 5 |
| 8,000 to 10,000 | 6 |
| 10,000 to 15,000 | 7 |
| 15,000 to 20,000 | 8 |
| 20,000 to 25,000 | 9 |
| 25,000 to 30,000 | 10 |
| 30,000 to 35,000 | 11 |
| 35,000 to 40,000 | 12 |
| 40,000 to 45,000 | 13 |
| 45,000 to 50,000 | 14 |
| 50,000 to 60,000 | 15 |
| 60,000 to 70,000 | 16 |
| 70,000 to 80,000 | 17 |
| 80,000 to 90,000 | 18 |
| 90,000 to 100,000 | 19 |
| Exceeding 100,000 | 20 |
In addition to the estate duty referred to above, a succession duty is payable by any person who acquires a beneficial interest in the estate of a deceased person either by will or by intestacy. An exemption from duty is made in favour of charitable trusts, and special provision is made that the wife, lineal descendant, or lineal ancestor of a soldier who has met his death on account of the late war is allowed an additional £5,000 exemption to the amounts shown below.
The rates of duty vary according to the nearness of kin of the beneficiary to the deceased person. The rates shown below were introduced in amending legislation in 1920, and, as in the case of the estate duties, are embodied in the 1921 consolidating Act.
| If Successor is | Value of Estate. | Rate per Cent. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Up to 10,000 | Nil. | |
| Wife | 10,000 to 20,000 | 9 |
| Over 20,000 | 4 | |
| Up to 500 | Nil. | |
| Husband | 500 to 1,500 | 1 |
| 1,500 to 2,500 | 2 | |
| Over 2,500 | 3 | |
| Up to 500 | Nil. | |
| Brother or sister | 500 to 20,000 | 5 |
| Over 20,000 | 10 | |
| Up to 1,000 | Nil. | |
| 1,000 to 5,000 | 1 | |
| Child or lineal descendant | 5,000 to 10,000 | 2 |
| 10,000 to 15,000 | 3 | |
| 15,000 to 20,000 | 3 1/2 | |
| Over 20,000 | 4 | |
| Up to 500 | Nil. | |
| Other relative to 4th degree | 500 to 10,000 | 5 |
| Over 10,000 | 10 | |
| Up to 500 | Nil. | |
| Other person | 500 to 20,000 | 10 |
| Over 20,000 | 20 |
In respect to moneys exceeding £1,000 that may be payable to persons domiciled out of New Zealand, and where the beneficiary is not the husband or wife of the deceased or a relative of the deceased within the third degree of consanguinity, there is an additional rate equal to 10 per cent. of the excess over £1,000.
Where any succession order is made by the Native Land Court on the death of a Native, no death duty in the ordinary way is payable on the property included in it, but a Native succession duty of 2 per cent. is payable on the value of the property, with a general exemption of £200.
A gift means any disposition of property which is made otherwise than by will, whether with or without an instrument in writing, without full and adequate consideration in money or its equivalent. No duty is payable on a gift which, together with the value of all other gifts (not exempt of duty by reason of their nature) made at the same time or within twelve months previously or subsequently by the same donor to the same or any other beneficiary, otherwise than by way of a charitable trust, does not exceed the value of £1,000, and exemption from gift duty is provided in cases of the voluntary discharge of a mortgage debt where the donor and beneficiary are not connected by ties of blood or marriage. Various other exemptions were made by the Death Duties Amendment Act, 1923.
The amount of the gift duty is payable by either the donor or the beneficiary, but the beneficiary is entitled to be indemnified by the donor unless the terms of the gift provide otherwise. Particulars of any gift made are required to be furnished for assessment of duty within one mouth of the date of the gift, and in default an additional duty of 50 per cent. is payable. Where duty is payable, the rate is based on the following scale:—
| Value of Gift. | Rate of Duty. |
|---|---|
| £1,000 to £5,000 | 5 per cent. |
| £5,000 to £10,000 | 7 1/2 per cent. |
| Over £10,000 | 10 per cent. |
These rates, which were introduced in 1920, superseded the flat rate then in force of 5 per cent. on all gifts exceeding £1,000 in value. The revenue from gift duty amounted to £73,602 for the financial year ended 31st March, 1925, the figures for the last nine years being as follows:—
| Year ended 31st March. | £ |
|---|---|
| 1917 | 32,671 |
| 1918 | 36,551 |
| 1919 | 31,736 |
| 1920 | 54,160 |
| 1921 | 74,885 |
| 1922 | 70,440 |
| 1923 | 48,556 |
| 1924 | 61,660 |
| 1925 | 73,602 |
These amounts, it should be noted, are included under the revenue shown previously under the head of “Death Duties.”
The Government tax on totalizator investments is 2 1/2 per cent. of the gross amount passed through the machines. Prior to the 1st March, 1910, the percentage was 1 1/2. Commencing with the racing year 1925-26, a refund of 1 1/4 per cent. (up to a limit of £250) may be made to any club which during the year concerned has expended (or incurred liability to expend) an amount not less than the amount of refund, in the permanent improvement of its racecourse by the erection of buildings, &c.
From the 1st November, 1915, a tax of 1 per cent. was imposed on the total value of all stakes, and a tax of 2 1/2 per cent. on totalizator dividends, in addition to the tax on totalizator investments. From the 22nd December, 1921, the tax on stakes was increased to 10 per cent., and that on dividends to 5 per cent. From the 1st April, 1924, the tax on stakes was reduced to 5 per cent.
The following figures, taken from successive annual reports of the Inspector of Totalizators and covering the last five years, relate to the racing-year, which ends on the 31st July:—
| — | Year ended 31st July. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. | |
* Retained by the clubs, except for the period 1st July to 21st December, 1921, during which the unpaid fractions were payable into the Consolidated Fund. | |||||
| Number of racing-days | 288 | 286 | 287 | 289 | 320 |
| Number of races | 2,271 | 2,263 | 2,269 | 2,285 | 2,527 |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Amount of stakes | 610,675 | 653,285 | 612,667 | 593,064 | 624,165 |
| Totalizator investments | 10,121,212 | 8,141,457 | 7,848,392 | 7,724,393 | 8,445,859 |
| Amount paid in dividends | 8,834,203 | 6,986,238 | 6,675,907 | 6,569,386 | 7,183,135 |
| Government taxes— | |||||
| On totalizator investments | 253,030 | 203,552 | 196,210 | 193,110 | 211,147 |
| On dividends | 227,688 | 303,301 | 353,301 | 347,651 | 380,124 |
| On stakes | 6,107 | 46,265 | 61,267 | 51,655 | 31,208 |
| Totals | 486,825 | 553,118 | 610,778 | 592,416 | 622,479 |
| 7 1/2 per cent. of totalizator investments retained by clubs | 759,091 | 610,656 | 587,729 | 579,330 | 633,439 |
| Unpaid fractions* | 47,200 | 37,709 | 35,245 | 34,916 | 38,014 |
The totalizator revenue accruing to the State during the 1924-25 racing-year is seen to have totalled £622,479. For the financial year ended the 31st March, 1925, the amount was £590,385.
A form of tax first introduced in 1917 is the amusements-tax, payable on payments for admission to entertainments. “Entertainment” is defined as “any exhibition, performance, amusement, game, or sport to which persons are admitted for payment.” Formerly tax was payable where the charge for admission exceeded 9d. (later 1s.), but no tax is now payable where the charge for admission is not more than 2s. When the charge exceeds 2s. a tax of 1d. is imposed on each shilling or part of a shilling, and, in addition to the tax so calculated, a further sum of 1d. is payable where the price for admission exceeds 3s. 6d. Provision is made for exemption in certain specified cases—viz., shows promoted by agricultural, pastoral, horticultural, or poultry societies, meetings held for educational, scientific, patriotic, or philanthropic purposes, and swimming-sports.
Since the introduction of the tax the following amounts have been collected:—
| Year ended 31st March, | Amount collected. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| 1918 | 16,093 |
| 1919 | 39,845 |
| 1920 | 68,064 |
| 1921 | 79,921 |
| 1922 | 103,815 |
| 1923 | 137,546 |
| 1924 | 115,039 |
| 1925 | 78,877 |
Local governing authorities have power under various Acts of the Legislature to impose taxes for general or special purposes as set out in another section of this book. The amount of revenue collected for local purposes during the ten years ended 31st March, 1924, is shown below:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Local Revenue derived from | Total. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Rates. | Special and Separate Rates. | Licenses and other Taxes. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 1,484,430 | 655,495 | 185,569 | 2,325,494 |
| 1916 | 1,607,764 | 747,391 | 187,065 | 2,542,220 |
| 1917 | 1,695,572 | 838,967 | 185,311 | 2,720,150 |
| 1918 | 1,791,028 | 883,513 | 192,482 | 2,867,023 |
| 1919 | 2,028,151 | 911,455 | 199,366 | 3,138,972 |
| 1920 | 2,106,397 | 1,037,816 | 245,078 | 3,380,291 |
| 1921 | 2,338,539 | 1,211,051 | 264,320 | 3,813,910 |
| 1922 | 2,501,949 | 1,277,946 | 276,990 | 4,056,885 |
| 1923 | 2,742,828 | 1,534,953 | 285,969 | 4,563,750 |
| 1924 | 2,775,986 | 1,669,641 | 313,090 | 4,758,717 |
Of recent years there has been great activity in local enterprise, the necessary funds being provided partly out of general rates, but mainly by borrowing, interest on loans and payments to sinking funds being secured in most cases by special rates. The increase in the amount of general rates collected during the ten years 1913-14 to 1923-24 was £1,416,210, or 104 per cent.; special and separate rates increased by £1,023,779, or 159 per cent.; and total rates by £2,439,989, or 122 per cent. Licenses and other taxes show an increase for the ten years of £131,194, or 72 per cent.
A table is given setting out in greater detail the taxation by local authorities during the year ended the 31st March, 1924.
| Local Bodies. | Rates. | Licenses. | Other Taxes. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General. | Special and Separate. | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Counties | 1,288,243 | 387,113 | 42,687 | 7,505 | 1,725,548 |
| Boroughs | 1,050,264 | 1,188,715 | 125,647 | 126,400 | 2,491,026 |
| Town districts | 58,240 | 41,389 | 7,760 | .. | 107,389 |
| Road districts | 71,075 | 16,657 | 2,522 | 42 | 90,296 |
| River districts | 25,714 | 7,469 | .. | .. | 33,183 |
| Land-drainage districts | 25,069 | 16,392 | .. | .. | 41,461 |
| Electric-power districts | 4,197 | 4,479 | 18 | .. | 8,694 |
| Water-supply districts | 369 | 585 | .. | .. | 954 |
| City and suburban drainage districts | 116,202 | 4,257 | 509 | .. | 120,968 |
| Tramway districts | 1,822 | 2,585 | .. | .. | 4,407 |
| Local railway districts | 9 | .. | .. | .. | 9 |
| Harbour Boards | 134,782 | .. | .. | .. | 134,782 |
| Totals | 2,775,986 | 1,669,641 | 179,143 | 133,947 | 4,758,717 |
The figures quoted above are exclusive of wharfage dues, charges, fees, and tolls received by Harbour Boards.
EARLY in the history of the settlement of New Zealand the necessity for financial assistance to open up the forest-clad rugged country was made apparent. In the year 1856 the first Loan Act was passed by the General Assembly, and under that authority £500,000 was raised. In addition to the requirements for necessary initial public works, the opposition to settlement by the Maoris, resulting in active hostilities, compelled considerable borrowing. At the conclusion of the Maori War the work of road and railway construction was mainly carried on under the administration of the Provincial Councils, who exercised control over expenditure within their respective districts, the General Government being responsible for undertakings of a national character. Under this system of divided responsibility no general and comprehensive scheme of public works could be carried out.
Up to the end of the year 1870 the General Government had borrowed £4,543,316, while the debt of the Provincial Councils amounted to £3,298,575. In that year the General Government brought forward a public-works and immigration policy by which it was proposed to raise a loan of ten millions for the construction of main trunk railways, roads, and other public works of importance to the country as a whole, as well as for the promotion of settlement on a large scale, the expenditure to be spread over a period of ten years. This policy was accepted by the Legislature, and embodied in the Immigration and Public Works Act, 1870. The necessity for local railways and other works soon caused the original proposals to be exceeded, and to a far greater amount than was at first contemplated. Broadly stated, the system of opening up the lands in advance of settlement was adopted, the State retaining the ownership and control of facilities for transport and communication.
In 1892 the General Government began the repurchase of lands already alienated. The money required for this purpose has been borrowed, but the rentals obtained by the leasing of the lands are sufficient for the payment of interest and sinking fund on the amount raised. In 1894 the Advances to Settlers Act was passed, authorizing the raising of loans for advances on the security of real estate. This was followed by the Advances to Workers Act in 1906. Provision was also made for local bodies to borrow from the Advances Office, including power to borrow for workers' dwellings. Both interest and sinking funds are derived from special revenues produced by rentals and charges, and are thus not a charge on the Consolidated Fund. Until early in the war period money raised for the use of the State Advances Office formed a comparatively large part of the public indebtedness, amounting at the 31st March, 1914, to approximately 30 per cent. of the total debt.
By far the most rapid increase in the national indebtedness, however, has taken place as a result of activities necessitated by the European War. Of the total gross debt of nearly 228 millions of pounds at the 31st March, 1925, 128 millions have been incurred since 1914, including 76 1/2 millions attributable to loan-money required for the European War; and this latter amount does not include 10 millions raised by the Government for the settlement of discharged soldiers.
The Minister of Finance may raise loans, when authorized by Parliament so to do, by the issue of debentures, or scrip, or stock, in New Zealand or elsewhere at his discretion, and may prescribe the mode and conditions of repayment of loans, the rates of interest (not exceeding the maximum rate fixed by the authorizing Act), and the times and places of payment of principal and interest respectively. Power is given to convert debentures or scrip into consolidated stock, and the Minister may specify the terms of conversion at the time when a loan is raised, or arrange that terms shall be subsequently agreed upon. For the purpose of paying off or renewing at maturity any debenture, scrip, or other security, new debentures or other securities may be issued and disposed of if necessary. Authority also exists for the conversion of loan-money which has not yet matured.
During the war period provision was made for the issue to the public of “Post Office investment certificates” of a nominal value of £1 and upwards, and in 1920 legislation was enacted which sanctioned a continuous issue of these certificates, with a currency of five years or more. Receipts from this source are utilized for the purposes of any loan which may be authorized by Parliament.
The money composing the public debt has been borrowed on the security of the public revenues of the Dominion. No portion of the public estate is pledged for payment of either principal or interest.
The gross and net indebtedness of the General Government, the amount of sinking fund accrued, and the rate of indebtedness per head of population (inclusive of Maoris), for each of the last twenty years, are given in the following table:—
| As at 31st March. | Population. | Amount of Debentures and Stock in Circulation. | Gross Indebtedness per Head of Population. | Amount of Sinking Fund accrued. | Net Indebtedness. | Net Indebtedness per Head of Population. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | £ | £ | s. | d. | ||
| 1906 | 933,114 | 62,191,040 | 66 | 13 | 0 | 1,661,519 | 60,529,521 | 64 | 17 | 4 |
| 1907 | 961,598 | 64,179,040 | 66 | 14 | 10 | 2,042,068 | 62,136,972 | 64 | 12 | 4 |
| 1908 | 985,320 | 66,453,897 | 67 | 8 | 11 | 1,268,361 | 65,185,536 | 66 | 3 | 2 |
| 1909 | 1,016,063 | 70,938,534 | 69 | 16 | 4 | 1,479,224 | 69,459,310 | 68 | 7 | 3 |
| 1910 | 1,035,212 | 74,890,645 | 72 | 6 | 10 | 1,503,225 | 73,387,420 | 70 | 17 | 10 |
| 1911 | 1,056,199 | 81,078,122 | 76 | 15 | 3 | 1,754,486 | 79,323,636 | 75 | 2 | 0 |
| 1912 | 1,081,344 | 84,353,913 | 78 | 0 | 3 | 2,160,603 | 82,193,310 | 76 | 0 | 3 |
| 1913 | 1,111,589 | 90,060,763 | 81 | 0 | 5 | 2,603,642 | 87,457,121 | 78 | 13 | 7 |
| 1914 | 1,139,668 | 99,730,427 | 87 | 10 | 2 | 3,063,992 | 91,689,835 | 80 | 9 | 1 |
| 1915 | 1,150,386 | 100,059,910 | 86 | 19 | 7 | 3,178,055 | 96,644,455 | 84 | 0 | 3 |
| 1916 | 1,150,250 | 109,637,397 | 95 | 6 | 4 | 3,679,964 | 105,957,433 | 92 | 2 | 4 |
| 1917 | 1,150,938 | 129,836,105 | 112 | 16 | 2 | 4,263,590 | 125,572,515 | 109 | 2 | 1 |
| 1918 | 1,154,559 | 150,840,055 | 130 | 12 | 11 | 4,971,605 | 145,868,450 | 126 | 6 | 10 |
| 1919 | 1,178,406 | 176,076,260 | 149 | 8 | 5 | 5,951,056 | 170,125,204 | 144 | 7 | 5 |
| 1920 | 1,236,915 | 201,170,755 | 162 | 12 | 9 | 7,257,564 | 193,913,191 | 156 | 15 | 5 |
| 1921 | 1,267,498 | 206,324,319 | 162 | 15 | 7 | 8,763,072 | 197,561,222 | 155 | 17 | 4 |
| 1922 | 1,301,251 | 219,054,385 | 168 | 6 | 10 | 10,655,394 | 208,241,121 | 160 | 0 | 8 |
| 1923 | 1,325,301 | 218,953,324 | 165 | 4 | 2 | 11,879,256 | 207,024,048 | 156 | 4 | 2 |
| 1924 | 1,347,853 | 221,616,361 | 164 | 8 | 5 | 12,974,028 | 208,595,743 | 154 | 15 | 3 |
| 1925 | 1,379,487 | 227,814,647 | 165 | 2 | 11 | 13,462,839 | 214,287,128 | 155 | 6 | 9 |
In general the net indebtedness shown in the above table is merely the balance left after deducting the accrued sinking fund from the amount of debentures and stock in circulation. In some years, however, a further deduction has been made on account of loan-money, included in the gross indebtedness, having been raised at the end of the financial year for the redemption of debentures falling due early in the succeeding financial year. The years concerned and the amounts so deducted on this account are—
| Year ended 31st March. | Amount. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| 1914 | 4,976,000 |
| 1915 | 237,400 |
| 1921 | 25 |
| 1922 | 157,870 |
| 1923 | 50,020 |
| 1924 | 46,590 |
| 1925 | 64,680 |
No deduction from either gross or net indebtedness is made on account of holdings of the public debt by the Government itself. The whole of the indebtedness (formerly £475,985, now only £500) on account of New Zealand Consols deposits was for some years held by the Government. In 1923-24 the large sum of £2,679,450 was loaned out of accumulated surpluses and other accounts to the State Advances Office, and as the securities issued by that Office are charged against the debt an increase in the public debt to that amount is disclosed by the accounts. It may be pointed out that this amount more than accounts for the increase of £2,663,037 during the year ended the 31st March, 1924, and that if it were not treated as a debt a decrease of £16,413 in the gross debt and of £1,111,185 in the net debt would have been recorded for that year.
On only two occasions in the history of New Zealand has a reduction in the gross public debt been effected during the financial year. The first occasion was in 1890-91, when the debt was reduced by £117,282, and the second in 1922-23, when another slight reduction (£101,061) was recorded.
The movement of the gross public debt—total and per head of population— since 1880 is shown on the diagram which follows. This strikingly brings out the great increase in indebtedness occasioned by the war of 1914-19.
In considering the indebtedness of a country it is important to know whether the money borrowed has been utilized for productive or for unproductive purposes. New Zealand's public-debt expenditure is usually divided into four classes, as follows: (1) Directly reproductive undertakings; (2) investments; (3) indirectly productive public utilities; (4) unproductive and unclassified.
Much of the money borrowed is obtained for specific purposes, and can be accurately placed in one or other of the four classes shown. On the other hand, however, general public-works loans are obtained to cover the cost of a number of undertakings ranging from railways (directly productive) to public buildings (unproductive). As the Public Works Fund receives from time to time transfers from the Consolidated Fund, and as no distinction is made between expenditure out of revenue and expenditure out of loan, it is necessary to allocate the loan-money over the various items according to the total expenditure on each. The result is accurate enough for practical purposes.
In considering the increase of the public debt the position at the end of the financial year 1890-91 has been selected as the first basis of comparison, because that date marks the beginning of a period during which the functions of the State have been widely extended, most notably as regards financial assistance to settlers, workers, and local bodies, the repurchase of alienated lands, the working of coal-mines, and the establishment of State fire- and accident-insurance offices. In every department these new activities, as well as the old, have been directly successful, while the indirect benefits are incapable of measurement. A considerable portion of the annual interest on the debt, although paid out of the Consolidated Fund, does not fall upon the whole of the taxpaying community, the revenue derived from several of the more important undertakings being sufficient to meet the interest on the money borrowed in respect of them.
The advent of the European War created a second point of demarcation in the history of the loan expenditure of the General Government, necessitating as it did the postponement of all public works, &c., except those of pressing necessity. Expenditure of an unproductive nature occasioned by the war was necessarily continued for some time after the Armistice, but the end of the financial year 1919-20 may be fairly regarded as concluding this period. Although in the years immediately following the period 1914-15 to 1919-20 considerable sums have been provided by loan-money for purposes directly arising out of the war—for example, discharged soldiers' settlement—yet the bulk of such money has been expended in undertakings in the nature of investments, and so should not be regarded as partaking of the nature of unproductive war expenditure.
Up to the 31st March, 1891, loan expenditure had been chiefly concerned with railways and roads, the taking-over of the loan liabilities of the Provincial Governments on their abolition, and the Maori War. The following table presents the position as existing on the 31st March, 1891, allocated as far as possible over the various classes of expenditure referred to earlier:—
| £ | £ | |
|---|---|---|
| Directly reproductive. | ||
| Railways | 14,580,000 | .. |
| Telegraphs and telephones | 769,000 | .. |
| Lighthouses and harbours | 484,000 | 15,833,000 |
| Investments. | ||
| Purchase of Native lands | 1,546,000 | .. |
| Loans to local bodies | 325,000 | .. |
| .. | 1,871,000 | |
| Indirectly productive. | ||
| Roads and bridges; lands improvement | 5,106,000 | .. |
| Development of mining | 571,000 | .. |
| Immigration | 2,459,000 | .. |
| .. | 8,136,000 | |
| Unproductive and unclassified. | ||
| Public buildings | 1,800,000 | .. |
| Maori War | 2,357,000 | .. |
| Defence | 1,638,000 | .. |
| Deficiencies in revenue, charges and expenses of raising loans, provincial liabilities, &c. | 7,195,350 | .. |
| .. | 12,990,350 | |
| Total | .. | 38,830,350 |
A summary of the gross public indebtedness, grouping the transactions according to whether they occurred prior to the 31st March, 1914, from 1914 to 1920, or from 1920, to the present time, is now given.
| Class of Undertaking. | Up to 31st March, 1914. | From 31st March, 1914, to 31st March, 1920. | From 31st March, 1920, to 31st March, 1925. | Total Gross Indebtedness at 31st March, 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* Decrease. | ||||
| Directly reproductive. | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Railways | 28,421,304 | 4,579,215 | 9,559,155 | 42,559,674 |
| Telegraphs and telephones | 2,208,884 | 1,352,411 | 2,466,900 | 6,028,195 |
| Lighthouses and harbours | 612,971 | 40,913 | 774,426 | 1,428,310 |
| Tourist and health resorts | 168,995 | 20,909 | 71,691 | 261,595 |
| State coal-mines | 225,000 | 2,601 | .. | 227,601 |
| State forests | .. | 130,000 | 471,172 | 601,172 |
| Water-power development and electric supply | 218,920 | 243,371 | 3,488,243 | 3,950,534 |
| Swamp drainage | .. | 73,000 | 348,000 | 421,000 |
| Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers improvement | 100,000 | 30,000 | 306,000 | 436,000 |
| Totals | 31,956,074 | 6,472,420 | 17,485,587 | 55,914,081 |
| Investments. | ||||
| Advances to settlers | 8,677,326 | 605,871 | 3,985,763 | 13,268,960 |
| Advances to workers | 2,536,926 | *117,580 | 2,972,345 | 5,391,691 |
| Advances to local authorities | 2,568,068 | 207,461 | .. | 2,775,529 |
| Mining advances | 15,000 | 11,500 | 29,200 | 55,700 |
| Kauri-gum industry advances | .. | 53,000 | 22,000 | 75,000 |
| Fruit-preserving industry advances | .. | 69,610 | *4,500 | 65,110 |
| Cold-storage advances | .. | 120,750 | *45,500 | 75,250 |
| Land for settlements (including opening up of Crown lands for settlement) | 7,483,958 | 1,745,430 | *472,528 | 8,756,860 |
| Purchase of Cheviot Estate | 253,318 | .. | .. | 253,318 |
| Discharged-soldiers settlement and lands for discharged-soldiers settlement | .. | 11,120,000 | *1,310,114 | 9,809,886 |
| Purchase of Native lands | 2,715,217 | .. | .. | 2,715,217 |
| Native-land settlement | 1,179,150 | 1,525,431 | 1,192,219 | 3,896,800 |
| Hauraki Plains settlement | 131,000 | 85,000 | 414,000 | 630,000 |
| Rangitaiki land drainage | 45,000 | 205,000 | 260,000 | 510,000 |
| General purposes relief | .. | 75,000 | .. | 75,000 |
| Loans to local bodies | 3,476,000 | .. | .. | 3,476,000 |
| Investments of New Zealand Consols | 475,992 | .. | *475,492 | 500 |
| Bank of New Zealand shares | 500,000 | 375,000 | .. | 875,000 |
| Reserve Fund securities | 800,000 | .. | *800,000 | .. |
| Fishing-industry promotion | .. | .. | 5,215 | 5,215 |
| Housing | .. | .. | 399,625 | 399,625 |
| Nauru and Ocean Islands | .. | .. | 600,000 | 600,000 |
| Samoan loan | .. | .. | 95,000 | 95,000 |
| Totals | 30,856,955 | 16,081,473 | 6,867,233 | 53,805,661 |
| Indirectly productive. | ||||
| Roads and bridges; lands improvement | 7,975,334 | 1,783,192 | 2,568,693 | 12,327,219 |
| Irrigation and water-supply | .. | 59,672 | 340,300 | 399,972 |
| Development of mining | 896,992 | 13,479 | 11,452 | 921,923 |
| Immigration | 2,521,878 | *38,709 | 472,091 | 2,955,260 |
| Totals | 11,394,204 | 1,817,634 | 3,392,536 | 16,604,374 |
| Unproductive and unclassified. | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Public buildings | 6,443,556 | 1,721,334 | 1,352,088 | 9,516,978 |
| Scenery-preservation | 74,000 | 20,000 | *94,000 | .. |
| Maori War | 2,357,000 | *400 | .. | 2,356,600 |
| Defence (naval and contingent) | 3,720,011 | 47,516 | *176,472 | 3,591,055 |
| Great European War | .. | 80,089,025 | *3,457,303 | 76,631,722 |
| Education loans | .. | .. | 1,924,222 | 1,924,222 |
| Charges and expenses of raising loans, provincial liabilities, &c. | 7,952,027 | 167,926 | *649,999 | 7,469,954 |
| Totals | 20,546,594 | 82,045,401 | *1,101,464 | 101,490,531 |
| Grand totals | 94,753,827 | 106,416,928 | 26,613,892 | 227,814,647 |
Included in the total indebtedness of £94,753,827 existing at the 31st March, 1914, is the amount of £38,830,350 (less redemptions that may have taken place in the meantime) already referred to as existing on the 31st March, 1891. The increase between 1891 and 1914 is accordingly £55,923,477, spread over the following classes of undertakings, viz.: Directly reproductive, £16,123,074; investments, £28,985,955; indirectly productive, £3,258,204; and unproductive and unclassified, £7,556,244.
The increase in the gross public debt since the 31st March, 1891, amounts to £188,984,297. Excluding war expenditure, referred to later, the largest item in the increase is £21,436,180 raised for advances to settlers, workers, and local authorities. In addition to this latter amount, £3,470,000 was raised for loans to local bodies prior to the inauguration of the present system of making such loans through the State Advances Office. Another large item is the purchase and roading of land for settlement, the indebtedness on account of which, including Native land and the Cheviot Estate, aggregated £12,906,978 between 1891 and 1925. Of more recent growth is the expenditure on discharged-soldiers settlement (including lands for discharged-soldiers settlement), amounting to £9,809,886 on the 31st March, 1925. These items, as well as a number of smaller ones, represent investments by the Government bearing interest and lent on continually improving security, the principal being repaid by instalments Other considerable items which may be considered as interest-bearing investments are those under the heads “Hauraki Plains settlement,” “Rangitaiki land drainage,” “Housing,” and “Bank of New Zealand shares.” An item on which loan-money is being liberally expended is water-power development and electric supply. During the last five years the gross indebtedness on this account has totalled £3,488,243. Such expenditure is, as in the case of railways, regarded as directly reproductive.
A little explanation is necessary as regards the item “Charges and expenses of raising loans, provincial liabilities, &c.,” which at the 31st March, 1914, represented 5 per cent. of the total debt and 39 per cent. of that coming under the heading of “Unproductive and unclassified.” This item consists partly of unclassified provincial liabilities taken over by the General Government in 1876, partly of indebtedness incurred by way of charges involved in the raising of loans, with a small proportion of indebtedness incurred in early years on account of deficiencies in revenue. Much of the provincial debt included, the details of which have been lost, was no doubt incurred on account of directly or indirectly productive undertakings; while the charges and expenses of raising loans should properly be allocated to the items in respect of which the loans were raised, as is now the rule followed—but, unfortunately, in this case also details are lacking.
While expenditure on public buildings is, properly speaking, unproductive, the debt on this account is represented by valuable assets, as is also the case with the education loans.
At the 31st March, 1914, the unproductive and unclassified debt represented only 21.69 per cent. of the total public debt; but during the six years ended 31st March, 1920, war indebtedness aggregating £80,089,025 was responsible for 77.10 per cent. of the debt incurred during this period being of an unproductive nature. Additional indebtedness on account of war expenditure was incurred during the next two years, bringing the total war debt to £81,843,543 at the 31st March, 1922; but the end of the financial year 1919-20 saw the cessation of expenditure on a huge scale on this account, the moneys borrowed since then having been principally directed towards public works of a reproductive nature and to investments. The war debt has been reduced by over five millions since the 31st March, 1922, and now stands at £76,631,722. The effect of this reduction is to make the total unproductive and unclassified debt at the 31st March, 1925, less than at the 31st March, 1920, in spite of the considerable utilization of loan-money for public buildings and educational establishments during the five years.
The tremendous, though necessary, increase in unproductive expenditure for the war period is more clearly illustrated in the following table, showing the percentages of the various classes to the total for each of the well-defined periods that have been referred to in the course of what has been noted above:—
| Time (as at 31st March in Years shown). | Indebtedness on account of | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directly Reproductive Undertakings. | Investments. | Indirectly Reproductive Undertakings. | Unproductive and Unclassified Undertakings. | |
* Decrease in indebtedness. | ||||
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| Up to and as at 1891 | 40.78 | 4.82 | 20.95 | 33.45 |
| Between 1891 and 1914 | 28.65 | 51.82 | 6.01 | 13.52 |
| Up to and as at 1914 | 33.62 | 32.56 | 12.13 | 21.69 |
| Between 1914 and 1920 | 6.08 | 15.11 | 1.71 | 77.10 |
| Between 1920 and 1925 | 65.63 | 25.77 | 12.73 | -4.13 |
| Up to and as at 1925 | 24.54 | 23.62 | 7.29 | 44.55 |
The directly interest-earning portion of the debt as at 31st March, 1925, amounts to 48.16 per cent. of the total debt, and is represented by assets which are of much greater value than the amount of borrowed money spent upon them, a considerable amount of surplus ordinary revenue having been expended from time to time on railways and other public services, as well as other moneys of the nature of special receipts. The small proportion represented by unproductive and unclassified loan-money raised during the period 1891 to 1914 (13.52 per cent.) is in strong contrast to the similar proportion for the period 1914 to 1920 (77.10 per cent.). It will be noted that for the period following the 31st March, 1920, this necessarily abnormal proportion of unproductive indebtedness has given place to a minus quantity, through repayments of debt raised for war purposes actually exceeding new indebtedness for unproductive purposes. For the same period also indebtedness on account of directly reproductive undertakings and investments formed 91.40 per cent. of the total, as compared with the small ratio of 21.19 per cent. in the war period. The cumulative effect of war expenditure on the Dominion's present gross indebtedness is seen by a comparison of the position as at 31st March, 1891, 1914, 1920, and 1925. The diagram given below graphically illustrates for the various classes of indebtedness the features referred to.
New loan-money aggregating £9,448,252 was raised during 1924-25 for the following purposes:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Public Works Fund— | |
| General Purposes Account | 3,547,451 |
| Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Account | 50,000 |
| Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account | 22,870 |
| Education Loans Account | 540,000 |
| Native Land Settlement Account | 289,323 |
| Hauraki Plains Settlement Account | 70,000 |
| Rangitaiki Land Drainage Account | 37,100 |
| State Forests Account | 100,000 |
| Swamp Land Drainage Account | 90,000 |
| State Advances to Settlers Account | 3,028,133 |
| State Advances to Workers Account | 1,603,133 |
| For charges and expenses of redemptions— | |
| Land for Settlements | 1,168 |
| Advances to Settlers | 222 |
| Advances to Workers | 4,172 |
| For redemptions due in 1925-26 | 64,680 |
| Total raised | £9,448,252 |
The amount of £3,249,966 was paid off from the Redemption Fund and surplus revenue, as follows:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Transfers from— | |
| Ordinary Revenue Account | 1,052,131 |
| Ordinary Revenue Account (for funded debt) | 307,718 |
| State Advances Account | 300,008 |
| Land for Settlements Account | 150,800 |
| Discharged Soldiers Settlement Account | 4,100 |
| War Expenses Account | 7,296 |
| Sinking funds set free | 839,544 |
| Proceeds of sale of H.M.S. “New Zealand” | 20,000 |
| Discount on securities redeemed below par | 21,779 |
| Loans raised in 1923-24 for redemptions in 1924-25 | 46,590 |
| Treasury bills redeemed from proceeds of Public Works loan | 500,000 |
| Total paid off | £3,249,966 |
In addition to the foregoing transactions, securities to the amount of £10,022,517 were renewed, £400,550 converted, and £11,329,042 redeemed—in each case by the issue of fresh securities of an equal amount.
Allocating the various increases and decreases over the classes and headings used in discussing the total public debt, the following distribution is arrived at:—
| Class of Undertaking. | Increase. | Decrease. |
|---|---|---|
| Directly reproductive:— | £ | £ |
| Railways | 1,327,159 | .. |
| Telegraphs and telephones | 676,244 | .. |
| Lighthouses and harbours | .. | 144,587 |
| Tourist and health resorts | 8,719 | .. |
| State forests | 100,000 | .. |
| Swamp drainage | 90,000 | .. |
| Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers improvement | 50,000 | .. |
| Total | 2,107,535 | .. |
| Investments— | ||
| Advances to settlers | 2,728,354 | .. |
| Advances to workers | 1,607,304 | .. |
| Fruit-preserving advances | .. | 4,500 |
| Cold-storage advances | .. | 7,500 |
| Land for settlements | .. | 150,054 |
| Discharged soldiers settlement and land for discharged soldiers settlement | 18,770 | .. |
| Native-land settlement | 289,323 | .. |
| Hauraki Plains settlement | 70,000 | .. |
| Rangitaiki land drainage | 37,100 | .. |
| New Zealand Consols | .. | 475,492 |
| Fishing-industry promotion | .. | 360 |
| Housing | .. | 16,750 |
| Total | 4,096,195 | .. |
| Indirectly productive— | ||
| Roads, bridges, and lands improvement | 450,790 | .. |
| Irrigation and Water-supply | 90,417 | .. |
| Development of mining | 1,946 | .. |
| Immigration | 96,321 | .. |
| Total | 639,474 | .. |
| Unproductive and unclassified— | ||
| Public buildings | 159,141 | .. |
| Defence | 19,167 | .. |
| Naval defence | .. | 210,764 |
| Great European War | .. | 802,462 |
| Education loans | 540,000 | .. |
| Charges and expenses, &c. | .. | 350,000 |
| Total | .. | 644,918 |
| Grand total | 6,198,286 | .. |
The whole of the public debt, as stated previously, comprises inscribed stock and debentures with varying periods of currency. The following table shows the relative increase of the different classes of securities during the last ten financial years:—
| At 31st March. | Inscribed Stock. | Debentures.* | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Includes funded debt and Treasury bills (£26,590,311 and £2,300,000 respectively, at 31st March, 1925). | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 68,689,630 | 40,947,767 | 109,637,397 |
| 1917 | 68,689,935 | 61,146,170 | 129,836,105 |
| 1918 | 77,760,485 | 73,079,570 | 150,840,055 |
| 1919 | 87,373,480 | 88,702,780 | 176,076,260 |
| 1920 | 95,095,914 | 106,074,841 | 201,170,755 |
| 1921 | 100,830,507 | 105,493,812 | 206,324,319 |
| 1922 | 108,592,018 | 110,462,367 | 219,054,385 |
| 1923 | 114,594,007 | 104,359,317 | 218,953,324 |
| 1924 | 119,250,189 | 102,366,172 | 221,616,361 |
| 1925 | 127,380,571 | 100,434,076 | 227,814,647 |
Until comparatively recent years the large proportion of the productive power of the Dominion diverted to the construction of railways, roads, &c., and engaged in the preparation of land for farming necessitated the borrowing of capital from abroad; but of late the accumulation of savings, chiefly of small sums deposited in the savings-banks, has enabled the Government to raise considerable amounts from time to time locally. This was more particularly the case in connection with war loans, some 55 millions of pounds of which were raised in the Dominion.
Between the 31st March, 1915, and the corresponding date in 1925 the amount of New Zealand's public debt domiciled in London increased from 76 to 121 millions, while that domiciled in New Zealand increased from 25 to 104 millions. The amount raised in Australia is negligible and has decreased considerably in recent years though an increase was recorded in 1924-25. The following table shows, of the total amount outstanding in each of the last ten years, the amount domiciled in London, Australia, and New Zealand:—
| At 31st March. | Inscribed Stock. | Debentures. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London. | Australia. | New Zealand. | London. | Australia. | New Zealand. | |
* Includes £26,590,311 funded debt and £2,300,000 Treasury bills. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 68,213,639 | .. | 475,991 | 13,251,109 | 3,520,650 | 24,176,008 |
| 1917 | 68,213,943 | .. | 475,992 | 15,663,875 | 3,385,650 | 42,096,645 |
| 1918 | 68,213,943 | .. | 9,546,542 | 20,493,875 | 3,385,650 | 49,200,045 |
| 1919 | 68,213,943 | .. | 19,159,537 | 27,494,386 | 3,385,650 | 57,822,744 |
| 1920 | 68,213,943 | .. | 26,881,972 | 27,494,386 | 3,385,650 | 75,194,804 |
| 1921 | 68,213,943 | .. | 32,616,564 | 31,627,472 | 1,655,450 | 72,210,890 |
| 1922 | 74,112,943 | .. | 34,479,075 | 31,806,216 | 2,287,440 | 76,368,711 |
| 1923 | 78,941,260 | 424,950 | 35,227,797 | 31,727,008 | 1,734,540 | 70,897,769 |
| 1924 | 82,561,755 | 424,450 | 36,263,984 | 32,315,138 | 1,682,150 | 68,368,884 |
| 1925 | 89,497,967 | 1,549,450 | 36,333,154 | 31,320,520* | 1,402,750 | 67,710,806 |
The percentage of the total debt raised in each of the markets and outstanding at the end of 1914-15 and 1924-25 was—
| Market. | 1914-15. | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| London | 76.36 | 53.03 |
| New Zealand | 19.66 | 45.67 |
| Australia | 3.98 | 1.30 |
| 100.00 | 100.00 |
A summary of the loans outstanding on the 31st March, 1925, showing the amounts falling due in each financial year, is given.
| Due Date: Year ending 31st March. | Amount. |
|---|---|
* Overdue. † Repayable by annual instalments. The whole amount should be paid off by 31st March, 1959. | |
| £ | |
| 1915 | 2,100* |
| 1918 | 1,000* |
| 1921 | 135* |
| 1925 | 3,600* |
| 1926 | 16,046,196 |
| 1927 | 4,267,950 |
| 1928 | 8,921,316 |
| 1929 | 12,561,135 |
| 1930 | 37,387,057 |
| 1931 | 11,581,070 |
| 1932 | 959,640 |
| 1933 | 4,640,693 |
| 1934 | 600 |
| 1935 | 1,125,000 |
| 1936 | 117,380 |
| 1937 | 1,000 |
| 1938 | 3,000 |
| 1939 | 22,949,139 |
| 1940 | 25,834,732 |
| 1941 | 549,215 |
| 1942 | 5,260,760 |
| 1943 | 4,000,000 |
| 1944 | 7,362,000 |
| 1945 | 200,000 |
| 1946 | 16,890,889 |
| 1948 | 895,000 |
| 1949 | 1,923,600 |
| 1950 | 1,106,500 |
| 1952 | 5,899,000 |
| 1963 | 10,884,629 |
| Funded debt | 26,590,311† |
| Total | £227,814,647 |
The amounts of loan-money that have matured or will mature during the current financial year, with the months when due, are as follow:—
| Due Date. | £ |
|---|---|
* Overdue. | |
| 1914, July | 2,100* |
| 1918, January | 1,000* |
| 1920, December | 135* |
| 1925, February | 500* |
| 1925, March | 3,100* |
| 1925, April | 1,935,940 |
| 1925, May | 1,377,500 |
| 1925, June | 1,603,300 |
| 1925, July | 323,400 |
| 1925, August | 402,201 |
| 1925, September | 394,550 |
| 1925, October | 402,850 |
| 1925, November | 402,200 |
| 1925, December | 3,402,175 |
| 1926, January | 2,111,710 |
| 1926, February | 2,188,320 |
| 1926, March | 1,502,050 |
Of the total amount of public debt outstanding at the end of March, 1925, only £30,317,822, or 13 per cent. of the total, bears interest at a lower rate than 4 per cent., as against 48 per cent. of the total at 31st March, 1914. Four per cent. is payable on £60,341,636, 4 1/2 per cent. on £76,796,965, and 5 per cent. on £12,250,803, while a rate of £4 19s. 5.88d. per cent. is payable on the funded debt of £26,590,311. A higher rate than 5 per cent. is payable on £19,210,275. The following are the rates of interest payable on the whole public debt:—
| Rate of Interest. | Amount at each Rate. |
|---|---|
* Including £26,590,311 at £4 19s. 5.88d. per cent. | |
| £ | |
| 6 percent. | 7,589,120 |
| 5 1/2 per cent. | 5,845,815 |
| 5 1/4 per cent. | 5,775,340 |
| 5 per cent. | 38,841,114* |
| 4 1/2 per cent. | 76,796,965 |
| 4 per cent. | 60,341,636 |
| 3 3/4 per cent. | 792,500 |
| 3 1/2 per cent. | 19,862,532 |
| 3 per cent. | 9,862,790 |
| Overdue | 6,835 |
| Redemption bills | 2,300,000 |
| Total | £227,814,647 |
The total amount of interest payable on the public debt is £9,991,954, which gives an average rate of £4 7s. 9d. per £100 on the whole debt, and an average of £4 8s. 7d. if the £2,300,000 redemption bills and the £6,835 unpresented debentures be excluded. On the total public debt outstanding on the 31st March, 1891, the average interest charge was £4 10s. 3d. per £100.
Of the total interest charge on the debt as at the 31st March, 1925, £5,299,101 was payable in London, £129,483 in Australia, and £4,563,370 in New Zealand.
It should be understood that the foregoing relates to the interest payable on the debt outstanding at the various rates specified, and does not represent the payments made during the financial year, nor are sinking-fund charges included.
The actual payments during the last twenty years for interest and sinking fund out of the Consolidated Fund are shown in the following table, together with the rate per head of mean population and the percentage of ordinary and territorial revenue absorbed by the public-debt charges:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Amounts actually paid out of the Consolidated Fund. | Rate per Head of Mean Population. | Percentage of Revenue absorbed by Public-debt Charges. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Debt. | Treasury Bills. | Total. | |||||||
| Interest. | Sinking Fund. | Total. | Interest. | ||||||
* Including repayment of funded debt. | |||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | s. | d. | ||
| 1906 | 2,006,537 | 56,167 | 2,062,704 | 24,500 | 2,087,204 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 27.52 |
| 1907 | 2,048,990 | 97,351 | 2,146,341 | 25,751 | 2,172,092 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 25.86 |
| 1908 | 2,085,018 | 81,842 | 2,166,860 | 20,559 | 2,187,419 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 24.15 |
| 1909 | 2,149,739 | 91,438 | 2,241,177 | 17,188 | 2,258,365 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 25.09 |
| 1910 | 2,282,182 | 95,124 | 2,377,306 | 20,156 | 2,397,462 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 25.95 |
| 1911 | 2,381,000 | 54,104 | 2,435,104 | 23,348 | 2,458,452 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 23.87 |
| 1912 | 2,446,493 | 198,388 | 2,644,881 | 11,459 | 2,656,340 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 24.02 |
| 1913 | 2,506,025 | 202,757 | 2,708,782 | 8,231 | 2,717,013 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 23.15 |
| 1914 | 2,649,786 | 221,726 | 2,871,512 | 16,468 | 2,887,980 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 23.61 |
| 1915 | 2,788,513 | 247,570 | 3,036,083 | 35,365 | 3,071,448 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 24.67 |
| 1916 | 2,888,533 | 257,036 | 3,145,569 | 45,229 | 3,190,798 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 21.99 |
| 1917 | 3,701,040 | 326,924 | 4,027,964 | 4,921 | 4,032,885 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 21.97 |
| 1918 | 3,935,118 | 494,699 | 4,429,817 | 962 | 4,430,779 | 3 | 16 | 10 | 21.93 |
| 1919 | 5,409,210 | 677,559 | 6,086,769 | .. | 6,086,769 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 27.23 |
| 1920 | 6,352,344 | 897,082 | 7,249,426 | .. | 7,249,426 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 27.80 |
| 1921 | 6,805,422 | 1,026,171 | 7,831,593 | .. | 7,831,593 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 22.86 |
| 1922 | 7,382,699 | 1,051,414 | 8,434,113 | 8,165 | 8,442,278 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 30.02 |
| 1923 | 7,899,123 | 995,697* | 8,894,820 | 5,137 | 8,899,957 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 32.27 |
| 1924 | 7,860,288 | 1,004,280* | 8,864,568 | 17,309 | 8,881,877 | 6 | 13 | 2 | 31.77 |
| 1925 | 7,793,739 | 997,382* | 8,791,121 | 71,523 | 8,862,644 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 30.94 |
The above amounts are net payments out of the Consolidated Fund only, and do not comprise the whole of the interest and sinking fund payments in respect of moneys raised by way of loans. For loans raised for the purposes of State advances to settlers, workers, local authorities, &c., and under the Land for Settlements Acts, the interest, although made a charge upon the Consolidated Fund, is recovered from the receipts derived from the leasing of the lands or from instalments paid by borrowers. Other loan-money coming within the same category is that raised for State coal-mines, Native-land settlement, the purchase of the Cheviot Estate, the Rangitaiki land drainage, the Hauraki Plains settlement, the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers improvement, and a number of other purposes.
Such interest does not become a burden upon the taxpayer, and consequently is not included in the figures upon which the rate per head of mean population is calculated.
The gross interest charges borne by the Consolidated Fund during the year ended 31st March, 1925, totalled £9,891,400, in which £2,026,138 was recovered from other accounts.
From time to time in the earlier financial history of the Dominion sinking fonds were created in respect of various loans. These loans have now all been paid off, with the exception of an item of £2,100 which matured on the 15th July, 1914, as part of a loan of £266,300 raised under the New Zealand Loan Act, 1863, but which has not yet been paid off. A sinking fund of £2,207, which covers this loan, is held by the Consolidated Fund to meet the debentures when presented.
More recently provision was made for sinking funds for the repayment of loans raised for local bodies and for war and defence loans. A sinking fund was also provided for in the case of the loans raised under the Naval Defence Act, 1909. All of these funds are invested with the Public Trustee.
Another class of sinking fund which has come into existence in later years may more correctly be termed an “internal reserve fund,” because the accumulations are immediately converted into capital, although kept apart in the accounts. Part of the surplus revenue of the various accounts of the State Advances Department is set apart as a sinking fund. Formerly the amount set apart for sinking-fund purposes each year was equal to one per cent. of the loan liabilities at the end of the year, but since 1922 the legal provision is that any profits remaining after the constitution of a general reserve fund are to be paid into sinking fund.
Under the head of “internal reserve funds” also fall the sinking funds for the liquidation of the amounts borrowed for State coal-mines, electric-power works, swamp-land drainage, Rangitaiki land drainage, and the purchase of interests in Nauru and Ocean Islands. The sinking fund for the wiping-off of the Samoan loan is held by the Treasury.
The whole of the public debt for which no special sinking fund exists was provided for in 1910 by the Public Debt Extinction Act of that year, which is referred to below.
On the 31st March, 1925, the accrued sinking funds amounted to £13,462,839, made up as follows:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Loan Act, 1863 | 2,207 |
| Government loans to local bodies | 799,601 |
| War and defence loans | 192,691 |
| War loans (1914-18) | 4,898,934 |
| Naval Defence Act, 1909 | 876,380 |
| State advances to settlers | 1,555,087 |
| State advances to workers | 67,117 |
| State advances to local authorities | 308,980 |
| Land for settlements | 1,179,732 |
| Native-land settlement | 11,977 |
| Guaranteed mining advances | 877 |
| Hauraki Plains settlement | 2,176 |
| Opening up Crown lands for settlement | 3,416 |
| Rangitaiki land drainage | 904 |
| Public Debt Extinction Act, 1910 | 3,311,144 |
| State Coal-mines Act, 1908 | 41,669 |
| Nauru and Ocean Islands | 13,539 |
| Samoa loan | 3,079 |
| Westport Harbour loans | 181,230 |
| Electric supply | 12,108 |
| Total | £13,462,839 |
Information concerning the provisions of the Public Debt Extinction Act, 1910, appears in the 1925 and preceding issues of this book. The Act has been superseded and repealed, as from 1st April, 1925, by the Repayment of the Public Debt Act, 1925.
The contributions to the Public Debt Sinking Fund to the 31st March, 1925, amounted to £2,385,850, interest, &c., bringing the amount to the credit of the fund to £3,311,144. The payments to the fund in each of the last ten years have been—
| Year ended 31st March. | £ |
|---|---|
| 1916 | 161,870 |
| 1917 | 171,301 |
| 1918 | 155,038 |
| 1919 | 143,301 |
| 1920 | 140,076 |
| 1921 | 152,295 |
| 1922 | 203,132 |
| 1923 | 216,913 |
| 1924 | 210,405 |
| 1925 | 210,315 |
The average net rate of interest earned for the three years ended the 31st March, 1925, was £4 9s. 7d., as against £4 8s. 10d. per cent. for the triennium ended 31st March, 1924. Interest during 1924-25 totalled £133,540.
The Repayment of the Public Debt Act, 1925, which repeals the Public Debt Extinction Act, 1910, substitutes for the long-term sinking-fund system a method whereby the Dominion's debt-reduction resources may be available to purchase and cancel Government securities as the market-price is advantageous, or pay them off at maturity, and so ensure an actual reduction in the public debt annually. For this purpose there will be issued annually out of the Consolidated Fund a sum equal to 1/2 per cent. of the debt affected as at the 31st March, plus 1/2 per cant. of the total amount previously repaid or redeemed under the provisions of the Act. To this will be added a sum equal to interest at 3 1/2 per cent. per annum on the debt paid off under the scheme. By this means the bulk of the savings in interest on debt paid off will be applied to further repayments of debt, and the present debt will be liquidated in about sixty years, while all future loans will be liquidated within a similar period from the date of their inception.
A capital fund termed “The Public Debt Redemption Fund” is created, consisting of (1) the present accumulations of sinking funds, amounting to about £11,226,000 (leaving aside the State Advances, Westport Harbour, and other special sinking funds); (2) the amount advanced out of surplus revenue for discharged soldiers settlement, £13,500,000, less any amounts written off as a result of the revaluation of the properties of discharged soldiers. The capital of this fund will be held intact. The earnings therefrom will be credited to the Consolidated Fund and applied towards meeting the charge against that fund created by the Act.
The Act provides for an annual reduction in the amount of the public debt, the amount of reduction increasing from year to year. There will be an annual saving to the Consolidated Fund on the amount of debt redeemed, consisting of that portion of the interest and sinking fund in excess of 4 per cent. which would have been payable had the loans not been redeemed under the provisions of the Act.
The Act does not apply to the whole of the public debt, the following classes being specifically excluded:—
(a.) Moneys borrowed on the security of Treasury bills issued under section 39 of the Public Revenues Act, 1910.
(b.) Moneys borrowed in respect of the Advances to Settlers, Advances to Workers, and Advances to Local Authorities Branches of the State Advances Office.
(c.) Moneys borrowed in respect of the State Coal-mines, Electric-supply, Nauru and Ocean Islands, and Westport Harbour Accounts.
(d.) Moneys borrowed under the New Zealand Loan Act, 1863.
(e.) Loans funded by agreement with the Imperial Government under the authority of section 8 of the Finance Act, 1922.
(f.) Moneys borrowed under the authority of section 26 of the Finance Act, 1921-22 (for loans to Samoan Administration).
The present amount of the debt affected by the Act is approximately £174,000,000.
A War Loans, Sinking Fund was established for the special purpose of providing for the extinguishing of loans raised for the European War expenses. The provisions of the Public Debt Extinction Act, 1910, did not apply to such moneys, but these loans have now been merged in the scheme of public-debt repayment set out above.
A statement is given showing, for each of the ten years during which the War Loans Sinking Fund scheme was in operation, the payments to sinking fund, the interest on the amount invested, and the accumulated sinking fund.
| Year ended 31st March. | Payment to Fund. | Interest credited. | Sinking Funds freed for Redemptions. | Accumulated Sinking Fund. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 21,053 | .. | .. | 21,053 |
| 1917 | 81,595 | 859 | .. | 103,507 |
| 1918 | 267,255 | 4,972 | .. | 375,734 |
| 1919 | 461,852 | 25,925 | .. | 863,511 |
| 1920 | 684,600 | 55,770 | .. | 1,603,881 |
| 1921 | 800,890 | 102,394 | .. | 2,507,165 |
| 1922 | 815,386 | 128,556 | .. | 3,451,107 |
| 1923 | 553,455 | 155,504 | .. | 4,160,066 |
| 1924 | 543,097 | 179,289 | 200,000 | 4,682,452 |
| 1925 | 514,627 | 216,482 | 514,627 | 4,898,934 |
The reduction in the payments after 1921-22 was due to decreases in the debt affected, partly on account of redemptions, but principally through the funding of the debt owing to the Imperial Government (referred to below) and the consequent withdrawal of the funded debt from the War Loans Sinking Fund provisions.
At the 31st March, 1922, £27,532,164 of New Zealand's public debt was owing to the British Government, all but £1,191,919 of this being on account of war expenditure.
Section 8 of the Finance Act, 1922, authorized the Minister of Finance to arrange with the Imperial Government for the funding of this debt, and arrangements were accordingly made, and were embodied in a memorandum of agreement dated the 6th September, 1922.
The funding was carried out on an annuity basis of 6 per cent., the total payment each year being £1,651,930. Interest is at the rate of £4 19s. 5.88d. per cent., the balance of the 6 per cent. going to reduction of the debt.
The first half-yearly payment of £825,965 was made to the British Government on the 1st December, 1922. The division between interest and principal in each half-yearly payment to date is as follows:—
| Date of Instalment. | Interest. | Principal. | Balance of Debt Outstanding. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Including £200,000 additional, paid off Naval Defence loan. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1st December, 1922 | 684,794 | 141,171 | 27,390,993 |
| 1st June, 1923 | 681,282 | 144,683 | 27,246,310 |
| 1st December, 1923 | 677,684 | 148,281 | 27,098,029 |
| 1st June, 1924 | 673,996 | 151,969 | 26,946,060 |
| 1st December, 1924 | 670,216 | 355,749* ' | 26,590,311 |
Under the agreement the amount of £27,532,164 will be automatically discharged from the public debt by the end of the financial year 1958-59. The amount payable for amortization in 1925-26 is £333,289, and will gradually increase per annum as the interest-payment reduces on the lessening debt. An important condition of the agreement with the British Government is that the whole or any part of the funded debt may be redeemed at any time. This condition was taken advantage of when on 1st December, 1924, £200,000 was paid off the Naval Defence loan.
Particulars of the funded debt, with amounts repaid to 31st March, 1925, and the annual charges on account of interest and repayment, are as follow:—
| — | Amount of Debt funded. | Total Debt repaid to 31st March, 1925. | Annual Charge, 1925-26. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest. | Repayment of Debt. | Total. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Public Revenues Amendment Act, 1914, section 8 (war expenses) | 2,067,411 | 55,706 | 99,774 | 24,271 | 124,045 |
| Public Revenues Amendment Act, 1915, section 5 (war expenses) | 8,105,992 | 218,416 | 391,199 | 95,161 | 486,360 |
| Finance Act, 1916, section 35 | 4,736,842 | 127,634 | 228,602 | 55,609 | 284,211 |
| War Purposes Loans Act, 1917 | 4,830,000 | 130,144 | 233,098 | 56,702 | 289,800 |
| Finance Act, 1918, section 10 | 6,600,000 | 177,837 | 318,519 | 77,481 | 396,000 |
| Naval Defence Act, 1909 | 963,131 | 225,951 | 36,408 | 21,379 | 57,787 |
| Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act, 1910 | 191,010 | 5,147 | 9,218 | 2,242 | 11,460 |
| Land for Settlements Act, 1908 | 37,778 | 1,018 | 1,823 | 444 | 2,267 |
| Totals | 27,532,164 | 941,853 | 1,318,641 | 333,289 | 1,651,930 |
The provisions of the Repayment of the Public Debt Act do not apply to the funded debt.
The highest and lowest London prices for the New Zealand 4-, 3 1/2-, and 3-percent. stock, taken over a range of twenty years, are quoted.
| Year. | 4-per-cents. (1943-63.) | 4-per-cents. (1929.) | 3 1/2-per-cents. (1940.) | 3-per-cents. (1945.) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest. | Lowest. | Highest. | Lowest. | Highest. | Lowest. | Highest. | Lowest. | |
| 1905 | .. | .. | 110 1/4 | 105 1/4 | 100 1/8 | 97 5/8 | 89 7/8 | 89 1/2 |
| 1906 | .. | .. | 110 3/4 | 104 5/8 | 102 1/2 | 98 3/8 | 91 1/4 | 87 1/4 |
| 1907 | .. | .. | 108 3/4 | 103 1/4 | 101 | 98 | 89 3/4 | 84 |
| 1908 | .. | .. | 109 5/8 | 105 1/8 | 101 | 98 1/4 | 90 1/2 | 85 3/4 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | 108 3/8 | 104 3/4 | 99 3/4 | 97 3/8 | 88 3/8 | 85 3/4 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | 106 3/4 | 103 | 99 | 94 1/4 | 88 3/8 | 84 3/4 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | 106 3/4 | 102 1/8 | 98 1/2 | 95 1/4 | 87 3/8 | 85 |
| 1912 | .. | .. | 105 | 100 | 97 3/4 | 90 3/8 | 87 3/4 | 79 1/2 |
| 1913 | 101 | 96 3/8 | 102 1/2 | 95 1/2 | 91 7/8 | 87 3/4 | 80 3/4 | 76 1/4 |
| 1914 | 100 3/8 | 96 1/4 | 103 1/8 | 98 | 923/4 | 87 | 83 1/2 | 77 |
| 1915 | 97 1/2 | 95 | 99 1/8 | 95 | 87 1/2 | 83 1/4 | 77 3/4 | 76 |
| 1916 | 95 1/8 | 77 | 95 | 83 3/4 | 83 3/8 | 69 | 76 | 62 |
| 1917 | 82 5/8 | 76 | 86 1/2 | 81 1/4 | 74 1/2 | 69 | 64 3/8 | 60 |
| 1918 | 85 1/2 | 78 1/4 | 90 7/8 | 84 | 79 | 71 3/4 | 68 3/4 | 61 3/4 |
| 1919 | 86 | 77 1/8 | 90 | 83 | 79 | 68 1/8 | 69 1/8 | 60 |
| 1920 | 79 1/2 | 68 1/4 | 86 1/4 | 79 | 70 3/4 | 64 1/2 | 62 1/2 | 56 1/4 |
| 1921 | 75 7/8 | 68 | 89 | 82 | 72 | 66 | 65 | 57 1/2 |
| 1922 | 89 | 72 5/8 | 95 1/2 | 88 5/8 | 82 7/8 | 71 5/8 | 74 1/2 | 64 |
| 1923 | 93 3/4 | 85 3/4 | 96 3/4 | 91 | 86 3/4 | 80 1/2 | 78 | 72 3/4 |
| 1924 | 91 7/8 | 82 1/4 | 97 | 93 3/4 | 86 1/2 | 80 3/8 | 77 5/8 | 73 |
Similar information in respect of stocks of more recent date is given in the following statement:—
| Year. | 6-per-cents. (1936-51.) | 5-per-cents. (1935-45.) | 4-per-cents. (1933-43.) | 4 1/2-per cents. (1944.) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest. | Lowest. | Highest. | Lowest. | Highest. | Lowest. | Highest. | Lowest. | |
| 1921 | 103 5/8 | 99 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1922 | 111 | 100 7/8 | 102 1/4 | 100 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1923 | 112 1/2 | 107 1/4 | 104 3/4 | 100 1/8 | 91 | 87 1/2 | .. | .. |
| 1924 | 111 | 105 1/2 | 104 1/2 | 99 1/2 | 91 3/4 | 86 | 98 1/2 | 95 3/8 |
The following figures show the gross and net public debt of each State of the Australian Commonwealth, and of the Commonwealth itself, on the 30th June, 1924, and of New Zealand on the 31st March, 1925:—
| State. | Gross Indebtedness. | Accrued Sinking Funds. | Net Indebtedness. | Indebtedness per Head. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross. | Net. | ||||||||
* Deduction made for debts counted twice in gross figures. | |||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| New South Wales | 224,179,315 | 429,211 | 223,750,304 | 100 | 10 | 3 | 100 | 6 | 5 |
| Victoria | 124,108,326 | 3,560,225 | 120,548,101 | 75 | 13 | 9 | 73 | 10 | 4 |
| Queensland | 90,561,350 | 940,244 | 89,621,106 | 109 | 8 | 9 | 108 | 6 | 1 |
| South Australia | 70,016,829 | 2,496,931 | 67,519,898 | 132 | 7 | 10 | 127 | 13 | 5 |
| Western Australia | 62,765,782 | 9,373,572 | 53,392,210 | 174 | 3 | 5 | 148 | 3 | 4 |
| Tasmania | 23,733,685 | 1,108,621 | 22,624,064 | 111 | 6 | 4 | 106 | 2 | 4 |
| Total, Australian States | 595,364,487 | 17,908,804 | 577,455,683 | 102 | 11 | 9 | 99 | 10 | 0 |
| Commonwealth | 415,600,099 | 2,059,372 | 413,540,727 | 71 | 12 | 3 | 71 | 5 | 1 |
| Total Commonwealth and States | 1,010,964,586 | 19,968,176 | 955,578,958* | 174 | 3 | 11 | 164 | 13 | 1* |
| New Zealand | 227,814,647 | 13,462,839 | 214,287,128* | 165 | 2 | 11 | 155 | 6 | 96* |
Both for gross indebtedness and for net indebtedness the rate per head in Australians now somewhat higher than in the Dominion. If the Commonwealth figure be added to that of each individual State it is found that of the six Australian States only Victoria has a lower per-headrate of net indebtedness than this Dominion.
As has been shown in Subsection C of this section, an appreciable proportion of the public debt of New Zealand is represented by money borrowed by the State not for its own requirements', but for the purpose of lending out at easy rates of interest for various defined purposes.
As early as 1892 the Government commenced the purchase of lands for cutting up for sale or lease to private individuals, and two years later the passing of the Advances to Settlers Act, 1894, marked the inauguration of a series of schemes for lending money to settlers, workers, &c., for the purchase of homes, the improvement of farms, and the development of resources and of industries. The schemes vary considerably in detail, but all lie in one of two main classes—those in which the money is advanced on security, and those on which the expenditure is incurred by the Government itself in the first place and recouped from sales or leases. Advances to settlers, workers, discharged soldiers, and local authorities are the principal examples of the former class, and the purchase of land for settlements (including the settlement of discharged soldiers) is the principal of the latter.
Of the advances proper, several classes are administered by a separate Department known as the State Advances Department, and the accounts relating to these are not included in the public accounts, nor are they dealt with in Subsection A of this section. The various systems of advances administered by the State Advances Department are dealt with in detail in the present subsection. The system of advances to discharged soldiers for settlement purposes is dealt with in the section of this book dealing with land tenure and settlement, while particulars of advances for mining purposes are given in the section relating to mining.
The Advances to Settlers Office was established by an Act passed in 1894. An administrative officer called the Superintendent was appointed early in the following year, and a Board set up to advise and co-operate with the Superintendent. Advances can be granted only with the consent of the Board.
The capital fund was limited to £3,000,000, which was to be raised within two years after the passing of the Act at an annual rate of interest not higher than 4 per, cent. The first issue of £1,500,000 realized £94 8s. 9d. per £100 stock. The minimum advance was fixed at £25, and the maximum at £2,500 (now £3,500), repayable in thirty-six years and a half by half-yearly instalments of 3 per cent. on the amount borrowed.
The legislation has been amended at different times, and is now embodied in the State Advances Act, 1913, and its amendments. It authorizes the borrowing of moneys for the purpose of lending to settlers, workers, and local authorities. Each year there may be borrowed for advances to settlers £5,000,000, to workers £1,500,000, and to local authorities £5,000,000.
Money is advanced to settlers on first mortgage of lands and improvements held under the following classes of tenure, free from all encumbrances, liens, and interests other than leasehold interests:—
(1.) Freehold land in fee-simple under the Land Transfer Act.
(2.) Freehold land in fee-simple the title to which is registered under the Deeds Registration Act.
Crown land held on perpetual lease under the Land Act.
Crown land held under Part III or Part IV of the Land Act.
Crown land held on lease as a small grazing-run under the Land Act.
Crown land held on agricultural lease under the Mining Act.
Crown land held on lease (not being for mining purposes) under the Westland and Nelson Coalfields Administration Act.
Native land held on lease under the West Coast Settlement Reserves Act.
Land held on lease under the Westland and Nelson Native Reserves Act.
Land held under the Thermal Springs Districts Act.
Educational and other reserves held under leases administered by the Land Boards.
Crown land held by license on the deferred-payment system.
Land held under lease from a leasing authority as defined by the Public Bodies' Leasing-powers Act, or the Public Bodies' Leases Act, and providing for the payment by the incoming tenant of valuation for improvements made upon the land.
Land held under lease from a Maori Land Board under the Maori Land Settlement Act.
Crown lands held on lease for agricultural purposes under the Mining Districts Land Occupation Act, or Part VIII of the Land Act.
Crown lands held on license for residence-sites under the Mining Act.
Crown lands held on lease under section 45, Part III, of the Mining Act.
Maori lands which have been transferred in trust for leasing to and are held under leases from a Maori Land Board under the powers contained in the Native Land Act.
Land held under certain classes of lease granted by a Borough Council under the Municipal Corporations Act.
Land held under certain leases granted by the Wanganui River Trust.
Land held under lease granted by a leasing authority as defined by the Public Bodies' Leases Act, in any case where the lease is for any term not less than fourteen years, with a recurrent right of renewal for further terms of not less than fourteen years.
Crown land or settlement land held on lease or license under section 4 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act.
Crown land held en lease or license for pastoral purposes under Part VI of the Land Act.
Loans can be granted only on the instalment system and for periods not exceeding thirty-six and a half years—
On all freeholds, up to three-fourths of the value of the security:
On leaseholds, up to three-fourths of the value of the lessee's interest in the lease.
Where an advance is required for the purpose of erecting a building, the amount of the loan granted by the Board may be advanced in progress-payments from time to time as the erection of the building proceeds. An inspection and report must be made by an officer of the Valuation Department prior to payment of any progress-payment on account of the loan, and for each such inspection a fee of 15s. is payable by the applicant.
No loan of less than £25 or more than £3,500 can be granted. Applications for loans not exceeding £500 have priority over applications for larger sums. If the applicant has already obtained any advance under the Act and is desirous of obtaining a further advance, the amount of the application, added to the amount of the advances already obtained, must not exceed £3,500. The property which the applicant offers as security for the loan must consist of one or more holdings of the several classes of tenure mentioned previously, and must, of course, be of the necessary value; and, if the property is leasehold, all the covenants and conditions of the lease, including the payment of rent, must have been regularly complied with.
All applications must be accompanied by a valuation fee according to the following scale:—
| £ | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not exceeding £100 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Exceeding £100 but not exceeding £250 | 1 | 11 | 6 |
| ” £250 “ £500 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| ” £500 “ £3,500 | 2 | 12 | 6 |
Mortgages are repayable by half-yearly payments of principal and interest combined. They may also be wholly repaid at any time. Interest is charged at the rate of 5 per cent., reducible to 4 1/2 per cent., save on advances authorized for the purpose of repaying mortgages, in which case the rate is 6 per cent., reducible to 5 1/2 per cent., provided that in each case payment is made not later than fourteen days after due date and no arrears in respect of instalments or other payments under the mortgage remain outstanding.
The following tables show, taking a loan of £100 as an instance, how much of each instalment is applied to repaying the principal, and how much is in payment of interest. They show also the amount of rebate in respect of each instalment, and the balance of principal remaining due after payment of the respective instalments until the loan is entirely repaid.
| Half-year. | Half-yearly Instalment. | Apportioned thus: | 1/2 per Cent. Rebate of Interest. | Balance of Principal owing. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Account of Interest at 5 per Cent. | On Account of Principal | |||||||||||||
| Thirty-six-and-a-half-years Term. | ||||||||||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 99 | 10 | 0 |
| 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 98 | 19 | 9 |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 98 | 9 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 97 | 18 | 6 |
| 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 97 | 7 | 6 |
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 96 | 16 | 2 |
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 96 | 4 | 7 |
| 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 95 | 12 | 8 |
| 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 95 | 0 | 6 |
| 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 94 | 8 | 0 |
| 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 93 | 15 | 2 |
| 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 93 | 2 | 1 |
| 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 92 | 8 | 8 |
| 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 91 | 14 | 11 |
| 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 14 | .. | 4 | 7 | 91 | 0 | 9 |
| 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 90 | 6 | 3 |
| 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 89 | 11 | 5 |
| 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 88 | 16 | 2 |
| 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 88 | 0 | 7 |
| 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 87 | 4 | 7 |
| 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 86 | 8 | 2 |
| 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 85 | 11 | 4 |
| 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 84 | 14 | 1 |
| 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 83 | 16 | 5 |
| 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 82 | 18 | 4 |
| 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 81 | 19 | 10 |
| 27 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 81 | 0 | 10 |
| 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 80 | 1 | 4 |
| 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 79 | 1 | 4 |
| 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 78 | 0 | 10 |
| 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 76 | 19 | 10 |
| 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 75 | 18 | 4 |
| 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 74 | 16 | 4 |
| 34 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 73 | 13 | 9 |
| 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 72 | 10 | 7 |
| 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 71 | 6 | 10 |
| 37 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 70 | 2 | 6 |
| 38 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 68 | 17 | 7 |
| 39 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 67 | 12 | 0 |
| 40 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 66 | 5 | 10 |
| 41 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 64 | 19 | 0 |
| 42 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12. | 6 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 83 | 11 | 6 |
| 43 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 62 | 3 | 3 |
| 44 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 60 | 14 | 4 |
| 45 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 59 | 4 | 8 |
| 46 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 57 | 14 | 3 |
| 47 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 56 | 3 | 1 |
| 48 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 54 | 11 | 2 |
| 49 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 52 | 18 | 5 |
| 50 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 51 | 4 | 11 |
| 51 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 49 | 10 | 7 |
| 52 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 47 | 15 | 4 |
| 53 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 45 | 19 | 3 |
| 54 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 44 | 2 | 3 |
| 55 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 4 | 4 |
| 56 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 5 | 5 |
| 57 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 5 | 7 |
| 58 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 36 | 4 | 9 |
| 59 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 34 | 2 | 10 |
| 60 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 31 | 19 | 11 |
| 61 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 29 | 15 | 11 |
| 62 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 27 | 10 | 10 |
| 63 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 4 | 7 |
| 64 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 17 | 2 |
| 65 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 8 | 7 |
| 66 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 18 | 10 |
| 67 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 10 |
| 68 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 6 |
| 69 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| 70 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 71 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 8 |
| 72 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| 73 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| Thirty-years Term. | ||||||||||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | s | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 99 | 5 | 4 |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 98 | 10 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 97 | 14 | 9 |
| 4 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 96 | 18 | 11 |
| 5 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 96 | 2 | 8 |
| 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 95 | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 94 | 8 | 11 |
| 8 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 93 | 11 | 5 |
| 9 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 92 | 13 | 8 |
| 10 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 91 | 15 | 2 |
| 11 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 90 | 16 | 4 |
| 12 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 89 | 17 | 0 |
| 13 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 88 | 17 | 3 |
| 14 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 87 | 17 | 0 |
| 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 86 | 16 | 3 |
| 16 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 85 | 14 | 11 |
| 17 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 84 | 13 | 1 |
| 18 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 83 | 10 | 8 |
| 19 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 82 | 7 | 9 |
| 20 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 81 | 4 | 3 |
| 21 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 80 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 78 | 15 | 6 |
| 23 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 77 | 10 | 2 |
| 24 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 76 | 4 | 3 |
| 25 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 74 | 17 | 8 |
| 26 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 73 | 10 | 6 |
| 27 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 72 | 2 | 6 |
| 28 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 70 | 13 | 10 |
| 29 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 69 | 4 | 6 |
| 30 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 67 | 14 | 5 |
| 31 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 66 | 3 | 7 |
| 32 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 64 | 12 | 0 |
| 33 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 62 | 19 | 7 |
| 34 | 3 | 4 | 8 | l | 11 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 61 | 6 | 4 |
| 35 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 59 | 12 | 3 |
| 36 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 9 | l | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 57 | 17 | 4 |
| 37 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 58 | 1 | 7 |
| 38 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 54 | 4 | 11 |
| 39 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 52 | 7 | 4 |
| 40 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 50 | 8 | 10 |
| 41 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 48 | 9 | 4 |
| 42 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 46 | 8 | 10 |
| 43 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 44 | 7 | 4 |
| 44 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 42 | 4 | 10 |
| 45 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 1 | 3 |
| 46 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 16 | 7 |
| 47 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 35 | 10 | 9 |
| 48 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 33 | 3 | 10 |
| 49 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 15 | 9 |
| 50 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 28 | 6 | 5 |
| 51 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| 52 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 4 | 0 |
| 53 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 11 |
| 54 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 16 | 6 |
| 55 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| 56 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 6 |
| 57 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 10 |
| 58 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| 59 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 60 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | |
| Twenty-years Term. | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 98 | 10 | 4 |
| 2 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 96 | 19 | 11 |
| 3 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 95 | 8 | 9 |
| 4 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 93 | 16 | 10 |
| 5 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 92 | 4 | 1 |
| 6 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 90 | 10 | 6 |
| 7 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 88 | 16 | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | l | 15 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 87 | 0 | 10 |
| 9 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 85 | 4 | 8 |
| 10 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 83 | 7 | 7 |
| 11 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 81 | 9 | 7 |
| 12 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 79 | 10 | 8 |
| 13 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 19 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 77 | 10 | 9 |
| 14 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 75 | 9 | 10 |
| 15 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 73 | 7 | 11 |
| 16 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 71 | 4 | 11 |
| 17 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 69 | 0 | 10 |
| 18 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 66 | 15 | 8 |
| 19 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 64 | 9 | 5 |
| 20 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 62 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 59 | 13 | 5 |
| 22 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 57 | 3 | 7 |
| 23 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 54 | 12 | 6 |
| 24 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 52 | 0 | 2 |
| 25 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 49 | 6 | 6 |
| 26 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 46 | 11 | 6 |
| 27 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 43 | 15 | 1 |
| 28 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 40 | 17 | 3 |
| 29 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 18 | 0 |
| 30 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 34 | 17 | 3 |
| 31 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 31 | 15 | 0 |
| 32 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 28 | 11 | 3 |
| 33 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 5 | 10 |
| 34 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 21 | 18 | 10 |
| 35 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 10 | 2 |
| 36 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 9 |
| 37 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 7 |
| 38 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 7 |
| 39 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 9 |
| 40 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 2 | .. | .. | .. |
| Half-year. | Half-yearly Instalment. | Apportioned thus: | 1/2 per Cent. Rebate of Interest. | Balance of Principal owing. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Account of Interest at 6 per Cent. | On Account of Principal | |||||||||||||
| Thirty-years Term. | ||||||||||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 99 | 7 | 9 |
| 2 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 98 | 15 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 98 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 97 | 8 | 8 |
| 5 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 96 | 14 | 10 |
| 6 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 96 | 0 | 7 |
| 7 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 95 | 5 | 11 |
| 8 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 94 | 10 | 10 |
| 9 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 93 | 15 | 4 |
| 10 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 92 | 19 | 4 |
| 11 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 92 | 2 | 10 |
| 12 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 91 | 5 | 10 |
| 13 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 90 | 8 | 4 |
| 14 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 89 | 10 | 4 |
| 15 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 88 | 11 | 9 |
| 16 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 87 | 12 | 8 |
| 17 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 86 | 13 | 0 |
| 18 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 85 | 12 | 9 |
| 19 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 84 | 11 | 10 |
| 20 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 83 | 10 | 4 |
| 21 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 82 | 8 | 2 |
| 22 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 81 | 5 | 4 |
| 23 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 80 | 1 | 10 |
| 24 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 78 | 17 | 7 |
| 25 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 77 | 12 | 8 |
| 26 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 76 | 7 | 0 |
| 27 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 75 | 0 | 7 |
| 28 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 73 | 13 | 4 |
| 29 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 72 | 5 | 3 |
| 30 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 70 | 16 | 4 |
| 31 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 69 | 6 | 7 |
| 32 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 67 | 15 | 11 |
| 33 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 66 | 4 | 4 |
| 34 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 64 | 11 | 10 |
| 35 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 62 | 18 | 4 |
| 36 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 61 | 3 | 10 |
| 37 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 59 | 8 | 3 |
| 38 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 57 | 11 | 8 |
| 39 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 55 | 13 | 11 |
| 40 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 53 | 15 | 1 |
| 41 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 51 | 15 | 1 |
| 42 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 49 | 13 | 1 |
| 43 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 47 | 11 | .. |
| 44 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 45 | 7 | .. |
| 45 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 43 | 2 | .. |
| 46 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 40 | 16 | 3 |
| 47 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 8 | 6 |
| 48 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 35 | 19 | 3 |
| 49 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 33 | 8 | 7 |
| 50 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 16 | 5 |
| 51 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 28 | 2 | 8 |
| 52 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 7 | 3 |
| 53 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 10 | .. |
| 54 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 11 | 5 |
| 55 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 10 | 11 |
| 56 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 7 |
| 57 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 5 |
| 58 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 3 |
| 59 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 2 |
| 60 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .. | .. | .. |
| Twenty-years Term. | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 98 | 13 | 6 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 97 | 6 | 2 |
| 3 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 95 | 18 | 0 |
| 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 94 | 9 | 0 |
| 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 92 | 19 | 2 |
| 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 91 | 8 | 5 |
| 7 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 89 | 16 | 9 |
| 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 88 | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 86 | 10 | 6 |
| 10 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 84 | 15 | 10 |
| 11 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 83 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 81 | 3 | 8 |
| 13 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 79 | 5 | 8 |
| 14 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 77 | 6 | 8 |
| 15 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 75 | 6 | 6 |
| 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 73 | 5 | 2 |
| 17 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 71 | 2 | 7 |
| 18 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 68 | 18 | 9 |
| 19 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 66 | 13 | 7 |
| 20 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 64 | 7 | 1 |
| 21 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 61 | 19 | 2 |
| 22 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 59 | 9 | 10 |
| 23 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 56 | 19 | 0 |
| 24 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 54 | 6 | 8 |
| 25 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 51 | 12 | 9 |
| 26 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 48 | 17 | 3 |
| 27 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 46 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 46 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 40 | 0 | 6 |
| 30 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 18 | 0 |
| 31 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 33 | 13 | 7 |
| 32 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 7 | 3 |
| 33 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 26 | 18 | 11 |
| 34 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 23 | 8 | 7 |
| 35 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 16 | 2 |
| 36 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 7 |
| 37 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 8 |
| 38 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| 39 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 40 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .. | .. | .. |
The mortgagor may at any time repay the whole balance of principal owing with interest; to date of payment, and obtain a discharge of the mortgage on payment of the fee prescribed for such discharge.
The mortgagor may also from time to time pay, in addition to the half-yearly payment, a sum of £5 or a multiple of £5, which, at the next instalment due date, may be applied in one of the following methods, according as he directs:—
In payment of the half-yearly instalments (consisting partly of interest and partly of principal) as they fall due, until the deposit is exhausted; or,
In payment of as many future half-yearly instalments of principal (but not of interest) as it will cover, and, as far as such instalments are concerned, the corresponding interest will not be charged. On the next half-yearly date, however, the mortgagor will be required to continue his payments as before, the advance payment having the effect of reducing the period during which be would have to pay such instalments. For instance, a mortgagor has a loan of £100 for a term of 36 1/2 years. On the due date of his eighth half-yearly instalment he pays, in addition to the amount due, a sum of £5. This is applied in payment of his ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth instalments of principal—12s. 2d., 12s. 6d., 12s. 10d., 13s. 1d., 13s. 5d., 13s. 9d., 14s. 2d, making a total of £4 11s. 11d.; and the corresponding interest—£2 7s. 10d., £2 7s. 6d., £2 7s. 2d., £2 6s. 11d., £2 6s. 7d., £2 6s. 3d., £2 5s. 10d. (which has not begun to accrue)—is not charged. A balance of 8s. 1d. remains in his favour. Then on the next due date he has to make the half-yearly payment as “usual (less 8s. 1d.), but, instead of being the ninth, it counts as the sixteenth instalment, and by this means the whole loan is repaid three and a half years earlier than it otherwise would be.
On the due date of any instalment, after at least one-tenth of the loan has been repaid by means of the half-yearly instalments or of moneys repaid in advance, or both, the mortgagor (provided he is not in arrear with any instalment or other payment due under the mortgage) may, with the consent of the Superintendent, readjust the loan by treating the balance of principal then unpaid, if not less than £100, as a fresh loan duly granted on that date for a fresh term. Under this arrangement the mortgagor will be relieved of paying interest on the original amount of the loan, and will pay only on the balance of principal owing.
Following is the scale of fees payable for preparation of mortgages:—
| Mortgages under the Land Transfer Act, 1915. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Law-costs of perusing title, preparing, completing, and registering mortgage (to be deducted from the advance):— | |||
| £ | s. | d. | |
| If advance be not exceeding £250 | 0 | 7 | 6 |
| Exceeding £250 but not exceeding £500 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Exceeding £500 but not exceeding £750 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Exceeding £750 but not exceeding £1,000 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Exceeding £1,000 but not exceeding £1,500 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Exceeding £1,500 but not exceeding £2,000 | 1 | 11 | 6 |
| Exceeding £2,000 but not exceeding £3,500 | 1 | 17 | 6 |
| With cash disbursements, which are the same in every case, namely:— | |||
| Mortgage forms | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Search fee (with an additional 2s. for every certificate of title after the first) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Registration (with an additional 2s. for every certificate of title after the first) | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Mortgages under the Deeds Registration Act, 1908. | |||
| Law-costs of perusing title, preparing, completing, and registering mortgage (to be deducted from the advance):— | |||
| £ | s. | d | |
| If advance be not exceeding £150 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Exceeding £150 but not exceeding £250 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Exceeding £250 but not exceeding £500 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Exceeding £500 but not exceeding £750 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Exceeding £750 but not exceeding £1,000 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Exceeding £1,000 but not exceeding £1,500 | 2 | 13 | 0 |
| Exceeding £1,500 but not exceeding £2,000 | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| Exceeding £2,000 but not exceeding £3,500 | 4 | 13 | 0 |
| With cash disbursements:— | |||
| Mortgage form | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fee chargeable by solicitor not residing in registration centre for employing agent to register mortgage | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Fee for partial or total discharge of mortgage | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Fee for execution of consent by the Superintendent to any document | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Fee for production of title-deeds held by the Superintendent | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Advances may also be made on the security of stock and farm implements. Every advance must be secured by a mortgage of land or chattels either with or without any collateral security to be approved by the Board of the Office Not more than £500 may be advanced to any one borrower, the term of the loan not to exceed five years. The principal moneys comprised in any advance are repayable by instalments as follow:—
10 per cent. at the end of the first year.
15 “ “ second year.
20 “ “ third year.
25 “ “ fourth year.
30 “ “ fifth year.
Interest on the amount of the loan for the time being outstanding is payable at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum, reducible to 6 1/2 per cent. per annum provided that the half-yearly instalments of principal and interest are paid within fourteen days of due date.
Every application must be accompanied by a valuation fee according to the following scale:—
| £ | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| On application for loan not exceeding £250 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| On application for loan exceeding £250 but not exceeding £500 | 2 | 12 | 6 |
| The fees for searching Chattels Register-book, and of preparing, completing, and registering instrument by way of security (exclusive of cash disbursements), are— | |||
| £ | s. | d. | |
| For advance not exceeding £250 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| For advance exceeding £250 | 1 | 17 | 6 |
From the inception of the scheme of advances to settlers in 1894, the Advances Board has authorized loans aggregating £31,904,727 to 66,417 applicants, the total actual payments to 31st March, 1925, being £28,997,195, of which £15,175,789 has been repaid in respect of principal, leaving £13,821,406 still outstanding to 24,214 settlers. A table is given showing the business to date and for each of the last ten years.
| Year ended 31st March, | Loans authorized. | Amount advanced. | Amount repaid. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1916 | 2,022 | 746,630 | 814,555 | 713,177 |
| 1917 | 1,412 | 515,270 | 589,975 | 643,751 |
| 1918 | 984 | 353,465 | 367,160 | 501,009 |
| 1919 | 986 | 363,875 | 350,140 | 529,023 |
| 1920 | 2,219 | 1,031,855 | 808,180 | 1,118,486 |
| 1921 | 2,085 | 1,107,430 | 1,060,260 | 1,065,003 |
| 1922 | 1,524 | 773,375 | 805,975 | 552,269 |
| 1923 | 2,140 | 1,209,035 | 945,900 | 611,480 |
| 1924 | 6,204 | 5,416,907 | 3,904,150 | 1,009,499 |
| 1925 | 3,321 | 4,289,875 | 3,516,130 | 846,771 |
| Totals to 31st March, 1925 | 66,417 | 31,904,727 | 28,997,195 | 15,175,789 |
The effect of the State Advances Amendment Act of 1923, providing for additional borrowing of money for the purposes of advances, and widening the scheme in the direction of enabling larger amounts to be advanced in individual cases, is apparent in the figures for the last two years. The loans authorized and the amount actually advanced show substantially higher totals in each of these two years than in any previous year.
Not all the advances to settlers are made by the Advances to Settlers Branch of the State Advances Office, Part of the business shown in the foregoing table relates to the Public Debt Sinking Funds Branch and the Advances Office Sinking Fund Branch. The advances to settlers authorized by the three branches during 1924-25 are as follow:—
| Branch | Advances authorized. | |
|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | |
| £ | ||
| Advances to Settlers | 3,052 | 4,023,585 |
| Public Debt Sink Funds | 245 | 254,500 |
| Advances Office Sinking Fund | 24 | 11,790 |
| Totals | 3,321 | £4,289,875 |
The advances authorized in each provincial district during the year, and the total to 31st March, 1925, are next shown:—
| Provincial District. | Advances authorized, 1924-25. | Total Advances authorized to 31st March, 1925. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | Number. | Amount. | |
| £ | £ | |||
| Auckland | 1,621 | 2,004,995 | 23,986 | 11,694,875 |
| Taranaki | 254 | 375,340 | 6,327 | 3,466,994 |
| Hawke's Bay | 158 | 213,435 | 3,445 | 1,598,325 |
| Wellington | 405 | 544,050 | 15,144 | 7,137,603 |
| Marlborough | 82 | 107,825 | 1,570 | 785,515 |
| Nelson | 64 | 76,085 | 1,156 | 480,700 |
| Westland | 47 | 29,635 | 1,129 | 350,920 |
| Canterbury | 300 | 378,500 | 6,611 | 2,945,565 |
| Otago— | ||||
| Otago portion | 129 | 131,795 | 3,091 | 1,414,055 |
| Southland portion | 261 | 428,215 | 3,958 | 2,030,265 |
| Totals | 3,321 | 4,289,875 | 66,417 | 31,904,727 |
Dealing now only with the operations of the Advances to Settlers Branch, it is seen that during the year 1924-25 the advances authorized numbered 3,052, representing a total amount of £4,023,585. The number of borrowers and the sums actually advanced during the year, classified according to amount, were—
| Category. | Number of Advances. | Amount advanced. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Not exceeding £500 | 436 | 157,080 |
| Exceeding £500 but not exceeding £1,000 | 768 | 583,815 |
| ” £1,000 “ £2,000 | 636 | 973,695 |
| ” £2,000 “ £3,500 | 528 | 1,527,360 |
| Totals | 2,368 | £3,241,950 |
The nature of the security upon which these advances were made was as follows:—
| Security. | Number of Advances. | Amount advanced. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Freehold | 1,912 | 2,651,185 |
| Leasehold | 396 | 497,135 |
| Freehold and leasehold combined | 60 | 93,630 |
| Totals | 2,368 | £3,241,950 |
The average freehold advance made during the year was £1,387, the average leasehold advance £1,255, and the average of advances secured on both freehold and leasehold combined £1,560. Corresponding figures for the year ended the 31st March, 1923 (prior to the passing of the State Advances Amendment Act, 1923), were—Freehold, £510; leasehold, £534; and combined freehold and leasehold, £680.
The advances outstanding, classified according to amount, are as follow:—
| Category. | Number of Advances. | Amount outstanding. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | |||
| Not exceeding | £500 | 14,443 | 3,256,392 |
| Exceeding | £500 but not exceeding £1,000 | 4,375 | 3,680,788 |
| ” £1,000 “ | £2,000 | 2,333 | 3,046,592 |
| ” £2,000 “ | £3,500 | 686 | 2,032,230 |
| Totals | 21,837 | £12,016,002 |
The nature of the security for the total amount of advances outstanding on the 31st March, 1925, was—
| Security. | Number of Advances. | Amount outstanding. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Freehold | 13,817 | 8,805,629 |
| Leasehold | 7,735 | 3,003,519 |
| Freehold and leasehold combined | 285 | 206,854 |
| Totals | 21,837 | £12,016,002 |
The number and amounts of current advances on rural and on urban and suburban land are—
| Number. | Amount. | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| On rural land | 13,161 | 7,442,678 |
| On urban and suburban land | 8,676 | 4,573,324 |
| Totals | 21,837 | £12,016,002 |
The gross profits of the Settlers Branch of the State Advances Office for the year ended the 31st March, 1925, were £66,694, and the cost of management and expenses of the branch £27,151, being 0.187 per cent., or 3s. 8d. per £100 of the capital employed. Loss on the realization of securities, and the writing-down of doubtful securities and of office equipment, accounted for £11,388. The net profits amounted to £28,155, of which £5,714 was utilized towards the writing-down of loan-flotation charges, and £4,758 was paid in income-tax.
The sinking fund established under the State Advances Act, 1913, after redemption of loans totalling £46,700, amounts to £1,578,000.
The liabilities and assets of the Settlers Branch at the 31st March, 1925, were—
| Liabilities. | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday loans | 13,208,959 | 11 | 4 |
| Temporary advances from Public Debt Sinking Funds Branch | 349,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Temporary advances from Advances Office Sinking Fund Account | 219,500 | 0 | 0 |
| Temporary advances from Miscellaneous Business Branch | 39,165 | 0 | 0 |
| Held for investment on behalf of Housing Insurance Fund | 2,090 | 0 | 0 |
| Advances Suspense Account | 36,690 | 0 | 0 |
| Fire Loss Suspense Account | 7,927 | 14 | 3 |
| Suspense Account | 8,240 | 11 | 2 |
| Income-tax Suspense Account | 7,173 | 8 | 9 |
| Sundry creditors | 2,445 | 2 | 10 |
| Interest payable on loans, accrued but not due | 121,281 | 8 | 3 |
| Reserve for bad debts | 10,369 | 4 | 11 |
| Sinking Fund | 1,139,335 | 17 | 6 |
| Reserve Fund | 25,000 | 0 | 0 |
| £15,267,177 | 19 | 0 | |
| Assets. | £ | s. | d. |
| Investment Account—Principal owing by mortgagors | 12,016,001 | 14 | 6 |
| Interest overdue | 61,176 | 1 | 5 |
| Interest on mortgages, accrued but not due | 136,809 | 12 | 4 |
| Temporary advances to Local Authorities Branch | 361,500 | 0 | 0 |
| Temporary advances to Workers Branch | 655,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Temporary investments | 197,500 | 0 | 0 |
| Interest on temporary investments, accrued | 6,719 | 3 | 5 |
| Office Furniture and Equipment Account | 5,967 | 15 | 2 |
| Sundry debtors | 9,761 | 2 | 6 |
| Loan Charges Account | 108,154 | 19 | 10 |
| Realization Account | 495 | 11 | 9 |
| Sinking Funds— | |||
| Advances Office Sinking Fund Account | 1,555,086 | 17 | 4 |
| Public Debt Sinking Funds Branch | 22,914 | 2 | 1 |
| Cash in hand and in bank at 31st March, 1925 | 130,090 | 18 | 8 |
| £15,267,177 | 19 | 0 |
The system of advances to workers, instituted in 1906, is on much the same general lines as that of the advances to settlers. Advances are made on first mortgage of lands and improvements held under the various classes of tenure enumerated on page 588. The scales of charges and of payments of principal and interest, and the provisions for paying off the whole or part of the principal outstanding, apply to the workers' scheme as well as to the settlers'.
A worker is defined as a person of either sex engaged (whether as an employee or on his or her own account) in manual or clerical work who is not in receipt of an annual income exceeding £300, increased by £25 in respect of each child or other person dependent on him, and is not the owner of any land other than that offered as security.
Originally the scheme of advances to workers was confined to persons in receipt of not more than £200 per annum, and the maximum amount that could be advanced to any applicant was £450. Legislation passed in 1923, however, greatly enlarged the scope of the scheme.
Not more than £1,250 may now be granted to any one borrower; and an advance must not exceed 95 per cent. of the total value of the security in the case of freehold land, or 95 per cent. of the value of the lessee's interest in the case of leasehold land, or, where the loan is to provide for the erection of a dwellinghouse, 95 per cent. of the cost of the dwellinghouse inclusive of the cost of the land and improvements. No advance can be made to any applicants who do not take up their permanent residence on the property. Married applicants must make the declaration on the application form jointly with wife or husband, as the case may require.
Where an advance is required for the purpose of erecting a dwelling, the application form must be accompanied by evidence in the form of sale-note, receipt, agreement, or otherwise as to the purchase price of the section and tender accepted or contract entered into for the erection of the dwelling. The amount of the loan granted by the Board may be advanced in progress-payments as the erection of the building proceeds. An inspection and report must be made by an officer of the Valuation Department prior to any progress-payment being made on account of the loan, and for each such inspection a fee of 10s. 6d. must be paid by the applicant. The Department requires that not less than three inspections be made, and that the fencing be completed before all the loan is paid over.
Advances to workers authorized during 1924-25 numbered 1,873, representing a total amount of £1,362,370. The total number of loans and the aggregate amount authorized in each provincial district are as follow:—
| Provincial District. | Advances authorized, 1924-25. | Total Advances authorized to 31st March, 1925. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | Number. | Amount. | |
| £ | £ | |||
| Auckland | 813 | 615,435 | 7,562 | 3,322,545 |
| Taranaki | 47 | 35,300 | 678 | 259,740 |
| Hawke's Bay | 83 | 60,430 | 1,590 | 628,285 |
| Wellington | 351 | 258,470 | 5,971 | 2,604,540 |
| Marlborough | 16 | 11,270 | 547 | 184,135 |
| Nelson | 11 | 8,145 | 322 | 114,425 |
| Westland | 17 | 10,170 | 230 | 61,040 |
| Canterbury | 361 | 252,085 | 5,072 | 2,040,640 |
| Otago— | ||||
| Otago portion | 98 | 61,505 | 1,411 | 505,895 |
| Southland portion | 76 | 49,560 | 758 | 292,175 |
| Totals | 1,873 | 1,362,370 | 24,141 | 10,013,420 |
The total of the advances to workers up to the 31st March, 1925 (including moneys repaid and again advanced), was £8,734,510. The actual number and the aggregate amount outstanding at the same date were 13,907 and £5,758,153 respectively.
The following table gives particulars of the transactions for each of the last ten years, and the total transactions since the passing of the Government Advances to Workers Act on the 29th October, 1906:—
| Year ended 31st March, | Loans authorized. | Amount advanced. | Amount repaid. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1916 | 953 | 297,630 | 275,680 | 115,535 |
| 1917 | 658 | 210,995 | 214,965 | 127,450 |
| 1918 | 411 | 129,710 | 125,855 | 139,435 |
| 1919 | 372 | 119,555 | 87,590 | 147,91 |
| 1920 | 1,083 | 420,465 | 225,055 | 368,597 |
| 1921 | 1,556 | 718,630 | 660,790 | 388,469 |
| 1922 | 987 | 449,220 | 407,580 | 207,843 |
| 1923 | 1,748 | 871,805 | 724,830 | 234,092 |
| 1924 | 3,243 | 2,198,310 | 1,803,630 | 458,264 |
| 1925 | 1,873 | 1,362,370 | 1,351,785 | 334,830 |
| Totals, from inception to 31/3/1925 | 24,141 | 10,013,420 | 8,734,510 | 2,976,357 |
Of the advances outstanding at 31st March, 1925, 13,638 to the amount of £5,613,475 had been advanced from the Advances to Workers Account, 122 (£67,691) from the Public Debt Sinking Fund, and 147 (£76,987) from the Advances Office Sinking Fund. Dealing only with the operations of the Advances to Workers Branch the advances actually paid during the year numbered 1,663 for an aggregate of £1,346,080. The tenures upon which these loans were made were—
| Tenure. | Number of Loans. | Aggregate Amount. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Freehold | 1,541 | 1,260,659 |
| Leasehold | 122 | 85,421 |
| Totals | 1,663 | £1,346,080 |
The net amount outstanding at the end of the financial year was £5,613,475 secured upon the following tenures:—
| Tenure. | Number of Loans outstanding. | Aggregate Amount outstanding. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Freehold | 12,632 | 5,134,414 |
| Leasehold | 1,006 | 479,061 |
| Totals | 13,638 | £5,613,475 |
For the year ended 31st March, 1925, there was a loss of £4,666. The cost of management and expenses of the branch were £4,769, being 0.078 per cent., or 1s. 7d. per £100 of capital employed. The Sinking Fund, after redemption of loans totalling £187,000, amounts to £77,629.
The financial position of the Advances to Workers Branch of the State Advances Office as on the 31st March, 1925, is shown in the following statement:—
| Liabilities. | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundry loans | 5,391,691 | 17 | 1 |
| Temporary loans from Settlers Branch | 655,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Interest on loans accrued but not due | 53,165 | 16 | 2 |
| Advances Suspense Account | 67,475 | 0 | 0 |
| Fire Loss Suspense Account | 1,525 | 10 | 0 |
| Suspense Account | 87 | 17 | 4 |
| Sundry creditors | 258 | 2 | 8 |
| Staking Fund | 56,537 | 12 | 7 |
| £6,225,741 | 15 | 10 | |
| Assets. | £ | s. | d. |
| Investment Account—Principal owing by mortgagors | 5,613,475 | 2 | 4 |
| Temporary investments | 147,500 | 0 | 0 |
| Interest on temporary investments accrued | 8,085 | 13 | 3 |
| Interest on mortgages overdue | 19,219 | 7 | 3 |
| Interest on mortgages accrued | 60,617 | 3 | 9 |
| Sundry debtors | 462 | 13 | 1 |
| Loan Charges Account | 181,596 | 17 | 3 |
| Profit and Loss Account | 6,507 | 0 | 9 |
| Sinking Funds— | |||
| Advances Office Sinking Fund Account | 67,116 | 16 | 4 |
| Public Debt Sinking Funds Branch | 10,512 | 4 | 2 |
| Cash in hand and in bank at 31st March, 1925 | 110,648 | 17 | 8 |
| £6,225,741 | 15 | 10 |
The administration of the Workers' Dwellings Act, 1910, and the Housing Act, 1919, was transferred to the State Advances Department in 1923, as part of a scheme to consolidate the various systems of State advances. The purchaser of a dwelling-house pursuant to an agreement under either of the Acts mentioned may, on application in that behalf made by him on the prescribed form, agree with the Superintendent to surrender his rights under the agreement and to accept a loan under Part III of the State Advances Act, 1913. On any such surrender the Superintendent shall cancel the agreement.
In any such case the land and dwellinghouse to which the agreement relates shall cease to be subject to any restrictions under the Workers' Dwellings Act, 1910, or section 21 or section 22 of the Housing Act, 1919, and the land shall not thereafter be deemed to be set apart for the purposes of the Workers' Dwellings Act 1910, or of Part I of the Housing Act, 1919 (as the case may be).
On the cancellation of any such agreement as aforesaid the land to which the agreement relates shall be transferred or granted in fee-simple to the purchaser, subject to a mortgage to secure a loan under Part III of the State Advances Act, 1913, of such amount, not exceeding 95 per cent. of the purchase-money mentioned in the agreement, as the Board may approve.
Since the system of State advances to local authorities was initiated in 1910, loans authorized, 2,325 in number, have aggregated £6,537,194, of which £6,125,365 has been actually advanced. Repayments to the 31st March, 1925, have totalled £756,781, leaving an indebtedness of £5,368,584 in respect of principal moneys. Figures for each of the last ten years and to date are as follow:—
| Year ended 31st March, | Loans authorized. | Amount advanced. | Amount repaid. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1916 | 164 | 238,970 | 285,410 | 35,192 |
| 1917 | 103 | 127,135 | 152,310 | 38,874 |
| 1918 | 109 | 158,055 | 128,150 | 41,681 |
| 1919 | 119 | 214,300 | 130,575 | 46,615 |
| 1920 | 229 | 717,160 | 311,880 | 49,034 |
| 1921 | 194 | 689,225 | 444,825 | 53,926 |
| 1922 | 246 | 725,730 | 780,410 | 138,591 |
| 1923 | 213 | 478,035 | 711,375 | 78,694 |
| 1924 | 194 | 444,805 | 438,205 | 90,075 |
| 1925 | 127 | 227,330 | 338,805 | 93,432 |
| Totals from inception to 31/3/25 | 2,325 | 6,537,194 | 6,125,365 | 756,781 |
As in the case of advances to settlers and worker, advances to local authorities are made from three distinct sources — viz., the funds of the Advances to Local Authorities Branch of the State Advances Office, the Public Debt Sinking Funds, and the Advances Office Sinking Fund. Of the £338,805 advanced in 1924-25 as shown above, only £164,540 came from the Local Authorities Branch, the Advances Office Sinking Fund contributing £47,335, and the Public Debt Sinking Funds £126,930. Of the amount outstanding at the 31st March, 1925, the Public Debt Sinking Funds claimed £2,170,757, and the Advances Office Sinking Fund £419,068.
A statement of the liabilities and assets of the Local Authorities Branch as at the 31st March, 1925, is appended.
| Liabilities. | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundry loans | 2,775,529 | 9 | 5 |
| Loan-moneys—Unexpended balances | 3,987 | 12 | 10 |
| Temporary advances from Settlers Branch | 361,500 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspense Account | 120 | 18 | 8 |
| Interest on loan-moneys, accrued but not due | 36,385 | 16 | 7 |
| Sinking Fund | 99,531 | 9 | 1 |
| £3,277,055 | 6 | 2 | |
| Assets. | £ | s. | d. |
| Investment Account—principal owing by local bodies | 2,778,759 | 15 | 5 |
| Interest on debentures— | |||
| Overdue | 5,554 | 9 | 1 |
| Accrued but not due | 23,829 | 11 | 5 |
| Loan Charges Account | 29,669 | 14 | 5 |
| Sinking funds— | |||
| Advances Office Sinking Fund Account | 308,979 | 18 | 8 |
| Public Debt Sinking Funds Branch | 18,761 | 8 | 0 |
| Profit and Loss Account | 101,834 | 7 | 10 |
| Cash in band and in bank at 31st March, 1925 | 9,666 | 1 | 4 |
| £3,277,055 | 6 | 2 |
A net loss of £9,121 was recorded by the Local Authorities Branch for the year ended 31st March, 1925. The rate of interest payable on advances to local bodies, formerly 4 1/0 per cent., was increased to 4 1/2 per cent. in 1914, while in 1925 an alternative scale with a rate of 5 1/4 per cent. was introduced. The term is thirty-six and a half years in each case.
In terms of the Repatriation Act, 1918, provision was made for the granting of financial assistance by the State to discharged soldiers and nurses, and to the widows; and widowed mothers of discharged soldiers, for the purpose of purchasing or establishing businesses and obtaining furniture, tools, and equipment. A special report covering transactions up to the 31st December, 1922, showed that a total of 6,366 business loans had been lent on security to an aggregate amount of £1,160,536. The number of cases and the amount granted for the purchase of furniture, tools, equipment, &c., totalled 15,915 and £758,626 respectively. No loans have been authorized subsequent to that date, the sole operations of the branch being now confined to the collection of repayments. During the year 1924-25 the sum of £87,607 in respect of principal moneys was repaid. In regard to business loans, 2,148 borrowers are now indebted to the extent of £286,442, while furniture loans still unpaid at the end of the year amounted to £205,694 in respect of 8,673 borrowers. The total amount, therefore, still outstanding at the 31st March, 1925, in relation to principal moneys was £492,135.
Repatriation advances should not be confused with the system of advances to discharged soldiers to enable them to acquire farms and homes. Discharged soldiers' settlement advances are dealt with in Section XV of this book.
In the 1923 and preceding numbers of the Year-book appeared an account of the system initiated to cope with the serious shortage of houses due to war conditions. The Housing Act, 1919, provided for the erection of dwellings not only by the State, but also by local authorities, employers, associations of public servants, and public-utility societies, the State advancing the money. A synopsis of the Act, as amended in 1920, will be found in the 1923 Year-book.
The administration of the Housing Act was originally placed in the hands of a Housing Board and Housing Superintendent, but was transferred to the State Advances Department by the State Advances Amendment Act, 1922, the Housing Account being incorporated in the State Advances Account. The position of the Housing Account as at 31st March, 1925, is shown by the following balance-sheet:—
| Liabilities. | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debentures | 412,398 | 2 | 7 |
| Expended from Public Works Fund | 319,915 | 1 | 7 |
| Total loans | 732,316 | 4 | 2 |
| Less loan-money written off | 16,748 | 2 | 7 |
| Net loans | 715,568 | 1 | 7 |
| Suspense Account | 4,944 | 19 | 0 |
| Sundry creditors | 35,346 | 8 | 1 |
| Interest on loans, accrued but not due | 4,201 | 0 | 5 |
| insurance Fund | 2,090 | 0 | 0 |
| Sinking Fund | 230 | 15 | 0 |
| Reserve for losses on realization and bad debts | 9,321 | 4 | 10 |
| £771,702 | 8 | 11 | |
| Assets. | £ | s. | d. |
| Principal owing on dwellings purchased | 602,163 | 13 | 9 |
| Principal owing on sections purchased | 6,316 | 18 | 5 |
| Principal owing on advances | 573 | 12 | 3 |
| Principal owing on mortgages | 1,066 | 15 | 5 |
| Completed dwellings | 8,544 | 7 | 3 |
| Dwellings let | 29,621 | 18 | 9 |
| Freehold land | 54,315 | 1 | 8 |
| Properties acquired | 2,944 | 6 | 0 |
| Public Debt Sinking Fund | 3,585 | 14 | 10 |
| Insurance Fund investment | 2,090 | 0 | 0 |
| Sundry debtors | 193 | 9 | 5 |
| Interest on dwellings and land overdue | 5,103 | 7 | 7 |
| Interest on dwellings and land accrued | 117 | 12 | 10 |
| Rent overdue | 823 | 8 | 2 |
| Insurance premiums overdue | 426 | 13 | 9 |
| Insurance premiums paid in advance | 621 | 0 | 6 |
| Realization Account | 421 | 1 | 1 |
| Profit and Loss Account | 41,302 | 13 | 10 |
| Cash in hand and in bank at 31st March, 1925 | 11,470 | 13 | 5 |
| £771,702 | 8 | 11 |
The activities of this branch have now been almost entirely transferred to the Workers Branch. During the year ended 31st March, 1925, only one house was built, while twenty-two were disposed of. The expenditure for the year, apart from interest payments and expenses of management, was £5,238—£4,328 for the preparation of land for dwellings and £910 for the erection of dwellings.
A table published in the Financial Statement for 1925 shows the amount advanced by the State in various directions towards the erection and purchase of dwellings during the six years ended the 31st March, 1925. The figures are as follow:—
| Number of Houses. | Amount. | |
|---|---|---|
* Number of houses not known in case of advances to local authorities. | ||
| £ | ||
| State advances | 17,056 | 9,940,317 |
| Discharged soldiers (urban areas) | 11,456 | 8,345,311 |
| Discharged soldiers (farm properties) | 4,063 | 1,186,000 |
| Railways Department, for employees | 543 | 465,655 |
| Public Works Department, for employees | 247 | 227,640 |
| Local authorities | * | 634,145 |
| 33,365* | £20,799,068 | |
The figures shown for State advances cover advances not only under the Housing Act, but also under the schemes of advances to settlers and workers for the building or purchase of homes. They do not, however, cover advances to release mortgages on house property, which since October, 1922, have aggregated £7,345,295 for a total of 6,106 properties.
The Fruit-preserving Industry Act of 1913 and its amendments authorize the raising of a sum not exceeding £40,000 in any one year for the purpose of granting advances for the promotion of the fruit industry. A sum not exceeding £9,000 in any case may be advanced for establishing or extending fruit-packing sheds, cold stores for fruit, fruit-canning works, and other works, in connection with the packing, grading, or preservation of fruit. The total amount borrowed by the State for this purpose was £69,610, of which £4,500 has been paid off. The total amount owing to the State in respect of advances made under the Act was at the end of the financial year 1924-25 £49,932. The balance-sheet of the Fruit-preserving Industry Advances Account is given below:—
| Liabilities. | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debentures | 65,110 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspense Account | 402 | 13 | 0 |
| Interest on loans, accrued but not due | 1,387 | 2 | 11 |
| Rent, accrued but not due | 24 | 11 | 4 |
| Sinking fund | 45 | 9 | 8 |
| Reserves for losses on realization and lad debts | 4,845 | 13 | 10 |
| £71,815 | 10 | 9 | |
| Assets. | £ | s. | d. |
| Principal owing by mortgagors | 49,931 | 10 | 3 |
| Properties acquired | 5,212 | 8 | 6 |
| Temporary advances to Settlers Branch | 8,400 | 0 | 0 |
| Public Debt Sinking Fund | 658 | 6 | 6 |
| Interest on mortgages, overdue | 1,782 | 19 | 5 |
| Interest on mortgages, accrued | 428 | 18 | 9 |
| Sundry debtors | 110 | 15 | 2 |
| Profit and Loss Account | 5,128 | 5 | 7 |
| Cash in hand and in bank at 31st March, 1925 | 162 | 6 | 7 |
| £71,815 | 10 | 9 |
A loss of £42 was recorded for the year 1924-25, the excess of interest receipts (£3,033) over interest payments (£2,966) being more than balanced by expenses of management (£87) and expenses on the realization of assets (£22).
In order to afford-some relief in the way of providing financial assistance to the fishing industry, the Fishing Industry Promotion Act was passed in 1919. A sum of £25,000 may be annually set aside for this purpose. Advances, not to exceed £5,000 in any case, may be made to any person or persons for establishing cool-storage plants, preserving fish by canning or otherwise, purchasing and equipping fishing-boats, and otherwise in assisting generally the fishing industry. Advances are adequately secured by a first mortgage of the freehold or leasehold interest in the site of the proposed plant in the case of cool-storage sheds and fish-canning works, and in the case of fishing-boats and their equipment a first mortgage of or instrument over such boats and gear. In addition (but not in substitution) there are various other classes of security that may be accepted. Very few applications for loans under this heading have been received, the amount outstanding on account of principal owing on bills of sale being £2,635 at 31st March, 1925, to which date the amount borrowed by the Government and not paid off was only £5,215. The balance-sheet for the year ended 31st March, 1925, is as follows:—
| Liabilities. | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundry loans | 5,215 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspense Account | 36 | 1 | 0 |
| Interest on loans, accrued but not due | 77 | 11 | 11 |
| Sinking Fund | 2 | 10 | 3 |
| £5,331 | 3 | 2 | |
| Assets. | £ | s. | d. |
| Principal owing on bills of sale | 2,635 | 8 | 10 |
| Temporary advances to Settlers Branch | 2,165 | 0 | 0 |
| Public Debt Sinking Fund | 43 | 13 | 8 |
| Interest on bills of sale, overdue | 67 | 10 | 9 |
| Interest on bills of sale, accrued | 34 | 5 | 0 |
| Sundry debtors | 32 | 0 | 6 |
| Realization Account | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Profit and Loss Account | 314 | 16 | 5 |
| Cash in hand and in bank at 31st March, 1925 | 38 | 3 | 5 |
| £5,331 | 3 | 2 |
Interest moneys received during the year 1924-25 amounted to £229, while interest on loans involved an expenditure of £246, and management expenses £17, loss on the realization of securities (£185) bringing the total loss for the year to £219.
Under the Appropriation Act, 1917, section 22, authority was given for the raising of certain sums of money (not exceeding a total of £120,000) from time to time, to be utilized in the form of advances for cold-storage purposes. Section 30 of the Finance Act, 1918 (No. 2), repealed the former measure and increased the amount that could be borrowed for the purpose of providing additional cold storage in New Zealand to an aggregate sum of £270,000. The total amount raised under the authority of the above Act was £120,700, of which £45,500 has been redeemed, leaving a balance at the end of 1924-25 of £75,250. Of this sum the amount actually owing by mortgagors in respect of principal advanced was £43,743, whilst temporary advances to the Settlers Branch accounted for £28,090. The balance-sheet showing the position as at the 31st March, 1925, is given below:—
| Liabilities. | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundry loans | 75,250 | 0 | 0 |
| Interest on loans, accrued but not due | 269 | 5 | 7 |
| Sinking Fund | 75 | 15 | 8 |
| £75,595 | 1 | 3 | |
| Assets. | £ | s. | d. |
| Principal owing by mortgagors | 48,837 | 17 | 8 |
| Temporary advances to Settlers Branch | 22,850 | 0 | 0 |
| Public Debt Sinking Fund | 817 | 11 | 6 |
| Interest on mortgages | 1,479 | 2 | 1 |
| Sundry debtors | 12 | 17 | 0 |
| Realization Account | 7,720 | 15 | 2 |
| Profit and Loss Account | 8,919 | 8 | 0 |
| Cash in hand and in bank at 31st March, 1925 | 173 | 8 | 3 |
| £90,810 | 19 | 8 |
This account showed a net profit of £206 for the year ended 31st March, 1925, interest receipts amounting to £3,768, interest payments on loan-money to £3,447, and management expenses to £115.
Table of Contents
THE history of old-age pensions in New Zealand dates back to 1898, in which year was passed the original Old-age Pensions Act, which provided for a pension of £18 per annum to persons of sixty-five and over who had twenty-five years' continuous residence in the country and complied with the requirements in other respects. The law relating to old-age pensions is now contained in the Pensions Act, 1913 (a consolidation of previous enactments), as amended by the Pensions Amendment Acts of 1914, 1924, and 1926, and the Finance Acts of 1917, 1919, and 1920.
The qualifications for the old-age pension are briefly as follows:—
The applicant, if a male, must have reached the age of sixty-five, or, if a female, must have reached the age of sixty, except in cases where the applicant is the parent of two or more children under fifteen years of age for the maintenance of whom he (or she) is responsible. The pension age in such cases is sixty for men and fifty-five for women, and the pension payable may be any sum up to £13 per annum, in addition to the ordinary pension payable as set out hereunder.
The applicant must have resided continuously in New Zealand for the past twenty-five years. Continuous residence is not interrupted by absences not exceeding two years. An additional six months' period of absence is allowed for every additional year's residence in excess of the twenty-five years immediately preceding the date of application, provided that the applicant has resided in New Zealand during the twelve months immediately preceding the date of application. In the case of a seaman continuous residence is not interrupted by absences on board a ship trading to and from New Zealand, and either registered or owned in the Dominion, provided the applicant establishes the fact that his home is in New Zealand.
The applicant must not during the past twelve years have been imprisoned for four months or on four occasions for an offence punishable by twelve months' imprisonment.
The applicant must not during the past twenty-five years have been imprisoned for five years for any offence.
The applicant must not during the past twelve years have deserted his wife (or husband, as the case may be) or his children under the age of fourteen years.
The applicant must have lived a sober and reputable life during the past year.
The yearly income of the applicant, if single, must not reach £97 10s., and, if married, £143.
The net value of accumulated property, as defined by the Act, must be under £460.
The applicant must not have deprived himself or herself of property or income to qualify for a pension.
All residents of New Zealand who fulfil the necessary conditions are eligible for the old-age pension, with the exception of—
Maoris who receive votes other than pensions out of the grant appropriated by the Civil List Act, 1908.
Aliens.
Naturalized subjects who have not been naturalized one year.
Chinese or other Asiatics, whether naturalized or not, and whether British subjects by birth or not.
The term “alien” is deemed not to include a woman who ceased to be a British subject by reason of marriage with an alien who is since deceased, or from whom she is legally separated.
The original Act of 1898 provided for a pension of £18 per annum, or 6s. 11d. per week. This amount was, however, increased to £26 per annum (i.e., 10s. a week, or £2 3s. 4d. a month) by the Amendment Act of 1905. Under the Finance Act, 1917, every person in receipt of an old-age pension was paid an additional 5s. a week, or £13 per annum, by way of war bonus, and, in terms of the provisions of the Finance Act, 1920, this bonus was incorporated in the statutory pension, bringing it to 15s. a week, or £39 per annum. The Pensions Amendment Act, 1924, provided an additional 2s. 6d. per week in cases where the pensioner was without property' and had no income other than his pension, and the amendment of 1925 extended this increase to all pensioners, making the general rate £45 10s. per annum. The full pension of £45 10s is reducible by—
£1 for every complete £1 of income over £52.
£1 for every complete £10 of net accumulated property.
A further deduction of £1 for every year or part of a year by which the age of a woman pensioner is less than 65 is also made, except in cases where the pensioner is the mother of two or more children under 15 years of age who are dependent on her. The income of a married applicant for pension purposes is considered to be half of the joint incomes of husband and wife. The joint incomes of a married couple must not exceed, with pension added, the sum of £143.
Income includes free board and lodging up to £26 per annum, but does not include—
Sick allowance or funeral benefit paid by a friendly society, or benefit payable under the National Provident Fund Act, 1910.
Any money received on the sale or exchange of land or property.
Capital expended for the benefit of the applicant or the wife or husband of the applicant.
Any principal or capital sum received on the intestacy or under the will of a deceased husband or wife.
Any money received under an insurance policy on the destruction or damage by fire or otherwise of a building or other property.
Any moneys raised by public subscription for the benefit of the applicant, or of his wife (or her husband) or dependent children.
Any moneys, not exceeding £100, received by way of compensation or damages in respect of the death of any person.
The income chargeable is that received during the twelve months ending on the first day of the month immediately preceding the month in which the claim is admitted, the Magistrate dealing with the application having power to exempt personal earnings in cases where it is shown to his satisfaction that owing to loss of employment or any other cause such earnings have ceased.
Net accumulated property is the capital value (reduced by £50) of all real and personal property owned by an applicant, other than any property on which he permanently resides, or life-assurance policies and annuities, or other life interests in the capital sum of which the applicant has no interest beyond the income derived therefrom. The net accumulated property of a husband or wife for pension purposes is half of the total net accumulated properties of both.
The exemption of the value of the home in the computation of net accumulated property was the principal provision of the 1925 amendment to the Pensions Act.
The number of old-age pensions in force on the 31st March, 1925, was 22,062, an increase of 594 on the figure for the previous year. The annual liability was £850,795, being an average of £38 11s. per pension. The total payment in respect of old-age pensions during the year was £806,953. A decennial summary is—
| At 31st March. | Pensioners. | Amount paid during Year. £ |
|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 19,804 | 479,339 |
| 1917 | 19,697 | 480,230 |
| 1918 | 19,960 | 643,177 |
| 1919 | 19,872 | 743,063 |
| 1920 | 19,993 | 732,968 |
| 1921 | 19,837 | 731,343 |
| 1922 | 20,491 | 743,620 |
| 1923 | 21,181 | 755,324 |
| 1924 | 21,468 | 767,805 |
| 1925 | 22,062 | 806,953 |
The total payments to the 31st March, 1925, aggregated £11,733,833, and the total amount credited against this figure in respect of national-endowment revenue is £428,959.
The Widows' Pensions Act, 1911, came into operation on the 1st January, 1912. The scope of this Act has been widened from time to time by various amendments.
Applicants for widows' pensions must be British subjects of good character, with at least one child under fifteen, and applications require to be lodged with the local Registrar of Pensions, and to be investigated by a Magistrate, who alone has power to grant pensions. The term “widow” includes a woman whose husband is detained in a mental hospital.
The pension payable is £52 per annum to a widow with one child under fifteen years of age, with £26 per annum added for each additional child under fifteen, the maximum pension payable being £208 per annum. The term “child” includes a stepchild or a child legally adopted during the lifetime of the husband of the applicant.
The number of widows' pensions in force on the 31st March, 1925, was 3,598, covering in addition 8,038 children. The annual value of these pensions was £281,141, and the gross payments during the year were £236,378.
The figures for the last five years are as follow:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Number at End of Year. | Annual Value. £ | Annual Payments. £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 3,421 | 198,767 | 187,430 |
| 1922 | 3,343 | 207,029 | 186,457 |
| 1923 | 3,411 | 195,747 | 188,021 |
| 1924 | 3,526 | 209,739 | 202,818 |
| 1925 | 3,598 | 281,141 | 236,378 |
The average pension as at 31st March, 1925, was £78 3s. The total widows' pension payments since the inauguration of the scheme in 1912 have been £1,433,700.
The Military Pensions Act, 1912, was enacted to provide for payment of an annual pension of £36 (now £49) to veterans of the Maori War who were awarded the New Zealand War Medal for active service in that war. This Act is now embodied in the Pensions Act of 1913, which consolidated the law relating to old-age, widows', and Maori War pensions.
The qualifications of an applicant are as follows:—
He must have resided in New Zealand for the ten years immediately preceding the date of his application.
He must not have been imprisoned during the same period for any offence punishable by imprisonment for two years.
He must not during the same period have deserted or failed to provide for his wife and children.
He must be of good character and sober habits.
A person in receipt of a military pension in respect of Maori War service is not thereby debarred from applying for and receiving an old-age pension, in addition to his military pension.
The number of pensions in force on the 31st March, 1925, was 519, representing an annual value of £25,431 (£49 per pension). The payments on account of military pensions during the year aggregated £26,848. The figures for five years are—
| Year ended 31st March. | Number at End of Year. | Annual Value. £ | Annual Payments. £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 811 | 39,739 | 40,213 |
| 1922 | 740 | 36,260 | 37,737 |
| 1923 | 669 | 32,781 | 34,004 |
| 1924 | 589 | 28,861 | 30,350 |
| 1925 | 519 | 25,431 | 26,848 |
The number of pensioners of this class is rapidly decreasing, having fallen from 1,323 in 1916 to 519 in 1925, while the annual value fell during the same period from £47,628 to £25,431. The grand total paid in pensions of this class since the institution of the scheme in 1912-13 has been £490,150.
The Miner's Phthisis Act, 1915, as amended by the Finance Acts, 1919 and 1920, provides for a pension to any miner who is totally incapacitated for work owing to miner's phthisis (pneumoconiosis) contracted while working as a miner in New Zealand.
The rates of pension payable are—
To a single man or to a widower without children under fourteen years of age, £1 5s. a week.
To a married man or to a widower with children under fourteen years of age, £1 15s. a week.
The qualifications for this class of pension are—
The applicant must have been a British subject for one year.
He must have resided in New Zealand for five years immediately prior to his application.
He must have been employed as a miner in New Zealand for two years and a half.
He must not have deserted wife or children, nor have been convicted for any offence punishable by imprisonment for two years. He must be of sober habits and good moral character.
The widow of any miner who is entitled to a pension under the Act and dies of miner's phthisis is entitled to claim a pension of 17s. 6d. a week during widowhood. The reasonable cost of the burial of a miner dying of miner's phthisis is also payable.
The number of pensions in force at 31st March, 1925, was 607, representing an annual liability of £37,934, the average pension being £62 10s. Pension payments during the year totalled £38,506, bringing the aggregate from the commencement of the scheme to £218,999. Against this the amount of £33,233 has been credited in respect of gold duty.
A summary is given showing the position as at the 31st March of each year of the period 1921-25.
| Year ended 31st March. | Number. | Annual Liability. | Annual Payment. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| 1921 | 474 | 29,686 | 26,972 |
| 1922 | 506 | 31,505 | 31,212 |
| 1923 | 544 | 33,826 | 33,447 |
| 1924 | 580 | 36,634 | 36,084 |
| 1925 | 607 | 37,934 | 38,506 |
The total pensions granted since 1916 have been 1,163. Of these, 384 have been discontinued on account of death, and 172 for other causes. Of the total of 1,163, 219 were granted to unmarried miners, 441 to married miners, and 503 to widows of miners.
The War Pensions Act, 1915, as amended, provides for the payment of pensions on certain conditions—
To disabled members of the New Zealand Forces:
To dependants of disabled, deceased, or missing members of the New Zealand Forces.
“Member of the Forces” may, include—
A member of any New Zealand Expeditionary Force raised for service beyond Now Zealand in the late war:
A member of any New Zealand Naval Force raised for service beyond New Zealand in the late war:
A member of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service who, while domiciled in New Zealand, served beyond New Zealand in the late war and was in the pay of the New Zealand Government:
A member of the New Zealand Defence or Naval Forces temporarily attached to any other portion of His Majesty's Forces who served beyond New Zealand in the late war and was in receipt of pay from the Imperial Government:
Any person, not being a member of any New Zealand Expeditionary or Naval Force, who, while domiciled in New Zealand, served beyond New Zealand in the late war and was in receipt of pay from the New Zealand Government:
Any person, not being a member of any New Zealand Expeditionary Force, who was engaged on active military service in any capacity in New Zealand in connection with the late war.
A “dependant” may be wife, child, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, stepfather, stepmother, grandchild, brother, sister, or mother-in-law, and, except wife or child, must have been wholly or in part dependent upon a member of the Forces at any time during the twelve months immediately preceding the date on which the said member joined the Forces.
A “dependant” may, however, include a father or mother who was not actually dependent during the said twelve months, but is without adequate means of support.
A “child” means a person under the age of sixteen years, being a son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, or illegitimate child of a member of the Forces, or a child legally adopted by such member before he became a member of the Forces.
The death or disablement of any member of the Forces must have occurred in the course of his military service in connection with the late war, but may have taken place either in New Zealand or after departure from New Zealand.
The pension may be refused to a disabled applicant if any wilful misconduct contributed to the disablement.
The full scale of pensions was published in the 1920 issue of this book.
The gross annual value of the pensions in force at the 31st March, 1925, was £1,140,168. A summary follows:—
| Class of Pension. | Number of Pensioners. | Number of Children. | Annual Value. | Average Pension. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |||
| Soldiers (permanent) | 7,583 | .. | 367,871 | 58 |
| Soldiers (temporary) | 5,251 | .. | 309,441 | 59 |
| Dependants of disabled soldiers | 716 | 1,214 | 57,984 | 81 |
| Widows (without children) | 585 | .. | 51,327 | 88 |
| Widows (with children) | 817 | 1,307 | 127,774 | 156 |
| Other dependants of deceased soldiers— | ||||
| Parents | 5,644 | 24 | 198,798 | 35 |
| Other adult dependants | 161 | 4 | 5,746 | 36 |
| Guardians of children | 561 | 766 | 21,227 | 37 |
| Totals | 21,318 | 3,315 | 1,140,168 | 53 |
Information as to number and rate of war pensions in force at 31st March, 1925, is given in the following table:—
| Rate (nearest £1). | Soldiers (Permanent). | Soldiers- (Temporary). | Wives and Parents (on Account of Disablement). | On Account of Death. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widows (including Children's Pensions). | Parents and other Dependants. | ||||
| £ | £ | ||||
| 301-340 | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| 261-300 | 3 | 3 | .. | 3 | .. |
| 234-260 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 21 | .. |
| 201-233 | 15 | .. | 4 | 64 | .. |
| 191-200 | 2 | 5 | .. | 30 | .. |
| 181-190 | 82 | 441 | 9 | 104 | 1 |
| 171-180 | 13 | 1 | .. | 7 | .. |
| 161-170 | 53 | 83 | 2 | 69 | 1 |
| 151-160 | 21 | 67 | 32 | 150 | 4 |
| 141-150 | 23 | 57 | 3 | 18 | .. |
| 131-140 | 30 | 5 | 8 | 48 | .. |
| 121-130 | 54 | 131 | 62 | 321 | 19 |
| 111-120 | 38 | 18 | 11 | 57 | 13 |
| 101-110 | 103 | 134 | 108 | 28 | 18 |
| 91-100 | 326 | 64 | 34 | 7 | 45 |
| 81-90 | 316 | 2 | 10 | 35 | 7 |
| 71-80 | 340 | 211 | 131 | 433 | 225 |
| 61-70 | 279 | 173 | 29 | .. | 91 |
| 51-60 | 1,165 | 576 | 131 | 2 | 595 |
| 41-50 | 278 | 227 | 25 | .. | 57 |
| 31-40 | 1,356 | 736 | 36 | 2 | 1,585 |
| 21-30 | 2,149 | 1,946 | 69 | 2 | 3,614 |
| 6-20 | 907 | 368 | 9 | 1 | 91 |
| Totals | 7,583 | 5,251 | 716 | 1,402 | 6,366 |
The total payments on war pensions to the 31st March, 1925, were £11,384,479, the figures for each year being—
| Year ended 31st March. | Pension Payments. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| 1916 | 13,910 |
| 1917 | 180,389 |
| 1918 | 515,445 |
| 1919 | 1,199,755 |
| 1920 | 1,812,419 |
| 1921 | 1,886,952 |
| 1922 | 1,726,174 |
| 1923 | 1,489,392 |
| 1924 | 1,315,560 |
| 1925 | 1,244,483 |
By an amendment of the War Pensions Act, 1915, provision was made for the payment of economic pensions to soldiers or their dependants. An “economic pension” is defined under the Act as a supplementary pension granted on economic grounds, and being in addition to any pension payable as a right in respect of the death or disablement of a member of the Force.
Economic pensions consist of three classes, viz.,—
A maximum pension of £1 10s. weekly to disabled soldiers.
A maximum pension of 10s. weekly to widows of soldiers with one child, with an additional 2s. 6d. weekly for each child in excess of one.
A maximum pension of £1 weekly to widowed mothers of deceased soldiers.
In each case the income of the pensioner affects the grant. Pensions payable under Class (1) have taken the place of the previously payable supplementary grants of £1 a week under section 4 of the 1917 Act, and the 10s. a week granted under the Finance Act, 1920, and are also payable under certain conditions to soldiers whose disablement is of such a nature as to militate against their obtaining or following remunerative employment. Soldiers pensioned for minor disabilities do not receive economic pensions.
Payments in respect of economic pensions are included in the general total of war pensions above.
Section 13 of the Finance Act, 1919, provides that every person permanently resident in New Zealand who on the passing of that Act was in receipt of a pension or allowance under Part IX of the Defence Act, 1909, in respect of military service in South Africa shall be entitled to a pension under the War Pensions Act, 1915, in the same manner as if he had been a member of the Forces within the meaning of that Act. Any pension under this section shall not be of such amount that the total amount receivable (including any Imperial pension) would be more than the pension payable if he had been a member of the Forces within the War Pensions Act, 1915.
The total number of pensions in force under this heading at the 31st March, 1925, was sixty-nine, corresponding to an annual liability of £2,949. The amount actually paid out on claims during the year was £3,071.
In addition to the war pensions granted to South African veterans, old-age pensioners who served in the South African War may now receive additional old-age pension of 5s. per week in cases where total income, including pension, does not exceed £97 10s. per annum.
To relieve distress arising out of the influenza epidemic of 1918 a system of pensions was instituted. The camber of pensions in force at the 31st March, 1925, was 365, representing an annual liability of £16,226, the average pension being £44 9s. The amount paid during the financial year 1924-25 in respect of epidemic pensions was £22,881.
The number of pensions is rapidly decreasing, having fallen during the past year by 92, or since the 31at March, 1920, by 574.
Sections 14 to 18 of the Pensions Amendment Act, 1924, as amended by sections 9 and 10 of the Pensions Amendment Act, 1925, provide for the payment of a pension of £45 10s. per annum to blind people over the age of twenty. To be eligible for a pension an applicant must (1) have been born blind in New Zealand, or (2) have become blind while permanently resident in New Zealand, or (3) have been permanently resident in New Zealand for at least ten years before the passing or the Act or twenty-five years before the date of applying for the pension. Ten years' continuous residence in the Dominion is required in every case.
Similar provisions apply in regard to property and unearned income as in the case of old-age pensions. In regard to earned income, however, an additional pension equal to 25 per cent. of earnings is granted, with a proviso that total income and pension must not exceed £3 12s. 6d. per week.
The number of pensions in force at the 31st March, 1925, was 114, representing an annual liability of £4,485, or an average of £39 7s. per annum. The amount of pension-money paid under this head to the 31st March, 1925, was £1,036.
In addition to the various classes of pensions enumerated in the foregoing part of this section, the Pensions Department is charged with the payment of pensions under the Civil Service Act, 1908, and other miscellaneous pensions and annuities.
The total number and the gross annual value of pensions in force under the Civil Service Act at the 31st March, 1925, were 67 and £17,776 respectively. The total payments during the year amounted to £19,115. There were at the same date 102 other pensions and annuities of various forms, of a total annual value of £10,380, the amount actually paid out during the year being £9,327.
A summary showing the total amount of pensions administered by the Pensions Department during the two years ended 31st March. 1924 and 1925. follows:—
| Class of Pension. | Annual Value. | Gross Payments. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923-24. | 1924-25. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| War | 1,213,126 | 1,140,168 | 1,315,560 | 1,244,483 |
| Old-age | 780,664 | 850,795 | 767,805 | 806,953 |
| Widows' | 209,739 | 281,141 | 202,818 | 236,378 |
| Maori War | 28,861 | 25,431 | 30,350 | 26,848 |
| Miners' | 36,634 | 37,934 | 36,084 | 38,506 |
| Epidemic | 25,886 | 16,226 | 32,702 | 22,881 |
| Blind | .. | 4,485 | .. | 1,036 |
| Boer War | 3,100 | 2,949 | 3,146 | 3,071 |
| Civil Service Act | 19,702 | 17,776 | 21,145 | 19,115 |
| Other pensions and annuities | 7,891 | 10,380 | 8,033 | 9,327 |
| Totals | 2,325,603 | 2,387,285 | 2,417,643 | 2,408,598 |
The question of providing pensions for the public and semi-public servants of the Dominion on their retirement has received a good deal of attention in recent years. The schemes now in force embrace the State Railways, Public Service (including Police), Teachers, and Stipendiary Magistrates, while the various local bodies are empowered to establish schemes under the Local Authorities Superannuation Act, 1908.
The Public Service Superannuation Act, 1907, now embodied in the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act, 1908, which with its amendments includes all branches of the Public Service except the Railways Department and so much of the Education Department as is included in Part IX of the Education Act, 1903 (mainly Inspectors and teachers of public schools), came into force on the 1st January, 1908. The scheme, although optional on the part of public servants permanently employed at that date, is compulsory on all parsons appointed thereafter.
The Police Provident Fund, which was established on the 1st December, 1899, under the Police Provident Act, 1899, was merged in the Public Service Superannuation Fund on the 1st April, 1910.
The fund is administered by a Board consisting of eleven members, comprising a Minister of the Crown, four permanent heads of Departments, and six members elected by contributors—two by those in the Post and Telegraph Department, one by those in the Police Force, and three by those in other Departments. Elected members hold office for three years, with the right of offering themselves for re-election.
The fund consists of contributions from contributors, interest on investments, Government subsidy, fines imposed on public servants, and proceeds of sales of lost property.
The contributors to the fund are of two classes—"original” and “new.” In the first class are those who, on the initiation of the fund, were allowed the option of joining the fund, of effecting life insurance, or of paying 5 per cent. of their salaries into the Public Trust Office Common Fund for their future benefit; whilst in the second class are the compulsory contributors—i.e., all officers who have been permanently appointed since the Act came into force. The latter class includes temporary employees made permanent by reason of five years' continuous service, which service must, however, have commenced on or prior to the 25th November, 1907, that being the date of the passing of the original Act.
The contributions vary with the age on joining the fund: For ages under thirty they are 5 per cent. of the salary; ages thirty and under thirty-five, 6 per cent.; thirty-five and under forty, 7 per cent.; forty and under forty- five, 8 per cent.; forty-five and under fifty, 9 per cent.; fifty and over, 10 per cent.
The principal benefits are—
A pension for every year of service equal to one-sixtieth of the average annual salary for the last three years, payable (a) after forty years' service, or (b) at age sixty-five, or (c) on retirement owing to ill health. The maximum pension is not to exceed two-thirds of the salary, or, in the case of entrants after the 24th December, 1909, £300 per annum.
A pension of £31 per annum to the widow of a contributor or pensioner during widowhood, and £26 per annum for each child under the age of fourteen.
Females may retire after thirty years' service or at the age of fifty-five, while the retiring-age may be reduced in certain cases for both males and females. Special pensions may be given in the case of members of the Police Force for injuries received on duty.
On the 31st March, 1925, there wore 15,782 contributors paying £230,603 per annum into the fund. The pensioners at the same date numbered 2,446, and were entitled to £264,146 per annum, made up as follows:—
| Number. | Pension. | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Retired for age or length of service | 1,253 | 234,648 |
| Retired for ill health | 155 | 12,472 |
| Police injured on duty | 7 | 853 |
| Widows | 554 | 9,972 |
| Children | 477 | 6,201 |
| 2,446 | £264,146 |
The following table contains particulars of the public servants who were contributing to the fund at the 31st March. 1925, grouped according to their respective rates of contribution:—
| Rate per Cent. of Contribution. | Number. | Annual Salary. | Annual Contribution. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male. | Female. | Total. | |||
| £ | £ | ||||
| 5 | 9,921 | 1,758 | 11,679 | 2,744,660 | 137,233 |
| 6 | 1,588 | 167 | 1,755 | 559,654 | 33,579 |
| 7 | 1,098 | 123 | 1,221 | 401,121 | 28,078 |
| 8 | 638 | 81 | 719 | 236,115 | 18,889 |
| 9 | 300 | 26 | 326 | 110,956 | 9,986 |
| 10 | 77 | 5 | 82 | 28,375 | 2,838 |
| Totals | 13,622 | 2,160 | 15,782 | 4,080,881 | 230,603 |
Accumulated funds at the 31st March, 1925, amounted to £2,211,155, of which £2,208,097 was invested—£1,814,160 in mortgage securities, and £393,937 in New Zealand Government securities.
The classes of security in which the moneys of the fund may be invested are—
Securities of the New Zealand Government.
Debentures issued by a local authority and secured upon general or special rates, or partly by rates and partly in some other manner.
Advances by way of first mortgage on the security of any real estate held in fee-simple in New Zealand, to an amount not exceeding three-fifths of the estimated value of such estate, according to a valuation approved by the Board.
Deposits in any bank of issue in New Zealand, or in the Post Office Savings-bank.
Any other securities that may from time to time be authorized by the Governor-General in Council on the recommendation of the Board.
The report of the Superannuation Board for the twelve months ended 31st March, 1925, shows that officers who retired during the period, and who possessed compensation rights under the Civil Service Act, 1866, would have been entitled to receive the sum of £12,145, the amount of compensation accrued to the date when they joined the Superannuation Fund, had they not become participants in the benefits of the fund. The total amount of such compensation for which the fund became liable since the initiation of the scheme is £513,972. To this amount must be added accretions to the date of retirement, approximately £129,000, for which the Consolidated Fund would otherwise have been liable, and the whole may be fairly set against the total subsidies paid to the fund, amounting to £1,118,500.
An examination of the Public Service Superannuation Fund is made once in every three years by an Actuary appointed for the purpose by the Governor-General. The actuarial examination was made as at the 31st December in each third year up to and including 1919, but by section 53 of the Finance Act, 1922, the examination which would otherwise have been due at the 31st December, 1922, was postponed to the 31st March, 1924, future examinations to be made as at the 31st March in each third year from 1927 onwards.
The Actuary's report must show the state of the fund at the close of the triennium, having regard to the prospective liabilities and assets, and the probable annual sums required by the fund to provide the retiring and other allowances falling due within the ensuing three years, without affecting or having recourse to the actuarial reserve appertaining to the contributors' contributions — in other words, without trenching on the moneys paid by existing contributors to be invested for the purpose of providing their allowances when they retire.
When an original contributor retires on superannuation his retiring-allowance may be divided—although in practice it is not so divided—into two parts: i.e., that part which relates to his service prior to joining the fund and for which he was not required to contribute, and that part subsequent to joining the fund and for which he did contribute. It is mainly in respect of the first part, together with the supplementary benefits to widows and children, that a subsidy is required from the State.
The Government subsidy to the fund was originally £20,000 per annum, rising in 1910 to £22,500, and in the next two years to £23,000. In 1913 it was increased to £48,000, in 1919 to £86,000, and in 1923 to £136,000. The actuarial report for the triennium 1917-19 shows that on the basis of valuation adopted the subsidies paid for 1911 and 1912 were too low by £25,000 per annum; for the three years 1914-16, too low by £18,000 per annum; and for 1917 and 1918, too low by £38,000 per annum; making a total shortage to 1919 of £180,000, or, with accumulations at 4 per cent. to 1922, £237,264. The valuation of the fund as at the 31st December. 1919, gave the following results:—
| £ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Present value of the liability for benefits | 7,486,981 | |
| Present value of contributions receivable from members | £2,055,794 | .. |
| Funds in hand. | 1,288,198 | .. |
| 3,343,992 | ||
| Present value of total liability of State | 4,142,989 | |
| Less present value of existing subsidy of £86,000 | 2,150,000 | |
| Value of future subsidies to be provided for by the State over and above present subsidy of £86,000 | £1,992,989 | |
The actuarial report estimated that, apart from making provision for the shortages of past years, an additional £24,000 should be paid by way of subsidy for each of the three years 1920-22. Extraordinary retirements in 1922 were estimated to require a further £15,000 in that year, or £5,000 per annum, and it was pointed out that at least £10,000 per annum should be added to the subsidy to meet the deficiency in past subsidy payments.
It should be pointed out that, while the rates of interest earned by the fund were £5 3s. 3d. per cent. in 1917, £5 4s. 1d. per cent. in 1918, and £5 5s. 10d. per cent. in 1919, the valuation of the fund was made on the basis of interest at 4 per cent., it not being considered prudent to anticipate a higher rate for the long, covered by a pension fund. The rate of interest earned in 1924-25 was £5 18s. 7d. per cent.
The total revenue of the fund for the year ended 31st March, 1925, was £490,574, including members' contributions £231,627, interest on investments £122,510, and Government subsidy £136,000, the last-mentioned including a special payment of £50,000 towards meeting the shortage disclosed by the actuarial report. A similar additional payment was made in 1923-24. The total amount expended during the year was £318,462, comprising retiring and other allowances £260,708, refunds of contributions £50,354, transfers to other funds £272, and cost of administration £7,128.
Since the passing of the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amendment Act, 1908, the benefits of the Teachers' Superannuation Fund have been brought into line with those of the Public Service Superannuation Fund. Existing contributors had, however, the right of electing to remain subject to the provisions formerly in force.
There are a few slight differences between the Public Service and the Teachers' Funds, the chief being that (1) the service of the teachers need not be continuous; (2) no pensions are payable on retirement for ill health unless the service exceeds fifteen years; and (3) in the case of reduction of status owing to age or infirmity there is no provision for the pension to be computed on the higher salary as in the Public Service Fund.
Under the provisions of section 54 of the Finance Act, 1922, the financial year now closes on the 31st January instead of on the 31st December as formerly.
The total amount standing to the credit of the fund at the 31st January, 1925, was £942,755, an increase of £84,093 during the year. The revenue for the year was £232,714, including members' contributions £111,025, interest £53,689, and Government subsidy £68,000. The total amount of Government subsidy paid into the fund to the 31st January, 1925, is £467,416. The expenditure of the fund for the year ended 31st January, 1925, was £148,621, of which retiring-allowances represented £126,232, and refund of contributions £19,462.
On the 31st January, 1925, there were 7,443 contributors, the annual contributions amounting to £111,025.
The retiring and other allowances were 1,153, representing a charge of £132,687 per annum, made up of—
| Number. | Amount of Pension. | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Retired for age or length of service | 774 | 114,651 |
| Retired for ill health | 119 | 13,818 |
| Widows | 165 | 2,983 |
| Children | 95 | 1,235 |
| 1,153 | £132,687 |
The Government Railways Superannuation Fund was established on the 1st January, 1903, by the Government Railways Superannuation Fund Act, 1902, now embodied in the Government Railways Act, 1908.
The pension is here also one-sixtieth of the annual rate of pay for every year of service, but the retiring-age is sixty for both males and females, instead of ages sixty-five and fifty-five respectively as in the Public Service. The only other differences of importance are that the annual allowances to widows and children are paid only on the death of contributors before retiring on a pension, and that the pension is computed on the last salary, except where the contributor has served in a lower grade within the previous live years, in which case the average for seven years is taken.
The total amount standing to the credit of the Government Railways Superannuation Fund at the close of the financial year ended 31st March, 1925, was £734,112, an increase of £62,285 on the balance to the credit of the fund for the previous year.
Prior to the 1st April, 1924, the moneys belonging to the fund formed part of the Common Fund of the Public Trust Office, and bore interest at the rate of 5 per cent. on the daily credit balance. From the date mentioned, however, they have been separately invested by the Public Trustee. At the 31st March, 1925, £363,581 was invested in mortgages, £195,515 in local bodies' debentures, and £93,000 in Government securities. The average rate of interest earned during the year was 5.59 per cent.
The revenue for the year totalled £287,144, including members' contributions £144,767, interest £36,941, Government subsidy £105,000, fines and donations £436. The expenditure during the year amounted to £224,859, of which retiring-allowances represented £181,604, allowances to widows and children £14,487, and refunds of contributions £26,473.
At the 31st March, 1925, the liability of the fund to contributors in respect of amounts paid by them was £1,060,205. There were 2,275 persons on the fund at the 31st March, 1925, involving an annual liability of £205,579.
Section 39 of the Finance Act, 1924, made special provision for retiring-allowances in the case of Stipendiary Magistrates, who (with the exception of those in office at the 6th November, 1924, who elected within two months to remain contributors to the Public Service Fund) were removed from the operation of Part II of the Public Service Classification and Superannuation Act, 1908.
The scheme for Magistrates provides for the same rates of contribution as under the Public Service scheme, but gives an annual retiring-allowance for each year of service (whether continuous or not) equal to one-fortieth of the annual salary receivable at the date of retirement, with, however, a limit of twenty-five fortieths. The retiring-age is also increased to sixty-eight, instead of sixty-five.
Contributions are payable into the Consolidated Fund, to which also contributions previously made to the Public Service Fund by those transferred to the special scheme became transferable on the passing of the Act. Retiring-allowances or refunds of contributions are payable from the Consolidated Fund.
The Local Authorities Superannuation Act, 1908, winch came into force on the 10th October, 1908, applies to Borough Councils, County Councils, Town Boards, Road Boards, Harbour Boards, tramway companies, or any body possessing rating-powers over any district.
Statistical information as to the various funds which have been initiated tinder the authority of thin statute is not available.
The National Provident Fund was established by Act in 1910, and came into operation on the 1st March, 1911. The fund is administered by a Board composed of the Minister of Finance as Chairman and four members appointed by the Governor-General, one of whom is the Superintendent of the fund.
The system is open to any person between the ages of sixteen and fifty years residing in New Zealand whose average income during the three years prior to joining has not exceeded £300 per annum. There is no medical examination on entry, and the method of joining is extremely simple, the applicant having merely to fill in a form at a postal money-order office or local office of the fund, and pay a first weekly contribution.
The following benefits are payable:—
After contributing for twelve months, a payment not exceeding £6 for medical attendance and nursing on the birth of a contributor's child or children.
After contributing for five years, an allowance, after three months' incapacity to work, of 7s. 6d. per week for each child of a contributor under fourteen years of age; payable independent of any allowances due from friendly societies. No contributions payable while in receipt of incapacity allowance.
After contributing for five years, an allowance, on the death of a contributor, of 7s. 6d. per week for each, child under fourteen years of age, and 7s. 6d. for the widow so long as any child is under fourteen years of age.
On reaching age sixty, a pension of 10s., 20s., 30s., or 40s. per week, according to the scale of contributions. The receipt of a pension under the National Provident Fund Act does not affect a person's claim to the old-age pension under the Pensions Act.
The maternity allowance is payable only if the combined income of a contributor and wife or husband does not exceed £300 per annum at the time of claim, but this limitation does not debar from the other benefits. The incapacity allowance is not to exceed the pecuniary loss which, in the opinion of the Board, the contributor has probably suffered during incapacity, and the income of a contributor during incapacity, independent of the fund, is not to exceed the rate of £4 per week.
The contributions for each 10s. of weekly pension range from 9d. per week in the case of persons joining at age sixteen to 9s. 4d. per week for persons joining at age fifty.
In the event of a contributor leaving the fund or dying, all contributions (less any benefits received) are returnable. If a contributor dies before the first five years are completed his representatives receive the contributions he has paid, less anything he received during lifetime. Should he die after age sixty, before receiving in benefits a sum equal to the contributions paid in during his lifetime, the difference is returnable to his representatives; and, further, if the allowances paid for widow and children do not exhaust the contributions his representatives are entitled to the residue. If a contributor dies before sixty, leaving a widow and no children, all the contributions are returnable, less benefits paid out.
The benefits under the Act are guaranteed by the State, which subsidizes the contributions to the extent of one-fourth of the amount paid into the fund.
An important extension of the fund was authorized by the amending Act of 1914 whereby the employees of local authorities, &c., could be enrolled in the fund for superannuation purposes.
A further amendment was incorporated in the Finance Act, 1916, whereby members of approved friendly societies were granted maternity allowances and offered annuities on reduced terms and under special tables.
The National Provident Fund Amendment Act, 1925, makes provision for the payment out of the National Provident Fund of retiring-allowances to nurses and other members of the permanent staffs of Hospital Boards. The Act imposes on Hospital Boards the obligation to contribute to the Fund on behalf of their permanent officers; and thus places Hospital Boards in a different category to other local bodies, who under the Amendment Act of 1914 are empowered, but not obliged, to become contributors.
Since the inauguration of the fund in 1911, 49,025 persons (44,519 males and 4,506 females) have entered, and of these 24,794 (males 21,639, females 3,155) have discontinued for one reason or another, leaving 24,231 (males 22,880, females 1,351) on the books at the 31st December, 1924. Of 3,187 discontinuances in 1924, only 59 were on account of death and 23 on account of having attained the pension-age.
The numbers of contributors for the various pension rates as at 31st December, 1924, were as follow, male and female contributors being shown separately:—
| Pension Rate. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10s. | 17,096 | 847 | 17,943 |
| 20s. | 2,902 | 286 | 3,188 |
| 30s. | 255 | 33 | 288 |
| 40s. | 359 | 44 | 403 |
| Other | 2,268 | 141 | 2,409 |
| Totals | 22,880 | 1,351 | 24,231 |
During the year 1924 maternity allowances aggregating £40,292 were paid out, including £32,966 claimed for members of approved friendly societies. In addition, £6,365 was granted by way of allowances to widows and children, £2,600 by way of refund of contributions on account of death, £9,782 on retirement, and £2,515 in respect of incapacity.
The growth of the National Provident Fund scheme during the fourteen years it has been in existence is indicated in the following table:—
| At End of | Number of Contributors. | Annual Rate of Contribution payable. | Amount of Fund. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| 1911 | 550 | 3,172 | 1,826 |
| 1912 | 2,660 | 11,727 | 10,038 |
| 1913 | 5,791 | 22,719 | 29,327 |
| 1914 | 6,858 | 26,520 | 53,718 |
| 1915 | 8,101 | 31,875 | 83,000 |
| 1916 | 9,847 | 38,664 | 122,361 |
| 1917 | 12,124 | 56,707 | 176,210 |
| 1918 | 13,410 | 69,486 | 246,901 |
| 1919 | 16,154 | 91,450 | 338,729 |
| 1920 | 19,724 | 129,003 | 473,361 |
| 1921 | 21,713 | 142,269 | 632,525 |
| 1922 | 22,118 | 144,971 | 793,144 |
| 1923 | 23,230 | 158,456 | 969,946 |
| 1924 | 24,231 | 163,181 | 1,165,284 |
The Revenue Account of the fund for the year ended the 31st December, 1924, is as follows:—
| Revenue. | £ |
|---|---|
| Amount of fund at beginning of year | 969,946 |
| Contributions | 150,972 |
| Interest | 60,687 |
| Fines | 816 |
| Government contribution under Act | 38,421 |
| Refund of maternity claims by the State | 40,292 |
| Benefits refunded | 2,859 |
| Contributions overpaid | 25 |
| Miscellaneous receipts | 1 |
| £1,264,019 | |
| Expenditure. | £ |
| Maternity claims (section 18) | ,326 |
| Maternity claims (approved friendly societies) | 32,966 |
| Refund of contributions on lapse, reduction, and withdrawal | 37,156 |
| Incapacity allowances | 2,515 |
| Refund of contributions on death | 2,600 |
| Allowances to widows and children | 6,365 |
| Allowances on retirement | 9,782 |
| Refund of overpaid contributions | 25 |
| Amount of fund at end of year | 1,165,284 |
| £1,264,019 |
The balance-sheet of the fund as at the end of the year 1924 is also given.
| Liabilities. | £ |
|---|---|
* Included In Revenue Account. | |
| Fund as per Revenue Account | 1,165,284 |
| Claims due and in course of payment* | 6,412 |
| Refunds in suspense | 24,555 |
| Deposits on incomplete applications | 2 |
| Suspense Account | 73 |
| One-half contributions of soldiers overpaid by State | 47 |
| Contributions prepaid | 4,830 |
| Investment fluctuation reserve | 14,697 |
| £1,215,900 | |
| Assets. | £ |
| In hands of Public Trustee— | |
| Invested | 1,098,817 |
| Uninvested | 18,873 |
| Mortgage security acquired | 7,000 |
| Balance with Post Office | 4,420 |
| Balances in transit | 6,557 |
| Contributions outstanding or in course of transmission*— | |
| Contributions due but not overdue | 10,924 |
| Contributions overdue | 3,307 |
| Government subsidy due under Act* | 38,421 |
| Refund due in respect of maternity claims* | 5,746 |
| Fines, due | 413 |
| Interest due | 5,191 |
| Interest accrued but not due* | 16,231 |
| £1,215,900 | |
The third actuarial investigation of the National Provident Fund was made as at 31st December, 1919, when the valuation balance-sheet disclosed the following position:—
| Liabilities. | ||
|---|---|---|
| MAIN FUND AND APPROVED-FRIENDLY-SOCIETIES SECTION. | ||
| £ | £ | |
| Value of allowances already granted to widows and children | 14,698 | .. |
| Value of deferred pensions to survivors of existing contributors | 648,471 | .. |
| Value of return of contributions (less benefits) on death or withdrawal, in respect of past and future contributions | 208,648 | .. |
| Value of allowance benefits (widows', children's, and incapacity), immediate to 4,672 members, and vesting five years after entry in the case of 10,220 members | 207,077 | .. |
| Value of return of balance of contributions where allowances or pensions fall short of the total contributions paid, and of sundry minor benefits | 3,850 | 1,082,744 |
| LOCAL-AUTHORITIES SECTION. | £ | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Value of allowances already granted | 14,903 | |
| Value of prospective pensions in respect of past and future service | 420,176 | |
| Value of prospective pensions to widows and children | 55,431 | |
| Value of return of contributions on death or withdrawal | 22,762 | |
| Value of return of balance of contributions where allowances or pensions fall short of the total contributions paid, and of sundry minor benefits | 10,475 | 523,747 |
| £1,606,491 | ||
| Assets. | £ | £ |
| Accumulated funds | £ 338,729 | |
| Value of future contributions | 1,013,439 | |
| Value of future State subsidies (assumed to be received a year later than contributions) | 248,389 | |
| Balance (deficiency) | 5,934 | |
| £1,606,491 |
The assets and liabilities are seen to be virtually equal, the debit balance, however, having increased from £234 at the first triennial investigation (as at 31st December, 1913) to £5,934 The amounts required to provide maternity allowances are voted by Parliament annually, and these allowances are accordingly regarded as being outside the actuarial aspects of the scheme.
Table of Contents
IN the 1925 number of the Year-book a special article was included covering the history and extent of local government in New Zealand. The present section contains information concerning the various classes of local authorities now in existence, setting out their natures, activities, powers, and duties. The latter portion of the section is devoted to a résumé of the finances of local authorities.
Boroughs are constituted under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1920. The Governor-General may, on the petition of not less than one-fifth of the residents qualified to vote, proclaim as a borough any part of the Dominion comprising in a continuous area not more than nine square miles, having no points distant more than six miles from each other, and having a population of not less than 1,000. The petition is referred to a Commission consisting of a Magistrate, the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the district, and the District Officer of the Valuation Department. If after due inquiry the Commission presents a report favourable to the proposal a poll is taken, and if this results in the proposal being carried the area is then constituted a borough. A borough containing a population of 20,000 or upwards may be proclaimed a city by the Governor-General, although the Corporation remains unaltered. Contiguous boroughs may be united, or adjacent town districts or road districts may be added to a borough, notwithstanding that the united borough may exceed the area or distance between points above mentioned. Any portion of a borough may be merged in another district. For purposes of representation and rating a borough may be divided into wards not exceeding five in number and each containing a population of not less than 1,000.
Any person of twenty-one years and over who possesses any one of the following qualifications is entitled to be enrolled on the district electors roll:—
Freehold qualification—meaning thereby the possessor of a freehold estate in land of the capital value of not less than £25, situated in the borough, notwithstanding that any other person is the occupier thereof.
Rating qualification—may be held by any person whose name appears as the occupier of any rateable property within the borough.
Residential qualification—twelve months' residence in New Zealand, and residence during the last three months in the borough to which the roll relates.
Occupiers qualification—a person is deemed to hold such a qualification if he is, and for at least three months last past has been, in occupation as a tenant of a tenement in the borough the rental of which is not less than £10 per annum, or as a subtenant or joint tenant of such a tenement the rental of which is at least £10 per annum for each of the several subtenants or joint tenants.
The affairs of a borough are administered by a Mayor and Council, which, where the population does not exceed 30,000, may consist of not fewer than six nor more than twelve Councillors; where the population exceeds 30,000 the number of Councillors may be not less than twelve nor more than twenty-one. The election of both Mayor and Councillors is biennial.
Generally any person whose name appears on the district roll may be elected to the office of Mayor or Councillor. The following persons, however, are incapable of being so elected:—
Any person who is not an elector.
Any person disqualified from holding the office of Mayor or Councillor under any Act.
An alien.
A person of unsound mind. An undischarged bankrupt.
A person convicted of any offence for which he has not either served his sentence or received a free pardon.
Any person holding any office or place of profit, other than that of Mayor or Deputy Mayor, under or in the gift of the Council.
Any person who is concerned or interested (otherwise than as a member of an incorporated company in which there are more than twenty members and of which he is neither a director nor the general manager) in any contract made by the Council where the sum involved exceeds £5 in the case of a single contract, or £10 altogether in any financial year in the case of two or more contracts. Any interest in any lease granted or loan raised by the Council, however, does not constitute a disqualification.
The Counties Act, 1920, is the principal Act relative to this class of local body. No new county may be constituted otherwise than by the union of two or more counties, except by a special Act of Parliament. Counties are divided into ridings not exceeding twelve in number, which include road districts, town districts (dependent), and outlying districts. The affairs of a county are administered by a County Council consisting of not fewer than six nor more than twelve members, there being at least one Councillor for each riding. The Council is elected triennially by the ratepayers the value of rateable property determining the number of votes to which an elector is entitled. Where the value of the property does not exceed £1,000, one vote is allowed; over £1,000 but not more than £2,000, two votes; exceeding £2,000, three votes.
The qualifications and disqualifications for office are practically the same as for boroughs.
Under the Town Boards Act, 1908, a town district may be constituted by the Governor-General on the petition of not less than two-thirds of the resident householders in any locality outside a borough, not exceeding two square miles in area, in which no two points are more than four miles distant, and in which there are not less than fifty resident householders. On such a petition the Governor-General may, if he thinks fit, set up a Commission to inquire as to the suitability of the proposed area for municipal control.
Town districts are of two classes> dependent and independent. A dependent town district form part of the county in which it is situated, and is subject to the control of the County Council. Such control, however, is practically confined to the main roads and county roads therein, and the Council's power of rating as regards general rates is limited to 1 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value. An independent town district is entirely free of county control and operates as a separate entity. The franchise is the same as for boroughs, although for county electoral purposes in the case of dependent districts it is that of the county—namely, a ratepaying one.
The affairs of a town district are conducted by a Town Board consisting of from five to seven members, who are elected biennially. The qualifications and disqualifications for office are the same, mutatis mutandis, as for boroughs.
Road districts are constituted under the Road Boards Act, 1908. The Council of any county has power by special order to constitute a new district from parts of existing districts situated in the county and forming a continuous area. A petition must be presented to the Council, signed by two-thirds of the ratepayers of the area concerned, and setting forth the boundaries of the proposed new district. The petition must be publicly notified not less than one month before presentation to the Council. The affairs of a road district are managed by a Board consisting of not fewer than four nor more than nine members elected triennially by the ratepayers of the district. The franchise and the qualifications and disqualifications for office are the same as for counties.
River districts are constituted under the River Boards Act, 1908. On the petition of a majority of the ratepayers of any part of New Zealand which is bounded or intersected by any river or rivers likely to cause damage by overflow the Governor-General may proclaim such part to be a river district. The petition must describe the boundaries and areas of the proposed district, and must be publicly notified not less than one month before presentation.
The business of a river district is managed by a River Board consisting of not fewer than five nor more than nine members elected triennially. The qualifications and disqualifications for office, as well as the franchise, are the same as for counties.
On the petition of a majority of the ratepayers in any part of the Dominion the Governor-General may constitute that part to be a land-drainage district. No borough or part of any borough shall be included in any such district. On a similar petition any district may be abolished, or any area may be added to or excluded from the district.
The management of a land-drainage district is conducted by a Board of Trustees consisting of not fewer than five nor more than seven members elected in the same manner and for the same term as members of a County Council. The qualifications and disqualifications for office are the same as for counties.
In addition to the carrying-out of drainage-works by a Drainage Board, the Counties Act, 1920, provides that a County Council may declare by special order the whole of the county or portion thereof to be a district for the purpose of the construction of drainage-works therein. The boundaries of such district may be altered by any subsequent special order. The above special orders may be made only on presentation of a petition signed by not less than two-thirds of the ratepayers within the proposed district.
In any such district the Council may purchase or make, and maintain or enlarge, and from time to time alter, extend, or repair, any drainage-works.
WATER-SUPPLY DISTRICTS.
Under the Water-supply Act, 1908, the Council of any county may by special order declare the whole county or any part thereof to be a water-race district. Before making such an order the Council shall cause a plan of the proposed district to be deposited in its office for inspection by the general public, at least fourteen days before the adoption of the resolution to make the special order. No town district shall be included unless on a separate petition signed by at least one-half of the ratepayers representing rateable property of the town district.
Where the Counties Act is not in force the Governor-General may by Proclamation on receipt of a resolution passed by any two or more Road Boards representing adjoining districts, declare the whole or any part of such road districts to be a water-supply district.
The affairs of a water-supply district are administered by a Water-supply Board consisting of not less than five nor more than nine members, of whom at least one and not more than three shall be elected by each component road district.
The qualifications and disqualifications for office are the same as for counties, and the term of office is for three years.
These districts are constituted by special Act of Parliament. Each district is defined by its enactment, and consists of a number of adjoining local authorities with a large city as the centre.
A Drainage Board administers the affairs of each district, and is elected by the electors of the component districts.
Tramway districts, which consist of a number of adjoining local districts, are also constituted by special enactment.
The management of affairs is entrusted to a Tramway Board consisting of nine members elected triennially on a franchise similar to that of boroughs. The qualifications and disqualifications for office are also the same as for boroughs.
On the petition of not less than one-fourth of the ratepayers of any continuous-area, the Governor-General may, if he thinks fit, proclaim a railway district. The petition must describe the boundaries of the proposed district, and be publicly notified, not less than one month before presentation, in a newspaper circulating within the district.
Administration is placed in the hands of a Railway Board of from five to nine members elected triennially by the ratepayers.
The qualifications and disqualifications for office are the same as for boroughs.
Any area may be constituted an electric-power district by the Governor-General on the petition of one-fourth of the ratepayers of the proposed district. The petition must contain a description of the boundaries of the area; the names of the counties, boroughs, town districts, and road districts included in the area; the number of ratepayers, and the value, improved and unimproved, of all rateable properties within such constituent districts; and the number of members proposed to constitute a Board. Public notification of the petition must be given in a newspaper circulating within the district, not less than one month before presentation, and a copy of the notice served on the local authority of each component district. Before proclaiming a district, the Governor-General may make such alterations in the boundaries as he thinks fit.
The affairs of an electric-power district are administered by a Board consisting of not less than five nor more than nine members elected triennially by the electors of the constituent districts. The qualifications and disqualifications for office are the same as for boroughs.
The most important harbours in New Zealand are controlled and managed by public bodies known as Harbour Boards, which are constituted by special Act of Parliament in subordination to a general Act. The special Act of constitution fixes the number of members for each Board, which varies from six to fifteen.
Accession to office may be in three different ways—(1) Election by the electors of the constituent counties, boroughs, road districts, or town districts forming a specially constituted harbour district, in which case the term of office is the same as for members of the local authorities of the constituent districts; (2) appointment by the Governor-General for a term of three years; (3) election by shipowners and pas of dues.
The qualifications and disqualifications for office are the same as for boroughs.
On the request of the Council of any county bordering on any navigable river, estuary, or arm of the sea, not under the control of a Harbour Board, the Governor-General may, by Order in Council gazetted, declare that such County Council shall exercise all the powers of a Harbour Board, and shall be deemed to be a Harbour Board, as if constituted by special Act.
The Dominion is divided into eighteen main highway districts, each consisting of a number of complete counties. The District Council for each district consists of one representative from each of the constituent counties, with the District Engineer of the Public Works Department.
The existing hospital districts are constituted under the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1909, and no new district may be created, otherwise than by the union of two or mere districts, except by special legislation. The management of affairs is entrusted to Hospital Boards, consisting of one or more representatives of each of the districts comprising the hospital area. Members am elected at the ordinary general election of the contributory authorities. The qualifications and disqualifications for office are practically the same as for boroughs.
The Governor General may, by Order in Council, on the application of any Borough Council, County Council, Town Board, or Road Board, declare the district within the jurisdiction of such authority to be a fire district. No application may be made unless the population of the district exceeds 1,000, and unless a proposal for constituting such a district has been carried by a majority of the ratepayers at a poll held for the purpose. The affairs of a fire district are administered by a Fire Board consisting of seven members, of whom one is appointed by the Governor-General, three are elected by the contributory local authority, and three by the insurance companies carrying on business within the district. The elections are biennial, and the qualifications and disqualifications for office are practically the same as for other local authorities.
Provision is also made for the constitution of united fire districts on the application of two or more authorities, provided the population of the united area exceeds 2,500 and the proposal has been approved by a majority of the ratepayers at a poll held in each district. The Board then consists of one member appointed by the Governor-General, one (sometimes two) by each of the uniting authorities, and a number by the insurance companies equal to the total number appointed by the uniting authorities.
Rabbit districts may be constituted in three different ways:—
(1.) On the petition of a majority of the stockowners of any area, each owning or in charge of more than one hundred sheep or twenty head of cattle, the Governor-General may, by Order in Council gazetted, declare a rabbit district. The management of affairs is entrusted to a Board of Trustees consisting of six members, one of whom must be the Government Inspector of Stock in charge of the district in which the rabbit district is included. The remaining five are elected triennially by the stockowners, who may exercise from one to five votes according to the number of stock owned. Any stockowner who possesses a voting qualification is eligible for office. The following are incapable of being elected trustees:—
An undischarged bankrupt.
A person attainted of treason or convicted of crime punishable by imprisonment with hard labour for three years or upwards, or convicted of perjury or of any infamous crime.
A person of unsound mind.
A person pursuing the occupation of destroying rabbits.
(2.) On the petition of a majority of the ratepayers of any area not less than 2,000 acres in extent and containing the holdings of not less than ten ratepayers, the Governor-General may, by Order in Council gazetted, declare a rabbit district. Administration is conducted by a Board of Trustees consisting of from six to eight members, of whom one must be the Inspector of Stock for the locality. The qualifications and disqualifications for office are the same as for County Councils, and the term of office is for three years.
The Governor-General has also power to declare a rabbit-proof-fencing district on the petition of a majority of the ratepayers of any area comprising not less than 1,000 acres and containing not less than three ratepayers. The Board of Trustees consists of from three to seven members, and is elected triennially. The qualifications and disqualifications for office are the same as for Count Councils.
The affairs of the one district in existence are managed by a Gas-lighting Board of seven members. Thy electors of each of the two boroughs included in the district elect three members biennially at the municipal elections, the seventh member being appointed by the elected members, or, in the event of their failing to agree, by the Governor-General in Council. The franchise and the qualifications and disqualifications for election are the same as in the case of boroughs.
Local authorities in New Zealand derive their powers from the Acts under which they are constituted, and also from special empowering Acts. In nearly all cases there is a general Act under which all authorities of the same type are constituted. In the case of Harbour Boards there is, in addition to a general Harbours Act, a special Act for each Board, which is subordinate to the general Act.
Certain types of local authority—City and suburban drainage districts, tramway districts, local railway districts, and the gas-lighting district—derive their principal powers from special constituting Acts.
Local authorities are empowered to raise special loans for the construction of any public work, the purchase of land or buildings, or to engage in any undertaking which a local authority may lawfully enter into. The consent of the ratepayers must first be obtained by means of a poll, and if at least three-fifths of the valid votes recorded are in favour of the proposal it shall be deemed to be carried. Notices of the result of the poll must be gazetted.
In the case of boroughs and town districts a bare majority only is necessary.
In order that local authorities may enjoy the credit of the State and a low rate of interest, the State Advances Board is empowered to grant loans on debentures issued by local authorities for a period not exceeding fifty years, principal and interest to be repaid by equal half-yearly instalments. The Board is restricted to lending money for the construction of roads, streets, bridges, waterworks, drainage and sanitary works, and workers' dwellings. In addition, no local authority may receive more than £60,000 within three years.
For the further benefit of local bodies the Governor-General may, on the recommendation of the Superintendent of the State Advances Board, guarantee the loan of any local authority. The total amount guaranteed for all bodies in one year must not exceed £2,000,000.
As explained later on in this section, much of the revenue of local authorities is derived from rates, and the rating-powers of the various classes of authorities are defined by statute. Three broad classes of rates are distinguished:—
General—for general purposes.
Separate rates are levied for the construction of public works, for the acquisition of land or buildings, or for engaging in any undertaking for the benefit of the whole or part of a local district.
A special rate is imposed to secure the repayment of loan-money, being sufficient to produce interest and sinking fund, or interest and instalment of principal, as the case may be. Special rates must be raised by resolution gazetted.
The maximum rating-powers of each type of local authority are set out in detail farther on in this section. Some classes (e.g., Harbour Boards) have no rating-powers except under the authority of a special Act. Hospital Boards do not have powers to rate, but obtain part of their revenue from contributory local bodies, which impose rates for the purpose.
The several local authorities may make by-laws for the effective carrying-out of the provisions of the Acts relating to them. Various classes of by-laws require to be approved by the Governor-General or by a Minister of the Crown, us the case may be.
Provision is also made in the By-laws Act, 1910, for the confirmation of by-laws by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The certificate given by the Minister confirms the actual making of the by-laws, and it is not necessary when giving any such certificate to consider whether the provisions of the by-laws are repugnant to the laws of New Zealand, or unreasonable, or ultra vires of the local authority by which they are made.
The Local Authorities Superannuation Act, 1908, provides that any local authority may by special resolution establish a superannuation fund for the benefit of persons in the service of that local authority. The resolution shall not take effect until confirmed by the Governor-General in Council, and such resolution shall specify what class of employee is entitled to become contributors to the fund, and what class, if any, shall be bound to become contributors, and the amount the local body undertakes to pay into the fund by way of subsidy.
Any two or more local authorities may establish a united superannuation fund.
Contributions towards the fund are made by a contributor on a percentage of his salary ranging from 5 to 10 per cent., according to his age on joining the fund.
On retirement from the service of the local authority a contributor may be paid an annual allowance not exceeding two-thirds of his salary in proportion to the length of service of the contributor. If a contributor or annuitant dies, an annual allowance may be paid to the widow or children of the deceased person.
Local authorities are required to keep their accounts in the manner prescribed by the Act under which they are created. They are also obliged to furnish statistics to the Government Statistician when called upon to do so.
Under the Health Act, 1920, every local authority is obliged to do everything to promote and conserve the public health within its district, and when directed by the Board of Health must provide sanitary works, appoint sanitary inspectors, furnish reports to the Health Officer, and make any necessary by-laws.
For the prevention of fires every Borough Council is required to fix fire-plugs in the main pipes of the waterworks in the borough, at distances not more than 100 yards from one another.
Local authorities have general powers of entering into contracts for any of the purposes for which they are constituted; of selling and leasing land; and of taking or purchasing any land which may be necessary or convenient for any public work.
Special functions and powers of the various classes of local authorities are mentioned below.
The principal function of a County Council is the construction, maintenance, and control of roads within the county, and the bridges connected therewith. Power is given to undertake water-supply and drainage works, supply electric lighting and power, establish markets, construct or acquire harbour-works, erect workers' dwellings, and initiate other public services which the Council considers beneficial.
Borough Councils exercise full control in the construction and maintenance of streets and footways. Particular powers are given in regard to drainage and sanitation, water-supply, libraries, baths, cemeteries, workers' dwellings, and other public utilities. In addition, Councils may enter into such businesses as the supply of gas and electric lighting and power, public conveyance, &c. Councils may make such by-laws, subject to the Municipal Corporations Act, as are necessary for the good government of the borough.
Town Boards exercise most of the powers and functions of Borough Councils. This is especially true of Boards independent of county control. In the case of dependent town districts the County Council has control of the main roads therein, and has power to levy a general rate up to 1 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value of the rateable property of the district.
A Road Board has the care and management of all district roads within its district, and has full power to construct, improve, and maintain all such roads and the bridges and ferries thereon. Power is also given to construct and maintain such drainage, irrigation, or water-supply works as are considered beneficial to the district.
All rivers, streams, and watercourses within any river district are subject to the jurisdiction of the Board so far as may be necessary for the construction or maintenance of any works required to prevent any possible damage which may result from overflow or from the breaking of banks.
The Board may, without any previous agreement with the owner or occupier of any land, take possession after twenty-four hours' notice.
Drainage Boards have power to maintain in a state of efficiency any watercourse, or bank or defence against water, to effect any improvements thereto, or to make any new works necessary for the drainage of the district. Power is given to purchase land and to enter upon any land without any previous agreement with the owner, provided twenty-four hours' notice is given.
A Water-supply Board has power to enter upon any lands through which any of the water-races under its control run, for the purpose of constructing works and carrying out any necessary repairs, and generally to control the water-races in the district as it deems best for providing a water-supply.
The powers and functions of City and Suburban Drainage Boards are determined by special enactment, and do not differ substantially from those given under “Land Drainage Districts.”
The powers and functions of Tramway Boards are laid down by special Acts, and follow generally those conferred on municipalities in relation to tramways. Power is given to supply electricity to the Government and to local authorities, and in certain cases to individuals; to run drags; and to work quarries.
The consent of the Governor-General in Council is necessary before a Board enters upon the construction or acquisition of a railway. When authorized to commence the work the Board may enter upon and take such land as is necessary for the work. The Board has power, subject to the terms of the order authorizing the railway, to make by-laws fixing fares, freight, and storage rates, and generally for regulating the traffic on the railway, and the conduct of all persons employed thereon.
Electric-power Boards have power to construct all works necessary for the generation and transmission of electric energy, to acquire water rights, to purchase electric energy in bulk, and to sell electric energy in bulk or otherwise. Power is also given, with the consent of the Governor-General in Council, to establish electrochemical, electro-metallurgical, or other industries especially adapted to the use of electricity.
A Harbour Board is empowered to do any of the following:—
Construct and maintain any works necessary for the improvement, protection, management, or utilization of the harbour, such as wharves, piers, jetties, docks, slips, breakwaters, excavations, &c. (reclamation of land may also be undertaken, but this requires the sanction of a special Act of Parliament);
Build warehouses, sheds, and other structures necessary for the accommodation of goods shipped c-r unshipped at the harbour:
Erect and carry on freezing-works and cool chambers:
Provide cranes, public weighbridges, and other requisite appliances:
Carry on the business of wharfinger or warehouse-keeper:
Provide for the storage and conveyance of fuel oil, and for the supplying of water for shipping purposes.
Harbour Boards are also empowered to enact by-laws relating to a wide range of activities. The most important have reference to—
The mooring, anchoring, and laying-up of vessels:
The landing of passengers; the unshipping, warehousing, stowing, and depositing of cargo:
The levying and collecting by the Board of fees, tolls, dues, and other charges on vessels and goods: The general regulation of the use of such utilities as wharves; docks, cranes, buildings, &c.:
The control of pilotage operations within the harbour.
The by-laws must not conflict with the general Harbour Regulations which the Governor-General is empowered to make, and are subject to the Governor-General's right of veto at any time within six months.
Each District Highway Council is required each year to submit to the Main Highways Board recommendations as to the following:—
Any public highways within the district which it considers should be declared main highways:
The works of construction, reconstruction, maintenance, or repair of highways to be undertaken during the year, and whether such should be undertaken by the Board, or by the several local authorities of the district, or by any two or more of them, on behalf of the Board.
It shall also submit with its recommendations (a) an estimate of the amount required during the year for the works recommended, and (b) a scale showing the amounts to be paid to the Board by the several local authorities where the work is to be undertaken by the Board, the amounts to be paid by the Board to the several local authorities where the work is to be undertaken by such local authorities, and the amounts to be paid by the several local authorities to any other local authorities for any work to be undertaken by the latter.
A Hospital Board has power to establish, control, and manage any of the following institutions: Hospitals, charitable institutions, maternity homes, convalescent homes, sanatoria, habitual inebriates' homes, reformatory institutions for the reception of women and girls, and any other institutions for any purpose which the Governor-General by Order in Council may declare to be a public charitable purpose. It may also make by-laws, subject to the approval of the Minister of Health, regarding all matters affecting the management, care, control, and superintendence of any institution under its jurisdiction.
It is the duty of every Hospital Board to provide and maintain such hospitals as the Inspector-General of Hospitals considers necessary in any part of the district for (a) the reception, relief, &c., of any persons suffering from infectious diseases; (b) the reception, &c., of persons suffering from other than infectious diseases.
Fire Boards have power to establish and maintain fire brigades as they think fit. They may also use, free of charge, the water-mains, &c., of any local authority having jurisdiction in the fire district. Power is also given to make by-laws, the chief of which have reference to the enrolment and control of volunteer fire brigades; the establishment of fire-alarm circuits; the regulation of the storage of kerosene, explosives, and other inflammable substances; and the payment of inspection fees. A Fire Board may also direct that the coroner hold an inquest on any fire in its district.
A Rabbit Board is empowered to do all things that appear necessary to ensure the destruction of rabbits in the district or to prevent the increase of rabbits therein, and for that purpose may offer rewards or bonuses for the destruction of rabbits, or pay for the erection and maintenance of protective fences. Power is given to enter upon Crown or private lands after seven days' notice, and to construct any rabbit-proof fences considered necessary. The Board may also direct the destruction of rabbits in any areas within the district, and, failing compliance with such order, may take measures itself to cause the destruction, and charge the cost thereof to the -occupier of the land.
This district was created to provide for the extension of the gas-supply of one borough to an adjacent borough. The Act, of constitution vests in the Board the whole of the property of both Borough Councils used for the supply of gas, the Board being required to issue, debentures in exchange. The Board has the same powers as a Borough Council in regard to the manufacture and sale of gas.
The local authority of any district (other than a district wherein the system of rating on the unimproved value is in force) may from time to time by resolution determine whether the system of rating on the annual value or the capital value shall be in force in the district. The system of rating on the unimproved value can be adopted only by a poll of the ratepayers, and after three years the ratepayers may, by another poll, revert to the system previously in force in the district.
When the union of two or more boroughs takes place the rating system in force s the borough having the largest population is to be observed throughout the united borough, unless otherwise agreed between the Councils of the boroughs concerned.
The system of rating in the Dominion is upon the basis that 1s. in the pound on the annual value is deemed to be equivalent to 3/4d. in the pound on the capital value of rateable property; or where in a district not rating on the annual value it is necessary for any purpose to ascertain the annual value of any rateable property, then the annual value thereof is equal to 6 per cent. of the capital value of such property. Rating on the unimproved value must be so adjusted as to equal as nearly as may be, but not to exceed, in producing-capacity the limit of rating-power on the capital or annual value, as the case may be, a rate on the annual value being for this purpose first transposed into one on the capital value on the basis above mentioned.
Prior to 1911 the system of rating on the unimproved value did not apply to water rates, gas rates, electric-light rates, sewage rates, or hospital and charitable-aid rates, which could be levied on the annual or capital value only; but by the Rating Amendment Act, 1911, now incorporated in the Rating Act, 1925, it was provided that the system should apply to these rates. This provision is not retrospective, but a poll in any district where the system was previously in force is, on petition, to be taken on the proposal that it shall apply to them.
The annual value is deemed to be the letting-value, less 20 per cent. in ease of houses, buildings, and other perishable property, and 10 per cent. of land, but in no case is the rateable value to be less than 5 per cent. of the value of the fee-simple. The capital value is deemed to be the selling-value of the land, including improvements, at the time of valuation. The unimproved value is deemed to be the selling-value of the land at the time of valuation, excluding the value of any existing improvements.
Local authorities are largely dependent for funds to carry out their activities on revenue from rates, and even loans raised for special purposes are ultimately liquidated by such revenues—known then as special rates. As, however, the revenue from rates is not usually received till about half of the financial year has elapsed, the law has for many years allowed local bodies to borrow money in anticipation of the year's revenue. This borrowed money in many cases tended to become a permanent debt, and from time to time power had to be given to local bodies to raise a loan for the purpose of paying off such debts. This was done in 1913, but since then the debts again accumulated, and many local bodies were in financial difficulties. Consequently, in 1921, the Legislature dealt with the matter by passing the Local Bodies' Finance Act, 1921-22, which compelled any local body which had an overdraft or temporary deposits to capitalize its liability, forming what is known as an “antecedent liability,” and to pay off this liability either (a) by seven annual instalments out of revenue, or (b) by a direct loan, or (c) by levying a special rate in each of seven years sufficient to cover each annual instalment. The powers of a local body to borrow by overdraft or by temporary deposit were also limited to three-fourths of its total revenue for the preceding year, and at the end of a year there is not to be owing a greater sum than the amount of revenue then outstanding. This will, of course, compel local bodies to live within their income, and will also ensure that money borrowed by overdraft or temporary deposit will simply be a temporary expedient in anticipation of revenue.
A synopsis of the statutory rating-powers of the various local authorities is now given.
Under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1920, cities and boroughs have conferred on them the following rating-powers, which represent the maximum a Council is empowered to levy in any one financial year:—
General Rate.—2s. 6d. in the pound on the annual value, or 2d. in the pound on the capital value of all rateable property, or its equivalent on the unimproved value. In divided boroughs the rate levied may vary in different wards, but must not in any case exceed the above limit.
General Separate Rates for Special Works.—3/4d. in the pound in any one year on the capital value, or 1s. in the pound on the annual value, or its equivalent on the unimproved value of the rateable property. These rates can be made only on a petition of a majority of the ratepayers, and are known as general separate rates, in contradistinction to particular separate rates now immediately referred to.
Water-supply.—Ordinary supply, 10s. per annum where the annual value does not exceed £12 10s.; in excess of £12 10s., 6 per cent. Where rating on unimproved value in respect of water-supply is in force the charge must not exceed the equivalent of 1d. in the pound on the capital value, with a minimum of 10s. Half-rates only are to be levied on stores or warehouses, and all land and buildings to which water can be but is not supplied, situate within 100 yards from any part of the waterworks. The rate or charge for extraordinary supply may be fixed by the Council.
Lighting Streets and Public Buildings.—6d. in the pound on the annual value.
Sanitation.—A rate, or in lieu thereof a uniform annual fee, may be levied of such an amount that the total proceeds shall be sufficient to meet the estimated expenditure on the service for the year.
Drainage.—6d. in the pound on the annual value of property served by a public drain.
Library.—1d. in the pound on the annual value.
Harbour.—Any Council appointed a Harbour Board may, for the purpose of constructing or maintaining harbour-works, levy a rate not to exceed in any one year 3/8d. in the pound on the capital value.
In addition to the rating-power referred to above, certain Acts of the Legislature have conferred powers on Borough Councils to levy further separate rates for the purposes now indicated.
Hospital and Charitable Aid.—Under the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1909, section 41, a rate sufficient to produce the amount of contribution for which the borough may be liable.
Fire.—By the Fire Brigades Act, 1908, section 21, a Borough Council within a fire district may, in order to raise the amount required to be contributed to the Fire Board, levy a separate rate, on the value of the buildings only, within the fire district.
Small-birds Nuisance.—Borough Councils are by the Injurious Birds Act, 1908, section 18, empowered to raise funds for the destruction of injurious birds by levying a general rate not exceeding 1/16d. in the pound on the capital value, or its equivalent on the annual or unimproved value.
Health.—The Health Act, 1920, section 140, enables a separate rate to be levied to meet the expenses of carrying out the provisions of the Act.
Special Rates (Payment of Loan Charges).—Rates under this head are termed “special,” and are levied for the purpose of producing interest, or interest and sinking fund, upon any special loan. They are not limited by statute. A special rate shall be made a continuing rate for a period of years equal to the currency of the loan. With certain exceptions no special loan may be raised without the consent of a majority of the ratepayers affected. Special rates are subject to the provisions of the Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1913.
In certain exceptional cases a Council's power may be subject to one or more of the three conditions referred to below.
Increase of Rating-power authorized where Revenue lost in consequence of the Reduction or Prohibition of Licenses.—A Borough Council which suffers loss of revenue from license fees under the Licensing Act in consequence of the reduction or prohibition of licenses in the district may, by section 41 of the Licensing Act, 1908, make good such loss by an equivalent sum to be levied and collected by an increase of the general rate in the district.
Rates on Native Land.—By the provisions of section 3 of the Rating Amendment Act, 1910, Native land that has become freehold and is held under individual title is liable to full rates, subject to certain exemptions. Lands held by Natives under Native custom are, however, totally exempt from rating.
Rating of Mining Properly in the South Island.—All mining property held by an occupier in any borough within a mining district in the South Island of the Dominion is liable to be rated by the Borough Council in the same manner as other rateable property in the district, but subject to special provisions of the Rating Act, 1908, sections 45 to 47.
The maximum general and separate rates that may be levied by the Board of a town district in any one year are set forth in the Town Boards Act, 1908, and amendments, indicated below.
General Rate.—By the Finance Act, 1921, section 34, a Town Board may levy a rate of 2d. in the pound on the capital value or its equivalent on the unimproved value, or 2s. 6d. in the pound on the annual value. In the case of town districts which are also subject to county control, however, the County Council has power to levy in addition a general rate up to 1 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value.
Particular Separate Rates.—On petition from a majority of the ratepayers in any portion of the district for a special work to be undertaken, the Board may by special order define such portion and make and levy a separate works rate not exceeding in any one year 1s. in the pound on the annual value or its equivalent.
The provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, relating So water-supply, lighting, sanitation, drainage, and library rates, as already referred to under the head of “Boroughs,” apply equally to town districts. In like manner Town Boards may levy separate hospital and charitable-aid, fire, small-birds nuisance, and health rates under the statutory provisions indicated.
Special Rates.—The powers of Town Boards are the same as those of Borough Councils.
In the same way as they operate in boroughs the provisions relating to the rates on Native land, rating on mining property in the South Island, and the increase of the rating-power consequent on reduction or prohibition of licenses apply to town districts.
Most of the provisions relating to the rating-powers of County Councils are included in the Counties Act, 1920. These are now briefly referred to.
General Rate.—In counties where there are no road or town districts a maximum rate of 3d. in the pound, or where there are road or town districts 3d. in the pound in outlying districts, and in all other parts of the county 1 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value of rateable property, or its equivalent on the unimproved or annual value. The total amount of the general and separate rates together, however, must not exceed the maximum rate above, with the exception that the drainage rate may be additional to the maximum mentioned.
Special-works (Separate) Rates.—These rates may be levied on the county or a portion of the county upon a majority petition of ratepayers; the total amount that may be levied in one year is 3/4d. in the pound on the capital value or its equivalent.
Particular separate rates which may be levied by County Councils refer to the following matters:—
Water-supply and Drainage.—For the purposes of any constructional work a rate of 1d. in the pound on the capital value on the county or subdivision, as the case may be. To provide for maintenance after construction a rate of 3/4d. in the pound may be levied.
Sanitation and Harbours.—The provisions relating to boroughs apply, mutatis mutandis, to counties.
Library.—1d. in the pound on the annual value or its equivalent. The rate is levied by virtue of the Libraries and Mechanics' Institutes Act, 1908, and applies only where the library is managed by the County Council.
Other Separate Rates.—The expenses of a county in connection with lighting, &c., which come within its jurisdiction are met from either the General Account of the county or the Separate Accounts of the ridings. In regard to hospital and charitable-aid, health, injurious-birds, and fire rates, the provisions of the statutes as noted above under the head of “Boroughs” apply.
Special Rates.—The provisions of the Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1913, apply in the same manner as indicated for Borough Councils above. Special rates to provide interest, or interest and sinking fund, on loans are not limited by statute as to amount.
Bridge Rate.—In addition to other special rating-powers referred to, a special rate of 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value may be levied under section 5 of the Local Bodies' Loans Amendment Act, 1922, for reconstruction of bridges.
In the same way as they operate in boroughs the provisions relating to the rates on Native land, rating on mining property in the South Island, and the increase of the rating-power consequent on reduction or prohibition of licenses apply to counties.
For the main statutory provisions in regard to the rating-powers of Road Boards it is necessary to refer to the Road Boards Act, 1908. A summary of these, as amended by various statutes, is given below.
General Rate.—1 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value or its equivalent on the unimproved value, or 2s. in the pound on the annual value, as the case may be. In the event of a Receiver being appointed, the power is extended by 3/8d. in the pound if the Counties Act is suspended, or 3/16d. in the pound if the Act is in force, upon the capital value.
Separate Rates (in Subdivided Road Districts).—May be levied over any or every subdivision of the district, but must not, together with the general rate, exceed the limit of 1 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value or its equivalent.
Special Rates for Particular Works.—3/4d. in the pound on the capital value over the whole or any portion of the district.
Water-supply for Domestic Use and Irrigation.—Water-supply is according to the scale prescribed for boroughs, as indicated above. This applies only to certain Road Boards specially authorized. With regard to irrigation, the provisions of the Water-supply Act, 1908, and amendments provide that where the Counties Act is not in operation, or is suspended, two or more adjoining road districts may amalgamate for the purpose of forming a water-supply district, with the full rating-powers of such districts. Any Road Board which had constructed water-races or irrigation-works prior to 1891 may continue to exercise in this respect the same rating-powers as a County Council.
Library.—1d. in the pound on the annual value or its equivalent, only whore the public library is managed by the Road Board in terms of the Libraries and Mechanics' Institutes Act, 1908.
Harbour.—Should a Road Board be declared a Harbour Board, it may, by consent of the ratepayers, levy a special rate for the construction or maintenance of harbour-works, such rate not to exceed in any one year 3/8d. in the pound on the capital value or its equivalent.
Other Particular Separate Rates.—The provisions of special statutes with regard to hospital and charitable-aid, health, injurious-birds, and fire rates apply to road districts in the some manner as to boroughs.
Special Rates.—The powers of Road Boards are the same as Borough Councils.
In the same way as they operate in boroughs the provisions relating to the rates on Native land, rating on mining property in the South Island, and the increase of the rating-power consequent on reduction or prohibition of licenses apply to road districts.
General and Separate Rates.—The Electric-power Boards Act, 1925, provides that when the expenditure of a Board exceeds the amount of income in any year the balance, or part of it, may be raised by a general or separate rate over the whole or part of the district. The Power Board may collect the rate itself, or may request the local authority in whose district the rate is levied to recover the amount on its behalf.
Special Rates.—The provisions of the Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1913, apply to Power Boards, and the Electric-power Boards Act, 1925, also allows of a uniform rate being levied over the whole district to secure money borrowed for the preliminary work and expenses of a Board.
For any purpose connected with a harbour, or for interest, or interest and sinking fund, on loans, authority is contained in sections 82 and 83 of the Harbours Act, 1923, to levy a rate not exceeding the maximum specified in any special Act authorizing the Board to levy a rate, or, if no such limit is fixed, a maximum rate of 3/4d. in the pound on the capital value, or its equivalent on the annual or unimproved value.
RIVER DISTRICTS.
General Rate.—By section 87 of the River Boards Act, 1908 (and amendments), a River Board may levy a general rate of 1 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value or its equivalent, leviable on a uniform scale or graduated according to the classification of lands in the district.
Separate Rates.—These shall not, together with the general rates levied, exceed the amount limited in respect to general rates.
Special Rates.—Not limited by statute as to amount; may be levied to secure the interest and provide a fund for the repayment of loans.
General Rate.—The Land Drainage Act, 1908, section 31, provides for the levying of a general rate, according to the classification of the lands in the district, not exceeding 1 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value. By the Amendment Act of 1913 this rate may be increased to 3d. in the pound on a ratepayers' petition representing a majority of three-quarters in number and half in rateable property.
Special Bates.—As in the case of river districts.
Special Rate.—By the Water-supply Act, 1908, section 34, a special rate may be levied on all lands in a water-supply district or subdivision to pay interest and provide for the repayment of any loan. The rate is levied according to a classification of the rateable lands.
The special Act of constitution for each district fixes a maximum general rate, which varies from district to district. Provision is also made for raising special rates to secure the repayment of interest and sinking fund on loans.
The Local Railways Act, 1914, provides that in any year in which the estimated expenditure of a Board exceeds the estimated income, the deficit shall be made good by a rate on all rateable property within the district. Rating is levied on a graduated scale according to land-classification, which is based on varying benefits accruing from the railway.
The District Councils for these districts have no rating-powers, but have power to recommend to the Main Highways Board as to what proportion of the proposed expenditure each year shall be borne by each constituent County Council.
No rating-powers are given to Hospital Boards, but under the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, 1909, the estimated net expenditure of a Board is apportioned by the Board among the contributory local authorities within its district in proportion to the capital value of the rateable property in each contributory district.
As in the case of the previous type of local authority, Fire Boards have no rating-powers, but derive a certain proportion of their revenue from contributory local authorities.
Where the Board is elected by the stockowners a maximum general rate of 1d. per sheep and 5d. per head of cattle is permitted; provided that where such a rate would produce less than 10s. a maximum of 10s. may be levied. A Rabbit Board elected by the ratepayers may levy up to 1d. in the pound on capital value, with a maximum of 1s. per acre for each holding affected. A Rabbit-proof Fencing Board may levy a general rate of 1/4d. in the pound on capital value.
The Rating on Unimproved Value Act, 1896, was passed by the General Assembly to afford local bodies the opportunity of adopting the principle of rating which is expressed in the title of the measure. The Act is now incorporated in the Rating Act, 1925. It is entirely at the option of the bodies to adopt the system, and provision is made for a return to the old system of rating, if desired, after three years' experience of the new one. The Act provides that a proportion of the ratepayers on the roll, varying from 25 per cent. where the total number does not exceed 100, to 15 per cent. where the number exceeds 300, may by demand in writing, delivered to the Chairman or Mayor of the district, require that a proposal to rate property en the basis of the unimproved value may be submitted to the ratepayers, whose votes shall be taken between twenty-one and twenty-eight days after delivery of the demand. The poll is to be taken in the same manner as in the case of a proposal to raise a loan in the district under the Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1913.
Under the original Act it was necessary for a minimum number of one-third of the ratepayers to vote, and a majority of their votes carried the proposal. Now the question of adoption or otherwise is decided by a bare majority of the valid votes recorded, irrespective of the number of ratepayers who have voted.
A rescinding proposal can be carried at a poll by the same means as one for adoption, but not until after three years have elapsed; and, vice versa, rejection of a proposal bars its being brought forward for a similar period.
The valuation roll is supplied to the local authority by the Valuer-General under the provisions of the Valuation of Land Act, 1908, and the definitions of “capital value,” “improvements,” “unimproved value,” and “value of improvements” found in that Act apply also to rating on unimproved value. Provision is made for adjustment of rating-powers given under previous Acts by fixing equivalents. Thus a rate of 1s. in the pound on the annual value under former Acts is to be considered equal to 3/4d. in the pound on the capital value.
The adjustments are to be made so that the rates on the unimproved value shall be such as to produce as much as, but not more than, the rates under the Rating Act, 1925. For instance, supposing a local authority has a rating-power up to 3/4d. in the pound on the capital value, then it can levy any rate in the pound on the unimproved value of land in its district so long as the producing-capacity of such rate is not greater than would be the producing-capacity of a 3/4d. rate on the capital value of the district. When a fixed rate, under the older system of rating, is security for a loan, the Controller and Auditor-General is given power to interfere and fix the new rate himself if of opinion that the new rate on the unimproved value does not afford equally good security as the one to be given up.
It should be noted that some local authorities automatically adopt rating on unimproved value. For example, a town district, borough, or another county formed from part of a county which itself rates on unimproved values, -automatically rates on the system in force in the county; also two boroughs amalgamating adopt the system in force in the district with the greater population, unless their Councils agree to the contrary.
Local districts in which a poll on the question of rating on unimproved value has been taken since the 31st March, 1920, are as shown below. The results of all polls taken since the passing of the Act of 1896 are given in the Annual Statistical Report on Local Government.
| Local District. | Date of Poll. | Result of Poll. | Votes recorded. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For. | Against. | Informal. | |||
* For rescission. | |||||
| Avondale Borough | 17 Feb., 1923 | Carried | 282 | 150 | 5 |
| Bay of Islands County | 17 Nov., 1920 | ” | 490 | 187 | .. |
| Cambridge Borough* | 8 Nov., 1922 | Rating on U.V. remains | 90 | 166 | 1 |
| Eltham County | 9 May, 1923 | Carried | 361 | 274 | 9 |
| Featherston Borough* | 29 April, 1925 | Rating on U.V. remains | 84 | 134 | 8 |
| Geraldine Borough | 29 April, 1921 | Carried | 179 | 100 | 14 |
| Glen Eden Town District | 13 Oct., 1923 | ” | 120 | 60 | .. |
| Greytown Borough | 27 June, 1922 | Rejected | 62 | 198 | 4 |
| Hauraki Plains County | 10 Mar., 1921 | Carried | 301 | 14 | .. |
| Havelock North Town District | 3 Nov., 1920 | ” | 107 | 79 | .. |
| Henderson Town District | 14 July, 1923 | ” | 54 | 32 | .. |
| Inglewood County | 16 Mar., 1921 | ” | 160 | 25 | 2 |
| Mangapapa Town District | 1 July, 1920 | ” | 244 | 80 | 4 |
| Manurewa Town District | 19 Nov., 1921 | Rejected | 66 | 108 | .. |
| Mataura Borough | 21 Feb., 1923 | Carried | 186 | 166 | 1 |
| Milton Borough* | 1 Nov., 1922 | Rating on U.V. remains | 137 | 216 | 10 |
| Nelson City | 3 Dec, 1924 | Rejected | 420 | 1,150 | 51 |
| New Lynn Town District | 5 Dec., 1923 | Carried | 264 | 86 | 3 |
| Ngaruawahia Borough | 21 Mar., 1921 | ” | 47 | 7 | .. |
| Northcote Borough | 22 Aug., 1922 | ” | 260 | 150 | .. |
| Ostend Road District | 20 Dec., 1922 | Rejected | 29 | 50 | .. |
| Otamatea County | 6 May, 1922 | Carded | 505 | 312 | .. |
| Otorohanga County | 9 May, 1923 | ” | 321 | 42 | .. |
| Rangiora Borough | 7 Mar., 1923 | ” | 266 | 87 | .. |
| Rodney County | 21 April, 1921 | ” | 520 | 433 | .. |
| Stewart Island County | 23 Sept. 1925 | ” | 35 | 17 | .. |
| Taupo Road District | 14 Mar., 1924 | ” | 16 | 1 | .. |
| Tauranga Borough | 6 Oct., 1920 | Rejected | 147 | 295 | 6 |
| Tauranga Borough | 7 Mar., 1924 | Carried | 295 | 282 | 4 |
| Te Awamutu Borough | 14 Feb., 1923 | Rejected | 120 | 198 | .. |
| Thames Borough* | 12 Dec., 1922 | Rating on U.V. remains | 236 | 407 | 8 |
| Timaru Borough | 27 April, 1921 | Carried | 1,532 | 838 | 73 |
| Uawa County | 26 May, 1920 | ” | 260 | 89 | .. |
| Wairau Road District | 20 Aug., 1923 | ” | 251 | 11 | .. |
| Waitara Borough | 3 Sept., 1924 | Rejected | 170 | 279 | .. |
| Waitomo County | 8 June, 1922 | Carried | 752 | 73 | 11 |
| Wanganui City | 29 April, 1925 | ” | 2,280 | 1,733 | 87 |
| Whangaroa County | 5 Mar., 1924 | ” | 114 | 49 | .. |
The unimproved value of land is the basis on which some 39 per cent. of the local authorities (excluding Harbour Boards) assessed their rates for the year 1923-24. A comparative table is—
| — | System of Rating. | Total. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unimproved Value. | Capital Value. | Capital and Unimproved Values. | Annual Value. | Acreage Basis. | Nil. | ||
* Includes one on annual basis also. | |||||||
| Counties | 46 | 75 | 1 | .. | .. | 7 | 129 |
| Boroughs | 72* | 18 | .. | 28 | .. | .. | 118 |
| Town districts | 32 | 36 | .. | 6 | .. | .. | 74 |
| Road districts | 1 | 40 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 41 |
| River-protective districts | 13 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 38 |
| Land-drainage districts | 21 | 33 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 54 |
| Electric-power districts | 6 | 12 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 20 |
| Water-supply districts | .. | 5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 |
| City and suburban drainage districts | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| Tramway districts | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| Local railway districts | .. | 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| Totals | 192 | 241 | 3 | 35 | 2 | 14 | 487 |
Although the figures referred to indicate that the number of local authorities rating on the unimproved value is approximately 39 per cent. of the total, yet on a population basis the figures reveal that in reality a larger proportion of the ratepayers are being so rated. The position in regard to the four major classes of local bodies at 1st April, 1924, was as follows:—
| Districts. | Rating on Unimproved Value. | Total for Dominion. | Ratio of Unimproved Value to Dominion. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Population. | No. | Population. | No. | Population. | |
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |||||
| Counties (excluding all town districts) | 46 | 152,450 | 122 | 492,863 | 37.70 | 30.93 |
| Boroughs | 72 | 466,367 | 118 | 749,209 | 61.01 | 62.24 |
| Town districts (dependent) | 18 | 5,591 | 33 | 11,741 | 54.54 | 47.61 |
| Town districts (independent) | 14 | 17,565 | 40 | 33,310 | 35.00 | 52.73 |
In addition to the foregoing, one road district with a population of 1,099 (1921 census) rated on unimproved value. Thus 50 per cent. of the people of New Zealand are rated on the unimproved value.
A study of the finance of local governing bodies from their incipient stages to the present time reveals a process of evolution from a state of semi-dependence on the Central Government to a stage where, with the exception of subsidies on rates and occasional grants for special works, all expense is borne locally. While local bodies were the proper authorities to deal with such matters as the construction of roads and bridges; it was recognized that work of this nature was to a large extent of national significance, and governmental aid was freely accorded. This is evidenced by a consideration of the fact that under various Acts, including the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, 1882, advances were made under which the recipient body, although bound to pay a half-yearly interest for a number of years, the period varying inversely with the rate of interest, was relieved from all further liability, ipso facto, on payment of the last instalment. With the increase in population and growth of prosperity, however, the opinion grew that local authorities should, in all fairness, hear the greater part of the expense of their own activities. This resulted in the withdrawal of such advantageous conditions, and at the present time, although the credit of the State is still available for the benefit of those local bodies requiring loans, and such assistance as indicated above is given, they are to all intents and purposes self-supporting.
The sources from which the various classes of local bodies secure the moneys necessary to exercise their functions vary greatly according to the nature of the statutory duties of the local body concerned. Generally, however, receipts fall under one of three main classes—viz., rates, licenses and fees, and receipts which cannot properly be regarded as revenue. These three classes are dealt with in detail below, where the nature and relative importance of each is more particularly referred to.
The tables given in this section cover the operations of all local authorities which furnish statistical returns to the Census and Statistics Office. Hospital Boards supply their returns to the Inspector-General of Hospitals, and their financial statistics are given in Section VII of this volume. Fire and Rabbit Boards do not furnish financial statistics.
The figures given in the tables are for the year ended 31st March, except in the case of certain Harbour Boards whose own financial year is taken in each case. The financial year of the Wellington Harbour Board ends on the 30th September (six months before the usual financial year); for the Coromandel, Greymouth, Half-moon Bay and Horseshoe Bay, Kaikoura, Kawhia, Mangonui, and Wairoa Harbour Boards the year ends on the 31st March, but in all other cases the Harbour Board year ends on the 31st December, or three months prior to the usual financial year.
Local governing bodies received by way of rates in the financial year 1923-24 a total amount of £4,445,627, of which £2,775,987 consisted of general rates and £1,669,640 of special and separate rates. The sum of £179,143 was raised by licenses, and £133,947 by other taxes, making £4,758,717 altogether from taxation, which sum is equivalent to £3 10s. per head of the mean population, as compared with £3 9s. 7d. for 1922-23.
Revenue derived from rates increased from £2,140,086 in 1914-15 to £4,445,627 in 1923-24. Revenue from the Government increased in the same period from £239,076 to £300,766. Receipts other than “revenue” were £2,595,706 in 1914-15 and £5,685,107 in 1923-24; but these figures vary from year to year according to circumstances, such as large operations by way of construction of works, for which money has to be specially raised.
The receipts of local governing bodies, divided into the various groups shown above, are given for each of the last ten years.
| Financial Year. | Revenue from | Receipts not Revenue. | Total Receipts. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rates. | Licenses, Fees, Rents, and other Sources. | Government. | Total Revenue | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1914-15 | 2,140,086 | 2,622,221 | 239,076 | 5,001,383 | 2,595,706 | 7,597,089 |
| 1915-16 | 2,355,155 | 2,705,562 | 262,083 | 5,322,800 | 2,469,275 | 7,792,075 |
| 1916-17 | 2,534,539 | 3,001,324 | 242,618 | 5,778,481 | 1,411,422 | 7,189,903 |
| 1917-18 | 2,674,541 | 3,034,894 | 248,855 | 5,958,290 | 1,250,047 | 7,208,337 |
| 1918-19 | 2,939,606 | 3,184,741 | 267,330 | 6,391,677 | 942,780 | 7,334,457 |
| 1919-20 | 3,144,213 | 4,219,608 | 266,974 | 7,630,795 | 3,329,003 | 10,959,798 |
| 1920-21 | 3,549,590 | 5,048,791 | 287,583 | 8,885,964 | 3,429,662 | 12,315,026 |
| 1921-22 | 3,779,895 | 5,757,252 | 317,530 | 9,854,677 | 5,486,912 | 15,341,589 |
| 1922-23 | 4,277,781 | 5,942,927 | 301,024 | 10,521,732 | 7,399,674 | 17,921,406 |
| 1923-24 | 4,445,627 | 6,403,378 | 300,766 | 11,149,771 | 5,685,107 | 16,834,878 |
A summary of receipts for the year 1923-24 is given below. The total revenue of the local bodies for the financial year was £11,149,771, and they further received a sum of £5,685,107 which could not properly be termed “revenue,” making altogether a grand total of receipts amounting to £16,834,878. The rates formed 39.9 per cent. of the revenue proper; licenses, rents, and other sources yielded 57.4 per cent.; and 2.7 per cent. was granted by the General Government.
Of the revenue proper of counties, which amounted to £2,115,117, no less a sum than £1,675,356, or 79 per cent., was raised by way of rates. Town districts, road districts, river districts, land-drainage districts, and city and suburban drainage districts also rely on their taxing-powers for the greater part of their income. In the case of boroughs and Harbour Boards, on the other hand, licenses, rents, &c., form the bulk of revenue. During 1923-24 this source of income accounted for 84 per cent. of the total revenue of boroughs, the corresponding proportion for Harbour Boards being as high as 89 per cent.
| — | Revenue from | Receipts not Revenue. | Total Receipts. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rates. | Licenses, Rents, &c. | Government. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Counties | 1,675,356 | 226,860 | 212,901 | 823,312 | 2,938,429 |
| Boroughs | 2,238,979 | 4,093,186 | 44,523 | 2,009,618 | 8,386,306 |
| Town districts | 99,629 | 47,349 | 5,882 | 94,120 | 246,980 |
| Road districts | 87,732 | 21,214 | 10,274 | 84,781 | 204,001 |
| River districts | 33,183 | 18,918 | 2,203 | 16,973 | 71,277 |
| Land-drainage districts | 41,461 | 1,536 | 1 | 18,467 | 61,465 |
| Electric-power districts | 8,676 | 365,672 | .. | 1,720,504 | 2,094,852 |
| Water-supply districts | 954 | 3,127 | .. | .. | 4,081 |
| City and suburban drainage districts | 120,459 | 3,342 | .. | 222,665 | 346,466 |
| Tramway districts | 4,407 | 281,099 | .. | 16,901 | 302,407 |
| Railway districts | 9 | 31,308 | .. | 200 | 31,517 |
| Harbour Boards | 134,782 | 1,275,347 | 24,982 | 677,566 | 2,112,677 |
| Totals | 4,445,627 | 6,403,378 | 300,766 | 5,685,107 | 16,834,878 |
As stated above, rates contributed in 1923-24 the sum of £4,445,627 to the revenue of local governing bodies. General rates levied brought in £2,775,986, and special and separate rates £1,669,641. Of the latter, £1,188,715 was received by boroughs and £387,113 by counties. The whole of the rates collected by Harbour Boards were general rates, while all those collected by Tramway Boards came under the heading of “special and separate.”
General rates bring in somewhat less than two-thirds of the total revenue from rates. The proportion shows a tendency to decline, having fallen from 69 per cent. in 1914-15 to 62 per cent. in 1923-24.
| Financial Year. | General. | Special and Separate. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1914-15 | 1,484,591 | 655,495 | 2,140,086 |
| 1915-16 | 1,607,764 | 747,391 | 2,355,155 |
| 1916-17 | 1,695,572 | 838,967 | 2,534,539 |
| 1917-18 | 1,791,028 | 883,513 | 2,674,541 |
| 1918-19 | 2,028,151 | 911,455 | 2,939,606 |
| 1919-20 | 2,106,397 | 1,037,816 | 3,144,213 |
| 1920-21 | 2,338,539 | 1,211,051 | 3,549,590 |
| 1921-22 | 2,501,949 | 1,277,946 | 3,779,895 |
| 1922-23 | 2,742,828 | 1,534,953 | 4,277,781 |
| 1923-24 | 2,775,987 | 1,669,646 | 4,445,627 |
Separate rates are of two classes—"general” and “particular.” General separate rates are levied for the construction, maintenance, &c., of any public work, for the acquisition of land or buildings, or for engaging in any undertaking for the benefit of the whole or part of a local district. Particular separate rates are levied in respect of water-supply, lighting, sanitation, and libraries. Special rates are those levied as security for the repayment of loans.
It is of interest to note that for the year 1923-24 the total of all rates collected by counties was equal to £5.14 per £1,000 of rateable capital value (land and improvements). In boroughs it was £12.06; in independent town districts, £10.77; and in town districts forming parts of counties, £6.39.
Rates are not the only form of local taxation. Local authorities derive a certain amount of revenue from publicans' licenses, auctioneers' and hawkers' licenses, abattoir fees, dog-taxes, pound-taxes, tolls, &c. Sources of revenue not classed as taxation are—Rents; fines and penalties; market dues; sales of material; sales of light and power from gasworks and electric-supply works; tramway receipts; interest on deposits; wharf dues, &c.
Revenue received from the Government comprises—Rates on Crown and Native lands; timber and flax royalties; goldfields revenue and gold duty; fees and fines; subsidy on rates; one-third of receipts from lands sold on deferred payment and from perpetual leases; one-fourth of rents from small grazing-runs; other. In addition there are special grants from the General Government for various local works of a public or semi-public character. These are not considered revenue, and are included with “Receipts not revenue.”
A further class of receipts from the Government is provided by loans under the various Government Loans to Local Bodies Acts and from the New Zealand State Advances Office.
A statement of all receipts by controlling bodies of local districts from the Government during the last five financial years is given in the next table:—
| — | Year ended 31st March. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Rates on Crown and Native lands | 8,143 | 9,834 | 7,990 | 8,216 | .. |
| One-third receipts from land sold on deferred payment and from perpetual leases | 20,467 | 42,737 | 44,381 | 23,860 | 25,162 |
| One-fourth of rents from small grazing-runs | 5,655 | 7,568 | 6,068 | 5,795 | 5,527 |
| Timber and flax royalties | 3,961 | 4,900 | 5,197 | 4,476 | 4,243 |
| Goldfields revenue and gold duty | 26,565 | 20,672 | 17,095 | 21,648 | 24,622 |
| Subsidies on rates | 177,074 | 192,241 | 200,722 | 203,448 | 202,322 |
| Fees and fines | 3,067 | 4,010 | 3,729 | 4,476 | 5,619 |
| Other receipts | 18,128 | 21,030 | 32,348 | 29,105 | 33,271 |
| Total Revenue Account | 263,060 | 302,992 | 317,530 | 301,024 | 300,766 |
| Loans from Government under Government Loans to Local Bodies Acts and from New Zealand State Advances Office | 515,363 | 1,130,371 | 1,005,160 | 1,171,515 | 938,245 |
| Grants for special works. &c. | 248,110 | 304,233 | 338,594 | 236,071 | 379,728 |
| Total receipts from Government | 1,026,533 | 1,737,596 | 1,661,284 | 1,708,610 | 1,618,739 |
Of the total of £1,618,739 for 1923-24, counties received £723,984, and boroughs £503,668.
The expenditure of local governing bodies during each of the last twenty years is as follows:—
| Financial Year. | Expenditure. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| 1904-5 | 3,497,321 |
| 1905-6 | 3,601,506 |
| 1906-7 | 3,897,515 |
| 1907-8 | 4,491,113 |
| 1908-9 | 4,800,711 |
| 1909-10 | 4,898,482 |
| 1910-11 | 5,360,261 |
| 1911-12 | 6,074,372 |
| 1912-13 | 6,537,769 |
| 1913-14 | 6,796,314 |
| 1914-15 | 6,806,567 |
| 1915-16 | 6,920,736 |
| 1916-17 | 6,758,593 |
| 1917-18 | 7,103,073 |
| 1918-19 | 7,320,277 |
| 1919-20 | 10,883,586 |
| 1920-21 | 12,761,690 |
| 1921-22 | 15,091,875 |
| 1922-23 | 15,695,507 |
| 1923-24 | 16,520,950 |
The expenditure of the various classes of local governing bodies during 1923-24 is shown below in more detail:—
| — | Public Works. | Hospitals and Charitable Aid. | Management. | Interest on Loans and Overdraft. | Other. | Total Expenditure. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Included in “Public works.” | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Counties | 1,890,241 | 289,304 | 271,375 | 274,936 | 207,002 | 2,932,858 |
| Boroughs | 6,423,848 | 193,422 | 306,936 | 1,162,807 | 431,090 | 8,518,103 |
| Town districts | 146,783 | 8,208 | 25,724 | 34,073 | 13,204 | 227,992 |
| Road districts | 167,789 | 9,148 | 14,762 | 15,287 | 9,688 | 216,674 |
| River districts | 47,289 | .. | 13,101 | 9,583 | 6,770 | 76,743 |
| Land-drainage districts | 48,840 | .. | 8,108 | 17,457 | 21,826 | 96,231 |
| Electric-power districts | 1,665,628 | .. | .. | 214,716 | 71,145 | 1,951,489 |
| Water-supply districts | 2,087 | .. | 1,424 | 43 | 81 | 3;635 |
| City and suburban drainage districts | 95,438 | .. | 15,984 | 74,289 | 12,340 | 198,051 |
| Tramway districts | 190,328 | .. | * | 52,110 | 5,971 | 248,409 |
| Railway districts | 45,702 | .. | .. | 3,298 | 1,916 | 50,916 |
| Gas-lighting district | 31,977 | .. | 1,256 | 3,576 | 597 | 37,406 |
| Harbour Boards | 1,275,630 | .. | 174,445 | 428,598 | 83,770 | 1,962,443 |
| Totals | 12,031,580 | 500,082 | 833,115 | 2,290,773 | 865,400 | 16,520,950 |
Of a total expenditure of £16,520,950 during 1923-24, an amount of £12,031,580, or 72.8 per cent., was expended on public works, and £2,290,773 (13.8 per cent.) on debt charges. The item “Management expenses” does not rank very high in the aggregate, though the table following shows that in some classes of local bodies the expenses of management account for a fair percentage of the revenue:—
| — | Management Expenses as Percentage of | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue. | Total Receipts. | Expenditure. | |
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| Counties | 12.83 | 9.24 | 9.25 |
| Boroughs | 4.81 | 3.66 | 3.60 |
| Town districts (independent) | 15.52 | 9.88 | 10.87 |
| Town districts (dependent) | 23.21 | 12.64 | 12.88 |
| Road districts | 12.38 | 7.23 | 6.81 |
| River districts | 24.13 | 18.38 | 17.07 |
| Land-drainage districts | 18.85 | 13.19 | 8.42 |
| Water-supply districts | 34.89 | 34.89 | 39.17 |
| City and suburban drainage districts | 12.91 | 4.61 | 8.07 |
| Harbour Boards | 12.16 | 8.26 | 8.89 |
The tendency of the rate of management expenses to vary inversely with the magnitude of operations is strikingly illustrated in the foregoing. Boroughs, with their multifarious activities involving the receipt and expenditure of huge sums of money, show the comparatively low rate of 4.81 per cent. (on revenue), while in the case of town districts (dependent), the finances of which are on a much smaller scale, the rate is as high as 23.21 per cent. Other smaller local authorities also show a high administrative rate.
The table following gives, in respect of boroughs only, the expenditure out of loan-money during the last ten years, classified under various heads:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Streets, Footways, and Bridges. | Drainage and Sanitation. | Waterworks. | Tramways. | Abattoirs, Slaughterhouses, and Pounds. | Lighting and Power Services. | Other Public Works. | Management, Interest, and Sundries. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 153,209 | 68,061 | 70,306 | 28,889 | 5,463 | 201,651 | 58,982 | 25,098 | 611,659 |
| 1916 | 175,248 | 98,366 | 86,864 | 45,390 | 3,860 | 235,071 | 78,398 | 17,818 | 741,015 |
| 1917 | 98,595 | 92,677 | 84,012 | 21,497 | 14,970 | 130,489 | 60,902 | 16,794 | 519,936 |
| 1918 | 72,290 | 86,346 | 45,917 | 6,880 | .. | 104,359 | 57,086 | 12,571 | 385,449 |
| 1919 | 92,923 | 62,710 | 40,593 | .. | 671 | 68,276 | 34,014 | 5,163 | 304,350 |
| 1920 | 109,858 | 77,471 | 49,383 | 1,231,571 | .. | 84,283 | 100,248 | 286 | 1,653,100 |
| 1921 | 227,774 | 118,730 | 95,107 | 93,113 | 5,141 | 158,473 | 128,152 | 8,437 | 834,927 |
| 1922 | 229,495 | 217,503 | 174,514 | 116,799 | 52 | 605,019 | 107,142 | 47,347 | 1,497,871 |
| 1923 | 455,105 | 295,920 | 194,472 | 99,750 | 1,616 | 814,177 | 276,810 | .. | 2,137,850 |
| 1924 | 389,840 | 306,089 | 163,942 | 192,655 | 22,273 | 514,312 | 292,145 | .. | 1,881,256 |
The assets and liabilities of local governing bodies at the end of the financial year 1923-24 are as shown in the table following. The figures shown in the column “Other assets” are taken from the respective balance-sheets, but are far from complete. In a number of cases no assets whatever are shown, while in others nothing is included for the reserves held. These totals can be taken as an approximate and conservative indication only of the property held in addition to the actual cash assets.
| — | Assets. | Liabilities. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Assets. | Other Assets (as estimated in published Balance-sheets). | Loans (excluding Government Loans and those from the State Advances Office). | Loans from State Advances Office. (Net Indebtedness on 31st March, 1923). | Inscribed Stock, i.e., Loans from Treasury under Loans to Local Bodies Acts. (Estimated Present Indebtedness.) | Liabilities other than the Loans included in preceding Columns (Bank Overdrafts, Temporary Loans, Outstanding Accounts, &c.). | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Counties | 1,205,652 | 1,496,300 | 1,761,240 | 2,126,931 | 616,411 | 554,914 |
| Boroughs | 3,750,608 | 22,536,102 | 17,343,511 | 2,255,506 | 466,870 | 1,731,577 |
| Town districts | 83,233 | 545,195 | 375,944 | 288,657 | 5,927 | 43,373 |
| Road districts | 80,511 | 129,780 | 201,587 | 82,588 | 23,300 | 24,053 |
| River districts | 27,896 | 44,775 | 66,766 | 37,886 | 32,861 | 20,786 |
| Land-drainage districts | 46,963 | 51,920 | 96,791 | 167,036 | 44,987 | 10,430 |
| Electric-power districts | 1,071,605 | 3,696,507 | 4,624,368 | .. | .. | 249,982 |
| City and suburban drainage districts | 200,207 | 700,728 | 1,420,572 | 155 | .. | 25,475 |
| Water-supply districts | 663 | 1,385 | 14,988 | 1,474 | 514 | 229 |
| Tramway districts | 345,488 | 1,244,577 | 997,418 | .. | .. | 11,090 |
| Railway districts | 2,301 | 118,908 | 28,314 | .. | .. | 38,568 |
| Gas-lighting district | .. | 76,286 | 62,640 | .. | .. | 7,446 |
| Harbour Boards | 1,403,992 | 12,808,711 | 7,631,275 | 153,296 | .. | 341,925 |
| Totals | 8,219,119 | 43,451,174 | 34,625,414 | 5,113,529 | 1,190,870 | 3,059,848 |
In the following table details of the estimated assets (other than cash assets) of boroughs are given for the five years 1920-24.
| Assets. | Year ended 31st March. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Reserves, public parks, gardens, &c. | 1,544,206 | 1,631,277 | 1,840,149 | 2,040,103 | 1,986,622 |
| Endowments | 2,110,303 | 2,226,999 | 2,236,505 | 2,314,008 | 2,327,339 |
| Town halls, libraries, and fittings | 728,513 | 799,310 | 855,144 | 842,909 | 922,204 |
| Other premises, plant, tools, and implements | 818,118 | 815,872 | 886,734 | 1,015,901 | 1,057,932 |
| Gasworks | 979,551 | 1,112,3731 | 1,200,539 | 1,184,195 | 1,174,001 |
| Electrical works | 1,971,639 | 2,290,727 | 3,125,991 | 2,796,322 | 3,248,975 |
| Tramways | 2,373,493 | 2,818,650 | 3,129,018 | 3,264,632 | 3,557,113 |
| Abattoirs and saleyards | 178,866 | 197,437 | 188,468 | 187,064 | 224,050 |
| Drainage, sewerage, and water systems | 3,986,646 | 4,673,602 | 4,963,930 | 5,361,674 | 6,191,211 |
| Other assets | 2,260,775 | 1,803,627 | 1,890,275 | 1,744,560 | 1,846,653 |
| Totals | 16,952,110 | 18,369,874 | 20,316,753 | 20,751,368 | 22,536,102 |
During the five years 1919-20 to 1923-24 the fixed assets of boroughs have increased by £5,583,992, or 33 per cent. The growth is seen to pertain chiefly to gas and electrical works, tramways, and drainage and water systems, thus indicating the modern trend of municipal activity.
The outstanding loans of local bodies at the end of each of the last twenty years are shown in the following table:—
| As at 31st March. | Debentures and Stock in Circulation. | Loans from State Advances Office. | Inscribed Debt | Total Debt. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Debt. | Net Debt. | Gross Debt. | Net Debt. | Gross Debt. | Present Indebtedness. | Gross Debt. | Net Debt. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1905 | 10,018,242 | 9,005,196 | .. | .. | 2,038,494 | 1,621,491 | 12,056,736 | 10,626,687 |
| 1906 | 10,718,051 | 9,722,081 | .. | .. | 2,155,114 | 1,679,958 | 12,873,165 | 11,402,039 |
| 1907 | 11,616,048 | 10,536,565 | .. | .. | 2,287,105 | 1,748,086 | 13,903,153 | 12,284,651 |
| 1908 | 12,532,334 | 11,343,352 | .. | .. | 2,399,017 | 1,798,834 | 14,931,351 | 13,142,186 |
| 1909 | 13,303,622 | 12,184,409 | .. | .. | 2,617,135 | 1,943,728 | 15,920,757 | 14,128,137 |
| 1910 | 14,037,685 | 13,765,802 | .. | .. | 2,872,232 | 2,119,023 | 17,809,917 | 15,884,825 |
| 1911 | 15,727,613 | 14,462,770 | 405,195 | 404,163 | 2,972,795 | 2,173,293 | 19,105,603 | 17,040,226 |
| 1912 | 16,590,877 | 15,161,727 | 1,195,680 | 1,186,611 | 2,985,998 | 2,169,447 | 20,772,555 | 18,517,785 |
| 1913 | 17,483,332 | 15,882,926 | 1,740,925 | 1,711,797 | 2,988,298 | 2,168,252 | 22,212,555 | 19,782,975 |
| 1914 | 18,923,482 | 17,202,764 | 2,063,005 | 2,007,797 | 2,842,150 | 2,079,570 | 23,828,637 | 21,290,131 |
| 1915 | 19,454,475 | 17,602,609 | 2,399,420 | 2,312,754 | 2,780,492 | 1,975,860 | 24,634,387 | 21,891,283 |
| 1916 | 20,754,168 | 18,822,896 | 2,680,245 | 2,562,970 | 2,728,174 | 1,872,990 | 26,162,587 | 23,258,856 |
| 1917 | 21,432,767 | 19,277,706 | 2,836,055 | 2,676,407 | 2,690,412 | 1,795,080 | 26,959,234 | 23,749,193 |
| 1918 | 22,260,537 | 19,782,845 | 2,962,190 | 2,762,900 | 2,630,244 | 1,681,330 | 27,852,971 | 24,227,075 |
| 1919 | 22,673,712 | 19,922,153 | 3,095,740 | 2,846,837 | 2,554,401 | 1,552,423 | 28,323,853 | 24,321,413 |
| 1920 | 24,608,293 | 21,917,235 | 3,406,290 | 3,108,453 | 2,471,191 | 1,466,727 | 30,485,774 | 26,492,420 |
| 1921 | 26,186,960 | 23,230,084 | 3,852,465 | 3,492,374 | 2,425,623 | 1,415,567 | 32,465,048 | 28,138,025 |
| 1922 | 30,266,204 | 27,018,370 | 4,557,545 | 4,097,095 | 2,381,790 | 1,328,174 | 37,205,539 | 32,443,639 |
| 1923 | 36,079,382 | 32,164,674 | 5,262,400 | 4,770,135 | 2,341,667 | 1,244,969 | 43,683,449 | 38,179,778 |
| 1924 | 39,110,000 | 34,625,414 | 5,701,835 | 5,113,529 | 2,314,304 | 1,190,870 | 47,126,139 | 40,929,813 |
The net indebtedness of local governing bodies on account of outstanding loans has increased in the twenty years 1903-4 to 1923-24 from £7,975,320 to £34,625,414, exclusive of moneys borrowed from the Government, which represented a further indebtedness of £6,304,399 at the end of March, 1924, made up as follows: Inscribed debt—i.e., debentures under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, 1882, converted—amounts borrowed from the Treasury under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Acts, £1,190,870; and loans from the New Zealand State Advances Office, £5,113,529.
Of the total net indebtedness of £40,929,813 at the 31st March, 1924, boroughs were responsible for no less than £20,395,529, which represents 10.99 per cent. of their rateable capital value. In the case of counties, which have a much less per capita expenditure on public works, the percentage is only 1.59. As may be expected, it is higher in independent town districts, the figure being 7.65.
The following table shows, per head of the population, the gross debt of local governing bodies and the annual charge thereon for the years 1894-95 to 1923-24:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Estimated or Census Population. | Gross Debt. | Annual Loan Charge | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount. | Rate per Head. | Amount. | Rate per Head. | ||||||
| £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | £ | s. | d. | ||
| 1895 | 731,468 | 7,422,306 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 431,931 | 0 | 11 | 10 |
| 1896 | 743,376 | 7,547,511 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 439,253 | 0 | 11 | 10 |
| 1897 | 757,503 | 7,675,814 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 439,057 | 0 | 11 | 7 |
| 1898 | 771,568 | 7,783,445 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 442,676 | 0 | 11 | 5 |
| 1899 | 786,530 | 7,995,400 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 446,697 | 0 | 11 | 4 |
| 1900 | 798,471 | 8,149,272 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 453,186 | 0 | 11 | 4 |
| 1901 | 815,862 | 8,785,303 | 10 | 15 | 4 | 474,163 | 0 | 11 | 7 |
| 1902 | 833,139 | 9,245,364 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 497,565 | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| 1903 | 857,993 | 9,886,676 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 516,670 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 1904 | 882,100 | 10,756,062 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 556,193 | 0 | 12 | 7 |
| 1905 | 908,116 | 12,056,736 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 617,147 | 0 | 13 | 7 |
| 1906 | 933,114 | 12,873,165 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 654,500 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 1907 | 961,598 | 13,903,153 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 704,335 | 0 | 14 | 8 |
| 1908 | 985,320 | 14,931,351 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 752,949 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| 1909 | 1,016,063 | 15,920,757 | 15 | 13 | 4 | 803,194 | 0 | 15 | 9 |
| 1910 | 1,035,212 | 17,809,917 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 895,059 | 0 | 17 | 3 |
| 1911 | 1,056,199 | 19,105,603 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 960,810 | 0 | 18 | 2 |
| 1912 | 1,081,344 | 20,772,555 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 1,064,251 | 0 | 19 | 8 |
| 1913 | 1,111,589 | 22,212,555 | 19 | 19 | 8 | 1,104,474 | 0 | 19 | 10 |
| 1914 | 1,139,668 | 23,828,637 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 1,195,288 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 1915 | 1,150,386 | 24,634,387 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 1,238,065 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 1916 | 1,150,250 | 26,162,587 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 1,339,420 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 1917 | 1,150,938 | 26,959,234 | 23 | 8 | 6 | 1,393,394 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 1918 | 1,154,559 | 27,852,971 | 24 | 2 | 6 | 1,459,606 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 1919 | 1,178,406 | 28,323,853 | 24 | 0 | 9 | 1,489,890 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 1920 | 1,236,915 | 30,485,774 | 24 | 12 | 11 | 1,633,341 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| 1921 | 1,267,498 | 32,465,048 | 25 | 12 | 3 | 1,755,951 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
| 1922 | 1,301,251 | 37,205,539 | 28 | 11 | 10 | 2,133,764 | 1 | 12 | 9 |
| 1923 | 1,325,301 | 43,683,449 | 32 | 18 | 11 | 2,579,571 | 1 | 18 | 11 |
| 1924 | 1,347,853 | 47,126,139 | 34 | 19 | 3 | 2,798,645 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
Since 1898 there has been an uninterrupted increase not only in the total debt but also in the rate per head. The annual charge for loans shows a similar growth. Within the last ten years the local-body debt has almost doubled, while the increase during 1922-23 (£6,477,910) was greater than in any previous year, being as great as £4 7s. 1d. per head. Boroughs with over three millions, and Electric-power Boards with one and. a half millions, were the principal contributories to this phenomenal increase. The year 1923-24 was marked by a decrease in borrowing activities, in spite of which, however, the sum of £3,442,690 was added to the debt.
The loans outstanding, other than Government loans, at the end of the financial year 1923-24 are shown below, classified according to various rates of interest and as to whether domiciled in New Zealand or abroad:—
| Rate of Interest: Per Cent. | Domiciled in New Zealand. | Domiciled in United Kingdom. | Domiciled in Australia. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Under 4 per cent | 32,706 | 300 | .. | 33,006 |
| 4 per cent. | 2,059,946 | 2,050,500 | 510,000 | 4,620,446 |
| 4 1/4 per cent. | 1,027,105 | 168,800 | 85,000 | 1,280,905 |
| 4 1/2 per cent. | 4,159,994 | 1,822,025 | 655,950 | 6,637,969 |
| 4 3/4 per cent. | 183,150 | .. | 336,740 | 519,890 |
| 5 per cent. | 3,920,790 | 2,264,000 | 236,480 | 6,421,270 |
| 5 1/8 per cent. | 64,500 | .. | .. | 64,500 |
| 5 1/4 per cent. | 4,716,603 | .. | 3,250 | 4,719,853 |
| 5 1/2 per cent. | 4,063,564 | 954,723 | 249,819 | 5,268,106 |
| 5 5/8 per cent. | 50,000 | .. | .. | 50,000 |
| 5 3/4 per cent. | 566,178 | .. | 48,200 | 614,378 |
| 6 per cent. | 4,642,331 | 1,409,500 | 166,530 | 6,218,361 |
| 6 1/2 per cent. | 1,107,666 | 823,000 | 137,950 | 2,068,616 |
| 6 3/4 per cent. | 60,000 | .. | .. | 60,000 |
| 7 per cent. | 14,000 | .. | 518,700 | 532,700 |
| Totals | 26,668,533 | 9,492,848 | 2,948,619 | 39,110,000 |
A further table is given showing for each of the last twenty years the amount of the debt domiciled in New Zealand and elsewhere, other than loans from the General Government. Columns are added showing the interest payable and the average rate of interest per cent. It will be noticed that the amount of outstanding loans shown to have been raised in New Zealand was only a small percentage of the total at the end of the first of the twenty financial years shown, but increased gradually at first, and rapidly later, till at the end of the year 1912-13 it was nearly £3,000,000 in excess of the amount domiciled abroad. From 1914-15 the proportion domiciled in New Zealand mounted rapidly, until at the 31st March, 1924, it represented 69 per cent. of the total.
| Financial Year. | Domiciled in New Zealand. | Domiciled Abroad. | Total Indebtedness. | Annual Interest Payable. | Average Rate per Cent. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1904-5 | 3,479,642 | 5,638,600 | 10,018,242 | 487,145 | 4.86 |
| 1905-6 | 5,250,551 | 5,467,500 | 10,718,051 | 515,188 | 4.81 |
| 1906-7 | 6,145,548 | 5,470,500 | 11,616,048 | 548,387 | 4.72 |
| 1907-8 | 7,246,834 | 5,285,500 | 12,532,334 | 587,564 | 4.69 |
| 1908-9 | 7,785,922 | 5,517,700 | 13,303,622 | 616,330 | 4.63 |
| 1909-10 | 7,967,385 | 6,970,300 | 14,937,685 | 684,630 | 4.58 |
| 1910-11 | 8,254,313 | 7,473,300 | 15,727,613 | 715,289 | 4.55 |
| 1911-12 | 9,574,527 | 7,016,350 | 16,590,877 | 748,805 | 4.51 |
| 1912-13 | 10,134,782 | 7,348,550 | 17,483,332 | 787,827 | 4.51 |
| 1913-14 | 10,106,082 | 8,817,400 | 18,923,482 | 855,063 | 4.52 |
| 1914-15 | 10,998,775 | 8,455,700 | 19,454,475 | 870,992 | 4.48 |
| 1915-16 | 12,793,543 | 7,960,620 | 20,754,168 | 948,511 | 4.57 |
| 1916-17 | 13,218,617 | 8,214,155 | 21,432,767 | 983,408 | 4.59 |
| 1917-18 | 14,096,187 | 8,164,350 | 22,260,537 | 1,034,272 | 4.64 |
| 1918-19 | 14,749,763 | 7,923,940 | 22,673,712 | 1,048,999 | 4.63 |
| 1919-20 | 16,854,725 | 7,753,579 | 24,608,295 | 1,137,057 | 4.62 |
| 1920-21 | 17,737,891 | 8,449,069 | 26,186,960 | 1,221,549 | 4.66 |
| 1921-22 | 21,196,094 | 9,070,110 | 30,266,204 | 1,462,039 | 4.83 |
| 1922-23 | 25,688,390 | 10,370,992 | 36,059,382 | 1,827,992 | 5.06 |
| 1923-24 | 26,668,533 | 12,441,467 | 39,110,000 | 1,992,220 | 5.09 |
The average rate of interest showed a steady fall until 1914-15, since when it has risen considerably.
The total indebtedness at the end of 1923-24, excluding loans from the State Advances Office and the inscribed debt under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Acts (the latter including stock exchanged for debentures under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act), was £39,110,000, as shown on the previous page. Against this were sinking funds amounting to £4,484,586, leaving the net indebtedness, other than to the State, £34,625,414. The annual charge for interest was £1,992,220, and for sinking fund £413,369. The net indebtedness to the State Advances Office was £5,113,529, representing loans originally amounting to £5,701,835. The instalments of principal and interest on this amounted to an annual charge of £307,099. The section of this book dealing with State advances contains further information regarding State advances to local authorities.
The estimated net indebtedness under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Acts, including inscribed stock exchanged for debentures under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, 1882, was £1,190,870 at the end of the year. This debt is decreasing yearly, and will be extinguished in course of time. The amount outstanding is repayable by annual instalments of £285,957.
From tables presented earlier in this section it is evident that the loan liabilities of local authorities during recent years have risen very considerably. Within the last decade the total net indebtedness has almost doubled, having risen from £21,290,131 in 1914 to £40,929,813 in 1924. All classes of local bodies have participated in this great increase, although boroughs, which are responsible for practically half of the total debt, show the greatest movement.
As against this growing debt, however, it should not be overlooked that the assets of local authorities have undergone at least as great an augmentation. This is brought out in the table below, which shows (a) for all local bodies, and (b) for boroughs only, both the actual and relative increase in the net indebtedness on account of loans and in assets since 1915. For the purpose of showing relative movements each item in 1915 is represented as 1,000; and subsequent increases or decreases are shown as a proportion of this base number. In the case of boroughs, the amount of inscribed debt, which is not available separately for the earlier years of the table, has been omitted. The net liability under this heading at 31st March, 1924, was £466,870.
| Year ended 31st March | (a) All Local Bodies. | (b) Boroughs only. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Loan Indebtedness. | Index No. | Assets. | Index No. | Net Loan Indebtedness. | Index No. | Assets. | Index No. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||
| 1915 | 21,891,283 | 1000 | 26,149,182 | 1000 | 10,492,268 | 1000 | 13,900,549 | 1000 |
| 1916 | 23,258,856 | 1063 | 28,468,179 | 1089 | 11,406,126 | 1089 | 15,286,325 | 1100 |
| 1917 | 23,749,193 | 1086 | 29,946,457 | 1145 | 11,831,780 | 1128 | 16,335,731 | 1176 |
| 1918 | 24,227,075 | 1107 | 29,263,695 | 1119 | 12,194,940 | 1163 | 16,584,774 | 1193 |
| 1919 | 24,321,413 | 1111 | 28,606,307 | 1094 | 12,275,657 | 1171 | 15,800,458 | 1137 |
| 1920 | 26,492,420 | 1210 | 31,940,487 | 1221 | 13,721,374 | 1308 | 18,176,050 | 1308 |
| 1921 | 28,138,025 | 1286 | 36,546,900 | 1397 | 14,275,988 | 1362 | 19,682,278 | 1416 |
| 1922 | 32,443,639 | 1482 | 41,521,136 | 1587 | 16,156,017 | 1540 | 22,302,836 | 1604 |
| 1923 | 38,179,778 | 1744 | 47,190,428 | 1804 | 19,422,886 | 1852 | 24,610,151 | 1770 |
| 1924 | 40,929,813 | 1870 | 51,670,293 | 1976 | 19,470,441 | 1857 | 26,286,710 | 1891 |
The net debt of all local bodies in 1915 on account of debentures and stock in circulation was £17,602,689, and in 1924 £34,625,414. Loans from the Government in the same years amounted to £4,288,614 and £6,304,399. In all, therefore, the net debt has risen during the period from £21,891,283 to £40,929,813, an increase of 87 per cent. Assets, on the other hand, have grown from £26,149,182 in 1915 to £51,670,293 in 1924, representing an advance of 97 per cent. Turning to boroughs, it is seen that the loan indebtedness has increased by £8,978,173 (85 per cent.), and assets by £12,386,161 (89 per cent.). It is obvious from the foregoing that both relatively and absolutely the increase in assets has been greater than in loans.
Graphing the above figures relating to all local bodies, the following result is obtained:—
Broadly speaking, the curves representing loan indebtedness and assets are seen to follow a practically identical course, the steeper grade in the latter since 1922 indicating the greater relative increase in assets. The slight fall in assets between 1917 and 1919 is due to small cash balances as compared with previous years.
Some indication of the character of the assets which have contributed most to the advance may be obtained from a perusal of the table of assets given on page 640. The greatest development is seen to have occurred in drainage, sewerage, and water systems, electrical works, and tramway services.
Although the yearly loan statistics compiled from the annual returns of local governing bodies are on a high plane of completeness, no information has hitherto been available in regard to current borrowing activities throughout the year. Neither was it possible to ascertain the amount of unexpended loan balances held by local authorities at any given date. To cope with the demand for information under these headings a system of quarterly loan statistics was recently instituted, rendering it incumbent upon local authorities to furnish particulars of amounts raised during each quarter. A summary of the results obtained from a collection of these statistics for the June quarter of 1925 is given below.
| Class of Local Body. | Unexpired and Unexercised Authorities at 31st March, 1925. | Amount Authorized during Quarter ended 30th June, 1925. | Total of two Preceding Columns. | Amount raised during Quarter ended 30th June, 1925. | Authorities cancelled or expired during Quarter ended 30th June, 1925. | Balance Unexpired and Unexercised at 30th June, 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Counties | 1,153,278 | 487,156 | 1,640,434 | 130,658 | 73,694 | 1,436,082 |
| Boroughs | 5,162,676 | 238,594 | 5,401,270 | 379,502 | 1,550 | 5,020,218 |
| Town districts | 124,949 | 18,375 | 143,324 | 26,950 | .. | 116,374 |
| Road districts | 193,000 | .. | 193,000 | 34,400 | .. | 158,600 |
| River districts | 31,485 | .. | 31,485 | .. | .. | 31,485 |
| Land-drainage districts | 51,428 | 6,150 | 57,578 | 1,800 | .. | 55,778 |
| City and suburban & drainage districts | 605,900 | .. | 605,900 | 62,000 | .. | 543,900 |
| Tramway districts | 15,150 | 20,000 | 35,150 | 10,000 | .. | 25,150 |
| Electric-power districts | 1,937,027 | 575,050 | 2,512,077 | 608,300 | 115,000 | 1,788,777 |
| Harbour Boards | 2,478,350 | 765,000 | 3,243,350 | 199,900 | .. | 3,043,450 |
| Totals | 11,753,243 | 2,110,325 | 13,863,568 | 1,453,510 | 190,244 | 12,219,814 |
Of the unexpired loan balance of £12,219,814 at 30th June, 1925, boroughs were responsible for £5,020,218, or approximately two-fifths of the total, Harbour Boards coming next with £3,043,450—a little less than one-quarter of the total.
Table of Contents
THE system of separately assessing the value of the land itself and the value of the buildings and improvements effected thereon was first put into practice in New Zealand for the purposes of State taxation on the passing of the Land-tax Act, 1878, under which a tax was levied on land-values, the impost being 1/2d. in the pound on the capital value of real estate, less the assessed value of the improvements.
The Land-tax Act, 1878, was superseded by the Property-tax Act, 1879, which provided for the levy of a uniform tax of 1d. in the pound on the capital value of all property—real and personal—above the amount of £500 in value.
The Property-tax Act, 1879, was in its turn superseded by the Land and Income Assessment Act, 1891. Under this enactment a land-tax was imposed on land and mortgages of land, with an exemption for improvements on land up to £3,000. An exemption from income-tax was also allowed on all incomes derived from land and mortgages of land.
Two years later, under the provisions of the Land and Income Assessment Acts Amendment Act, 1893, all improvements on land were entirely exempted.
An endeavour to extend the principle of general exclusion of improvements to local taxation resulted in the passing of the Rating on Unimproved Value Act, 1896, which gave local authorities the option of deciding that equivalent rates on the unimproved values of lands in their jurisdiction should be substituted for the rates levied on the full capital values or on the annual values.
The valuing of land up to the year 1896 was not conducted on a uniform basis. Each State Department and each local authority worked quite independently, and employed as valuers whom it thought fit. The Land-tax Department periodically employed a small army of temporary valuers when it required a new valuation of lands for taxation purposes, and each local authority had its own particular method of making up its roll for the levying of rates. Estimates of values arrived at by various authorities varied to a dangerous degree. Some values were very high, being based on speculative prices, while many were extremely low. Frequently the same property had several values assigned to it.
In order to overcome as far as possible the obvious defects of the old system it was decided to establish a new system of valuation, by which all valuations required by State Departments—whether for loan, taxation, or other purposes—and by local authorities that rate on the capital or unimproved value, should be made by valuers employed by the State at fixed salaries and responsible to the Government alone.
The Government Valuation of Land Act, 1896, was in due course passed. This Act provided for the setting-up of a separate Department of State charged with the duty of estimating the values of real estate in the Dominion for taxation and other purposes of the General Government and for local-rating purposes.
The existing law relating to the valuation of land in New Zealand is contained in the Valuation of Land Act, 1925, which is a consolidation of previous legislation on the subject.
The work of the Valuation Department is directed by the Valuer-General. The actual work of valuation is done by District Valuers and assistant valuers. The former are permanent officers, while the latter are temporarily employed to make valuations at such times and on such terms and conditions as are found necessary. Assistant valuers are remunerated by fees.
A valuation made by an assistant valuer or local valuer is subject to endorsement by the District Valuer before it is accepted by the Valuer-General.
The essential qualifications of a valuer who is employed in a country district are local knowledge of land-values and a practical knowledge of farming pursuits, both agricultural and pastoral, and of values of improvements. A valuer who is employed in a city or suburban district must have a special knowledge of building-construction and of the values of all kinds of improvements in addition to a knowledge of land-values.
The Dominion is divided for administrative purposes into convenient valuation districts, to each of which is assigned a District Valuer, whose functions are not, however, confined to a specific district, but may be exercised in such districts as the Valuer-General from time to time directs.
The duty of a valuer is to examine each property and to estimate to the best of his ability (1) the unimproved value of the land contained therein, (2) the value of the buildings (if any) or other improvements (if any) upon such land, and (3) the “capital value” of the property.
The definition of “land” in the Valuation of Land Act is as follows: “‘I and’ means all land, tenements, and hereditaments, whether corporeal or incorporeal, in New Zealand, and all chattel or other interests therein, and all timber or flax growing or standing thereon: Provided that native bush or trees which have been planted for shelter or ornamental or utility purposes shall not be included in the definition of land.”
“Unimproved value” is defined in the Valuation of Land Act, 1925, as follows: “‘Unimproved value’ of any land means the sum which the owner's estate or interest therein, if unencumbered by any mortgage or other charge thereon, might be expected to realize at the time of valuation if offered for sale on such reasonable terms and conditions as a bona fide seller might be expected to impose, and if no improvements had been made on the said land.”
Under the New Zealand law the increased value attaching to any piece of land which is due to the successful working of other lands in the district, or to State expenditure on public works, or to the general prosperity and development of the country, forms portion of the “unimproved value.” Any increased value, however, which is represented by the improvements effected by the individual possessor, either past or present, does not form part of the “unimproved value.”
Valuers are enjoined not to strain after high values, nor to accept isolated “boom” prices, values involved in exchanges of land, or special prices paid for land under exceptional circumstances, as a standard of value, but to determine the value neither above nor below the fair selling-value in view of the many and diverse purposes for which the values are used.
The Valuation of Land Act defines “improvements” as follows: “‘Improvements’ on land means all work done or material used at any time on or for the benefit of the land by the expenditure of capital or labour by any owner or occupier thereof in so far as the effect of the work done or material used is to increase the value of the land, and the benefit thereof is unexhausted at the time of valuation; but does not include work done or material used on or for the benefit of the land by the Crown or by any statutory public body, except so far as the same has been paid for by the owner or occupier either by way of direct contribution or by way of special rates on loans raised for the purpose of constructing within a county any road, bridge, irrigation-works, water-races, drainage-works, or river-protection works: Provided that the value of improvements made out of loan-moneys raised for the purpose of constructing within a county any road, bridge, irrigation-works, water-races, drainage-works, or river-protection works as aforesaid shall not exceed the amount of principal estimated by the Valuer-General to have been repaid by the owner in respect of any such loan by way of special rates.”
Subject to the limitations contained in the above definition, all buildings, fencing, planting, draining, constructing of private roads and water-races, clearing of timber, &c., permanent grassing, and all other work of a permanent nature effected upon or for the benefit of land are improvements. No work can, however, be considered an improvement if the benefit thereof is exhausted at the date of valuation.
The Valuation of Laud Act defines “value of improvements” as “the added value which at the date of valuation the improvements give to the land.”
“Capital value” is defined as follows: “‘Capital value’ of land means the sum which the owner's estate or interest therein, if unencumbered by any mortgage or other charge thereon, might be expected to realize at the time of valuation if offered for sale on such reasonable terms and conditions as a bona fide seller might be expected to require.”
The capital value is the fair selling-value in the open market, but not the auction value or value derivable at a forced sale.
Land containing or supposed to contain oil, coal, or other mineral deposits is valued as for the surface use only, and is of the same unimproved value as similar land in the neighbourhood (always without any regard to speculative mineral value) until the oil or minerals are produced, when the profits (if any) will be duly valued.
The Valuation of Land Act directs that a valuation roll shall be prepared for each district setting forth in respect of each separate property the following particulars:—
(a.) The name of the owner of the land and the nature of his estate or interest therein, together with the name of the beneficial owner in the case of land held in trust:
(b.) The name of the occupier within the meaning of the Rating Act:
(c.) The situation, description, and area of the land:
(d.) The nature and value of the improvements on the land:
(e.) The unimproved value of the land:
(f.) The capital value of the land:
(g.) Such other particulars as are prescribed.
The district valuation roll so long as it continues in force is by law the roll from which the valuation roll of every local authority rating on the capital or on the unimproved value is framed.
The district valuation rolls may be revised by the Valuer-General as at such date or dates as the Governor-General in Council from time to time directs, and the revision may relate either to all the properties on a valuation roll or to any of them. There are no fixed periods between one general revision and the next—the periods vary from two years in recently settled districts to three years or more in old-established districts. The necessity for revision really depends upon the extent to which values have moved since the last revision.
After the values in a district have been revised a new valuation roll is prepared, and the Valuer-General addresses to each person whose name appears thereon a notice setting forth the values at which his property is entered, and naming a date on or before which all objections to the values must be lodged. An objection to the valuation must be made in writing.
The Valuer-General refers objections to values to the District Valuer to enable him to review valuations before the sitting of the Assessment Court. If after careful reconsideration by the District Valuer it is decided that an objection shall be allowed or a reasonable compromise effected, the valuation is altered accordingly. On the other hand, if the Valuer-General is in possession of evidence that the valuer's estimates are fair, but the objector will not accept them, the objection is heard and determined by the Assessment Court.
The Assessment Court consists of three members, of whom one—the President— is a barrister or solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, appointed by the Governor-General in Council. Of the other two members of the Court, one member is appointed by the Governor-General in Council, and the other by the local authority of the district whose roll has been revised, or by two or more local authorities acting in unison, provided the appointee is not a member or a paid officer of any local authority. If the local authority fails to appoint an assessor, then the appointment is made by the Governor-General in Council. If the objection is allowed, the reduction is immediately entered on the valuation roll. If the objection is disallowed, the owner may, within fourteen days after the hearing by the Assessment Court, give notice to the Valuer-General that he requires the capital value to be reduced to the value which be (the objector) considers to be the fair selling-value as specified in his notice, or the land to be acquired on behalf of His Majesty at that value.
If the Valuer-General is of opinion that the Assessment Court has made an unfair reduction in a valuation he may, within fourteen days of the hearing, require the owner to consent to what he (the Valuer-General) considers is the fair selling capital value, and, failing such consent being given within thirty days after notice is delivered at his address, he may, with the approval of the Governor-General in Council, acquire the property at that value on behalf of His Majesty.
The decision of the Assessment Court on any objection before it is subject to appeal to the Supreme Court on a question of law. On all other questions the decision of the Assessment Court is final.
General valuations of land for the whole of New Zealand were made periodically up to the year 1897-98. Since that year no general valuations for the whole Dominion have been made, but portions are revalued from time to time. The figures in the following table, showing valuations over a number of years, therefore represent general valuations up to 1897 only, while for subsequent years the figures have been revised to include the latest valuations of small divisions.
In the twenty-four years from 1878 to 1902 the value, both of unimproved land and of improvements, increased by slightly over 50 per cent. In the twenty-two years from 1902 to 1924, as the effect of a long period of prosperity, the total valuations have more than trebled.
| Year. | Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (included in previous Column). |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| 1878 | 99,566,679 | 62,573,868 |
| 1882 | 101,000,000 | .. |
| 1885 | 113,270,649 | .. |
| 1888 | 111,137,714 | 75,497,379 |
| 1891 | 122,225,029 | 75,832,465 |
| 1897 | 138,591,347 | 84,401,244 |
| 1902 | 154,816,132 | 94,847,727 |
| 1905 | 197,684,475 | 122,937,126 |
| 1907 | 236,644,536 | 149,682,689 |
| 1909 | 271,516,022 | 172,759,948 |
| 1910 | 277,630,083 | 175,289,861 |
| 1911 | 293,117,065 | 184,062,798 |
| 1912 | 315,503,213 | 199,184,261 |
| 1913 | 340,559,728 | 212,963,468 |
| 1914 | 365,342,237 | 228,493,376 |
| 1915 | 371,076,683 | 230,705,147 |
| 1916 | 389,164,729 | 241,322,255 |
| 1917 | 405,466,071 | 251,087,708 |
| 1918 | 421,383,373 | 260,921,812 |
| 1919 | 445,533,445 | 275,988,409 |
| 1920 | 470,093,697 | 290,880,264 |
| 1921 | 518,584,318 | 317,631,245 |
| 1922 | 544,503,376 | 329,174,337 |
| 1923 | 553,403,794 | 330,790,991 |
| 1924 | 568,500,653 | 333,869,581 |
Information covering the last ten years as to the gross capital and unimproved values in the North and South Islands and in the whole Dominion is given in the following table, which also shows the separate totals for counties, boroughs, and town districts (independent of county jurisdiction).
| Year. | Number. | North Island. | South Island.* | New Zealand. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (included in previous Column). | Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (included In previous Column). | Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (included in previous Column). | ||
* Including Stewart Island and Chatham Islands. | |||||||
| Counties. | |||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1915 | 125 | 137,639,168 | 91,079,543 | 94,296,275 | 69,841,015 | 231,965,443 | 160,920,558 |
| 1916 | 125 | 146,242,118 | 97,379,015 | 96,811,084 | 71,199,250 | 243,053,202 | 168,578,265 |
| 1917 | 125 | 154,477,641 | 102,981,689 | 100,636,688 | 74,108,106 | 255,114,329 | 177,089,795 |
| 1918 | 125 | 164,928,221 | 109,611,569 | 103,714,879 | 76,670,835 | 268,643,100 | 186,282,404 |
| 1919 | 127 | 182,705,937 | 120,687,776 | 108,086,615 | 80,086,519 | 290,792,582 | 200,774,295 |
| 1920 | 129 | 192,504,367 | 126,201,659 | 114,988,297 | 85,947,072 | 307,492,664 | 212,148,731 |
| 1921 | 129 | 206,439,797 | 134,007,675 | 125,642,531 | 93,566,667 | 332,082,328 | 227,574,242 |
| 1922 | 129 | 210,502,471 | 135,866,105 | 127,069,782 | 94,059,679 | 337,572,253 | 229,925,784 |
| 1923 | 129 | 212,365,004 | 136,619,976 | 125,801,994 | 93,108,293 | 338,166,998 | 229,728,269 |
| 1924 | 129 | 214,571,989 | 137,323,119 | 126,047,703 | 93,131,206 | 340,619,692 | 230,454,325 |
| Boroughs. | |||||||
| 1915 | 117 | 87,671,609 | 48,150,309 | 46,638,663 | 19,396,948 | 134,310,272 | 67,547,257 |
| 1916 | 116 | 92,902,160 | 50,443,309 | 48,313,999 | 20,050,424 | 141,216,159 | 70,493,733 |
| 1917 | 115 | 96,207,345 | 51,510,819 | 48,770,852 | 20,018,500 | 144,978,197 | 71,529,319 |
| 1918 | 118 | 97,648,139 | 51,772,269 | 49,660,419 | 20,358,456 | 147,308,558 | 72,130,725 |
| 1919 | 117 | 98,620,644 | 51,910,886 | 50,615,526 | 20,737,636 | 149,136,170 | 72,648,522 |
| 1920 | 116 | 103,409,093 | 53,707,077 | 52,511,730 | 21,877,277 | 155,920,823 | 75,584,354 |
| 1921 | 117 | 119,091,896 | 61,297,945 | 60,050,052 | 25,330,805 | 179,141,948 | 86,628,750 |
| 1922 | 118 | 137,157,309 | 70,173,035 | 62,096,949 | 25,594,465 | 199,254,258 | 95,767,500 |
| 1923 | 118 | 142,049,548 | 71,059,184 | 64,572,622 | 26,200,198 | 206,622,170 | 97,259,382 |
| 1921 | 118 | 153,284,674 | 73,591,427 | 67,069,287 | 26,435,569 | 220,353,961 | 100,026,996 |
| Independent Town Districts. | |||||||
| 1915 | 34 | 3,916,101 | 1,854,576 | 884,867 | 382,756 | 4,800,968 | 2,237,332 |
| 1916 | 35 | 4,273,975 | 1,989,761 | 621,393 | 260,496 | 4,895,368 | 2,250,257 |
| 1917 | 36 | 4,732,948 | 2,207,633 | 640,597 | 260,961 | 5,373,545 | 2,468,694 |
| 1918 | 36 | 4,820,083 | 2,255,646 | 611,632 | 253,037 | 5,431,715 | 2,508,683 |
| 1919 | 37 | 4,941,519 | 2,301,302 | 663,174 | 264,290 | 5,604,693 | 2,565,592 |
| 1920 | 39 | 5,979,357 | 2,851,680 | 700,853 | 295,499 | 6,680,210 | 3,147,179 |
| 1921 | 36 | 6,663,746 | 3,126,936 | 696,296 | 301,317 | 7,360,042 | 3,428,253 |
| 1922 | 36 | 6,944,401 | 3,175,747 | 732,464 | 305,306 | 7,676,865 | 3,481,053 |
| 1923 | 41 | 7,747,912 | 3,457,862 | 866,714 | 345,478 | 8,614,626 | 3,803,340 |
| 1924 | 39 | 6,644,556 | 3,042,977 | 882,444 | 345,283 | 7,527,000 | 8,388,260 |
| Grand Totals. | |||||||
| 1915 | .. | 229,256,878 | 141,084,428 | 141,819,805 | 89,620,719 | 371,076,683 | 230,705,147 |
| 1916 | .. | 243,418,253 | 149,812,085 | 145,746,476 | 91,510,170 | 389,164,729 | 241,322,255 |
| 1917 | .. | 255,417,934 | 156,700,141 | 150,048,137 | 94,387,567 | 405,466,071 | 251,087,708 |
| 1918 | .. | 267,396,443 | 163,639,484 | 153,986,930 | 97,282,328 | 421,383,373 | 260,921,812 |
| 1919 | .. | 286,168,130 | 174,899,964 | 159,365,315 | 101,088,445 | 445,533,445 | 276,988,409 |
| 1920 | .. | 301,892,817 | 182,760,416 | 168,200,880 | 108,119,848 | 470,093,697 | 290,880,264 |
| 1921 | .. | 332,195,439 | 198,432,556 | 186,388,879 | 119,198,689 | 518,584,318 | 317,631,245 |
| 1922 | .. | 354,604,181 | 209,214,887 | 189,899,195 | 119,959,450 | 544,503,376 | 329,174,337 |
| 1923 | .. | 362,162,464 | 211,137,022 | 191,241,330 | 119,653,969 | 553,403,794 | 330,790,991 |
| 1924 | .. | 374,501,219 | 213,957,523 | 193,999,434 | 119,912,058 | 568,500,653 | 333,869,581 |
The values shown in the preceding table are, as stated, the gross values; they include the value not only of rateable properties, but also of churches, schools, unoccupied Crown lands, and other lands exempt from local rating. A summary of rateable values for the year 1924 is next given.
| — | North Island. | South Island.* | New Zealand. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (included in previous Column). | Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (included in previous Column). | Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (included in previous Column). | |
* Including Stewart Island and Chatham Islands. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Counties | 206,728,319 | 131,456,014 | 121,224,552 | 90,014,165 | 327,952,871 | 221,470,179 |
| Boroughs | 138,325,173 | 65,287,226 | 59,900,105 | 23,653,219 | 198,225,278 | 88,940,445 |
| Town districts (independent) | 6,202,529 | 2,863,777 | 819,424 | 323,041 | 7,021,953 | 3,186,818 |
| Totals | 351,256,021 | 199,607,017 | 181,944,081 | 113,990,425 | 533,200,102 | 313,597,442 |
As has been pointed out previously, the figures shown for 1924 and other years subsequent to 1898 do not represent general revaluations of the whole Dominion in the years shown. Revaluations are made, district by district, as circumstances permit, or as the progress of the district renders advisable. An analysis of the gross capital value shown for the year 1924 gives the following results:—
| Last revised as at April in Year | Counties. | Boroughs. | Town Districts (Independent). | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1897 | 161,627 | .. | .. | 161,627 |
| 1898 | 17,984 | 74,562 | .. | 92,546 |
| 1902 | .. | 25,239 | .. | 25,239 |
| 1904 | 169,349 | 31,042 | .. | 200,391 |
| 1905 | .. | 310,885 | .. | 310,885 |
| 1906 | .. | 314,093 | .. | 314,093 |
| 1907 | .. | 1,134,142 | .. | 1,134,142 |
| 1908 | .. | 1,329,520 | 62,943 | 1,392,463 |
| 1909 | .. | 359,979 | .. | 359,979 |
| 1910 | .. | 258,860 | .. | 258,860 |
| 1911 | 1,424,290 | 5,820,689 | .. | 7,244,979 |
| 1912 | .. | 364,099 | 358,401 | 722,500 |
| 1913 | 6,491,286 | 1,846,050 | 33,771 | 8,371,107 |
| 1914 | 4,998,010 | 4,218,256 | 986,513 | 10,202,779 |
| 1915 | 3,900,661 | .. | .. | 3,900,661 |
| 1916 | 12,588,727 | 13,295,666 | 118,167 | 26,002,560 |
| 1917 | 22,698,964 | 5,113,380 | 168,347 | 27,980,691 |
| 1918 | 30,772,653 | 4,038,672 | 547,081 | 35,358,406 |
| 1919 | 66,306,653 | 4,214,833 | 127,835 | 70,649,321 |
| 1920 | 43,607,868 | 20,056,716 | 562,664 | 64,227,248 |
| 1921 | 103,476,113 | 86,749,447 | 2,857,148 | 193,082,708 |
| 1922 | 29,828,990 | 55,243,642 | 693,524 | 85,766,156 |
| 1923 | 1,745,440 | 7,391,447 | .. | 9,136,887 |
| 1924 | 12,431,077 | 8,162,742 | 1,010,606 | 21,604,425 |
| Totals | 340,619,692 | 220,353,961 | 7,527,000 | 568,500,653 |
It should be explained that in those few cases where a borough, town district or local division of a county has been valued partly in one year and partly in another, and information is not available as to the amounts represented by the valuations in the respective years, the whole district has been included in the latest of the years shown. Napier Borough, for instance, was revised partly in 1914 and partly in 1917, but is wholly included in the 1917 figures shown above.
Those districts which have not been revalued during, say, the last ten years may be regarded as having made little or no progress since the last valuation, which has accordingly been allowed to stand. Fiord County, with a gross capital value of £144,293 and a rateable capital value of only £15,931, has not been revalued since 1897, nor have certain islands.
The gross capital and unimproved values for each county, borough, and independent town district as in 1924 are next given. The particulars for component parts of administrative counties—viz., road districts, dependent town districts, and portions of outlying country—are given in the “Annual Statistical Report on Local Government.”
| County. | Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (included in previous Column). |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Mongonui | 1,066,005 | 626,511 |
| Whangaroa | 285,809 | 179,947 |
| Bay of Islands | 1,812,116 | 1,044,235 |
| Hokianga | 1,259,823 | 759,424 |
| Whangarei | 4,774,169 | 2,282,727 |
| Hobson | 2,152,627 | 1,282,738 |
| Otamatea | 1,731,027 | 961,855 |
| Rodney | 1,795,089 | 934,888 |
| Waitemata | 3,744,622 | 2,535,529 |
| Eden | 5,618,281 | 3,058,997 |
| Manukau | 4,267,640 | 2,935,145 |
| Franklin | 5,653,520 | 3,795,499 |
| Great Barrier Island | 133,758 | 108,440 |
| Islands— | ||
| Little Barrier, Waiheke, &c. | 553,325 | 372,783 |
| Waikato | 4,796,356 | 3,401,065 |
| Raglan | 3,691,867 | 2,571,947 |
| Waipa | 5,918,326 | 4,016,079 |
| Coromandel | 690,008 | 391,620 |
| Thames | 645,532 | 431,350 |
| Hauraki Plains | 1,710,360 | 1,373,020 |
| Ohinemuri | 721,227 | 453,500 |
| Tauranga | 1,812,114 | 1,062,963 |
| Piako | 3,757,775 | 2,591,090 |
| Matamata | 3,113,140 | 1,920,379 |
| Rotorua | 1,078,003 | 652,524 |
| Whakatane | 2,236,645 | 1,507,708 |
| Taupo | 678,885 | 457,244 |
| Taumarunui | 989,559 | 720,724 |
| Ohura | 1,979,772 | 1,164,496 |
| Kawhia | 994,373 | 583,846 |
| Waitomo | 3,646,480 | 2,242,190 |
| Otorohanga | 2,177,799 | 1,484,151 |
| Islands—Motiti | 33,120 | 19,150 |
| Opotiki | 2,419,940 | 1,329,016 |
| Matakaoa | 1,072,365 | 590,936 |
| Waiapu | 3,816,620 | 2,020,738 |
| Uawa | 1,745,440 | 1,133,525 |
| Waikohu | 5,123,197 | 3,119,852 |
| Cook | 6,539,544 | 4,374,262 |
| Wairoa | 3,840,069 | 2,455,995 |
| Hawke's Bay | 10,944,318 | 8,182,926 |
| Waipawa | 2,972,580 | 2,111,831 |
| Waipukurau | 914,219 | 681,849 |
| Dannevirke | 3,389,003 | 2,232,927 |
| Woodville | 2,041,558 | 1,471,627 |
| Patangata | 4,633,092 | 3,606,384 |
| Weber | 742,743 | 490,097 |
| Clifton | 881,287 | 513,458 |
| Taranaki | 2,762,973 | 1,528,206 |
| Inglewood | 1,441,750 | 680,139 |
| Egmont | 1,661,603 | 880,444 |
| Stratford | 3,347,509 | 2,106,789 |
| Whangamomona | 1,043,893 | 564,536 |
| Waimate West | 2,100,471 | 1,541,224 |
| Eltham | 3,031,776 | 1,775,630 |
| Hawera | 4,340,504 | 3,125,575 |
| Patea | 3,614,797 | 2,383,611 |
| Waitotara | 2,727,738 | 1,844,318 |
| Waimarino | 2,429,705 | 1,409,380 |
| Wanganui | 3,107,443 | 1,838,907 |
| Rangitikei | 9,944,824 | 6,288,327 |
| Kiwitea | 3,411,782 | 2,218,526 |
| Pohangina | 1,770,878 | 1,130,205 |
| Kaitieke | 1,499,563 | 982,850 |
| Manawatu | 3,619,930 | 2,564,459 |
| Oroua | 3,182,854 | 2,119,365 |
| Kairanga | 4,853,680 | 3,364,333 |
| Horowhenua | 5,401,081 | 3,731,916 |
| Islands— | ||
| Kapiti, Mana, and Somes | 17,984 | 13,378 |
| Chatham Islands | 285,864 | 195,893 |
| Pahiatua | 2,546,134 | 1,434,361 |
| Akitio | 1,184,367 | 606,485 |
| Castlepoint | 838,941 | 542,412 |
| Eketahuna | 1,851,712 | 1,007,877 |
| Mauriceville | 539,800 | 303,375 |
| Masterton | 4,327,452 | 2,455,860 |
| Wairarapa South | 3,020,907 | 1,768,173 |
| Featherston | 4,687,106 | 2,991,466 |
| Hutt | 2,579,253 | 1,377,013 |
| Makara | 1,088,452 | 504,792 |
| Collingwood | 457,323 | 277,190 |
| Takaka | 707,678 | 393,241 |
| Waimea | 3,184,566 | 1,764,830 |
| Sounds | 799,597 | 482,189 |
| Marlborough | 5,058,604 | 3,696,688 |
| Awatere | 2,238,295 | 1,756,393 |
| Buller | 1,447,622 | 767,132 |
| Murchison | 793,279 | 485,965 |
| Inangahua | 680,210 | 339,957 |
| Grey | 1,035,355 | 634,600 |
| Westland | 1,165,358 | 819,658 |
| Kaikoura | 1,685,770 | 1,221,511 |
| Cheviot | 1,768,123 | 1,444,512 |
| Amuri | 2,597,382 | 2,106,785 |
| Waipara | 4,312,829 | 3,702,636 |
| Ashley | 1,142,991 | 916,810 |
| Kowai | 1,678,944 | 1,378,101 |
| Oxford | 1,158,512 | 950,266 |
| Rangiora | 1,805,187 | 1,468,703 |
| Eyre | 1,714,235 | 1,388,925 |
| Waimairi | 3,201,379 | 1,704,324 |
| Paparua | 2,291,221 | 1,569,082 |
| Malvern | 2,582,641 | 2,047,355 |
| Tawera | 579,884 | 482,954 |
| Heathcote | 1,431,868 | 726,665 |
| Halswell | 857,084 | 683,459 |
| Selwyn | 1,728,192 | 1,396,992 |
| Springs | 1,266,065 | 1,034,355 |
| Ellesmere | 2,780,587 | 2,321,892 |
| Mount Herbert | 730,945 | 604,353 |
| Wairewa | 1,540,849 | 1,271,144 |
| Akaroa | 2,706,935 | 2,301,920 |
| Ashburton | 11,699,083 | 9,816,371 |
| Geraldine | 3,535,465 | 2,872,644 |
| Levels | 3,667,998 | 2,966,345 |
| Mackenzie | 2,973,475 | 2,288,500 |
| Waimate | 6,755,039 | 5,549,341 |
| Waitaki | 5,288,967 | 4,082,770 |
| Maniototo | 1,472,491 | 1,035,729 |
| Waihemo | 817,860 | 598,701 |
| Waikouaiti | 1,264,352 | 803,099 |
| Peninsula | 543,003 | 292,237 |
| Taieri | 2,341,793 | 1,659,860 |
| Tuapeka | 2,439,176 | 1,689,183 |
| Bruce | 1,787,289 | 1,187,606 |
| Clutha | 3,193,330 | 1,982,813 |
| Islands— | ||
| Quarantine and Goat | 3,454 | 900 |
| Vincent | 1,629,198 | 1,065,184 |
| Lake | 551,670 | 405,261 |
| Fiord | 144,293 | 137,513 |
| Wallace | 3,703,676 | 2,565,931 |
| Southland | 14,637,488 | 9,652,300 |
| Stewart Island | 169,349 | 129,158 |
| Islands— | ||
| Antipodes, &c. | 13,880 | 13,880 |
| Borough. | Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (Included in previous Column). |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Whangarei | 1,418,996 | 601,266 |
| Dargaville | 734,343 | 265,774 |
| Birkenhead | 775,115 | 362,400 |
| Devonport | 2,359,910 | 1,002,626 |
| AUCKLAND CITY— | ||
| City Portion | 26,994,858 | 16,863,565 |
| Parnell Portion | 1,361,454 | 618,330 |
| Grey Lynn Portion | 2,231,102 | 820,912 |
| Arch Hill Portion | 243,840 | 105,115 |
| Eden Terrace Portion | 343,132 | 139,587 |
| Point Chevalier Portion | 472,579 | 202,317 |
| Epsom Portion | 1,423,828 | 610,699 |
| Remuera Portion | 4,761,738 | 2,223,793 |
| Total of City | 37,832,531 | 21,084,318 |
| Newmarket | 863,794 | 378,615 |
| Onehunga | 1,531,342 | 517,127 |
| Takapuna | 1,955,281 | 1,042,347 |
| Northcote | 558,526 | 280,561 |
| Mount Albert | 3,280,840 | 1,233,297 |
| Avondale | 928,028 | 481,867 |
| Mount Eden | 3,112,524 | 1,034,580 |
| Otahuhu | 631,449 | 271,070 |
| Pukekohe | 855,205 | 467,932 |
| Hamilton | 4,844,054 | 2,364,574 |
| Cambridge | 725,123 | 341,408 |
| Ngaruawahia | 196,418 | 94,268 |
| Te Awamutu | 621,341 | 342,546 |
| Thames | 918,119 | 332,266 |
| Tauranga | 783,462 | 416,552 |
| Paeroa | 402,975 | 192,649 |
| Waihi | 309,800 | 41,735 |
| Morrinsville | 614,360 | 292,055 |
| Te Aroha | 634,845 | 288,530 |
| Rotorua | 1,658,247 | 1,005,003 |
| Whakatane | 464,236 | 222,460 |
| Taumarunui | 454,762 | 201,204 |
| Te Kuiti | 584,334 | 332,998 |
| Opotiki | 362,778 | 184,424 |
| Gisborne | 5,544,885 | 2,463,435 |
| Wairoa | 689,195 | 362,685 |
| Napier | 3,830,480 | 1,682,617 |
| Hastings | 2,966,188 | 1,524,592 |
| Dannevirke | 1,276,508 | 499,950 |
| Woodville | 174,531 | 60,658 |
| Waipawa | 272,211 | 141,837 |
| Waipukurau | 393,080 | 160,689 |
| New Plymouth | 4,028,810 | 1,736,178 |
| Hawera | 1,645,123 | 744,927 |
| Patea | 156,595 | 57,371 |
| Waitara | 258,860 | 84,521 |
| Inglewood | 220,527 | 88,062 |
| Stratford | 992,399 | 456,676 |
| Eltham | 558,352 | 200,854 |
| Wanganui City | 7,254,131 | 3,393,046 |
| Marton | 694,194 | 215,149 |
| Raetihi | 275,502 | 121,540 |
| Ohakune | 143,070 | 47,343 |
| Taihape | 641,304 | 332,062 |
| Feilding | 1,064,250 | 425,563 |
| Palmerston North | 5,909,564 | 2,418,950 |
| Foxton | 293,519 | 115,433 |
| WELLINGTON CITY— | ||
| City Portion | 24,224,664 | 13,730,501 |
| Wadestown Portion | 634,702 | 235,020 |
| Northland Portion | 713,231 | 222,283 |
| Melrose— | ||
| Kilbirnie Portion | 3,727,848 | 989,318 |
| Island Bay Portion | 1,170,147 | 352,247 |
| Ohiro Portion | 2,041,665 | 568,521 |
| Onslow Portion | 847,287 | 295,710 |
| Karori Portion | 704,269 | 296,444 |
| Miramar Portion | 1,510,962 | 520,074 |
| Total of City | 35,574,775 | 17,210,118 |
| Shannon | 204,299 | 88,055 |
| Levin | 610,691 | 219,458 |
| Otaki | 365,653 | 180,735 |
| Pahiatua | 314,093 | 96,968 |
| Masterton | 2,295,458 | 855,922 |
| Carterton | 341,413 | 102,325 |
| Greytown | 205,462 | 86,017 |
| Lower Hutt | 1,732,896 | 821,077 |
| Petone | 1,637,122 | 680,711 |
| Eketahuna | 156,578 | 45,447 |
| Featherston | 186,148 | 46,834 |
| Eastbourne | 464,070 | 147,170 |
| Richmond | 243,804 | 117,628 |
| Nelson City | 2,028,782 | 855,358 |
| Picton | 350,065 | 152,335 |
| Blenheim | 1,512,389 | 591,335 |
| Motueka | 817,944 | 156,819 |
| Westport | 741,589 | 358,866 |
| Greymouth | 883,755 | 267,342 |
| Brunner | 74,562 | 15,560 |
| Kumara | 31,042 | 6,290 |
| Hokitika | 265,514 | 77,201 |
| Ross | 25,239 | 7,590 |
| Runanga | 56,631 | 18,780 |
| Rangiora | 537,740 | 170,315 |
| Kaiapoi | 324,038 | 89,663 |
| CHRISTCHURCH CITY— | ||
| St. Albans Portion | 3,809,935 | 1,310,655 |
| North Richmond Portion | 413,620 | 116,900 |
| Papanui Portion | 599,185 | 242,565 |
| Richmond Portion | 279,855 | 96,940 |
| North-east Portion | 879,902 | 378,980 |
| North-west Portion | 2,943,780 | 1,629,965 |
| South-east Portion | 2,096,636 | 986,228 |
| South-west Portion | 4,788,540 | 2,788,178 |
| Sydenham Portion | 2,402,774 | 828,280 |
| Opawa Portion | 237,555 | 98,780 |
| St. Martin's Portion | 144,310 | 57,595 |
| Beckenham-Fisherton Portion | 307,609 | 74,060 |
| Linwood Portion | 1,822,232 | 585,230 |
| Avonside Portion | 204,505 | 69,640 |
| Bromley Ward | 100,480 | 33,930 |
| Spreydon Portion | 1,052,105 | 340,145 |
| Woolston Portion | 739,210 | 265,446 |
| Total of City | 22,822,232 | 9,903,517 |
| New Brighton | 763,286 | 282,001 |
| Sumner | 759,495 | 322,502 |
| Lyttelton | 988,107 | 272,707 |
| Akaroa | 166,768 | 74,541 |
| Riccarton | 867,434 | 254,185 |
| Ashburton | 703,221 | 274,394 |
| Timaru | 3,875,345 | 1,589,162 |
| Geraldine | 189,055 | 54,745 |
| Temuka | 388,245 | 130,980 |
| Waimate | 461,571 | 129,630 |
| Oamaru | 1,605,335 | 553,770 |
| Hampden | 32,267 | 9,647 |
| Naseby | 20,863 | 2,583 |
| Palmerston | 96,509 | 24,356 |
| Waikouaiti | 110,507 | 39,818 |
| Port Chalmers | 375,981 | 120,778 |
| West Harbour | 233,957 | 73,752 |
| DUNEDIN CITY— | ||
| Valley Portion | 859,415 | 285,219 |
| Maori Hill Portion | 805,530 | 240,076 |
| Roslyn Portion | 1,460,510 | 476,735 |
| Mornington Portion | 929,759 | 258,900 |
| Leith Portion | 4,006,144 | 1,814,016 |
| Central Portion | 4,826,762 | 2,199,010 |
| Caversham and South Dunedin Portion | 2,140,281 | 662,240 |
| Anderson's Bay Portion | 670,947 | 213,085 |
| Total of City | 15,699,351 | 6,149,280 |
| St. Kilda | 1,178,325 | 311,525 |
| Green Island | 396,560 | 85,330 |
| Mosgiel | 278,980 | 95,680 |
| Roxburgh | 42,765 | 5,979 |
| Lawrence | 111,249 | 29,739 |
| Tapanui | 42,805 | 9,075 |
| Milton | 226,423 | 55,991 |
| Balclutha | 310,945 | 111,082 |
| Kaitangata | 112,521 | 31,538 |
| Cromwell | 81,904 | 16,212 |
| Alexandra | 96,053 | 15,070 |
| Arrowtown | 21,519 | 3,375 |
| Queenstown | 65,596 | 14,565 |
| Gore | 953,276 | 325,981 |
| Mataura | 319,995 | 91,260 |
| Winton | 153,382 | 55,475 |
| Invercargill | 4,322,795 | 1,741,841 |
| South Invercargill | 333,215 | 136,421 |
| Riverton | 151,182 | 48,585 |
| Bluff | 317,174 | 103,415 |
| Town District. | Capital Value (Land and Improvements). | Unimproved Value of Land (included in previous Column). |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Hikurangi | 105,495 | 32,640 |
| Warkworth | 97,725 | 27,750 |
| Helensville | 217,145 | 82,375 |
| Henderson | 171,393 | 91,678 |
| New Lynn | 406,119 | 159,292 |
| Glen Eden | 138,345 | 62,860 |
| Ellerslie | 590,546 | 261,184 |
| Waiuku | 252,777 | 126,432 |
| Howick | 144,875 | 71,700 |
| Papatoetoe | 482,466 | 235,129 |
| Manurewa | 329,860 | 159,805 |
| Papakura | 420,060 | 223,205 |
| Tuakau | 156,110 | 78,495 |
| Huntly | 231,799 | 97,599 |
| Leamington | 127,835 | 75,190 |
| Te Puke | 277,380 | 145,267 |
| Matamata | 475,535 | 236,840 |
| Otorohanga | 97,224 | 51,444 |
| Taradale | 237,866 | 135,566 |
| Havelock North | 309,215 | 137,091 |
| Opunake | 140,682 | 62,954 |
| Manaia | 118,167 | 44,324 |
| Waverley | 102,269 | 41,936 |
| Rangataua | 33,771 | 9,550 |
| Mangaweka | 58,294 | 22,295 |
| Hunterville | 102,342 | 37,275 |
| Bull's | 62,943 | 24,959 |
| Manunui | 71,123 | 25,823 |
| Martinborough | 187,838 | 51,686 |
| Johnsonville | 211,339 | 100,862 |
| Upper Hutt | 286,018 | 129,771 |
| Tahunanui | 125,333 | 47,945 |
| Leeston | 128,625 | 39,750 |
| Tinwald | 133,535 | 74,565 |
| Pleasant Point | 114,535 | 51,750 |
| Nightcaps | 70,260 | 14,975 |
| Otautau | 132,498 | 50,197 |
| Lumsden | 54,024 | 15,251 |
| Wyndham | 123,634 | 50,850 |
Table of Contents
THE Banking Act, 1908, consolidates the law of New Zealand relating to the general business of banking in the Dominion. The Act provides that the incorporation of banks by Royal Charter shall be as effectual within New Zealand as Acts of the General Assembly. The number of directors is prescribed, and authority is given to any bank to increase its capital on a resolution of the shareholders. Transfers of shares on which there is any liability must be approved by the directors or their duly appointed attorney or attorneys. Every bank trading in the Dominion is required to furnish quarterly statements of its business, for publication in the Gazette. A sworn copy of an entry in the books of a bank shall in all legal proceedings be evidence of such entry, and a bank is not required in any legal proceedings to which it is not a party to produce its books before a Court, unless ordered by a Judge for special cause. Provision is made for bank holidays, and for the destruction of cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, or promissory notes after the expiration of ten years from the date or due date of such documents.
Part II of the Bills of Exchange Act, 1908, consolidates the law relating to cheques on a bank.
The Companies Act, 1908, with the exception of Part IX (re companies incorporated outside New Zealand), and also of the provisions relating to branch registers, does not apply to banking companies formed within and operating only within the Dominion.
There are six banks of issue trading in New Zealand, two of these institutions, the Bank of New Zealand and the National Bank of New Zealand, being incorporated by special Acts of the General Assembly of the Dominion. The Bank of New Zealand has branches in London, Australia, Fiji, and Samoa, while its branches and agencies within the Dominion number 219. The other five banks have between them 259 establishments within the Dominion, making a total of 478, or an average of one bank to every 2,886 inhabitants, including Maoris.
The paid-up capital of the above banks, their reserve funds, and the rate and amount of their last dividend as on the 31st December, 1924, were as follow:—
| Bank. | Paid-up Capital. | Rate per Cent. per Annum of Last Dividend and Bonus. | Amount of Last Half-yearly Dividend and Bonus. | Amount of Reserved Profits at Time of declaring Dividend. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* Interest payable for half-year. † Dividend for full year. | ||||
| Bank of New Zealand— | £ | Per Cent. | £ | £ |
| 4-percent, stock guaranteed by New Zealand Government | 529,988 | .. | 10,599* | .. |
| “A” preference shares issued to the Crown (Act of 1920) | 500,000 | 10 | 50,000† | 2,831,513 |
| "B” preference shares issued to the Crown (Act of 1920) | 1,000,000 | 10 | 87,436† | .. |
| Ordinary shares | 3,000,000 | 13 1/3 | 349,871† | .. |
| Union Bank of Australia (Limited) | 3,000,000 | 15 | 225,000 | 3,765,003 |
| Bank of New South Wales | 6,000,000 | 10 | 300,000 | 4,150,000 |
| Bank of Australasia | 4,000,000 | 10 and bonus of 3 per cent. | 260,000 | 3,745,427 |
| National Bank of New Zealand (Limited) | 1,500,000 | 12 per cent. per annum for half-year, and bonus of 2 per cent. | 100,000 | 1,554,502 |
| Commercial Bank of Australia (Limited)— | ||||
| Ordinary | 580,199 | 15 per cent. per annum for half-year. | 31,367 | 414,954 |
| Preference | 2,117,350 | 4 (preference only) | 42,347 | .. |
A consideration of the table below indicates that the development of banking in New Zealand since the year 1857 has been very great. Such a growth has been possible only through a corresponding expansion of trade and industry concomitant with a progressive increase in the population of the country. The figures for each year given below have been arrived at by taking the average of the four quarterly returns of the banks of issue. Deposits include amounts on fixed and current deposit and Government deposits. Advances comprise notes and bills discounted and debts due to the banks (exclusive of debts abandoned as bad).
| Year. | Deposits. | Advances. | Assets. | Liabilities. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1857 | 343,316 | .. | 419,860 | 432,494 |
| 1870 | 3,127,769 | 4,334,820 | 6,315,354 | 3,819,676 |
| 1880 | 8,538,935 | 11,228,865 | 14,220,275 | 9,550,177 |
| 1890 | 12,368,610 | 13,996,086 | 17,735,259 | 13,356,598 |
| 1900 | 15,570,610 | 11,343,411 | 17,314,535 | 16,964,582 |
| 1910 | 24,968,761 | 18,439,999 | 26,398,927 | 26,742,081 |
| 1920 | 59,405,341 | 38,241,932 | 56,111,433 | 67,818,469 |
| 1921 | 49,397,411 | 50,607,541 | 68,701,282 | 58,808,439 |
| 1922 | 45,913,394 | 44,768,178 | 61,779,570 | 53,868,834 |
| 1923 | 49,039,482 | 43,322,242 | 59,641,235 | 56,204,292 |
| 1924 | 49,502,499 | 44,559,661 | 61,325,865 | 57,131,235 |
In 1880 deposits represented an average of £16.46 per head of the mean population; in 1890, £18.66; in 1900, £19.41; in 1910, £23.99; and in 1911, £25.16. In 1912, however, the average fell to £23.53, and in 1913 (the strike year) a further fall was recorded, the rate per head being £23.01. The years 1914 and 1915 showed a recovery, the rates being £24.24 and £27.35 respectively; while for 1916 the rate jumped to £32.63. In 1917 it rose to £37.36, and each successive year showed a substantial increase on the previous year until 1920, when the rate was £47.81. A fall to £38.69 in 1921 and £35.17 in 1922 was succeeded by rates of £36.94 in 1923 and £36.59 in 1924. The ratio of advances to deposits, which was 131.50 per cent. in 1880, reached its maximum in 1883, when it stood at 171.16 per cent. The proportion since that year fell, till in 1903 it was only 70.67 per cent. The 1916 ratio (65.97 per cent.) was lower than in any previous year. The ratio then remained fairly constant until a rise to 102.45 occurred in 1921. The years 1922 and 1923 witnessed a drop to 97.51 and 88.34 respectively, checked in 1924 by an advance to 90.01.
In 1886 the average amount of advances made by the banks was £15,834,877, equal to £25.36 per head of the mean population. The advances gradually declined in amount and proportion to population until 1891, when they were in value £11,448,745, or £17.04 per head. In 1897 advances stood at £10,020,640, or £13.16 per head, which is the lowest average since the year 1872. There was then a continuous rise both in amounts of advances and in rates per head of population until 1908, for which year the figures wore £21,172,808, or £21.32 per head. After 1908 the amounts fluctuated, but the tendency was still to rise. During the two years 1917 and 1918 the total amount advanced by the banks increased by nearly seven millions, totalling in the latter year £31,711,350. Subsequent years showed further increases, the amount for 1921 reaching the record figure of £50,607,541. The years 1922 and 1923 witnessed a substantial drop, followed by a slight improvement in 1924, when £44,559,661 or £32.94 per head was recorded.
The largest amount of discounts in any year was £6,061,959, in 1879, a rate of £12.32 per head. In the previous year had occurred the highest rate—£12.88 per head. From 1879 there was a fall, year by year, until 1896, when the sum was £1,756,791, or £2.35 per head, since when there have been further successive falls in the amount per head, which reached the low figure of £1.09 in 1918, rising, however, to £1.21 in 1919, £1.41 in 1920, and £1.93 in 1921, after which it gradually fell away to reach £1.17 in 1924.
The liabilities of the banks of issue for the last ten years are shown in the table following, the figures given referring to New Zealand business only. The liabilities shown represent the average of the four quarters of the year.
| Year. | Notes in Circulation. | Bills in Circulation. | Balances due to other Banks. | Deposits. | Total Liabilities. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 2,846,275 | 105,761 | 62,581 | 31,433,653 | 34,448,270 |
| 1916 | 4,049,529 | 96,468 | 73,707 | 37,507,915 | 41,727,619 |
| 1917 | 5,410,957 | 105,895 | 94,396 | 42,930,713 | 48,541,961 |
| 1918 | 6,266,768 | 123,344 | 95,681 | 45,562,939 | 52,048,732 |
| 1919 | 7,087,545 | 173,722 | 110,682 | 50,489,444 | 57,861,393 |
| 1920 | 7,890,418 | 239,877 | 282,833 | 59,405,341 | 67,818,469 |
| 1921 | 7,569,319 | 191,273 | 1,650,436 | 49,397,411 | 58,808,439 |
| 1922 | 7,019,220 | 266,963 | 669,257 | 45,913,394 | 53,868,834 |
| 1923 | 6,593,068 | 307,419 | 264,323 | 49,039,482 | 56,204,292 |
| 1924 | 6,587,546 | 315,601 | 725,589 | 49,502,499 | 57,131,235 |
Within the decennium total liabilities have advanced from £34,448,270 to £57,131,235, an increase of 66 per cent. While it cannot be denied that expansion of trade has played an important part in the increase, it should be borne in mind that currency inflation has been a not inconsiderable factor in this remarkable growth. A striking feature is the extraordinary rise in the note — issue, which rose from £1,998,388 in 1914 to its zenith of £7,890,418 in 1920. Since then a gradual process of deflation has been in operation, the note-circulation in 1924 being £6,587,546.
The next table shows the total liabilities for each quarter during the same period:—
| Year. | March Quarter. | June Quarter. | September Quarter. | December Quarter. | Average of Quarters. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 32,898,487 | 34,718,073 | 34,713,993 | 35,462,528 | 34,448,270 |
| 1916 | 39,445,072 | 42,615,925 | 42,269,257 | 42,580,222 | 41,727,619 |
| 1917 | 46,573,206 | 49,755,803 | 49,014,887 | 48,823,947 | 48,541,961 |
| 1918 | 51,343,979 | 56,454,086 | 51,258,666 | 49,138,199 | 52,048,732 |
| 1919 | 53,661,066 | 58,103,513 | 58,977,222 | 60,703,773 | 57,861,393 |
| 1920 | 67,659,577 | 71,310,711 | 68,648,556 | 63,655,033 | 67,818,469 |
| 1921 | 62,815,649 | 62,255,474 | 56,946,858 | 53,215,773 | 58,808,439 |
| 1922 | 54,350,336 | 55,365,324 | 53,845,543 | 51,914,132 | 53,868,834 |
| 1923 | 55,888,101 | 59,459,267 | 55,968,705 | 53,501,095 | 56,204,292 |
| 1924 | 58,860,057 | 58,673,343 | 55,347,458 | 55,644,080 | 57,131,235 |
A greater range is apparent than in the yearly totals, the limits of variation being £32,898,487 in the March quarter of 1915 and £71,310,711 in the June quarter of 1920, while the yearly limits which occurred in the same years were £34,448,270 and 167,818,469.
Details of liabilities for each of the quarters of 1924 are now given.
| Quarter. | Notes in Circulation. | Bills in Circulation. | Balances due to other Banks. | Deposits. | Total Liabilities. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| March | 6,600,970 | 357,738 | 207,798 | 51,693,551 | 58,860,057 |
| June | 6,643,120 | 287,521 | 136,070 | 51,606,632 | 58,673,343 |
| September | 6,356,499 | 288,039 | 849,120 | 47,853,800 | 55,347,458 |
| December | 6,749,595 | 329,105 | 1,709,367 | 46,856,013 | 55,644,080 |
| Average | 6,587,546 | 315,601 | 725,589 | 49,502,499 | 57,131,234 |
Assets are now presented in a manner similar to that in which liabilities are shown.
| Year. | Coin and Bullion. | Notes and Bills discounted. | Debts due, exclusive of Bad Debts. | Balances due from other Banks. | All other Assets. | Total Assets. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 6,781,006 | 1,471,808 | 22,167,162 | 231,893 | 2,557,614 | 33,209,483 |
| 1916 | 7,393,917 | 1,484,355 | 23,427,562 | 147,514 | 4,562,137 | 37,015,485 |
| 1917 | 8,072,279 | 1,414,586 | 27,433,164 | 96,712 | 7,962,875 | 44,979,616 |
| 1918 | 8,085,961 | 1,261,204 | 30,450,147 | 153,091 | 8,619,724 | 4,570,127 |
| 1919 | 8,017,159 | 1,446,299 | 30,271,421 | 211,291 | 8,669,039 | 48,615,209 |
| 1920 | 7,728,942 | 1,753,072 | 36,488,860 | 344,451 | 9,796,108 | 56,111,433 |
| 1921 | 7,660,532 | 2,463,396 | 48,144,145 | 1,634,975 | 8,798,234 | 68,701,282 |
| 1922 | 7,822,562 | 1,643,730 | 43,124,448 | 1,143,957 | 8,044,873 | 61,779,570 |
| 1923 | 7,900,594 | 1,609,302 | 41,712,940 | 717,575 | 7,700,824 | 59,641,235 |
| 1924 | 7,816,145 | 1,589,763 | 42,969,898 | 725,589 | 8,224,470 | 61,325,865 |
As in the case of liabilities, the growth in assets during the decade has been very considerable, the 1915 figure of £33,209,483 comparing with £61,325,863 in 1924 and £68,701,282 in the peak year of 1921. Debts due, which loom largely in the total each year, increased from £22,167,162 in 1915 to £42,969,898 in 1924.
| Year. | March Quarter. | June Quarter. | September Quarter. | December Quarter. | Average of Quarters. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 32,738,712 | 32,900,521 | 33,126,837 | 34,071,863 | 33,209,483 |
| 1916 | 34,123,760 | 35,470,548 | 36,938,878 | 41,528,754 | 37,015,485 |
| 1917 | 43,401,701 | 43,885,636 | 44,834,310 | 47,796,817 | 44,979,616 |
| 1918 | 45,507,363 | 49,441,629 | 48,898,699 | 50,432,818 | 48,570,127 |
| 1919 | 49,217,272 | 49,184,582 | 46,757,710 | 49,301,272 | 48,615,209 |
| 1920 | 50,096,529 | 52,469,358 | 56,403,894 | 65,475,952 | 56,111,433 |
| 1921 | 71,097,423 | 71,664,585 | 66,378,428 | 65,664,691 | 68,701,282 |
| 1922 | 64,666,809 | 63,352,322 | 59,343,196 | 59,755,951 | 61,779,570 |
| 1923 | 59,335,217 | 58,313,692 | 58,797,007 | 62,119,023 | 59,641,235 |
| 1924 | 61,523,985 | 60,243,834 | 60,258,641 | 63,276,999 | 61,325,865 |
Again the range is seen to be considerably greater in the quarterly than in the yearly figures, the limits in the former being £31,994,242 and £71,664,585, and in the latter £33,209,483 and £68,701,282.
In the next table details of assets are given for each of the quarters of 1924:—
| Quarter. | Coin and Bullion. | Notes and Bills discounted. | Debts due, exclusive of Bad Debts. | Balances due from other Banks. | All other Assets. | Total Assets. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| March | 7,877,259 | 1,770,066 | 42,633,458 | 1,149,075 | 8,094,127 | 61,523,985 |
| June | 7,845,746 | 1,476,593 | 42,498,994 | 807,306 | 7,705,195 | 60,243,834 |
| September | 7,819,104 | 1,403,497 | 42,519,584 | 859,893 | 7,656,563 | 60,258,641 |
| December | 7,722,471 | 1,708,896 | 44,227,557 | 1,743,502 | 7,874,573 | 63,276,999 |
| Average | 7,816,145 | 1,589,763 | 42,969,898 | 725,589 | 7,832,614 | 61,325,865 |
The total amount of deposits, the amount per head of mean population, the total Advances, and the ratio of advances to deposits, taking the average of the four quarters for each of the last ten years, are as follow:—
| Year. | Deposits. | Advances. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Amount. | Per Head of Population. | Total Amount. | Ratio to Deposits. | |||
| £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | Per Cent. | |
| 1915 | 31,433,653 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 23,638,970 | 75.20 |
| 1916 | 37,507,916 | 32 | 12 | 9 | 24,911,706 | 66.42 |
| 1917 | 42,930,713 | 37 | 7 | 4 | 28,847,749 | 67.19 |
| 1918 | 45,562,939 | 39 | 10 | 5 | 31,711,350 | 69.59 |
| 1919 | 50,489,444 | 42 | 6 | 8 | 31,717,720 | 62.82 |
| 1920 | 59,405,341 | 47 | 16 | 3 | 38,241,932 | 64.37 |
| 1921 | 49,397,411 | 38 | 13 | 10 | 50,607,541 | 102.45 |
| 1922 | 45,913,394 | 35 | 3 | 7 | 44,768,178 | 97.51 |
| 1923 | 49,039,482 | 36 | 18 | 5 | 43,322,242 | 88.34 |
| 1924 | 49,502,499 | 36 | 11 | 11 | 44,559,661 | 90.01 |
As in the case of liabilities and assets, deposits and advances have increased greatly during the ten years. The peak years of 1919 and 1920, in the case of deposits, indicate the high-water mark of the short-lived prosperity associated with the war and post-war period. Advances reached the maximum figure of £50,607,541 in 1921, when, as the result of the trade depression, the assistance of the banks was freely sought.
| Year. | March Quarter. | June Quarter. | September Quarter. | December Quarter. | Average of Quarters. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 30,085,954 | 31,720,407 | 31,742,303 | 32,185,947 | 31,433,653 |
| 1916 | 36,129,992 | 38,523,449 | 37,758,538 | 37,619,681 | 37,507,915 |
| 1917 | 41,713,657 | 44,696,003 | 43,133,349 | 42,179,841 | 42,930,713 |
| 1918 | 45,212,446 | 50,101,352 | 44,782,761 | 42,155,199 | 45,562,939 |
| 1919 | 46,904,666 | 50,623,748 | 51,368,191 | 53,061,173 | 50,489,444 |
| 1920 | 59,408,136 | 62,977,257 | 60,659,079 | 54,576,891 | 59,405,341 |
| 1921 | 53,455,135 | 53,699,628 | 47,101,630 | 43,333,250 | 49,397,411 |
| 1922 | 44,866,839 | 47,399,600 | 46,957,703 | 44,429,434 | 45,913,394 |
| 1923 | 48,659,637 | 52,091,994 | 48,983,798 | 46,422,497 | 49,039,482 |
| 1924 | 51,693,551 | 51,606,632 | 47,853,800 | 46,856,013 | 49,502,499 |
The following table shows the three different classes of deposits for each quarter during the last five years:—
| Year. | March Quarter. | June Quarter. | September Quarter. | December Quarter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government. | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1920 | 8,743,046 | 8,379,164 | 7,527,385 | 5,120,001 |
| 1921 | 6,299,404 | 8,188,535 | 3,655,966 | 2,397,630 |
| 1922 | 4,506,449 | 6,010,714 | 4,995,838 | 3,325,014 |
| 1923 | 5,193,822 | 6,409,041 | 5,044,962 | 3,592,320 |
| 1924 | 4,660,259 | 3,977,321 | 2,731,774 | 2,179,514 |
| Non Interest-bearing. | ||||
| 1920 | 34,814,896 | 38,354,182 | 36,486,999 | 32,939,758 |
| 1921 | 30,785,205 | 29,264,632 | 26,773,326 | 24,380,432 |
| 1922 | 24,138,746 | 25,046,473 | 24,498,151 | 23,542,868 |
| 1923 | 26,445,502 | 28,276,204 | 25,800,739 | 24,261,042 |
| 1924 | 28,436,162 | 28,336,760 | 25,220,639 | 24,776,888 |
| Interest-bearing. | ||||
| 1920 | 15,850,195 | 16,243,911 | 16,644,694 | 16,517,135 |
| 1921 | 16,370,526 | 16,246,462 | 16,672,338 | 16,555,188 |
| 1922 | 16,221,644 | 16,342,414 | 17,463,714 | 17,561,552 |
| 1923 | 17,020,314 | 17,406,749 | 18,138,098 | 18,569,135 |
| 1924 | 18,597,130 | 19,292,552 | 19,901,386 | 19,899,611 |
Deposits as a whole show a general trend to be at their maximum in the June quarter. This tendency is particularly pronounced in the case of Government deposits by reason of the receipt of income-tax in the earlier months of the year, after which the amount dwindles away to reach a minimum in the December quarter. Interest — bearing deposits show but little variation from quarter to quarter. In the non-interest-bearing class, which is made up of current accounts, the lowest level is generally associated with the final quarter of the year, and the highest with the second quarter, a state of affairs probably due largely to the seasonal influence of sheep-farming among the Dominion's productive activities.
The table following shows the amount of advances quarterly during the last ten years, together with the ratio to deposits:—
| Year. | Total Advances. | Percentage of Advances to Deposits. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March. | June. | September. | December. | March. | June. | September. | December | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||
| 1915 | 23,740,561 | 23,423,576 | 23,348,905 | 24,042,840 | 78.90 | 73.84 | 73.57 | 74.69 |
| 1916 | 23,733,892 | 24,268,341 | 24,677,965 | 26,966,630 | 65.69 | 62.99 | 65.35 | 71.68 |
| 1917 | 27,694,931 | 28,280,303 | 28,415,451 | 31,000,316 | 66.39 | 63.27 | 65.87 | 73.49 |
| 1918 | 29,317,895 | 32,807,810 | 31,646,634 | 33,073,061 | 64.84 | 65.48 | 70.66 | 78.45 |
| 1919 | 32,203,646 | 32,410,706 | 30,149,773 | 32,106,755 | 68.65 | 64.04 | 58.69 | 60.50 |
| 1920 | 32,042,043 | 34,789,581 | 39,017,808 | 47,118,295 | 53.93 | 55.24 | 64.32 | 86.33 |
| 1921 | 52,446,341 | 54,385,486 | 48,039,610 | 47,558,727 | 98.11 | 101.27 | 101.98 | 109.75 |
| 1922 | 46,491,316 | 46,155,933 | 42,994,448 | 43,431,017 | 103.62 | 97.37 | 91.56 | 97.65 |
| 1923 | 42,521,571 | 41,711,273 | 42,826,728 | 46,229,395 | 87.38 | 80.07 | 87.43 | 99.58 |
| 1924 | 44,403,524 | 43,975,587 | 43,923,081 | 45,936,453 | 85.90 | 85.04 | 91.79 | 98.36 |
It is difficult to discern any definite seasonal variation in the amount of advances, although prior to the abnormal demands upon the banks which commenced towards the end of 1920, the amount generally attained a maximum in the final quarter of each year. The ratio of advances to deposits shows a considerable range, from 53.93 per cent. in the first quarter of 1920, to 109.75 per cent. in the December quarter of the following year.
Deposits per head of population in banks of issue in each of the Australian States during 1923 and the four preceding years are shown. Figures for New Zealand are given by way of comparison.
| State. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| Queensland | 49 | 9 | 10 | 43 | 11 | 0 | 61 | 8 | 3 | 65 | 3 | 4 | 68 | 3 | 6 |
| New South Wales | 47 | 3 | 4 | 50 | 1 | 4 | 51 | 3 | 9 | 49 | 11 | 5 | 52 | 0 | 11 |
| Victoria | 53 | 8 | 10 | 57 | 12 | 1 | 55 | 18 | 6 | 57 | 4 | 5 | 62 | 8 | 9 |
| South Australia | 50 | 18 | 7 | 46 | 3 | 9 | 44 | 10 | 4 | 44 | 11 | 4 | 43 | 13 | 9 |
| Western Australia | 33 | 13 | 1 | 37 | 19 | 1 | 36 | 15 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 11 | 36 | 11 | 4 |
| Tasmania | 32 | 19 | 8 | 36 | 12 | 10 | 36 | 7 | 1 | 31 | 15 | 1 | 33 | 13 | 11 |
| Northern Territory | 74 | 6 | 3 | 75 | 12 | 2 | 72 | 2 | 2 | 61 | 1 | 4 | 58 | 16 | 4 |
| Total, Commonwealth | 48 | 4 | 11 | 49 | 13 | 8 | 51 | 17 | 11 | 51 | 19 | 5 | 54 | 17 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 42 | 6 | 8 | 47 | 16 | 3 | 38 | 13 | 10 | 35 | 3 | 7 | 36 | 18 | 5 |
The overdraft rates and the rates of discount current in the Dominion were 1/2 per cent. higher in 1920 than the corresponding rates ruling prior to the European War. A further increase of 1/2 per cent., following a period when importations had been made on a larger scale than at any previous time in the Dominion's history, was made in January, 1921, the demand on banks for money being very considerable. Another aspect of the position, which is apparent from the figures given earlier in this section, was the rapid diminution—from twenty millions to two millions—in the excess of deposits (other than Government) over advances during the closing six months of 1920. It is not surprising accordingly to find a further increase in the overdraft (and the discount) rates as from March, 1921. There was no further alteration in the rate until January, 1923, when the overdraft rate was reduced to 6 1/2 per cent. Since that date the rate has remained the same.
Below is given the overdraft rates charged on “best” accounts, and the rates of discount current in New Zealand for best mercantile paper of a currency not exceeding three months:—
| Overdraft Rate, per Cent. | Rate of Discount, per Cent. | |
|---|---|---|
| At end of 1913 | 5 1/2 | 5 |
| At end of 1920 | 6 | 5 1/2 |
| At end of 1921 | 7 | 6 1/2 |
| At end of 1922 | 7 | 6 1/2 |
| At end of 1923 | 6 1/2 | 6 1/2 |
| At end of 1924 | 6 1/2 | 6 /2 |
| January, 1925, to date (October, 1925) | 6 1/2 | 6 1/2 |
The Banking Act, 1908, deals with the issue of notes generally. The Governor-General may empower any bank to issue and circulate notes, subject to the provisions and restrictions contained in the charter or letters patent under which such bank is incorporated; all such notes to be payable in gold only at the office of the bank at the place of issue, and to be a first charge on all assets of the bank.
The private Acts of the Bank of New Zealand and the National Bank of New Zealand (Limited) contain the following clause: “That the total amount of promissory notes payable on demand, issued and in circulation within the Dominion, shall not at any time exceed the amount of coin, bullion, and public securities which shall for the time being be held by the same corporation within the Dominion; nor shall the proportion of coin be less than one-third part of the amount of the coin, bullion, and public securities so held by the said corporation within the Dominion.”
On the 5th August, 1914, immediately after the outbreak of the late war, an amendment to the Banking Act was passed empowering the Governor-General in Council, from time to time, to make a Proclamation declaring “that the notes payable on demand by any bank therein named, and then issued or thereafter to be issued or reissued within New Zealand under any lawful authority in that behalf, shall during the period limited by the Proclamation be everywhere within New Zealand a good and legal tender of money to the amount therein expressed to be payable.” Conditions governing the issue of such Proclamation are laid down, and the bank may be required to give adequate security that it will redeem the notes in gold on the expiration of the period covered by the Proclamation. Provision is also made for payment by the State Treasury in case of default by the bank. During the period any such Proclamation is in force gold must not be exported except with the consent of the Minister of Finance, and any gold exported or attempted to be exported in breach of this provision is to be forfeited.
Immediately on the passing of the amendment referred to, a Proclamation was gazetted declaring notes of all six banks of issue doing business in New Zealand to be legal tender from the 6th August to the 6th September, 1914. Further extensions were made from time to time, and the present authority expires on 10th January, 1926.
It should be noted that the figures of notes in circulation given under a previous heading relate to liabilities only, and exclude notes held by the issuing bank. On account of the banking returns in New Zealand being published only in the form of a statement of liabilities and assets, statistics as to the number of notes created and remaining uncancelled are not available.
In connection with the Post Office in New Zealand a savings-bank has been conducted since the 1st February, 1867. The minimum deposit receivable, except in certain specified cases, is 1s., and no interest is given on any sum less than £1 or in excess of £5,000. Interest on sums up to £500 is paid at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum, and on sums between £500 and £5,000 at the rate of 3 1/4 per cent. for the amount over £500.
The Postmaster-General may pay deposits to a maximum of £200 to the legal representative of a deceased depositor without requiring him to take out letters of administration or to prove the will. This provision, together with another provision whereby a depositor may nominate one or more persons to receive part or all of the amount at credit after the depositor's death, enables a widow or orphan to obtain possession of perhaps much-needed funds without either delay or cost.
The number of post-offices open for the transaction of savings-bank business at the 31st March, 1925, was 855.
There were 95,595 new accounts opened during the year ended the 31st March, 1925, and 70,604 accounts were closed during the period. The total number of open accounts at the 31st March, 1925, was 735,148, or one to every 1.88 of the population, including Maoris.
The deposits received during the year amounted to £29,582,897, and the withdrawals to £30,413,609. The total sum standing at credit of all accounts on the 31st March, 1925, was £46,948,628, which gave an average of £63 17s. 3d. to the credit of each open account. Information for each of the last ten years is given below.
| Year. | Number of Depositors at End of Year. | Total Amount of Deposits during Year. | Total Amount of Withdrawals during Year. | Excess of Deposits over Withdrawals. | Interest. | Total Amount to Credit of Depositors at End of Year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Fifteen months ended 31st March, 1921. † Year ended 81st March following. The minus sign (-) represents excess of withdrawals over deposits. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1915 | 509,085 | 13,706,057 | 11,294,974 | 2,411,084 | 707,252 | 22,166,365 |
| 1916 | 538,072 | 15,576,408 | 12,957,420 | 2,618,988 | 817,856 | 25,603,209 |
| 1917 | 566,351 | 17,106,529 | 14,461,169 | 2,645,360 | 947,821 | 29,196,390 |
| 1918 | 590,205 | 18,101,105 | 14,938,842 | 3,162,263 | 1,059,472 | 33,418,125 |
| 1919 | 630,783 | 29,758,447 | 25,962,377 | 3,796,070 | 1,178,935 | 38,393,130 |
| 1920* | 664,819 | 44,302,852 | 41,162,486 | 3,140,366 | 1,818,535 | 43,352,031 |
| 1921† | 678,930 | 29,125,997 | 30,236,231 | -1,110,234 | 1,599,907 | 43,841,704 |
| 1922† | 690,790 | 26,682,427 | 27,769,263 | -1,086,836 | 1,605,525 | 44,360,393 |
| 1923† | 710,157 | 29,598,372 | 29,510,321 | 88,051 | 1,649,976 | 46,098,421 |
| 1924† | 735,148 | 29,582,897 | 30,413,609 | -830,712 | 1,680,920 | 46,948,628 |
The Post Office Savings-bank commenced operations on the 1st February, 1867, and the progress of the establishment since that date is shown on the next page in graphical representation, the curves representing number of open accounts, total amount to credit, and average amount to credit respectively.
This diagram shows clearly the large increase in the business of the Post Office Savings-bank during recent years.
The amount standing to credit of depositors has increased from £1,813,085 in 1887 to £46,948,628 at the 31st March, 1925, and in no year since 1887 has there been a decrease as compared with the preceding year. There was a corresponding steady increase in the average amount standing to the credit of each depositor up to the 31st March, 1921, but a slight fall has been recorded since then.
The huge increase in the amount at deposit in recent years has been accompanied by an even greater proportionate increase in interest payments, owing to the rate of interest having substantially advanced. The total interest credited to depositors from the 1st February, 1867, to the 31st March, 1925, has aggregated £20,223,018, a sum equal to over two-fifths of the total amount remaining on deposit at the 31st March, 1925.
In the next two tables quarterly deposits and withdrawals are shown for the years 1915-24:—
| Year. | March Quarter. | June Quarter. | September Quarter. | December Quarter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 3,159,907 | 3,475,690 | 3,611,507 | 3,458,953 |
| 1916 | 3,754,392 | 4,079,256 | 3,995,329 | 3,747,431 |
| 1917 | 4,330,270 | 4,525,229 | 4,183,934 | 4,067,096 |
| 1918 | 4,434,731 | 4,597,665 | 4,678,476 | 4,390,233 |
| 1919 | 5,865,478 | 6,674,007 | 7,084,959 | 10,134,003 |
| 1920 | 9,271,609 | 9,025,516 | 8,639,396 | 9,472,973 |
| 1921 | 7,893,358 | 8,220,843 | 7,631,891 | 6,897,019 |
| 1922 | 6,376,244 | 6,742,626 | 6,902,755 | 6,342,609 |
| 1923 | 6,694,437 | 7,635,031 | 6,818,734 | 7,827,378 |
| 1924 | 7,317,230 | 7,597,610 | 7,333,455 | 7,110,970 |
| Year. | March Quarter. | June Quarter. | September Quarter. | December Quarter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 2,405,183 | 2,683,259 | 3,005,492 | 3,201,040 |
| 1916 | 2,773,599 | 3,091,852 | 4,006,344 | 3,085,625 |
| 1917 | 3,031,649 | 3,076,616 | 5,146,247 | 3,206,657 |
| 1918 | 3,349,323 | 4,407,089 | 3,761,620 | 3,420,810 |
| 1919 | 4,829,473 | 6,174,872 | 7,146,243 | 7,811,789 |
| 1920 | 8,358,598 | 7,859,479 | 8,070,403 | 9,372,291 |
| 1921 | 7,501,715 | 7,945,158 | 8,087,725 | 7,436,040 |
| 1922 | 6,767,308 | 7,170,649 | 6,948,683 | 6,850,689 |
| 1923 | 6,799,242 | 7,094,447 | 7,116,024 | 8,285,283 |
| 1924 | 7,014,568 | 7,812,881 | 7,774,402 | 7,691,041 |
In the March quarter of 1915 was recorded the lowest amount of both deposits and withdrawals during the decade, the figures being £3,159,907 and £2,405,183 respectively. The final quarter of 1919 claims the highest deposits with £10,134,003, while the greatest withdrawals occurred in the same quarter of the following year, when £9,372,291 was accounted for. Although the figures for the last three years are somewhat lower than those of 1920 and 1921, it should he remembered that inflation was then at its height, and conditions generally were far from normal.
The number of open accounts at the end of each of the last five years, classified according to amounts at credit, is as follows:—
| Amount. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not exceeding £20 | 429,806 | 447,883 | 465,924 | 481,861 | 500,951 |
| Exceeding £20 and up to £50 | 69,130 | 67,812 | 66,492 | 69,640 | 70,365 |
| Exceeding £50 and up to £100 | 52,114 | 50,488 | 48,815 | 48,842 | 50,875 |
| Exceeding £100 and up to £200 | 47,747 | 46,520 | 44,333 | 43,525 | 46,088 |
| Exceeding £200 and up to £300 | 24,329 | 23,831 | 22,951 | 22,557 | 22,621 |
| Exceeding £300 and up to £400 | 14,984 | 14,431 | 13,693 | 13,324 | 13,544 |
| Exceeding £400 and up to £500 | 8,753 | 9,090 | 8,959 | 9,328 | 9,479 |
| Exceeding £500 and up to £600 | 6,225 | 6,625 | 6,537 | 6,656 | 6,626 |
| Exceeding £600 | 11,731 | 12,250 | 13,086 | 14,428 | 14,599 |
| Totals | 664,819 | 678,930 | 690,790 | 710,157 | 735,148 |
Accounts above the £600 mark at the 31st March, 1925, included 4,029 between £600 and £700, 2,685 between £700 and £800, 1,816 between £800 and £900, 1,378 between £900 and £1,000, and 4,691 over £1,000.
The securities standing in the name of the Postmaster-General on account of the Post Office Savings-bank Fund on the 31st March, 1925, represented a nominal value of £47,304,638. Most of this fund is invested in Government securities. A summary of the investments is as follows:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| In New Zealand Government securities | 46,315,737 |
| In local bodies' securities | 523,450 |
| In other securities | 465,451 |
| £47,304,638 |
There are five savings-banks not connected with the Post Office. The total amount deposited in them during the year ended the 31st March, 1925, was £4,823,839, of which the deposits by Maoris comprised £2,471. The withdrawals reached the sum of £4,526,652 (Maoris, £1,052). The total amount to the credit of depositors at the 31st March, 1925, was £5,740,132, of which sum £2,045 belonged to Maoris. Figures for ten years are as follow:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Number of Depositors at End of Year. | Total Amount of Deposits during Year. | Total Amount of Withdrawals during Year. | Excess of Deposits over Withdrawals. | Total Amount to Credit of Depositors at End of Year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The minus sign (-) represents excess of withdrawals over deposits. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1916 | 78,024 | 1,449,938 | 1,327,364 | 122,574 | 2,072,602 |
| 1917 | 81,900 | 1,631,065 | 1,374,114 | 256,951 | 2,412,465 |
| 1918 | 85,191 | 1,764,723 | 1,551,836 | 212,887 | 2,720,709 |
| 1919 | 89,203 | 2,058,360 | 1,775,531 | 282,829 | 3,111,529 |
| 1920 | 95,472 | 3,308,628 | 2,981,887 | 326,741 | 3,557,895 |
| 1921 | 100,342 | 3,555,871 | 3,410,456 | 145,415 | 3,841,084 |
| 1922 | 104,395 | 3,191,181 | 3,265,338 | -74,157 | 3,917,428 |
| 1923 | 110,077 | 4,076,876 | 3,511,038 | 565,838 | 4,663,701 |
| 1924 | 117,442 | 4,492,881 | 4,145,848 | 347,033 | 5,216,579 |
| 1925 | 124,731 | 4,823,839 | 4,526,652 | 297,187 | 5,740,132 |
The following table shows the results of the transactions of each of the private savings-banks during the twelve months ended 31st March, 1925.
| Bank. | Date of Establishment. | Number of Depositors at End of Year. | Total Amount of Deposits during Year. | Total Amount of Withdrawals during Year. | Excess of Deposits over Withdrawals. | Total Amount to Credit of Depositors at End of Year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Auckland | 1847 | 102,937 | 3,643,154 | 3,522,578 | 120,576 | 4,162,393 |
| New Plymouth | 1850 | 3,895 | 155,737 | 113,231 | 42,506 | 173,889 |
| Hokitika | 1866 | 10,716 | 520,152 | 433,706 | 86,446 | 990,217 |
| Dunedin | 1864 | 1,437 | 37,235 | 35,220 | 2,015 | 94,146 |
| Invercargill | 1864 | 5,746 | 467,561 | 421,917 | 45,644 | 319,487 |
| Totals | .. | 124,731 | 4,823,839 | 4,526,652 | 297,187 | 5,740,132 |
The deposits in the savings-banks of the Commonwealth and of New Zealand on the 31st March, 1925, are shown in the table following. The Australian figures are taken from the Quarterly Summary of Australian Statistics issued by the Commonwealth Statistician.
| State. | Number of Depositors. | Amount on Deposit. | Average Amount per Depositor. | Deposits to Credit per Head of Population. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | ||
| New South Wales | 1,358,088 | 65,563,552 | 48 | 5 | 4 | 28 | 17 | 9 |
| Victoria | 1,323,064 | 56,671,162 | 42 | 16 | 8 | 33 | 19 | 11 |
| Queensland | 391,758 | 20,370,397 | 51 | 19 | 11 | 24 | 3 | 9 |
| South Australia | 465,902 | 19,097,477 | 40 | 19 | 10 | 35 | 5 | 4 |
| Western Australia | 274,606 | 7,921,093 | 28 | 16 | 11 | 21 | 12 | 5 |
| Tasmania | 131,579 | 4,452,275 | 33 | 16 | 9 | 20 | 15 | 5 |
| Northern Territory | 864 | 29,148 | 33 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 9 |
| Total, Commonwealth | 3,945,861 | 174,105,104 | 44 | 2 | 6 | 29 | 9 | 9 |
| New Zealand | 859,879 | 52,688,760 | 61 | 5 | 6 | 38 | 3 | 11 |
The average deposits standing to the credit of depositors in the banks of issue for the quarter ended 31st March, 1925, were £53,090,842, and if to this figure be added the deposits in the Post Office and private savings-banks at the same date the grand total amounts to £105,779,602, representing an average of £76 13s. 7d. per bead of population. In addition there are the deposits with the building societies, referred to farther on in this book, and there are also deposits with financial companies of which no particulars are collected.
Table of Contents
THE statutory provisions affecting life insurance in New Zealand are in the main contained in the Life Insurance Act, 1908, and Amendment Act, 1921-22. Any association other than a friendly society which issues policies or grants annuities on human life in New Zealand comes within the scope of the enactments. Two classes of companies are recognized—namely, local and foreign, the latter including all offices the principal place of which is situated beyond the Dominion. In both instances securities are required to be deposited with the Public Trustee before business can be carried on. Before the passing of the amending Act of 1921-22 the maximum deposit required from a New Zealand company was £20,000, with a minimum of £5,000, regulated according to the volume of business done, while for a company incorporated overseas the maximum went to £50,000. Both classes of offices, however, are now on the same basis. Every life company carrying on business at the time of the coming into operation of the amending Act, or which commences business thereafter, must deposit with the Public Trustee money or securities of the statutory character to the value of £5,000; and, in addition to that, for every £100,000 or part thereof that the total amount assured by its policies current in New Zealand exceeds £100,000, a further £5,000 until a maximum of £50,000 is reached. In other respects New Zealand and overseas companies are placed on the same footing as regards deposits.
In the case of composite offices, provision is made for the receipts of life and annuity business to be treated as a separate fund, and the Act safeguards the interest of the policyholder by making such funds available only for liabilities arising from life business.
The law bearing on industrial assurance has received the attention of the Legislature in the Life Insurance Amendment Act, 1920. In this class of insurance the premiums must be payable at shorter intervals than three months. Provision is made for the control by regulation of the activities of this class of business. Companies are required to deposit with the Minister of Finance forms of policy tables, rates, and other documents, and policies must contain only such conditions as have been approved by the Governor-General in Council. Restrictions are placed on the forfeiture of policies in default of payments or other requirements.
Annual returns of life assurance are required to be deposited with the Minister of Finance. It is from these returns that the statistical matter following has been compiled.
The outstanding features of life-assurance business as disclosed by the tables given in the succeeding pages is the remarkable increase that has taken place in the amount of new assurances effected during recent years. The growth characterizes both the ordinary life department and the industrial side. No doubt this is in a large measure a reflection of the prosperous condition of the country. A further reason for the growth of new business is probably furnished by the diminished purchasing-power of the sovereign, and the consequent depreciation of the value of policies on a pre-war basis. It is well known, too, that with the increased probate and succession duties payable on large estates life-insurance policies are a means used to provide ready cash when other assets may not be convertible at an advantage. It may be added, in passing, that the substantial, growth of business evident is general not only in New Zealand, but also in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
At the close of 1923 twelve life-assurance offices were represented in New Zealand. Of these only two were purely New Zealand institutions—namely, the Government Life Insurance Office and the Provident Life Assurance Company. Seven of the other societies have their head offices in Australia, two in England, and one in the United States of America. The Provident Life Assurance Company and four of the Australian offices transact both ordinary life and industrial business. Several of the companies have branches for assurance against accident. This class of insurance is dealt with in Subsection B of this section.
The statistics here given relate exclusively to business transacted in the Dominion.
Details of the policies issued and discontinued during the year 1923 by the respective offices are contained in the following table. The aggregate net increase in the sum assured is £4,457,028, and in the annual premiums payable thereon £144,486. The corresponding figures for 1922 were £2,253,203 and £71,588 respectively.
| Office. | Policies issued. | Policies discontinued. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | |
* Returns incomplete. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Australian Temperance and General | 2,463 | 530,798 | 20,602 | 1,496 | 291,824 | 11,620 |
| Australian Mutual Provident | 5,652 | 2,918,780 | 91,377 | 3,065 | 1,084,691 | 37,149 |
| Australian Provincial | 1,440 | 462,561 | 17,099 | 861 | 254,107 | 10,129 |
| Colonial Mutual | 1,559 | 317,073 | 11,722 | 1,063 | 212,386 | 8,160 |
| Mutual Life and Citizens' | 1,491 | 524,295 | 16,982 | 1,403 | 377,658 | 12,274 |
| National Mutual | 2,309 | 959,667 | 34,724 | 1,280 | 408,110 | 16,235 |
| New York Life | 3 | 758 | 41 | 69 | 21,654 | 983 |
| Norwich Union | 502 | 464,108 | 14,022 | 223 | 160,299 | 4,011 |
| Provident Life | 915 | 213,566 | 5,244 | 486 | 111,922 | 2,832 |
| Southern Cross | 1,160 | 435,257 | 18,147 | * | * | * |
| Yorkshire | .. | .. | .. | 7 | 1,400 | 54 |
| New Zealand Government Life | 4,754 | 1,581,722 | 48,815 | 3,696 | 1,027,506 | 30,842 |
| Totals | 22,248 | 8,408,585 | 278,775 | 13,649 | 3,951,557 | 134,289 |
In the case of the new business transacted during 1923, the average sum assured under each policy issued was £378, and the average premium £3 6s. 4d. per cent.
The next table presents an interesting review of the progress of ordinary life-assurance business over a period of ten years. The amount of new policies issued shows a considerable increase since 1917, with, however, a slight falling-off in 1921, and a much more marked decline in 1922, followed by a phenomenal rise in 1923. Discontinuances in 1922 exceeded those in 1921, due to an increase in the number of lapsed policies, but the figures for 1923 show a decrease in discontinuances of over £170,000 compared with the preceding year. The foregoing is no doubt due in a large measure to the country's return to prosperity following on the slump period. Although discontinuances in 1922 exceeded those in 1921 the net result of the operations for 1922 allowed of a considerable amount being added to the accumulated funds of the companies, and a further increase has taken place as a result of the operations for 1923. It should be added, however, that this follows on a period when, consequent on the ravages of influenza and the toll of war, the discontinuances by death were particularly heavy, amounting in the aggregate to £966,866 for 1918, as compared with the figure of £394,672 in 1921, £435,585 in 1922, and £394,098 in 1923.
| Year. | Policies issued. | Policies discontinued. | Policies existing at End of Year. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 1914 | 13,638 | 3,810,384 | 117,888 | 11,07 | 2,722,288 | 87,539 | 156,218 | 39,654,784 | 1,229,398 |
| 1915 | 15,524 | 3,947,566 | 131,532 | 11,17 | 2,635,204 | 86,262 | 160,568 | 40,967,147 | 1,274,667 |
| 1916 | 14,336 | 3,717,981 | 141,531 | 10,659 | 2,531,713 | 85,342 | 164,245 | 42,153,414 | 1,330,855 |
| 1917 | 12,272 | 3,303,123 | 131,944 | 12,37 | 2,571,106 | 90,523 | 164,145 | 42,885,433 | 1,372,278 |
| 1918 | 16,517 | 5,233,669 | 228,533 | 11,571 | 2,776,081 | 153,529 | 169,091 | 45,343,020 | 1,447,284 |
| 1919 | 18,581 | 6,411,362 | 245,939 | 10,66 | 2,681,975 | 114,757 | 177,008 | 49,072,408 | 1,578,464 |
| 1920 | 19,998 | 6,856,128 | 225,680 | 10,816 | 2,738,502 | 91,390 | 186,190 | 53,190,034 | 1,712,754 |
| 1921 | 19,926 | 6,778,258 | 226,728 | 11,772 | 3,229,942 | 112,765 | 194,344 | 56,738,352 | 1,826,716 |
| 1922 | 17,685 | 6,377,014 | 210,802 | 14,013 | 4,123,811 | 139,214 | 198,124 | 59,026,664 | 1,899,838 |
| 1923 | 22,248 | 8,408,585 | 278,775 | 13,649 | 3,951,557 | 134,289 | 205,717 | 63,119,005 | 2,032,386 |
The number of ordinary life policies in force at the end of 1913 was 153,654, representing a sum assured of £38,566,688; so that the increases in number and value daring the decennium have been 34 per cent. and 64 per cent. respectively, as compared with an increase of total population of 18 per cent. in the same period.
A statement of the income and outgo of all the companies operating in the Dominion, so far as ordinary business only is concerned, further illustrates the increase in the business for the ten years. The ratio of management expenses to premium and total receipts is also given.
| Year. | Receipts and Expenditure. | Expenses of Management. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Receipts, excluding Transfers. | Total Expenditure, excluding Transfers. | Excess of Receipts. | Amount. | Proportion to Premium Receipts. | Proportion to Total Receipts. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1914 | 1,911,446 | 1,311,661 | 599,785 | 179,261 | 14.80 | 9.38 |
| 1915 | 1,922,485 | 1,397,434 | 525,051 | 176,715 | 14.05 | 9.19 |
| 1916 | 2,016,607 | 1,558,320 | 458,287 | 174,683 | 13.20 | 8.66 |
| 1917 | 2,091,512 | 1,804,647 | 286,865 | 173,407 | 12.63 | 8.29 |
| 1918 | 2,225,897 | 2,054,409 | 171,488 | 215,351 | 14.55 | 9.67 |
| 1919 | 2,348,263 | 1,716,049 | 632,214 | 253,257 | 16.18 | 10.78 |
| 1920 | 2,513,707 | 1,527,017 | 986,690 | 278,886 | 16.50 | 11.09 |
| 1921 | 2,648,715 | 1,661,405 | 987,310 | 286,833 | 16.00 | 10.83 |
| 1922 | 2,763,729 | 1,839,932 | 923,797 | 282,603 | 15.13 | 10.23 |
| 1923 | 3,003,179 | 1,871,971 | 1,131,208 | 302,960 | 15.18 | 10.22 |
A summary of the receipts and expenditure under the various heads is now given in a five-years table. New premiums, which amounted to £200,388 in 1918, have during the period under review increased by 26 per cent. On the expenditure side the payment of death claims, which was unusually high during the war period, has now shown a return to normal conditions. Since 1920 a downward trend in the percentage of management expenses to receipts has been evidenced. This reflects the general economy campaign of the period. The decrease in 1923, however, is not so marked as in the two previous years.
| — | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue. | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Renewal premiums | 1,320,023 | 1,477,403 | 1,585,101 | 1,667,572 | 1,743,019 |
| New premiums | 245,238 | 212,370 | 207,196 | 199,792 | 253,009 |
| Consideration for annuities | 28,869 | 44,043 | 25,665 | 19,386 | 17,346 |
| Interest | 746,745 | 764,677 | 826,475 | 874,478 | 911,249 |
| Increase in value of investments | 599 | 15,096 | .. | 2,176 | 277 |
| Other revenue | 6,789 | 118 | 4,278 | 325 | 78,279 |
| Total revenue | 2,348,263 | 2,513,707 | 2,648,715 | 2,763,729 | 3,003,179 |
| Expenditure. | |||||
| Claims by death | 791,216 | 582,253 | 577,031 | 687,888 | 668,628 |
| Claims by maturity | 400,666 | 423,672 | 485,363 | 507,090 | 524,267 |
| Annuities | 34,437 | 36,012 | 38,289 | 38,822 | 38,446 |
| Surrenders | 169,099 | 147,559 | 183,343 | 232,895 | 246,897 |
| Cash bonuses | 14,527 | 14,972 | 35,853 | 30,279 | 21,492 |
| Management | 253,257 | 278,886 | 286,833 | 282,603 | 302,960 |
| Taxes | 42,404 | 39,702 | 47,635 | 53,725 | 47,148 |
| Depreciation in investments | 9,297 | 3,591 | 3,674 | 2,624 | 17,849 |
| Other expenditure | 1,146 | 370 | 3,384 | 4,006 | 4,284 |
| Total expenditure | 1,716,049 | 1,527,017 | 1,661,405 | 1,839,932 | 1,871,971 |
Looking now at the other phase of life assurance, the next table shows for 1923 to what extent industrial business was undertaken by each of the offices transacting this class of assurance in the Dominion.
| Office. | Policies issued. | Policies discontinued. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Australian Temperance and General | 13,097 | 710,090 | 47,220 | 7,315 | 355,348 | 24,884 |
| Australian Mutual Provident | 5,088 | 332,416 | 17,081 | 2,796 | 168,047 | 9,917 |
| Colonial Mutual | 6,009 | 298,277 | 16,456 | 3,294 | 167,964 | 9,227 |
| Mutual Life and Citizens' | 1,672 | 106,158 | 5,213 | 2,451 | 113,218 | 6,064 |
| Provident Life | 4,650 | 212,454 | 13,472 | 3,842 | 142,038 | 10,838 |
| Totals | 30,516 | 1,659,395 | 99,442 | 19,698 | 946,615 | 60,930 |
A summary of the progress of industrial business is given in the following table, covering the ten years 1914 to 1923. This class of insurance has only during the last few years attained any magnitude in New Zealand.
| Year. | Policies issued. | Policies discontinued. | Policies existing at End of Year. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | Number. | Sum assured. | Annual Premiums. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 1914 | 23,715 | 760,863 | 51,957 | 17,830 | 584,119 | 37,721 | 93,488 | 2,598,905 | 163,164 |
| 1915 | 22,937 | 752,729 | 54,905 | 16,685 | 540,379 | 36,537 | 99,740 | 2,811,255 | 181,533 |
| 1916 | 25,608 | 845,042 | 60,295 | 15,681 | 476,286 | 35,333 | 109,667 | 3,180,011 | 206,495 |
| 1917 | 24,733 | 888,915 | 64,551 | 15,577 | 536,853 | 37,425 | 118,823 | 3,532,075 | 233,620 |
| 1918 | 26,906 | 1,020,008 | 73,326 | 16,038 | 553,827 | 40,378 | 129,691 | 3,998,256 | 266,568 |
| 1919 | 29,783 | 1,283,489 | 87,819 | 18,399 | 670,177 | 47,860 | 141,075 | 4,611,568 | 306,527 |
| 1920 | 29,724 | 1,463,720 | 93,039 | 18,299 | 761,350 | 49,586 | 152,500 | 5,313,938 | 349,979 |
| 1921 | 27,799 | 1,459,762 | 84,437 | 17,500 | 821,658 | 50,169 | 162,799 | 5,952,042 | 384,249 |
| 1922 | 29,483 | 1,524,342 | 91,399 | 19,637 | 919,049 | 57,428 | 172,645 | 6,557,335 | 418,220 |
| 1923 | 30,516 | 1,659,395 | 99,442 | 19,698 | 946,615 | 60,930 | 183,341 | 7,266,824 | 456,467 |
The increase in the sum assured in respect of policies issued during the year amounted in 1923 to £135,053, and the increase in the annual premiums to £8,043. Between 1914 and 1923 the number of policies in force has increased by 89,853, and the amount held at risk by £4,667,919.
The total income and outgo for industrial assurance, summarized for the ten years 1914-23, are as follow:—
| Year. | Receipts and Expenditure. | Expenses of Management. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Receipts, excluding Transfers. | Total Expenditure, excluding Transfers. | Excess of Receipts. | Amount. | Proportion to Premium Receipts. | Proportion to Total Receipts. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| 1914 | 158,974 | 94,653 | 64,421 | 65,513 | 43.05 | 41.21 |
| 1915 | 177,319 | 93,973 | 83,346 | 66,041 | 39.22 | 37.24 |
| 1916 | 200,903 | 109,452 | 91,451 | 71,778 | 37.79 | 35.72 |
| 1917 | 232,895 | 128,468 | 104,427 | 77,921 | 35.49 | 33.46 |
| 1918 | 264,000 | 156,618 | 107,382 | 88,071 | 35.51 | 33.36 |
| 1919 | 303,568 | 180,070 | 123,498 | 107,504 | 37.82 | 35.41 |
| 1920 | 347,825 | 195,038 | 152,787 | 121,600 | 37.52 | 34.95 |
| 1921 | 394,098 | 194,798 | 199,300 | 130,645 | 35.96 | 33.15 |
| 1922 | 434,957 | 223,345 | 211,612 | 136,260 | 34.35 | 31.33 |
| 1923 | 485,362 | 253,101 | 232,261 | 148,307 | 33.93 | 30.56 |
A table giving for each of the last five years the main details in connection with the income and outgo referred to above is appended, and affords interesting comparisons in the fluctuation of the various heads of receipts and expenditure. Premium receipts show a steady increase over the whole period. In 1918 this source of income produced £248,035, and the increase over the five years is accordingly 76 per cent. The expenses of management, which in this class of business are relatively high, amounted in 1923 to 34 per cent. of the premium receipts, as compared with 45 per cent. ten years earlier.
| — | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue. | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Premiums | 284,243 | 324,031 | 363,227 | 396,628 | 437,144 |
| Interest | 17,046 | 21,330 | 28,172 | 35,549 | 44,708 |
| Other revenue | 2,279 | 2,464 | 2,699 | 2,780 | 3,510 |
| Total revenue | 303,568 | 347,825 | 394,098 | 434,957 | 485,362 |
| Expenditure. | |||||
| Claims by death | 37,261 | 29,067 | 27,323 | 34,060 | 38,253 |
| Claims by maturity | 24,869 | 31,315 | 27,072 | 39,577 | 51,731 |
| Surrenders | 4,165 | 2,567 | 3,236 | 5,269 | 6,686 |
| Management | 107,504 | 121,600 | 130,645 | 136,260 | 148,307 |
| Taxes | 2,547 | 3,187 | 3,327 | 3,886 | 4,261 |
| Depreciation in investments | 507 | 849 | 744 | 1,139 | 955 |
| Other payments | 3,217 | 6,453 | 2,451 | 3,154 | 2,908 |
| Total expenditure | 180,070 | 195,038 | 194,798 | 223,345 | 253,101 |
The balance-sheets of the companies transacting industrial business do not in every case apportion their liabilities and assets over ordinary and industrial business, for although the legislation in force requires separate statements to be furnished for receipts and expenditure, policies issued and discontinued, &c., no such requirement exists in regard to balance-sheets.
The figures presented below accordingly refer to both classes of insurance, and, as indicated earlier in this subsection, relate to New Zealand business only.
Dealing first with liabilities, the position of the various offices over a period of five years is shown.
| Office. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Includes accident. † New company, 1923, figures for which year not available. † Includes fire, marine, and accident. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Australian Temperance and General | 409,064 | 511,499 | 644,602 | 799,339 | 978,203 |
| Australian Mutual Provident | 6,400,658 | 6,689,332 | 6,979,937 | 7,152,808 | 7,055,110 |
| Australian Provincial | 49,202 | 83,332 | 131,334 | 174,270 | 192,476 |
| Colonial Mutual* | 651,767 | 475,924 | 503,971 | 568,221 | 654,457 |
| Equitable Life of U.S.A. | 83,936 | 58,238 | 76,774 | 76,774 | .. |
| Mutual Life and Citizens' | 1,485,190 | 1,504,913 | 1,534,366 | 1,542,800 | 1,567,111 |
| National Mutual | 1,564,427 | 1,829,496 | 1,920,020 | 2,042,261 | 2,218,010 |
| New York Life | 70,739 | 76,932 | 79,493 | 62,159 | 48,419 |
| Norwich Union | 51,963 | 66,849 | 69,029 | 96,655 | 141,020 |
| Provident Life | 207,576 | 234,169 | 265,982 | 297,812 | 333,855 |
| Southern Cross† | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Yorkshire† | 47,487 | 56,308 | 71,843 | 99,886 | 115,820 |
| New Zealand Government Life | 5,728,681 | 5,927,657 | 6,090,101 | 6,276,019 | 6,489,868 |
| Totals | 16,750,690 | 17,514,549 | 18,367,452 | 19,189,004 | 19,794,349 |
The aggregate capital and liabilities at the end of 1923, as compared with 1922 were as follow:—
| 1922. | 1923. | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Paid-up capital | 96,072 | 94,954 |
| Life assurance and annuity funds | 18,250,328 | 18,901,932 |
| Depreciation, reserve, and other special funds | 352,500 | 287,623 |
| Claims admitted but not paid | 183,820 | 167,133 |
| Other liabilities | 306,284 | 342,707 |
| Totals | £19,189,004 | £19,794,349 |
The assets during the five years 1919-23 are as follow:—
| Assets. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Mortgages on property | 6,206,261 | 5,858,439 | 5,981,469 | 6,047,352 | 6,002,102 |
| Loans on policies | 2,039,293 | 2,068,875 | 2,385,591 | 2,648,102 | 2,812,378 |
| New Zealand Government securities | 5,167,436 | 6,181,818 | 6,307,590 | 6,424,932 | 6,603,884 |
| Indian and colonial securities | 91,156 | 8,831 | 18,056 | 16,028 | 15,435 |
| Railway and other stocks | 921,503 | 953,806 | 1,148,725 | 1,181,183 | 575,677 |
| Landed and house property | 470,067 | 511,583 | 473,431 | 520,935 | 559,031 |
| Other investments | 372,941 | 311,578 | 309,780 | 344,027 | 1,203,627 |
| Loans on personal security | 2,490 | 1,464 | 3,091 | 4,799 | 5,169 |
| Agents' balances | 12,486 | 9,708 | 14,330 | 19,008 | 24,768 |
| Outstanding premiums | 161,837 | 172,032 | 197,040 | 209,795 | 202,978 |
| Interest accrued, &c. | 199,776 | 201,491 | 243,635 | 272,649 | 281,550 |
| Cash | 170,259 | 248,987 | 239,695 | 438,367 | 405,272 |
| Other assets | 935,185 | 985,937 | 1,045,019 | 1,061,827 | 1,102,478 |
| Totals | 16,750,690 | 17,514,549 | 18,367,452 | 19,189,004 | 19,794,349 |
It will be seen that in spite of slight increases in 1921 and 1922 a decrease in the amount invested in mortgages is shown for 1923, and there has been a considerable falling-off in this class of investment during the quinquennium, the decrease for 1923 as compared with 1919 being £204,159. The most striking feature of the figures, however, is the phenomenal increase in the amount invested in securities of the New Zealand Government during recent years. The increase under this head during 1923 amounted to £178,952. This is an illustration of the greater extent to which the New Zealand Government has borrowed locally during the last few years than previously, but it may be accounted for to some extent by the fact that interest on mortgages is taxed on a sliding scale, while the other form of income is taxed on a fixed scale and is capable of estimation. Certain of the Government loans also are free of income-tax, and thus yield a very remunerative rate of interest for gilt-edged securities.
The Life Insurance Department of the Government of New Zealand was founded in 1869, at a time when New-Zealanders had comparatively poor facilities for the insurance of their lives. The institution possesses the unique advantage of being based on the solid principle of State security, payment of all policies being guaranteed by the Government of the Dominion. Industrial insurance is not transacted by the Department.
At the end of 1924 there were 61,804 policies in force, bearing an annual premium income of £522,391. The number of new policies issued in 1924 was 5,149, on which annual premiums to the amount of £54,197 are payable.
The following table gives a synopsis of the activities of the Department for the last ten years in so far as the amount of business transacted is concerned:—
| Year. | New Business. | Policies in Force at End of Year. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Policies. | Premiums. | Sum assured. | Number of Policies. | Premiums. | Value of Business. | |||
| Sum assured. | Bonuses. | Total. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| 1915 | 3,873 | 32,832 | 1,041,167 | 52,950 | 378,788 | 12,754,151 | 1,466,794 | 14,220,945 |
| 1916 | 3,276 | 28,948 | 883,396 | 53,208 | 383,948 | 12,874,754 | 1,384,618 | 14,259,372 |
| 1917 | 2,898 | 28,237 | 784,600 | 53,058 | 387,377 | 12,884,531 | 1,304,243 | 14,188,774 |
| 1918 | 4,235 | 46,778 | 1,252,538 | 53,803 | 404,965 | 13,257,682 | 1,512,861 | 14,770,543 |
| 1919 | 4,983 | 58,569 | 1,617,795 | 55,770 | 423,065 | 14,123,728 | 1,423,016 | 15,546,744 |
| 1920 | 4,872 | 51,221 | 1,659,660 | 57,321 | 449,123 | 14,924,147 | 1,335,163 | 16,259,310 |
| 1921 | 4,963 | 50,734 | 1,631,250 | 59,189 | 474,151 | 15,721,088 | 1,558,646 | 17,279,734 |
| 1922 | 3,797 | 40,071 | 1,286,609 | 59,487 | 483,734 | 15,995,235 | 1,453,866 | 17,449,101 |
| 1923 | 4,754 | 48,815 | 1,581,722 | 60,545 | 501,321 | 16,549,451 | 1,357,161 | 17,906,612 |
| 1924 | 5,149 | 54,197 | 1,718,842 | 61,804 | 522,391 | 17,190,783 | 1,696,381 | 18,887,164 |
The figures of income and outgo of the Department in 1924 reflect a very satisfactory year's operations. The new business of nearly one and three-quarter millions is nearly £140,000 in excess of 1923, and compares well with the standard of previous years.
The total income of the Department for 1924 was £864,591—viz., premium income, £511,380; interest income (less land and income tax), £331,850; annuity purchase-money, £11,361. Each of these items of income, as well as the total, constitutes a record in the Department's operations. The total income for 1924 was £39,953 in excess of the figure for the preceding year.
With regard to the outgo, there was a return to normal conditions in 1921 in the claims by death of policyholders. During the year 1924, policies (including bonus additions) to the value of £229,359 matured, and policies became claims by death of the holders to the total amount of £185,777. Expenses of management totalled £58,779.
The total assurance, annuity, and endowment funds, apart from a special investment reserve of £202,247, amounted at the end of 1924 to £6,448,658, an increase of £226,173 during the year.
The Department's balance-sheet on the 31st December, 1924, showed that the total assets amounted to £6,712,888, and were invested as shown in the following statement, which also gives the distribution of the assets at the end of the previous year for purposes of comparison:—
| Class of Investment. | At 31st December, 1923. | At 31st December, 1924. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount. | Percentage of Total Assets. | Amount. | Percentage of Total Assets. | |
| £ | £ | |||
| Mortgages on freehold property | 2,674,831 | 41.2 | 2,592,867 | 38.6 |
| Loans on policies | 874,657 | 13.5 | 890,403 | 13.3 |
| Government securities | 2,180,270 | 33.6 | 2,177,270 | 32.4 |
| Local bodies' debentures | 252,601 | 3.9 | 688,173 | 10.2 |
| Landed and house property | 142,131 | 2.2 | 140,851 | 2.1 |
| Miscellaneous assets | 160,236 | 2.5 | 157,626 | 2.4 |
| Cash in hand and on current account | 205,142 | 3.1 | 65,698 | 1.0 |
| Totals | 6,489,868 | 100.0 | 6,712,888 | 100.0 |
A statement of the liabilities and assets as at the 31st December, 1924, is also given.
| Liabilities. | £ | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Total Assurance, Annuity, and Endowment Funds (as per Revenue Account) | 6,448,658 | |
| Claims admitted, proofs not yet completed | 45,629 | |
| Annuities | 379 | |
| Commission | 1,901 | |
| Medical fees | 555 | |
| Premium and other deposits | 5,185 | |
| Sundry accounts owing | 6,764 | |
| Officers' Fidelity Fund | 1,570 | |
| Investment Fluctuation Reserve | 202,247 | |
| £6,712,888 | ||
| Assets. | £ | £ |
| Loans on policies | .. | 890,403 |
| Government securities | .. | 2,177,270 |
| Municipal Corporation debentures | .. | 187,742 |
| County securities | .. | 20,551 |
| Harbour Board debentures | .. | 32,000 |
| Town Board debentures | .. | 37,171 |
| Road Board debentures | .. | 21,800 |
| Drainage Board debentures | .. | 1,923 |
| Power Board debentures | .. | 386,986 |
| Landed and house property | .. | 134,564 |
| Landed and house property (leasehold) | .. | 1,540 |
| Mortgages on property | .. | 2,592,867 |
| Properties acquired by foreclosure | .. | 4,748 |
| £ | £ | |
| Overdue premiums on policies in force | 7,583 | .. |
| Outstanding premiums due but not overdue | 45,071 | .. |
| .. | .. | 52,654 |
| Overdue interest | 7,842 | .. |
| Outstanding interest due but not overdue | 7,082 | .. |
| Interest accrued but not due | 83,776 | .. |
| .. | 98,700 | |
| Agents' balances | .. | 4,508 |
| Sundry debtors | .. | 1,763 |
| Cash in hand and on current account | .. | 65,698 |
| £6,712,888 |
The triennial valuation of the Department's liabilities and assets as at the 31st December, 1923, revealed a surplus of assets over liabilities amounting to £336,350. Of this sum £317,563 was allotted in the shape of compound reversionary bonuses upon the sum assured and the bonuses in force, thus giving increasing bonuses to those policyholders who had maintained their previous bonuses intact. This amount was greater by £99,857 (or nearly 50 per cent.) than the amount divided at the preceding triennial investigation. Due consideration was given to the difference between the present rates of premium and those charged before 1900 and to the more favourable mortality experienced in the Temperance Section, and a differential rate of bonus was allotted to secure equity as far as possible between the various classes of assurance in both the General and Temperance Sections. The result is that new assurance and endowment-assurance policies affected during the triennium received simple reversionary bonuses of 26s. and 30s. per cent. per annum on the sum assured in the General and Temperance Sections respectively, and business effected prior to that date—if existing bonuses had been left intact—bonuses increasing with the duration of the policy to £2 3s. per cent. per annum in the case of the older policies. Double endowment assurances received simple reversionary bonuses ranging from £1 1s. to £1 7s. per cent. of the sum assured.
These bonuses, although materially higher than the Department has ever declared in the past, can be allotted without straining its resources in any way. It is claimed that no office in Australia or New Zealand adopts a stronger valuation basis than the Department, quite apart from the amount held in the Investment Fluctuation Reserve, of which little short of the whole will ultimately be available for retransfer. The Department was able in a single triennium to step from a 3 1/2 per cent. to a 3 per cent. net premium valuation of its policy liabilities.
The actuarial investigation discloses the progress of the Department during the triennium 1921-23, and the figures are given below in conjunction with those for the five preceding triennia.
| Triennium. | New Business of Triennium. | In Force at End of Triennium. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Policies. | Sums assured. | Annual Premiums. | Number of Policies. | Sums assured. | Reversionary Bonuses. | Annual Premiums. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| 1906-08 | 9,739 | 2,261,767 | 72,803 | 47,033 | 10,955,749 | 1,068,950 | 331,830 |
| 1909-11 | 10,476 | 2,487,472 | 77,477 | 49,376 | 11,514,657 | 1,168,620 | 348,285 |
| 1912-14 | 11,721 | 3,197,694 | 89,715 | 52,273 | 12,550,465 | 1,246,610 | 370,882 |
| 1915-17 | 10,129 | 2,709,163 | 90,017 | 53,058 | 12,884,531 | 1,304,243 | 387,377 |
| 1918-20 | 14,189 | 4,529,993 | 156,568 | 57,321 | 14,924,147 | 1,335,163 | 449,123 |
| 1921-23 | 13,537 | 4,499,581 | 139,620 | 60,545 | 16,549,451 | 1,357,161 | 501,321 |
From the above it will be seen that there has been a slight decrease in 1921-23 as compared with 1918-20, but a steady progress is shown over the whole period in the amount of new business.
The rate of interest realized on the mean funds of the Department, after deduction of land and income tax from interest, was as follows for each of the ten years 1915-24:—
IN terms of the Accident Insurance Companies Act, 1908, accident-insurance policies may be issued by any association, whether incorporated or not, provided such association is not established under any Act relating to friendly societies. The principal contingencies for which policies may be issued are in respect of—
(1.) Accident, disease, or mental or physical disability;
(2.) Employers' liability;
(3.) Charges under the Workers' Compensation Acts for damages incurred in the course of employment.
As a security to the public transacting business with accident-insurance offices, a substantial deposit is required to be made with the Public Trustee by any company whose head office is situated overseas. No deposit is necessary in the case of companies incorporated in the Dominion under the New Zealand laws. The amount of the deposit required is dealt with in the next subsection in discussing the cognate matter of Are insurance, to which reference should be made.
The principal Act provides for annual returns to be deposited with the Minister of Finance, and, as in the case of life insurance, these are utilized as a means of statistical information.
The number of insurance offices transacting accident business in New Zealand in 1923 was 36, as against 35 in 1922—the Southern Cross, an Australian company, having commenced business in the meantime. The principal registered offices of these companies, all of which are British companies, were distributed as follows: England, 17; Australia, 9; Hong Kong, 1; New Zealand, 9. Returns for the financial years ended during 1923 have been received from all offices, the figures in each case being confined to accident business done in the Dominion.
The total premiums received for 1923 amounted to £752,995, and of this amount £322,786, or 42.87 per cent., represented the business of the nine companies established within the Dominion. During the year claims amounting to £388,903 were paid, of which £173,864, or 44.71 per cent., was the contribution of the New Zealand establishments. It will accordingly be seen that the local companies accounted for a very considerable proportion of the accident insurance transacted in the Dominion. The following table gives a summary of the income and outgo of the various offices for 1923, distinguishing the amount received for premiums and the amount paid out on claims:—
| Name of Company. | Income. | Outgo. | Per Cent. of Total Expenditure to Premiums. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiums. | Total Receipts. | Claims. | Total Expenditure. | ||
| Overseas Companies. | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Alliance | 23,739 | 23,739 | 10,672 | 20,273 | 85.40 |
| Atlas | 8,715 | 8,715 | 4,243 | 7,864 | 90.24 |
| Australian Provincial Association | 10,349 | 10,349 | 5,585 | 12,722 | 122.93 |
| British Traders' | 7,352 | 7,352 | 3,613 | 7,761 | 105.56 |
| Colonial Mutual | 5,320 | 6,093 | 1,131 | 3,418 | 64.25 |
| Commerical Union | 29,741 | 29,741 | 16,230 | 33,187 | 111.59 |
| Eagle, Star, and British Dominions | 18,517 | 18,667 | 10,745 | 19,274 | 104.09 |
| Guardian | 12,308 | 12,308 | 5,681 | 10,993 | 89.32 |
| Insurance Office of Australia | 17,452 | 18,452 | 8,262 | 17,659 | 101.19 |
| Liverpool and London and Globe | 13,166 | 13,166 | 8,674 | 13,399 | 101.77 |
| London and Lancashire | 26,392 | 27,166 | 11,592 | 22,148 | 83.92 |
| Mutual Life and Citizens | 20,360 | 20,360 | 9,897 | 17,805 | 87.45 |
| North British and Mercantile | 10,383 | 10,383 | 4,032 | 8,436 | 81.25 |
| Northern | 17,189 | 19,398 | 10,188 | 18,058 | 105.06 |
| Norwich and London | 18,093 | 19,117 | 11,601 | 19,140 | 105.79 |
| Ocean | 43,630 | 43,630 | 22,887 | 40,691 | 93.26 |
| Phœnix | 14,963 | 14,963 | 6,446 | 11,977 | 80.04 |
| Queensland | 16,396 | 17,396 | 12,818 | 20,454 | 124.75 |
| Royal | 26,010 | 26,010 | 8,848 | 18,937 | 72.81 |
| Royal Exchange | 18,056 | 18,161 | 8,028 | 15,697 | 86.94 |
| Southern Cross | 1,280 | 1,354 | 252 | 1,702 | 132.97 |
| Southern Union | 6,371 | 6,371 | 3,054 | 6,376 | 100.08 |
| Sun | 10,617 | 10,617 | 3,514 | 7,434 | 70.02 |
| Union | 7,637 | 7,637 | 4,504 | 7,412 | 97.05 |
| United | 8,130 | 8,130 | 2,190 | 6,732 | 82.80 |
| Victoria | 22,170 | 22,170 | 10,976 | 21,986 | 99.17 |
| Yorkshire | 15,873 | 15,873 | 9,376 | 16,508 | 104.00 |
| Totals | 430,209 | 437,318 | 215,039 | 408,043 | 94.85 |
| New Zealand Companies. | |||||
| Farmers' Co-operative | 9,274 | 9,274 | 2,884 | 7,227 | 77.93 |
| National | 28,775 | 28,775 | 14,262 | 27,169 | 94.42 |
| New Zealand | 96,485 | 96,485 | 56,737 | 94,051 | 97.48 |
| Provident Life | 2,563 | 2,759 | 1,121 | 2,320 | 90.52 |
| Sawmillers' Mutual | 13,292 | 14,023 | 8,073 | 11,080 | 83.36 |
| South British | 90,867 | 90,867 | 48,010 | 85,435 | 94.02 |
| Standard | 44,751 | 44,751 | 19,805 | 38,395 | 85.80 |
| Taranaki Farmers' | 1,511 | 1,515 | 570 | 1,168 | 77.30 |
| New Zealand Government Office | 35,268 | 41,476 | 22,402 | 32,580 | 92.38 |
| Totals | 322,786 | 329,925 | 173,864 | 299,425 | 92.76 |
| Grand totals | 752,995 | 767,243 | 388,903 | 707,468 | 93.95 |
In 1923 the ratio of the total expenses to premiums received averaged 93.95 per cent., or to total receipts, including premiums, 92.21 per cent. The expense ratio is lower in the case of New Zealand offices than for overseas offices.
The table next presented gives in a summary form the aggregate receipts and expenditure for the last decade. During that period the amount of accident business put through the books has increased by over 100 per cent. The number of offices transacting business increased by nine.
| Year. | Number of Offices. | Receipts. | Expenditure. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiums. | Other Receipts. | Total. | Claims. | Commission. | Salaries. | Other Expenses. | Total. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1914 | 27 | 337,190 | 14,004 | 351,194 | 162,708 | 46,264 | 34,966 | 43,574 | 287,512 |
| 1915 | 27 | 337,733 | 6,907 | 344,640 | 172,049 | 45,941 | 36,715 | 36,929 | 291,634 |
| 1916 | 30 | 349,230 | 6,059 | 355,289 | 168,321 | 50,613 | 40,675 | 42,595 | 302,204 |
| 1917 | 31 | 351,103 | 5,377 | 356,480 | 179,514 | 51,879 | 41,134 | 48,500 | 321,027 |
| 1918 | 34 | 359,962 | 3,711 | 363,673 | 183,291 | 52,984 | 40,048 | 50,401 | 326,724 |
| 1919 | 35 | 449,784 | 6,270 | 456,054 | 228,032 | 64,976 | 47,336 | 58,192 | 398,536 |
| 1920 | 34 | 533,316 | 7,235 | 540,551 | 240,337 | 84,299 | 51,822 | 78,483 | 454,941 |
| 1921 | 35 | 706,014 | 8,561 | 714,575 | 337,190 | 108,289 | 72,611 | 100,728 | 618,818 |
| 1922 | 35 | 706,370 | 11,876 | 718,246 | 361,527 | 105,049 | 72,726 | 112,629 | 651,931 |
| 1923 | 36 | 752,995 | 14,248 | 767,243 | 388,903 | 118,372 | 76,599 | 123,594 | 707,468 |
Since 1918 the premium income has increased from £359,962 to £752,995— having more than doubled itself in five years. The increase in the 1923 figure over that of the previous year was £46,625. As against the increase in premium income must be considered the augmentation in claims, which have shown a slightly greater proportionate increase, having grown from £183,291 in 1918 to £388,903 in 1923.
An interesting review of the expenses incurred in transacting accident insurance is contained in the table following. The fluctuations over a period of ten years are shown in percentages of income to outgo under six different heads. In this connection the fact that the Government Insurance Department has systematically tabulated the experience of the whole of the workers' compensation insurance business in New Zealand upon a scientific actuarial basis has placed that Office in a position to regulate effectively the premiums charged in the Dominion in respect of this class of business.
| Year. | Ratio per Cent, of | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claims to Premiums. | Commission to Premiums. | Salaries to Premiums. | Other Expenses to Premiums. | Total Expenses to Premiums. | Total Expenses to Total Receipts. | |
| 1914 | 48.25 | 13.72 | 10.04 | 12.92 | 85.27 | 81.87 |
| 1915 | 50.94 | 13.60 | 10.87 | 10.93 | 86.35 | 84.62 |
| 1916 | 48.20 | 14.49 | 11.65 | 12.20 | 86.54 | 85.06 |
| 1917 | 51.13 | 14.77 | 11.72 | 13.80 | 91.43 | 90.05 |
| 1918 | 50.92 | 14.72 | 11 13 | 14.00 | 90.77 | 89.84 |
| 1919 | 50.70 | 14.44 | 10.52 | 12.94 | 88.61 | 87.39 |
| 1920 | 45.06 | 15 80 | 9.72 | 14.72 | 85.30 | 84.16 |
| 1921 | 47.76 | 15.34 | 10.28 | 14.27 | 87.64 | 86.59 |
| 1922 | 51.18 | 14.87 | 10.30 | 15.94 | 92.29 | 90.77 |
| 1923 | 51.65 | 15.72 | 10.17 | 16.41 | 93.95 | 92.21 |
It will be noted that in no year during the past decade has there been a less expenditure in proportion to the total business than in 1914. From that date until 1917 the percentage of claims and the expenditure under other headings constantly increased, but a falling-off in 1918 and subsequent years ensued until 1921, when the percentage again showed an upward trend, which is still being maintained.
The appropriation for unexpired risks at the end of 1923 amounted for all offices to £259,777, as compared with £242,382 at the end of 1922 and £243,132 at the end of 1921.
In the year 1901 the Government Insurance Department opened an Accident Branch. Arrangements were made under which the funds, assets, and liabilities were kept separate and distinct from the main life-insurance business, and powers wore vested in the Governor-General to make regulations in regard to tables fixing rates of premium and other details for the conduct of the Accident Insurance Branch. On the 1st January, 1925, the whole of the Accident business was transferred to the control of the State Fire Insurance Office, and is now carried on in conjunction with that establishment.
General accident business is undertaken, but the branch was opened more especially with a view to relieve employers of labour of the liability imposed upon them by the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act. The policies cover the full liability of an employer to his workmen under the Workers' Compensation Act, and the liability under common law to the extent of £1,000 per man. Policies protecting mortgagees from loss through the charge of an injured workman taking precedence of a mortgage are issued at premiums varying from 1s. per cent. for small mortgages and 6d. per cent. for large mortgages. Personal-accident policies are also issued securing amounts for accidental death and permanent total or partial disablement, and weekly allowances during temporary disablement, whether caused by accident or sickness. Under the Government Accident Insurance Amendment Act of 1924 the Department is authorized to underwrite all classes of accident insurance accepted by accident insurance companies and the Branch now accepts motor-car comprehensive and plate-glass insurance.
The premium income and claims of the Accident Branch since the commencement of business have been as follow:—
| Year. | Gross Premium Income. | Claims. |
|---|---|---|
* From 7th June to 31st December. | ||
| £ | £ | |
| 1901* | 11,856 | 2,428 |
| 1902 | 14,100 | 7,364 |
| 1903 | 24,381 | 13,230 |
| 1904 | 23,768 | 12,105 |
| 1905 | 23,970 | 11,242 |
| 1906 | 20,815 | 13,720 |
| 1907 | 21,477 | 11,288 |
| 1908 | 20,898 | 11,926 |
| 1909 | 26,337 | 12,805 |
| 1910 | 21,364 | 12,522 |
| 1911 | 20,756 | 10,497 |
| 1912 | 23,513 | 12,016 |
| 1913 | 23,677 | 11,492 |
| 1914 | 22,284 | 9,633 |
| 1915 | 23,466 | 9,092 |
| 1916 | 22,378 | 10,698 |
| 1917 | 22,115 | 9,270 |
| 1918 | 21,823 | 10,830 |
| 1919 | 25,414 | 13,150 |
| 1920 | 30,268 | 14,975 |
| 1921 | 36,288 | 16,786 |
| 1922 | 33,983 | 20,330 |
| 1923 | 35,560 | 22,402 |
| 1924 | 40,632 | 24,764 |
The funds at the end of 1924 stood at £38,538, as against £29,089 at the end of 1923. The Reserve Fund now stands at £115,020. The total assets at the end of the year amounted to £187,836.
The liabilities and assets on the 31st December, 1924, were as follow:—
| Liabilities. | £ | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Accident Funds, as per Revenue Account | 38,538 | |
| Claims admitted (proofs not yet completed) | 12,000 | |
| Commission | 521 | |
| Premium and other deposits | 129 | |
| Sundry accounts owing | 303 | |
| Officers' Fidelity Fund | 500 | |
| Reserve for unearned premiums | 17,825 | |
| Investment Fluctuation Reserve | 3,000 | |
| Reserve Fund constituted under section 20 of the Government Accident Insurance Act, 1908 | 115,020 | |
| £187,836 | ||
| Assets. | £ | £ |
| Debentures issued under authority of the Finance Act, 1915 | 10,000 | |
| New Zealand inscribed stock—War loans | 100,500 | |
| New Zealand inscribed stock | 3,000 | |
| Mortgages on property | 53,013 | |
| Overdue interest | £19 | |
| Outstanding interest due but not overdue | 111 | |
| Interest accrued but not due | 1,900 | |
| .. | .. | 2,036 |
| Agents' balances | .. | 236 |
| Sundry debtors | .. | 2,157 |
| Cash in hand and on current account | .. | 16,894 |
| £187,836 |
The investments in inscribed stock wore increased by £6,000 in 1922, and these, together with debentures under the Finance Act, 1915, represent 68 per cent. of the total invested funds. During 1924 the amount invested in mortgages on property was increased from £38,805 to £53,013.
IN the Dominion's legislation four separate classes of fire-insurance offices are distinguished—namely, (1) Local insurance companies established within the limits of New Zealand; (2) foreign insurance companies established beyond New Zealand; (3) British offices similarly established; and (4) mutual fire-insurance associations. To these may be added the State Fire Insurance Office, established under a separate Act of Parliament.
The Companies Act, 1908, provides for the incorporation with limited liability of local insurance companies formed for the insurance of property other than that of shareholders. Such a company requires a paid-up capital of £50,000 intact, and if the amount of paid-up capital falls below this sum incorporation can only be effected with unlimited liability. Insurance companies established or incorporated overseas require to have a like paid-up capital intact. The transaction of business by such companies is, however, subject to special legislation as set out below. Mutual associations are dealt with by the Mutual Fire Insurance Act, 1908, which allows at least 100 owners of isolated or farm property to subscribe to a declaration and form themselves into a mutual association to insure against loss by fire to an amount in the aggregate of not less than £40,000. Such associations effect insurance on the premium-note principle, and accept premium notes to be assessed for losses in the proportion of the total amount of such notes. The amount of a member's premium notes limits his liability.
Prior to the passing of the Insurance Companies' Deposits Act, 1921-22, and its amendment of 1922, no deposit whatever was required by companies carrying on the business of fire insurance, and practically none was required in respect of the business of employers' liability insurance. Now, however, deposits in cash are to be made with the Public Trustee by fire and accident offices, varying according as to whether the company concerned is established or incorporated in a British country (other than New Zealand) or has its chief office in a foreign country. No deposit is required from a company constituted in New Zealand under the New Zealand laws.
The actual amounts of the deposits required to be made in accordance with the statutory provision of the principal Act were: For British companies carrying on operations in New Zealand—in respect of fire-insurance business, £15,000; in respect of employers' liability business, £15,000; and in respect of all other classes of business (except life and marine), £5,000. Foreign companies were required to deposit a sum of £35,000, which covered all classes of business (except life and marine). Overseas companies becoming established in New Zealand after the passing of the principal Act are required to make deposits on a somewhat higher scale than the foregoing. British offices must deposit the sum of £22,500 on account of fire business, the same amount for employers' liability insurance business, and £5,000 in respect of all other classes (other than life and marine) of insurance business. A newly established foreign company must deposit the sum of £50,000, and this covers all classes of business other than life and marine.
Other general statutory provisions in regard to the investment and management of deposits apply equally to British and to foreign companies. Deposits by companies carrying on business at the 31st December, 1923, amount to close on a million pounds—viz., £887,500 by twenty-eight British companies and £70,000 by two foreign companies. Interest on such amounts is payable to the respective companies at the rate from time to time payable on investments held in the Common Fund of the Public Trust Office.
Statistics of fire insurance are collected annually by the Census and Statistics Office. The principal heads of inquiry relate to—(a) Stability of the company as shown by the balance-sheet for whole-world business; (b) the extent to which the office has assets in the Dominion; (c) the amount of business transacted during the year under review; (d) fires and losses; (e) revenue and expenditure; and (f) working-expenses. Statistics were first collected for the financial year of each company ended nearest the 31st December, 1918, and further annual collections have since been made.
For 1923, statistics were collected from 41 offices carrying on business in New Zealand. The head offices of these were distributed as follow: England, 20; New Zealand, 11; Australia, 7; Hong Kong, 1; United States of America, 2. Included in the 12 New Zealand companies were 4 mutual fire-insurance associations and the State Fire Office.
During the three years ending 1923, four companies commenced fire business in New Zealand. These were the Hartford Fire Insurance Company, the Southern Union General Insurance Company of Australasia, the New Zealand Medical Assurance Society, and the Prudential Insurance Company (Limited). The dates on which they commenced operations were December, 1921, January, 1922, September, 1921, and February, 1923, respectively.
The following table indicates generally the extent to which fire-insurance offices have funds available to meet losses and liabilities. Funds of life departments are added for completeness, but by the Life Insurance Act, 1908 (which follows the provisions of the Imperial statute on the subject), life funds must be accounted for separately, and form a security for life-policy holders, which is not available to other phases of insurance transacted. The amount of funds (other than life) both in New Zealand and elsewhere is, it will be seen, nearly 225 millions.
| — | Liabilities. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overseas Companies. | Local Offices. | Mutual Associations. | Total Assets. | |
* These figures in the case of mutual associations relate to premium note capital. | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Paid-up capital | 24,159,430 | 2,028,492 | 126,090* | 26,314,012 |
| Reserves | 149,371,333 | 3,615,665 | 21,388 | 153,008,386 |
| Other liabilities | 44,628,696 | 955,207 | 18,894 | 45,602,797 |
| Totals | 218,159,459 | 6,599,364 | 166,372 | 224,925,195 |
| Life funds | 305,179,391 | .. | .. | 305,179,391 |
| Grand totals | 523,338,850 | 6,599,364 | 166,372 | 530,104,586 |
New Zealand assets of all offices transacting business amounted in 1923 to £7,335,330. In the following table the figures for the amount of assets in New Zealand under various heads are given for the last three years. As a result of the operations for 1923, an increase over the previous year is disclosed in all cases, with the exception of New Zealand Government War Loan securities, wherein there is a decrease of £197,109. The exceptional increases in other securities of the New Zealand Government and in New Zealand local-authority securities are mainly due to the holdings of these classes of investments by the Prudential Insurance Company (Limited), which commenced business in New Zealand on the 19th February, 1923. Cash and other assets in New Zealand show a remarkable increase over the period, due to a great extent to the cash deposits required since-the passing of the Insurance Companies' Deposits Act aforementiond.
| Assets in Mew Zealand. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Houses and landed property | 494,048 | 556,784 | 608,079 |
| New Zealand Government securities—Ordinary | 289,175 | 346,298 | 1,428,256 |
| New Zealand Government securities—War loan | 1,739,905 | 1,872,264 | 1,675,155 |
| New Zealand local-authority securities | 486,562 | 512,186 | 1,080,506 |
| Mortgages, &c. | 327,939 | 328,382 | 359,287 |
| Cash and other assets in New Zealand | 1,365,965 | 2,143,334 | 2,184,047 |
| Total New Zealand assets | 4,703,594 | 5,759,248 | 7,335,330 |
Looking now at the general progress of fire-insurance business in the Dominion, a comparison of recent operations is afforded by the table below for 1921, 1922, and 1923.
| — | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|
* Excluding reinsurances accepted from other offices. | |||
| Offices in New Zealand. | |||
| Number of separate companies | 39 | 41 | 41 |
| Number of towns in which branches established | 138 | 148 | 148 |
| Number of towns in which agencies exist | 8,127 | 8,708 | 9,540 |
| Number of separate agencies in New Zealand | 9,915 | 10,852 | 11,571 |
| Amounts underwritten. | |||
| Gross amount of insurance cover in force in New Zealand on 31st December* | £286,706,704 | £293,646,272 | £309,740,593 |
| Number of policies representing the foregoing* | 570,622 | 583,792 | 603,303 |
| Gross amount of new and renewal business underwritten during year* | £328,354,197 | £328,417,438 | £347,677,896 |
| Number of policies representing the foregoing* | 628,201 | 636,671 | 660,485 |
| Premiums. | |||
| Total gross premiums charged on business (new and renewal) underwritten during year | £1,943,954 | £1,924,476 | £1,911,328 |
| Percentage of gross premiums to total amount of business underwritten | 0.59 | 0.59 | 0.55 |
| Total premiums (as shown above), leas premiums refunded to insured other than to other offices | £1,768,416 | £1,785,308 | £1,780,463 |
| Losses. | |||
| Total number of separate fire losses with which offices were concerned | 3,725 | 4,030 | 4,269 |
| Gross losses | £738,638 | £739,076 | £796,281 |
| Percentage of gross loss to amount underwritten (new and renewal) during year (as shown above) | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.23 |
| Percentage of gross loss to total premiums, less refunds to insured (as shown above) | 41.77 | 41.40 | 44.72 |
| Average loss per fire | £198 | £181 | £187 |
A remarkable increase is apparent in the amount of new and renewal business underwritten. The figures for 1921 and 1922, which exceed the huge sum of 300 millions, show an increase of 10 per cent. over the figure for 1920, and of 33 per cent. over that for 1919. The result of the operations for 1923 discloses an increase of more than £19,000,000 over the 1922 total.
The table set out below shows for the years 1898 to 1923 the premium income and the fire losses, together with the percentage of loss in each year, in five-yearly periods, and in ten-yearly periods. As previously stated, statistics of fire insurance have been collected only since 1918, and the figures prior to that date have kindly been supplied by the Council of the Fire Underwriters' Associations of New Zealand, and refer only to those insurance offices in New Zealand which are members of the Council of the Fire Underwriters' Associations. The official figures from 1918 to 1923 (inclusive) refer to all offices, and these facts must not be lost sight of when comparisons are being made.
| Year. | Premium Income. | Fire Losses. | Percentage of Loss | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly Periods. | Five-yearly Periods. | Ten-yearly Periods. | |||
* Six years. | |||||
| £ | £ | ||||
| 1898 | 382,284 | 302,490 | 79.1 | .. | .. |
| 1899 | 399,110 | 185,210 | 46.4 | .. | .. |
| 1900 | 432,944 | 254,006 | 58.6 | 82.2 | .. |
| 1901 | 453,583 | 385,609 | 85.0 | .. | .. |
| 1902 | 490,722 | 215,500 | 43.8 | .. | 64.0 |
| 1903 | 527,861 | 223,000 | 42.2 | .. | .. |
| 1904 | 565,000 | 427,874 | 75.7 | .. | .. |
| 1905 | 494,822 | 322,496 | 65.2 | 65.4 | .. |
| 1906 | 508,222 | 407,869 | 80.3 | .. | .. |
| 1907 | 538,076 | 341,444 | 63.4 | .. | .. |
| 1908 | 578,222 | 544,606 | 94.2 | .. | .. |
| 1909 | 596,769 | 415,951 | 69.6 | .. | .. |
| 1910 | 637,856 | 368,887 | 57.8 | 66.8 | .. |
| 1911 | 688,820 | 424,194 | 61.6 | .. | .. |
| 1912 | 733,945 | 406,385 | 55.3 | .. | 57.9 |
| 1913 | 790,525 | 450,970 | 57.0 | .. | .. |
| 1914 | 813,469 | 434,310 | 53.3 | .. | .. |
| 1916 | 854,509 | 433,467 | 50.7 | 51.2 | .. |
| 1916 | 912,222 | 373,896 | 40.9 | .. | .. |
| 1917 | 969,186 | 531,121 | 54.8 | .. | .. |
| 1918 | 1,241,829 | 472,247 | 38.0 | .. | .. |
| 1919 | 1,351,083 | 390,598 | 28.9 | .. | .. |
| 1920 | 1,622,048 | 448,656 | 27.7 | 35.9 | 37.5* |
| 1921 | 1,768,416 | 738,638 | 41.8 | .. | .. |
| 1922 | 1,785,308 | 739,075 | 41.4 | .. | .. |
| 1923 | 1,780,463 | 796,281 | 44.7 | .. | .. |
A statement of the total income and outgo, both gross and net, of all offices in respect of New Zealand business is now given. The gross reserve for unexpired risks, it should be noted, is calculated on the assumption that it bears the same proportion to gross premium income as does the net. The amount of fire premiums receivable are exclusive of reinsurance premiums from other offices. These were £240,966 in 1923, as compared with £245,556 in 1922, and £259,257 in 1921.
| 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross. | Net. | Gross. | Net. | Gross. | Net. | |
| Income. | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Reserve to meet unexpired risks as at beginning of year | 732,266 | 483,793 | 806,027 | 534,076 | 797,639 | 536,352 |
| Reserve, additional to foregoing | 18,339 | 18,339 | 20,749 | 20,749 | 29,490 | 29,496 |
| Amount of fire premiums receivable during year | 1,943,954 | 1,293,741 | 1,924,476 | 1,300,001 | 2,139,601 | 1,283,259 |
| Interest and dividends on stock, mortgages, &c. | 78,268 | 78,268 | 90,685 | 90,685 | 102,185 | 102,185 |
| Rents | 9,571 | 9,571 | 15,955 | 15,955 | 16,615 | 16,615 |
| Other revenue | 3,757 | 3,757 | 2,053 | 2,053 | 3,321 | 3,321 |
| Totals | 2,786,155 | 1,887,469 | 2,859,945 | 1,963,510 | 3,088,857 | 1,971,228 |
| Outgo. | ||||||
| Amount of Are losses incurred during year, including adjustment and other expenses of settlement, but less salvage and amounts covered by reinsurance | 738,638 | 473,643 | 739,076 | 486,609 | 796,281 | 582,017 |
| New Zealand Government taxes | 167,748 | 162,342 | 150,630 | 141,842 | 100,066 | 99,618 |
| Local-authority rates | 2,751 | 2,751 | 2,880 | 2,880 | 3,201 | 3,201 |
| License fees | 5,409 | 5,194 | 5,214 | 4,983 | 5,423 | 5,366 |
| Fire Board levies | 37,405 | 31,412 | 37,518 | 29,749 | 30,736 | 30,615 |
| Rents | 19,798 | 17,532 | 22,289 | 20,130 | 23,514 | 21,434 |
| Allowances and commissions on premiums to agents, sub-agents, and others | 241,262 | 151,162 | 244,066 | 156,027 | 229,532 | 146,071 |
| Salaries and wages, including commissions on profits or bonuses | 215,673 | 186,381 | 221,895 | 193,316 | 217,435 | 186,973 |
| Other expenses of management | 123,923 | 107,237 | 121,693 | 102,298 | 117,171 | 93,206 |
| Reserve to meet unexpired risks as at the end of the year | 806,027 | 534,601 | 797,640 | 536,225 | 783,880 | 529,880 |
| Reserve, additional to foregoing | 20,749 | 20,749 | 29,496 | 29,496 | 30,057 | 30,057 |
| Other expenditure | 737 | 737 | 1,717 | 1,717 | 19,268 | 8,271 |
| Totals | 2,385,120 | 1,693,741 | 2,374,114 | 1,705,272 | 2,362,564 | 1,736,709 |
In so far as the income was concerned there was a decrease of £16,742 in the net premiums for 1923. This decrease is due to a special 15-per-cent. bonus rebate declared on all premiums paid during the twelve months beginning on the 1st August, 1923. The State Fire Office has for many years had the intention of returning some of its accumulated profits by way of a bonus to its policyholders. It was found, however, that the cost involved in paying a bonus in the manner usually followed by life-insurance offices would prove very costly, and in order to allow policyholders to benefit to the greatest possible extent the State Fire Insurance Act was amended to enable the Board of the Office to allow a rebate to insurers. Accordingly the rebate was declared from the above-mentioned date, and all other fire offices fell into fine and declared a similar rebate. During the period covered by the returns for 1923 that the rebate was in force the insuring public benefited to the extent of £141,794, and it was estimated that during the whole twelve months this generous concession would amount to £340,000. Regard should be had to the foregoing when comparisons with previous years are attempted: Notwithstanding the rebate, the total net income increased by £7,709 in 1923, as compared with £76,050 in 1922 and £197,752 in the preceding year. With regard to outgo, losses in 1921, 1922, and 1923 show a very great increase as compared with 1920, and this is reflected in the percentage which the gross loss hears to the total premiums received.
The reserve set aside to meet unexpired risks is in only one instance under 40 per cent. of the net premium income, and in five cases 50 per cent. has been allowed.
The net premiums and net losses for 1923 are set out for each office in the following table. The total receipts and expenditure are also given in each case.
| Name of Fire-insurance Office. | Net Revenue. | Net Expenditure. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiums. | Total. | Fire Losses. | Total. | |
| Overseas Companies. | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Alliance | 46,284 | 66,202 | 19,843 | 55,027 |
| Atlas | 37,168 | 52,656 | 16,359 | 43,811 |
| Australian Alliance | 5,346 | 7,917 | 1,861 | 6,423 |
| Australian Provincial | 4,815 | 6,734 | 4,721 | 9,889 |
| British Traders' | 19,769 | 29,050 | 8,600 | 26,682 |
| Commercial Union | 52,271 | 75,363 | 29,730 | 75,182 |
| Eagle, Star, and British Dominions | 37,593 | 55,930 | 34,120 | 75,728 |
| Excess | 22,015 | 31,700 | 15,139 | 32,906 |
| Guardian | 32,045 | 47,824 | 14,812 | 46,568 |
| Hartford | 7,362 | 11,297 | 5,421 | 12,877 |
| Home | 12,731 | 19,844 | 3,448 | 15,387 |
| Insurance Office of Australia | 14,956 | 20,687 | 7,214 | 17,964 |
| Liverpool and London and Globe | 31,871 | 47,696 | 18,490 | 45,482 |
| London Assurance Corporation | 6,649 | 10,339 | 9,385 | 14,848 |
| London and Lancashire | 23,048 | 32,727 | 16,011 | 37,227 |
| North British and Mercantile | 14,127 | 20,017 | 6,642 | 18,586 |
| Northern Assurance | 21,145 | 35,114 | 13,734 | 29,330 |
| Norwich Union | 22,632 | 32,964 | 9,164 | 29,369 |
| Ocean | 12,055 | 17,789 | 5,640 | 14,928 |
| Phœnix | 41,543 | 59,384 | 20,839 | 54,020 |
| Prudential | 1,318 | 2,892 | 461 | 2,524 |
| Queensland | 27,110 | 40,415 | 12,376 | 38,291 |
| Royal | 50,795 | 104,961 | 21,038 | 104,961 |
| Royal Exchange | 26,924 | 38,585 | 11,210 | 35,091 |
| Southern Union | 7,060 | 9,736 | 2,912 | 10,500 |
| Sun | 40,617 | 59,154 | 21,283 | 52,643 |
| Union | 16,489 | 23,909 | 13,044 | 26,527 |
| United | 32,482 | 46,740 | 13,117 | 43,096 |
| Victoria | 49,725 | 70,359 | 19,769 | 64,597 |
| Yorkshire | 14,861 | 23,119 | 14,724 | 30,874 |
| Total (overseas companies) | 733,706 | 1,101,104 | 391,107 | 1,071,338 |
| Local Companies. | ||||
| Farmers' Co-operative | 15,417 | 25,830 | 7,867 | 22,952 |
| National | 64,239 | 101,377 | 15,512 | 70,467 |
| New Zealand | 123,978 | 198,540 | 47,935 | 155,193 |
| New Zealand Medical | 914 | 1,446 | .. | 867 |
| South British | 135,806 | 235,082 | 47,676 | 169,879 |
| Standard | 56,469 | 81,676 | 22,977 | 71,745 |
| State Fire | 143,167 | 215,289 | 46,178 | 167,412 |
| Total (local companies) | 539,990 | 859,239 | 188,145 | 658,515 |
| Mutual Associations. | ||||
| Hawke's Bay Farmers' | 119 | 171 | 1 | 142 |
| Otago Farmers' Union | 2,032 | 2,392 | 1,289 | 2,193 |
| Taranaki Farmers' | 3,764 | 4,461 | 576 | 2,290 |
| Wellington Farmers' | 3,648 | 3,861 | 899 | 2,231 |
| Total (mutual associations) | 9,563 | 10,885 | 2,765 | 6,856 |
| Total (all offices) | 1,283,259 | 1,971,228 | 582,017 | 1,736,709 |
A favourable result accrued to fire offices in the Dominion as a result of business for the two years 1919 and 1920, and this was so notwithstanding the increased costs of management under every head. For 1921, 1922, and 1923, however, considerably heavier fire losses have resulted in comparatively bad years of business.
The next table, covering the last three years, shows the percentage of working-expenses to premium income (net and gross) and total net income. The ratios are given both with and without taxes, included as a working-expense, and although it is recognized that taxes are in no sense a working-expense, yet they are undoubtedly a heavy recurring call on the profits of an institution. The expenses are increased by at least 10 per cent. on this account. For 1923 the working-expenses ratios have been much affected by the special rebate of 15 per cent. previously mentioned. It has been found necessary, therefore, to adjust the figures in terms of the rebate, showing one set of percentages worked on the actual figures and one on the adjusted figures.
| Items. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actual. | Adjusted for Rebate. | |||
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| Net working-expenses (excluding taxes) to net premium income | 38.78 | 39.31 | 38.60 | 36.05 |
| Net working-expenses (including taxes) to net premium income | 51.32 | 50.22 | 46.35 | 43.29 |
| Gross working-expenses (excluding taxes) to gross premium income (including reinsurances from other offices) | 29.56 | 30.30 | 29.95 | 28.09 |
| Net working-expenses (excluding taxes) to total net income (excluding reserve for unexpired risks at beginning of year) | 36.21 | 36.28 | 35.25 | 33.11 |
| Net working-expenses (including taxes) to total net income (excluding reserve for unexpired risks at beginning of year) | 47.93 | 46.35 | 42.32 | 39.75 |
The net fire losses for 1923 were £582,017, as compared with £486,609 for 1922 and £473,643 for 1921. In 1923 there were 3,636 fires and 51 conflagrations (cases where three or more buildings are affected). The corresponding figures for the previous year were 3,298 and 55. The total gross loss in 1923 was £796,281, representing 44.72 per cent. of the premiums (less refunds to insured other than fire offices) charged, and 0.23 per cent. of the total risk covered. The corresponding figures for 1922 were £739,076, 41.40 per cent., and 0.22 per cent. The following table shows for each of the four principal urban areas and the remainder of the Dominion the fires and losses for 1923:—
| — | Separate Fires. | Conflagrations. | Buildings affected. | Gross Cover. * | Gross Loss. | Ratio of Loss to Cover.* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* On buildings affected. | ||||||
| Urban areas— | £ | £ | Per Cent. | |||
| Auckland | 407 | 6 | 441 | 458,630 | 53,584 | 11.68 |
| Wellington | 399 | 6 | 452 | 1,001,221 | 118,109 | 11.80 |
| Christchurch | 254 | 3 | 274 | 410,265 | 59,377 | 14.47 |
| Dunedin | 234 | 2 | 249 | 241,344 | 24,254 | 10.05 |
| Rest of Dominion | 2,342 | 34 | 2,572 | 2,111,804 | 540,957 | 25.62 |
| Totals | 3,636 | 51 | 3,988 | 4,223,264 | 796,281 | 18.85 |
The lower loss ratio in the cases of the principal urban areas as compared with the rest of the Dominion is to be expected in view of the greater fire-brigade facilities for handling fires in the larger centres. Companies usually allow this factor to influence the premium required.
In the year 1903 an Act was passed “to establish a State Fire Insurance Office and to make other provisions for the insurance and protection of insurable property in New Zealand against loss or damage by fire.” This Act came into operation on the 4th January, 1905, when the State Fire Insurance Office opened for public business, with an advance of £2,000 borrowed from the Treasury.
At the end of the first year the Office showed an income of £13,135 and a net surplus of £481. From this the progress of the Office may be gauged from the figures for 1924, which show an annual income of £190,300, and assets of over £530,000.
As has been mentioned earlier in this section, under the State Fire Insurance Amendment Act, 1922, provision is made that when the Board considers that the funds of the Office are sufficient to meet liabilities it may direct that a rebate be allowed to insurers in respect of premiums thereafter becoming payable. In 1923 the State Fire Office declared a rebate to policyholders which took the form of a 15-per-cent. reduction on all premiums falling due between the 1st August, 1923, and 31st July, 1924. On the expiry of the period for which the first rebate was granted the Board was called on to consider the question of whether another rebate should be granted immediately on the expiry of the first, and in this connection two very important factors had to be taken into account—firstly, a rise in the loss ratio, and, secondly, the influence exercised by a rebate by the State Fire Office over insurance premiums generally. After due consideration of the position and after making certain that the funds of the Office were sufficient to meet all actual and contingent liabilities before granting a rebate, the Board considered that the financial position of the Office justified the declaration of a further rebate to apply for twelve months from 1st August, 1924, the rate in this case, however, to be 10 per cent. instead of 15 per cent. as in the first case. A continuation of the rebate for the twelve months beginning on the 1st August, 1925, at the same rate as for the 1924-25 period, has been announced. The amount granted in rebates to State Fire policyholders during 1924 was £22,005, or an average of 13 per cent. of the premium income for the whole year. The amount granted in 1923 was £10,996, making a total of £33,001 for seventeen months.
As a consequence of the operations of the State Fire Office the rates on trade risks and the like have been reduced by 10 per cent., and those on dwellings, offices, and similar risks by 33 1/3 per cent. These reductions, together with the institution of the rebate system, have saved the insuring public at least £4,000,000 in the last twenty years. The State Fire Office has also paid about £134,000 in income-tax during the last eight years.
The premium income, after deducting premiums on reinsurances, during the ten years 1915-24 has been as follows: —
| Year. | Amount of Net Premium Income. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| 1915 | 71,166 |
| 1916 | 77,609 |
| 1917 | 85,321 |
| 1918 | 90,077 |
| 1919 | 100,764 |
| 1920 | 124,538 |
| 1921 | 136,429 |
| 1922 | 142,592 |
| 1923 | 154,164 |
| 1924 | 165,070 |
The expansion of business during 1924 was the greatest experienced by the Office with the exception of that during 1920. The total amount underwritten showed an increase of £4,406,393, compared with the previous year's increase of £2,733,276. The gross surplus in 1924, after paying losses and working-expenses, is £76,829, not taking into account the amount of £22,005 rebate on premiums. The net surplus (inclusive of income-tax charges), after appropriating an additional sum of £4,362 to Unearned Premiums Reserve, amounted to £31,131, as compared with £38,878 for 1923. The decrease of £7,747 is much less than the increase in the amount of rebate in the later year as compared with the earlier (£22,005 and £10,996 respectively). The total accumulated profits at the close of 1924 amounted to £412,978, as against £381,847 a year earlier.
The net income from all sources amounted to £190,300, as against £169,249 for 1923, showing an increase of £21,051. The net premium income for 1924 showed an increase of £10,905.
The net losses were £60,817, as compared with £46,178 for 1923, the ratio to net premium income being 36.84 per cent. and 29.95 per cent. respectively.
The balance-sheet of the State Fire Insurance Office as at the 31st December, 1924, is appended.
| Liabilities. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Capital authorized by the State | £ | £ |
| Fire Insurance Act, 1908 | 100,000 | |
| Less not raised | 100,000 | |
| Reserve Fund | .. | 381,847 |
| Investments Fluctuation Reserve Fund | .. | 10,000 |
| Reserve for unearned premiums | .. | 66,028 |
| Reinsurance Reserve Fund | .. | 10,000 |
| Premiums and other deposits | .. | 1,069 |
| Outstanding Are losses | .. | 3,407 |
| Government taxes | .. | 14,330 |
| Sundry Creditors | .. | 253 |
| Other amounts owing by the Office— | ||
| Reinsurance premiums due | £9,640 | |
| Commission | 1,614 | |
| Rent | 34 | |
| Printing, stationery, and advertising | 17 | |
| Postages and sundry charges | 847 | |
| .. | 12,158 | |
| Fire-insurance funds, as per Revenue Account | .. | 31,131 |
| £530,283 | ||
| Assets. | £ | |
| Government war-loan securities | .. | 148,471 |
| Other Government securities | .. | 65,650 |
| Local-authority securities | .. | 5,700 |
| Fixed deposits and at short call | .. | 30,000 |
| Land and buildings | £225,800 | |
| Less mortgages taken over on Office premises purchased | 7,000 | |
| .. | 218,800 | |
| Outstanding premiums | .. | 6,982 |
| Interest accrued but not due | .. | 2,493 |
| Rent accrued or due | .. | 150 |
| Cash in Bank of New Zealand at Wellington, or in transit to Wellington | £51,803 | |
| Imprest Account balances— | ||
| Head Office | 42 | |
| Auckland | 69 | |
| Christchurch | 16 | |
| Dunedin | 60 | |
| New Plymouth | 37 | |
| Hamilton | 20 | |
| Invercargill | 88 | |
| Napier | 2 | |
| 334 | ||
| 52,137 | ||
| £530,283 | ||
Exclusive of Government taxes, which amounted to 8.68 per cent., the working-expense ratio to premium income was 29.48 per cent., and without Fire Board contributions and depreciation of Office premises only 25.1 per cent. The expenses include the Department's contribution to the Public Service Superannuation Fund (which was paid for the first time in 1924) and expenditure on office equipment for the new Head Office and two new branches.
The accumulated funds at the close of 1924 amounted to £499,007, and for 1923 £458,513, a substantial increase of £40,494.
At the 31st December, 1924, there were 158 fire brigades (including branches) in New Zealand, with a total of 400 officers and 2,021 men. Figures for each of the last five years are—
| Year. | Stations. | Officers. | Men. | Total Personnel. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 159 | 425 | 2,038 | 2,463 |
| 1921 | 156 | 400 | 1,984 | 2,384 |
| 1922 | 160 | 417 | 2,057 | 2,474 |
| 1923 | 159 | 410 | 2,037 | 2,447 |
| 1924 | 158 | 400 | 2,021 | 2,421 |
Table of Contents
THE legislation dealing with friendly societies is contained in the Friendly Societies Act, 1909, and its amendments of 1911, 1914, 1916, and 1922. Provision is made for the registration of all societies and branches with a central Government officer entitled the Registrar of Friendly Societies, and also for the general oversight by the Government of the administration of the funds of the societies. The powers, duties, and obligations of societies are set out, as is also a schedule of offences and of penalties therefor.
A scheme for the extension of State benefits to members of friendly societies, on special terms, was embodied in the Finance Act, 1916 (Part IX), and extended and amended by the National Provident Fund Amendment Act, 1919. Information concerning the scheme is given in Section XXIII of this book, in the article dealing with the National Provident Fund.
At the 31st December, 1924, there were 927 lodges, courts, &c., on the Register of Friendly Societies, a net increase of nine during the year. The figures for the various orders are as follow:—
| Name of Order. | Registrations at 1st January, 1924. | Established. | Closed. | Registrations at 31st December, 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows | 219 | 1 | 1 | 219 |
| Independent Order of Oddfellows | 135 | 8 | .. | 143 |
| National Independent Order of Oddfellows | 3 | .. | .. | 3 |
| British United Order of Oddfellows | 1 | .. | .. | 1 |
| Ancient Order of Foresters | 159 | 1 | 2 | 158 |
| Ancient Order of Shepherds | 1 | .. | .. | 1 |
| United Ancient Order of Druids | 139 | 2 | .. | 141 |
| Independent Order of Rechabites | 68 | 3 | 65 | .. |
| Sons and Daughters of Temperance | 11 | .. | .. | 11 |
| Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society | 68 | 2 | .. | 70 |
| Protestant Alliance Friendly Society of Australasia | 13 | .. | 13 | .. |
| Grand United Order of Oddfellows | 7 | 1 | .. | 8 |
| Isolated friendly societies | 48 | 2 | .. | 50 |
| Working-men's clubs | 16 | .. | .. | 16 |
| Independent Order of Good Templars | 11 | .. | .. | 11 |
| Specially authorized societies | 17 | .. | .. | 17 |
| Totals | 916 | 17 | 6 | 927 |
Annual returns of receipts, expenditure, &c., are required by law, but it would appear that many lodges do not comply with the requirements. For the year 1924 the Registrar of Friendly Societies received returns from 782 lodges, with an aggregate membership of 87,433 at the end of the year, as compared with 774 lodges and 84,228 members for 1923. The following table shows the membership at the beginning and end of the year, with the accretions and losses of members during the year, in respect of the 782 lodges returned in 1924.
| Number of members, 1st January | .. | 84,228 |
|---|---|---|
| Number admitted by— | ||
| Initiation, &c. | 8,494 | |
| Clearance | 1,024 | |
| 9,518 | ||
| 93,746 | ||
| Number who died | 674 | |
| Number left by— | ||
| Clearance | 1,113 | |
| Arrears, &c. | 4,526 | |
| 6,313 | ||
| Number of members at 31st December | 87,433 | |
The above figures show an increase in membership equal to 3.81 per cent., as compared with 4.27 per cent. for 1923.
The figures of membership of lodges furnishing returns during each of the last ton years are as follow:—
| Year. | Number of Lodges tabulated. | Number of Members. |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 728 | 73,027 |
| 1916 | 727 | 70,360 |
| 1917 | 730 | 68,771 |
| 1918 | 731 | 67,527 |
| 1919 | 735 | 70,598 |
| 1920 | 732 | 74,210 |
| 1921 | 731 | 77,814 |
| 1922 | 746 | 80,777 |
| 1923 | 774 | 84,228 |
| 1924 | 782 | 87,433 |
The figures are of use for comparative purposes, in spite of the comparatively large proportion of lodges which do not furnish returns, as it is found that with few exceptions the same lodges are the delinquents each year.
In the following statement of the mortality experience for the last five years, no account has been taken of age incidence:—
| Year. | Deaths of Members. | Heaths of Members' Wives. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Per 1,000 Members at Risk. | Number. | Per 1,000 Members at Risk. | |
| 1920 | 664 | 9.17 | 285 | 3.94 |
| 1921 | 615 | 8.08 | 261 | 3.43 |
| 1922 | 649 | 8.18 | 296 | 3.73 |
| 1923 | 684 | 8.29 | 328 | 3.98 |
| 1924 | 674 | 8.09 | 295 | 3.54 |
The number of members sick during 1924 was 13,686, representing 17.41 per cent. of members at risk. The sickness experienced during 1924 aggregated 153,997 weeks, equal to eleven weeks two days per sick member, and two weeks for each member at risk.
The total funds of the societies and branches as on the 31st December, 1924, amounted to £2,955,340, made up as follows: Sick and Funeral Funds (inclusive of amounts transferred to special funds out of surplus), £2,753,971; Medical and Management Funds, goods, &c., £201,369. Dividing the total funds by the number of members at the end of the year it is found that the average capital per member is £33 16s. There has been a continual increase in the amount of accumulated funds standing to the credit of friendly societies during the ten years 1915-24. The average capital per member also shows a growing tendency to increase, the increase over the ten years amounting to 33 per cent., as against an increase in membership of only 16 per cent.
The total funds and the average capital per member at the end of each of the last ten years were as under:—
| Year. | Total Funds. | Average Capital. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1915 | 1,852,355 | 25 | 7 | 4 |
| 1916 | 1,954,940 | 27 | 15 | 8 |
| 1917 | 2,052,753 | 29 | 17 | 0 |
| 1918 | 2,100,443 | 31 | 2 | 1 |
| 1919 | 2,184,653 | 30 | 18 | 11 |
| 1920 | 2,321,176 | 31 | 5 | 7 |
| 1921 | 2,445,843 | 31 | 8 | 8 |
| 1922 | 2,593,692 | 32 | 2 | 2 |
| 1923 | 2,747,952 | 32 | 12 | 6 |
| 1924 | 2,955,340 | 33 | 16 | 0 |
These sums are held against the societies' liabilities under their sickness and funeral insurances, and actuarial valuations made by the Friendly Societies Office from time to time indicate how far they are sufficient or otherwise.
The following statement shows the disposal of the total funds (including those of the central bodies) as on the 31st December, 1924:—
| Funds. | £ |
|---|---|
| Sick and Funeral Funds | 2,618,326 |
| Surplus Appropriation Funds, &c. | 135,645 |
| Management Funds, goods, &c | 131,337 |
| Widow and Orphans' Funds | 21,850 |
| Distress, Benevolent Funds, &c. | 48,132 |
| £2,955,340 | |
| Assets. | £ |
| Investments at interest | 2,530,826 |
| Value of land and buildings | 278,949 |
| Cash not bearing interest | 89,460 |
| Value of goods | 18,970 |
| Owing by Management Fund | 8,633 |
| Other assets | 28,502 |
| £2,955,340 |
The net income from investments credited to the Sick and Funeral Funds for 1924 amounted to £138,607, the average rate being £5 12s. 7d. per cent., as against £5 10s. 10d. in 1923.
| Name of Society. | Total Worth of Sick and Funeral Funds as on | Amount of Interest. | Average Rate per Cent. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st January, 1924. | 31st December, 1924. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| M.U.I.O.O.F. | 921,592 | 982,984 | 52,898 | 5.71 |
| I.O.O.F. | 180,864 | 198,203 | 10,374 | 5.62 |
| N.I.O.O.F. | 5,541 | 5,504 | 157 | 2.88 |
| B.U.O.O.F. | 4,744 | 4,920 | 281 | 5.99 |
| A.O.F. | 562,542 | 590,286 | 29,836 | 5.31 |
| A.O.S. | 1,380 | 1,412 | 78 | 5.75 |
| U.A.O.D. | 480,842 | 529,724 | 27,833 | 5.66 |
| I.O.R. | 119,870 | 126,762 | 6,870 | 5.73 |
| S.D.T. | 29,677 | 31,302 | 1,748 | 5.90 |
| H.A.C.B.S. | 60,685 | 65,526 | 3,601 | 5.87 |
| P.A.F.S.A. | 32,188 | 34,000 | 1,967 | 6.13 |
| G.U.O.O.F. | 186 | 273 | .. | .. |
| Other societies | 44,914 | 47,430 | 2,964 | 6.63 |
| Totals | 2,445,025 | 2,618,326 | 138,607 | 5.63 |
The receipts and expenditure of the Sick and Funeral Funds for the year 1924 totalled £419,712 and £246,411 respectively, made up as follows:—
| Receipts. | £ |
|---|---|
| Members' contributions | 155,764 |
| Interest and rent | 138,607 |
| Repayments by central body | 44,342 |
| Other receipts | 80,999 |
| £419,712 | |
| Expenditure. | £ |
| Sick-pay | 98,360 |
| Funeral donations | 29,090 |
| Contributions and levies to central body | 86,828 |
| Other expenditure | 32,133 |
| £246,411 |
Members' contributions averaged £1 16s. 4d. per member, and interest and rent receipts amounted to £1 12s. 4d. per member, reckoned on the mean number of members for the year. Sickness benefits paid averaged £7 3s. 9d. per member sick, or £1 2s. 11d. when averaged over all members, while funeral benefits represented 6s. 9d. per member.
The receipts of the Medical and Management Expenses Funds for 1924 totalled £185,762 and the expenditure was £176,400, the details being as follow:—
| Receipts. | £ |
|---|---|
| Members' contributions | 170,167 |
| Interest and rent | 4,782 |
| Other receipts | 10,813 |
| £185,762 | |
| Expenditure. | £ |
| Medical attendance and medicine | 115,307 |
| Management expenses | 43,686 |
| Levies to central body | 13,856 |
| Other expenditure | 3,551 |
| £176,400 |
A comparison of the latest available Statistics showing the number of members of friendly societies, the amount of their accumulated capital, and the average capital per member in each of the Australian States and in the Dominion of New Zealand is given in the next table. It is seen that the average amount of capital per member in the Dominion greatly exceeds the average for any of the Australian States.
| State or Dominion. | Date of Return. | Number of Lodges. | Number of Members. | Amount of Funds. | Capital per Member. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | s. | d | ||||
| New Zealand | 31/12/1924 | 782 | 87,433 | 2,955,340 | 33 | 16 | 0 |
| Victoria | 31/12/1922 | 1,467 | 146,688 | 3,549,798 | 24 | 4 | 0 |
| South Australia | 31/12/1923 | 632 | 72,454 | 1,749,332 | 24 | 2 | 11 |
| Queensland | 31/12/1923 | 531 | 59,649 | 1,227,043 | 20 | 11 | 5 |
| Western Australia | 31/12/1923 | 265 | 19,590 | 349,928 | 17 | 17 | 3 |
| New South Wales | 30/6/1923 | 2,163 | 214,766 | 2,756,361 | 12 | 16 | 8 |
| Tasmania | 31/12/1923 | 190 | 24,367 | 315,367 | 12 | 18 | 10 |
Table of Contents
THE law relating to building societies incorporated in the Dominion is contained in the Building Societies Act, 1908, and is mainly a consolidation of legislation that has been operative since 1880. The Assistant Registrar of Companies in each district acts as Registrar of Building Societies, and before a society can be incorporated the formalities prescribed by the Act and regulations must be completed. Rules, as well as subsequent alterations thereof, must before registration be certified to as conforming to legal requirements by a Revising Barrister appointed by the Governor-General for the purpose. A fee of £6 5s. is payable by the society concerned for this service, but no second fee is payable for amendments made within five years following. The fee payable to the Registrar of Building Societies on incorporation is £3 3s., but no stamp duties are payable on any instruments or documents made under the Act.
Building societies are afforded all the powers of an ordinary mortgagee, and where a mortgagor makes default in payment of moneys the society may exercise the usual power of sale through the Registrar of the Supreme Court. No reconveyance is needed to discharge a mortgage made under the Act, a receipt endorsed being a sufficient discharge for this purpose.
The two classes of building and investment societies — viz., permanent and terminating—are distinguished according as to whether the society is by its rules to terminate at a fixed date or when a specified result is attained.
Returns of each society's operations are furnished annually to the Census and Statistics Office. The dates upon which the societies close their accounts vary considerably within the year, but the figures given below may be taken as corresponding approximately to the financial years ended on the 31st March of the years shown.
The number of societies in existence in 1924-25 was 86. Of these, 41 were permanent and 45 terminating, the latter being comprised of 155 groups. The following table shows the number of societies in operation over a period of five years:—
| Year. | Number of Permanent Societies. | Number of Terminating Societies. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Societies. | Groups. | ||
| 1920-21 | 37 | 41 | 116 |
| 1921-22 | 37 | 44 | 125 |
| 1922-23 | 38 | 43 | 131 |
| 1923-24 | 37 | 44 | 140 |
| 1924-25 | 41 | 45 | 155 |
There has been a tendency for individual societies to enlarge their activities, rather than for the number of societies to increase. The number of terminating societies shows a very slight increase over the five years under review, but the number of groups has increased substantially.
A synopsis of the extent to which investments have been made in building-society shares during the last five years is contained in the table next presented:—
| — | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investing Shares. | |||||
| Number of shares | 122,589 | 132,343 | 147,127 | 161,072 | 191,551 |
| Members holding | 26,809 | 31,764 | 34,375 | 38,322 | 44,776 |
| Aggregate value | £1,632,802 | £1,729,514 | £1,757,286 | £1,850,822 | £2,046,805 |
| Paid-up Shares. | |||||
| Number of shares | 63,473 | 70,859 | 74,432 | 84,234 | 163,863 |
| Members holding | 1,899 | 2,094 | 2,291 | 2,368 | 3,077 |
| Aggregate value | £464,743 | £506,349 | £643,086 | £578,987 | £685,379 |
The average value in 1924-25 of each investing share paying periodic subscription was £10 13s. 8d., as compared with £13 6s. 5d. in 1920-21, and of each paid-up share £4 3s. 8d., as compared with £7 6s. 5d. five years ago. A comparison of the distribution of share-money and the number of holders of shares between permanent and terminating societies yields the following results:—
| — | Permanent. | Terminating. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investing Shares. | |||
| Number of shares | 87,475 | 104,076 | 191,551 |
| Members holding | 8,545 | 36,231 | 44,776 |
| Aggregate value | £806,189 | £1,240,616 | £2,046,805 |
| Paid-up Shares. | |||
| Number of shares | 163,095 | 768 | 163,863 |
| Members holding | 2,795 | 282 | 3,077 |
| Aggregate value | £664,442 | £20,937 | £685,379 |
Of the total aggregate value of both investing and paid-up shares, amounting to £2,732,184, 54 per cent. is held in permanent societies and 46 per cent. in terminating societies. On the other hand, the number of members holding shares in permanent societies is only 24 per cent. of the total, the terminating societies' shareholders representing 76 per cent. It should be pointed out, however, that one person may hold shares in several groups of a terminating society.
The numbers of loans and borrowers, both of permanent and of terminating societies, are as follow:—
| Year. | Permanent Societies. | Terminating Societies. | Total. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borrowers. | Amount. | Borrowers. | Amount. | Borrowers. | Amount. | |
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 1920-21 | 5,107 | 2,228,158 | 4,101 | 1,241,238 | 9,208 | 3,469,396 |
| 1921-22 | 4,902 | 2,275,218 | 5,106 | 1,310,522 | 10,008 | 3,585,740 |
| 1922-23 | 5,086 | 2,364,325 | 5,099 | 1,344,608 | 10,185 | 3,708,933 |
| 1923-24 | 5,345 | 2,582,721 | 4,982 | 1,428,389 | 10,327 | 4,011,110 |
| 1924-25 | 5,870 | 2,970,235 | 5,896 | 1,554,597 | 11,766 | 4,524,832 |
Since 1920-21 there has been an increase of 2,558 in the number of borrowers and of £1,055,436 in the amount borrowed. Permanent societies show the greatest advance in money advanced to borrowers, while the bulk of new borrowers belong to terminating societies.
| Class. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| Permanent societies | 436 | 5 | 11 | 464 | 2 | 10 | 464 | 17 | 4 | 483 | 4 | 0 | 506 | 0 | 1 |
| Terminating societies | 302 | 13 | 4 | 256 | 13 | 3 | 263 | 14 | 0 | 286 | 14 | 2 | 263 | 13 | 4 |
| All societies | 376 | 15 | 7 | 358 | 5 | 9 | 364 | 3 | 1 | 388 | 8 | 2 | 384 | 11 | 4 |
Building societies have experienced a continued demand for money available for household property, partly owing to the high prices ruling for dwellings and partly because of the acute shortage of houses from which the Dominion has suffered as a whole during the years immediately following the war. The figures in the table below are accordingly of more than usual interest in so far as they reflect the extent of advances made to shareholders.
| 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income. | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Investors' subscriptions and paid-up shares | 320,340 | 364,268 | 352,220 | 395,861 | 498,788 |
| Advances repaid | 758,242 | 578,618 | 521,290 | 561,429 | 680,317 |
| Deposits received | 1,266,970 | 979,733 | 928,533 | 1,079,655 | 1,252,155 |
| Interest received | 144,708 | 141,675 | 139,539 | 154,114 | 174,793 |
| Other receipts | 74,606 | 77,848 | 51,992 | 72,992 | 95,229 |
| Total income | 2,564,866 | 2,142,142 | 1,993,574 | 2,264,051 | 2,701,282 |
| Outgo. | |||||
| Withdrawals | 289,747 | 232,311 | 295,774 | 272,810 | 271,019 |
| Advances | 938,713 | 653,646 | 648,163 | 867,229 | 1,060,029 |
| Expenses of management | 40,104 | 36,717 | 37,524 | 41,212 | 46,792 |
| Deposits repaid | 1,133,250 | 1,074,174 | 835,558 | 961,227 | 1,171,092 |
| Interest, dividends, and other expenditure | 193,776 | 155,931 | 136,664 | 144,412 | 187,805 |
| Total outgo | 2,595,590 | 2,152,779 | 1,952,683 | 2,286,890 | 2,736,737 |
The decrease in operations during the years 1921-22 and 1922 23 reflects the caution displayed by lending institutions during the period of the trade depression. A substantial recovery is evident in the figures for 1923-24 and 1924-25.
The liabilities and assets of building and investment societies for each of the years 1920-21 to 1924-25 are as follow:—
| Year. | To Shareholders (Including Reserve Funds and Undivided Profits). | Deposits. | To Bankers and other Creditors. | Total Liabilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1920-21 | 2,515,192 | 1,064,316 | 138,284 | 3,717,792 |
| 1921-22 | 2,679,035 | 1,012,626 | 164,483 | 3,856,144 |
| 1922-23 | 2,750,940 | 1,105,161 | 142,116 | 3,998,217 |
| 1923-24 | 2,912,090 | 1,211,687 | 186,115 | 4,309,892 |
| 1924-25 | 3,253,576 | 1,292,224 | 267,107 | 4,812,907 |
| Year. | Advances on Mortgage. | Other Investments. | Cash in Hand and on Deposit. | Total Assets. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1920-21 | 3,469,396 | 125,282 | 123,114 | 3,717,792 |
| 1921-22 | 3,585,740 | 136,105 | 134,299 | 3,856,144 |
| 1922-23 | 3,708,933 | 151,419 | 137,865 | 3,998,217 |
| 1923-24 | 4,011,111 | 143,627 | 155,154 | 4,309,892 |
| 1924-25 | 4,524,832 | 140,693 | 147,382 | 4,812,907 |
Under section 46 of the Finance Act, 1920, a building society might be approved by the Governor-General as an institution for the investment of trust funds. This section has now been repealed, with a saving as to existing investments and their renewal.
At the end of the year 1924-25 there were nine societies so approved, six of which held trust funds to the value of £63,535. In the case of the other societies the amount was not available.
The extent to which building and investment societies are supported in the Dominion is apparent from the table below of similar activities in the Common-wealth of Australia for 1923:—
| State. | Number of Societies. | Number of Shareholders. | Number of Shares. | Number of Borrowers. | Amount advanced during Year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* For year 1923-24. † Not available. | |||||
| £ | |||||
| New South Wales | 7 | † | † | † | † |
| Victoria | 27 | 8,919 | † | 9,673 | 1,094,994 |
| Queensland | 13 | 6,452 | 1,109,573 | 3,457 | 182,612 |
| South Australia* | 19 | 12,744 | 43,518 | 2,653 | 156,949 |
| Western Australia | 15 | 7,235 | 21,888 | 1,434 | 129,870 |
| Tasmania | 4 | 3,566 | 26,832 | 1,326 | 100,053 |
| New Zealand* | 81 | 40,690 | 245,306 | 10,327 | 867,229 |
Table of Contents
GENERALLY, any class of property in New Zealand may be the subject of a mortgage, and a mortgage may be submortgaged. There are, however, certain exceptions, notably property which as a matter of policy is forbidden by law to be mortgaged, such as pensions. Property which a married woman is restrained from anticipating can be mortgaged only with the consent of the Supreme Court.
The distinction between mortgages under the older deeds-registration system and under the more recent Land Transfer Act is chiefly in respect to the form of mortgage and the estate created for the security of the mortgage. Formerly the mortgagor conveyed the land to the mortgagee subject to a right of reconveyance of. “equity of redemption” on repayment of the money lent. This is substantially the present law in regard to mortgages under the deeds-registration system, except, perhaps, that the position has been modified by the introduction into the New Zealand statute of certain equitable principles. Under the Land Transfer Act the equitable view is taken, and no transfer of the property takes place, but a charge only is created, the mortgagee being specially empowered to sell the land in the event of default being made.
A simple memorandum of discharge vacates the mortgage. This must be on or annexed to the mortgage, otherwise a reconveyance is necessary. If a mortgagee who has no attorney is absent from the Dominion repayment may be made to the Public Trustee.
The principal remedy of a mortgagee in the case of default of any of the covenants by the mortgagor is a power of sale through the Registrar of the Supreme Court. The Registrar fixes the time and conditions of sale and employs an auctioneer. The mortgagee may be a bidder at the sale and become the purchaser. The Registrar executes the transfer of the property, reciting that the sale is made under these provisions of the Act. A mortgagee may also sue under the covenants contained in the mortgage. The English remedy of foreclosure is, however, abolished in New Zealand by the Property Law Act in respect of realty.
The information given below relates to mortgages registered under one or other of the above systems. In addition to these there are numbers of privately arranged advances which are not so registered, and of the amount of which it is not possible to form any estimate. Further, stock and crop liens, bills of sale, and instruments under the Chattels Transfer Act are not included in the figures.
A note on the special legislation included in the Mortgages Extension (Moratorium) Acts is given at the end of this section.
The total amount for which mortgages were registered, both under the deeds-registration system and under the Land Transfer Act, in each registration district during the five years 1920-21 to 1924-25 is given in the subjoined table.
As mortgages of property situated in more than one registration district may be registered for the full amount in each district, there is some degree of duplication. An extreme example of this occurred in the year 1923-24, when an amount of £1,000,000 was registered in each of four districts, the same amount being also registered in a fifth district in the first month of the next financial year. On the other hand, it may be pointed out that, in addition to a total of 41,130 mortgages which represent the aggregate of £41,123,966 for 1924-25, there were 2,018 mortgages in which no amount was shown as secured.
The amount advanced in 1924-25 was over £3,000,000 more than in the previous year. The figures for the five years as shown below are arresting, and reflect the extent to which firms and private individuals have found it necessary to borrow during the last few years.
| District. | 1920-21. | 1921-22. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Auckland | 21,659,491 | 12,087,238 | 8,453,603 | 12,705,750 | 12,649,663 |
| Poverty Bay | 2,402,000 | 1,942,687 | 931,994 | 1,983,295 | 1,127,989 |
| Hawke's Bay | 5,084,195 | 2,104,734 | 1,759,211 | 2,197,860 | 2,794,584 |
| Taranaki | 5,573,591 | 2,152,275 | 1,177,675 | 1,903,101 | 2,234,869 |
| Wellington | 13,980,776 | 8,201,426 | 6,248,604 | 8,607,024 | 9,349,396 |
| Nelson | 1,265,520 | 565,529 | 478,175 | 529,092 | 599,954 |
| Marlborough | 1,418,264 | 398,412 | 531,980 | 618,392 | 731,220 |
| Canterbury | 9,581,953 | 4,465,252 | 3,628,720 | 6,117,734 | 6,144,836 |
| Otago | 3,364,263 | 1,836,442 | 1,907,276 | 1,915,380 | 3,742,777 |
| Southland | 2,434,290 | 912,236 | 829,046 | 1,168,144 | 1,630,216 |
| Westland | 196,091 | 123,093 | 85,312 | 116,647 | 118,462 |
| Totals | 66,960,434 | 34,789,324 | 26,031,596 | 37,862,419 | 41,123,966 |
Nine of the eleven registration districts show increases in the value of mortgages registered during 1924-25 as compared with the previous year, while the aggregate increase for the whole Dominion is approximately 8 per cent.
A distribution of the above figures according as to whether the registration was made under the deeds system or the Land Transfer Act is now given. The period taken is the three years 1922-23 to 1924-25.
| District. | 1922-23. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deeds Registration. | Land Transfer. | Deeds Registration. | Land Transfer. | Deeds Registration. | Land Transfer. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Auckland | 2,278,896 | 6,174,707 | 3,358,773 | 9,346,977 | 3,132,367 | 9,517,296 |
| Poverty Bay | 24,000 | 907,994 | 28,465 | 1,954,830 | 54,950 | 1,073,039 |
| Hawke's Bay | 440,066 | 1,319,145 | 501,206 | 1,696,654 | 733,479 | 2,061,105 |
| Taranaki | 139,435 | 1,038,240 | 244,202 | 1,658,899 | 211,026 | 2,023,843 |
| Wellington | 874,613 | 5,373,991 | 1,060,729 | 7,546,295 | 1,395,394 | 7,954,002 |
| Nelson | 147,381 | 330,794 | 135,617 | 393,475 | 148,008 | 451,946 |
| Marlborough | 158,538 | 373,442 | 177,857 | 430,535 | 195,074 | 536,146 |
| Canterbury | 183,392 | 3,445,328 | 333,191 | 5,784,543 | 435,906 | 5,708,930 |
| Otago | 326,139 | 1,581,137 | 404,788 | 1,510,592 | 580,024 | 3,162,753 |
| Southland | 83,129 | 745,917 | 134,474 | 1,033,670 | 156,102 | 1,474,114 |
| Westland | 12,173 | 73,139 | 10,990 | 105,657 | 8,997 | 109,465 |
| Totals | 4,667,762 | 21,363,834 | 6,390,292 | 31,472,127 | 7,051,327 | 34,072,639 |
It will be noted that of the total of £41,123,966 registered in 1924-25, £34,072,639 came under the Land Transfer Act. This represents approximately 83 per cent. of the total amount registered as advanced on mortgage. This proportion has altered very little over a number of years.
Of the total amount of £41,123,966 registered for the financial year 1924-25, mortgages up to £500 in value represented 14 per cent. of the total value registered, from £501 to £1,000 22 per cent., from £1,001 to £5,000 39 per cent., and above £5,000 25 per cent. of the total value registered. The following table gives the number and amount in each registration district according to the sum advanced:—
| District. | £500 and under. | £501 to £1,000. | £1,001 to £5,000. | Over £5,000. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | Number. | Amount. | Number. | Amount. | Number. | Amount. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||||
| Auckland | 7,101 | 2,030,884 | 4,577 | 3,436,777 | 2,511 | 4,887,049 | 195 | 2,294,953 |
| Poverty Bay | 874 | 252,001 | 572 | 438,544 | 604 | 1,283,883 | 38 | 260,441 |
| Hawke's Bay | 932 | 250,886 | 559 | 424,433 | 449 | 1,053,811 | 99 | 1,065,454 |
| Taranaki | 251 | 75,019 | 166 | 124,552 | 168 | 385,105 | 43 | 543,313 |
| Wellington | 4,109 | 1,151,594 | 2,508 | 1,966,947 | 1,736 | 3,628,778 | 248 | 2,602,077 |
| Nelson | 574 | 140,089 | 193 | 145,689 | 131 | 281,076 | 4 | 33,100 |
| Marlborough | 201 | 57,501 | 104 | 80,478 | 146 | 357,621 | 24 | 235,620 |
| Canterbury | 3,202 | 882,017 | 1,885 | 1,425,210 | 1,012 | 2,306,336 | 175 | 1,531,273 |
| Otago | 2,309 | 625,580 | 931 | 688,736 | 432 | 926,705 | 52 | 1,501,756 |
| Southland | 962 | 254,711 | 449 | 329,057 | 361 | 792,503 | 31 | 253,940 |
| Westland | 146 | 36,243 | 40 | 28,525 | 25 | 47,257 | 1 | 6,437 |
| Totals | 20,661 | 5,756,525 | 11,984 | 9,088,948 | 7,575 | 15,950,124 | 910 | 110,328,369 |
In addition to the above, there were 2,018 mortgages registered for which no amount was shown. Excluding these, the average advance for each mortgage registered was £999, as compared with £994 in 1923-24.
Figures are available in the case of Land Transfer registrations showing for each registration district the amount advanced on urban and rural properties. No similar data are available in regard to mortgages registered under the deeds system, hut bearing in mind that the latter constitute but 17 per cent. of the total it will be evident that the figures given approximately indicate the character of the securities. The distinction is between “town and suburban” and “country” holdings, but information is not always available to enable a strictly accurate classification to be made. Generally, however, town and suburban mortgages are regarded as such if secured on properties situated within cities or boroughs, and include also small holdings in the nature of building allotments which are not definitely distinguishable as country properties. From the table on the next page it will be seen that mortgages classified as town and suburban are secured on areas averaging considerably less than half an acre in extent, as compared with an average area, in 1924-25, of some 362 acres in the case of “country” securities.
Utilizing percentages, which may then be taken as indicative of the position in regard to all mortgages registered, including those under the deeds system, some interesting results are yielded by the figures given. The value of mortgages on country property registered in 1924-25 constitutes 52 per cent. of the total amount secured, and on town and suburban property 48 per cent. The position is, however, reversed when the number of mortgages registered is considered, the figures being in the case of country property 32 per cent., and for town and suburban areas 68 per cent., of the total number registered. The acreage on which these advances are secured represents in the case of country mortgages 99.80 per cent. of the total, and on town and suburban property 0.20 per cent. only. On the other hand, the average amount secured per acre on rural holdings is £4 7s. 5d., as against £1,989 in the case of town and suburban properties, this, of course, being the natural corollary of the higher valuations ruling in the more populous areas. The average amount of each mortgage on country property is £1,583, as compared with £679 on town and suburban holdings.
| District. | Town and Suburban. | Country. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Area. | Amount secured. | Number. | Area. | Amount secured. | |
| Acres. | £ | Acres. | £ | |||
| Auckland | 7,955 | 3,492 | 5,407,988 | 3,170 | 690,226 | 4,109,308 |
| Poverty Bay | 345 | 204 | 219,704 | 348 | 344,927 | 853,335 |
| Hawke's Bay | 899 | 479 | 586,711 | 653 | 257,463 | 1,474,394 |
| Taranaki | 881 | 289 | 518,328 | 1,117 | 253,036 | 1,505,515 |
| Wellington | 5,855 | 1,746 | 4,026,226 | 1,824 | 650,581 | 3,927,776 |
| Nelson | 350 | 122 | 157,659 | 313 | 96,225 | 294,287 |
| Marlborough | 121 | 100 | 84,570 | 209 | 213,267 | 451,576 |
| Canterbury | 4,217 | 951 | 2,649,806 | 1,922 | 763,394 | 3,059,124 |
| Otago | 2,309 | 532 | 2,123,775 | 781 | 528,648 | 1,038,978 |
| Southland | 930 | 243 | 464,699 | 820 | 248,745 | 1,009,415 |
| Westland | 124 | 31 | 55,163 | 74 | 20,178 | 54,302 |
| Totals | 23,986 | 8,189 | 16,294,629 | 11,231 | 4,066,690 | 17,778,010 |
A table showing information for each of the last ten years is also given.
| Year ended 31st March. | Area. | Amount secured. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Town and Suburban. | Country. | Total. | Town and Suburban. | Country. | Total. | |
| Acres. | Acres. | Acres. | £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1916 | 20,545 | 4,872 | 4,608,014 | 4,612,886 | 2,395,963 | 16,032,809 | 18,428,772 |
| 1917 | 18,803 | 4,342 | 3,714,395 | 13,718,737 | 4,215,266 | 13,389,258 | 17,604,524 |
| 1918 | 15,899 | 4,118 | 3,559,517 | 3,563,635 | 3,280,235 | 11,599,405 | 14,879,640 |
| 1919 | 16,069 | 18,742 | 2,830,260 | 12,849,002 | 3,351,593 | 12,539,684 | 15,891,277 |
| 1920 | 35,632 | 43,398 | 6,050,551 | 6,093,949 | 9,726,821 | 130,948,328 | 40,675,149 |
| 1921 | 46,803 | 66,224 | 6,821,808 | 6,888,032 | 16,133,642 | 39,918,328 | 56,081,970 |
| 1922 | 33,409 | 8,971 | 5,469,212 | 5,478,183 | 10,743,765 | 17,744,501 | 28,488,266 |
| 1923 | 27,438 | 7,404 | 4,172,054 | 4,179,458 | 9,544,791 | 111,819,043 | 21,363,834 |
| 1924 | 32,637 | 7,680 | 3,249,656 | 3,257,336 | 15,541,664 | 115,930,463 | 31,472,127 |
| 1925 | 35,217 | 8,189 | 4,066,690 | 4,074,879 | 16,294,629 | 17,778,010 | 34,072,639 |
The total amount of mortgages discharged for the years 1922-23, 1923-24, and 1924-25 is as follows:—
| District. | Year ended 31st March 1923. | Year ended 31st March, 1924. | Year ended 31st March, 1925. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | Number. | Amount. | Number. | Amount. | |
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Auckland | 6,733 | 4,134,673 | 9,813 | 6,827,989 | 10,481 | 8,677,061 |
| Poverty Bay | 322 | 387,020 | 523 | 580,116 | 610 | 1,074,734 |
| Hawke's Bay | 989 | 996,317 | 1,269 | 1,629,188 | 1,773 | 2,596,921 |
| Taranaki | 1,095 | 1,129,605 | 1,697 | 1,445,348 | 2,027 | 1,955,691 |
| Wellington | 4,265 | 3,731,931 | 5,627 | 5,114,766 | 7,000 | 7,138,788 |
| Nelson | 543 | 242,671 | 721 | 474,135 | 860 | 573,332 |
| Marlborough | 230 | 255,548 | 285 | 329,531 | 370 | 628,628 |
| Canterbury | 3,212 | 1,963,043 | 4,181 | 3,551,425 | 4,610 | 3,888,430 |
| Otago | 1,991 | 1,049,547 | 2,607 | 1,376,941 | 2,965 | 1,835,925 |
| Southland | 980 | 644,366 | 1,305 | 870,140 | 1,663 | 1,311,115 |
| Westland | 111 | 45,046 | 119 | 46,933 | 141 | 53,258 |
| Totals | 20,471 | 14,579,767 | 28,147 | 22,246,512 | 32,500 | 29,733,883 |
Of the total amount released in 1924-25, £24,820,868 was under the Land Transfer Act and £4,904,015 under the deeds-registration system. The corresponding figures for the previous year were £18,436,019 and £3,810,493 respectively.
The monthly totals of mortgages registered and discharged during each month from January, 1923, to September, 1925, are next given.
| Month. | Mortgages registered. | Mortgages discharged. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | Number. | Amount. | |
* An amount of £1,000,000 was registered in one district in February, in three districts in March, and in a fifth district in April. | ||||
| £ | £ | |||
| 1923. | ||||
| January | 2,189 | 1,746,267 | 1,276 | 967,812 |
| February | 2,675 | 1,944,167 | 1,730 | 1,247,865 |
| March | 3,329 | 2,578,419 | 2,044 | 1,596,019 |
| April | 2,463 | 2,082,947 | 1,682 | 1,466,868 |
| May | 3,853 | 2,965,746 | 2,432 | 1,716,214 |
| June | 3,261 | 2,592,939 | 2,212 | 1,496,131 |
| July | 3,662 | 3,043,128 | 2,524 | 2,402,549 |
| August | 3,913 | 3,473,803 | 2,644 | 2,147,085 |
| September | 3,298 | 2,704,636 | 2,256 | 1,706,495 |
| October | 3,784 | 3,353,476 | 2,788 | 2,165,508 |
| November | 3,688 | 2,898,154 | 2,611 | 1,900,772 |
| December | 3,358 | 3,014,200 | 2,285 | 1,743,827 |
| 1924. | ||||
| January | 2,420 | 2,020,486 | 1,817 | 1,540,168 |
| February | 2,999 | 3,704,988* | 2,273 | 2,005,367 |
| March | 3,496 | 6,007,916* | 2,623 | 1,955,528 |
| April | 2,997 | 3,835,092* | 2,235 | 2,009,467 |
| May | 3,984 | 3,578,830 | 2,814 | 2,272,977 |
| June | 3,543 | 3,347,453 | 2,612 | 2,555,915 |
| July | 3,980 | 3,966,547 | 2,935 | 2,655,433 |
| August | 3,799 | 3,499,658 | 2,825 | 2,448,299 |
| September | 3,537 | 3,410,567 | 2,663 | 2,436,019 |
| October | 3,743 | 3,251,703 | 2,791 | 2,489,229 |
| November | 3,411 | 2,846,367 | 2,480 | 2,308,264 |
| December | 3,922 | 3,516,106 | 2,847 | 2,412,807 |
| 1925. | ||||
| January | 2,222 | 2,154,538 | 1,820 | 1,788,561 |
| February | 3,736 | 3,643,266 | 3,038 | 2,722,748 |
| March | 4,274 | 4,073,839 | 3,440 | 3,634,164 |
| April | 3,330 | 3,261,279 | 2,631 | 2,542,954 |
| May | 4,294 | 4,356,210 | 3,371 | 3,307,754 |
| June | 4,605 | 4,208,378 | 3,612 | 3,557,906 |
| July | 5,052 | 5,195,562 | 4,058 | 3,834,464 |
| August | 4,333 | 4,588,483 | 3,650 | 3,064,722 |
| September | 4,260 | 5,099,401 | 3,379 | 3,338,233 |
There has been a progressive increase in both classes of transaction right throughout the period covered by the table. Particularly striking are the 1925 figures from May onwards, reflecting, no doubt, the increased activity resulting from the expiration of the moratorium.
The total amount of mortgages under both registration systems outstanding on the 31st March, 1925, was £269,597,953. This represents a net increase of £11,390,083 during the year, the amount of mortgages paid off since the 1st April, 1924, being £29,733,883, as against mortgages registered to the amount of £41,123,966, as shown in the first table in this section. These transactions are distributed over registrations under the Deeds Registration and Land Transfer Acts respectively, as follows:—
| Act. | Remaining secured on 31st March, 1924. | Secured daring Year ended 31st March, 1025. | Paid off during Year ended 31st March, 1925. | Remaining secured on 31st March, 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Land Transfer | 233,148,689 | 34,072,639 | 24,829,868 | 242,391,460 |
| Deeds Registration | 25,059,181 | 7,051,327 | 4,904,015 | 27,206,493 |
| Totals | 258,207,870 | 41,123,966 | 29,733,883 | 269,597,953 |
A table showing the amount outstanding for each of the last ten years is given. This table is illuminating. In view of the fact that the figures cover a term of years, they perhaps afford a better indication of the amount of money borrowed than do the yearly tables of mortgages registered, in which no account is taken, because of the absence of suitable data, of the period for which the capital sums are borrowed.
The figures shown, however, should be accepted with a measure of reserve, as doubtless a proportion of the total value of mortgages represented as outstanding on the 31st March, 1925, includes registration of advances that have subsequently been paid off but not formally registered as discharged. This perhaps more particularly arises when second or other further mortgages have been registered and the first mortgagee has sold the security.
| Year ended 31st March. | Amount outstanding under the Land Transfer Act. | Amount outstanding under the Deeds-registration System. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 120,691,398 | 3,517,591 | 124,208,969 |
| 1917 | 127,638,984 | 4,632,856 | 132,271,840 |
| 1918 | 132,875,722 | 5,906,525 | 138,784,247 |
| 1919 | 139,747,166 | 7,003,470 | 146,750,636 |
| 1920 | 161,151,740 | 10,955,049 | 172,106,789 |
| 1921 | 192,838,993 | 16,764,152 | 209,603,145 |
| 1922 | 210,826,032 | 20,314,072 | 231,140,104 |
| 1923 | 220,112,551 | 22,479,382 | 242,591,933 |
| 1924 | 233,148,689 | 25,059,181 | 258,207,870 |
| 1925 | 242,391,460 | 27,206,493 | 269,597,953 |
In regard to mortgages under the Land Transfer Act, a table is added showing by registration districts the amount remaining secured by such mortgages on the “31st March, 1925. No similar data are available in regard to mortgages under the deeds — registration system, but, as pointed out earlier, those registered under the Land Transfer Act approximate 83 per cent. of the total amount.
| District. | Amount. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| Auckland | 60,331,261 |
| Poverty Bay | 11,391,216 |
| Hawke's Bay | 20,159,420 |
| Taranaki | 18,838,219 |
| Wellington | 65,887,968 |
| Nelson | 3,767,723 |
| Marlborough | 4,003,676 |
| Canterbury | 41,570,012 |
| Otago | 13,584,601 |
| Southland | 11,974,818 |
| Westland | 882,516 |
| Total | 242,391,460 |
Classified according to the various rates of interest, the amounts in the mortgage-deeds registered during 1923-24 and 1924-25 were—
| Rate per Cent. | 1923-24. | 1924-25. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| 1/2 | - | 200 |
| 1 | 7,885 | .. |
| 1 1/2 | 600 | 3,779 |
| 2 1/2 | 8,402 | 1,854 |
| 3 | 5,143 | 6,158 |
| 3 1/2 | 1,740 | 555 |
| 3 3/3 | - | 3,120 |
| 3 3/4. | 200 | - |
| 4 | 52,522 | 60,765 |
| 4 1/2 | 84,574 | 55,483 |
| 4 3/4 | 6,492 | .. |
| 5 | 3,722,284 | 3,012,073 |
| 5 1/4 | 5,825 | 18,031 |
| 5 1/2 | 1,695,673 | 1,903,432 |
| 5 3/4 | 67,317 | 94,204 |
| 6 | 110,499,739 | 12,180,245 |
| 6 1/4 | 158,711 | 291,251 |
| 6 2/4 | 6,561,113 | 9,762,675 |
| 6 3/4 | 16,850 | 27,530 |
| 7 | 3,427,831 | 4,520,073 |
| 7 1/4 | .. | 1,700 |
| 7 1/2 | 435,615 | 459,030 |
| 8 | 1,178,041 | 1,019,974 |
| 8 1/4 | 1,675 | .. |
| 8 1/2 | 112,497 | 148,221 |
| 9 | 183,184 | 173,949 |
| 9 1/2 | 10,020 | 6,730 |
| 10 | 1,348,866 | 340,426 |
| 10 1/2 | 100 | 100 |
| 11 | .. | 2,600 |
| 12 | 4,310 | 4,657 |
| 12 1/2 | 2,400 | 375 |
| 13 | .. | 250 |
| 15 | 4,291 | 1,545 |
| 16 | .. | 250 |
| 25 | 500 | .. |
| 40 | 67 | 100 |
| Unspecified | 8,257,702 | 7,022,881 |
| Totals | 37,862,419 | 41,123,966 |
It is evident that the great bulk of the money raised by way of mortgage bears interest at rates varying from 5 to 7 per cent., the 6-per-cent. class actually showing the largest amount. Within the last decade there has been a marked increase in the amounts borrowed at higher rates.
The average rate of interest on all mortgages registered during each of the last thirteen years is as follows:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Average rate per cent. |
|---|---|
| 1913 | 5.76 |
| 1914 | 5.82 |
| 1915 | 5.76 |
| 1916 | 5.74 |
| 1917 | 5.80 |
| 1918 | 5.84 |
| 1919 | 5.84 |
| 1920 | 5.75 |
| 1921 | 5.89 |
| 1922 | 6.42 |
| 1923 | 6.57 |
| 1924 | 6.38 |
| 1925 | 6.30 |
But little variation is shown during the period from 1913 to 1921. The year 1921-22, however, witnessed a jump to 6.42 per cent., coinciding with the phenomenon of the financial strain associated with the post-war trade depression. The peak of 6.57 per cent. was reached in the following year, since when there has been a gradual downward trend.
In 1914 the Legislature passed the Mortgages Extension Act, intended to give relief to mortgagors during the currency of the war. This Act was repealed, but re-enacted with modifications in 1919, and by a further amendment made necessary in 1921 by the financial conditions obtaining its provisions were made operative until the close of the year 1924. The Mortgages Final Extension Act, 1924, in effect extended the moratorium until the end of June, 1925, and in certain cases to 31st March, 1927. The protection of the moratorium did not apply to trade mortgages, mortgages made after the passing of the 1919 Act, nor mortgages under the Repatriation Act.
Under the Act of 1924 an order of the Supreme Court might be ma***de, upon the application of the mortgagor, extending the due date of a mortgage. Notice of motion for an extension order required to be made not later than the 31st January, 1925, and in no case can a later date than the 31st March, 1927, be fixed by the Court.
In determining whether any extension order should be made the Court might take into consideration—
The effect of the continuance of the mortgage upon the security thereby afforded to the mortgagee:
The inability of the mortgagor to redeem the property either from his own moneys or by borrowing at a reasonable rate of interest:
The conduct of the mortgagor in respect of any breaches by him of the covenants of the mortgage:
Any hardship that would be inflicted on the mortgagee by the continuance of the mortgage, or upon the mortgagor by the enforcement thereof.
Provision was made for applications for extension orders in certain cases to be referred by a Judge to a Magistrate or other person for hearing.
Until after the 31st March, 1925, it was unlawful for a mortgagee to call up the principal or any part thereof, to exercise a power of sale or enter into possession, or to commence an action for breach of any covenant in the mortgage, except with the leave of the Supreme Court. That Court was empowered to decide whether a mortgagee should be entitled to enforce the ter***ms of his mortgage, and to assess the hardship or otherwise that would be inflicted on the mortgagee by the continuance of the mortgage.
Three months' notice was required to be given the mortgagor before the mortgagee might exercise his powers. In cases where an extension order had been applied for the mortgagee might not exercise his powers until the application had been determined. Where an extension order has been made, action may not be taken by the mortgagee unless and until default is made by the mortgagor in complying with the terms and conditions of the extension order, or of the mortgage as affected by the extension order.
Where the rate of interest provided by a mortgage to which the Act applies or by an agreement in writing or other document subsequently executed was more than 6 per cent., that rate was to continue to be the rate for the further extended term. If the rate was 6 per cent. or less, then interest for the further term brought under the law was to be at the rate of 6 per cent., which thus became a statutory minimum for the mortgages kept alive by the legislation. A trustee mortgagee might, however, come to an agreement with his mortgagor for the extension of the term of the mortgage for not more than five years, at such rate of interest as the trustee mortgagee might think fit, even though a higher rate of interest might be obtainable for a new loan.
The 1921 Act also contained provisions in regard to deposits, the most important feature being contained in several clauses restraining firms and companies from increasing their indebtedness while they still had large liabilities under the protection of the moratorium. It was further provided that firms and bodies holding money on deposit, if they took additional money on deposit, must use it first for the repayment of old deposits. Companies making debenture-issues to secure current accounts with the banks were required to use the proceeds to meet debts incurred by way of borrowing on deposit.
Table of Contents
THE law relating to bankruptcy in New Zealand is contained in the Bankruptcy Act, 1908, which is a consolidation of all previous enactments then in force. The Act of 1908 consists of 176 sections, grouped in fourteen Parts, as follows:—
The Bankruptcy Court.
The Official Assignee.
Proceedings up to Adjudication.
Supervisors of Administration of Bankrupt's Property.
Duties of Bankrupt.
Administration of Bankrupt's Property.
Meetings of Creditors.
Proofs of Debt.
Composition with Creditors.
Distribution of Assets.
Discharge.
Annulling of Adjudication.
Penal Provisions.
Miscellaneous.
Jurisdiction in bankruptcy matters is vested in the Supreme Court. The Governor-General, however, may by Proclamation confer similar jurisdiction on a Magistrate's Court in cases where the liabilities do not exceed £300. The powers of the Court are fully set out in Part I of the Act.
All proceedings in bankruptcy are commenced by a petition filed in the Court. A petition may be filed either by the debtor or by a creditor, a fee of £6 being payable. The filing of a debtor's petition is equivalent to an order of Court adjudging the debtor a bankrupt, no order being required in the case of a debtor's petition. Not less than £30 in the aggregate must be owing by the debtor to the creditor or creditors filing a petition.
Immediately on a debtor's petition being filed or a creditor's petition being adjudicated on, the Registrar of the Court gives notice to the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy, in whom all the property of the bankrupt thereupon vests. Meetings of creditors are provided for, and the bankrupt is required to attend these and submit to examination in respect of his property. He must hand over his books to the Official Assignee, make out balance-sheets, give inventories of his property and debts, and generally assist in the realization of his property.
The Official Assignee is empowered to sell the bankrupt's property, to claim debts due to the bankrupt estate, to carry on the business of the bankrupt so far as is necessary or expedient for its beneficial winding-up, or to divide the property among the creditors. The bankrupt may be appointed by the Official Assignee to manage his estate or carry on his business on behalf of the creditors.
Creditors may accept a composition in satisfaction of the debts due them. In such a case, after approval of the Court, a deed of composition is executed and filed, and the bankruptcy annulled.
On application being made by the bankrupt, the Court is empowered to grant him an order of discharge, either absolute, suspended, or conditional. The application, which must be made within four months after adjudication, may be opposed either by the Official Assignee or by any creditor who has proved his claim. A public examination of the bankrupt may be demanded by the Assignee or a creditor.
Offences by the bankrupt are dealt with in Part XIII of the Act, which provides a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years for various special offences, including—
Trading on fictitious capital.
Contracting debts without reasonable expectation of being able to pay them.
Failing to keep usual books.
Wilfully omitting to keep proper books, with intent to conceal the true state of his affairs.
Making gifts, transfers, &c., with intent to defraud his creditors.
Concealing or fraudulently removing property.
Furnishing wilfully incorrect statements of his property or the state of his affairs.
Absconding.
The number of transactions in bankruptcy during the last ten years was as follows:—
| Year. | Petitions by Debtors. | Adjudications on Petitions by Creditors. | Cases in which Com-position accepted. | Orders of Immediate Discharge granted. | Cases in which Orders of Discharge were suspended. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | 250 | 44 | .. | 55 | 18 |
| 1916 | 267 | 37 | .. | 63 | 21 |
| 1917 | 221 | 44 | 1 | 60 | 10 |
| 1918 | 133 | 31 | 1 | 53 | 9 |
| 1919 | 109 | 32 | 1 | 128 | 13 |
| 1920 | 117 | 27 | .. | 72 | 14 |
| 1921 | 289 | 47 | 1 | 48 | 6 |
| 1922 | 552 | 138 | 2 | 114 | 11 |
| 1923 | 565 | 109 | 2 | 177 | 16 |
| 1924 | 561 | 109 | .. | 200 | 33 |
The number of bankrupties in 1924 (670), although slightly less than during the two preceding years, is still remarkably high, and indicates that the trade depression of 1921-22 is still taking its toll. The figures for the last three years are the highest since the “eighties,” when in both 1886 and 1887 the number exceeded 1,000.
Petitions by debtors decreased by four, as compared with the 1923 figure, while adjudications on creditors' petitions were the same as in 1923.
The figures given above and also further on in this section do not cover private assignments and compositions, particulars respecting such not being available.
Debtors are required to file a statement of the extent of their liabilities and assets, but there is often a marked difference between these statements and the amounts actually realized by the Official Assignee or the debts subsequently proved by creditors. It is the two latter sets of figures that really gauge the extent of financial embarrassment suffered in a community in a time of trade depression.
The following table shows for each of the last ten years the amount of assets as shown in debtors' statements and as realized by the Official Assignee, together with the amounts of debts proved and the amounts paid in dividends and preferential claims:—
| Year. | Number of Bankruptcies. | Debtors' Statements of Assets, excluding Amounts secured to Creditors. | Amounts realized by Official Assignees. | Amount of Debts proved. | Amounts paid in Dividends and Preferential Claims. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1915 | 294 | 92,876 | 63,310 | 153,926 | 42,374 |
| 1916 | 304 | 123,441 | 56,416 | 172,774 | 29,223 |
| 1917 | 265 | 138,696 | 63,645 | 178,244 | 27,405 |
| 1918 | 164 | 50,356 | 67,729 | 88,607 | 33,176 |
| 1919 | 141 | 43,627 | 54,622 | 59,767 | 24,980 |
| 1920 | 144 | 44,026 | 47,897 | 77,752 | 45,228 |
| 1921 | 336 | 362,601 | 78,271 | 558,504 | 38,646 |
| 1922 | 690 | 344,861 | 126,145 | 834,356 | 63,009 |
| 1923 | 674 | 368,673 | 124,641 | 668,925 | 65,667 |
| 1924 | 670 | 279,602 | 118,641 | 703,995 | 74,878 |
With the exception of the amounts shown under “Debts proved,” there is no great variation in the figures for the last two years. In 1924 the amounts paid in dividends and preferential claims represented but 10.63 per cent. of the total debts proved, as against even lower percentages of 9.81 in 1923 and 7.55 in 1922. The proportion is much higher in the earlier years of the table.
The total payments made from the assets realized in 1924 were—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Dividends to creditors (excluding preferential and secured claims) | 67,963 |
| Preferential claims (rents, wages, &c.) | 6,915 |
| Secured claims | 10,557 |
| Government commission | 9,246 |
| Costs of actions, solicitors' and supervisors' fees | 6,280 |
| Expenses incurred in carrying on estates | 15,242 |
| Other charges | 4,345 |
| Total | £120,548 |
Balances in bank to the credit of estates aggregated £58,268 on 31st December, 1924, a decrease of £2,035 during the year.
The following table shows for each of the last five years the number of bankruptcies of various amounts of liabilities:—
| Liabilities. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under £50 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 19 | 23 |
| £50-£100 | 17 | 22 | 41 | 41 | 46 |
| £100-£250 | 29 | 72 | 148 | 147 | 148 |
| £250-£500 | 43 | 74 | 136 | 159 | 162 |
| £500-£1,000 | 28 | 64 | 158 | 136 | 145 |
| £1,000-£2,000 | 13 | 57 | 107 | 96 | 80 |
| £2,000-£5,000 | 6 | 22 | 50 | 56 | 44 |
| £5,000 and over | 1 | 17 | 28 | 18 | 22 |
| Not stated | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Totals | 144 | 336 | 690 | 674 | 670 |
The following table shows in summarized form the occupations of those adjudged bankrupt in the last two years:—
| Class of Occupation. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|
| Fishing and trapping | 3 | *** |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 201 | 195 |
| Forestry | 13 | 7 |
| Mining and quarrying | 4 | 4 |
| Processes relating to chemicals, animal and vegetable products | 5 | 3 |
| Processes relating to metals, machines, tools, conveyances, jewellery | 39 | 29 |
| Processes relating to minerals | .. | 1 |
| Processes relating to fibrous materials, textiles, and dress | 15 | 19 |
| Processes relating to food, drink, and tobacco | 10 | 12 |
| Processes relating to wood, basketware, furniture, &c. | 15 | 8 |
| Processes relating to paper, stationery, printing, photography | 2 | 4 |
| Construction or repair of buildings, roads, railways, canals | 61 | 68 |
| Transport and communication | 50 | 28 |
| Commerce and finance | 127 | 156 |
| Public administration, clerical, and professional | 10 | 13 |
| Entertainment, sport, and recreation | 6 | 4 |
| Personal or domestic service | 27 | 24 |
| Dependent on public or private support | 11 | 6 |
| Indefinite occupations | 75 | 89 |
| Totals | 674 | 670 |
Of the 1924 total, 165 were employers of labour, 334 were working on their own account, and 171 were working for wages. The farming community was again well represented with 195 failures, while occupations connected with commerce and finance accounted for the considerable total of 156. The principal detailed callings affected are now given (1923 figures in parentheses): Farmers (undefined), 187 (176): labourers, 81 (65); builders, 22 (21); agents (undefined), 21 (17); butchers, 18 (13); contractors, 17 (14); fruiterers, 16 (15); shop-assistants, 14 (8); electricians, 12(3); carriers, 12 (12); motor mechanics, 11 (15).
Table of Contents
ESTIMATES of the private wealth of the Dominion are arrived at on the assumption that the wealth per head of the living is approximately equal to that left by the average person dying. The fact that the younger and more numerous members of the population do not possess as much accumulated wealth as the older members, taken in conjunction with the fact that the death-rate varies with age, renders it necessary for this purpose to divide the population into quinquennial age-groups. The average wealth of persons dying within any one age-group being known, the average wealth of living persons belonging to that age-group is assumed to be identical, and an estimate of the total private wealth of the Dominion is arrived at by weighting the average wealth of persons in each age-group by the number of persons in that group.
The actual average wealth of deceased persons is obtained by a consideration of the estates certified for stamp duty. For each person whose estate is dealt with by the Stamp Duties Department a return is forwarded to the Census and Statistics Office showing name, age, date of death, and amount of estate certified. The few instances where the ages of deceased persons are not ascertainable are allocated to each age-group in proportion to its contribution to the total.
If the period under review be short, the infrequency of the appearance of large estates may occasion from time to time considerable discrepancies in the results according as many or few large estates appear in the returns. Matters are further complicated by the fact that from six to twelve months usually elapse after the date of death before the estate is finally certified, with the result that an abnormal number of deaths towards the end of any one year may swell the number of deaths for the year without affecting the number of estates certified, thus bringing about a fictitiously low average wealth of deceased persons for that year and a fictitiously high average wealth for the following year. The epidemic of influenza in the last quarter of 1918 produced just this effect. For these reasons it is desirable to extend the estimate over a series of years and to strike an average. On the other hand, owing to the rapid movement in values during the last few years too long a period yields an artificial estimate. In the computation of the latest estimate an average has been taken over the years 1920-24.
It has been found that the number of estates dealt with in any period is usually equal to about one-third only of the total deaths registered during that period; and as most persons leave some estate, however small, it is necessary to make some allowance for estates which have not passed through the Stamp Duties Office. It should be noted in this connection that up to 1920, estates below £500 were exempt from estate duty, and if under £200, from succession duty also. Since 1920 the exemptions have been widened somewhat, and now estates under £1,000 escape estate duty, and if under £500, succession duty. In many cases, however, estates of a lower value than the figures indicated are passed for probate or letters of administration. The method formerly adopted of making a proportionate allowance of 10 per cent. for all unrecorded estates involved a slight weakness, in that it gave too low an amount for persons dying at early ages and too high an amount for persons dying at advanced ages, so that, while these factors balanced each other and did not affect very appreciably the total result, it has been deemed better, in order to ensure closer accuracy, to make a fixed allowance, increasing from £20 for the age-group 15 to 20 years to £100 at ages 35 to 40 and over. In such case no distinction is made between the wealth of males and that of females. It has been found that the average for males is generally much higher than that for females; and it would appear that slightly greater accuracy still would be obtained by treating the estates of the two sexes separately, making a fixed allowance for unrecorded estates ranging from £30 for males and £10 for females for the age-group 15 to 20 years to £150 for males and £50 for females at ages 35 to 40 and over. No allowance at all is made for estates of persons under 15. The following tables illustrate the results of the two methods.
(a.) Both Sexes taken together.
| Age, in Years. | Number of Estates certified 1920-24. | Total Amount, including Allowance for Unrecorded Estates. | Number of Deaths registered, 1920-24. | Average Wealth per Person dying. | Population, 31st December, 1924. | Estimated Private Wealth, 31st December, 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Under 5 | 15 | 5,275 | 8,734 | 0.6039 | 135,558 | 81,863 |
| 6 and under 10 | 16 | 10,152 | 1,166 | 8.7067 | 130,899 | 1,139,698 |
| 10 and under 15 | 20 | 7,472 | 788 | 9.4822 | 132,598 | 1,257,321 |
| 15 and under 20 | 79 | 53,400 | 1,106 | 48.2821 | 120,881 | 5,836,389 |
| 20 and under 25 | 628 | 365,702 | 1,499 | 243.9639 | 107,235 | 26,161,469 |
| 25 and under 30 | 974 | 592,035 | 1,626 | 364.1052 | 99,750 | 36,319,494 |
| 30 and under 35 | 1,131 | 1,165,116 | 1,921 | 606.5154 | 96,978 | 58,818,650 |
| 35 and under 40 | 1,342 | 1,748,160 | 2,304 | 758.7500 | 97,482 | 73,964,468 |
| 40 and under 45 | 1,462 | 2,292,981 | 2,558 | 896.3960 | 98,496 | 88,291,420 |
| 45 and under 50 | 1,659 | 3,243,867 | 2,737 | 1,185.1907 | 81,721 | 96,854,969 |
| 50 and under 55 | 1,806 | 4,493,837 | 3,072 | 1,462.8376 | 65,537 | 95,869,988 |
| 55 and under 60 | 1,919 | 5,657,368 | 3,088 | 1,832.0492 | 48,426 | 88,718,815 |
| 60 and under 65 | 2,271 | 7,778,674 | 3,696 | 2,104.6196 | 35,780 | 75,303,289 |
| 65 and under 70 | 2,760 | 9,496,099 | 4,421 | 2,147.9527 | 26,822 | 57,612,387 |
| 70 and under 75 | 2,898 | 10,803,586 | 4,780 | 2,260.1644 | 18,688 | 42,237,952 |
| 75 and under 80 | 2,848 | 11,766,484 | 4,942 | 2,380.9154 | 10,640 | 25,332,940 |
| 80 and under 85 | 2,368 | 9,659,827 | 4,236 | 2,280.4123 | 6,004 | 13,691,595 |
| 85 and under 90 | 1,179 | 6,644,863 | 2,481 | 2,678.3003 | 2,132 | 5,710,136 |
| 90 and under 95 | 317 | 1,364,699 | 699 | 1,952.3591 | 507 | 989,846 |
| 95 and over | 82 | 402,376 | 192 | 2,095.7083 | 46 | 96,403 |
| Totals | 25,774 | 77,551,973 | 56,046 | .. | 1,316,180 | 794,289,092 |
| (b.) Sexes taken separately. | ||||||
| Age, in Years. | Number of Estates certified, 1920-24. | Total Amount, including Allowance for Unrecorded Estates. | Number of Deaths registered, 1920-24. | Average Wealth per Person dying. | Population, 31st December, 1924. | Estimated Private Wealth, 31st December, 1924. |
| MALES. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Under 5 | 8 | 2,259 | 4,911 | 0.4599 | 69,357 | 31,897 |
| 5 and under 10 | 10 | 6,783 | 642 | 10.5654 | 66,547 | 703,096 |
| 10 and under 15 | 11 | 3,792 | 444 | 8.5405 | 67,634 | 577,628 |
| 15 and under 20 | 59 | 31,902 | 579 | 55.0984 | 61,582 | 3,393,070 |
| 20 and under 25 | 569 | 306,708 | 758 | 404.6280 | 54,772 | 22,162,285 |
| 25 and under 30 | 810 | 430,605 | 756 | 569.5833 | 48,430 | 27,584,919 |
| 30 and under 35 | 910 | 989,073 | 993 | 996.0453 | 46,399 | 46,215,506 |
| 35 and under 40 | 1,004 | 1,402,440 | 1,224 | 1,145.7843 | 48,783 | 55,894,796 |
| 40 and under 45 | 1,004 | 1,846,887 | 1,423 | 1,297.8826 | 50,796 | 65,927,245 |
| 45 and under 50 | 1,141 | 2,654,799 | 1,603 | 1,656.1441 | 42,752 | 70,803,473 |
| 50 and under 55 | 1,151 | 3,369,720 | 1,801 | 1,871.0272 | 34,938 | 65,369,948 |
| 55 and under 60 | 1,204 | 4,525,322 | 1,782 | 2,539.4624 | 26,061 | 66,180,930 |
| 60 and under 65 | 1,415 | 6,340,807 | 2,168 | 2,924.7265 | 18,818 | 55,037,503 |
| 65 and under 70 | 1,741 | 7,688,484 | 2,614 | 2,941.2716 | 14,245 | 41,898,414 |
| 70 and under 75 | 1,840 | 8,772,410 | 2,733 | 3,209.8061 | 10,137 | 32,537,804 |
| 75 and under 80 | 1,762 | 9,512,289 | 2,748 | 3,461.5317 | 5,564 | 19,259,962 |
| 80 and under 85 | 1,558 | 7,818,421 | 2,440 | 3,204.2709 | 3,190 | 10,221,624 |
| 85 and under 90 | 814 | 5,738,910 | 1,427 | 4,021.6608 | 1,161 | 4,669,148 |
| 90 and under 95 | 201 | 933,013 | 402 | 2,320.9279 | 264 | 612,725 |
| 95 and over | 54 | 325,417 | 104 | 3,129.0096 | 22 | 68,838 |
| Totals for males | 17,266 | 62,700,041 | 31,552 | .. | 671,452 | 589,150,811 |
| FEMALES. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Under 5 | 7 | 3,016 | 3,823 | 0.7889 | 66,201 | 52,226 |
| 5 and under 10 | 6 | 3,369 | 524 | 6.4294 | 64,352 | 413,745 |
| 10 and under 15 | 9 | 3,680 | 344 | 10.6977 | 64,964 | 694,965 |
| 15 and under 20 | 20 | 21,628 | 527 | 41.0398 | 59,299 | 2,433,619 |
| 20 and under 25 | 59 | 49,134 | 741 | 66.3077 | 52,463 | 3,478,701 |
| 25 and under 30 | 164 | 143,490 | 870 | 164.9310 | 51,320 | 8,464,259 |
| 30 and under 35 | 221 | 151,083 | 928 | 162.8049 | 50,579 | 8,234,509 |
| 35 and under 40 | 338 | 319,620 | 1,080 | 295.9444 | 48,699 | 14,412,196 |
| 40 and under 45 | 458 | 433,194 | 1,135 | 381.6687 | 47,700 | 18,205,597 |
| 45 and under 50 | 518 | 581,368 | 1,134 | 512.6702 | 38,969 | 19,978,245 |
| 50 and under 55 | 655 | 1,125,817 | 1,271 | 885.7726 | 30,599 | 27,103,756 |
| 55 and under 60 | 715 | 1,131,396 | 1,306 | 866.3063 | 22,365 | 19,374,940 |
| 60 and under 65 | 856 | 1,441,917 | 1,528 | 943.6629 | 16,962 | 16,006,410 |
| 65 and under 70 | 1,019 | 1,811,865 | 1,807 | 1,002.6923 | 12,577 | 12,610,861 |
| 70 and under 75 | 1,058 | 2,026,376 | 2,047 | 989.9248 | 8,551 | 8,464,847 |
| 75 and under 80 | 1,086 | 2,248,095 | 2,194 | 1,024.6559 | 5,076 | 5,201,153 |
| 80 and under 85 | 810 | 1,836,206 | 1,796 | 1,022.3864 | 2,814 | 2,876,995 |
| 85 and under 90 | 365 | 902,153 | 1,054 | 855.9327 | 971 | 831,111 |
| 90 and under 95 | 116 | 432,686 | 297 | 1,456.8552 | 243 | 354,016 |
| 95 and over | 28 | 76,459 | 88 | 868.8523 | 24 | 20,852 |
| Totals for females | 8,508 | 14,742,552 | 24,494 | .. | 644,728 | 169,213,003 |
It is seen that under method (a) the estimated private wealth of the Dominion at the 31st December, 1924, works out at £794,289,092, and under method (b) at £758,363,814, which may be taken as the more correct figure. The discrepancy of £35,925,278 between the two amounts is due to the fact that practically three-quarters of the estates dealt with during the period belonged to males, and, the average wealth per male being higher than that per female, it follows that under the first method the estimated wealth of the whole population will tend to be somewhat overstated. The estimated wealth per head of the whole population was £576, and per head of persons of twenty years and over (practically the adult population) £952.
An estimate of the private wealth in 1914, taking an average over the years 1908-14, shows £285,485,829; but in this instance the now-abandoned 10-per-cent. method referred to at the beginning of this section was used. This fact, however, does not vitiate the figures to any great extent for comparative purposes. In considering the enormous increase of nearly £500,000,000 during the decade, the part played by currency inflation should not be overlooked. It is well known that the monetary value of property, particularly land, has increased very considerably since 1914. At the same time it cannot be overlooked that the figures reflect, largely, the prosperity of the country for the period under review.
It should be explained that the foregoing computations are exclusive of Maoris. The inclusion of Maoris would not affect the per capita rates to any extent, but would involve an addition of 4 or 5 per cent. to the totals shown for the various estimates quoted.
A table is now given showing the number of estates finally passed during 1923 and 1924, classified according to amount. Estates of Maoris are here included.
| Amount. | Number of Estates. | Aggregate Net Value of Estates. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923. | 1924. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Under 500 | 2,120 | 2,042 | 407,204 | 393,134 |
| 500 and under 1,000 | 879 | 810 | 638,507 | 588,513 |
| 1,000 and under 2,000 | 734 | 758 | 1,062,539 | 1,102,718 |
| 2,000 and under 3,000 | 384 | 386 | 942,534 | 945,426 |
| 3,000 and under 4,000 | 210 | 227 | 731,224 | 784,659 |
| 4,000 and under 5,000 | 167 | 132 | 753,127 | 587,610 |
| 5,000 and under 7,500 | 236 | 222 | 1,422,981 | 1,372,241 |
| 7,500 and under 10,000 | 126 | 108 | 1,101,403 | 926,013 |
| 10,000 and under 15,000 | 112 | 130 | 1,394,526 | 1,612,254 |
| 15,000 and under 20,000 | 53 | 58 | 915,589 | 1,022,212 |
| 20,000 and over | 149 | 132 | 7,167,503 | 6,719,538 |
| Totals | 5,170 | 5,005 | 16,537,137 | 16,054,316 |
No complete statistics of annual income are available for New Zealand, nor has any official investigation of the total income of the Dominion been attempted. Very valuable data, however, exist in regard to incomes of those furnishing returns to the Commissioner of Taxes for the purpose of income-tax assessment, and statistics of incomes have been compiled from these at various times in the past by the Land and. Income Tax Department. A system of annual statistics on the subject was inaugurated in 1923, and the detailed results are now published each year in the “Annual Statistical Report on Prices, Building Societies, Bankruptcy, Incomes, and Meteorology.”
It should be explained that the incomes returned in 1923-24 are those received during the previous year, and relate approximately to the twelve months ended, the 31st March, 1923.
Income-tax is payable on the full incomes of registered companies and of absentees, and in other cases on incomes in excess of £300 per annum. Between £600 and £900 the exemption is reduced by £1 for every £1 above £600, and no exemption is allowed for incomes above £900. An absentee is defined as a person whose home has not been in New Zealand during any part of the income year.
An exemption of 5 per cent. of the capital value of land from which the income is derived is provided. A deduction of £50 is made from assessable income for each child or grandchild under eighteen years of age who is dependent on the taxpayer, and amounts up to £50 contributed towards the support of the taxpayer's widowed mother are also deductible from income.
The remaining class of exemptions is in respect of premium payments on insurances effected by the taxpayer on his own life, and of payments to the National Provident Fund, a superannuation fund, or the insurance fund of a friendly society. Deductions under this head may not exceed 15 per cent. of the earned income or, where the total income does not exceed £2,000, 15 per cent. of total income.
Certain specified incomes are exempt from taxation, included among these under the 1923 Act being incomes derived from the direct use or cultivation of land.
Earned income, the tax on which is subject to a reduction of 10 per cent. up to a limit of income of £2,000, is defined as the salary or wages (including bonuses) received by the taxpayer in relation to his employment, and includes all income derived by a taxpayer (other than a company or local body) by reason of his personal exertions. The difference between the totals for earned income and assessable income represents income from sources not defined as “earned.”
For the financial year 1923-24 returns received by the Commissioner of Taxes and showing any income totalled 74,750, as compared with 92,106 in the previous year. Of the 74,750 returns dealt with in 1924, 2,483 were in respect of companies, 875 were furnished by non-resident traders, and 279 by agents for debenture-holders, the remaining 71,113 (95 per cent. of the total) being in the general class of taxpayers, which includes absentees other than non-resident traders.
Through the operation of the various exemptions and reductions only 36,091 of the 74,750 dealt with were assessed as having to pay income-tax (as against 38,571 in 1922-23), the remaining 38,659 either being exempt as having a lower income than £300 or having no taxable balance left after the other deductions had been taken into account.
Of 71,113 persons in the general class dealt with, no fewer than 23,240 had an income of less than £300, and only 1,211 of these—absentees or trustees, or otherwise not entitled to exemption under section 74—were assessed for tax.
Of the 2,483 companies covered by the statistics, 69 escaped taxation through the application of the capital — value exemption, the number of taxpayers in this class being 2,414. The whole of the 875 non-resident traders and of the 279 agents for debenture-holders were required to pay income-tax, no exemptions being applicable to these classes.
The gross assessable income returned was £44,738,064, of which £24,420,870 ranked as earned income, and as such became entitled to a reduction of 10 per cent. in taxation. The taxable balance of the £44,738,064, after allowing for all exemptions, was £23,069,367, or 52 per cent. of the gross assessable income.
The greatest difference between assessable income and taxable balance occurred in the case of the general class of taxpayers, mainly as a result of the £300 exemption. The figures for the three classes are as follow:—
| Class. | Assessable Income. | Taxable Balance. | Percentage of Taxable Balance to Assessable Income. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount. | Percentage of Total. | Amount. | Percentage of Total. | ||
| £ | £ | ||||
| Persons, firms, &c. | 33,612,632 | 75 | 12,852,746 | 56 | 38 |
| Companies | 10,373,728 | 23 | 9,464,917 | 41 | 91 |
| Agents for debenture-holders | 437,751 | 1 | 437,751 | 2 | 100 |
| Non-resident traders | 313,953 | 1 | 313,953 | 1 | 100 |
| Totals | 44,738,064 | 100 | 23,069,367 | 100 | 52 |
It is of interest to note that while the total assessable income returned in 1924 was £1,615,877 less than in the previous year, that for companies was £2,013,913 greater. The taxable balance, both for companies and for the aggregate of all classes, was also greater in 1923-24 than in the previous year, the total for 1922-23 being £21,470,362.
Actual figures as to the amount of income derived from various sources are not available on account of the fact that in a considerable proportion of cases income has been obtained from more than one source. The rule followed in such cases in compiling the statistics has been to include the whole income under the principal source from which it was derived. As an indication of the extent to which the figures are affected, attention may be drawn to the inclusion of £472,184 of earned income in 1922-23 and £327,593 in 1923-24 under the heading of “Investments and the like.”
Of the nine classes of source from which income is derived source ***0, “Salary or wages,” is the most important as regards number of incomes, number of taxpayers, amount of assessable income, and amount of earned income. This source also leads in the matter of exemptions—so much so, in fact, that its total of £15,031,028 assessable income in 1923-24 shrank to a comparatively insignificant taxable balance of £3,622,098, which yielded only £207,103 of tax.
Second place, as regards numbers of incomes and of taxpayers, was held in 1923-24 by source 8, “Investments and the like,” which ranked third in respect of amount of assessable income and second for amount of taxable balance.
Source 2, “Commerce, trade, or business,” ranked third in point of numbers of returns and of taxpayers, second for amount of assessable income, and easily first as regards taxable balance.
An important group in the previous year was that represented by source 4, “Farming.” Income from this source no longer bears income-tax, and this group has accordingly disappeared.
The following table summarizes for 1923-24 the principal items from the point of view of source from which income was derived:—
| Source. | Number of Incomes returned. | Number of Taxpayers. | Earned Income. | Assessable Income. | Exemptions. | Taxable Balance. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| 0—Salary or wages | 36,333 | 15,092 | 14,430,433 | 15,031,028 | 11,408,930 | 3,622,098 |
| 1—Following professional occupations on own account | 2,951 | 2,191 | 2,237,091 | 2,403,949 | 793,581 | 1,610,368 |
| 2—Commerce, trade, or business | 15,792 | 7,733 | 6,389,765 | 12,805,764 | 4,103,352 | 8,702,412 |
| 3—Industry or manufacture | 1,300 | 1,032 | 348,771 | 3,455,693 | 507,232 | 2,948,461 |
| 5—Provision of transport or communication | 591 | 276 | 176,333 | 973,142 | 163,170 | 809,972 |
| 6—Building and construction | 1,071 | 517 | 474,516 | 522,003 | 306,710 | 215,293 |
| 7—Mining or extraction | 66 | 38 | 18,932 | 318,755 | 14,507 | 304,248 |
| 8—Investments and the like | 16,555 | 9,164 | 327,593 | 9,144,886 | 4,343,251 | 4,801,635 |
| 9—Provision o***r or engaging in entertainment, sport, recreation | 91 | 48 | 17,436 | 82,844 | 27,964 | 54,880 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 74,750 | 36,091 | 24,420,870 | 44,738,064 | 21,668,697 | 23,069,367 |
| Totals. 1922-23 | 92,106 | 38,571 | 28,667,898 | 46,353,941 | 24,883,579 | 21,470,362 |
The next table deals with percentages and averages, and discloses some interesting and informative results. A wide range is shown between the different groups, the percentage of taxpayers to incomes in 1923-24 varying from 42 for source 0 to 79 for source 3; of earned income to assessable income, from 4 for source 8 to 96 for source 0; and of taxable balance to assessable income, from 24 for source 0 to 95 for source 7.
Three of the four columns relating to averages show similarly wide ranges, and even the average exemption varies between £220 in the case of source 7 and £390 for source 3. Source 7 shows the highest averages for assessable income and taxable balance, while source 0 shows the lowest averages for these two items.
| Source. | Percentages. | Averages. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxpayers to Income. | Earned Income to Assessable Income. | Taxable Balance to Assessable Income. | Earned Income per Return. | Assessable Income per Return. | Exemption per Return. | Taxable Balance per Taxpayer. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 0 | 42 | 96 | 24 | 397 | 414 | 314 | 240 |
| 1 | 74 | 93 | 67 | 758 | 815 | 269 | 735 |
| 2 | 49 | 50 | 68 | 405 | 811 | 260 | 1,125 |
| 3 | 79 | 10 | 85 | 268 | 2,658 | 390 | 2,857 |
| 5 | 47 | 18 | 83 | 298 | 1,647 | 276 | 2,935 |
| 6 | 48 | 91 | 41 | 443 | 487 | 286 | 416 |
| 7 | 58 | 6 | 95 | 287 | 4,830 | 220 | 8,006 |
| 8 | 55 | 4 | 53 | 20 | 552 | 262 | 524 |
| 9 | 53 | 21 | 66 | 192 | 910 | 307 | 1,143 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 48 | 55 | 52 | 327 | 599 | 290 | 639 |
| Totals, 1922-23 | 42 | 62 | 46 | 311 | 503 | 270 | 557 |
Of the 74,750 persons, companies, &c., dealt with in 1923-24, 24,817, or 33 per cent., had incomes of less than £300, their aggregate incomes being £5,202,402, or only 12 per cent. of the total. Incomes under £1,000 aggregated £25,647,983, or 57 per cent. of the total, but represented 92 per cent. of the returns. Only 210 (less than 1/3 per cent. of those who furnished returns) showed incomes of £10,000 or over, but their total incomes amounted to £7,899,271, or 18 per cent. of the grand total of £44,738,064.
The following table summarizes returns and incomes according to the amount of the latter. The average income for the various categories is also given, together with the number and percentage of incomes on which tax was payable.
| Size of Income. | Number of Returns. | Assessable Income. | Average Assessable Income. | Number Of Tax payers. | Percentage of Taxpayers to Returns. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ £ | £ | £ | |||
| Under 300 | 24,817 | 5,202,402 | 210 | 2,758 | 11 |
| 300- 399 | 20,205 | 6,924,103 | 343 | 7,645 | 38 |
| 400- 499 | 10,134 | 4,445,236 | 439 | 7,036 | 69 |
| 500- 599 | 5,561 | 2,991,244 | 538 | 4,966 | 89 |
| 600- 699 | 3,548 | 2,266,719 | 639 | 3,396 | 96 |
| 700- 799 | 2,198 | 1,636,666 | 745 | 2,143 | 98 |
| 800- 899 | 1,433 | 1,211,842 | 846 | 1,405 | 98 |
| 900- 999 | 1,025 | 969,771 | 946 | 1,005 | 98 |
| 1,000- 1,999 | 3,918 | 5,240,230 | 1,337 | 3,849 | 98 |
| 2,000- 2,999 | 892 | 2,151,575 | 2,412 | 879 | 99 |
| 3,000- 3,999 | 386 | 1,304,617 | 3,380 | 379 | 98 |
| 4,000- 4,999 | 162 | 722,071 | 4,457 | 160 | 99 |
| 5,000- 5,999 | 97 | 522,457 | 5,396 | 96 | 99 |
| 6,000- 6,999 | 61 | 402,439 | 6,597 | 61 | 100 |
| 7,000- 7,999 | 49 | 366,439 | 7,478 | 49 | 100 |
| 8,000- 8,999 | 31 | 264,250 | 8,524 | 31 | 100 |
| 9,000- 9,999 | 23 | 216,732 | 9,423 | 23 | 100 |
| 10,000-19,999 | 106 | 1,480,077 | 13,963 | 106 | 100 |
| 20,000-29,999 | 33 | 836,469 | 25,348 | 33 | 100 |
| 30,000-39,999 | 20 | 695,196 | 34,760 | 20 | 100 |
| 40,000-49,999 | 10 | 455,003 | 45,500 | 10 | 100 |
| 50,000 and over | 41 | 4,432,526 | 108,110 | 41 | 100 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 74,750 | 44,738,064 | 599 | 36,091 | 48 |
| Totals, 1922-23 | 92,106 | 46,353,941 | 503 | 38,571 | 42 |
The next table gives for 1923-24 a comparison of assessable income, exemptions, and taxable balance according to size of income. The taxable balance per taxpayer is also given, together with the average exemption in the various categories.
| Size of Income. | Assessable Income. | Exemptions. | Taxable Balance. | Percentage of Income Taxable. | Average Taxable Balance per Taxpayer. | Average Exemption per Income. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Under 300 | 5,202,402 | 4,921,521 | 280,881 | 5 | 102 | 198 |
| 300- 399 | 6,924,103 | 6,538,950 | 385,153 | 6 | 50 | 324 |
| 400- 499 | 4,445,236 | 3,660,792 | 784,444 | 18 | 111 | 361 |
| 500- 599 | 2,991,244 | 2,103,026 | 888,218 | 30 | 179 | 378 |
| 600- 699 | 2,266,719 | 1,234,556 | 1,032,163 | 46 | 304 | 348 |
| 700- 799 | 1,636,666 | 587,199 | 1,049,467 | 64 | 490 | 267 |
| 800- 899 | 1,211,842 | 267,140 | 944,702 | 78 | 675 | 186 |
| 900- 999 | 969,771 | 172,116 | 797,655 | 82 | 794 | 168 |
| 1,000- 1,999 | 5,240,230 | 828,004 | 4,412,226 | 84 | 1,146 | 211 |
| 2,000- 2,999 | 2,151,575 | 323,058 | 1,828,517 | 85 | 2,080 | 362 |
| 3,000- 3,999 | 1,304,617 | 200,307 | 1,104,310 | 85 | 2,914 | 519 |
| 4,000- 4,999 | 722,071 | 111,128 | 610,943 | 85 | 3,818 | 686 |
| 5,000- 5,999 | 522,457 | 80,432 | 442,025 | 85 | 4,604 | 829 |
| 6,000- 6,999 | 402,439 | 44,709 | 357,730 | 89 | 5,864 | 733 |
| 7,000- 7,999 | 366,439 | 38,493 | 327,946 | 89 | 6,693 | 785 |
| 8,000- 8,999 | 264,250 | 26,072 | 238,178 | 90 | 7,683 | 841 |
| 9,000- 9,999 | 216,732 | 27,815 | 188,917 | 87 | 8,214 | 1,209 |
| 10,000-19,999 | 1,480,077 | 156,384 | 1,323,693 | 90 | 12,488 | 1,475 |
| 20,000-29,999 | 836,469 | 54,601 | 781,868 | 93 | 23,690 | 1,655 |
| 30,000-39,999 | 695,196 | 56,363 | 638,833 | 92 | 31,942 | 2,818 |
| 40,000-49,999 | 455,003 | 16,774 | 438,229 | 96 | 43,823 | 1,677 |
| 50,000 and over | 4,432,526 | 219,257 | 4,213,269 | 95 | 102,763 | 5,348 |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 44,738,064 | 21,668,697 | 23,069,367 | 52 | 639 | 290 |
| Totals, 1922-23 | 46,353,941 | 24,883,579 | 21,470,362 | 46 | 557 | 270 |
The total exemptions allowed during the year 1923-24 were £21,668,697, and £15,121,263, or more than two-thirds of the total, was granted in the case of incomes under £500.
Companies were exempted to the extent of only £908,811—in respect of the capital-value exemption. The remaining £20,759,886 of exemptions applied to the general class of persons, firms, &c., £16,823,766 being allowed under the £300 exemption provision, £1,286,710 in respect of the capital value of land used in the production of income, £2,033,275 on account of allowances for children and widowed mothers, and £616,135 on account of life-insurance premiums, payments to superannuation funds, &c.
In the last preceding table the total exemptions and their average per income returned were shown according to size of income. It is of interest to show similar figures for the four classes of exemptions, as in the following table:—
| Size of Income. | Total Exemptions. | Average Exemptions per Income returned. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 per Cent. of Capital Value. | Section 74 (£300). | Life Insurance, &c. | Children, &c. | 5 per Cent. of Capital Value. | Section 74 (£300). | Life Insurance, &c. | Children, &c. | |
* In 1922-23 the exemption allowed here was 5 per cent. of unimproved value. The high figure, in spite of this, is due to the inclusion among assessable income in that year of income derived from the direct use and cultivation of land. | ||||||||
| £ £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| Under 300 | 61,689 | 4,850,347 | 53 | 9,432 | 2 | 196 | .. | .. |
| 300- 399 | 77,232 | 5,908,806 | 90,151 | 462,761 | 4 | 293 | 4 | 23 |
| 400- 499 | 87,268 | 2,939,446 | 105,386 | 528,692 | 9 | 290 | 10 | 52 |
| 500- 599 | 88,949 | 1,594,759 | 83,247 | 336,071 | 16 | 287 | 15 | 60 |
| 600- 699 | 88,699 | 891,568 | 60,354 | 193,935 | 25 | 251 | 17 | 55 |
| 700- 799 | 78,348 | 340,838 | 45,270 | 122,743 | 36 | 155 | 20 | 56 |
| 800- 899 | 63,636 | 92,580 | 33,157 | 77,767 | 44 | 65 | 23 | 54 |
| 900- 999 | 69,934 | 21,232 | 25,538 | 55,412 | 68 | 21 | 25 | 54 |
| 1,000- 1,999 | 415,806 | 103,423 | 118,772 | 190,003 | 106 | 26 | 30 | 49 |
| 2,000- 2,999 | 219,110 | 39,784 | 30,038 | 34,126 | 246 | 45 | 33 | 38 |
| 3,000- 3,999 | 152,059 | 21,450 | 13,990 | 12,808 | 394 | 56 | 36 | 33 |
| 4,000- 4,999 | 100,053 | 2,985 | 3,521 | 4,569 | 618 | 18 | 22 | 28 |
| 5,000- 5,999 | 73,156 | 2,606 | 3,310 | 1,360 | 754 | 27 | 24 | 14 |
| 6,000- 6,999 | 39,285 | 2,617 | 1,782 | 1,025 | 644 | 43 | 29 | 17 |
| 7,000- 7,999 | 29,935 | 7,644 | 214 | 700 | 611 | 156 | 4 | 14 |
| 8,000- 8,999 | 23.497 | 1,356 | 508 | 621 | 758 | 44 | 19 | 20 |
| 9,000- 9,999 | 27,142 | .. | 323 | 350 | 1,180 | .. | 14 | 15 |
| 10,000-19,999 | 152,728 | 2,325 | 431 | 900 | 1,441 | 22 | 4 | 8 |
| 20,000-29,999 | 54,601 | .. | .. | .. | 1,655 | .. | .. | .. |
| 30,000-39,999 | 56,363 | .. | .. | .. | 2,818 | .. | .. | .. |
| 40,000-49,999 | 16,774 | .. | .. | .. | 1,677 | .. | .. | .. |
| 50,000 and over | 219,257 | .. | .. | .. | 5,348 | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals, 1923-24 | 2,195,521 | 16,823,766 | 616,135 | 2,033,275 | 30 | 225 | 8 | 27 |
| Totals, 1922-23 | 2,493,154* | 19,613,016 | 612,656 | 2,164,753 | 27* | 213 | 7 | 23 |
As would naturally be expected in the case of any percentage remission, the average exemption under the 5-per-cent. provision increases rapidly and steadily with the size of the income. It should be added that, if taken as a percentage of total income, this exemption shows a steady rise from slightly over 1 per cent. of incomes between £300 and £400 to over 14 per cent. of incomes between £5,000 and £6,000. An abrupt fall then occurs, the 5-per-cent. exemption representing only 6 1/2 per cent. of incomes between £20,000 and £30,000, and less than 1/2 per cent. of incomes over £50,000.
The £300 exemption, which is reduced on incomes above £600 and does not apply at all to those above £900, averaged in 1923-24 £293 for incomes between £300 and £400, £290 for incomes between £400 and £500, £287 between £500 and £600, and £251 between £600 and £700. Thereafter the average diminishes rapidly, but does not altogether disappear until the £20,000 class is reached, this being due to the inclusion in large trust returns of small amounts the recipients of which come within the provisions of the £300 exemption. Two such returns in the £7,000-£7,999 group are responsible for the whole of the £7,644 exemption under this head and the resultant high average exemption.
The other two classes of exemptions call for little comment. Each shows a more or less steady rise, followed by a fall at the higher income groups, where the companies predominate.
The revenue from income-tax during the financial year ended 31st March, 1924, was £3,781,532. This amount is £446,327 in excess of the total tax assessed for the same year (£3,335,205), the difference being due partly to the imposition of an additional 5 per cent. in the event of late payment and partly to the inclusion of arrears in the total of tax collected.
The 2,414 taxing-paying companies in 1923-24 were assessed for £2,278,795 income-tax, the 279 agents for debenture-holders for £64,566, and the 875 non-resident traders for £42,621. The remaining £949,223 was divided amongst 32,523 taxpayers in the general class—persons, firms, &c. The following table contrasts the incidence of the assessment between the various classes:—
| Class. | Percentage of Tax assessed to | Average Tax assessed. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Tax assessed. | Assessable Income. | Taxable Balance. | Per Income returned. | Per Taxpayer. | Per £1 of Assessable Income. | Per £1 of Taxable Balance. | |||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | ||||
| Persons, firms, &c. | 29 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| Companies | 68 | 22 | 24 | 917 | 15 | 2 | 943 | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 10 |
| Agents for debenture-holders | 2 | 15 | 15 | 231 | 8 | 5 | 231 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 11 |
| Non — resident traders | 1 | 13 | 13 | 48 | 14 | 2 | 48 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 9 |
| Totals | 100 | 7 | 14 | 44 | 12 | 4 | 92 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 11 |
The figures refer, of course, only to incomes for which returns have been furnished to the Commissioner of Taxes. All persons and companies in business are required to furnish returns, but returns are not required from persons whose incomes are derived from salary, wages, interest, rent, annuity, or other annual payment, if the total income is under £250 per annum. It must be remembered, therefore, in considering the figures given in the tables belonging to the general class covering “Persons, firms, &c.,” that there will be large numbers of individuals in the Dominion with incomes under £300 per annum who have not furnished returns, whereas in the case of the other three classes this will not be the case, as all companies, agents for debenture-holders, and non-resident traders are required to furnish returns irrespective of the size of their incomes. Bearing this in mind, the effect of the non-application of the £300 exemption and of the progressive rates of the income-tax is strikingly brought out in the case of the companies. It will be seen that the companies paid 68 per cent. of the tax assessed, while the average percentage of tax paid to assessable income returned was seven times more than in the case of persons, firms, &c., and three times as great on the basis of the taxable balance. Over all classes the average amount of tax paid for every £1 of assessable income returned was 1s. 6d., and for every £1 of taxable balance 2s. 11d.
The effect of the progressive rates of income-tax can be better seen from the next table, which gives information according to size of assessable income.
| Size of Income. | Percentage of Tax assessed to | Average Tax assessed | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Tax assessed. | Assessable Income. | Taxable Balance. | Per Income returned. | Per Taxpayer. | Per £1 of Assessable Income. | Per £1 of Taxable Balance. | |||||||
| £ £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |||
| Under 300 | .. | .. | 5 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 300- 399 | .. | .. | 5 | 0 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 400- 499 | .. | 1 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | .. |
| 500- 599 | .. | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| 600- 699 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | .. |
| 700- 799 | .. | 3 | 4 | 20 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| 800- 899 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 31 | 7 | 11 | 32 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 |
| 900- 999 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 39 | 16 | 5 | 40 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 1,000- 1,999 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 72 | 9 | 6 | 73 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2,000- 2,999 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 192 | 9 | 10 | 195 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 11 |
| 3,000- 3,999 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 347 | 13 | 3 | 354 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 4,000- 4,999 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 575 | 4 | 7 | 581 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| 5,000- 5,999 | 2 | 15 | 18 | 832 | 1 | 2 | 840 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| 6,000- 6,999 | 9 | 18 | 20 | 1,175 | 5 | 7 | 1,175 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 7,000- 7,999 | 2 | 20 | 22 | 1,476 | 12 | 5 | 1,476 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 5 |
| 8,000- 8,999 | 2 | 20 | 22 | 1,717 | 11 | 3 | 1,717 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| 9,000- 9,999 | 2 | 22 | 25 | 2,094 | 2 | 1 | 2,094 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| 10,000-19,999 | 10 | 23 | 26 | 3,276 | 7 | 10 | 3,276 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| 20,000-29,999 | 7 | 26 | 28 | 6,660 | 10 | 4 | 6,660 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
| 30,000-39,999 | 5 | 25 | 28 | 8,828 | 10 | 8 | 8,828 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| 40,000-49,999 | 3 | 24 | 25 | 11,094 | 11 | 2 | 11,094 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 1 |
| 50,000 and over | 36 | 27 | 29 | 29,323 | 6 | 1 | 29,323 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Totals | 100 | 7 | 14 | 44 | 12 | 4 | 92 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 11 |
The average income between £300 and £400 paid in 1923-24 only 17s. 11d., or 1d. in the £1 of total assessable income returned, as compared with £72 9s 6d., or 1s. 1d. in the £1, for incomes between £1,000 and £2,000. Incomes over £50,000 paid in 1923-24 slightly less on the average than the maximum—5s. 10 2/5d. in the £1—provided by the progressive rates then in force.
Table of Contents
THE investigation of price-changes was undertaken by the Statistical Office of New Zealand early in 1914. Retail prices were collected, tabulated, and combined to form index numbers for each year since 1891, and the results of the inquiry, together with a full discussion of the method adopted, were published in the “Report on the Cost of Living in New Zealand, 1891-1914.” Since that date publication of price quotations and price-index numbers has been continued—first in the Journal of the Department of Labour, and latterly in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics.
In 1920 the Census and Statistics Office issued its second report on this subject, entitled “Price: An Inquiry into Prices in New Zealand, 1891-1919.” The scope of this inquiry was wider than that of the previous one, and covered retail, wholesale, producers', and export prices. Retail prices especially are given prominence in this volume; and, by means of graphs and extensive tables of index numbers as well as actual price-quotations, price-movements during the period under review can easily be followed.
Retail-price quotations, from which index numbers are regularly calculated, are collected each month in twenty-five towns of the Dominion, selected as being representative of New Zealand as a whole. These twenty-five towns are distributed over both Islands, from Whangarei in the North to Invercargill in the South, and are representative of both coastal and inland districts, and of both large and small centres. Returns of prices are collected by local Inspectors of Factories for the most part from representative retailers, and from these data index numbers are computed in the Census and Statistics Office, Wellington. Average retail-price quotations for each commodity in each town are published in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics at the end of each quarter, while index numbers appear in each month's issue.
The commodities for which monthly prices are collected and monthly index numbers compiled are almost exclusively articles of food, divided into three groups—groceries (including a few minor items of general groceries which are not, strictly speaking, foods), dairy-produce, and meat. Fuel and light prices have also been collected at monthly, and house-rents at six-monthly, intervals since the inauguration of price statistics. More recently the inquiry has been extended to cover clothing and miscellaneous items, figures for which are collected at six-monthly intervals.
Separate series of index numbers of retail prices are compiled and published for the following groups:—
Group I.—Groceries.
Group II.—Dairy-produce.
Group III.—Meat.
Group IV.—Housing.
Group V.—Fuel and light.
Group VI.—Clothing (including drapery and footwear).
Group VII.—Miscellaneous items.
In addition, index numbers are compiled for the food (that is, the first three) groups combined, and also for all groups combined.
The “base” adopted for most purposes is the average aggregate annual cost of a fixed “regimen” (or list of articles in common household use, with the relative quantities of each consumed by the average household) in the four chief centres over the five-yearly period 1909-13. This cost is equated to 1000, which is the price-index for the four chief centres in the base period. Price-indexes for dates other than the base period are computed by ascertaining the ratio borne by the total cost of the fixed regimen at such other date to the total cost of the same regimen in the base period, and multiplying by 1000.
The following table gives a general survey of the course of retail food-prices from 1891 to the year of the outbreak of the Great War. Index numbers have been computed for each of the four chief centres for each year, and these figures are simply averaged, the price-index for each centre receiving the same weight or importance in the averaging process as that for any other centre. The index numbers for each of the four chief centres have been compiled from the records of prices of the commodities coming under each of the three separate food groups in such a manner that the index numbers for each group are in the combining process accorded their proper relative importance.
Index Numbers for Four Chief Centres, 1891-1914.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13=1000.)
| Year. | Index Number. |
|---|---|
* Average of Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin. Full data for Christchurch for years prior to 1899 are not available. The Index number for Christchurch in 1899 (897) was, however, almost identical with the average of the remaining chief centres. | |
| 1891 | 913* |
| 1892 | 915* |
| 1893 | 934* |
| 1894 | 932* |
| 1895 | 905* |
| 1896 | 904* |
| 1897 | 899* |
| 1898 | 960* |
| 1899 | 896 |
| 1900 | 906 |
| 1901 | 928 |
| 1902 | 954 |
| 1903 | 946 |
| 1904 | 935 |
| 1905 | 990 |
| 1906 | 1003 |
| 1907 | 993 |
| 1908 | 994 |
| 1909 | 972 |
| 1910 | 991 |
| 1911 | 983 |
| 1912 | 1017 |
| 1913 | 1037 |
| 1914 | 1082 |
The following table shows the index numbers for each centre during the war and post-war years:—
Index Numbers for Four Chief Centres and Dominion Weighted Average, 1914-24.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Average of Four Centres. | Dominion Weighted Average. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1110 | 1100 | 1044 | 1074 | 1082 | 1087 |
| 1915 | 1206 | 1216 | 1176 | 1191 | 1197 | 1203 |
| 1916 | 1291 | 1290 | 1249 | 1244 | 1268 | 1276 |
| 1917 | 1369 | 1397 | 1346 | 1328 | 1360 | 1370 |
| 1918 | 1496 | 1521 | 1438 | 1488 | 1486 | 1491 |
| 1919 | 1552 | 1575 | 1531 | 1563 | 1555 | 1561 |
| 1920 | 1769 | 1789 | 1806 | 1811 | 1794 | 1794 |
| 1921 | 1747 | 1751 | 1745 | 1771 | 1754 | 1756 |
| 1922 | 1490 | 1529 | 1538 | 1507 | 1516 | 1521 |
| 1923 | 1507 | 1543 | 1537 | 1526 | 1528 | 1530 |
| 1924 | 1605 | 1592 | 1562 | 1577 | 1584 | 1587 |
It will be noted that food-prices in the four centres, as recorded by the above index numbers, move with considerable uniformity, although the extent of the movement varies as between the different cities.
The data of the tables are comparable both horizontally and vertically, since each column has the same base.
To obtain a general estimate of the course of prices for the whole Dominion it has been necessary to obtain a weighted average of the index numbers for each of the twenty-five representative towns. It is obvious that it would not be strictly correct to obtain a simple average of the prices in Alexandra, with a population of barely 700, and in Auckland, with a population of over 170,000: although such a simple average was quite legitimate when an index number for the four chief centres alone was in question, since for most practical purposes each of these four chief centres might be deemed of equal importance. For purposes of the Dominion weighted-average index number, therefore, price-indexes for each town have been weighted in accordance with the number of people in the respective centres, and a composite index number has been obtained, which, though necessarily artificial, represents accurately enough the average level of retail prices in the Dominion.
The twenty-five towns considered have a total population of approximately half that of New Zealand, and they are therefore more or less completely representative of the Dominion. The four chief centres, which include well over a third of the Dominion's population, account for about 70 per cent. of the population of the twenty-five towns, so that their influence in the Dominion index number is naturally predominating. This, however, can be defended on the ground that the chief centres not only comprise a great part of the people of the Dominion but also set the standard which is generally followed throughout the country.
The highest monthly figure for the three food groups combined was 1915, representing a level 79 per cent. above that of July, 1914: this was recorded in December, 1920. It is shown on page v of the Monthly Abstract of Statistics for July, 1925, that (apart from British India, where currency conditions are special and peculiar) New Zealand's peak level for retail prices was lower than the peak level in any other country.
A table comparing percentage increases in food prices over July, 1914, levels in different countries at the latest available date is published regularly in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics.
Index numbers for each town during each quarter of 1924, and during each of the years 1923 and 1924, are appended. The quarterly figures are based on the average prices of the three months in the quarter, so that it is possible for them to differ materially from the prices current at the end of the quarter. Comparisons relating to different quarters of the year should allow for the influence of seasonal fluctuations, not only in prices but in amounts consumed. The method adopted presupposes a fixed consumption, the quantities consumed being arrived at on an annual basis. In the case of some important commodities, notably potatoes and eggs amongst foods, such seasonal fluctuations are considerable.
Index Numbers for each Quarter of 1924, and for the Years 1924 and 1923, for Twenty-five Representative Towns.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Town. | First Quarter, 1924. | Second Quarter, 1924. | Third Quarter, 1924. | Fourth Quarter, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 1618 | 1637 | 1587 | 1580 | 1605 | 1507 |
| Wellington | 1601 | 1640 | 1575 | 1553 | 1592 | 1543 |
| Christchurch | 1569 | 1563 | 1529 | 1587 | 1562 | 1537 |
| Dunedin | 1599 | 1583 | 1554 | 1573 | 1577 | 1526 |
| Whangarei | 1638 | 1650 | 1618 | 1604 | 1628 | 1607 |
| Hamilton | 1570 | 1578 | 1575 | 1585 | 1577 | 1533 |
| Rotorua | 1578 | 1628 | 1631 | 1627 | 1619 | 1554 |
| Waihi | 1610 | 1645 | 1606 | 1617 | 1620 | 1589 |
| Gisborne | 1633 | 1639 | 1615 | 1629 | 1630 | 1605 |
| Napier | 1509 | 1531 | 1480 | 1487 | 1502 | 1464 |
| Dannevirke | 1567 | 1574 | 1551 | 1540 | 1558 | 1517 |
| New Plymouth | 1581 | 1594 | 1570 | 1560 | 1576 | 1559 |
| Wanganui | 1460 | 1495 | 1491 | 1517 | 1491 | 1406 |
| Taihape | 1662 | 1694 | 1675 | 1660 | 1673 | 1612 |
| Palmerston North | 1520 | 1524 | 1451 | 1506 | 1500 | 1471 |
| Masterton | 1660 | 1679 | 1662 | 1705 | 1676 | 1578 |
| Blenheim | 1732 | 1745 | 1710 | 1722 | 1727 | 1632 |
| Nelson | 1696 | 1702 | 1682 | 1688 | 1692 | 1677 |
| Greymouth | 1707 | 1720 | 1727 | 1674 | 1707 | 1669 |
| Ashburton | 1691 | 1690 | 1654 | 1650 | 1671 | 1593 |
| Timaru | 1639 | 1617 | 1603 | 1618 | 1619 | 1564 |
| Oamaru | 1642 | 1571 | 1544 | 1519 | 1569 | 1537 |
| Alexandra | 1772 | 1694 | 1667 | 1676 | 1701 | 1663 |
| Gore | 1684 | 1614 | 1589 | 1603 | 1623 | 1566 |
| Invercargill | 1626 | 1599 | 1590 | 1639 | 1614 | 1570 |
| Dominion weighted average | 1597 | 1607 | 1567 | 1578 | 1587 | 1530 |
Food-prices fluctuated considerably during 1924, the Dominion index number and the index numbers for the various towns showing, however, a generally higher level than during 1923. The highest increases on the yearly showings were recorded in Auckland and Masterton (each 98 points), Wanganui, and Ashburton, in that order; and the lowest in Nelson (15 points), New Plymouth, Whangarei, and Gisborne, in that order.
The three-groups comprised under the heading “[Food” are now considered separately.
Index numbers of retail prices of groceries in each of the four chief centres in each year from 1914 to 1924 are given in the following table, which also shows the unweighted average of the four centres and the Dominion weighted average.
Index Numbers for Four Chief Centres and Dominion Weighted Average, 1914-24.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Average of Four Centres. | Dominion Weighted Average. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1035 | 1082 | 1046 | 1056 | 1055 | 1064 |
| 1915 | 1172 | 1227 | 1210 | 1219 | 1207 | 1206 |
| 1916 | 1196 | 1269 | 1197 | 1192 | 1214 | 1219 |
| 1917 | 1268 | 1395 | 1279 | 1248 | 1298 | 1305 |
| 1918 | 1461 | 1579 | 1417 | 1503 | 1490 | 1488 |
| 1919 | 1535 | 1644 | 1530 | 1560 | 1567 | 1570 |
| 1920 | 1890 | 1991 | 1913 | 1904 | 1925 | 1925 |
| 1921 | 1951 | 2004 | 1973 | 1975 | 1976 | 1988 |
| 1922 | 1784 | 1819 | 1769 | 1783 | 1789 | 1810 |
| 1923 | 1692 | 1736 | 1690 | 1743 | 1715 | 1730 |
| 1924 | 1740 | 1765 | 1714 | 1764 | 1746 | 1760 |
The outstanding feature illustrated by this table is, of course, the substantial increase in prices since the outbreak of war, the price-indexes for 1920 and 1921 representing the peak period in the movement of prices since 1914. The highest monthly figure recorded in this group was 2089, in January, 1921, with 2080 in the previous month a close second. The decline which then set in was checked when the index number had fallen to 1687, in March, 1923. From then on till an index number of 1823 was recorded in January, 1924, prices for this group rose. A fall to 1697 in October, 1924, was then recorded, followed by a sharp rise to 1802 in December, since when the index number has again fallen considerably. The reasons for these fluctuations will be clear shortly. Meanwhile it may be noted that, as a result of the fluctuations mentioned, the index numbers for this group showed, on the whole, a higher level during 1924 than during 1923.
Attention may be drawn in passing to the comparatively small differences recorded between the average figures for the four chief centres and the Dominion weighted averages. In this respect, as will be shown later on in this section, each of the food groups stands in marked contrast to the rent group.
The items grouped under the heading “Groceries” are varied in nature, and may be treated in three subgroups as under:—
Group IA.—Groceries, excluding bread, flour, oatmeal, potatoes, onions, and sugar.
Group IB.—Bread, flour, oatmeal, potatoes, and onions.
Group IC.—Sugar.
The fundamental distinction is that the items comprising Group IA are almost wholly imported from overseas, while those in the second are almost wholly produced in the country. Sugar is not strictly a product of New Zealand, the raw material being imported and refined at Auckland: and it is interesting to note that the index numbers for this commodity, broadly speaking, vary in proportion to the distance of the towns concerned from the refinery.
Index Numbers for Four Chief Centres, 1914-24.
| Year. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Average of Four Centres. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 994 | 1097 | 1047 | 1114 | 1063 |
| 1915 | 989 | 1066 | 1115 | 1132 | 1078 |
| 1916 | 1035 | 1121 | 1115 | 1132 | 1101 |
| 1917 | 1171 | 1227 | 1203 | 1219 | 1205 |
| 1918 | 1367 | 1493 | 1388 | 1459 | 1427 |
| 1919 | 1488 | 1624 | 1541 | 1590 | 1561 |
| 1920 | 1897 | 2037 | 2041 | 2032 | 2002 |
| 1921 | 1850 | 1758 | 1845 | 1880 | 1833 |
| 1922 | 1720 | 1745 | 1739 | 1804 | 1752 |
| 1923 | 1671 | 1685 | 1693 | 1763 | 1703 |
| 1924 | 1703 | 1646 | 1660 | 1742 | 1688 |
Index Numbers for Four Chief Centres, 1914-24.
| Year. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Average of Four Centres. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1114 | 1173 | 1033 | 1074 | 1098 |
| 1915 | 1364 | 1408 | 1293 | 1356 | 1355 |
| 1916 | 1367 | 1416 | 1252 | 1220 | 1314 |
| 1917 | 1430 | 1588 | 1356 | 1249 | 1406 |
| 1918 | 1634 | 1733 | 1463 | 1567 | 1599 |
| 1919 | 1665 | 1727 | 1549 | 1551 | 1623 |
| 1920 | 1790 | 1834 | 1636 | 1640 | 1725 |
| 1921 | 1872 | 1871 | 1794 | 1732 | 1817 |
| 1922 | 1793 | 1830 | 1720 | 1736 | 1770 |
| 1923 | 1730 | 1800 | 1642 | 1715 | 1722 |
| 1924 | 1749 | 1857 | 1737 | 1745 | 1772 |
Index Numbers for Four Chief Centres, 1914-24.
| Year. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Average of Four Centres. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 983 | 1055 | 1145 | 1025 | 1052 |
| 1915 | 1191 | 1211 | 1290 | 1228 | 1230 |
| 1916 | 1208 | 1310 | 1304 | 1294 | 1279 |
| 1917 | 1219 | 1399 | 1344 | 1354 | 1329 |
| 1918 | 1266 | 1428 | 1359 | 1423 | 1369 |
| 1919 | 1314 | 1470 | 1444 | 1497 | 1431 |
| 1920 | 2153 | 2338 | 2383 | 2285 | 2290 |
| 1921 | 2781 | 2857 | 2875 | 2919 | 2858 |
| 1922 | 1955 | 1940 | 2005 | 1893 | 1948 |
| 1923 | 1662 | 1709 | 1820 | 1776 | 1742 |
| 1924 | 1825 | 1879 | 1851 | 1998 | 1888 |
The above figures show clearly that while imported items were principally responsible for the huge increase in the groceries index number for 1920, their influence largely neutralized the increases for the other subgroups in 1921; while from the peak till 1923 the rate of decrease of these items (and of sugar) has been considerably greater than that of commodities produced locally. In 1924 general groceries continued to fall (except in Auckland): this fall was, however, more than counteracted by considerable rises in the “home products” and sugar subgroups, especially the latter.
The reasons for the recent fluctuations in the groceries group (Group I) can now be made clear. Group IB invariably shows an exceptionally high price-level during the summer months, owing to seasonal scarcities of potatoes and onions, so that, in the absence of fluctuations in Groups IA and IC, the index numbers for December and January for the groceries group as a whole would be somewhat higher than the corresponding index numbers for other months of the year. This influence was in 1924 reinforced by a particularly high price for sugar in January, followed by a sharp fall in this commodity in the third quarter of the year.
Details for each town during each quarter of 1924, and for the years 1924 arid 1923, are appended.
Index Numbers for each Quarter of 1924, and for the Years 1924 and 1923, for Twenty-five Representative Towns.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Town. | First Quarter, 1924. | Second Quarter, 1924. | Third Quarter, 1924. | Fourth Quarter, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 1770 | 1757 | 1699 | 1732 | 1740 | 1692 |
| Wellington | 1795 | 1784 | 1741 | 1738 | 1765 | 1736 |
| Christchurch | 1774 | 1713 | 1650 | 1719 | 1714 | 1690 |
| Dunedin | 1848 | 1733 | 1712 | 1764 | 1764 | 1743 |
| Whangarei | 1863 | 1883 | 1835 | 1823 | 1901 | 1871 |
| Hamilton | 1873 | 1886 | 1851 | 1859 | 1867 | 1827 |
| Rotorua | 1903 | 1938 | 1930 | 1917 | 1922 | 1915 |
| Waihi | 1861 | 1901 | 1846 | 1876 | 1871 | 1858 |
| Gisborne | 1948 | 1933 | 1900 | 1884 | 1916 | 1917 |
| Napier | 1797 | 1816 | 1771 | 1750 | 1783 | 1752 |
| Dannevirke | 1875 | 1872 | 1843 | 1838 | 1857 | 1821 |
| New Plymouth | 1767 | 1783 | 1747 | 1743 | 1760 | 1734 |
| Wanganui | 1667 | 1707 | 1725 | 1766 | 1717 | 1651 |
| Taihape | 1865 | 1870 | 1853 | 1883 | 1868 | 1841 |
| Palmerston North | 1721 | 1706 | 1663 | 1736 | 1706 | 1704 |
| Masterton | 1837 | 1860 | 1820 | 1886 | 1851 | 1773 |
| Blenheim | 1905 | 1931 | 1888 | 1934 | 1914 | 1894 |
| Nelson | 1824 | 1821 | 1801 | 1803 | 1813 | 1851 |
| Greymouth | 1815 | 1788 | 1775 | 1751 | 1782 | 1770 |
| Ashburton | 1816 | 1750 | 1668 | 1663 | 1724 | 1692 |
| Timaru | 1812 | 1736 | 1707 | 1725 | 1745 | 1704 |
| Oamaru | 1921 | 1730 | 1716 | 1679 | 1762 | 1747 |
| Alexandra | 2092 | 1928 | 1879 | 1851 | 1932 | 1924 |
| Gore | 1981 | 1823 | 1789 | 1752 | 1834 | 1846 |
| Invercargill | 1910 | 1824 | 1801 | 1815 | 1840 | 1853 |
| Dominion weighted-average | 1799 | 1766 | 1723 | 1752 | 1760 | 1730 |
It will be apparent from the above table that not all towns shared in the rise recorded in this group from 1923 to 1924. The highest increase was recorded in Masterton (78 points), while Auckland showed the greatest increase of the four chief centres (48 points); but several towns (notably Nelson) actually witnessed a fall.
As will be apparent in the sequel, groceries rose less from 1923 to 1924 than either of the other two food groups.
The prices of commodities included in the dairy-produce group have shown an almost continuous increase since 1891—an increase which has (except for an astonishingly sharp fall in 1922) been considerably accelerated since the outbreak of the Great War. It is interesting to note in passing that Wellington's index number for dairy-produce has in general maintained a level considerably higher, and that of Christchurch a level considerably lower, than those for the other two chief centres.
Index Numbers for Four Chief Centres and Dominion Weighted Average, 1914-24.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Average of Four Centres. | Dominion Weighted Average. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1019 | 1114 | 1016 | 1065 | 1054 | 1045 |
| 1915 | 1140 | 1196 | 1133 | 1146 | 1154 | 1153 |
| 1916 | 1288 | 1350 | 1251 | 1263 | 1288 | 1274 |
| 1917 | 1362 | 1425 | 1318 | 1351 | 1364 | 1353 |
| 1918 | 1443 | 1476 | 1328 | 1432 | 1420 | 1415 |
| 1919 | 1518 | 1553 | 1434 | 1529 | 1508 | 1504 |
| 1920 | 1776 | 1800 | 1723 | 1763 | 1766 | 1755 |
| 1921 | 1906 | 1891 | 1730 | 1814 | 1835 | 1838 |
| 1922 | 1456 | 1501 | 1425 | 1397 | 1445 | 1445 |
| 1923 | 1457 | 1540 | 1458 | 1464 | 1480 | 1479 |
| 1924 | 1560 | 1645 | 1464 | 1572 | 1560 | 1543 |
The peak month for this group was May, 1921, when an index number of 1978 was recorded.
Details for each town during each of the quarters of 1924, and for the years 1924 and 1923, are appended.
Index Numbers for each Quarter of 1924, and for the Years 1924 and 1923, for Twenty-five Representative Towns.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Town. | First Quarter, 1924. | Second Quarter, 1924. | Third Quarter, 1924. | Fourth Quarter, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 1557 | 1660 | 1550 | 1473 | 1560 | 1457 |
| Wellington | 1614 | 1794 | 1651 | 1520 | 1645 | 1540 |
| Christchurch | 1399 | 1523 | 1474 | 1459 | 1464 | 1458 |
| Dunedin | 1548 | 1672 | 1569 | 1500 | 1572 | 1464 |
| Whangarei | 1565 | 1580 | 1533 | 1506 | 1546 | 1570 |
| Hamilton | 1539 | 1570 | 1529 | 1482 | 1530 | 1485 |
| Rotorua | 1582 | 1604 | 1554 | 1518 | 1564 | 1491 |
| Waihi | 1435 | 1461 | 1379 | 1388 | 1420 | 1472 |
| Gisborne | 1610 | 1666 | 1618 | 1601 | 1624 | 1565 |
| Napier | 1491 | 1552 | 1455 | 1483 | 1503 | 1424 |
| Dannevirke | 1536 | 1573 | 1513 | 1381 | 1499 | 1426 |
| New Plymouth. | 1474 | 1505 | 1465 | 1457 | 1475 | 1454 |
| Wanganui | 1463 | 1503 | 1452 | 1445 | 1469 | 1451 |
| Taihape | 1558 | 1688 | 1635 | 1519 | 1600 | 1571 |
| Palmerston North | 1366 | 1415 | 1378 | 1337 | 1374 | 1345 |
| Masterton | 1491 | 1570 | 1514 | 1507 | 1521 | 1396 |
| Blenheim | 1620 | 1630 | 1600 | 1581 | 1608 | 1551 |
| Nelson | 1550 | 1577 | 1524 | 1520 | 1543 | 1553 |
| Greymouth | 1550 | 1667 | 1730 | 1512 | 1615 | 1607 |
| Ashburton | 1520 | 1639 | 1579 | 1497 | 1559 | 1476 |
| Timaru | 1589 | 1631 | 1575 | 1561 | 1589 | 1558 |
| Oamaru | 1498 | 1551 | 1479 | 1442 | 1493 | 1474 |
| Alexandra | 1541 | 1580 | 1551 | 1515 | 1544 | 1481 |
| Gore | 1530 | 1536 | 1482 | 1494 | 1514 | 1474 |
| Invercargill | 1448 | 1498 | 1439 | 1340 | 1431 | 1509 |
| Dominion weighted average | 1523 | 1628 | 1541 | 1479 | 1543 | 1479 |
The dairy-produce group is remarkable for the definite seasonal fluctuations it manifests, mainly owing to the high autumn and winter prices of eggs and milk. In this group Invercargill exhibited a fall of as many as 78 points from 1923 to 1924, and Waihi a fall of 52 points. Minor falls were also recorded in Whangarei and Nelson. Each of the four chief centres save Christchurch showed a considerable increase. Among the lesser towns Masterton and Ashburton showed the greatest rises.
The index numbers for the meat group show a steady increase up to 1920, in December of which year the peak for this group was reached, at an index number of 1690 By March of the following year the index had dropped to 1471, largely owing to the fact that with the cessation of control by the Imperial Government large stocks of meat were liberated on the London market. By December, 1921, the monthly index number had fallen to 1233. From the low level of 1198 recorded in the spring of 1922 there was a sharp rise of approximately 200 points till the next spring; from when on till December, 1924, the index number remained remarkably steady. Between October, 1924, and February, 1925, the price-index rose from 1409 to 1471, and this rise has since continued.
Details for each town during each of the quarters of 1924, and for the years 1924 and 1923, are given in the following table:—
Index Numbers for each Quarter of 1924, and the Years 1924 and 1923, for Twenty-five Representative Towns.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Town. | First Quarter, 1924. | Second Quarter, 1924. | Third Quarter, 1924. | Fourth Quarter, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 1469 | 1470 | 1473 | 1461 | 1468 | 1310 |
| Wellington | 1349 | 1353 | 1316 | 1343 | 1340 | 1302 |
| Christchurch | 1426 | 1401 | 1414 | 1507 | 1437 | 1398 |
| Dunedin | 1320 | 1332 | 1344 | 1385 | 1346 | 1294 |
| Whangarei | 1405 | 1405 | 1405 | 1397 | 1403 | 1301 |
| Hamilton | 1209 | 1196 | 1260 | 1311 | 1244 | 1196 |
| Rotorua | 1168 | 1256 | 1310 | 1338 | 1275 | 1143 |
| Waihi | 1414 | 1450 | 1448 | 1447 | 1440 | 1330 |
| Gisborne | 1252 | 1252 | 1256 | 1328 | 1273 | 1238 |
| Napier | 1159 | 1159 | 1132 | 1159 | 1152 | 1130 |
| Dannevirke | 1200 | 1200 | 1211 | 1275 | 1222 | 1197 |
| New Plymouth | 1420 | 1418 | 1419 | 1402 | 1415 | 1413 |
| Wanganui | 1199 | 1221 | 1224 | 1255 | 1225 | 1069 |
| Taihape | 1477 | 1477 | 1477 | 1477 | 1494 | 1353 |
| Palmerston North | 1372 | 1370 | 1234 | 1332 | 1327 | 1266 |
| Masterton | 1552 | 1524 | 1565 | 1611 | 1563 | 1455 |
| Blenheim | 1592 | 1590 | 1560 | 1552 | 1574 | 1446 |
| Nelson | 1635 | 1637 | 1639 | 1658 | 1642 | 1542 |
| Greymouth | 1679 | 1670 | 1664 | 1688 | 1675 | 1583 |
| Ashburton | 1649 | 1649 | 1688 | 1738 | 1679 | 1547 |
| Timaru | 1457 | 1458 | 1491 | 1521 | 1482 | 1392 |
| Oamaru | 1391 | 1384 | 1374 | 1371 | 1380 | 1318 |
| Alexandra | 1526 | 1479 | 1478 | 1559 | 1511 | 1461 |
| Gore | 1416 | 1406 | 1410 | 1489 | 1430 | 1277 |
| Invercargill | 1391 | 1384 | 1428 | 1623 | 1456 | 1251 |
| Dominion weighted average | 1393 | 1391 | 1390 | 1426 | 1400 | 1341 |
Comparing 1923 and 1924, meat showed a greater increase than either the groceries or the dairy-produce group. In no town was a fall recorded; while the following centres actually showed rises of over 150 points: Invercargill (205), Auckland (158), Wanganui (156), Gore (153). The smallest rise (2 points) was recorded in New Plymouth. Of the four chief centres, Wellington (with a rise of 38 points) showed the smallest increase.
Index Numbers for Four Chief Centres and Dominion Weighted Average, 1914-24.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres. 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Average of Four Centres. | Dominion Weighted Average. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1266 | 1112 | 1027 | 1103 | 1136 | 1142 |
| 1915 | 1293 | 1205 | 1061 | 1190 | 1220 | 1235 |
| 1916 | 1413 | 1274 | 1191 | 1283 | 1321 | 1348 |
| 1917 | 1500 | 1380 | 1313 | 1417 | 1437 | 1463 |
| 1918 | 1575 | 1476 | 1449 | 1507 | 1525 | 1545 |
| 1919 | 1596 | 1504 | 1540 | 1588 | 1574 | 1591 |
| 1920 | 1611 | 1529 | 1607 | 1727 | 1648 | 1657 |
| 1921 | 1384 | 1337 | 1726 | 1485 | 1419 | 1410 |
| 1922 | 1145 | 1183 | 1324 | 1235 | 1222 | 1211 |
| 1923 | 1310 | 1302 | 1398 | 1294 | 1326 | 1314 |
| 1924 | 1468 | 1340 | 1437 | 1346 | 1398 | 1400 |
For purposes of all the foregoing tables the base period has been taken as the average of the years 1909-13. For many purposes, however, interest centres on the increase in prices over those prevailing immediately prior to the outbreak of the Great War. One of the advantages of the aggregate expenditure method is that it enables index numbers computed on one base to be rigorously converted by a simple application of the rule of proportion to some other base regarded as desirable for some special purpose, thus obviating the necessity for the laborious recomputation of the index numbers on the new base ab initio. July, 1914, is a particularly desirable base, representing as it does conditions immediately prior to the outbreak of the Great War. The following table shows increases in food-prices between July, 1914, and each quarter of 1924:—
| Group. | First Quarter, 1924. | Second Quarter, 1924. | Third Quarter, 1924. | Fourth Quarter, 1924. | Average of Year 1924. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index Number. | Percentage Increase.* | Index Number. | Percentage Increase.* | Index Number. | Percentage Increase.* | Index Number. | Percentage Increase.* | Index Number. | Percentage Increase.* | |
* Over July, 1914. | ||||||||||
| Groceries (index number, July, 1914: 1033) | 1799 | 74.15 | 1766 | 70.96 | 1723 | 66.80 | 1752 | 69.60 | 1760 | 70.38 |
| Dairy-produce (index number, July, 1914: 1057) | 1523 | 44.09 | 1628 | 54.02 | 1541 | 45.79 | 1479 | 39.92 | 1543 | 45.98 |
| Meat (index number, July, 1914: 1127) | 1393 | 23.60 | 1391 | 23.43 | 1390 | 23.36 | 1426 | 26.53 | 1400 | 24.22 |
| Three food groups (index number, July, 1914: 1070) | 1597 | 49.25 | 1607 | 50.19 | 1567 | 46.45 | 1578 | 47.48 | 1587 | 48.32 |
The accompanying table exhibits the retail-price quotations, in London and in Wellington, during each month of 1923, 1924, and the early part of 1925, of certain articles in common household consumption. In the case of the dairy-produce and meat quotations, the London prices given are those of the English-produced commodity; for, the London market being occasionally quite bare of supplies of the New-Zealand-produced article, it is impossible to obtain continuous quotations of the retail price in London of New Zealand beef, mutton, butter, and cheese. Generally speaking, however, it may be taken as roughly correct that, during the period covered by the table the London retail price of New Zealand rib beef was slightly less than half the price of the locally produced article; of New Zealand rump steak, slightly more than half; of New Zealand legs of mutton, about two-thirds that of the locally produced article; and of New Zealand butter and cheese, about 4d. per pound less than that of the English commodity.
| — | Bread (2 lb. Loaf) | Sugar, Granulated (per Pound). | Rib Beef (per Pound). | Leg Mutton (per Pound). | Rump Steak (per Pound). | Butter (per Pound). | Cheese (per Pound). | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wgtn. | London. | Wgtn. | London. | Wgtn. | London. | Wgtn. | London. | Wgtn. | London. | Wgtn. | London. | Wgtn. | London. | |
| 1923. | d. | d. | d- | d. | d. | d. | d. | d. | d. | d. | d. | d. | d. | d. |
| January | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 3 3/4 | 6 1/2 | 5 1/4 | 22 | 7 1/2 | 21 | 10 3/4 | 30 1/2 | 20 3/4 | 28 | 11 3/4 | 19 |
| February | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 3 3/4 | 7 | 5 1/2 | 21 | 8 1/2 | 20 | 10 3/4 | 31 | 21 | 28 | 11 3/4 | 20 |
| March | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 3 1/2 | 7 1/4 | 5 1/2 | 21 | 8 1/2 | 19 | 10 3/4 | 31 | 22 | 28 | 11 3/4 | 20 |
| April | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 4 | 7 1/2 | 5 1/2 | 21 | 8 1/4 | 20 | 10 3/4 | 30 | 20 3/4 | 28 | 11 3/4 | 18 |
| May | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 4 | 7 3/4 | 5 1/2 | 24 | 8 1/4 | 20 | 10 1/2 | 32 | 18 3/4 | 24 | 11 3/4 | 16 |
| June | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 4 | 7 1/4 | 5 1/2 | 23 | 8 1/4 | 21 | 10 1/2 | 30 | 18 3/4 | 20 | 11 3/4 | 18 |
| July | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 4 | 7 | 5 1/2 | 22 | 8 1/2 | 20 | 10 1/2 | 30 | 19 3/4 | 24 | 11 3/4 | 18 |
| August | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 4 | 7 | 5 1/2 | 20 | 8 1/2 | 20 | 10 1/2 | 30 | 19 1/2 | 26 | 11 3/4 | 19 1/2 |
| September | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 4 | 6 1/2 | 6 | 20 | 9 1/4 | 20 | 10 3/4 | 30 | 20 1/2 | 30 | 11 3/4 | 19 1/2 |
| October | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 22 | 9 1/4 | 18 | 11 | 32 | 20 1/2 | 28 | 11 3/4 | 18 1/2 |
| November | 6 1/2 | 4 | 4 | 6 3/4 | 6 1/4 | 20 | 9 1/2 | 16 | 11 | 30 | 19 3/4 | 27 1/2 | 12 | 18 |
| December | 6 1/2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 9 1/4 | 18 | 11 | 30 | 21 1/2 | 29 | 12 1/4 | 19 |
| 1924. | ||||||||||||||
| January | 6 | 4 | 4 1/2 | 7 | 5 3/4 | 20 | 9 | 18 | 11 | 28 | 21 3/4 | 30 | 12 1/4 | 19 |
| February | 6 1/2 | 4 | 4 1/2 | 7 1/4 | 5 3/4 | 20 | 9 | 18 | 11 | 28 | 22 | 30 | 12 | 19 |
| March | 6 1/2 | 4 | 4 3/4 | 7 1/2 | 5 3/4 | 20 | 9 | 18 | 10 3/4 | 28 | 20 1/2 | 26 | 11 3/4 | 19 |
| April | 6 1/2 | 4 | 4 3/4 | 7 1/4 | 5 3/4 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 11 | 27 | 19 1/4 | 25 1/2 | 11 1/2 | 19 |
| May | 6 1/2 | 4 | 4 3/4 | 5 1/4 | 5 3/4 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 11 | 27 | 19 1/4 | 26 | 11 1/2 | 19 |
| June | 6 1/2 | 4 | 4 3/4 | 4 3/4 | 5 3/4 | 19 | 8 3/4 | 18 | 11 | 27 | 19 | 25 1/2 | 11 1/2 | 20 |
| July | 6 1/2 | 4 1/4 | 4 3/4 | 4 3/4 | 5 3/4 | 20 | 8 1/2 | 18 1/2 | 11 | 28 | 19 3/4 | 27 1/2 | 11 3/4 | 20 |
| August | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 4 1/4 | 4 3/4 | 5 1/2 | 20 | 8 1/2 | 19 | 11 | 28 | 20 1/2 | 28 1/2 | 12 | 20 |
| September | 6 1/2 | 4 1/2 | 4 1/4 | 5 | 5 1/2 | 21 | 8 1/2 | 18 | 11 | 27 | 20 3/4 | 29 | 12 | 19 |
| October | 6 1/2 | 4 3/4 | 4 1/4 | 4 3/4 | 5 3/4 | 21 | 8 1/2 | 18 | 11 | 27 | 21 3/4 | 29 1/2 | 12 | 19 |
| November | 6 1/2 | 5 | 4 | 4 1/2 | 5 3/4 | 20 | 8 1/2 | 19 | 11 | 30 | 20 1/2 | 29 1/2 | 12 | 18 1/2 |
| December | 6 1/2 | 5 | 4 | 4 1/4 | 6 | 20 | 9 | 19 | 11 | 30 | 19 3/4 | 29 | 12 | 19 |
| 1925. | ||||||||||||||
| January | 6 1/2 | 5 | 3 3/4 | 4 1/4 | 6 1/4 | 20 | 9 1/4 | 19 | 11 | 30 | 19 1/4 | 28 | 12 | 19 |
| February | 6 1/2 | 5 1/4 | 3 1/2 | 4 | 6 1/4 | 19 | 9 1/4 | 19 | 11 | 31 | 18 1/2 | 26 1/2 | 12 | 19 |
Similar data for representative cities of the Empire are published from month to month in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics.
In the case of the meat and dairy-produce articles covered by the table, it must be noted that these commodities differ from the rest in that they are staple exports of the Dominion, their New Zealand retail prices being determined largely by world conditions of supply and demand (of which the London retail price may be regarded as a fairly good barometer), less the cost of shipment and the deterioration in the value of the commodities through shipment and through other causes tending to render it inferior to the English-produced articles. The difference between the London and Wellington prices is least in the case of butter (with cheese a close second), and most in the case of beef. As a matter of fact, the Wellington price of cheese is generally lower than the corresponding price in other centres of the Dominion; so that the effect of having taken Wellington to represent the Dominion is somewhat to exaggerate the differences in retail quotations between this country and the Homeland.
The price of sugar in New Zealand is determined largely by conditions of cane-sugar production in Fiji (and to a lesser degree in Java and Australia). Sugar is imported into New Zealand in the raw state, and refined at Auckland. The price of sugar in London is determined rather by conditions of production of cane-sugar in the West Indies, and beet-sugar in Western Europe. The sharp drop in the London retail price since the spring of 1924 is attributable to increased production in the face of an absence of demand, coupled with a cut of 1 1/2d. per pound in the import duties.
In the case of bread, it must be remembered that New Zealand is now normally self-sufficing as regards wheat and flour, but no more than self-sufficing. Prior to 1895 wheat was, it is true, an important item in the exports of the Dominion; but with the advent of refrigeration, the farmer has gradually switched over from agriculture. (in the narrow sense) to pasturing and dairying. Occasionally still there is a small surplus of wheat for export: on the other hand, in years of shortage, it has been found necessary to remove the war-time and post-war embargo on the importation of wheat and flour, and to make good the local deficiency by importation. It is noteworthy that although New Zealand produces the bulk of its local requirements in wheat, while Great Britain is mainly dependent on imports, the price of bread in New Zealand is nevertheless higher than in London. In this connection it should be mentioned that the difference between the London and New Zealand prices is slightly exaggerated by the fact that Wellington quotations have been selected for comparison. In the South Island centres (which are adjacent to New Zealand's principal wheat-producing areas—viz., Canterbury and North Otago) the price of the 2 lb. loaf is normally about 1/2d. less than in the northern centres.
In investigating changes in the cost of housing the Census and Statistics Office has deemed it sufficient to trace the movements of house-rent over a series of years, on the grounds that such provide a reasonably accurate indication of movements in housing-costs in general, not only for those classes of persons who may be paying rent, but also for those who own or partially own the dwellings they occupy.
By reason of the fact that leases, infrequent changes of residence, and the difficulty of departing from customary rents all tend to make the movement of the general level of rents comparatively slow, it has not been deemed necessary to attempt to measure the changes over short periods. The data from which the rent figures given hereafter have been compiled are therefore collected semi-annually only in the months of February and August. Annual index numbers for rent are now computed on the assumption that the February index number represents conditions prevailing during the first four and a half months of the year, the August number conditions prevailing during the next six months, and the number for February of the following year conditions prevailing during the last one and a half months of the year. Though somewhat arbitrary, this assumption gives a truer picture of conditions prevailing during the year than a straight-out simple unweighted average of the February and August index numbers for the year under investigation, such as has been published in previous issues of this publication.
Index Numbers for Four Chief Centres and Dominion Weighted Average, 1914-24.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-12 = 1000.)
| Year. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Average of Four Centres. | Dominion Weighted Average. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1036 | 1173 | 962 | 969 | 1035 | 985 |
| 1915 | 1005 | 1191 | 965 | 965 | 1056 | 994 |
| 1916 | 985 | 1217 | 951 | 963 | 1029 | 989 |
| 1917 | 980 | 1249 | 967 | 949 | 1036 | 1008 |
| 1918 | 1010 | 1296 | 1016 | 984 | 1077 | 1037 |
| 1919 | 1055 | 1321 | 1060 | 994 | 1108 | 1067 |
| 1920 | 1175 | 1311 | 1113 | 1012 | 1153 | 1124 |
| 1921 | 1279 | 1348 | 1276 | 1071 | 1244 | 1236 |
| 1922 | 1363 | 1439 | 1355 | 1192 | 1337 | 1335 |
| 1923 | 1481 | 1602 | 1499 | 1309 | 1473 | 1460 |
| 1924 | 1605 | 1823 | 1612 | 1287 | 1582 | 1575 |
It is advisable to stress that the index numbers in respect of rent indicate the movement in the average rentals of a large number of houses already let, in many cases for some time, and that they do not purport to convey any statement as to the price at which housing accommodation has been obtainable from time to time by would-be occupants of houses then being relet.
Average Rents in the Four Chief Centres, February and August, 1924, and February, 1925.
| Number of Rooms. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb., 1924. | Aug., 1924. | Feb., 1924. | Feb., 1924. | Aug., 1924. | Feb., 1925. | Feb., 1924. | Aug., 1924. | Feb., 1925. | Feb., 1924. | Aug., 1924. | Feb., 1925. | |||||||||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 4 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 9 1/4 | 18 | 0 1/4 | 19 | 5 3/4 | 20 | 4 1/4 | 20 | 7 | 17 | 8 1/2 | 17 | 3 1/2 | 18 | 2 1/2 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 1 1/4 | 14 | 0 1/4 |
| 5 | 22 | 1 3/4 | 22 | 10 1/4 | 24 | 3 3/4 | 26 | 4 1/4 | 26 | 11 1/4 | 26 | 7 | 24 | 0 1/4 | 24 | 9 | 25 | 9 1/2 | 18 | 4 1/4 | 18 | 7 | 19 | 3 3/4 |
| 8 | 29 | 2 1/4 | 29 | 9 3/4 | 31 | 4 1/2 | 32 | 2 1/4 | 33 | 7 1/4 | 31 | 8 1/2 | 28 | 5 1/4 | 28 | 11 1/2 | 29 | 9 3/4 | 23 | 7 3/4 | 23 | 3 1/2 | 25 | 10 |
| 7 | 34 | 4 1/4 | 39 | 10 | 40 | 1 1/2 | 40 | 3 1/4 | 43 | 4 | 43 | 7 1/4 | 33 | 0 1/2 | 35 | 11 3/4 | 37 | 8 3/4 | 30 | 1 3/4 | 30 | 7 1/2 | 31 | 5 1/2 |
Index numbers for each of the twenty-five towns at each of the dates of collection in 1923 and, 1924 and at February, 1925, are appended, along with yearly index numbers for 1924 and 1923:—
Index Numbers for 1924 and 1923 for House-rent in Twenty-five Towns.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Town. | February, 1923. | August, 1923. | February, 1924. | August, 1924. | February, 1925. | Yearly Average, 1924. | Yearly Average, 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 1461 | 1487 | 1541 | 1630 | 1697 | 1605 | 1484 |
| Wellington | 1535 | 1629 | 1781 | 1856 | 1819 | 1823 | 1613 |
| Christchurch | 1443 | 1477 | 1579 | 1619 | 1686 | 1612 | 1477 |
| Dunedin | 1242 | 1236 | 1282 | 1274 | 1357 | 1287 | 1244 |
| Whangarei | 1381 | 1440 | 1649 | 1792 | 1717 | 1729 | 1444 |
| Hamilton | 1825 | 2162 | 2142 | 2081 | 2087 | 2105 | 2157 |
| Rotorua | 1506 | 1441 | 1639 | 1671 | 1441 | 1630 | 1490 |
| Waihi | 805 | 778 | 816 | 803 | 774 | 804 | 793 |
| Gisborne | 1444 | 1485 | 1486 | 1511 | 1473 | 1497 | 1470 |
| Napier | 1338 | 1471 | 1466 | 1495 | 1500 | 1485 | 1420 |
| Dannevirke | 1117 | 1321 | 1455 | 1301 | 1320 | 1361 | 1261 |
| New Plymouth | 1484 | 1796 | 1686 | 1719 | 1632 | 1696 | 1665 |
| Wanganui | 1424 | 1513 | 1541 | 1528 | 1562 | 1537 | 1483 |
| Taihape | 1421 | 1727 | 1626 | 1614 | 1631 | 1621 | 1600 |
| Palmerston North | 1609 | 1668 | 1639 | 1711 | 1784 | 1693 | 1642 |
| Masterton | 1311 | 1328 | 1411 | 1520 | 1529 | 1480 | 1332 |
| Blenheim | 1358 | 1415 | 1498 | 1449 | 1449 | 1467 | 1404 |
| Nelson | 1023 | 1257 | 1149 | 1262 | 1284 | 1222 | 1031 |
| Greymouth | 776 | 754 | 1043 | 953 | 997 | 992 | 798 |
| Ashburton | 1219 | 1336 | 1231 | 1424 | 1405 | 1349 | 1279 |
| Timaru | 1300 | 1405 | 1483 | 1551 | 1524 | 1522 | 1375 |
| Oamaru | 1168 | 1169 | 1173 | 1249 | 1237 | 1219 | 1168 |
| Alexandra | 567 | 803 | 869 | 857 | 936 | 871 | 723 |
| Gore | 1062 | 1038 | 1048 | 1031 | 1070 | 1042 | 1048 |
| Invercargill | 1297 | 1287 | 1211 | 1355 | 1379 | 1304 | 1281 |
| Dominion weighted average | 1414 | 1474 | 1538 | 1590 | 1622 | 1575 | 1459 |
A noteworthy feature of the statistics of house-rent disclosed by the foregoing table is the position occupied by Hamilton, whose rents were in 1923 and 1924 considerably higher than those of any of the four chief centres, though for most of the war and the early post-war years Wellington stood highest in this respect. As might be expected, there is a rough correlation between rapid population increase and high rents. Of the lesser urban areas, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, and Wanganui increased most rapidly between the census-takings of 1916 and 1921—in that order. Of the lesser urban areas they show the highest index numbers for rent—also in that order. Of the fourteen urban areas, Dunedin, Nelson, and Invercargill alone failed to increase 8 per cent. in population between the census-takings of 1916 and 1921; and it is no mere coincidence that these three towns show smaller increases in rents over the base rental than any of the other urban areas. Of the four chief centres, Dunedin has shown easily the smallest war-time and post-war increase; and it is significant that between the two census-takings referred to its population increased only 5.15 per cent., while that of Auckland increased 17.98 per cent., that of Christchurch 13.95 per cent., and that of Wellington 12.87 per cent. In the case of Wellington, the somewhat higher index number than is accountable for solely by the rate of population increase is doubtless ascribable to the local topography, which is such that there is great shortage within easy distance of the centre of the city of sites sufficiently level for building (without considerable expenditure on excavation): so that rents have risen out of all proportion to the increase in population. In Waihi, Alexandra, and Greymouth rents were lower in 1924 than they were in the four chief centres during the base period; and these towns are well known to be virtually stagnant, if not retrogressing, as regards population.
In 1924 Wellington was lower than Auckland on the showing of the three food groups. The effect of the combination of the three food groups and the rent group index numbers in such a manner as to give each index number an importance proportionate to that which it possesses in the expenditure of the average New Zealand household (see page 735) is, however, to reverse completely the relative positions of these two cities. Similarly, Dunedin was higher than Christchurch on the showing of the three food groups, but the effect of the combination of food and rent would be to reverse the relative positions of the two southern cities.
Generally speaking, apart from the consideration of different rates of population-increase, the chief centres have higher rentals than the minor centres. The following table, showing a comparison between price-levels during 1924 in the four chief centres and in the twenty-one smaller towns from which information is collected, is illuminative in this connection:—
| Group. | Yearly Average, 1924. | Yearly Average, 1923. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted Average of Four Chief Centres. (a.) | Weighted Average of Twenty-one Smaller Centres. (b.) | Excess of (a) over (b). | Dominion Weighted Average. | Dominion Weighted Average. | |
* Excess of (b) over (a). | |||||
| Groceries | 1744 | 1799 | -55* | 1760 | 1730 |
| Dairy-produce | 1560 | 1505 | 55 | 1543 | 1479 |
| Meat | 1414 | 1379 | 35 | 1400 | 1314 |
| Three food groups | 1587 | 1587 | .. | 1587 | 1530 |
| House-rent | 1614 | 1442 | 178 | 1575 | 1459 |
In this respect rent is similar to dairy-produce and meat prices, and quite different from groceries prices. The difference between country towns on the one hand and the more closely populated cities is, however, much more marked in the case of rent than in that of any of the food groups.
An alternative statement of the difference in price-levels as between each of the twenty-five towns considered is given in the next table. Similar figures may easily be compiled for the various quarters by working from the index numbers and equating 1000 to 20s. The retail-price indexes in the average of the five years 1909-13 in the four centres are taken as bases and equated to 20s., and the sums of money shown in the following table bear the same proportion to 20s. as the corresponding price-index bears to 1000. The amounts displayed in the table may be compared vertically but not horizontally, since the various groups have different bases.
| Town. | Group I: Groceries. | Group II: Dairy produce. | Group III: Meat. | Groups I-III: Food Groups. | Group IV: House-rent. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| Auckland | 34 | 9 1/2 | 31 | 2 1/2 | 29 | 4 1/4 | 32 | 1 1/4 | 32 | 1 1/4 |
| Wellington | 35 | 3 1/2 | 32 | 10 3/4 | 27 | 2 1/4 | 31 | 10 | 36 | 5 1/2 |
| Christchurch | 34 | 3 1/4 | 29 | 3 1/4 | 28 | 9 | 31 | 3 | 32 | 3 |
| Dunedin | 35 | 3 1/4 | 31 | 5 1/4 | 26 | 11 | 31 | 6 1/2 | 25 | 9 |
| Whangarei | 38 | 0 1/4 | 30 | 11 | 28 | 0 3/4 | 32 | 6 3/4 | 34 | 7 |
| Hamilton | 37 | 4 | 30 | 7 1/4 | 24 | 10 1/2 | 31 | 6 1/2 | 42 | 1 1/4 |
| Rotorua | 38 | 5 1/4 | 31 | 3 1/4 | 25 | 6 | 32 | 4 1/2 | 32 | 7 1/4 |
| Waihi | 37 | 5 | 28 | 4 3/4 | 28 | 9 1/2 | 32 | 4 3/4 | 16 | 1 |
| Gisborne | 38 | 3 3/4 | 32 | 5 3/4 | 25 | 5 1/2 | 32 | 7 1/4 | 29 | 11 1/4 |
| Napier | 35 | 8 | 30 | 0 3/4 | 23 | 0 1/2 | 30 | 0 1/2 | 29 | 8 1/2 |
| Dannevirke | 37 | 1 3/4 | 29 | 11 3/4 | 24 | 5 1/2 | 31 | 2 | 27 | 2 3/4 |
| New Plymouth | 35 | 2 1/2 | 29 | 6 | 28 | 3 1/2 | 31 | 63 1/4 | 33 | 11 |
| Wanganui | 34 | 4 | 29 | 4 1/2 | 24 | 6 | 29 | 9 3/4 | 30 | 9 |
| Taihape | 37 | 4 1/4 | 32 | 0 | 29 | 10 1/2 | 33 | 5 1/2 | 32 | 5 |
| Palmerston North | 34 | 1 1/2 | 27 | 5 3/4 | 26 | 6 1/2 | 30 | 0 | 33 | 10 1/4 |
| Masterton | 37 | 0 1/4 | 30 | 5 | 31 | 3 | 33 | 6 1/4 | 29 | 7 1/4 |
| Blenheim | 38 | 3 1/4 | 32 | 2 | 31 | 5 3/4 | 34 | 6 1/2 | 29 | 4 |
| Nelson | 36 | 3 | 30 | 10 1/4 | 32 | 10 | 33 | 10 | 24 | 5 1/4 |
| Greymouth | 35 | 7 3/4 | 32 | 3 1/2 | 33 | 6 | 34 | 1 3/4 | 19 | 10 |
| Ashburton | 34 | 5 3/4 | 31 | 2 1/4 | 33 | 7 | 33 | 5 | 26 | 11 3/4 |
| Timaru | 34 | 10 3/4 | 31 | 9 1/4 | 29 | 7 3/4 | 32 | 4 1/2 | 30 | 5 1/4 |
| Oamaru | 35 | 3 | 29 | 10 1/4 | 27 | 7 1/4 | 31 | 4 1/2 | 24 | 4 1/2 |
| Alexandra | 38 | 7 3/4 | 30 | 10 1/2 | 30 | 2 3/4 | 34 | 0 1/4 | 17 | 5 |
| Gore | 36 | 8 1/4 | 30 | 3 1/4 | 28 | 7 1/4 | 32 | 5 1/2 | 20 | 10 |
| Invercargill | 36 | 9 1/2 | 28 | 7 1/2 | 29 | 1 | 32 | 3 1/4 | 26 | 1 |
| Dominion weighted average | 35 | 2 1/2 | 30 | 10 1/4 | 28 | 0 | 31 | 9 | 31 | 6 |
Considerable difficulties are met with in any attempt to follow accurately the course of prices in this group. It has, in fact, been found impossible to settle on any list of commodities used in anything like comparable proportions as between the four chief centres at any one time, or indeed in any one centre over any great length of time. Not only do the comparative usages of coal, electricity, gas, kerosene, and candles vary greatly even between the four centres, but the first commodity presents a very special difficulty for comparative purposes by reason of the several different qualities of it used in the various towns.
However, a small group of seven items—coal, coke, firewood, kerosene, gas for lighting, electricity for lighting, and candles—has been considered, and prices for the four chief centres have been collected for as many past years as possible (from 1907 onwards). It was found impossible to extend even this list to the remaining twenty-one centres covered by the retail-prices investigation: Alexandra, for example, has installed electric lighting only during the past year, and a gas-supply has never been available in that little town, Dannevirke and Blenheim both have long enjoyed gas, but neither has as yet an electricity-supply.
The peak in the fuel and light group (as shown by the monthly index numbers) was attained in July, 1921; the price-index for that month being 2109. Details for each of the war-time and post-war years are appended.
Index Numbers of Costs for Four Chief Centres, 1914-24.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Average of Four Centres. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 991 | 1151 | 1162 | 925 | 1057 |
| 1915 | 991 | 1146 | 1145 | 965 | 1062 |
| 1916 | 1103 | 1203 | 1230 | 1073 | 1152 |
| 1917 | 1286 | 1306 | 1468 | 1214 | 1319 |
| 1918 | 1378 | 1408 | 1569 | 1331 | 1422 |
| 1919 | 1497 | 1514 | 1705 | 1504 | 1555 |
| 1920 | 1834 | 1873 | 1928 | 1825 | 1865 |
| 1921 | 2042 | 2049 | 2234 | 1910 | 2059 |
| 1922 | 1864 | 1954 | 2087 | 1731 | 1909 |
| 1923 | 1817 | 1810 | 2002 | 1662 | 1823 |
| 1924 | 1843 | 1790 | 1992 | 1631 | 1814 |
Over the average of the four centres a considerable advance in the index numbers of this group has been noticeable, the highest annual figure (average of four chief centres) being considerably above the highest recorded in any of the four preceding groups, or any of their subgroups except Group IC (sugar). This movement has been common to all four cities, and was particularly rapid as between 1919 and 1920, when the general index number increased by 310 points. There was a further considerable increase during 1921; since when there have been declines annually in all centres, save for a slight increase in Auckland in 1924.
Prices prevailing for coal exercise a preponderating influence on the price-indexes for this group. Of the four chief centres, Auckland and Dunedin alone possess coal resources in their immediate vicinity: hence fuel and lighting price-indexes have been fairly consistently lower for these than for the remaining two chief centres. Both Christchurch and Wellington are obliged to obtain their coal from a distance, and the fact that the supplies necessarily come part of the distance by land in the former case and almost wholly by water in the latter is doubtless responsible for Christchurch having easily the highest showing.
Following is a table showing fuel and light index numbers for each of the four chief centres for each quarter of 1924, and for the years 1924 and 1923:—
Index Numbers for each Quarter of 1924, and Average of the Four Quarters of 1924 and 1923, for Four Chief Centres.
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Centre. | First Quarter, 1924. | Second Quarter, 1924. | Third Quarter, 1924. | Fourth Quarter, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1924. | Average of Four Quarters, 1923. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 1841 | 1849 | 1854 | 1826 | 1843 | 1817 |
| Wellington | 1785 | 1789 | 1796 | 1789 | 1790 | 1810 |
| Christchurch | 2003 | 2012 | 2016 | 1938 | 1992 | 2002 |
| Dunedin | 1655 | 1639 | 1607 | 1622 | 1631 | 1662 |
| Average of four chief centres | 1821 | 1822 | 1818 | 1794 | 1814 | 1823 |
From a collection of household budgets by the Labour Department in 1910-11 the average household expenditure under various heads was found to be as follows:—
| Per Cent. | |
|---|---|
| Food | 34.13 |
| Housing | 20.31 |
| Clothing, drapery, and footwear | 13.89 |
| Fuel and light | 5.22 |
| Miscellaneous | 26.45 |
| 100.00 |
It is obvious from the above table that investigations covering food, housing, and fuel and light ignore two-fifths of the constituents of the cost of living of the average household. Accordingly, arrangements were recently made by the Census and Statistics Office for the collection of price quotations extending back as far as July, 1914, in respect of certain representative items of clothing, drapery, footwear, household furnishings, household ironmongery and crockery, tram and train fares, newspapers and periodicals. In all computations affecting the clothing and miscellaneous groups July, 1914, is taken as the base period.
In regard to the method of treatment of the clothing and miscellaneous groups, it is to be explained that, as in the case of fuel and light, the inquiry is restricted to the four chief centres; further, except as regards fares, in respect of which accurate weights based on usage in the base period are available, enabling the aggregate-expenditure method to be employed, no satisfactory information is available or procurable which would enable individual weights to be allotted to each item. For this reason the same measure of precision is not possible in the treatment of these groups, but by selective balancing of representative items and arranging them in representative subgroups a measure of weighting is secured, each subgroup being treated as a separate unit. The ratios of prices at the date under investigation to prices in July, 1914, for the various items comprising the different subgroups are first simply averaged, and the results so obtained are then combined in order to arrive at the price ratio for the group. The weights allotted to the subgroups for this latter purpose are more or less arbitrary, but are based on the best information available to the Office.
| Group and Subgroup. | Weight. |
|---|---|
| VI. Clothing— | |
| (a.) Clothing and drapery | 11.00 |
| (b.) Footwear | 2.89 |
| 13.89 | |
| VII. Miscellaneous— | |
| (a.) Household furnishings | 3.00 |
| (b.) Household ironmongery and brush ware | 2.00 |
| (c.) Crockery | 2.00 |
| (d.) Train and tram fares | 3.50 |
| (e.) Newspapers and periodicals | 2.50 |
| 13.00 |
A detailed list of the items included in the clothing and miscellaneous groups was published in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics for May, 1924. So far price quotations in connection with the commodities of Groups VI and VII have ban collected semiannually only, in January and July, annual figures being computed in the same manner, mutatis mutandis, as annual index numbers for rent (see page 730).
The effect of the inclusion of Groups VI and VII has been to extend the scope of the index numbers from 59.66 per cent. of household expenditure to 86.55. The remaining 13.45 per cent. represents miscellaneous items for which it has so far been found impossible to obtain reliable price-quotations. Their omission has the effect of giving them the same general average price-movement as the other groups.
The following table shows the index numbers for all groups for each year from 1914 onwards. It should be noted that the annual index numbers given represent the average price-level during each year, not at any of the particular points during the year at which the prices for the respective groups were collected:—
(Base: July, 1914 = 1000.)
| — | Food Groups. | Rent. | Fuel and Light. | Clothing, Drapery, and Footwear. | Miscellaneous. | All Groups combined. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries. | Dairy-produce. | Meat, | Three Food Groups. | ||||||
| July, 1914 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Year—1915 | 1167 | 1091 | 1096 | 1124 | 1010 | 1016 | 1089 | 1035 | 1072 |
| 1916 | 1180 | 1205 | 1196 | 1193 | 1005 | 1102 | 1274 | 1216 | 1160 |
| 1917 | 1263 | 1280 | 1298 | 1280 | 1024 | 1262 | 1563 | 1423 | 1287 |
| 1918 | 1440 | 1339 | 1371 | 1393 | 1054 | 1361 | 1790 | 1733 | 1429 |
| 1919 | 1520 | 1423 | 1412 | 1459 | 1084 | 1488 | 2163 | 2003 | 1570 |
| 1920 | 1864 | 1660 | 1470 | 1677 | 1142 | 1785 | 2450 | 2305 | 1780 |
| 1921 | 1924 | 1739 | 1251 | 1641 | 1256 | 1970 | 2256 | 2327 | 1775 |
| 1922 | 1752 | 1367 | 1075 | 1421 | 1357 | 1827 | 1879 | 2040 | 1596 |
| 1923 | 1675 | 1399 | 1166 | 1430 | 1484 | 1744 | 1756 | 1867 | 1577 |
| 1924 | 1704 | 1460 | 1242 | 1483 | 1601 | 1736 | 1675 | 1795 | 1600 |
A table is published regularly in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics comparing the most recent percentage increases of the all-groups retail price level since July, 1914, in Now Zealand with the corresponding increases in other countries.
The following table, which is based on the average of the index numbers of the four chief centres as set out in the preceding table, gives an indication (in money figures) of the extent to which prices have risen during the period 1914-24. The table shows the amount necessary, on the average, to purchase in successive war-time and post-war years the same quantity of various types of commodities as would have cost 20s. in July, 1914.
| — | Food Groups. | Rent. | Fuel and Light. | Clothing Drapery, and Footwear. | Miscellaneous. | All Groups combined. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | Dairy-produce. | Meat. | Three Food Groups. | |||||||||||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| July, 1914 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Year—1915 | 23 | 4 | 21 | 10 | 21 | 11 | 22 | 6 | 20 | 2 | 20 | 4 | 21 | 9 | 20 | 8 | 21 | 5 |
| 1916 | 23 | 7 | 24 | 1 | 23 | 11 | 23 | 10 | 20 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 25 | 6 | 24 | 4 | 23 | 2 |
| 1917 | 25 | 3 | 25 | 7 | 26 | 0 | 25 | 7 | 20 | 6 | 25 | 3 | 31 | 3 | 28 | 6 | 25 | 9 |
| 1918 | 28 | 10 | 26 | 9 | 27 | 5 | 27 | 10 | 21 | 1 | 27 | 3 | 35 | 10 | 34 | 8 | 28 | 7 |
| 1919 | 30 | 5 | 28 | 6 | 28 | 3 | 29 | 2 | 21 | 8 | 29 | 9 | 43 | 3 | 40 | 1 | 31 | 5 |
| 1920 | 37 | 3 | 33 | 2 | 29 | 5 | 33 | 6 | 22 | 10 | 35 | 8 | 49 | 0 | 46 | 1 | 35 | 7 |
| 1921 | 38 | 6 | 34 | 9 | 25 | 0 | 32 | 10 | 25 | 1 | 39 | 5 | 46 | 1 | 46 | 6 | 35 | 6 |
| 1922 | 35 | 0 | 27 | 4 | 21 | 6 | 28 | 5 | 27 | 2 | 36 | 6 | 37 | 7 | 40 | 10 | 31 | 11 |
| 1923 | 33 | 6 | 28 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 28 | 7 | 29 | 8 | 34 | 11 | 35 | 1 | 37 | 4 | 31 | 6 |
| 1924 | 34 | 1 | 29 | 2 | 24 | 10 | 29 | 8 | 32 | 0 | 34 | 9 | 33 | 6 | 35 | 11 | 32 | 0 |
The general increase in prices has materially reduced the purchasing-power of the £1 note, as is shown by the following table, which sets out the relative “worth” in terms of commodities (but stated for convenience in terms of money) represented by twenty shillings during the years 1914-24. The average “worth” in July, 1914, has been taken as a base and equated to 20s.
| Date. | Food Groups. | Rent. | Fuel and Light. | Clothing, Drapery, and Footwear. | Miscellaneous. | All Groups combined. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries | Dairy-produce. | Heat. | Three Food Groups. | |||||||||||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| July, 1914 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Year—1915 | 17 | 2 | 18 | 4 | 18 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 10 | 19 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 19 | 4 | 18 | 8 |
| 1916 | 16 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 16 | 9 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 11 | 18 | 2 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 3 |
| 1917 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 6 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 15 | 6 |
| 1918 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 0 |
| 1919 | 13 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 18 | 5 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 9 |
| 1920 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 3 |
| 1921 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 16 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 3 |
| 1922 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 8 | 18 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 6 |
| 1923 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 4 | 17 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 8 |
| 1924 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 12 | 6 |
In the consideration of this last table care must be taken that the figures are given their correct significance. Briefly, they represent—in money figures—the worth (or purchasing-power) of 20s. expended in purchasing the commodities shown at the heads of the columns, as compared with 20s. of full pre-war purchasing-power in July, 1914.
Another fact which must be noted is that the figures shown in this table will not rise or fall to equal extent with any movements shown in the index number, and the percentage rise or fall will not be the same in this table as the corresponding percentage fall or rise respectively in the table of price-indexes. When a price-index rises from 1000 to 1600, as that for all groups did from July, 1914, till the year 1924, it then costs 32s. to buy what 20s. bought before. The purchasing-power of 20s. was in 1924 equal to the purchasing-power of five-eighths of 20s. (that is, 12s. 6d.) in July, 1914. A rise of 60 per cent. in the price-level had as its counterpart a fall of but 37 1/2 per cent. in the purchasing-power of the monetary unit. On the other hand, a falling index number moves relatively less rapidly than the corresponding figure representing the increasing purchasing-power of the pound.
The year showing the highest average level for all groups (78 per cent. above July, 1914) is 1920, although according to half-yearly price-collections the highest point reached by the all groups index number was recorded in the collection for February, 1921 (at 85 per cent. above the July, 1914, level). Probably the peak for all groups was in fact reached in December, 1920, when prices began to break, falling sharply during 1921, the decline being offset to some extent by the rapidly increasing rent-index.
In the early years of the war the clothing and miscellaneous groups (especially the former) exhibited price-levels much higher than those of the other groups. The clothing group index number reached its peak in August, 1920, at a level approximately 150 per cent. above that of July, 1914; food in December, 1920 (at a level approximately 80 per cent. above that of July, 1914); the miscellaneous group in February, 1921 (at a level approximately 140 per cent. above that of July, 1914); and fuel and light (which lagged behind other groups except rent, as regards the time at which a change in direction was initiated, though by no means as regards the rate of change when once a movement in any direction was initiated), in July, 1921, at a price-level almost exactly double that of July, 1914. Rent, which lagged behind most of all during the upward movement, is still rising. The clothing group has fallen much more rapidly than the miscellaneous-items group, which now has the highest relative price-level, with fuel and light a close second. The appended diagram is illuminative in this connection. In connection with this diagram it must be noted that index numbers for the rent, clothing, and miscellaneous groups are computed semi-annually only; so the data have been plotted for purposes of this diagram at six-monthly intervals only, even though in the case of food index numbers for intermediate dates have been available. The effect is to cause the peak as regards food prices to appear to have come in February, 1921, instead of (as was in fact the case) at a slightly higher level in December, 1920. To have plotted food price-indexes month by month would, however, have made the graph convey the misleading impression that movements in food-prices are much more halting, erratic, and uncertain than movements of retail prices generally.
Since 1917 a system for the regular collection of information regarding wholesale prices has been in operation. A considerable volume of data has also been obtained from merchants and traders by means of retrospective investigations covering the years 1891 to 1917, and sufficient information is available to permit of the computation of index numbers recording the movement of wholesale prices over the period from 1891 to date.
The general index number is based upon the prices of 106 commodities or grades of commodities. From 1909 more detailed information is available, and index numbers for eight groups of commodities can be given. These groups cover the following numbers of articles: Group 1, agricultural produce, 15; Group II, flour, bran, pollard, and oatmeal, 4; Group III, wool, hides, tallow, butter, and cheese, 14; Group IV, general merchandise and crockery, 44; Group V, building-materials (ironmongery and timber), 31; Group VI, leather, 7; Group VII, chemicals and manures, 21; Group VIII, coal, 4. The group index numbers accordingly represent, in toto, the price — fluctuations of 140 articles or grades of commodities. Each article has been given a weight relative to its average annual pre-war consumption in the Dominion, and, further, relative to its price. This system of weighting and averaging, known as the “aggregate-expenditure method,” is the one adopted in the retail-prices inquiry.
General index numbers of wholesale prices for each year from 1891 to 1914 follow:—
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Index Number. |
|---|---|
| 1891 | 994 |
| 1892 | 972 |
| 1893 | 973 |
| 1894 | 927 |
| 1895 | 920 |
| 1896 | 943 |
| 1897 | 942 |
| 1898 | 972 |
| 1899 | 893 |
| 1900 | 917 |
| 1901 | 931 |
| 1902 | 975 |
| 1903 | 954 |
| 1904 | 922 |
| 1905 | 994 |
| 1906 | 1016 |
| 1907 | 1016 |
| 1908 | 1006 |
| 1909 | 949 |
| 1910 | 983 |
| 1911 | 994 |
| 1912 | 1041 |
| 1913 | 1032 |
| 1914 | 1077 |
Annual figures for each group since 1914 are appended:—
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Group I: Agricultural Produce. | Group II: Flour, Bran, Pollard, and Oatmeal. | Group III: Wool, Hides, Tallow, Butter, and Cheese. | Group IV: General Merchandise and Crockery. | Group V: Building-material. | Group VI: Leather. | Group VII: Chemicals and Manures. | Group VIII: Coal. | General Index Number. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1021 | 1120 | 1116 | 1089 | 1120 | 1184 | 1076 | 1004 | 1077 |
| 1915 | 1580 | 1555 | 1297 | 1202 | 1217 | 1348 | 1218 | 1019 | 1269 |
| 1916 | 1487 | 1310 | 1401 | 1317 | 1444 | 1470 | 1445 | 1145 | 1380 |
| 1917 | 1517 | 1440 | 1466 | 1447 | 1772 | 1806 | 1674 | 1369 | 1555 |
| 1918 | 1845 | 1548 | 1466 | 1685 | 2148 | 1900 | 1981 | 1478 | 1809 |
| 1919 | 1868 | 1534 | 1515 | 1796 | 2067 | 2066 | 1958 | 1647 | 1834 |
| 1920 | 1987 | 1711 | 1651 | 2340 | 2440 | 2974 | 2369 | 2052 | 2185 |
| 1921 | 1590 | 1966 | 1576 | 2192 | 2460 | 2105 | 1919 | 2228 | 2071 |
| 1922 | 1430 | 1771 | 1335 | 1831 | 2176 | 1773 | 1483 | 2124 | 1832 |
| 1923 | 1526 | 1569 | 1483 | 1782 | 2111 | 1681 | 1376 | 1937 | 1803 |
| 1924 | 1752 | 1597 | 1584 | 1803 | 2102 | 1605 | 1335 | 1923 | 1856 |
The following tables of quarterly index numbers are added:—
(Base: Average aggregate annual expenditure, four chief centres, 1909-13= 1000.)
| Quarter ended | Group I: Agricultural Produce. | Group II: Flour, Bran, Pollard, and Oatmeal. | Group III: Wool, Hides, Tallow, Butter, and Cheese. | Group IV: General Merchandise and Crockery. | Group V: Building-material. | Group VI: Leather. | Group VII: Chemicals and Manures. | Group VIII: Coal. | General Index Number. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919. | |||||||||
| March | 1873 | 1573 | 1466 | 1735 | 2181 | 1887 | 1977 | 1535 | 1842 |
| June | 1727 | 1525 | 1480 | 1709 | 2050 | 1915 | 1919 | 1557 | 1764 |
| September | 1898 | 1516 | 1544 | 1808 | 2000 | 2117 | 1916 | 1688 | 1828 |
| December | 1974 | 1521 | 1571 | 1933 | 2035 | 2344 | 2021 | 1809 | 1903 |
| 1920. | |||||||||
| March | 2132 | 1609 | 1636 | 2160 | 2190 | 2753 | 2164 | 1867 | 2054 |
| June | 2057 | 1727 | 1602 | 2225 | 2379 | 3427 | 2376 | 2051 | 2160 |
| September | 1951 | 1755 | 1558 | 2487 | 2585 | 2979 | 2506 | 2119 | 2264 |
| December | 1808 | 1754 | 1809 | 2487 | 2607 | 2735 | 2429 | 2169 | 2262 |
| 1921. | |||||||||
| March | 1710 | 1789 | 1657 | 2324 | 2594 | 2352 | 2236 | 2229 | 2181 |
| June | 1544 | 2018 | 1607 | 2217 | 2484 | 2117 | 1918 | 2229 | 2084 |
| September | 1534 | 2029 | 1626 | 2180 | 2411 | 1988 | 1778 | 2247 | 2044 |
| December | 1573 | 2029 | 1413 | 2048 | 2352 | 1962 | 1743 | 2206 | 1975 |
| 1922. | |||||||||
| March | 1459 | 1930 | 1127 | 1899 | 2265 | 1843 | 1565 | 2250 | 1881 |
| June | 1327 | 1768 | 1291 | 1870 | 2185 | 1775 | 1489 | 2159 | 1828 |
| September | 1402 | 1754 | 1463 | 1815 | 2135 | 1733 | 1442 | 2072 | 1820 |
| December | 1530 | 1630 | 1458 | 1739 | 2117 | 1742 | 1436 | 2013 | 1799 |
| 1923. | |||||||||
| March | 1392 | 1565 | 1544 | 1771 | 2116 | 1707 | 1418 | 1946 | 1781 |
| June | 1504 | 1577 | 1477 | 1802 | 2122 | 1680 | 1384 | 1947 | 1812 |
| September | 1637 | 1566 | 1405 | 1769 | 2108 | 1692 | 1367 | 1945 | 1815 |
| December | 1572 | 1567 | 1504 | 1787 | 2096 | 1644 | 1337 | 1912 | 1803 |
| 1924. | |||||||||
| March | 1666 | 1577 | 1632 | 1815 | 2096 | 1628 | 1316 | 1920 | 1842 |
| June | 1720 | 1597 | 1515 | 1831 | 2099 | 1596 | 1342 | 1936 | 1849 |
| September | 1805 | 1607 | 1552 | 1784 | 2109 | 1595 | 1347 | 1934 | 1865 |
| December | 1818 | 1607 | 1637 | 1781 | 2104 | 1601 | 1333 | 1901 | 1867 |
Monthly index numbers for wholesale prices are published regularly in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics. On the showing of the monthly figures (not here exhibited), prices for Group I (agricultural produce) reached the peak in December, 1918 (index number 2269), while a subsiding peak was reached in January, 1920 (index number 2185). The peak for Group II (flour, bran, pollard, and oatmeal) came in October, 1921 (2032). This perhaps represents, however, a somewhat artificial condition: for the maximum prices of flour, bran, and pollard were fixed by the Government from 1917 till 1923, and subsidies were paid to millers in order to maintain supplies of flour at a price below that which would have prevailed if economic conditions had been allowed free play. When the peak was reached in 1921 the maximum prices for these commodities were £21, £6, and £9 per ton respectively, while a subsidy of 30s. per ton was payable to flour-millers. During the year ended 28th February, 1921, the subsidy had been as high as £4 10s. per ton. The peak for Group III (wool, hides, tallow, butter, and cheese) was reached in October, 1920 (1907). Certain of the groups comprising imported articles of a manufactured rather than a raw or semi-manufactured character show much higher peak index numbers. Thus, Group IV (general merchandise and crockery), when it reached its peak in October, 1920, showed an index number of 2509, and Group V (building materials) reached a peak in January, 1921, at the high level of 2617. The index number for Group VI (leather) in April, 1920, reached the astounding level of 3476. In July, 1920, Group VII (chemicals and manures) reached 2528. Group VIII (coal) reached 2358 in July, 1921, the same month as that in which Group V (fuel and light) of the retail-prices inquiry reached its peak at the somewhat lower level of 2109.
Broadly speaking, the peaks for groups comprising mainly exported articles were reached sooner and at a lower level than the peaks for groups comprising mainly imported articles. This is easily explainable. The prices both of New Zealand's staple exports and of her staple imports are, in general, determined by world-market conditions; so that, roughly, the prices in New Zealand of articles of export represent world prices minus the cost of transport, insurance, duties, &c., while the prices in the Dominion of articles of import represent world prices plus the cost of transport, insurance, duties, &c.; all of which items during the war period increased considerably more rapidly than did the prices of commodities.
It is interesting to observe that as regards Group VIII (coal) the most important rises were recorded in the winter half of the year, while since 1921 there has been a definite tendency for this group to show a higher level in the winter half than in the summer half of the year. The index numbers for Group III (pastoral and dairy products) have, on the other hand, on the whole been lower during the winter than during the summer half of the year.
Speaking generally, the movements of the index numbers for retail and for wholesale prices have been similar, though there has been a tendency for rises in retail prices to lag behind rises in wholesale prices, owing to the effects of retail friction, maximum-price legislation, and similar factors. Thus, the peak for wholesale prices was reached in October, 1920, while that for retail prices (all groups) was not reached till at least two months later. The peak index number for wholesale prices was, moreover, about 270 points higher than the peak index number for retail prices.
It is shown at page v of the Monthly Abstract of Statistics for July, 1925, that (apart from the case of British India, where the currency conditions are special and peculiar) the monthly peak level of wholesale prices in New Zealand (recorded at 2291 in October, 1920) represented a lower peak level than that of any other country.
It is generally understood that the prices of raw materials are subject to more violent price-fluctuations than the prices of manufactured goods. Broadly speaking, New Zealand is an exporter of raw materials and of foodstuffs, and an importer of manufactured goods. We might then have expected the wholesale prices of New Zealand's exports to have risen and fallen more rapidly than wholesale prices of commodities, &c., generally in New Zealand. By taking 1000 times the ratio of the recorded value of certain commodities of export sent abroad during a certain period to the value the quantities of the same goods exported during that period would have had on the average during the years 1909 to 1913, a series of index numbers of the prices of commodities exported from New Zealand has been compiled. New Zealand's exports are few, and, if not homogeneous, at least easily graded; so that the consideration of only twenty-five items covers 95 per cent. of the total value of exports; by ignoring the remaining items they are accorded the same change in prices as the commodities actually covered. A fuller description of this index number will be found in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics for July, 1925.
The following table shows annual figures for export prices, the commodities covered being classified according to certain broad groups, The miscellaneous group includes apples, peas, phormium-fibre, kauri-gum, and certain important kinds of timber.
(Base: Average export prices of years 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Group 1: Dairy-produce. | Group II: Meat. | Group III: Wool. | Group IV: Hides, Skins, and Tallow. | Group V: Miscellaneous. | All Groups combined. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 1038 | 1218 | 1101 | 1089 | 1037 | 1108 |
| 1915 | 1203 | 1468 | 1362 | 1133 | 1078 | 1315 |
| 1916 | 1349 | 1509 | 1723 | 1394 | 1361 | 1529 |
| 1917 | 1562 | 1761 | 1768 | 2187 | 1700 | 1744 |
| 1918 | 1574 | 1777 | 1780 | 2383 | 2060 | 1798 |
| 1919 | 1747 | 1780 | 1816 | 2426 | 1781 | 1851 |
| 1920 | 1806 | 1716 | 1809 | 2098 | 1800 | 1823 |
| 1921 | 2231 | 1766 | 848 | 1539 | 1832 | 1687 |
| 1922 | 1495 | 1522 | 939 | 1522 | 1686 | 1270 |
| 1923 | 1621 | 1875 | 1277 | 1561 | 1634 | 1554 |
| 1924 | 1650 | 1868 | 1906 | 1732 | 1645 | 1769 |
Monthly figures have, since July, 1925, been published regularly in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics. The post-war peak for export prices was reached in May, 1920 (index number 2104). A subsidiary peak had already been reached in November, 1919 (index number 2078). Under the influence of speculation in wool (an easily gradable and non-perishable raw material, and therefore a specially suitable object for speculation) a record monthly figure for export prices was reached at 2214 in January, 1925. Between 1891 and 1914 the annual New Zealand wholesale price of crossbred wool fluctuated between 4 1/2d. per pound (in 1901) and 5d. per pound (in 1902) on the one hand and 10d. per pound (in 1906 and again in 1912) and 10 1/4d. per pound (in 1913 and 1914) on the other. In 1916 the price was 1s. 3 3/4d., from 1917 to 1919 1s. 3 1/2d., in 1920 1s. 2 1/4d., in 1921 only 5 3/4d; after which the price rose again gradually until it was 1s. 6 3/4d. in. 1924. Between 1891 and 1914 the wholesale price of butter fluctuated between the relatively much narrower limits of 10 1/4d. (in 1897, 1899, and 1904) and 1s. 2 1/4d. (in 1914); while the maximum yearly price since 1914 was 1s. 11 3/4d. (in 1921). Cheese fluctuated between 4 1/2d. (in 1896, 1898, and 1899) and 7d. (in 1912 and 1914). Its post-war maximum was 1s. 1 1/4d. (in 1921). The greatest post-war rise occurred in the hides, skins, and tallow group, a fact which is closely connected with the one already adverted to in the consideration of wholesale-price indexes, to the effect that the leather group showed the highest peak level. Of the export-prices groups, meat showed the lowest peak level.
The accompanying diagram exhibits side by side the index numbers for retail (all groups), wholesale, and export prices, at six-monthly intervals from 1919 onwards, reduced to a 1914 base for purposes of accurate comparison. The much more marked price-fluctuations of the raw materials, &c., of which the export commodities are almost wholly comprised, is an interesting feature of the diagram. For reasons similar to those discussed in connection with the other diagram in this section of the Year-book, the curves do not show the peak points or levels absolutely accurately.
Table of Contents
PRIOR to the 1923 issue of the Year-book, index numbers of wages were not published officially, although a thesis on this subject, written by Mr. G. W. Clinkard, M.Com., was published as an appendix to the 1919 number of the Year-book. In the following pages index numbers are published for the years 1914 to 1924, the wage rates used for the purpose of computing these wage-indexes being in every ease annual averages.
The material from which the index numbers have been compiled has been collected almost entirely from the awards of the Arbitration Court. While it is recognized that the rates specified in such awards are minimum rates, and that wages may in some cases be above the prescribed minima, yet for the purpose of tracing the movement in wage rates over any considerable space of time the award rates form a more reliable basis than any information which could be collected directly from employers or trade-union secretaries as to the ruling or predominant rates in any industry. In the case of two important classes of workers—agricultural and pastoral employees and railway employees—no awards exist. Information has been obtained from the Labour Department as to the ruling rates of wages in the former case, and from the Railway Department in the latter case.
The rates used throughout are those paid to adult workers; but no distinction has been made between male and female workers. In the case of most industries included in the compilations only male workers are employed, but in the textile and weaving group and the domestic-service group (which includes hotel and restaurant workers) female workers predominate. The index numbers for these groups are consequently consistently lower than those for other groups in such tables of index numbers as are based on the “all groups” weighted average wage.
The award rates for the four principal districts—Northern, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago and Southland—have been taken as representative of the ruling wages throughout the Dominion. For such industries as are carried on in the towns those rates are quite satisfactory; in cases where the important centre of an industry is situated outside the geographical boundaries of the four principal districts the award rates for that centre have been used. For instance, the rates used for coal-mining and sawmilling in the Canterbury District are those prescribed by the awards for the Westland Industrial District.
In weighting the rates extracted from the awards for each district in order to obtain index numbers, the occupations for which rates have been obtained have been grouped into fourteen industrial groups, and the number of workers in each industrial group in each district as recorded on the trade-union rolls for December, 1916, has been taken as representative of the total number of workers engaged in each industry.
On examination of the rolls it was apparent that the number enrolled as agricultural and pastoral workers was by no means proportionate to the total number of wage-earners employed in that class of work when compared with the numbers enrolled in other industries. It was found necessary, therefore, to interpolate the weights for this group, using the census figures of 1916 for wage-earners as a basis.
The following table shows the weights adopted for each group:—
(00's omitted.)
| Group. | Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | Dominion. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food, drink, and tobacco | 17 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 63 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 13 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 42 |
| Textiles and weaving | 2 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 17 |
| Building | 24 | 29 | 16 | 15 | 84 |
| Wood-manufacture | 11 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 33 |
| Printing, &c. | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
| Metal-working and engineering | 9 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 33 |
| Other manufactures | 6 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 20 |
| Mining | 19 | .. | 22 | 5 | 46 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 63 | 46 | 42 | 37 | 188 |
| Land transport | 28 | 34 | 28 | 26 | 116 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 19 | 32 | 6 | 14 | 71 |
| Domestic service | 29 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 63 |
| Miscellaneous | 21 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 59 |
| Totals for all groups | 265 | 244 | 185 | 159 | 853 |
The following table shows the nominal-wage index numbers for, each group and all groups combined for each year from 1914 to 1924. The base on which the index numbers in this table have been computed is the Dominion weighted average wage for all groups combined for the average of the years 1909-13, equated, to 1,000.
(Base: Dominion weighted average, wages for all industrial groups combined, 1909-13 = 1,000.)
| Industrial Group. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOTE.—The index numbers in this, table are comparable both vertically and horizontally. | |||||||||||
| Food, drink, and tobacco | 1074 | 1098 | 1121 | 1169 | 1193 | 1228 | 1498 | 1624 | 1648 | 1628 | 1711 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 737 | 740 | 766 | 815 | 855 | 936 | 1113 | 1215 | 1182 | 1145 | 1162 |
| Textiles and weaving | 972 | 1004 | 1025 | 1083 | 1094 | 1225 | 1309 | 1466 | 1490 | 1553 | 1555 |
| Building | 1236 | 1243 | 1250 | 1312 | 1357 | 1491 | 1764 | 1888 | 1835 | 1773 | 1709 |
| Wood-manufacture | 1111 | 1136 | 1201 | 1204 | 1286 | 1373 | 1617 | 1896 | 1816 | 1754 | 1810 |
| Printing, &c. | 1274 | 1274 | 1276 | 1373 | 1373 | 1552 | 1879 | 2088 | 1895 | 1813 | 1822 |
| Metal-working and engineering | 1161 | 1169 | 1195 | 1236 | 1309 | 1430 | 1721 | 1825 | 1805 | 1779 | 1780 |
| Other manufactures | 1087 | 1117 | 1152 | 1177 | 1231 | 1322 | 1592 | 1820 | 1743 | 1604 | 1702 |
| Mining | 1145 | 1156 | 1185 | 1236 | 1305 | 1334 | 1482 | 1774 | 1766 | 1754 | 1799 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 1011 | 1185 | 1221 | 1305 | 1374 | 1458 | 1541 | 1550 | 1461 | 1492 | 1486 |
| Land transport. | 1070 | 1081 | 1159 | 1186 | 1238 | 1371 | 1644 | 1739 | 1684 | 1644 | 1702 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 1249 | 1375 | 1429 | 1507 | 1556 | 1642 | 1828 | 2126 | 2087 | 2015 | 2064 |
| Domestic service | 955 | 1044 | 1048 | 1057 | 1103 | 1145 | 1269 | 1528 | 1526 | 1469 | 1497 |
| Miscellaneous | 1021 | 1024 | 1049 | 1128 | 1179 | 1254 | 1593 | 1569 | 1590 | 1510 | 1553 |
| All groups | 1073 | 1135 | 1170 | 1225 | 1278 | 1368 | 1570 | 1703 | 1604 | 1625 | 1634 |
On examination of the above table it will be observed that wages rose steadily and in fairly regular gradations from year to year from 1914 to 1918. Between 1918 and 1919 and to an even greater extent in the two years immediately following, sharp increases were recorded, the peak being reached in 1921, when the “all groups" combined index number was 1703. Between 1921 and 1922 a sharp drop was recorded, followed by a smaller decrease in the succeeding year and a slight rise in 1924.
The reason for the marked fluctuation in the later years of the period under review is no doubt the fact that in time of rising prices wages lag behind. When the provisions of the War Legislation and Statute Amendment Act providing for the regulation of wages in accordance with movements in the cost of living came into effect this lag was partially eliminated; consequently sharp increases took place—90 points between 1918 and 1919, 202 points between 1919 and 1920, and 133 points between 1920 and 1921. The effect of the post-war slump thereafter becomes apparent, decreases being recorded in the two subsequent years (1922 and 1923), the nominal wage index for all groups of industries falling from 1703 in 1921 to 1625 in 1923.
The groups covering (1) clothing, boots, &c., (2) textiles and weaving, and (3) hotel and restaurant workers, show consistently lower index numbers than those of most other groups, the reason being that in the cases enumerated female workers form a large proportion of the total wage-earners. The index numbers for the groups shipping and cargo-working, printing, and building are, in general, higher than is the case in other groups. The high proportion of skilled workers in the printing and building trades would account for the relatively high wages paid in these groups. The group “shipping and cargo-working” includes waterside workers, whose wages per hour are usually somewhat higher than those in other occupations of the same grade, due no doubt to allowance being made, in the fixing of wages, for the casual nature of the occupation. In the case of the remainder of the workers in this group —viz., cooks, stewards, engineers, and seamen—an addition has, for purposes of computing the index numbers, been made to the award rates equivalent to the value of board and lodging supplied.
In the preceding table Dominion index numbers were given for each individual group and for all groups combined, but no attempt was made to differentiate between the four industrial districts. The following table shows the index numbers for all groups combined for each industrial district and the Dominion weighted average for the years 1914 to 1924. From this table comparisons may be made between the index numbers for the four principal industrial districts.
(Base: Dominion weighted average wages for all industrial groups combined, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Northern Industrial District. | Wellington Industrial District. | Canterbury Industrial District. | Otago and Southland Industrial District. | Dominion Weighted Average. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOTE.—The wage indexes shown in this table are comparable both vertically and horizontally. | |||||
| 1914 | 1069 | 1072 | 1088 | 1064 | 1073 |
| 1915 | 1428 | 1355 | 1130 | 1269 | 1135 |
| 1916 | 1143 | 1125 | 1162 | 1296 | 1170 |
| 1917 | 1094 | 1203 | 1231 | 1324 | 1225 |
| 1918 | 1257 | 1245 | 1290 | 1348 | 1278 |
| 1919 | 1335 | 1327 | 1399 | 1450 | 1368 |
| 1920 | 1505 | 1528 | 1640 | 1661 | 1570 |
| 1921 | 1677 | 1662 | 1745 | 1761 | 1703 |
| 1922 | 1629 | 1630 | 1672 | 1709 | 1654 |
| 1923 | 1621 | 1600 | 1639 | 1654 | 1625 |
| 1924 | 1647 | 1637 | 1671 | 1676 | 1634 |
From this table it is evident that no considerable differences exist between the index numbers for the four principal districts. In the case of several industries Dominion awards are made which apply to all districts. Such, differences as are observed are due to a certain extent to the fact that some industries included in the compilations are not carried on in all districts. For instance, the sugar-refining industry is confined to the Northern District, and, while in the Northern, Canterbury (which for this purpose is deemed to include Westland), and Otago and Southland Districts the mining industry is an important one, coal-mining at least is not carried on in the Wellington Industrial District. This point can be more clearly seen by a study of the following table, which shows for the year 1924 the index numbers for the individual groups in each district as well as the Dominion weighted average index numbers.
(Base; Dominion weighted average wages for all industrial groups combined, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Group. | Index Numbers. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Industrial District. | Wellington Industrial District. | Canterbury Industrial District. | Otago and Southland Industrial District. | Dominion Weighted Average. | |
NOTE.—The wage indexes in this table are comparable both vertically and horizontally. | |||||
| Food, drink, and tobacco | 1735 | 1682 | 1750 | 1691 | 1711 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 1187 | 1066 | 1179 | 1209 | 1162 |
| Textiles and weaving | 1600 | 1539 | 1563 | 1587 | 1555 |
| Building | 1814 | 1791 | 1807 | 1678 | 1799 |
| Wood-manufacture | 1843 | 1813 | 1859 | 1754 | 1810 |
| Printing, &c. | 1677 | 1907 | 1814 | 1800 | 1822 |
| Metal-working and engineering | 1779 | 1795 | 1803 | 1747 | 1780 |
| Other manufactures | 1740 | 1498 | 1728 | 1649 | 1702 |
| Mining | 1761 | .. | 1830 | 1813 | 1799 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 1486 | 1354 | 1543 | 1587 | 1486 |
| Land transport | 1715 | 1723 | 1670 | 1693 | 1702 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 2064 | 2064 | 2064 | 2064 | 2064 |
| Domestic service | 1526 | 1460 | 1522 | 1475 | 1497 |
| Miscellaneous | 1552 | 1540 | 1563 | 1572 | 1553 |
| All groups | 1647 | 1637 | 1671 | 1676 | 1634 |
The following tables show respectively the unweighted averages of award rates for the four principal districts as at 31st March of 1914 and of each year from 1921 to 1925, and the award rates of wages for each occupation in each industrial district as at 31st March, 1925. The estimated value of board and lodging has been added to the wages in those occupations where it is a necessary perquisite of employment.
(NOTE:—The figures given are averages for the four principal industrial districts as at 31st March In the years shown.)
| Occupation. | Average Wage (Four Principal Districts) at 31st March. | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. | |||||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | 8. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| Bakers—Journeymen | 55 | 0 | 94 | 6 | 95 | 3 | 89 | 6 | 91 | 6 | 97 | 6 |
| Labourers | 48 | 0 | 78 | 1 1/2 | 78 | 10 1/2 | 72 | 1 1/2 | 76 | 0 | 78 | 0 |
| Butchers—First shopmen | 72 | 6 | 105 | 7 1/2 | 107 | 10 1/2 | 104 | 9 | 102 | 9 | 106 | 7 1/2 |
| Second shopmen | 62 | 6 | 96 | 4 1/2 | 99 | 1 1/2 | 94 | 6 | 94 | 0 | 96 | 0 |
| Butter-factory employees— | ||||||||||||
| Churning and buttermaking | 52 | 6 | 79 | 6 | 79 | 6 | 79 | 4 1/2 | 77 | 4 | 77 | 8 |
| Flour-milling—Kilnmen | 48 | 0 | 84 | 6 | 88 | 3 | 82 | 3 | 91 | 0 | 91 | 0 |
| Assistant smuttermen | 52 | 0 | 82 | 6 | 86 | 3 | 80 | 3 | 83 | 0 | 83 | 0 |
| Rollermen | 56 | 0 | 87 | 6 | 93 | 3 | 87 | 3 | 95 | 0 | 95 | 0 |
| Meat-freezing— | ||||||||||||
| Freezing-chamber hands | 64 | 0 | 92 | 0 | 105 | 9 3/4 | 101 | 2 1/2 | 101 | 2 1/2 | 96 | 3 |
| General hands | 54 | 0 | 77 | 0 | 88 | 6 1/2 | 84 | 8 1/2 | 84 | 8 1/2 | 88 | 0 |
| Meat-preserving— | ||||||||||||
| Boners | 62 | 0 | 81 | 1 1/2 | 101 | 2 1/2 | 96 | 9 3/4 | 96 | 9 3/4 | 99 | 11 |
| Meat-preservers | 59 | 6 | 79 | 3 3/4 | 92 | 9 1/4 | 88 | 8 3/4 | 88 | 8 3/4 | 93 | 6 |
| Sausage-casing makers | 58 | 8 | 90 | 8 | 90 | 2 1/4 | 80 | 8 | 80 | 8 | 83 | 8 1/4 |
| Aerated-waters and cordial making— | ||||||||||||
| Cordial-makers | 58 | 9 | 79 | 2 | 88 | 6 | 80 | 6 | 84 | 2 | 84 | 8 |
| Bottle-washers | 45 | 0 | 73 | 9 | 79 | 1 1/2 | 71 | 1 1/2 | 73 | 10 1/2 | 73 | 10 1/2 |
| Brewing—Labourers | 47 | 7 1/2 | 86 | 5 | 87 | 10 3/4 | 80 | 1 | 80 | 1 | 82 | 10 |
| Cellarmen | 55 | 0 | 86 | 9 | 88 | 3 | 80 | 4 1/2 | 80 | 4 1/2 | 83 | 0 |
| Tailors—Journeymen | 53 | 9 | 93 | 9 | 98 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 90 | 0 |
| Factory hands | 56 | 0 | 87 | 1 | 89 | 10 | 81 | 10 | 81 | 10 | 84 | 0 |
| Tailoresses (shop)—Coat hands | 30 | 0 | 47 | 11 | 48 | 2 1/2 | 45 | 9 3/4 | 45 | 9 3/4 | 45 | 11 1/4 |
| Machinists | 26 | 9 | 47 | 11 | 48 | 2 1/2 | 47 | 6 | 44 | 9 1/2 | 45 | 11 1/4 |
| Tailoresses (factory)—Journeywomen | 27 | 6 | 41 | 6 | 45 | 0 | 42 | 6 | 42 | 6 | 44 | 0 |
| Boot operators— | ||||||||||||
| Male | 52 | 6 | 83 | 5 1/4 | 91 | 8 | 83 | 8 | 84 | 4 | 84 | 4 |
| Female journeywomen | 27 | 6 | 44 | 6 | 51 | 6 | 47 | 6 | 47 | 6 | 47 | 6 |
| Woollen-nulls— | ||||||||||||
| Males—Spinners | 51 | 0 | 81 | 6 3/4 | 93 | 9 | 85 | 9 | 85 | 9 | 85 | 9 |
| General hands | 46 | 6 | 77 | 9 3/4 | 82 | 6 | 74 | 6 | 74 | 6 | 74 | 6 |
| Females—All adults | 26 | 3 | 40 | 9 1/2 | 45 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| Building— | ||||||||||||
| Bricklayers | 68 | 5 1/4 | 97 | 7 1/2 | 107 | 11 1/2 | 99 | 11 1/4 | 99 | 11 1/4 | 99 | 11 1/4 |
| Carpenters | 64 | 3 1/2 | 94 | 10 1/2 | 101 | 1 | 93 | 0 3/4 | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 |
| Joiners | 64 | 3 1/2 | 94 | 10 1/2 | 101 | 1 | 93 | 0 3/4 | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 |
| Plasterers | 67 | 9 1/2 | 100 | 1 | 105 | 7 1/4 | 96 | 10 1/4 | 96 | 10 1/4 | 96 | 10 1/4 |
| Plumbers (competent) | 66 | 0 | 102 | 5 1/4 | 102 | 5 1/4 | 94 | 5 1/4 | 94 | 5 1/4 | 95 | 4 |
| Bricklayers' labourers | 55 | 0 | 87 | 1 | 87 | 1 | 79 | 1 | 79 | 1 | 84 | 0 |
| Other builders' labourers | 52 | 6 1/2 | 84 | 6 3/4 | 84 | 6 3/4 | 76 | 6 3/4 | 76 | 6 3/4 | 79 | 0 |
| Sawmilling— | ||||||||||||
| Engine-drivers | 54 | 0 | 98 | 6 | 96 | 6 | 88 | 6 | 88 | 5 | 95 | 0 |
| Sawyers | 53 | 0 1/2 | 94 | 3 3/4 | 99 | 11 3/4 | 91 | 11 1/2 | 94 | 11 1/4 | 100 | 0 1/2 |
| Tailers-out | 43 | 9 | 87 | 3 1/4 | 92 | 1 1/4 | 83 | 11 3/4 | 83 | 11 3/4 | 88 | 3 1/4 |
| Yardmen | 55 | 8 3/4 | 86 | 0 1/2 | 88 | 7 1/2 | 80 | 7 1/2 | 82 | 4 3/4 | 91 | 7 |
| General hands | 51 | 0 | 85 | 6 1/2 | 88 | 1 3/4 | 80 | 2 | 80 | 5 | 83 | 4 1/4 |
| Boatbuilding—Shipwrights | 62 | 8 | 96 | 5 3/4 | 96 | 5 3/4 | 88 | 5 3/4 | 95 | 7 | 100 | 4 1/4 |
| Boatbuilders | 58 | 9 | 91 | 11 3/4 | 91 | 11 3/4 | 83 | 11 3/4 | 92 | 4 1/2 | 92 | 4 1/2 |
| Metal-works, &c.— | ||||||||||||
| Blacksmiths, farriers | 61 | 7 | 81 | 3 | 81 | 3 | 74 | 9 | 89 | 10 3/4 | 89 | 10 3/4 |
| Boilermaking—Journeymen | 62 | 8 | 102 | 5 1/4 | 102 | 1 1/2 | 94 | 3 | 94 | 3 | 95 | 4 |
| Iron and brass moulders | 64 | 7 1/2 | 100 | 2 | 101 | 4 1/2 | 93 | 9 1/2 | 91 | 11 1/2 | 95 | 4 |
| Tinsmiths—Journeymen | 62 | 8 | 92 | 9 1/4 | 104 | 0 3/4 | 94 | 2 1/4 | 94 | 2 1/4 | 95 | 4 |
| Engineering— | s. | d. | s | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. |
| Fitters, &c. | 64 | 7 1/2 | 102 | 5 1/4 | 100 | 10 | 94 | 5 | 94 | 5 | 95 | 4 |
| Electrical workers | 61 | 10 1/2 | 101 | 0 3/4 | 101 | 9 | 94 | 1 | 94 | 1 | 95 | 4 |
| Motor mechanics | 64 | 11 1/2 | 101 | 0 3/4 | 101 | 9 | 94 | 5 | 94 | 5 | 95 | 1 1/4 |
| Skin and leather workers— | ||||||||||||
| Curriers | 58 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 92 | 0 | 95 | 8 | 95 | 0 |
| Pelt-fleshers | 54 | 6 | 90 | 8 1/2 | 90 | 8 1/2 | 83 | 11 1/2 | 97 | 0 | 95 | 0 |
| General hands | 49 | 6 | 85 | 9 | 85 | 9 | 79 | 0 | 79 | 0 | 84 | 4 |
| Mineral and stone workers— | ||||||||||||
| Brickmakers | 53 | 11 1/2 | 87 | 5 3/4 | 101 | 8 | 99 | 0 | 99 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
| General hands | 46 | 9 3/4 | 79 | 0 3/4 | 91 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 84 | 0 |
| Mining (coal)— | ||||||||||||
| Surface—Tippers | 53 | 7 1/2 | 88 | 0 | 89 | 8 | 86 | 8 | 84 | 2 | 85 | 10 |
| Labourers | 54 | 3 3/4 | 88 | 0 | 89 | 8 | 86 | 8 | 86 | 10 | 85 | 10 |
| Winchmen | 55 | 0 | 62 | 8 1/2 | 90 | 6 | 87 | 6 | 87 | 6 | 92 | 2 |
| Miners | 63 | 3 | 89 | 0 1/2 | 104 | 1 3/4 | 101 | 1 3/4 | 103 | 4 | 99 | 9 |
| Truckers | 55 | 11 | 84 | 10 1/2 | 95 | 4 3/4 | 92 | 4 3/4 | 92 | 8 | 91 | 7 3/4 |
| Mining (gold)— | ||||||||||||
| Dry-shaft battery workers | 59 | 0 | 92 | 3 | 80 | 7 1/4 | 74 | 2 | 84 | 6 | 84 | 1 |
| Wet-shaft battery workers | 60 | 0 | 93 | 9 | 81 | 7 | 75 | 2 | 87 | 6 | .. | .. |
| Cyanide-workers | 57 | 0 | 82 | 8 1/2 | 84 | 2 1/2 | 84 | 10 | 86 | 4 1/2 | 86 | 4 1/2 |
| Quarrymen | 52 | 8 1/2 | 87 | 10 1/2 | 87 | 10 1/2 | 78 | 3 | 80 | 2 | 85 | 3 1/4 |
| Agricultural and pastoral workers— | ||||||||||||
| General farm hands | 41 | 8 | 53 | 0 | 50 | 4 1/2 | 51 | 6 3/4 | 51 | 6 3/4 | 50 | 11 1/4 |
| Harvesters | 64 | 4 | 112 | 8 | 90 | 6 | 105 | 5 | 105 | 5 | 101 | 10 |
| Ploughmen | 45 | 8 | 58 | 0 | 54 | 1 1/2 | 60 | 11 1/4 | 60 | 11 1/4 | 57 | 6 |
| Musterers | 53 | 10 | 79 | 2 | 112 | 9 | 102 | 1 1/2 | 102 | 1 1/2 | 105 | 0 |
| Shepherds | 46 | 6 | 53 | 0 | 56 | 7 1/2 | 55 | 5 | 55 | 5 | 56 | 8 |
| Wool-pressers | 48 | 0 | 101 | 7 1/2 | 99 | 0 | 87 | 1 | 72 | 9 | 79 | 5 |
| Railways— | ||||||||||||
| Engine-drivers | 75 | 0 | 113 | 8 | 107 | 8 | 108 | 1 1/2 | 108 | 1 1/2 | 109 | 11 1/2 |
| Firemen | 60 | 0 | 96 | 3 | 90 | 3 | 93 | 9 | 93 | 9 | 90 | 3 |
| Guards | 63 | 0 | 108 | 2 | 102 | 2 | 100 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 106 | 8 |
| Tramways—Motormen | 53 | 6 | 83 | 4 1/2 | 83 | 7 1/2 | 86 | 6 | 86 | 6 | 90 | 0 |
| Conductors | 47 | 7 1/2 | 80 | 1 1/2 | 79 | 10 1/2 | 82 | 6 | 82 | 6 | 85 | 6 |
| Shipping and cargo-working— | ||||||||||||
| Assistant stewards, first class | 40 | 4 1/2 | 94 | 7 1/2 | 94 | 7 1/2 | 86 | 0 | 86 | 0 | 89 | 3 |
| Assistant stewards, second class | 33 | 5 1/2 | 92 | 3 3/4 | 92 | 3 3/4 | 83 | 8 | 83 | 8 | 86 | 11 |
| Chief cooks | 75 | 0 | 116 | 6 3/4 | 133 | 10 | 122 | 8 | 122 | 8 | 126 | 1 1/2 |
| Second cooks | 51 | 11 | 98 | 0 3/4 | 108 | 5 1/2 | 99 | 10 | 99 | 10 | 103 | 0 |
| A.B. seamen | 50 | 4 1/2 | 96 | 11 | 96 | 11 | 95 | 0 | 95 | 0 | 97 | 8 |
| Ordinary seamen, first class | 41 | 1 3/4 | 73 | 10 | 73 | 10 | 68 | 6 | 68 | 6 | 74 | 3 |
| Waterside workers—Ordinary cargo | 62 | 4 | 99 | 0 | 99 | 0 | 92 | 4 | 92 | 4 | 97 | 2 |
| Hotel workers—Chefs (male) | 86 | 10 1/2 | 115 | 3 3/4 | 120 | 0 | 114 | 1 1/2 | 116 | 7 1/2 | 145 | 0 |
| Waiters (male) | 53 | 0 | 86 | 3 | 95 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 88 | 7 1/2 | 87 | 0 |
| Cooks (female) | 46 | 3 | 74 | 1 1/4 | 82 | 6 | 78 | 6 | 78 | 6 | 78 | 6 |
| Housemaids | 34 | 10 1/2 | 60 | 4 3/4 | 65 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 61 | 0 |
| Waitresses | 39 | 1 3/4 | 63 | 4 1/4 | 67 | 6 | 63 | 8 1/4 | 63 | 1 1/2 | 61 | 0 |
| Miscellaneous— | ||||||||||||
| Soft-goods assistants (male) | 55 | 0 | 87 | 3 | 86 | 6 | 79 | 10 1/2 | 81 | 3 | 92 | 6 |
| Warehouse storemen | 51 | 3 1/4 | 88 | 1 1/2 | 93 | 7 1/2 | 77 | 0 | 77 | 0 | 85 | 0 |
| Grocers' assistants | 50 | 0 | 92 | 3 | 92 | 3 | 82 | 6 | 88 | 1 1/2 | 91 | 11 |
| Occupation. | Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| Bakers—Journeymen | 97 | 6 | 97 | 6 | 97 | 6 | 97 | 6 |
| Labourers | 78 | 0 | 78 | 0 | 78 | 0 | 78 | 0 |
| Butchers—First shopmen | 117 | 6 | 102 | 0 | 105 | 0 | 102 | 0 |
| Second shopmen | 105 | 0 | 92 | 0 | 95 | 0 | 92 | 0 |
| Butter-factory employees— | ||||||||
| Churning and buttermaking | 76 | 0 | .. | 80 | 0 | 77 | 0 | .. |
| Flour-milling—Kilnmen | 91 | 0 | .. | 91 | 0 | 91 | 0 | .. |
| Assistant smuttermen | 83 | 0 | .. | 83 | 0 | 83 | 0 | .. |
| Rollermen | 95 | 0 | .. | 95 | 0 | 95 | 0 | .. |
| Meat-freezing— | ||||||||
| Freezing-chamber hands | 96 | 3 | 96 | 3 | 96 | 3 | 96 | 3 |
| General hands | 88 | 0 | 88 | 0 | 88 | 0 | 88 | 0 |
| Meat-preserving— | ||||||||
| Boners | 99 | 11 | 99 | 11 | 99 | 11 | 99 | 11 |
| Meat-preservers | 93 | 6 | 93 | 6 | 93 | 6 | 93 | 6 |
| Sausage-casing makers | 88 | 8 3/4 | 80 | 8 | 80 | 8 | 84 | 8 1/2 |
| Aerated-waters and cordial making— | ||||||||
| Cordial-makers | 85 | 0 | .. | 93 | 0 | 76 | 0 | .. |
| Bottle-washers | 75 | 6 | 65 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 72 | 0 |
| Brewing—Labourers | 86 | 3 | 83 | 6 | 78 | 7 | 83 | 0 |
| Cellarmen | .. | .. | .. | 83 | 0 | |||
| Tailors—Journeymen | 90 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 90 | 0 |
| Factory hands | 84 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 84 | 0 |
| Tailoresses (shop)—Coat hands | 47 | 6 | 40 | 9 | 48 | 0 | 47 | 6 |
| Machinists | 47 | 6 | 40 | 9 | 48 | 0 | 47 | 6 |
| Tailoresses (factory)—Journeywomen | 44 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| Boot operators— | ||||||||
| Male | 84 | 4 | 84 | 4 | 84 | 4 | 84 | 4 |
| Female journeywomen | 47 | 6 | 47 | 6 | 47 | 6 | 47 | 6 |
| Woollen-mills— | ||||||||
| Males—Spinners | 85 | 9 | 85 | 9 | 85 | 9 | 85 | 9 |
| General hands | 74 | 6 | 74 | 6 | 74 | 6 | 74 | 6 |
| Females—All adults | 41 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| Building— | ||||||||
| Bricklayers | 99 | 3 | 99 | 3 | 102 | 0 | 99 | 3 |
| Carpenters | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 |
| Joiners | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 |
| Plasterers | 96 | 6 | 99 | 3 | 92 | 0 | 99 | 8 |
| Plumbers (competent) | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 |
| Bricklayers' labourers | 88 | 0 | 85 | 2 1/4 | .. | .. | 79 | 1 |
| Other builders' labourers | 75 | 5 | 85 | 2 1/4 | 80 | 0 | 75 | 5 |
| Sawmilling— | ||||||||
| Engine-drivers | 95 | 0 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | |
| Sawyers | 98 | 0 | 95 | 10 | 116 | 6 | 89 | 10 |
| Tailers-out | 90 | 0 | .. | 96 | 0 | 78 | 10 | .. |
| Yardmen | 93 | 0 | 84 | 4 | 99 | 0 | 90 | 0 |
| General hands | 86 | 0 | 82 | 5 | 88 | 0 | 77 | 0 |
| Boatbuilding—Shipwrights | 93 | 9 | 110 | 10 | .. | 96 | 6 | .. |
| Boatbuilders | 88 | 3 | .. | .. | 96 | 6 | .. | .. |
| Metal-works, &c.— | ||||||||
| Boilermaking—Journeymen | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 |
| Iron and brass moulders | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 |
| Tinsmiths—Journeymen | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 |
| Engineering— | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. |
| Fitters, &c. | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 |
| Electrical workers | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 |
| Motor mechanics | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 95 | 4 | 94 | 5 |
| Skin and leather workers — | ||||||||
| Curriers | 93 | 0 | .. | .. | 97 | 0 | .. | .. |
| Pelt-fleshers | 91 | 0 | .. | 97 | 0 | 97 | 0 | .. |
| General hands | 85 | 0 | .. | 84 | 0 | 84 | 0 | .. |
| Mineral and stone workers— | ||||||||
| Brickmakers | 100 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 100 | 0 |
| General hands | 84 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 84 | 0 | 84 | 0 |
| Mining (coal)— | ||||||||
| Surface—Tippers | 88 | 7 | .. | 85 | 0 | 83 | 11 | .. |
| Labourers | 88 | 7 | .. | 85 | 0 | 83 | 11 | .. |
| Winchmen | 92 | 2 | .. | .. | 92 | 0 | .. | .. |
| Miners | 99 | 6 1/4 | .. | 102 | 6 | 97 | 3 | .. |
| Truckers | 93 | 3 | .. | 90 | 0 | 91 | 8 1/4 | .. |
| Mining (gold)— | ||||||||
| Dry shaft battery workers | 80 | 2 | .. | 88 | 0 | .. | .. | .. |
| Cyanide workers | 80 | 2 | .. | 88 | 0 | 91 | 0 | .. |
| Quarrymen | 90 | 9 | 81 | 1 1/4 | 84 | 0 | .. | .. |
| Agricultural and pastoral workers— | ||||||||
| General farm hands | 55 | 0 | 47 | 6 | 50 | 0 | 51 | 3 |
| Harvesters | 109 | 0 | .. | 96 | 0 | 100 | 6 | .. |
| Ploughmen | 55 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| Musterers | .. | .. | 105 | 0 | 105 | 0 | .. | .. |
| Shepherds | 55 | 0 | .. | 62 | 6 | 52 | 6 | .. |
| Wool-pressers | 62 | 6 | 82 | 6 | 85 | 0 | 87 | 6 |
| Railways— | ||||||||
| Engine-drivers | 109 | 11 1/2 | 109 | 11 1/2 | 109 | 11 1/2 | 109 | 11 1/2 |
| Firemen | 90 | 3 | 90 | 3 | 90 | 3 | 90 | 3 |
| Guards | 106 | 8 | 106 | 8 | 106 | 8 | 106 | 8 |
| Tramways—Motormen | 92 | 0 | 93 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 85 | 0 |
| Conductors | 88 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 82 | 0 |
| Shipping and cargo-working— | ||||||||
| Assistant stewards, first class | 89 | 3 | 89 | 3 | 89 | 3 | 89 | 3 |
| Assistant stewards, second class | 86 | 11 | 86 | 11 | 86 | 11 | 86 | 11 |
| Chief cooks | 126 | 1 1/2 | 126 | 1 1/2 | 126 | 1 1/2 | 126 | 1 1/2 |
| Second cooks | 103 | 0 | 103 | 0 | 103 | 0 | 103 | 0 |
| A.B. seamen | 97 | 8 | 97 | 8 | 97 | 8 | 97 | 8 |
| Ordinary seamen, first class | 74 | 3 | 74 | 3 | 74 | 3 | 74 | 3 |
| Waterside workers—Ordinary cargo | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 | 97 | 2 |
| Hotel workers—Chef (male) | 145 | 0 | 145 | 0 | 145 | 0 | 145 | 0 |
| Waiters (male) | 87 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 0 |
| Cooks (female) | 78 | 6 | 78 | 6 | 78 | 6 | 78 | 6 |
| Housemaids | 61 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 61 | 0 |
| Waitresses | 61 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 61 | 0 |
| Miscellaneous— | ||||||||
| Soft-goods assistants (male) | 92 | 6 | 92 | 6 | 92 | 6 | 92 | 6 |
| Warehouse storemen | 85 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 85 | 0 |
| Grocers' assistants | 92 | 6 | 92 | 6 | 92 | 6 | 90 | 0 |
The index numbers quoted in the foregoing pages relate to nominal wages— that is, they are based on actual money rates without any allowance being made for changes known to have occurred in the purchasing-power of the monetary unit during the period under review. It is obvious that this factor is of considerable importance; for a rise in wages may be offset by a fall in the purchasing-power of the monetary unit, while, on the other hand, a fall in money wages may be offset by a rise in the purchasing-power of the monetary unit. Changes in the index numbers of retail prices are inversely proportional to charge in the purchasing-power of the pound note; and index numbers of effective (or “”) wages can be arrived at by dividing the index numbers for nominal wages by the corresponding index numbers for retail prices covering all groups of domestic expenditure. To this end the index numbers of nominal wages quoted on page 725 are first converted to base 1914 by dividing them by the correction factor 1.073, the index number of nominal wages for 1914 on base 1909-13 = 1000 being 1073. The resulting nominal wage index numbers on the new base are then divided by the retail price indexes ("all groups”) on base July 19/4=1000, and the resulting quotient multiplied by 1000 s the effective wage-indexes for the dates concerned on the base of the purchasing power of 1914 average wages for all industrial groups combined equated to 1000.
In the compilation of index numbers of effective wages no allowance has been made for changes in. the hours of labour or in other miscellaneous factors affecting the distinction between real and nominal wages.
(Base: Purchasing-power of Dominion weighted average wages for all industrial combined, 1914 = 1000.)
| Group. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOTE.—The index numbers in this table are comparable horizontally and vertically. | |||||||||||
| Food, drink, and tobacco | 1001 | 954 | 901 | 846 | 778 | 729 | 784 | 853 | 959 | 962 | 997 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 687 | 644 | 616 | 591 | 558 | 555 | 583 | 638 | 690 | 677 | 677 |
| Textiles and weaving | 906 | 873 | 823 | 784 | 714 | 727 | 685 | 770 | 870 | 918 | 906 |
| Building | 1152 | 1080 | 1004 | 950 | 885 | 885 | 924 | 992 | 1071 | 1048 | 1048 |
| Wood-manufacture | 1035 | 988 | 965 | 872 | 839 | 818 | 847 | 995 | 1060 | 1037 | 1054 |
| Printing, &c. | 1287 | 1107 | 1025 | 995 | 896 | 921 | 984 | 1054 | 1107 | 1072 | 1061 |
| Metal-working and Engineering | 1082 | 1016 | 960 | 895 | 854 | 849 | 901 | 958 | 1054 | 1051 | 1037 |
| Other manufactures | 1013 | 971 | 926 | 852 | 803 | 785 | 834 | 955 | 1018 | 1001 | 991 |
| Mining | 1067 | 1005 | 952 | 895 | 851 | 792 | 776 | 931 | 1031 | 1037 | 1048 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 942 | 1030 | 981 | 945 | 896 | 866 | 807 | 814 | 853 | 881 | 866 |
| Land transport | 1003 | 939 | 931 | 859 | 808 | 814 | 861 | 913 | 983 | 971 | 992 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 1164 | 1195 | 1148 | 1091 | 1015 | 975 | 956 | 1116 | 1219 | 1191 | 1203 |
| Domestic service | 890 | 908 | 842 | 765 | 719 | 680 | 665 | 802 | 891 | 868 | 872 |
| Miscellaneous | 952 | 890 | 843 | 817 | 769 | 745 | 834 | 876 | 929 | 898 | 904 |
| All groups combined | 1000 | 987 | 940 | 887 | 833 | 812 | 822 | 894 | 966 | 960 | 052 |
The diagram which follows shows the movement in retail prices, nominal wages, and effective wages since 1914. Nominal wages are seen to have lagged behind prices while the latter were rising, and to have continued to rise between 1920 and 1921 while prices were declining. The result is a steady fall in effective wages until 1920, and a sharp rise between 1921 and 1922, followed by a slight fall between 1922 and 1923. A similar fall was recorded between 1923 and 1924.
The index numbers in the preceding tables being all on a common base, comparisons between movements in the various groups cannot be readily made; an increase of (say) 10 per cent. in the group “clothing and boots,” in which the index numbers are consistently low being considerably smaller numerically than an increase of the same percentage in (say) the printing trade, where the index numbers are considerably higher. The following tables bring out the movements in the various groups more clearly, the 1914 index number for each group being taken as base in each case. Care must be exercised in drawing inferences from these tables, for, while horizontal comparisons are quite valid, the vertical comparison between the various groups is valid only in so far as it shows in which groups the greater or the smaller increases have been observed since the base period (1914 in this case). For example, although nominal wages in the textile and weaving group show in 1924 an increase of 60 per cent. since 1914, while those in the group “mining” have increased by only 57.1 per cent., nevertheless wages were higher in the latter group in 1924 since they were considerably higher in 1914—the base year.
(Bases: Dominion average wages for each industrial group respectively, 1914 = 1000.)
| Industrial Group. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOTE.—Vertical comparisons are indicative merely of the relative percentage increases of wages in the different industrial groups since 1914, not (as in the case of previous tables) of the actual relative levels of wages in the different industries. | |||||||||||
| Food, drink, and tobacco | 1000 | 1022 | 1044 | 1088 | 1111 | 1143 | 1395 | 1512 | 1530 | 1516 | 1593 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 1000 | 1004 | 1039 | 1106 | 1160 | 1270 | 1510 | 1649 | 1604 | 1554 | 1577 |
| Textiles and weaving | 1000 | 1033 | 1055 | 1114 | 1126 | 1260 | 1347 | 1508 | 1533 | 1598 | 1600 |
| Building | 1000 | 1006 | 1011 | 1061 | 1098 | 1206 | 1427 | 1528 | 1485 | 1434 | 1455 |
| Wood-manufacture | 1000 | 1023 | 1081 | 1084 | 1158 | 1240 | 1455 | 1707 | 1635 | 1579 | 1629 |
| Printing, &c. | 1000 | 1000 | 1002 | 1078 | 1078 | 1218 | 1475 | 1576 | 1487 | 1423 | 1430 |
| Metal-working and engineering | 1000 | 1007 | 1029 | 1065 | 1127 | 1232 | 1482 | 1572 | 1555 | 1532 | 1533 |
| Other manufactures | 1000 | 1028 | 1060 | 1083 | 1132 | 1216 | 1465 | 1674 | 1603 | 1558 | 1566 |
| Mining | 1000 | 1010 | 1035 | 1079 | 1140 | 1165 | 1294 | 1549 | 1542 | 1532 | 1571 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 1000 | 1172 | 1208 | 1291 | 1359 | 1442 | 1524 | 1533 | 1445 | 1476 | 1470 |
| Land transport | 1000 | 1005 | 1077 | 1102 | 1151 | 1274 | 1528 | 1616 | 1565 | 1528 | 1582 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 1000 | 1101 | 1144 | 1207 | 1246 | 1315 | 1462 | 1702 | 1671 | 1613 | 1653 |
| Domestic service | 1000 | 1093 | 1097 | 1107 | 1155 | 1199 | 1329 | 1600 | 1598 | 1538 | 1568 |
| Miscellaneous | 1000 | 1003 | 1027 | 1105 | 1155 | 1228 | 1560 | 1635 | 1557 | 1488 | 1521 |
| All groups | 1000 | 1058 | 1090 | 1142 | 1191 | 1275 | 1463 | 1587 | 1541 | 1514 | 1523 |
(Bases: Purchasing — powers of Dominion average wages for each industrial group respectively, 1914 = 1000.)
| Group. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOTE.—Vertical-comparisons are indicative merely of the relative percentage increases of wages in the different industrial groups since 1914, not (as in the case of previous tables) of the actual relative levels of wages in the different industries. | |||||||||||
| Food, drink, and tobacco | 1000 | 953 | 900 | 845 | 777 | 728 | 783 | 852 | 958 | 961 | 996 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 1000 | 937 | 897 | 860 | 812 | 808 | 849 | 929 | 1004 | 985 | 985 |
| Textiles and weaving | 1000 | 964 | 908 | 865 | 788 | 802 | 756 | 850 | 960 | 1013 | 1000 |
| Building | 1000 | 938 | 872 | 825 | 768 | 768 | 802 | 861 | 930 | 910 | 909 |
| Wood-manufacture | 1000 | 955 | 932 | 843 | 811 | 790 | 818 | 961 | 1024 | 1002 | 1018 |
| Printing, &c. | 1000 | 933 | 865 | 838 | 755 | 776 | 829 | 888 | 933 | 903 | 894 |
| Metal-working and engineering | 1000 | 939 | 887 | 827 | 789 | 785 | 833 | 885 | 974 | 971 | 958 |
| Other manufactures | 1000 | 959 | 914 | 841 | 793 | 775 | 823 | 943 | 1005 | 988 | 978 |
| Mining | 1000 | 942 | 892 | 839 | 798 | 742 | 727 | 873 | 966 | 972 | 982 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 1000 | 1093 | 1041 | 1003 | 951 | 919 | 857 | 864 | 906 | 935 | 919 |
| Land transport | 1000 | 936 | 928 | 856 | 806 | 812 | 858 | 910 | 980 | 968 | 988 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 1000 | 1027 | 986 | 937 | 872 | 838 | 821 | 959 | 1047 | 1023 | 1034 |
| Domestic service | 1000 | 1020 | 946 | 860 | 808 | 764 | 747 | 901 | 1001 | 975 | 980 |
| Miscellaneous | 1000 | 935 | 886 | 858 | 808 | 783 | 876 | 920 | 976 | 943 | 950 |
| All groups | 1000 | 987 | 940 | 887 | 833 | 812 | 822 | 894 | 966 | 960 | 952 |
The outstanding facts brought out by this last table are the considerable decreases comparatively speaking, in the groups “building,” “printing,” and “agricultural and pastoral.” The decline in effective wages among the agricultural and pastoral employees is not really as great as the figures indicate, since the index numbers of retail prices, which have been compiled on a basis of town prices, probably overestimate the increase in the cost of living of country workers, whose expenditure on such items as rent and fuel and light is considerably lower than in the case of town workers. It is noteworthy that in two of the groups mentioned above as showing comparatively low increases since 1914 — building and printing—skilled workers predominate in numbers.
Apart from the cases mentioned above, the movements in the various groups have been remarkably even.
The following table shows index numbers of hours worked in the various industrial groups for each year from 1914 to 1924. The material from which the index numbers have been compiled has been taken from the awards of the Arbitration Court in most cases; but, where hours are not prescribed in the awards, reference has been made to the Factories Act and the Shops and Offices Act. The agricultural and pastoral workers group has been omitted from the computations.
(Base: Dominion weighted average hours worked in all industrial groups combined, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Group. | 1914. | 1915. | 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | 1919. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOTE.—The index numbers in the above table are comparable horizontally and vertically. | |||||||||||
| Food, drink, and tobacco | 993 | 982 | 988 | 981 | 982 | 982 | 958 | 951 | 949 | 948 | 945 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 928 | 927 | 927 | 923 | 930 | 929 | 914 | 905 | 901 | 901 | 901 |
| Textiles and weaving | 976 | 976 | 976 | 976 | 976 | 976 | 957 | 937 | 934 | 934 | 934 |
| Building | 910 | 904 | 903 | 901 | 903 | 901 | 902 | 903 | 900 | 900 | 901 |
| Wood-manufacture | 951 | 943 | 930 | 921 | 920 | 918 | 918 | 914 | 914 | 914 | 917 |
| Printing, &c. | 978 | 978 | 979 | 975 | 975 | 958 | 940 | 892 | 889 | 889 | 890 |
| Metal-working and engineering | 958 | 956 | 952 | 952 | 951 | 952 | 922 | 911 | 910 | 908 | 908 |
| Other manufactures | 973 | 978 | 969 | 963 | 958 | 966 | 971 | 949 | 947 | 946 | 945 |
| Mining | 958 | 958 | 937 | 939 | 950 | 934 | 929 | 898 | 908 | 908 | 920 |
| Land transport | 1002 | 1002 | 1000 | 999 | 999 | 999 | 999 | 933 | 930 | 929 | 952 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 1054 | 1054 | 1078 | 1066 | 1102 | 1150 | 1110 | 1098 | 1098 | 1098 | 1098 |
| Domestic service | 1203 | 1172 | 1202 | 1202 | 1203 | 1203 | 1152 | 1013 | 982 | 982 | 982 |
| Miscellaneous | 955 | 965 | 965 | 965 | 961 | 960 | 923 | 912 | 901 | 897 | 890 |
| All groups | 995 | 991 | 994 | 992 | 993 | 999 | 979 | 975 | 943 | 942 | 94 |
Very little movement in hours has been recorded during the period, the outstanding feature of the table being the gradual and almost uninterrupted decline in the index number. The increase recorded between 1923 and 1924 is due almost exclusively to an increase in the hours of labour in certain branches of the Railway service.
The following tables show the index numbers for the various districts. In spite of the fact that certain industries are more or less confined to certain districts and that, consequently, fluctuations arise from this fact alone, the index numbers show remarkably little variation as between district and district.
The second table shows in detail the index numbers for the various groups in the different districts for the year 1924.
(Base: Dominion weighted average hours worked for all industrial groups combined, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Year. | Northern Industrial District. | Wellington Industrial District. | Canterbury Industrial District. | Otago and Southland Industrial District. | Dominion Weighted Average. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOTE.—The index numbers in the above table are comparable both horizontally and vertically. | |||||
| 1914 | 1004 | 1004 | 973 | 987 | 995 |
| 1915 | 1006 | 998 | 967 | 982 | 991 |
| 1916 | 1003 | 1015 | 962 | 983 | 994 |
| 1917 | 1009 | 1018 | 966 | 991 | 992 |
| 1918 | 989 | 990 | 950 | 977 | 993 |
| 1919 | 1000 | 1006 | 968 | 981 | 999 |
| 1920 | 1005 | 1005 | 964 | 987 | 979 |
| 1921 | 942 | 957 | 943 | 944 | 975 |
| 1922 | 937 | 958 | 930 | 947 | 943 |
| 1923 | 936 | 955 | 928 | 946 | 942 |
| 1924 | 940 | 958 | 933 | 951 | 946 |
(Base: Dominion weighted average hours worked for all industrial groups combined, 1909-13 = 1000.)
| Group. | Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | Dominion Weighted Average. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOTE.—The index numbers in the above table are comparable both horizontally and vertically. | |||||
| Food, drink, and tobacco | 958 | 928 | 935 | 964 | 945 |
| Clothing, hoots, &c. | 895 | 909 | 895 | 904 | 901 |
| Textiles and weaving | 938 | 936 | 926 | 926 | 934 |
| Building | 895 | 912 | 895 | 895 | 901 |
| Wood-manufacture | 919 | 924 | 924 | 907 | 917 |
| Printing, &c. | 888 | 885 | 885 | 910 | 890 |
| Metal-working and engineering | 911 | 911 | 902 | 912 | 908 |
| Other manufactures | 936 | 924 | 952 | 951 | 945 |
| Mining | 907 | 956 | 928 | 936 | 920 |
| Land transport | 952 | 952 | 952 | 952 | 952 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 1098 | 1098 | 1098 | 1098 | 1098 |
| Domestic service | 976 | 976 | 976 | 1025 | 982 |
| Miscellaneous | 863 | 916 | 909 | 853 | 890 |
| All groups combined | 940 | 958 | 933 | 951 | 946 |
The following tables show the hours worked as at 31st March in each case in certain important occupations selected from the list from which index numbers have been compiled. The figures given in the first table are unweighted averages of hours worked in the four principal industrial districts.
(NOTE.—The figures shown relate to the averages of the four principal industrial districts, as at 31st March in the years shown.)
| Occupation. | 1914. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1925. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 1/2 | 46 1/2 | 46 |
| Butchers—Shopmen | 56 | 49 3/4 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Butter-factory employees | 48 | 48 1/2 | 48 1/2 | 48 1/2 | 48 1/2 | 48 1/2 |
| Flour-mill employees | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Freezing-works employees | 48 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Aerated-water and cordial making employees | 46 1/2 | 46 1/4 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 |
| Brewery workers | 46 1/4 | 45 | 45 1/4 | 45 | 45 | 44 1/4 |
| Tailors | 48 | 46 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Tailoresses | 45 | 45 1/4 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Boot operatives, male and female | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 45 |
| Woollen-mills employees— | ||||||
| Male | 48 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Female | 48 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Bricklayers | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Carpenters | 44 3/4 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Joiners | 44 3/4 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Plasterers | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Plumbers | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Sawmill hands | 46 1/2 | 45 3/4 | 45 3/4 | 45 3/4 | 46 3/4 | 46 1/4 |
| Boatbuilders and shipwrights | 47 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Blacksmiths | 46 1/4 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Boilermakers | 47 3/4 | 44 1/4 | 44 1/4 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Tinsmiths | 47 | 45 1/2 | 45 1/2 | 44 3/4 | 44 3/4 | 44 3/4 |
| Skin and leather workers | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Mineral and stone workers | 47 | 48 | 47 3/4 | 47 3/4 | 47 3/4 | 47 3/4 |
| Miners (coal)— | ||||||
| Surface | 43 1/4 | 38 | 43 | 43 | 45 | 44 |
| Underground | 43 1/4 | 38 | 43 | 43 | 43 3/4 | 43 3/4 |
| Miners (gold) | 47 1/2 | 45 1/4 | 45 1/4 | 45 1/4 | 45 1/4 | 45 1/4 |
| Quarrymen | 47 3/4 | 46 3/4 | 46 3/4 | 46 3/4 | 46 3/4 | 46 3/4 |
| Railway employees— | ||||||
| Engine-drivers and firemen | 48 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Guards | 48 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 48 |
| Tramway employees — Conductors and-motormen | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Shipping— | ||||||
| Stewards | .. | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| Cooks | .. | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| Seamen | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 |
| Waterside workers | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Hotel workers— | ||||||
| Male | 65 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Female | 65 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Soft-goods assistants | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Warehouse storemen | 45 3/4 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Grocers' assistants | 52 | 49 3/4 | 49 3/4 | 48 3/4 | 47 | 47 |
| Restaurant workers— | ||||||
| Male | 61 1/4 | 60 | 61 | 51 | 51 | 51 |
| Female | 52 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Occupation. | Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 |
| Butchers—Shopmen | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Butter-factory employees | 48 1/2 | .. | .. | .. |
| Flour-mill employees | 48 | .. | 48 | 48 |
| Freezing-works employees | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Aerated-water and cordial making employees | 46 1/2 | 45 | 46 1/2 | 46 1/2 |
| Brewery workers | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Tailors | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Tailoresses | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Boot operatives, male and female | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Woollen-mills employees— | ||||
| Male | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Female | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| Bricklayers | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Carpenters | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Joiners | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Plasterers | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Plumbers | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Sawmill hands | 47 | 46 | 48 | 44 |
| Boatbuilders and shipwrights | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Blacksmiths | 47 | 44 | .. | 44 |
| Boilermakers | 44 | 44 | .. | 44 |
| Tinsmiths | 44 | 47 | 44 | 44 |
| Skin and leather workers | 48 | .. | 48 | 48 |
| Mineral and stone workers | 48 | 46 1/2 | 48 | 48 |
| Miners (coal)— | ||||
| Surface | 45 | .. | 44 | 44 |
| Underground | 44 | .. | 44 | 43 |
| Miners (gold) | 44 | .. | 44 | 48 |
| Quarrymen | 44 | 47 | 48 | 48 |
| Railway employees— | ||||
| Engine-drivers find firemen | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Guards | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Tramway employees—Conductors and motormen | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Shipping— | ||||
| Stewards | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| Cooks | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| Seamen | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 |
| Waterside workers | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Hotel workers— | ||||
| Male | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Female | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Soft-goods assistants | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Warehouse storemen | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Grocers' assistants | 48 | 46 | 46 | 48 |
| Restaurant workers— | ||||
| Male | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Female | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
Table of Contents
IN New Zealand dual provision for the registration and protection of unions of employers and workers exists in the Trade-unions Act and the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. A brief résumé of the latter Act is given in the introduction to the section of this Year-book dealing with industrial disputes, to which reference may be made. A few remarks regarding the former Act are necessary for a full understanding of the position.
Legislation dealing with the question of unionism was initiated in this country in 1878, when the Trade-unions Act was passed. The Act of 1878 provided for the protection of such unions from criminal prosecution for conspiracy by reason merely that they were acting in restraint of trade (following the provision of the English Act of 1871). It also provided for their registration by the Registrar of Friendly Societies, who was appointed Registrar of Trade-unions under the Act, and for the appointment of trustees for union property. Unions were required to submit any changes of rules to the Registrar, to make provision for a proper audit of their accounts, to furnish annual returns showing membership, &c.
Although returns regarding membership were required under the Trade-unions Act, such particulars, in deference to the desire of the unions not to have their affairs made public, were not published. Consequently it is impossible to obtain any data as to the numerical strength of the unions, only the numbers of unions registered being available. Although in 1900 37 unions registered under the Trade-unions Act were on the books, this number dropped to as low as 15 in 1908, and was at the 31st December, 1923, only 29. As no machinery exists for the regular purging of the rolls, a union remains on the books, in spite of its failure to furnish returns, until the Registrar has definite information that such union is defunct. Accordingly, even the data regarding numbers of unions under the Trade-unions Act are not altogether reliable.
It seems fairly evident that the Trade-unions Act has, by reason of the operations of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, fallen largely into desuetude, especially inasmuch as many unions on the rolls under the earlier Act are also registered under the later Act.
Provision was made under section 7, subsection (17), of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act of 1900 (re-enacted in 1908), which amended and consolidated the original Act of 1894, for the furnishing of an annual return showing the number and membership of unions registered under the Act. It is from this return, published in the Annual Report of the Department of Labour (Parliamentary Paper H.-11) that the tables in this section have been compiled. As the powers of the administrator of this Act are considerably wider than was the case in regard to the Trade-unions Act, while the penalties for infringement are at the same time more severe, the roll published in the report is complete.
The number of industrial unions of employers registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act as at the end of each year from 1900 onwards is shown in the table on the following page
| As at 31st December. | Industrial District | Totals. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | Taranaki. | Marlborough | Nelson. | Westland. | ||
| 1900 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 1 | .. | 3 | 43 | .. |
| 1901 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 1 | .. | .. | 3 | 68 |
| 1902 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 84 | |
| 1903 | 20 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 103 |
| 1904 | 22 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 109 |
| 1905 | 25 | 30 | 23 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 113 |
| 1906 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 109 |
| 1907 | 31 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 120 |
| 1908 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 122 |
| 1909 | 32 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 120 |
| 1910 | 34 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 118 |
| 1911 | 36 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 118 |
| 1912 | 34 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 123 |
| 1913 | 36 | 28 | 26 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 134 |
| 1914 | 41 | 33 | 28 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 149 |
| 1915 | 38 | 33 | 25 | 32 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 141 |
| 1916 | 39 | 32 | 27 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 141 |
| 1917 | 40 | 33 | 26 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 145 |
| 1918 | 42 | 35 | 23 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 145 |
| 1919 | 39 | 30 | 25 | 34 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 139 |
| 1920 | 39 | 35 | 25 | 33 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 144 |
| 1921 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 141 |
| 1922 | 37 | 33 | 24 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 136 |
| 1923 | 35 | 33 | 27 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 136 |
| 1924 | 36 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 138 |
Corresponding information as to the membership of industrial unions of employers is given in the next table.
| As at 31st December. | Industrial District. | Totals. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | Taranaki. | Marlborough | Nelson. | Westland. | ||
| 1900 | 256 | 379 | 252 | 97 | 29 | .. | 3 | 1,106 | |
| 1901 | 346 | 452 | 437 | 549 | 37 | .. | 3 | 1,824 | |
| 1902 | 387 | 519 | 833 | 622 | 86 | 23 | 27 | 2,497 | |
| 1903 | 471 | 507 | 1,164 | 776 | 72 | 55 | 9 | 26 | 3,080 |
| 1904 | 554 | 566 | 1,160 | 837 | 84 | 52 | 9 | 30 | 3,292 |
| 1905 | 599 | 562 | 1,050 | 822 | 99 | 48 | 9 | 27 | 3,216 |
| 1906 | 613 | 526 | 1,218 | 846 | 48 | 40 | 19 | 27 | 3,337 |
| 1907 | 689 | 660 | 1,266 | 815 | 77 | 63 | 48 | 22 | 3,640 |
| 1908 | 802 | 745 | 1,394 | 793 | 78 | 66 | 11 | 29 | 3,918 |
| 1909 | 764 | 611 | 1,313 | 789 | 66 | 55 | 13 | 88 | 3,699 |
| 1910 | 969 | 760 | 1,434 | 919 | 68 | 53 | 13 | 46 | 4,262 |
| 1911 | 1,035 | 746 | 1,310 | 933 | 104 | 52 | 23 | 48 | 4,251 |
| 1912 | 1,043 | 737 | 1,397 | 981 | 116 | 51 | 16 | 69 | 4,410 |
| 1913 | 1,135 | 800 | 1,446 | 1,093 | 110 | 53 | 16 | 47 | 4,700 |
| 1914 | 1,229 | 921 | 2,012 | 1,401 | 121 | 68 | 15 | 52 | 5,819 |
| 1915 | 1,247 | 826 | 2,389 | 1,013 | 133 | 59 | 8 | 43 | 5,718 |
| 1916 | 1,244 | 745 | 2,458 | 884 | 125 | 44 | 10 | 44 | 5,554 |
| 1917 | 1,208 | 812 | 2,140 | 994 | 127 | 45 | 14 | 50 | 5,390 |
| 1918 | 1,230 | 866 | 2,157 | 883 | 123 | 49 | 15 | 23 | 5,346 |
| 1919 | 1,204 | 762 | 2,028 | 939 | 111 | 57 | 21 | 24 | 5,146 |
| 1920 | 1,439 | 1,082 | 1,638 | 999 | 114 | 55 | 33 | 23 | 5,383 |
| 1921 | 1,488 | 1,032 | 1,669 | 923 | 106 | 56 | 34 | 28 | 5,336 |
| 1922 | 1,301 | 966 | 1,651 | 940 | 131 | 57 | 32 | 56 | 5,134 |
| 1923 | 1,490 | 1,098 | 1,708 | 859 | 129 | 73 | 37 | 89 | 5,483 |
| 1924 | 1,346 | 1,032 | 1,641 | 900 | 106 | 75 | 36 | 69 | 5,205 |
It will be noticed from a study of the foregoing tables that the number of unions of employers and their membership rose gradually to a maximum of 149 unions, with 5,819 members, in 1914, the year following that of the prolonged waterside workers' strike. Since that year many slight ups and downs have been recorded, the net result being a decrease to 138 unions, with 5,205 members, at the 31st December, 1924.
The figures for the individual districts contain some points of interest. Of the four chief districts, the Northern has the greatest number of unions of employers, followed by Wellington, Otago and Southland, and Canterbury, in that order. Canterbury, however, in spite of being the lowest in respect of numbers of unions, has consistently the highest membership, followed by Auckland, Otago and Southland, and Wellington. In each of the last five years the membership in Wellington has been higher than that in Otago, but it has not during the last twenty years been higher than that of the Northern or Canterbury districts.
Industrial unions of workers and their membership are shown in the two following tables as at the end of each of the last twenty-five years. It should be explained that the “Total” column includes the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, and from 1922 onwards the Engine-drivers, Firemen's, and Cleaners' Association, the figures for both of which organizations are not included in the district totals.
It should also be emphasized that the statistics cover only unions registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and that all unions are not so registered.
| As at 31st December. | Industrial District. | Totals.* | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | Taranaki. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | ||
* Including unions of railway employees—one from 1000 to 1921, and two from 1922 onwards—not included In figures for any district. | |||||||||
| 1900 | 29 | 45 | 41 | 46 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 175 | |
| 1901 | 37 | 46 | 50 | 52 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 202 | |
| 1902 | 40 | 47 | 52 | 56 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 215 | |
| 1903 | 50 | 57 | 56 | 54 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 242 |
| 1904 | 55 | 59 | 61 | 54 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 256 |
| 1905 | 55 | 55 | 56 | 55 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 245 |
| 1906 | 53 | 59 | 63 | 56 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 258 |
| 1907 | 62 | 70 | 67 | 59 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 290 |
| 1908 | 69 | 76 | 69 | 60 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 302 |
| 1909 | 74 | 73 | 69 | 61 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 308 |
| 1910 | 72 | 80 | 66 | 62 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 308 |
| 1911 | 75 | 80 | 60 | 62 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 306 |
| 1912 | 86 | 82 | 63 | 61 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 322 |
| 1913 | 96 | 96 | 69 | 76 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 372 |
| 1914 | 100 | 104 | 66 | 83 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 403 |
| 1915 | 96 | 96 | 65 | 84 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 21 | 389 |
| 1916 | 98 | 92 | 60 | 84 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 368 |
| 1917 | 98 | 85 | 65 | 89 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 382 |
| 1918 | 96 | 84 | 59 | 85 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 370 |
| 1919 | 98 | 83 | 64 | 88 | 16 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 382 |
| 1920 | 101 | 87 | 66 | 96 | 17 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 406 |
| 1921 | 103 | 87 | 67 | 98 | 20 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 418 |
| 1922 | 103 | 85 | 67 | 99 | 19 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 415 |
| 1923 | 105 | 83 | 66 | 101 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 415 |
| 1924 | 103 | 81 | 64 | 100 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 402 |
| As at 31st December. | Industrial District. | Totals.* | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | Taranaki. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | ||
Including members of unions of railway employees not included in figures for any district. | |||||||||
| 1900 | 3,521 | 3,196 | 2,851 | 4,236 | 116 | 76 | 1,366 | 17,989 | |
| 1901 | 5,133 | 4,439 | 4,329 | 5,186 | 98 | 84 | 1,633 | 23,768 | |
| 1902 | 4,308 | 4,820 | 4,758 | 4,803 | 111 | 96 | 1,813 | 23,816 | |
| 1903 | 5,816 | 5,893 | 5,313 | 5,181 | 157 | 92 | 222 | 1,971 | 27,640 |
| 1904 | 7,099 | 6,371 | 5,759 | 5,271 | 141 | 88 | 250 | 2,072 | 30,271 |
| 1905 | 6,914 | 6,770 | 5,307 | 5,056 | 47 | 67 | 359 | 1,833 | 29,869 |
| 1906 | 7,437 | 8,841 | 6,305 | 5,287 | 94 | 121 | 400 | 2,189 | 34,978 |
| 1907 | 10,027 | 13,182 | 8,178 | 5,639 | 209 | 146 | 425 | 2,614 | 45,614 |
| 1908 | 10,785 | 15,129 | 8,370 | 6,310 | 136 | 132 | 286 | 2,611 | 49,347 |
| 1909 | 13,075 | 14,163 | 9,549 | 8,209 | 76 | 264 | 183 | 2,581 | 54,519 |
| 1910 | 14,311 | 14,520 | 10,422 | 9,167 | 81 | 212 | 213 | 2,084 | 57,091 |
| 1911 | 12,301 | 13,547 | 10,701 | 10,282 | 307 | 328 | 150 | 1,929 | 55,629 |
| 1912 | 14,686 | 15,337 | 11,371 | 9,829 | 382 | 346 | 145 | 1,412 | 60,622 |
| 1913 | 18,472 | 19,452 | 11,858 | 10,810 | 515 | 250 | 432 | 1,646 | 71,544 |
| 1914 | 18,005 | 20,004 | 11,416 | 11,025 | 655 | 489 | 378 | 3,772 | 73,991 |
| 1915 | 15,897 | 18,677 | 9,854 | 10,317 | 533 | 268 | 334 | 3,364 | 67,661 |
| 1916 | 19,301 | 19,544 | 9,827 | 11,018 | 469 | 279 | 297 | 2,848 | 71,587 |
| 1917 | 21,057 | 18,446 | 10,052 | 11,191 | 455 | 312 | 275 | 2,966 | 72,873 |
| 1918 | 20,239 | 19,102 | 9,449 | 10,635 | 605 | 214 | 288 | 3,086 | 71,447 |
| 1919 | 22,932 | 21,437 | 12,425 | 13,363 | 809 | 214 | 428 | 3,011 | 82,553 |
| 1920 | 25,728 | 25,435 | 15,010 | 15,950 | 1,087 | 316 | 611 | 3,587 | 96,350 |
| 1921 | 26,914 | 24,747 | 15,368 | 14,815 | 1,315 | 348 | 663 | 4,054 | 97,719 |
| 1922 | 26,545 | 22,320 | 15,761 | 14,631 | 1,350 | 378 | 602 | 3,803 | 96,838 |
| 1923 | 25,816 | 21,854 | 15,249 | 13,937 | 1,089 | 344 | 560 | 3,996 | 94,438 |
| 1924 | 27,656 | 22,540 | 15,402 | 14,430 | 1,035 | 363 | 611 | 2,821 | 96,822 |
In drawing inferences from the preceding tables allowance must be made for the fact that, as these figures represent the numbers on the rolls of the various unions, a certain amount of duplication takes place, it being quite possible for a worker to be a member of two or more unions at the one time, especially in the case of a casual occupation such as waterside working. It is quite impossible to form any idea as to what extent such duplication takes place; but it is very unlikely that it occurs to such an extent as to affect materially the total figures.
As is quite evident from even a cursory glance at the foregoing tables, there has been a gradual increase in both numbers of workers' unions and membership thereof during the period under review. With one or two minor interruptions a steady increase both in numbers and in membership was recorded up to the year 1914, when there were 403 registered unions with 73,991 members. The effect of the war is very marked, a sudden drop of 6,330 members being recorded in 1915, followed by a slight increase in 1916 and 1917 and a drop in 1918, the membership at 31st December, 1918, being 71,447. Very considerable increases were recorded during the next two years, the membership rising to 82,553 in 1919, and to 96,350 in 1920. The figures for 1921 (418 unions, with 97,719 members) are the highest on record, decreases being recorded during the two succeeding years, followed by a slight increase in membership from 1923 to 1924, with, however, a further drop in the number of unions; the totals at the 31st December, 1924, standing at 402 unions, with 96,822 members.
Until the year 1916 the Wellington District held pride of place both in regard to the number of workers' unions registered and on the basis of membership; but since that year the number of unions has gradually diminished, while the number of members has not risen to the same extent as has been the case in the Northern District; with the result that since 1916 the latter district has displaced Wellington from its position. This is doubtless partly a reflection of the phenomenally rapid population-increase in Auckland Province during recent years. In recent years the number of unions in the Otago and Southland District has been consistently higher than in Canterbury, though in each of the last four years the membership has been lower. Westland shows a much higher membership than the other three minor districts, but is still a long away behind any of the four major districts.
From successive numbers of the Annual Report of the Labour Department it is possible to compile statistics of the distribution of unions of employees and workers, and of their membership, according to the industries with which they are connected. This has been done for the year 1924, and a summary is first given showing the number of industrial associations of employers and workers in each industrial group, with the number of affiliated unions in each case.
| Industrial Group. | Employers. | Workers. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associations. | Affiliated Unions. | Associations. | Affiliated Unions. | |
| Food, drink, &c. | .. | .. | 3 | 16 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | .. | .. | 2 | 14 |
| Textiles and weaving | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Building and construction | 2 | 16 | 4 | 48 |
| Wood-manufacture | 2 | 12 | 3 | 12 |
| Paper-manufacture and printing | 2 | 18 | 2 | 10 |
| Metal-works and engineering | 1 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
| Other manufactures | .. | .. | 1 | 4 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Land transport | .. | .. | 3 | 24 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 1 | 6 | 4 | 29 |
| Hotels, restaurants, &c. | .. | .. | 1 | 8 |
| Miscellaneous | 1 | 4 | 5 | 31 |
| Totals | 11 | 66 | 33 | 216 |
The building and construction group is seen to have- the largest number of affiliated unions of workers, and the second largest in the case of employers. In the group covering paper-manufacturing and printing a peculiar position is disclosed, in that the number of affiliated unions of employers is not only greater than the corresponding number of workers' unions, but also exceeds the total number of registered unions of employers. Presumably some unions are affiliated with both of the associations of employers in this industry.
In the next table industrial unions of employers are classified as to both numbers and membership according to their distribution in industries and in districts.
| Industrial Group. | Industrial District. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | Taranaki. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | Totals. | |
| Number of Unions. | |||||||||
| Food, drink, &c. | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | .. | .. | 16 | .. | .. |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | .. | 1 | 16 | .. |
| Textiles and weaving | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. |
| Building | 6 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | .. | .. | 22 | .. |
| Wood-manufacture | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | 12 | .. | .. |
| Paper — manufacture and printing | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | .. | 1 | 14 | .. |
| Metal-works and engineering | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | .. | .. | 1 | 11 | .. |
| Other manufactures | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. |
| Mining, &o. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | .. |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 11 |
| Land transport | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 5 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 8 | .. |
| Hotels, restaurants, &c. | 2 | 1 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 7 |
| Miscellaneous | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 9 |
| Totals | 36 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 138 |
| Number of Members. | |||||||||
| Food, drink, &c. | 205 | 43 | 147 | 100 | .. | .. | .. | 495 | .. |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 101 | 46 | 47 | 82 | 11 | .. | 10 | .. | 297 |
| Textiles and weaving | 14 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 14 |
| Building | 241 | 357 | 161 | 217 | 15 | .. | .. | .. | 991 |
| Wood-manufacture | 120 | 60 | 45 | 8 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 233 |
| Paper — manufacture and printing | 105 | 31 | 31 | 41 | 13 | .. | 16 | .. | 237 |
| Metal-works and engineering | 24 | 24 | 67 | 69 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 184 |
| Other manufactures | .. | .. | 11 | 5 | .. | .. | .. | 16 | .. |
| Mining, &c. | 1 | .. | .. | 11 | .. | .. | 1 | 13 | .. |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 164 | 270 | 896 | 187 | 57 | 75 | .. | .. | 1,649 |
| Land transport | 26 | 105 | 20 | 35 | .. | .. | 12 | 198 | .. |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 12 | 26 | 31 | 14 | .. | .. | .. | 83 | .. |
| Hotels, restaurants, &c. | 188 | 12 | 171 | .. | 10 | .. | 56 | 437 | .. |
| Miscellaneous | 145 | 58 | 14 | 131 | .. | 10 | .. | .. | 358 |
| Totals | 1,346 | 1,032 | 1,641 | 900 | 106 | 75 | 36 | 69 | 5,205 |
The most noteworthy feature of this table is the extremely high membership of unions of agricultural and pastoral employers. As will be seen from the tables immediately following, this is in marked contrast to the position respecting unions of workers. This is no doubt due to the fact that a large number of small farmers belong to the employers' unions. The workers, on the other hand, are almost entirely seasonal workers, especially in the case of the majority of those unionized—viz., the shearers and the threshing-mill employees. In these cases the workers travel round and work for several employers in the one season.
It is worthy of note that the Canterbury District, while the lowest of the four principal districts in respect to number of unions of employers, has actually the highest number of members. This is due to the facts mentioned in the preceding paragraph, 896 out of a total of 1,641 members belonging to the “Agricultural and pastoral” group. The number of members of unions in the building trade is particularly high in all the major districts, the highest membership (357) being recorded in the Wellington District.
Similar information to that given above for industrial unions of employers is now given for workers' unions.
| Industrial Group. | Industrial District. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern. | Wellington. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | Taranaki. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | Total. | |
* Including 2 unions of railway employees, with a total membership of 11,964. | |||||||||
| Numbers of Unions. | |||||||||
| Food, drink, &c. | 11 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .. | 45 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| Textiles and weaving | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 9 | .. |
| Building | 13 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 63 |
| Wood-manufacture | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 21 |
| Paper — manufacture and printing | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 15 |
| Metal — works and engineering | 9 | 7 | 4 | 11 | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 35 |
| Other manufactures | 11 | 8 | 7 | 11 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 38 |
| Mining, &c. | 9 | .. | .. | 5 | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 19 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 12 |
| Land transport | 4 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .. | 23* |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 11 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 31 |
| Hotels, restaurants, &c. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| Miscellaneous | 15 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 57 |
| Totals | 103 | 81 | 64 | 100 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 402* |
| Number of Workers. | |||||||||
| Food, drink, &c. | 2,337 | 3,173 | 2,512 | 1,617 | 258 | 80 | 21 | .. | 9,998 |
| Clothing, boots, &c. | 2,028 | 842 | 1,465 | 1,422 | 9 | .. | 24 | 24 | 5,814 |
| Textiles and weaving | 105 | 719 | 254 | 772 | .. | .. | .. | 1,850 | .. |
| Building | 4,361 | 3,608 | 2,718 | 1,883 | 276 | 53 | 138 | 58 | 13,095 |
| Wood-manufacture | 1,502 | 669 | 575 | 1,359 | 41 | .. | .. | 1,464 | 5,610 |
| Paper — manufacture and printing | 717 | 881 | 460 | 477 | .. | .. | 9 | 18 | 2,562 |
| Metal -works and engineering | 1,770 | 1,057 | 1,196 | 1,224 | .. | 63 | .. | 100 | 5,410 |
| Other manufactures | 871 | 322 | 329 | 355 | .. | .. | 76 | .. | 1,953 |
| Mining, &c. | 1,492 | .. | .. | 596 | .. | .. | 25 | 486 | 2,599 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 222 | 460 | 1,058 | 579 | .. | 109 | .. | .. | 2,428 |
| Land transport | 1,561 | 1,349 | 1,126 | 685 | 77 | 14 | 44 | .. | 16,820* |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 3,237 | 4,517 | 884 | 1,394 | 195 | 56 | 88 | 290 | 10,661 |
| Hotels, restaurants, &c. | 2,757 | 2,484 | 1,580 | 551 | 100 | 17 | 73 | 210 | 7,772 |
| Miscellaneous | 4,696 | 2,459 | 1,245 | 1,516 | 79 | 34 | 50 | 171 | 10,260 |
| Totals | 27,656 | 22,540 | 15,402 | 14,430 | 1,035 | 363 | 611 | 2,821 | 96,822* |
The highest numbers of unions registered in single groups are found in the groups “Building and construction” (63 unions) and “Miscellaneous” (57 unions). The greatest, number of workers on the rolls, however, is found in the group “Land transport” (16,820 members), followed by the group “Building and construction” (13,095 members). Unionism has not advanced to any great extent among workers in agricultural and pastoral pursuits, the fact that the workers are widely scattered no doubt being largely responsible. In fact, the shearers' unions are the only important unions in this class of employment. The group “Textiles and weaving” has the lowest actual number of unionists (1,850), but this is no doubt due to the fact that this class of industry accounts for only a small proportion of wage-earners in New Zealand.
The group “Land transport” includes members of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and of the Engine-drivers', Firemen's, and Cleaners' Association, totalling 11,964 workers, all of whom are registered under the Act. The total of 13,095 for the building trade must be regarded as very high for an industry with such widely scattered branches and activities. The unions under the head of “Shipping and cargo-working” have also a high aggregate membership (10,661). As will be seen in a later table, this group has the highest percentage of registered unionists to total wage-earners.
The Northern Industrial District contains the greatest number of registered unionists (27,656), followed by Wellington District (22,540). This is no doubt due largely to the fact that Auckland City and its environs comprise by far the largest centre of population in the Dominion, and it is a well-known economic fact that, unless there are some special counteracting influences, unionism tends to flourish better the more concentrated the population. The Westland Industrial District has considerably more registered unionists than other minor districts; a remarkable fact in this instance being that, of a total of 2,821 members of unions registered under the Arbitration Act, no fewer than 1,464 belong to the group “Wood-manufacture.” This total is only 38 behind that for the corresponding group in the Northern District, and is considerably in advance of the total for any other district. The majority of the coal-miners in the Westland district do not belong to unions registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.
The following table, showing the proportion of workers belonging to unions registered under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act to the total number of wage-earners in the country, is of interest as manifesting the movement in unionism during the period under review, with a rough idea of its extent. It must be remembered that the figures given for total wage-earners at the census include professional and business classes in which unionism does not exist, and agricultural and pastoral employees where it is practically non-existent. Moreover, females are included in both sets of figures, and the proportion of women unionized is always small.
| Year. | Total Wage-earners. |
|---|---|
| 1901 (March) | 224,346 |
| 1906 (April) | 269,039 |
| 1911 (April) | 304,272 |
| 1916 (October) | 302,161 |
| 1921 (April) | 370,692 |
| Year. | Numbers of Workers on Rolls of Registered Unions. | Percentage of Wage-earners on Rolls of Registered Unions. |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 (December) | 17,989 | 8 |
| 1905 (December) | 29,869 | 11 |
| 1910 (December) | 57,091 | 19 |
| 1916 (December) | 71,587 | 24 |
| 1920 (December) | 96,350 | 26 |
This table gives some idea of the increase in the proportion of wage-earners belonging to registered unions during the period under review; but perhaps a better idea can be gained from the following table, where index numbers are employed to show the movement since 1901, the totals on the rolls being adjusted to make allowance for the increases in the number of wage-earners. To put it more clearly, the table shows the movement assuming a constant total number of wage-earners during the period.
| Census Year. | Index. |
|---|---|
| 1901 | 100 |
| 1906 | 137 |
| 1911 | 234 |
| 1916 | 295 |
| 1921 | 324 |
The following table shows the percentage of registered unionists to total wage-earners in several industrial groups. The idea given is only approximate, in that the groups do not exactly coincide in some cases; in fact, the group “Miscellaneous” was omitted altogether, in view of the heterogeneous nature of the constituent industries in the group.
| Industrial Group. | Wage-earners (Census, April, 1921). | Number on Rolls of Registered Unions, 31st December, 1920. | Percentage of Wage-earners on Rolls of Registered Unions. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food, drink, &c. | 19,127 | 12,467 | 65 |
| Clothing and drapery manufacture | 15,848 | 6,846 | 43 |
| Textiles and weaving | 3,427 | 1,618 | 47 |
| Building-construction, &c. | 18,480 | 9,914 | 54 |
| Sawmilling, forestry, &c. | 12,904 | 4,656 | 36 |
| Paper-manufacture and printing | 6,366 | 2,279 | 36 |
| Metal-working and engineering | 10,838 | 5,111 | 47 |
| Other manufactures | 10,757 | 2,026 | 19 |
| Mining and quarrying | 7,485 | 4,049 | 54 |
| Agricultural and pastoral | 55,549 | 1,798 | 3 |
| Hotels, restaurants, &c. | 36,058 | 8,757 | 24 |
| Land transport | 24,161 | 13,150 | 54 |
| Shipping and cargo-working | 16,474 | 14,079 | 85 |
The group “Shipping and cargo-working” shows a remarkably large percentage of unionists, the figure being as high as 85 per cent. The figure for the group of industries coining under the heading of “Food, drink, &c.” (64 per cent.) is high when the importance of that group is considered, it ranging third in order of importance as regards number of wage-earners. Agricultural and pastoral workers, who cover the huge total, comparatively speaking, of 55,549 workers, have only 1,798, or 3 per cent., of their number on the union rolls.
Table of Contents
PROBABLY never in the history of the world has unemployment been so acute and so widespread as in the years that have followed the boom that culminated shortly after the conclusion of the Great War. The result has been a great stimulus to the collection and compilation of adequate statistics dealing with the phenomenon: while an International Conference of Labour Statisticians, held at Geneva in April, 1925, under the auspices of the League of Nations, passed a number of important resolutions designed to secure some measure of international uniformity in respect of such statistics.
The report of the Conference sets forth certain principal desiderata for statistics of unemployment. In the first place, such statistics should provide evidence as to the extent of unemployment. Now, as the volume of unemployment varies considerably, not only from year to year but also with the seasons, it is important that the phenomenon should be studied more or less continuously. Furthermore, as the volume of unemployment varies also as between different industries and occupations, it is desirable that the data should be classified as far as possible along these lines. Finally, as in so many branches of statistics, mere absolute numbers are of relatively small value; what is required, if possible, being the relative amount, or “rate,” of unemployment—the number of persons unemployed per 1,000 persons subject to the risk of unemployment—i.e., per 1,000 persons of the wage-earning class.
The statistics should furnish data for determining the causes of unemployment. Here again “a series of figures relating to short periods is essential to enable comparisons to be made with similar series dealing with other social phenomena,” and to ascertain the presence or absence of concomitances of variation on which to base inferences concerning causal relations existing between unemployment and these phenomena. Similarly, an examination of the fluctuations of unemployment, based on frequent statistics, enables prior impressions in respect of the seasonal or cyclical nature of certain fluctuations in unemployment to be checked by definite data. A study of the available data as to unemployment in different countries, for example, elicits the fact that the special conditions prevailing in many industries in winter have merely the slightest effect on the labour-market as a whole in Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Australia; while they have considerable effects in the Netherlands, in Scandinavian countries, in Canada, and. (as will shortly be seen) in New Zealand. Similarly, a study of the special causes of unemployment in certain industries or occupations would be considerably facilitated by the existence of statistics of unemployment, compiled according to industry or occupation. For the study of causal connections between unemployment and other phenomena, however, absolute figures for unemployment are not essential; some figure which is known to move up and down, barometer-like, in sympathy with the absolute numbers of the unemployed will often serve equally well for this purpose.
Finally, statistics of unemployment should shed light on the efficiency of measures adopted for the prevention and relief of unemployment. Here again there is a strong case for collection and compilation at frequent intervals of unemployment statistics, and for their grouping according to industry or occupation; while there is also a case, though not so urgent a one, for the obtaining of absolute numbers and of “rates.” Here again some barometer-like index will frequently suffice.
For the ascertainment of statistics of unemployment various sources of information may be utilized, according to the data available in different countries. The principal sources may be enumerated as follows:—
Statistics of compulsory insurance.
Statistics of voluntary insurance (especially through the medium of trade-unions).
Statistics based on estimates made by trade-unions, where it is not a usual trade-union characteristic to pay unemployment benefits.
Statistics of public employment exchanges.
Statistics of State relief to the unemployed.
Statistics of unemployment derived from an inquiry in the population census.
An inverse indication is also available in statistics of numbers on the pay-rolls of industrial establishments.
A brief reference to each of the above sources, with an indication of the extent to which statistics drawn from such sources fulfil the desiderata laid down under the previous heading, will now be made.
For reasons which will shortly appear, records of compulsory insurance are generally regarded as the best source of unemployment statistics, especially If the system of insurance is broadly based as regards industries. This source is not, however, available where, as in New Zealand, no compulsory unemployment-insurance system is in operation. The principal countries publishing such statistics are Great Britain and Italy.
Voluntary insurance is less satisfactory than compulsory insurance as a source of a statistic of unemployment. Variations in the personnel insured, and also as regards matters of detail effected in the conditions of administration of the insurance schemes themselves, may seriously affect comparisons. The length of the period of probation, the length of waiting-period (if any) before benefits become payable, and the length of the maximum period during which benefits are paid are some of the items in regard to which variations may occur either from time to time or between different industries. All these are more likely to vary under a voluntary scheme than under a compulsory scheme, where every change requires legislation. Those making use of these statistics are not always in possession of the information necessary to enable them to make satisfactory allowance for the effects of such modifications; whereas modifications effected by legislation are always definite as regards both time and extent.
Fewer industries are likely to come within the scope of optional insurance schemes; and the industries covered are likely to be less clearly defined. In short, these statistics yield partial data only; and they supply no information as to the total numbers of the unemployed. Not only are they partial, but they probably axe more or less confined to industries subject to less than the average risk of unemployment. They thus fail to constitute a fair sample of labour-market conditions.
Such statistics of unemployment are available in about a dozen countries of Europe. As there is little or no insurance against unemployment in New Zealand, no data of this nature are available.
Statistics based on estimates made by trade-unions are not so satisfactory as those derivable from unemployment-insurance data, as there is little inducement for trade-unions, in the absence of insurance schemes, to keep accurate records of unemployment. But the estimates are not likely to differ from time to time or from industry to industry because of any arbitrary differences such as those which are involved in the utilization of voluntary unemployment-insurance data.
Trade-union estimates of unemployment have for some time been collected and compiled in Australia and in Canada. The collection in New Zealand of statistics of unemployment based on estimates of trade-unions is at the time of writing under consideration, and it is hoped that by the time this Year-book is published a system of collection may be in operation. It is intended that the information should be tabled quarterly, and the results of the initial collection-will probably be published first in. the Monthly Abstract of Statistics.
If (which is probably not really desirable on general grounds) unemployed persons were obliged to register at a public employment exchange, and if those workers who desired to change their employment were not permitted to register, a valuable statistic would be created; for there would exist a convenient and efficient system of estimating the total numbers unemployed. The requisite conditions are partially realized where compulsory insurance and. registration at public employment exchanges go hand in hand. Under other circumstances, the exact numbers of the unemployed are not registered; for many seek jobs through private employment bureaux (where such are permitted to exist), through “want-ads,” through the good offices of friends or relations, through direct application from factory to factory, &c.; and some register with employment exchanges who are still in posts but who desire a change. Even so, however, statistics of the activities of Government employment exchanges will be valuable as indexes of fluctations in the labour-market, despite the fact that unemployment rates (i.e., the number of unemployed per 1,000 wage-earners) cannot in such cases be accurately computed.
In New Zealand public employment exchanges exist, with private bureaux operating alongside them. Weekly figures relating to the activities of the former are available, and are published regularly in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics; they do not show the full volume of employment, but they may be regarded as symptomatic of the general unemployment situation, rising when unemployment increases and falling when it decreases, though not necessarily in the same proportion. For example, the extent to which there is duplicate registration of an unemployed person with the State and with private bureaux probably varies considerably with the condition of the labour-market; as does also the extent to which jobless men avail themselves of different means of getting into touch with manless jobs—viz., employment agencies, “want-ads,” direct applications at the factory-gates, &c.
Statistics of State relief afforded to unemployed workpeople lack comparability at different dates owing to changes in the conditions under which relief has been granted. While the statistics may show for any given date the actual number of unemployed who have been in receipt of relief, they do not show (nor can they reasonably be expected to show) the percentage which that number represents of the working population covered. They certainly measure the effort made by the authorities to relieve unemployment where no adequate system of insurance is established. They rarely, however, provide continuous information spread over a long series of years, for on the cessation of the circumstances which have called forth the measures of relief they naturally automatically cease. The mere existence of such figures from time to time in the past in New Zealand must be regarded as symptomatic of unfavourable conditions as regards employment; and in this respect they are sometimes of value when information on the subject is not readily available from other sources.
The great disadvantage of the census inquiry regarding unemployment is that it provides data only at long intervals — that is, in New Zealand, quinquennially. Moreover, as the population census is not always held in the same month, and as unemployment is in many countries (including New Zealand) subject to a very high seasonal variation, figures for unemployment at successive census dates are liable to exhibit fictitious fluctuations. Further difficulties emerge when one census-taking happens to correspond with a period when a large number of workers are unemployed as a result of an industrial dispute.
On the other hand, the census source of information as to unemployment is exceedingly valuable in certain respects. It provides data as to unemployment in conjunction with such interesting relevant facts as conjugal condition, nationality, length of residence, age, religion, &c.—combinations of data which are not readily available from other sources of information as to unemployment. Another point is this: in countries such as New Zealand, where the available statistics do not show the total numbers of unemployed, the census fills the gap, and incidentally provides some criterion whereby, on the basis of the ratio between the census and the other available unemployment data at the date of the former, interpolations to yield the total number of unemployed at intercensal dates may be effected with some tolerable claim to precision.
A method of inquiry as to the state of the labour-market which has a considerable vogue is by a judiciously chosen sample from establishments in selected industries, information being obtained as to the numbers on the pay-rolls. If the sample is restricted wholly to large industries the result is liable to be erroneous, as was noted in the United States of America during the slump of 1920-22, when the reduction of staff was found by the National Bureau of Economic Research to be less in small establishments than in large. To obviate fictitious fluctuations identical establishments must as far as possible be covered each month.
These statistics give no indication of the absolute numbers of the unemployed. They are merely inversely symptomatic in a rough fashion of the unemployment situation.
The index of the volume of employment is liable, moreover, to show fictitious variations in sympathy with changes in the industrial structure of the country, as well as with the gradual growth of industry and (though corrections can be introduced for these) with seasonal and cyclical fluctuations in industrial conditions.
The following countries collect quarterly or monthly statistics of the volume of employment: United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, South Africa, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden.
Virtually the only statistics of unemployment available in New Zealand prior to 1925 have been derived from the following sources:—
The unemployment inquiry included quinquennially since 1896 in the census questionnaire. This information relates only to the position at a definite point of time—viz., the date of the census; though it provides considerable wealth of detail as regards the relation between unemployment and other phenomena. Its shortcomings have already been dictated.
The continuous records, of the Labour Department's Employment Bureaux, extending back to the date of the creation of that Department in June, 1891, mainly indeed on account of the surplus of unemployed labour then existing in most of the chief towns.
Occasional figures relating to State relief of unemployment in times of acute depression.
Practically no statistical evidence as to the extent of unemployment in New Zealand prior to 1892 is available. In general, however, as was natural in a newly settled country, labour was long chronically in short supply. Unemployment, however, is, on the other hand, well known to have been acute in the middle and late “sixties,” owing to the paralysing effect of the Maori wars in the North and to the collapse of the alluvial gold booms in Otago and Westland. It was again acute in the late “eighties” and early “nineties,” owing to the fall in the prices that New Zealand's products (notably wool) were fetching in the world's markets, and to the cessation of the construction of public works on a large scale under the Vogel scheme. During both these periods the unemployment position was so acute as to be responsible for a considerable exodus of male population to Australia and elsewhere; this phenomenon being reflected in a fall of the male net immigration (arrivals minus departures) to the low point for a new country of — 602 in 1868, a variable which again became algebraically negative in each of the years 1888, 1890, and 1891; the lowest point (—5936) being reached in 1888. The later depression was also sufficient to account for a negative figure for female net immigration in each of the years 1888 to 1891, the lowest point being reached at -3239 in 1888. Except for the period 1915-18, during which the departure of troops for the seat of war caused a large excess of departures over arrivals, such negative figures are unique in the history of the country.
According to monthly figures published in order to show the numbers of persons employed on relief works (mainly road and railway construction) it would appear that the most acute position in the late “eighties” was reached during August or September, 1888, there being at the end of the former month no fewer than 727 persons so employed. Seasonal demands for labour in private employment' were then responsible for activities on the relief works being gradually relaxed. By the end of April, 1889, the figure had fallen to 117; and, although it rose again (under (seasonal influences) to 247 by the end of September of that year, by February, 1890, the need for relief works had definitely passed away. With, however, the continued fall in the prices of New Zealand produce in the world's markets, and with contraction of public-works expenditure, particularly in the South Island, consequent on the exhaustion of external loans, the position again became acute in the winter of 1891, and it was this depression which was mainly responsible for the coming into being of the Labour Department on the 1st June of that year.
The following table shows the numbers of the unemployed assisted to employment from year to year by the Labour Department. The figures exclude the operations of the Women's Employment Branch of the Department, which was twice created (not under identical names) and twice abandoned as urgency passed:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Number assisted. |
|---|---|
| 1892 | 2,593 |
| 1893 | 3,874 |
| 1894 | 3,371 |
| 1895 | 3,030 |
| 1896 | 2,871 |
| 1897 | 1,718 |
| 1898 | 2,035 |
| 1899 | 2,115 |
| 1900 | 2,147 |
| 1901 | 3,124 |
| 1902 | 1,830 |
| 1903 | 3,704 |
| 1904 | 2,860 |
| 1905 | 3,130 |
| 1906 | 6,712 |
| 1907 | 7,393 |
| 1908 | 6,305 |
| 1909 | 10,391 |
| 1910 | 8,506 |
| 1911 | 7,102 |
| 1912 | 5,735 |
| 1913 | 5,848 |
| 1914 | 5,645 |
| 1915 | 7,515 |
| 1916 | 5,978 |
| 1917 | 2,966 |
| 1918 | 2,952 |
| 1919 | 3,199 |
| 1920 | 4,205 |
| 1921 | 3,364 |
| 1922 | 4,989 |
| 1923 | 3,987 |
| 1924 | 3,877 |
| 1925 | 3,890 |
The total number of men for whom employment has been found by the Department of Labour up to 31st March, 1925, is 148,961, the dependants of these numbering 181,037. Of the 148,961 men assisted, private employment was found for 70,413, while the remaining 78,548 went to works of various kinds for the General Government.
The fluctuations revealed by the figures seem to be closely bound up with the success of the local harvest (the grain crops were relatively much more important factors in the total economy of New Zealand twenty years ago than they are to-day); with the prices realized by New Zealand's export produce in the world's markets; with the loan funds available for the construction of public works; and with the volume of male net immigration. Thus the high unemployment figure of 1893-94 corresponded with the world-wide depression then prevailing; and with a consequent fall in the prices realized by New Zealand's export products, notably kauri-gum; resulting local bank failures, causing widespread difficulties in commercial and industrial circles; the stoppage of the Midland Railway works; also with a wave of immigration from Australia, where industrial conditions were apparently even more acute.
From about 1894 the world prices of New Zealand's principal exports began to rise, while already for some years the commercial success of refrigeration had been enabling a considerable export trade in frozen meat and dairy-produce to be built up. By 1896 the unemployment situation was greatly relieved, and the previously familiar countryside spectacle of “swaggers” had almost ceased for the time being to exist. The North Island gold boom of 1897 further helped matters, though with its collapse in the following year something in the nature of a set-back occurred.
The high figure for 1900 may have been partly due to dislocations brought about by the Boer War; it is probably, however, largely fictitious, the year 1900-1 having been one of greatly increased activity in connection with the prosecution of the North Island Main Trunk, the Otago Central, the Midland, the Cheviot, the Kawakawa, the Stratford Inland, and other railways, and persons seeking employment in such works as artisans and labourers were obliged to register with the Labour Department. The increased figures after 1902 may be ascribed to a collapse of the dredging boom in Otago, with its consequent adverse reactions on the Dunedin engineering trades; to a wave of immigration following droughts in Australia in 1903 and 1904, and to further similar waves in 1906 and in 1908. The high figures for 1909 are also partly a reflex of the Wall Street panic in 1907 and the consequent shortage of purchasing-power in the hands of New Zealand's customers; to a serious fall in the demand for phormium-fibre: and to the throwing out of employment of many labourers and artisans on the completion in 1908 of the North Island Main Trunk Railway.
The great improvement in the unemployment situation between 1891-92 and 1904-5 is reflected by the fact that the average duration in months of unemployment fell from 2.4 in 1891-92 to 1.8 in 1893-94. By 1895-96 it had temporarily risen to 2.0; but it fell again, at first rapidly and then more slowly, to 1.3 in 1900-1 and 1901-2. In 1902-3 it was 1.4; in 1903-4, 0.8; and in 1904-5, 0.7.
On the outbreak of the Great War many firms adopted a policy of rigorous retrenchment, with the result that applications for employment increased rapidly till a maximum was attained in September, 1914. The position was relieved by the establishment of relief works of a public character in the chief and secondary centres of population, mainly by the municipal authorities. After September the position quickly improved, as a result of an increased seasonal demand for labour; through the removal of much labour-power to non-economic spheres, viz., to military service; through war-begotten demands for increased supplies of clothing, boots, saddlery, and the like; through a considerably augmented demand for labour in connection with the fitting-out of troopships, &c. In December, 1920, there was still a shortage of labour; but after that date overimportation and consequent financial stringency were responsible for a serious slump. The position was most acute during the week ended 24th June, 1922, at the end of which there were no fewer than 1,825 unfilled applications still remaining on the books of the Labour Department. The position was relieved by the provision of employment on public works of secondary importance, which otherwise, in accordance with the post-war policy of “concentration” in public-works construction, would have been obliged to wait their turn for a few years—especially on railway-works.
The accompanying table shows the number of unemployed remaining on the books of the Labour Department during the first week lying wholly within each month from September, 1921, onwards, together with the number of applicants for whom work was found during the week.
| First Complete week of | Number of Applicants “placed.” | Number of Applications remaining on Books at End of Week. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland. | Wellington. | Christchurch. | Dunedin. | Other Branch Offices. | Total. | ||
| 1921. | |||||||
| September | 159 | 220 | 525 | 108 | 85 | 198 | 1,136 |
| October | 182 | 214 | 408 | 151 | 181 | 225 | 1,179 |
| November | 132 | 195 | 389 | 197 | 172 | 187 | 1,140 |
| December | 120 | 232 | 304 | 113 | 98 | 132 | 879 |
| 1922. | |||||||
| January | 75 | 240 | 307 | 131 | 132 | 117 | 927 |
| February | 89 | 384 | 341 | 86 | 104 | 284 | 1,199 |
| March | 79 | 370 | 399 | 82 | 55 | 273 | 1,179 |
| April | 117 | 404 | 335 | 111 | 86 | 248 | 1,184 |
| May | 125 | 444 | 468 | 68 | 76 | 392 | 1,448 |
| June | 164 | 526 | 497 | 239 | 89 | 400 | 1,751 |
| July | 123 | 482 | 467 | 153 | 71 | 640 | 1,813 |
| August | 122 | 441 | 454 | 178 | 82 | 265 | 1,420 |
| September | 213 | 376 | 350 | 264 | 83 | 226 | 1,299 |
| October | 147 | 298 | 318 | 214 | 77 | 178 | 1,085 |
| November | 77 | 233 | 325 | 136 | 61 | 153 | 908 |
| December | 49 | 159 | 213 | 154 | 30 | 104 | 660 |
| 1923. | |||||||
| January | 35 | 97 | 144 | 90 | 64 | 74 | 469 |
| February | 86 | 196 | 241 | 77 | 24 | 118 | 656 |
| March | 70 | 176 | 182 | 90 | 22 | 150 | 620 |
| April | 39 | 136 | 246 | 72 | 25 | 95 | 574 |
| May | 30 | 145 | 192 | 59 | 22 | 104 | 522 |
| June | 63 | 216 | 224 | 128 | 22 | 250 | 840 |
| July | 69 | 175 | 305 | 98 | 16 | 309 | 903 |
| August | 64 | 149 | 154 | 73 | 23 | 227 | 626 |
| September | 89 | 174 | 186 | 39 | 18 | 106 | 523 |
| October | 41 | 171 | 149 | 40 | 13 | 91 | 464 |
| November | 86 | 153 | 97 | 33 | 9 | 74 | 366 |
| December | 88 | 130 | 81 | 31 | 13 | 63 | 318 |
| 1924. | |||||||
| January | 86 | 150 | 91 | 29 | 15 | 76 | 361 |
| February | 98 | 152 | 92 | 31 | 17 | 104 | 396 |
| March | 133 | 125 | 62 | 22 | 20 | 69 | 298 |
| April | 56 | 135 | 75 | 53 | 7 | 103 | 373 |
| May | 46 | 150 | 161 | 52 | 4 | 95 | 462 |
| June | 42 | 191 | 151 | 52 | 27 | 139 | 560 |
| July | 69 | 211 | 128 | 73 | 14 | 140 | 566 |
| August | 87 | 190 | 147 | 56 | 13 | 166 | 572 |
| September | 156 | 173 | 146 | 41 | 16 | 98 | 474 |
| October | 65 | 153 | 111 | 46 | 6 | 80 | 396 |
| November | 57 | 150 | 116 | 38 | 6 | 66 | 376 |
| December | 87 | 123 | 76 | 34 | 5 | 42 | 280 |
| 1925. | |||||||
| January | 21 | 58 | 3 | 22 | 1 | 38 | 122 |
| February | 89 | 131 | 83 | 21 | 6 | 67 | 308 |
| March | 61 | 128 | 98 | 32 | 3 | 94 | 355 |
| April | 57 | 146 | 117 | 27 | 24 | 65 | 379 |
| May | 70 | 166 | 95 | 23 | 44 | 102 | 430 |
| June | 45 | 186 | 111 | 23 | 24 | 121 | 465 |
| July | 48 | 208 | 108 | 30 | 42 | 137 | 525 |
| August | 73 | 190 | 97 | 110 | 32 | 134 | 563 |
The numbers of applications remaining on the books at the dates mentioned in the table are next shown in the form of a curve, which shows the movement at a glance:—
A marked seasonal fluctuation will be observed. The number of unplaced applicants is always at a minimum at Christmas time, when there is a great demand for labour for shearing in the country, and in connection with Christmas orders in the wholesale, retail, and manufacturing establishments of the cities and towns. Unemployment continues to be small until the conclusion of the grain and threshing seasons, but after March, with the closing of many of the freezing works, the tendency to rise is greatly augmented, until the maximum for the year is reached some time in June or July, about which months it is customary to engage additional labourers on the more important public works.
During the summer months the proportion of labourers to total persons on the books of the Labour Department falls from its winter level of about 60 per cent. (during the first week of July, 1923, and again of August, 1923, it was actually 69 per cent.) to 50 per cent. or lower (during the first week of both January and February, 1925, it was actually as low as 46 per cent.). The average duration of unemployment of unskilled labourers “placed” also (as might be expected) varies with the seasons. From about 27 days in the first weeks of July, August, and September, 1924, it fell, for example, to about 17 days in the first week of December of that year, and to 16 days in the first week of February, 1925, rising again to as high as 51 days in the first week of July, 1925.
Unemployment, as revealed by these figures, would appear to have been much more acute in the North than in the South Island. During the serious depression of the winter months of 1922 the figure for Dunedin was very low indeed; but this is partly due to the fact that several public works of secondary importance were available in the more or less immediate vicinity of that city to absorb the surplus of labour. Another point that must be remembered in this connection is that overseas steamers, generally speaking, call first at North Island ports: so that immigrants who have no settled work to proceed to naturally apply to the bureaux in that Island. Owing, moreover, to the fact that development has been proceeding more rapidly in the North than in the South, it may be that there is a tendency for southerners out of a job to drift northwards in search of employment.
The census of the night of 17th April, 1921, provides data as to unemployment at that date, though no attempt was made to separate persons out of work through scarcity of employment from those out of work as a result of illness, accident, old age, industrial disputes, or other circumstances.
The situation revealed by the 1921 census was as follows:—
| Industrial Group. | Number out of Employment. | Percentage of Unemployed among Total Wage-earners. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Totals. | Males. | Females. | Totals. | |
| Primary production | 2,848 | 14 | 2,862 | 4.14 | 0.45 | 3.98 |
| Industrial | 3,199 | 433 | 3,632 | 3.94 | 2.45 | 3.68 |
| Transport and communication | 1,237 | 21 | 1,258 | 2.59 | 0.80 | 2.50 |
| Commercial | 1,302 | 343 | 1,645 | 3.09 | 1.95 | 2.75 |
| Professional | 432 | 442 | 874 | 1.76 | 2.47 | 2.06 |
| Domestic | 314 | 697 | 1,011 | 4.97 | 2.34 | 2.80 |
| Other groups | 1,729 | 204 | 1,933 | 18.36 | 10.46 | 17.00 |
| Total unemployed | 11,061 | 2,154 | 13,215 | 3.95 | 2.38 | 3.56 |
The next table states the position in a different way:—
| Industrial Group. | Percentage of Wage-earners to Total Wage-earners. | Percentage of Unemployed to Total Unemployed. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| Primary production | 24.57 | 3.46 | 19.41 | 25.75 | 0.65 | 21.66 |
| Industrial | 28.95 | 19.50 | 26.6 | 28.92 | 20.10 | 27.48 |
| Transport and communication | 17.03 | 2.91 | 13.5 | 11.18 | 0.98 | 9.52 |
| Commercial | 15.06 | 19.39 | 16.12 | 11.77 | 15.92 | 12.45 |
| Professional | 8.78 | 19.75 | 11.46 | 3.91 | 20.52 | 6.61 |
| Domestic | 2.25 | 32.84 | 9.73 | 2.84 | 32.36 | 7.65 |
| Other groups | 3.36 | 2.15 | 3.07 | 15.63 | 9.47 | 14.63 |
| Totals | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
The figures used in arriving at the proportions of wage-earners were the total wage-earners in each class, whether unemployed or not.
The “primary production” class, as far as male workers are concerned, has a percentage of unemployed slightly in excess of its normal proportion. A similar state of affairs is shown for the “domestic” class. The abnormal position as regards “other groups” is accounted for in the main by labourers, &c., whose industry was unspecified. The majority of these would, no doubt, had they been in employment, have been classified under the “industrial” class. It is submitted, therefore, that it can be safely assumed that the figures for this latter class are understated. The remaining classes show up in a very favourable light as far as the unemployment problem is concerned. For females the “industrial” and “professional” classes have slightly more than their share of unemployed, while the remaining classes, with the exception of the residual “other groups,” have less. Similar factors apply here as in the case of the males, with the exception that the unspecified cases cannot be quite so safely allotted to any particular class.
The unemployed represented 3.95 per cent. of the male and 3.56 per cent. of all wage-earners. The favourable labour situation in New Zealand is clear when this figure is considered in the light of data at the same date from other countries (vide League of Nations Monthly Bulletin of Statistics): Belgium, 10 per cent.; Great Britain, 10 per cent.; Sweden, 25 per cent.; Norway, 16 per cent.; Denmark, 24 per cent.: Netherlands, 14 per cent.; Canada, 16 per cent.; Australia, 11 per cent.; though by reason of differences in the seasons, diverse methods of compilation, &c., international comparisons in this field must be made with the utmost diffidence and caution.
The census inquiry relating to unemployment required the period for which the wage-earner had been out of employment since the termination of the last engagement to be stated in weeks. A brief summary of this aspect of unemployment statistics is contained in the next table:—
| Duration of Unemployment, in Complete Weeks. | Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers. | Proportion per Cent. | Numbers. | Proportion per Cent. | Numbers. | Proportion per Cent. | |
| 1 | 840 | 8.13 | 135 | 6.87 | 975 | 7.92 |
| 2 | 1,731 | 16.75 | 274 | 13.94 | 2,005 | 16.30 |
| 3 | 1,283 | 12.41 | 210 | 10.68 | 1,493 | 1213 |
| 4 | 1,312 | 12.69 | 255 | 12.97 | 1,567 | 12.74 |
| 5-8 | 1,906 | 18.44 | 373 | 18.97 | 2,279 | 18.52 |
| 9-13 | 1,069 | 10.34 | 261 | 13.28 | 1,330 | 10.81 |
| 14-25 | 939 | 9.08 | 249 | 12.66 | 1,188 | 9.66 |
| 26-51 | 560 | 5.42 | 115 | 5.85 | 675 | 5.49 |
| 52 and over | 697 | 6.74 | 94 | 4.78 | 791 | 6.43 |
| Total specified | 10,337 | 100.00 | 1,966 | 100.00 | 12,303 | 100.00 |
In approximately 8 per cent. of the specified cases the duration was for less than two complete weeks, and in nearly 50 per cent. for a period less than five weeks. In the majority of cases where the duration was for six months or over, apparently influences other than the paucity of employment were relatively more important than in cases of shorter durations.
The next table contains particulars of the proportion of the total of unemployed wage-earners to be found in each age-group:—
| Age-group. | Employed Wage-earners. | Unemployed Wage-earners. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Under 21 | 19.13 | 36.08 | 14.23 | 29.03 |
| 21-24 | 11.33 | 19.72 | 11.70 | 20.76 |
| 25-29 | 11.67 | 14.66 | 11.52 | 14.96 |
| 30-34 | 11.43 | 8.80 | 9.77 | 9.57 |
| 35-44 | 21.55 | 12.02 | 18.81 | 13.23 |
| 45-54 | 14.30 | 6.03 | 14.71 | 7.15 |
| 55-64 | 7.26 | 2.13 | 11.21 | 3.53 |
| 65 and over | 3.33 | 0.56 | 8.05 | 1.77 |
| Total specified | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
In most instances the proportion differed comparatively little from the proportion of employed wage-earners in the corresponding age-groups. Generally speaking, however, unemployment is relatively more prevalent amongst old than amongst young persons.
Further light on the conditions conducive to unemployment is shed by the following table:—
| Duration of Unemployment, in Complete Weeks. | Ages in Years Last Birthday. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 21. | 21-24. | 25-34. | 35-44. | 45-54. | 55-64. | 65 and over. | Total. | |
| 1 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
| 2 | 5.8 | 7.7 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 6.2 |
| 3 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 4.6 |
| 4 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 7.0 | 7.9 | 4.7 |
| 5-8 | 5.5 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 8.8 | 14.4 | 6.8 |
| 9-12 | 21 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 6.3 | 10.3 | 3.5 |
| 13-25 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 4.7 | 7.1 | 15.9 | 3.6 |
| 26-51 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 4.6 | 91 | 2.0 |
| 52 and over | 0.4 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 5.8 | 12.5 | 2.5 |
| Not stated | 1.6 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 4.0 | 7.4 | 2.6 |
| Total | 29.2 | 40.8 | 36.4 | 34.5 | 40.7 | 61.0 | 95.5 | 39.5 |
The modal, or most frequent, duration of unemployment amongst males will be seen to be 2 and fewer than 3 weeks for all ages of wage-earners; but there is a definite tendency for the duration of unemployment to be prolonged amongst the older wage-earners. The rate of unemployment is at a minimum at ages under 21. It is fairly high at 21 and under 25, due perhaps to the termination of periods of apprenticeship and subsequent difficulty in obtaining employment in one's trade; perhaps somewhat to the fact that at that age persons who have been employed in blind-alley occupations find themselves out of a job when they come to expect a man's wage; perhaps partly to the fact that about those ages there is amongst many men a period of irresponsibility and shiftlessness, lasting until the advent of some inducement to “settle down” in a permanent home. From the very early “forties” there is a tendency for unemployment rates to increase with age; a man is becoming too old for certain jobs, while health is frequently not so good.
Another interesting feature of unemployment statistics from a social point of view is in connection with the conjugal condition of those affected. The percentages thus classified are as under, the figures quoted referring only to persons 16 years of age and upwards:—
| Conjugal Condition. | Employed Wage-earners. | Unemployed Wage-earners. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Never married | 47.17 | 87.36 | 52.35 | 88.03 |
| Married | 49.54 | 7.38 | 42.13 | 4.66 |
| Widowed | 2.98 | 4.72 | 5.03 | 6.35 |
| Divorced | 0.31 | 0.54 | 0.49 | 0.96 |
| Total specified | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Married men, while representing 49 1/2 per cent. of the total employed wage-earners 16 years of age and upwards, make up only just over 42 per cent. of the unemployed, the remaining three classes having a proportion above the normal. A somewhat similar state of affairs is revealed in the case of females.
Table of Contents
THE collection of information regarding industrial disputes was initiated by the Census and Statistics Office at the beginning of the year 1920. Information concerning disputes prior to that year was obtained by examination of the records of the Labour Department, fairly complete data being available from this source with regard to the number of disputes, their nature, causes, methods of settlement, and results. In many instances, however, it was impracticable to ascertain the duration of disputes and the number of workers involved in them, and it has been impossible to estimate the number of working days lost or the loss in wages caused by disputes prior to 1920. Under the system originated in 1920 returns furnished by Inspectors of Factories form the main source from which information is obtained. It is considered that the statistics based on these reports are less liable to bias than would be the case if parties to the dispute or other private persons were relied on to furnish the information. It is the duty of an Inspector, during the course of a dispute in his industrial district, to collect all available particulars relating to it. The Inspectors have power to demand information from the parties concerned in the dispute, and by exercising this power when necessary they can obtain complete information.
On the termination of a dispute the Inspector in the district in which it has taken place is required to fill in and forward to the Census and Statistics Office and the Head Office of the Labour Department a return showing—(a) The location of the dispute; (b) its nature—whether direct strike, sympathetic strike, partial strike, or lockout; (c) the number of workers directly and indirectly concerned in the dispute; (d) the dates of commencement and termination of the dispute; (e) the cause, the method of settlement, and the result of the dispute; (f) the estimated loss in wages caused by the dispute; (g) the names of the firms affected and the industry in which the dispute has taken place. If the dispute results in a change of wages or hours, then the hours and wages before and after the dispute are to be shown.
Broadly speaking, industrial disputes may be divided into two main classes—strikes and lockouts. Strikes may be further subdivided into three classes—direct strikes, sympathetic strikes, and partial strikes. A direct strike is a concerted refusal on the part of a body of workers to continue work, for the purpose of forcing their demands on an employer or of resisting demands made by him. A stop-work meeting does not necessarily constitute a strike; it may be held merely to discuss certain matters relating to conditions of employment, &c., or to decide whether or not a strike shall take place. A sympathetic strike occurs when the workers strike, not to force their own demands on their employer, but in sympathy with the claims of other workers. A partial strike is a strike which does not involve a complete stoppage of work; a “go-slow” policy adopted by a body of workers may be classified as a partial strike, provided that the fact that they are adopting a “go-slow” policy is soundly established. A lockout occurs when an employer or a body of employers refuses work to a body of workers in order to force certain demands on them or to resist demands made by them.
In these tabulations the term “industrial dispute” refers only to those disputes which result in a strike or a lockout. Many disputes are, of course, settled without recourse to such measures; these are not recorded for statistical purposes.
The original Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act was placed on the New Zealand statute-book as early as 1894. Its object was to encourage the formation of industrial unions and associations, and to facilitate the settlement of industrial disputes by conciliation and arbitration. It provided for the registration as “industrial unions” of societies of workers or employers in the various industrial districts, and, as “industrial associations,” of any council or other body representing any number of such unions; for the making of industrial agreements pursuant to' the Act, and the filing of such in the Supreme Court; for the formation of industrial districts, the election of Boards of Conciliation, and the setting-up of a Court of Arbitration.
The original Act and its amendments were consolidated in 1900; a compiling Act was passed in 1905; and a further consolidation was effected in 1908. Following is a brief summary of the more important amendments: In 1898 an amendment was passed empowering the Court in its award to prescribe minimum rates of wages, with special provision for a lower rate being paid in the case of workers unable to earn the-prescribed minimum. An important amendment was passed in 1903 prohibiting any employer, worker, union of workers, or union of employers from taking proceedings to defeat any of the provisions of an award during its currency. It forbade an employer to dismiss any employee merely because he happened to be entitled to the benefit of an award or merely because he was a member of a union.
In 1905 an amendment was passed providing for the punishment by fine of any employer or worker bound by an toward or industrial agreement affecting an industry who takes part in a strike or lockout in that industry. In 1908 an additional penalty was added in the case of certain “public utility” industries, such as gas-manufacture, the supply of milk or meat, tramway services, &c. By this amendment the constitution of Conciliation Boards was altered to provide for the appointment of four Conciliation Commissioners, whose duty it is to call together representatives of employers and employees in the event of a dispute arising, and to sit with these representatives as a Conciliation Council to endeavour to effect a settlement. The decision of the Council is not binding, but disputes must be referred to a Council before they may be referred to the Arbitration Court.
A further amendment in 1911 empowered the Court to make an industrial agreement into an award, provided such agreement does not conflict with an existing award or is not contrary to the public interest. It also provided that recommendations of Conciliation Councils shall become in effect industrial agreements if none of the parties to a dispute disagrees with such recommendations.
There have been no major amendments to the Act since 1911, and the law as it existed in 1925 was consolidated in that year. Its administration is in the hands of the Labour Department, and Inspectors of Factories are charged with the duty of seeing that the provisions of awards and agreements are carried out.
The following paragraphs indicate the procedure followed in regard to industrial disputes under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act:—
An industrial union (or association of unions) of workers registered under the Act may cite a union or association of unions of employers, or an employer, or a number of employers, before a Council of Conciliation for the hearing of an industrial dispute before a Commissioner and assessors appointed from either side.
An industrial union (or association of unions) of employers registered under the Act, or an individual employer, or employers, may cite a union of workers in a similar manner. It will be noted that the workers may compel any of their employers to come under the Act; while the employers cannot compel their workers to come under it, unless the latter have registered as an industrial union or association there under; registration is voluntary.
If an agreement is arrived at and is signed by the parties it may be filed by any party as an “industrial agreement,” and be enforced accordingly; or if the assessors only have signed an agreement—termed a “recommendation” in the Act (which is usually more convenient where the parties are scattered)—that recommendation may be forwarded to the Clerk of Awards, who gives notice of it to the parties. If within the following month no objection is received, the recommendation becomes binding in the same manner as an industrial agreement.
In the event of no agreement or of a partial agreement only being arrived at, the whole matter is referred to the Arbitration Court. After hearing argument upon the matters not agreed upon, the Court makes its award, which becomes binding upon the employers specified in the award, upon any employers commencing business in the district subsequently to the date of the award, and upon all persons working for such employers. In many cases even where a “recommendation” has been arrived at in the Conciliation Council, instead of following the procedure mentioned in the preceding paragraph the parties find it more convenient to have the recommendation made into an award, and, as the Court has no jurisdiction in the case of complete agreement, it has become the practice to disagree pro forma on, say, one clause. This enables the Court to make an award in accordance with the recommendation.
Until a few years ago it was the practice for unions of workers to cite the employers as parties to a dispute, and it was only in very rare cases that the employers took the initiative, but of late several cases have occurred where the employers have cited the workers' unions before Conciliation Councils—for example, freezing-workers, cooks and stewards, seamen watersiders, coal-miners, dairy employees, and shearers.
In all cases where an industrial agreement or accepted recommendation or award is filed it becomes binding on all the parties, and a strike or lockout becomes unlawful. In a few cases the workers concerned have objected to the award, and have struck work rather than accept the conditions fixed.
The Labour Disputes Investigation Act, which was passed in 1913, applies to all disputes to which the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act does not relate—viz., where there is no award or industrial agreement or accepted recommendation thereunder in force.
Under this Act if a dispute concerning wages and other conditions of employment arises between a society or societies of workers, whether registered or not, that are not bound by any award or industrial agreement, and their employers, the society must, before it may strike, give to the Minister of Labour formal notice of the dispute, setting forth the names of the parties to the dispute and the claims made by the society. The Minister then refers the dispute to a Conciliation Commissioner to call a conference, or to a “Labour Disputes Committee” for investigation and recommendation. Such a committee consists of not less than one nor more than three members chosen from each side, with an independent chairman. In the event of no settlement being arrived at a secret ballot is taken by the Registrar of Industrial Unions among the members of the society as to whether, in the case of no recommendation having been made, a strike should eventuate; or, in the case of a recommendation having been made, as to whether the recommendation should be adopted. Seven days' notice must be given to the employers should a strike be decided upon.
Similar provisions apply with reference to the filing of a dispute and to a lockout by the employers.
In the event of an agreement being arrived at it may be filed with the Clerk of Awards. It is then enforceable in the same manner as an industrial agreement under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.
During the year 1924, 34 disputes were recorded—a decrease of 15 as compared with the figures for the previous year. As will be observed from the tables which follow the disputes were, in the main, of minor importance; the only really serious upheaval being the strike of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, comprising practically all the members of the railway service (including the workshops men) with the exception of clerical, locomotive, and administrative employees.
This dispute broke out on the 22nd April, 1924, and continued until the 29th of the same month. Although of only short duration the strike (especially coming as it did, immediately after Easter, when many people were absent from home) caused a very serious disorganisation of transport service in the Dominion. The number of workers directly concerned in the dispute was 11,839, and the loss of wages suffered by these men is estimated, at £51,063. The Society claimed increased wages and improved working conditions, but after a week's stoppage the men resumed duty, the matters in dispute being referred to a special tribunal comprising the members of the Arbitration Court with the addition of one representative from the Railway Department and one from the Society.
From the passing of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act in 1894 till the end of 1905 there were no industrial disputes dealt with under the Act; indeed, New Zealand may be said to have been entirely free from industrial disputes during that period.
The following table shows the nature and magnitude of disputes during each of the years 1906-24. Unfortunately, particulars are not available as to the number of working-days lost for years prior to 1920; and, indeed, the figures showing the number of workers involved are incomplete in many cases. Consequently only a rough idea of the magnitude of disputes occurring in a given year can be gleaned from the table, although the number of disputes and their classification are complete.
| Year. | Nature of Dispute. | Number of Firms affected. | Number of Workers involved. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Strike. | Sympathetic Strike. | Partial Strike. | Lockout. | Total. | Direct Strike. | Sympathetic Strike. | Partial Strike. | Lockout. | Total. | ||
a Figures not available. b In one case figures not available. c In two cases figures not available. d In four cases figures not available. e In five cases figures not available. f In six cases figures not available. g In seven cases figures not available. h In twelve cases figures not available. i In three cases figures not available. j In twenty cases figures not available. k In eleven cases figures not available. l In thirteen cases figures not available. m In seventy-three cases figures not available. n In forty-five cases figures not available. o In twenty-one cases figures not available. | |||||||||||
| 1906 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 88 | 88 |
| 1907 | 3 | 3 | .. | 6 | 7 | 471b | 87 | .. | .. | 558b | .. |
| 1908 | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 63 | .. | .. | .. | 63 | .. |
| 1909 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | a | .. | .. | .. | a | .. | .. |
| 1910 | 11 | .. | 2 | 2 | 15 | 15 | 237e | .. | 12b | 6 | 255f |
| 1911 | 19 | 3 | .. | .. | 22 | 22 | 1,361d | 14b | .. | .. | 1,375e |
| 1912 | 21 | 2 | 1 | .. | 24 | 29 | 4,964c | 759 | 23 | .. | 5,746c |
| 1913 | 33 | 39 | .. | 1 | 73 | 162 | 3,455c | 9,925b | .. | 20 | 13,400i |
| 1914 | 4 | 15 | 1 | .. | 20 | 20 | 529 | 3,560 | a | .. | 4,089b |
| 1915 | 7 | .. | 1 | .. | 8 | 8 | 295b | .. | a | .. | 295c |
| 1916 | 12 | 1 | 2 | .. | 15 | 21 | 696e | 160 | 43b | .. | 899f |
| 1917 | 32 | 3 | 10 | .. | 45 | 53 | 2,509h | a | 225e | .. | 2,734j |
| 1918 | 33 | .. | 6 | 1 | 40 | 44 | 3,984f | .. | 39e | 33 | 4,056k |
| 1919 | 32 | 1 | 12 | .. | 45 | 59 | 2,938e | a | 1,092g | .. | 4,030l |
| 1920 | 71 | 4 | 2 | .. | 77 | 107 | 9,491b | 5,309b | 338 | .. | 15,138c |
| 1921 | 63 | 5 | 9 | .. | 77 | 112 | 8,534 | 917 | 982 | .. | 10,433 |
| 1922 | 53 | 4 | 1 | .. | 58 | 67 | 5,778 | 376 | 260 | .. | 6,414 |
| 1923 | 45 | 2 | 2 | .. | 49 | 79 | 6,659 | 207 | 296 | .. | 7,162 |
| 1924 | .. | 1 | .. | 34 | 58 | 4,791 | .. | 24 | .. | 14,815 | .. |
| Totals | 475 | 82 | 50 | 5 | 612 | 867 | 66,755n | 21,314g | 3,334o | 147 | 91,550m |
From this table it will be seen that the number of disputes in any one year was very small until the year 1913, when the number suddenly rose to 73 disputes. In that year here was an epidemic of strikes throughout the country, the number of sympathetic strikes being especially large. Although it may appear from the table that a greater number of disputes occurred during 1920 and 1921 than during 1913, this is not the case. On account of the fact that forms showing particulars of disputes are not furnished until the termination of a strike, disputes which begin in one year but end in the next year are tabulated in the second year. In order to secure uniformity the plan has been adopted, in compiling the statistics for back years, of tabulating disputes according to the years of termination, not of commencement. Fourteen sympathetic strikes which began in 1913 continued until the next year, and consequently are tabulated in the year 1914. Only 3 strikes continued from the year 1921 to the year 1922, Again, as will be seen from the table, the number of workers involved in disputes during 1913 was greater than in 1921.
It will be noticed that the number of disputes during 1924 is lower than in any preceding year since 1916 and only half as numerous as in 1920 or 1921. As regards the number of workers involved, however, 1920 and 1924 apparently constitute records, due to the large number of persons affected by the railway strikes of those years.
The following table shows the nature and magnitude of disputes in each industrial district for the year 1924. The number of working-days lost is shown in this table, and is calculated by multiplying the number of workers involved by the number of days lost (exclusive of Sundays and public holidays). It is assumed that work would have been continuous if no dispute had taken place, and no allowance is made for loss of work from unemployment or other causes which might have occurred even if there had been no dispute. In some cases, such as shearing, there is a definite amount of work to be done, and a stoppage of work does not decrease the total amount of work done, but only postpones its completion. In those cases the figures are perhaps more or less fictitious, but in the great majority of cases they represent a real loss.
| — | Northern. | Taranaki. | Wellington. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | All Districts. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Disputes. | ||||||||
| Direct strike | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 33 |
| Sympathetic strike | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Partial strike | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Lockout | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 5 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 34 |
| Number of Firms affected. | ||||||||
| Totals | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 15 | 18 | 1 | 58 |
| Number of Workers involved. | ||||||||
| Direct strike | 315 | 131 | 102 | 1,235 | 437 | 732 | 11,839 | 14,791 |
| Sympathetic strike | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Partial strike | .. | 24 | .. | .. | 24 | |||
| Lockout | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 315 | 131 | 126 | 1,235 | 437 | 732 | 11,839 | 14,815 |
| Number of Working-days lost. | ||||||||
| Direct strike | 6,571 | 243 | 196 | 5,235 | 538 | 5,288 | 71,034 | 89,105 |
| Sympathetic strike | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Partial strike | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Lockout | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 6,571 | 243 | 196 | 5,235 | 538 | 5,288 | 71,034 | 89,105 |
Owing to the impossibility of obtaining figures for the separate districts the railway strike has been included separately under the heading “All Districts.” In this case the strike was a Dominion one, the union of workers being a Dominion organization.
Several disputes occurred in the coal-mines in the Westland District, but in no case was the dispute of any considerable magnitude, as is evidenced by the comparatively small number of working-days lost.
The following table shows the duration of the disputes which occurred during the years 1906-24. Several disputes have been classified as of indefinite duration owing to the lack of full information. In other cases it has been found possible to assign disputes to a class although the exact duration cannot be ascertained.
| Duration. | 1906-19. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a In one case figures not available. b In two cases figures not available. | |||||||
| Number of Disputes. | |||||||
| 1 day and less | 61 | 33 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 19 | 182 |
| 2 days and more than 1 day | 22 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 51 |
| 3 days and more than 2 days | 20 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 44 |
| Over 3 days to 1 week | 17 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 39 |
| 1 week to 2 weeks | 30 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 57 |
| 2 weeks to 4 weeks | 56 | 7 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 87 |
| 4 weeks to 6 weeks | 14 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 27 |
| 6 weeks to 8 weeks | 16 | .. | .. | 5 | .. | .. | 21 |
| 8 weeks and over | 33 | .. | 3 | 7 | 7 | .. | 50 |
| Indefinite | 48 | 6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 54 |
| Totals | 317 | 77 | 77 | 58 | 49 | 34 | 612 |
| Number of Workers involved. | |||||||
| 1 day and less | 2,888 | 3,373a | 1,436 | 2,244 | 2,098 | 1,670 | 13,709a |
| 2 days and more than 1 day | 1,146 | 5,663 | 79 | 526 | 593 | 32 | 8,039 |
| 3 days and more than 2 days | 1,269 | 387 | 527 | 287 | 1,203 | 163 | 3,836 |
| Over 3 days to 1 week | 1,821 | 1,681 | 1,590 | 75 | 35 | 25 | 5,227 |
| 1 week to 2 weeks | 4,773 | 1,051a | 799 | 1,161 | 349 | 12,521 | 20,654a |
| 2 weeks to 4 weeks | 9,430 | 1,910 | 5,614 | 299 | 111 | 154 | 17,518 |
| 4 weeks to 6 weeks | 1,939 | 213 | 292 | 301 | 257 | 250 | 3,252 |
| 6 weeks to 8 weeks | 3,778 | .. | 887 | .. | .. | 4,665 | .. |
| 8 weeks and over | 9,137 | .. | 96 | 634 | 2,516 | .. | 12,383 |
| Indefinite | 1,407 | 860 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,267 |
| Totals | 37,588 | 15,138b | 10,433 | 6,414 | 7,162 | 14,815 | 91,550b |
| Duration. | Northern. | Taranaki. | Wellington. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | All Districts. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Disputes. | ||||||||
| 1 day and less | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | .. | 19 |
| 2 days and more than 1 day | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 |
| 3 days and more than 2 days | .. | 1 | 3 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 5 |
| Over 3 days and less than 1 week | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 |
| 1 week and less than 2 weeks | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 weeks and less than 4 weeks | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 |
| 4 weeks and less than 6 weeks | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Totals | 5 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 34 |
| Number of Workers involved. | ||||||||
| 1 day and less | 59 | 75 | 55 | 805 | 386 | 290 | .. | 1,670 |
| 2 days and more than 1 day | 6 | .. | .. | .. | 26 | .. | .. | 32 |
| 3 days and more than 2 days | .. | 56 | 71 | .. | .. | 36 | .. | 163 |
| Over 3 days and less than 1 week | .. | .. | .. | .. | 25 | .. | .. | 25 |
| 1 week and less than 2 weeks | .. | .. | .. | 350 | .. | 332 | 11,839 | 12,521 |
| 2 weeks and less than 4 weeks | .. | .. | .. | 80 | .. | 74 | .. | 154 |
| 4 weeks and less than 6 weeks | 250 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 250 |
| Totals | 315 | 131 | 120 | 1,235 | 437 | 732 | 11,839 | 14,815 |
| Number of Working-days lost. | ||||||||
| 1 day and less | 59 | 75 | 55 | 805 | 386 | 290 | .. | 1,670 |
| 2 days and more than 1 day | 12 | .. | .. | .. | 52 | .. | .. | 64 |
| 3 days and more than 2 days | .. | 168 | 141 | .. | .. | 108 | .. | 417 |
| Over 3 days and less than 1 week | .. | .. | .. | .. | 100 | .. | .. | 100 |
| 1 week and less than 2 weeks | .. | .. | .. | 3,150 | .. | 3,706 | 71,034 | 77,890 |
| 2 weeks and less than 4 weeks | .. | .. | .. | 1,280 | .. | 1,184 | .. | 2,464 |
| 4 weeks and less than 6 weeks | 6,500 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6,500 |
| Totals | 6,571 | 243 | 196 | 5,235 | 538 | 5,288 | 71,034 | 89,105 |
| Estimated Loss in Wages. | ||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1 day and less | .. | 89 | 18 | 610 | 430 | 224 | .. | 1,371 |
| 2 days and more than 1 day | 7 | .. | .. | .. | 37 | .. | .. | 44 |
| 3 days and more than 2 days | .. | 112 | 130 | .. | .. | 93 | .. | 335 |
| 1 week and less than 2 weeks | .. | .. | .. | 1,785 | .. | 3,274 | 51,063 | 56,122 |
| 2 weeks and less than 4 weeks | .. | .. | .. | 1,160 | .. | 1,200 | .. | 2,360 |
| 4 weeks and less than 6 weeks | 2,500 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2,500 |
| Totals | 2,507 | 201 | 148 | 3,555 | 467 | 4,791 | 51,063 | 62,732 |
During 1924 no disputes (except, of course, the Dominion railway strike) occurred in either the Marlborough or the Nelson Industrial Districts.
From the foregoing tables it will be seen that during the period 1906-24 182 disputes, out of a total of 612, lasted for only one day or for less than one day. In 1924, 19 disputes, out of a total of 34, lasted for only one day or less; 2 disputes had a duration of between one and two days; but none of the 34 disputes recorded for the year attained really serious proportions as regards duration, not one, in fact, having a duration of six weeks or over. Details for individual years prior to 1920 were given in the 1923 Year-book.
The following table shows the number of disputes in each industrial district for the years 1906-24, and also the number of workers involved:—
| Year. | Northern. | Taranaki. | Wellington. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | Total.* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a Figures not available. b In one case figures not available. c In two cases figures not available. d In three cases figures not available. e In four cases figures not available. f In five cases figures not available. g In six cases figures not available. h In seven cases figures not available. i In nine cases figures not available. j In twenty cases figures not available. k In eleven cases figures not available. l In thirteen cases figures not available. m In seventy-three cases figures not available. n In twelve cases figures not available. o In twenty-two cases figures not available. p In eighteen cases figures not available. * The figures in the “total” column Include the 1920 and 1024 railway strikes, which cannot be allocated to industrial districts. It may, however, be mentioned that the railway strikes of 1920 were confined to the North Island. | |||||||||
| Number of Disputes. | |||||||||
| 1906 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. |
| 1907 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | 6 |
| 1908 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 |
| 1910 | 4 | .. | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 6 | 2 | 15 |
| 1911 | 7 | .. | 8 | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 2 | 22 |
| 1912 | 9 | 1 | 5 | .. | .. | 1 | 5 | 3 | 24 |
| 1913 | 21 | 3 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 73 |
| 1914 | 2 | .. | 2 | .. | 3 | 12 | .. | 1 | 20 |
| 1915 | 1 | .. | 5 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 8 |
| 1916 | 1 | .. | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | .. | 3 | 15 |
| 1917 | 8 | .. | 14 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 45 |
| 1918 | 9 | .. | 6 | .. | 1 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 40 |
| 1919 | 10 | 1 | 8 | .. | 3 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 45 |
| 1920 | 22 | .. | 12 | .. | 1 | 25 | 9 | 6 | 77* |
| 1921 | 21 | 1 | 15 | .. | 2 | 15 | 4 | 19 | 77 |
| 1922 | 10 | 1 | 11 | .. | 1 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 58 |
| 1923 | 15 | 3 | 6 | .. | .. | 13 | 1 | 11 | 49 |
| 1924 | 5 | 3 | 5 | .. | .. | 6 | 5 | 9 | 34* |
| Totals | 147 | 13 | 129 | 5 | 16 | 151 | 62 | 86 | 612* |
| Number of Workers involved. | |||||||||
| 1906 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 88 | .. | .. | 88 |
| 1907 | 46b | .. | 121 | .. | .. | 350 | 41 | .. | 558b |
| 1908 | .. | .. | 63 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 63 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | a | .. | .. | a |
| 1910 | 179b | .. | 60 | .. | .. | .. | 9e | 7b | 255g |
| 1911 | 404c | .. | 663b | .. | .. | .. | 218c | 90 | 1,375f |
| 1912 | 3,262b | 6 | 1,574 | .. | .. | 543 | 128b | 233 | 5,746c |
| 1913 | 7,576 | 101 | 1,281b | 194 | 146 | 1,526 | 610b | 1,966b | 13,400d |
| 1914 | 510 | .. | 455 | .. | 144 | 2,874b | .. | 106 | 4,089b |
| 1915 | 200 | .. | 68b | .. | .. | .. | 27b | .. | 295c |
| 1916 | 10 | .. | 412 | a | a | 434c | .. | 43c | 899g |
| 1917 | 504c | .. | 269i | 35 | 58 | 1,704h | 150b | 14b | 2,734j |
| 1918 | 422b | .. | 75b | .. | a | 3,499g | a | 60b | 4,056k |
| 1919 | 394e | a | 118d | .. | 111 | 2,300f | 880 | 221 | 4,030l |
| 1920 | 2,991 | .. | 1,081c | .. | 10 | 5,106 | 260 | 164 | 15,138c* |
| 1921 | 3,829 | 44 | 2,373 | .. | 63 | 2,319 | 312 | 1,493 | 10,433 |
| 1922 | 703 | 53 | 940 | .. | 49 | 2,771 | 1,010 | 888 | 6,414 |
| 1923 | 1,592 | 164 | 636 | .. | .. | 3,998 | 115 | 657 | 7,162 |
| 1924 | 315 | 131 | 126 | .. | .. | 1,235 | 437 | 732 | 14,815* |
| Totals | 22,937n | 499b | 10,315p | 229b | 581c | 28,753o | 4,197k | 6,674g | 91,550m* |
In the two following tables industrial disputes are classified according to the industries in which disputes took place. In the table for the period 1906-24 the totals for the Dominion only are given; but a more detailed table is also added giving fuller particulars for the disputes during the year 1924. The classification into industrial groups is the same as that used in the compilation of wage statistics. “Wood-manufacture” includes both sawmilling and the secondary stages of manufacture (cabinetmaking, &c). “Domestic service” includes in addition to employees in hotels, restaurants, &c, workers in laundries and in hairdressing saloons. “Metal-working” includes all the engineering trades, brassmoulding, fitting. &c. The designations given to the other groups are self-explanatory.
| Industrial Group. | 1905-19. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | Totals, 1906-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a In two cases figures not available. | |||||||
| Number of Disputes. | |||||||
| I. Food, drink, &c. | 54 | 11 | 6 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 98 |
| II. Clothing | 5 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 6 | .. |
| III. Textile-weaving | 10 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 10 |
| IV. Building and construction | 14 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 16 |
| V. Wood-manufacture | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | .. | 16 |
| VI. Paper-manufacture and printing | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| VII. Metal-working | 3 | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 6 | .. |
| VIII. Other manufactures | 8 | 1 | 2 | .. | 2 | 13 | .. |
| IX. Mining | 105 | 30 | 37 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 220 |
| X. Agricultural and pastoral | 8 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 9 | .. |
| XI. Land transport | 17 | 3 | .. | .. | 1 | 21 | .. |
| XII. Shipping and cargo-working | 65 | 21 | 23 | 15 | 26 | 13 | 163 |
| XIII. Domestic service, &c. | 3 | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 7 |
| XIV. Miscellaneous | 18 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 26 |
| Totals | 317 | 77 | 77 | 58 | 49 | 34 | 612 |
| Number of Workers involved. | |||||||
| I. Food, drink, &c. | 3,773 | 484 | 586 | 2,453 | 163 | 24 | 7,483 |
| II. Clothing | 81 | 30 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 111 |
| III. Textile-weaving | 1,054 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1,054 |
| IV. Building and contraction | 2,007 | 5 | .. | .. | 25 | .. | 2,037 |
| V. Wood-manufacture | 637 | 51 | 87 | 12 | 68 | .. | 855 |
| VI. Paper-manufacture and printing | 23 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 23 |
| VII. Metal-working | 887 | 12 | 22 | .. | .. | 13 | 934 |
| VIII. Other manufactures | 366 | 19 | 37 | .. | .. | 14 | 436 |
| IX. Mining | 18,805 | 7,221 | 4,972 | 3,104 | 4,599 | 1,983 | 40,684 |
| X. Agricultural and pastoral | 27 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 29 |
| XI. Land transport | 1,448 | 5,886 | .. | .. | .. | 11,839 | 19,173 |
| XII. Shipping and cargo-working | 5,435 | 1,327a | 4,704 | 839 | 2,293 | 852 | 15,450a |
| XIII. Domestic service, &c. | 868 | 15 | 6 | .. | 5 | 894 | .. |
| XIV. Miscellaneous | 2,177 | 88 | 17 | 6 | 14 | 85 | 2,387 |
| Totals | 37,588 | 15,138a | 10,433 | 6,414 | 7,162 | 14,815 | 91,550a |
| Industrial District and Group. | Number of Disputes | Number of Firms affected. | Number of Workers Involved. | Number of Working days lost. | Estimated Loss in Wages. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directly. | Indirectly. | Total. | |||||
| Northern Industrial District. | £ | ||||||
| VIII. Other manufactures | 1 | 1 | 3 | .. | 3 | 3 | .. |
| IX. Mining | 1 | 1 | 250 | .. | 250 | 6,500 | 2,500 |
| XII. Shipping and cargo-working | 3 | 3 | 62 | .. | 62 | 68 | 7 |
| Totals | 5 | 5 | 315 | .. | 315 | 6,571 | 2,507 |
| Taranaki Industrial District. | |||||||
| IX. Mining, &c. 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | .. | .. |
| XII. Shipping and cargo-working | 2 | 4 | 80 | 46 | 126 | 238 | 196 |
| Totals | 3 | 5 | 85 | 46 | 131 | 243 | 201 |
| Wellington Industrial District. | |||||||
| I. Food, drink, &c. | 1 | 1 | 24 | .. | 24 | .. | .. |
| XII. Shipping and cargo-working | 1 | 1 | 12 | .. | 12 | 36 | 60 |
| XIII. Domestic service, &c. | 1 | 1 | 5 | .. | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| XTV. Miscellaneous | 2 | 5 | 85 | .. | 85 | 155 | 85 |
| Totals | 5 | 8 | 126 | 126 | 196 | 148 | .. |
| Westland Industrial District. | |||||||
| IX. Mining, &c. | 6 | 6 | 1,135 | 100 | 1,235 | 5,235 | 3,555 |
| Canterbury Industrial District. | |||||||
| VIII. Other manufactures | 1 | 1 | 11 | .. | 11 | 11 | 3 |
| XII. Shipping and cargo-working | 4 | 14 | 414 | 12 | 426 | 527 | 464 |
| Totals | 5 | 15 | 425 | 12 | 437 | 538 | 467 |
| Otago and Southland Industrial District. | |||||||
| VII. Metal-working, &c. | 1 | 1 | 13 | .. | 13 | 13 | 9 |
| IX. Mining | 5 | 12 | 404 | 89 | 493 | 4,977 | 4,604 |
| XII. Shipping and cargo-working | 3 | 5 | 166 | 60 | 226 | 298 | 178 |
| Totals | 9 | 18 | 583 | 149 | 732 | 5,288 | 4,791 |
| All Districts. | |||||||
| XI. Land transport | 1 | 1 | 11,839 | .. | 11,839 | 71,034 | 51,063 |
| Totals. | |||||||
| I. Food, drink, &c. | 1 | 1 | 24 | .. | 24 | .. | .. |
| VII. Metal-working | 1 | 1 | 13 | .. | 13 | 13 | 9 |
| VIII. Other manufactures | 9 | 2 | 14 | .. | 14 | 14 | 3 |
| IX. Mining and quarrying | 13 | 20 | 1,794 | 189 | 1,983 | 16,717 | 10,664 |
| XI. Land transport | 1 | 1 | 11,839 | .. | 11,839 | 71,034 | 51,063 |
| XII. Shipping and cargo-working | 13 | 27 | 734 | 118 | 852 | 1,167 | 905 |
| XIII. Domestic service, &c. | 1 | 1 | 5 | .. | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| XIV. Miscellaneous | 2 | 5 | 85 | .. | 85 | 155 | 85 |
| Grand Totals | 34 | 58 | 14,508 | 307 | 14,815 | 89,105 | 62,732 |
From the foregoing tables it will be seen that the greatest number of disputes in any one industry during the period 1906-24 were in the mining industry. In the year 1924, however, an equal number of disputes belonged to the group “Shipping and cargo-working.”
In the following tables the causes of disputes occurring during the years 1906-24 are shown. Under the heading “Wages” are included disputes concerning a reduction or increase in the rates of wages in industries where time rates are paid, or concerning an increase or decrease in the rates for piecework in industries where piece rates are paid. Disputes concerning an increase or decrease in the rates for overtime are also included in this class.
Disputes concerning the number of hours of work are classified under the heading “Hours.”
Disputes concerning the employment or non-employment of certain classes of persons are included under the heading “Employment.” This question usually arises in connection with trade-union affairs—the employment of non-unionists, or the dismissal of men when, in the opinion of the other workers, their dismissal is due merely or mainly to the fact that they are prominent in union activities.
The heading “Other working — conditions” includes all causes of disputes relating to conditions of work, &c.
Under the heading “Sympathy” are included all disputes caused by workers striking not on account of a grievance with their own particular employer, but in sympathy with the demands of other workers
“Other causes” refers to all causes of disputes not included in the above classes.
| Cause. | 1906-19. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | Totals, 1906-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a Figures not available. b In one case figures not available. c In two cases figures not available. d In four eases figures not available. e In six cases figures not available. | |||||||
| Number of Disputes. | |||||||
| Wages | 122 | 31 | 21 | 26 | 13 | 12 | 225 |
| Hours | 16 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | .. | 30 |
| Employment | 55 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 107 |
| Other working-conditions | 42 | 24 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 7 | 131 |
| Sympathy | 66 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 2 | .. | 88 |
| Other causes | 12 | .. | 11 | 1 | 3 | 27 | .. |
| Not stated | 4 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
| Totals | 317 | 77 | 77 | 58 | 49 | 34 | 612 |
| Number of Workers involved. | |||||||
| Wages | 9,667 | 9,144b | 2,643 | 2,722 | 2,824 | 12,545 | 39,545b |
| Hours | 676 | 49 | 2,229 | 351 | 193 | .. | 3,498 |
| Employment | 7,378 | 1,179 | 994 | 1,244 | 1,558 | 1,120 | 13,473 |
| Other working-conditions | 3,518 | 3,992 | 1,240 | 1,721 | 2,130 | 553 | 13,154 |
| Sympathy | 14,605 | 774b | 2,080 | 376 | 207 | 17,942b | .. |
| Other causes | 1,844 | .. | 1,247 | .. | 250 | 597 | 3,938 |
| Not stated | a | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | a |
| Totals | 37,588d | 15,138c | 10,433 | 6,414 | 7,162 | 14,815 | 31,550e |
It will be noticed that almost twice as many disputes arose out of questions concerning wages than from any other cause. The relatively large number of sympathy strikes occurring during the period is caused by the fact that in 1913 a large number of strikes occurred throughout the Dominion from that cause. Fuller particulars for the year 1913 as well as for other years prior to 1920 were given in the 1923 Year-book.
The following table shows in more detail the causes of disputes reported during the year 1924:—
| Cause. | Northern. | Taranaki. | Wellington | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | All Districts. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Disputes. | ||||||||
| Wages | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| Employment | 3 | .. | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | .. | 12 |
| Other working-conditions | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .. | 7 |
| Other causes | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 3 |
| Totals | 5 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 34 |
| Number of Workers involved. | ||||||||
| Wages | 31 | 5 | 97 | 350 | 59 | 164 | 11,839 | 12,545 |
| Employment | 284 | 5 | 605 | 26 | 200 | .. | 1,120 | .. |
| Other working-conditions | .. | 56 | 24 | 80 | 25 | 368 | .. | 553 |
| Other causes | .. | 70 | .. | 200 | 327 | .. | 597 | .. |
| Totals | 315 | 131 | 126 | 1,235 | 437 | 732 | 11,839 | 14,815 |
| Number of Working-days lost. | ||||||||
| Wages | 37 | 5 | 191 | 3,150 | 59 | 1,274 | 71,034 | 75,750 |
| Employment | 6,534 | .. | 5 | 605 | 52 | 200 | .. | 7,396 |
| Other working-conditions | .. | 168 | .. | 1,280 | 100 | 3,814 | .. | 5,362 |
| Other causes | .. | 70 | .. | 200 | 327 | .. | .. | 597 |
| Totals | 6,571 | 243 | 196 | 5,235 | 538 | 5,288 | 71,034 | 89,105 |
| Estimated Loss in Wages. | ||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Wages | 7 | 5 | 145 | 1,785 | 25 | 1,425 | 51,063 | 54,455 |
| Employment | 2,500 | .. | 3 | 510 | 37 | 3,366 | .. | 6,416 |
| Other working-contions | .. | 112 | .. | 1,160 | .. | .. | .. | 1,272 |
| Other causes | .. | 84 | .. | 100 | 405 | .. | .. | 589 |
| Totals | 2,507 | 201 | 148 | 3,555 | 467 | 4,791 | 51,063 | 62,732 |
The methods of settlement of industrial disputes may be classified as follows:—
By negotiations under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act:
By negotiations under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act:
By private negotiations between the employers and workers resulting in the framing of a compromise:
By the substitution of other workers for strikers:
By other methods. Under this head are included cases in which the men return to work without definitely settling the points at issue; or where the employers and workers give way without placing the matter before a Labour Disputes Committee or a Conciliation Council; or any other method by which a strike may be settled which does not come under the four preceding heads.
Following is a table showing the methods of settlement of disputes for the years 1906-24. It will be noted that there were no cases of settlement under heads (a) and (b) during 1924.
| Method of Settlement. | 1906-19. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | Totals, 1906-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a In two cases figures not available. | |||||||
| Number of Disputes. | |||||||
| Negotiations under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act | 27 | 1 | 12 | .. | 3 | .. | 43 |
| Negotiations under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
| Compromise between parties to the dispute | 45 | 30 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 106 |
| Substitution | 50 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 82 |
| Otherwise | 152 | 30 | 51 | 41 | 36 | 21 | 331 |
| Not stated | 40 | 6 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 46 |
| Totals | 317 | 77 | 77 | 58 | 49 | 34 | 612 |
| Number of Workers involved. | |||||||
| Negotiations under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act | 3,862 | 207 | 674 | .. | 260 | .. | 5,003 |
| Negotiations under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act | 389 | 26 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 415 |
| Compromise between parties to the dispute | 4,399 | 2,617 | 524 | 504 | 2,887 | 1,169 | 12,100 |
| Substitution | 4,890 | 94 | 203 | 1,312 | 98 | 10 | 6,607 |
| Otherwise | 20,550 | 10,041a | 9,032 | 4,598 | 3,917 | 13,636 | 61774a |
| Not stated | 3,498 | 2,153 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5,651 |
| Totals | 37,588 | 15,138a | 10,433 | 6,414 | 7,162 | 14,815 | 91550a |
The following table shows the methods of settlement of disputes in each industrial district for the year 1924:—
| Method of Settlement. | Northern. | Taranaki. | Wellington. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago and Southland. | All Districts | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Disputes. | ||||||||
| Compromise | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .. | 5 | .. | 11 |
| Substitution | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| Otherwise | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| Totals | 5 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 34 |
| Number of Workers involved. | ||||||||
| Compromise | 256 | 56 | 24 | 340 | .. | 493 | .. | 1,169 |
| Substitution | .. | 5 | 5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 10 |
| Otherwise | 59 | 70 | 97 | 895 | 437 | 239 | 11,839 | 13,636 |
| Totals | 315 | 131 | 126 | 1,235 | 437 | 732 | 11,839 | 14,815 |
| Number of Working-days lost. | ||||||||
| Compromise | 6,512 | 168 | .. | 1,540 | .. | 4,977 | .. | 13,197 |
| Substitution | .. | 5 | 5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 10 |
| Otherwise | 59 | 70 | 191 | 3,695 | 538 | 311 | 71,034 | 75,898 |
| Totals | 6,571 | 243 | 196 | 5,235 | 538 | 5,288 | 71,034 | 89,105 |
| Estimated Loss in Wages. | ||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Compromise | 2,507 | 112 | .. | 1,370 | .. | 4,604 | .. | 8,593 |
| Substitution | 5 | 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 8 | .. |
| Otherwise | .. | 84 | 145 | 2,185 | 467 | 187 | 51,063 | 54,131 |
| Totals | 2,507 | 201 | 148 | 3,555 | 467 | 4,791 | 51,063 | 62,732 |
The results of all industrial disputes are classified under one of the four heads used in the table on the opposite page, which gives particulars for the year 1924. The system of classification is more fully explained by the following notes:—
In favour of workers. All disputes where the demands of the workers are totally conceded come under this category.
In favour of employers. Disputes are classified under this head when the workers give way on the points at issue.
Compromise. Disputes where the demands of the workers are partially but not wholly conceded come under this head.
Disputes are classified as “indeterminate” when work is resumed without any definite settlement of the questions out of which the trouble arose.
| District. | Number of Disputes. | Number of Workers involved. | Number of Working-days lost. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Favour of Workers. | In Favour of Employers. | Compromise. | Indeterminate. | Total. | In Favour of Workers. | In Favour of Employers. | Compromise. | Indeterminate. | Total. | In Favour of Workers. | In Favour of Employers. | Compromise | Indeterminate. | Total. | |
| Northern | 1 | .. | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | .. | 256 | 56 | 315 | 3 | .. | 6,512 | 56 | 6,671 |
| Taranaki | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 3 | 56 | 5 | .. | 70 | 131 | 163 | 5 | .. | 70 | 243 |
| Wellington | 2 | 1 | 1 | .. | 5 | 85 | 5 | 24 | 12 | 126 | 155 | 5 | 36 | 196 | .. |
| Westland | 1 | 2 | 2 | .. | 6 | 350 | 300 | 340 | 245 | 1,235 | 3,150 | 300 | 1,540 | 245 | 5,235 |
| Canterbury | 3 | 1 | .. | 1 | 5 | 99 | 11 | .. | 327 | 437 | 200 | 11 | .. | 327 | 538 |
| Otago and Southland | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 148 | 36 | 458 | 90 | 732 | 148 | 108 | 4,942 | 90 | 5,288 |
| All Districts | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 11,839 | .. | .. | 11,839 | .. | 71,034 | .. | .. | 71,034 |
| Totals | 11 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 34 | 741 | 12,196 | 1,078 | 800 | 14,815 | 3,824 | 71,463 | 12,994 | 824 | 89,105 |
There were no disputes involving stoppage of work in the Nelson or Marlborough industrial districts (railway strike excepted). In the following table the causes and results of disputes occurring during 1924 are shown in conjunction:—
| Cause. | Number of Disputes. | Number of Workers involved. | Number of Working-days lost. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Favour of Workers. | In Favour of Employers. | Compromise. | Indeterminate. | In Favour of Workers. | In Favour of Employers. | Compromise. | Indeterminate. | In Favour of Workers. | In Favour of Employers. | Compromise. | Indeterminate. | |
| Wages | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 483 | 11,855 | 80 | 127 | 3,353 | 71,050 | 1,196 | 151 |
| Employment | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 177 | 105 | 562 | 276 | 203 | 105 | 6,812 | 276 |
| Other working-conditions | 2 | 1 | 4 | .. | 81 | 36 | 436 | .. | 268 | 108 | 4,986 | .. |
| Other causes | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 200 | .. | 397 | .. | 200 | .. | 397 | .. |
| Totals | 11 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 741 | 12,196 | 1,078- | 800 | 3,824 | 71,463 | 12,994 | 824 |
In the following table is given a summary of results of industrial disputes during the period 1906-24:—
| Result. | 1906-19. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | Totals, 1906-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
a In one case figures not available. b In two cases figures not available. | |||||||
| Number of Disputes. | |||||||
| In favour of workers | 48 | 33 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 116 |
| In favour of employers | 104 | 14 | 16 | 24 | 16 | 7 | 181 |
| Compromise | 41 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 85 |
| Indeterminate | 124 | 28 | 32 | 18 | 21 | 7 | 230 |
| Totals | 317 | 77 | 77 | 58 | 49 | 34 | 612 |
| Number of Workers involved. | |||||||
| In favour of workers | 3,795 | 9,394a | 514 | 648 | 118 | 741 | 15,210a |
| In favour of employers | 19,971 | 1,627 1,043 | 3,187 | 1,612 | 12,196 | 39,636 | .. |
| Compromise | 3,721 | 33 | 1,600 | 784 | 2,998 | 1,078 | 10,214 |
| Indeterminate | 10,101 | 4,084a | 7,276 | 1,795 | 2,434 | 800 | 26,490a |
| Totals | 37,588 | 15,138b | 10,433 | 6,414 | 7,162 | 14,815 | 91,550b |
Table of Contents
STATISTICS of industrial accidents fulfil three main purposes:—
They provide information as to the nature and causes of industrial accidents, and as such form an integral part of any organized scheme of accident-prevention:
They furnish a measure of the accident risk, thus enabling insurance and compensation schemes to be drawn up and administered on sound lines:
They indicate what measure of progress is being effected in the direction of eliminating avoidable accidents.
As a result of an international conference of official statisticians held at Geneva in 1923, under the auspices of the International Labour Office set up by the League of Nations, the collection and compilation of statistics of industrial accidents on uniform lines is now being undertaken in virtually all countries. Up to and including 1924, data have been available in New Zealand in connection with accidents occurring to employees working with scaffoldings and in mines and other excavations, on railways, and in factories only. Very full statistics in connection with factory accidents during 1924 have been compiled in the Census and Statistics Office from data supplied by the Labour Department; and arrangements have now been effected for the collection and compilation of full data relating to industrial accidents occurring in other fields in New Zealand in and after 1925.
According to the English common law relating to torts, a person injured by the wilful act, negligence, or omission of another person might recover damages by legal action. It was considered to be the duty of the employer to use reasonable care in protecting his employees against injury while engaged in his service: an employer might thus become liable because the premises, plant, machinery, or other gear supplied by him were unsafe or inadequate; because he employed an incompetent servant who through lack of skill was responsible for the accident; &c. This duty imposed on the employer called, however, merely for the guarding of those dangerous conditions which the employer knew of, or should have known of by the exercise of reasonable care. Accidents will, however, happen in the best-regulated establishments, through the fault of no one—through the inherent hazards of industry. Such risks the worker was deemed to shoulder on accepting employment, the presumption being that wages became adjusted to a higher level in especially hazardous industries as a compensation to the worker for the extra risks involved—Volenti non fit injuria.
The common-law remedy applied only in cases of negligence, and it became so encrusted with exceptions grafted upon it by judicial interpretation that only in rare cases was a worker successful in a common-law action against his employer for compensation for injuries received in the course of employment. An employer so sued for damages at common law might in particular escape liability by setting up successfully the defence of—
Contributory negligence, according to the doctrine laid down in Butterfield v. Forrester (1809). Any negligence on the part of the injured worker, however slight, would suffice to cause him to lose his case, so long as without that negligence that accident would not have occurred. Such negligence was deemed to exist where an employee continued to work under conditions apparently dangerous, which a reasonably prudent man would seek to avoid.
Common employment, according to the doctrine laid down in Priestley v. Fowler (1837). A servant was deemed to shoulder the risks naturally incidental to the employment undertaken by him; one of these being that of injury resulting from negligence or incompetence of fellow-servants, although an employer would be held liable for failure to use reasonable care in choosing competent and careful servants, or to dismiss those who proved themselves incompetent and careless.
The English law on the subject became the law in New Zealand, on the foundation of the colony, except in so far as it was modified by local legislation.
With the continued growth of industrialism there arose a demand for legislation which would mitigate the asperities of the plight of the injured worker and Ms family in the numerous cases where they were unable to obtain relief under the common law. The first instalment of reform in New Zealand came with the passing of the Employers' Liability Act, 1882 (modelled largely on the lines of the corresponding English Act of two years earlier); which, with its amendments, mitigated some of the harsher effects of the fellow-servant (or common-employment) doctrine, and imposed a higher standard of responsibility on employers in connection with the prevention of industrial accidents. This Act also marks an important advance in that the common-law rule that a personal action dies with the injured person was abrogated in favour of the deceased worker's dependants.
This Act was repealed in New Zealand in 1908. Meanwhile a new principle, that of workmen's compensation, had been developed, by which the inherent hazards of industry have been made a charge upon the industry concerned (and in most cases, through the industry, upon the consumers of the goods and services supplied by that industry). A Workmen's Compensation for Accidents Act was passed in New Zealand in 1900, and (with sundry amendments) consolidated in 1908. In the same year this Act was replaced by the Workers' Compensation Act, 1908, now (with certain fairly extensive amending Acts) consolidated in the corresponding Act of 1922. Under the present law the employer is in general liable to pay compensation in respect of all accidents arising out of and in the course of employment, except those due to the serious and wilful misconduct of the person injured, and even in respect of such accidents if they result in serious and permanent disablement.
The present law on the subject of workers' compensation is, as stated above, embodied in the Workers' Compensation Act, 1922. The principal provisions of this Act are as follow:—
“Worker,” for purposes of the Act, means any person who has entered into, or works under, a contract of service or apprenticeship with an employer, whether by way of manual labour, clerical work, or otherwise, and whether remunerated, by wages, salary, or otherwise; but does not include any person employed otherwise than by way of manual labour whose remuneration exceeds £400 per annum. The Act applies only to the employment of a worker either in and for the purposes of any trade or business carried on by the employer, or in any of the following occupations, irrespective of whether or not carried on for purposes of the employer's trade: mining; quarrying; excavation; cutting of standing timber and scrub; clearing land; erection or demolition of buildings and other structures; manufacture and use of explosives; handling power machinery in motion; driving vehicles; domestic service (engagement for not less than three days); and any occupation in which a worker incurs a risk of falling any distances exceeding 12 ft., if the injury or death of the worker results from such a fall. For purposes of this provision, an employer may have more than one trade or business.
The worker is not entitled to compensation unless he sustains personal injury by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment, and happening within New Zealand or on a New Zealand ship. The contraction of certain industrial diseases as a result of employment is under certain conditions deemed to be equivalent to an accident. No compensation is payable in respect of any accident as above defined which is attributable to the serious and wilful misconduct of the worker injured, unless the injury results in death or serious and permanent disablement. No compensation is payable in respect of the death of a worker following on, or incapacity resulting from or aggravated by, unreasonable refusal to submit to medical or surgical treatment. Except under certain safeguarding restrictions,' “contracting out” is forbidden.
Generally speaking, the employer is the person liable to pay compensation; and for this purpose “employer” includes any body of persons, corporate or unincorporate, (with certain minor exceptions) the Crown, and the representatives of a deceased employer. Where a person (the principal), in the course of and for the purposes of his trade or business, contracts with another (the contractor) for the execution by the latter of work undertaken by the former, a workman employed by the contractor on meeting with an accident may claim compensation from either the principal or the contractor, except in certain cases. If the principal pays, he may, however (with certain minor exceptions), recover the sum paid from the contractor. The principal is not liable, however, unless the accident occurs in, on, or about his land, premises, or ship; or in or about land, premises, or ship, on or in which the principal has contracted to do the work in connection with which the accident happens. Where the injury for which compensation is payable has resulted under circumstances creating a legal liability in some person other than the employer to pay damages in respect thereof, the person by whom the compensation is paid or payable is entitled to indemnification by the person so liable.
The compensation payable is as follows:—
In case of death: Reasonable expenses of medical or surgical attendance, including first aid, and of his funeral (maximum £50), less any sums paid by way of compensation for the accident prior to the death of the person injured; but plus—
Where he leaves total dependants, a sum equal to 156 times his average weekly earnings (maximum £750, minimum £250); or
Where he leaves partial dependants only, a sum reasonable and proportionate to the injury to those dependants, but not exceeding the sums specified in (a).
In case of injury: At the discretion of the Court, either—
During total incapacity, weekly payments amounting to 58 per cent. of the worker's average weekly earnings at the time of the accident (maximum £3 15s. per week; minimum in cases where ordinary rate of pay was not less than £1 10s. per week, £1); during partial incapacity, weekly payments amounting to 58 per cent. of the difference between the amount of the average weekly sum which the worker is earning or able to earn in suitable employment or business after the accident (maximum for weekly payments—six years' weekly payments, or £750, whichever is the smaller); or
A lump sum equal to the present value at 5 per cent. per annum compound interest of the aggregate weekly payments which, in the opinion of the Court, would probably become payable to the worker under (a).
In addition to 2 (a) and 2 (b) above, a sum not exceeding £1 is payable in respect of medical and surgical attendance and first aid to the worker in respect of his injury. No compensation is payable if incapacity lasts fewer than three days. In the case of certain injuries involving permanent disability (e.g., dismemberment or loss of use), compensation is to be assessed according to a special scheme representing an aliquot part (varying according to the nature of the dismemberment) of the compensation payable in the case of total incapacity. In the case of injury to workers whose earnings at the date of the accident are low by reason of their being at the time under twenty-one, or of their being apprenticed to a trade, &c, and in certain other specified cases, special provisions exist in order to prevent hardships.
PROCEDURE.
Proceedings under the Act in respect of compensation for injuries are not maintainable by a worker unless written notice of the accident has been given to the employer as soon as possible after its occurrence: though the Court has power to excuse failure, due to reasonable causes, to give that notice, on the part of the person injured, or if it is clear that the absence of such notice has not prejudiced the employer's position. Except where the Court excuses delay resulting from mistake or other reasonable cause, proceedings must be taken within six months of the date of the accident or the date of the last payment of compensation in respect of the injury, or the date of the death of the person injured, whichever is the later. Such proceedings are taken in the Arbitration Court; though in certain cases they may be heard in the Magistrate's Court. The Court may accept, admit, and call for such evidence as in equity and in good conscience it thinks fit, irrespective of whether strictly legal evidence or not. Costs lie in the discretion of the Court. There is no right of appeal; but for good cause orders or agreements in respect of compensation may be reviewed and even set aside by the Court at any time.
The right of a dependant who survives a worker to receive compensation for the death of that worker survives the dependant: and compensation can be recovered by the representative of that dependant.
At the present time statistics of the following classes of industrial accidents are available:—
Accidents to employees in factories.
Scaffolding and excavation accidents.
Accidents to employees in mines and quarries.
Accidents to railway employees.
Particulars of accidents in factories and in the course of scaffolding and excavation operations are regularly given in the Annual Report of the Department of Labour (parliamentary paper H.-11). A fuller and much more comprehensive system of statistics of accidents in factories was instituted in 1924, and the latter part of this section deals at some length with these.
Particulars of accidents to employees in metalliferous mines, in coal-mines, and in quarries and other places under the Stone-quarries Act, are given in successive numbers of the Mines Statement (parliamentary paper C.-2). Summarized figures are given in Section XIX of this book.
The Railways Statement (D.-2) contains statistics of accidents to railway employees in the course of their duties. In this connection reference may also be made to Section XIII of the Year-book.
The following is the definition of a “factory” according to the Factories Act, 1921-22:—
Any building, office, or place in which two or more persons are employed directly or indirectly, in any handicraft, or in preparing or manufacturing goods for trade or sale, including any building, office, or place in which work such as is ordinarily performed in a factory is performed for or on behalf of any local authority whether for trade or sale or not; but not including any building in course of erection, nor any temporary workshop or shed for workmen engaged in the erection of such building; but (whatever the number of persons employed therein) including
Every bakehouse ...; and also
Every building or place in which steam or other mechanical power or appliance is used for the purpose of preparing or manufacturing goods for trade or sale, or packing such goods for transit; and also
Every building or place in which electrical energy is generated or transformed as an illuminant or a motive power for trade or sale, or in which coal-gas or any other form of gas is produced for the like purposes; and also
Every laundry ...; and also
Every building or place in which any Asiatic is directly or indirectly employed or occupied in laundry-work or any other handicraft, or in preparing or manufacturing goods for trade or sale, or in packing them for transit.
Section 39 of the Factories Act prescribes certain safety devices for the protection of machine workers in factories, and provides penalties for default on the part of factory-occupiers.
Section 41 requires the reporting to Inspectors of Factories (who are officers of the Labour Department, which administers the Act) of all accidents likely to incapacitate the injured person for at least forty-eight hours. Reports are compiled by Inspectors of Factories in connection with each such accident. These are retained in the District Offices of the Labour Department until the 31st January of the calendar year following that in which the accident occurred; when they are forwarded to the Head Office of the Labour Department, and thence to the Census and Statistics Office, where tables are compiled.
It should be stressed that the statistics relate only to industrial accidents of sufficient severity to render them reportable under this section of the Act.
Some measure whereby the frequency of accidents in different industries or occupations, or districts, or countries, may be rigorously compared, or whereby some unequivocal indication may be obtained as to whether accidents are or are not increasing in frequency, is highly desirable. Because hours worked are not fully standardized for industry generally the number of accidents occurring in a given time per 1,000 employees cannot but be regarded as an unsatisfactory measure of frequency. A difference in hours worked entails a difference in industrial risk. For the purpose of computing frequency rates in New Zealand, data as to the number of employees in factories coming under the heading of various industries have accordingly been compiled in the Census and Statistics Office from returns furnished for the purpose by the Labour Department's Inspectors of Factories; while information as to the hours worked has been ascertained from the awards, and supplemented by the statistics of short time and overtime worked available from the annual census of factory production taken by the Census and Statistics Office. Taking one hour's work performed by one man as the unit, and calling this unit a “man-hour,” it is then a matter of the utmost simplicity to find the total number of man-hours worked in each industry, enabling frequency rates of factory accidents to be computed on the basis of number of accidents per 100,000 man-hours worked.
The following table shows frequency rates, also compensation paid, in connection with each industrial group:—
| Industry. | Number of Accidents. | Accidents per 100,000 Man-hours worked. | Number of Accidents where Particulars are available as to Compensation paid. | Total Amount of Compensation or Damages paid in such Cases. | Average Compensation per Case where Compensation known. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* No data. † Excluding quarrying. | |||||
| Food, drink, and tobacco— | £ | £ | |||
| Baking | 8 | 0.178 | 7 | 67.3 | 9.6 |
| Flourmilling | 5 | 0.454 | 5 | 177.8 | 35.5 |
| Biscuitmaking, &c. | 63 | 1.286 | 55 | 615.8 | 11.2 |
| Brewing and aerated waters | 14 | 0.378 | 11 | 367.5 | 33.4 |
| Butchering | 7 | 0.226 | 6 | 552.1 | 92.0 |
| Meat freezing and preserving | 866 | 11.703 | 656 | 4,836.2 | 7.4 |
| Butter and cheese factories | 20 | 0.148 | 17 | 903.1 | 531 |
| Other | 32 | 0.653 | 26 | 810.5 | 31.2 |
| Totals | 1,015 | 2.355 | 783 | 8,330.3 | 10.6 |
| Clothing, boots, &c.— | |||||
| Dressmaking, tailoring. &c. | 9 | 0.035 | 9 | 3120 | 34.7 |
| Bootmaking and repairing | 25 | 0.403 | 21 | 173.2 | 8.2 |
| Totals | 34 | 0.107 | 30 | 485.2 | 16.2 |
| Textiles and weaving— | |||||
| Woollen-mills | 59 | 1.204 | 55 | 2,045.0 | 37.2 |
| Flax-mills | 4 | 0.250 | * | * | * |
| Rope and twine works | 1 | 0.345 | 1 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Other | 4 | 0.400 | 3 | 44.7 | 14.9 |
| Totals | 68 | 0.648 | 59 | 2,095.7 | 35.5 |
| Building, &c.— | £ | £ | |||
| Joinery | 80 | 2.353 | 70 | 1,162.5 | 16.6 |
| Builders | 11 | 0.193 | 7 | 363.5 | 51.9 |
| Plumbers | 11 | 0.579 | 10 | 95.0 | 9.5 |
| Totals | 102 | 0.927 | 87 | 1,621.0 | 18.6 |
| Wood-manufacture— | |||||
| Sawmilling | 116 | 1.064 | 95 | 2,091.8 | 22.0 |
| Coachbuilding | 9 | 0.205 | 6 | 622.7 | 1038 |
| Furniture-making | 52 | 0.897 | 48 | 749.2 | 15.6 |
| Boatbuilding | 2 | 0.220 | 1 | 232.6 | 232.7 |
| Other | 22 | 1.048 | 18 | 451.5 | 25.1 |
| Totals | 201 | 0.834 | 168 | 4,147.8 | 24.6 |
| Paper-manufacture and printing— | |||||
| Paper-manufacture | 10 | 2.500 | 9 | 142.9 | 15.8 |
| Printing | 59 | 0.686 | 52 | 1,008.3 | 19.4 |
| Other | 5 | 1.000 | 4 | 37.2 | 9.3 |
| Totals | 74 | 0.779 | 65 | 1,188.4 | 18.3 |
| Metal-works and engineering— | |||||
| Foundry-workers, &c. | 58 | 1.381 | 53 | 708.9 | 13.4 |
| Engineering—General | 148 | 1.566 | 118 | 1,064.6 | 9.0 |
| Electric | 10 | 0.370 | 10 | 262.3 | 26.2 |
| Cycle and motor | 23 | 0.324 | 19 | 167.3 | 8.8 |
| Other | 33 | 0.971 | 33 | 341.2 | 10.3 |
| Totals | 272 | 1015 | 233 | 2,544.3 | 10.9 |
| Other manufactures— | |||||
| Brickmaking, &c. | 61 | 1.017 | 58 | 2,072.7 | 35.7 |
| Gas-manufacture | 20 | 0.625 | 17 | 235.0 | 13.8 |
| Electric-lighting | 1 | 0.071 | * | * | * |
| Leather-working | 18 | 0.340 | 16 | 148.9 | 9.3 |
| Soap and starch making | 13 | 1.300 | 10 | 48.2 | 4.8 |
| Jewellery | |||||
| Chemical and manure works | 29 | 1.319 | 29 | 216.2 | 7.4 |
| Other | 33 | 0.600 | 27 | 382.4 | 141 |
| Totals | 175 | 0.660 | 157 | 3,103.4 | 19.8 |
| Mining and quarrying— | |||||
| Quarrying | 2 | * | 1 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| Personal service— | |||||
| Laundries | 10 | 0.400 | 8 | 196.9 | 24.6 |
| Miscellaneous— | |||||
| Miscellaneous minor industries | 26 | 0.722 | 14 | 755.5 | 53.8 |
| Grand totals | 1,979 | 1.030† | 1,605 | 24,475.2 | 15.2 |
It will be noted that frequency rates differ appreciably from industry to industry. They are exceptionally high in the meat freezing and preserving industry, a matter which is referred to later on. This has the effect of giving the “food, drink, and tobacco” group an exceptionally high frequency rate. As might be expected, the “metal-works and engineering” group also stands exceptionally high. Frequency rates were lowest in the “clothing and boots manufacturing” group. In many cases, however, differences between the above frequency rates for the various industries are not significant after the first decimal place.
With regard to the extent and degree of disability, it is usual to distinguish fatal accidents, accidents causing temporary disability, accidents causing permanent partial disability, and accidents causing permanent total disability. In the actual compilation of the statistics difficulty frequently arises as to whether a particular injury should be regarded as temporary or permanent; and in cases of doubt the conservative practice has been adopted of debiting the injury to the temporary disability class.
A reference to the accompanying table shows that of the 1,979 factory accidents recorded in 1924, 1,890 resulted in temporary disability, 80 in permanent partial disability, and 9 in death. There was no case of permanent total disability.
| Cause. | Extent of Disability. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Disability. | Permanent Partial Disability. | Fatality. | Total. | Percentage of Total Accidents. | |
* Excluding the manufacture thereof and excluding accidents due to hand trucks or the vagaries of animals. † Including strains duo to near falls and accidents due to slipping or stumbling without falling. (a) Includes 1 case of 30 per cent. and 1 of 50 per cent. disability. (b) 50 per cent. disability. (c) Includes 32 cases of 5 per cent., 6 cases of 10 per cent., 13 of 12 1/2 per cent., 5 of 20 per cent., 1 of 25 per cent., 3 of 30 per cent., 1 of 381 per cent., 4 of 40 per cent., 1 of 50 per cent., and 1 of 75 per cent. disability. (d) 30 per cont. disability. (e) Includes 1 case of 5 per cent. and 1 case of 10 per cent. disability. (f) Includes 1 case of 12 1/2 per cent. and 1 case of 30 per cent. disability. | |||||
| Machinery— | |||||
| Prime movers | 6 | .. | 6 | 25.2 | |
| Transmission | 22 | 2(a) | 2 | 26 | |
| Lifting machinery | 33 | 1(b) | 1 | 35 | |
| Power-working machines | 365 | 67(c) | .. | 432 | |
| Vehicles* | 27 | .. | .. | 27 | 1.4 |
| Explosions and fires | 15 | .. | 1 | 16 | 0.8 |
| Poisonous, hot, and corrosive substances | 67 | 1(d) | 2 | 70 | 3.5 |
| Electricity | 4 | .. | 2 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Falls of persons—† | |||||
| From elevations | 63 | .. | .. | 63 | 9.3 |
| Into excavations | 3 | .. | .. | 3 | |
| Slipping and stumbling on the level | 118 | 1(b) | .. | 119 | |
| Stepping on or striking against fixed objects— | |||||
| Stepping on | 11 | .. | .. | 11 | 2.8 |
| Striking against | 43 | .. | 43 | ||
| Falling objects not being handled by the person injured | 93 | 2 (e) | .. | 95 | 4.8 |
| Handling of objects— | |||||
| Heavy | 224 | 1(d) | .. | 225 | 16.0 |
| Sharp | 83 | .. | .. | 83 | |
| Hand-trucks, &c. | 9 | .. | .. | 9 | |
| Hand tools— | |||||
| In hands of injured— | |||||
| Glancing of tool | 415 | .. | .. | 415 | 23.7 |
| Breaking of tool | 4 | .. | 4 | .. | |
| Flying particles | 32 | 3(d) | .. | 35 | |
| Other | 4 | .. | .. | 4 | |
| In hands of other than person injured | 10 | .. | .. | 10 | |
| Animals (including vehicle accidents due to animals) | 49 | .. | .. | 49 | 2.5 |
| Miscellaneous— | |||||
| Strains, sprains, and septic wounds, undefined as to cause (sustained while slaughtering) | 120 | .. | 1 | 121 | 9.7 |
| Other | 70 | 2(f)- | 72 | .. | |
| 1,890 | 80 | 9 | 1,979 | 100.0 | |
Of the machinery accidents, 6 were concerned with prime movers, 26 with power-transmission apparatus (i.e., upon belts, pulleys, shafts, gears, or other driving mechanism or parts thereof which form the connection between a machine and the prime mover or intermediate drive), 35 with lifting-machinery, and 432 with power-working machines. It may be mentioned that the proportion of serious accidents due to machinery was much greater than the proportion of total accidents due to machinery. Of the fatal machine accidents, 1 was sustained in connection with repairing machinery, 1 in connection with endeavouring to stop machinery, and 1 through loose clothing becoming caught in the machinery. Of the machine accidents resulting in permanent partial disability, 6 were sustained in connection with adjusting machine, tools, or work, 49 in connection with starting, stopping, or otherwise operating machines, 9 through cleaning and oiling machines, 1 as a result of a throwback, 1 through the catching of loose clothing in machinery, and 4 from other causes. Of the 317 accidents due to handling of objects, 225 were due to the handling of heavy objects (excluding the handling of objects by power appliances, but including objects set in motion by the handling of other objects), 83 to the handling of sharp or rough objects (not tools or machines), and 9 to the handling of carts, wheelbarrows, or hand-tracks. Of the 468 accidents due to hand-tools, 10 resulted in injuries to persons other than the person handling the tools, while of the remaining 458 accidents, 415 were the result of glancing or slipping of the tool in use, 4 of the breaking or coming apart of a tool, 35 to flying particles set in motion by a tool, and 4 to other onuses. Of the miscellaneous accidents, no fewer than 121 were due to sprains, strains, and septic wounds undefined as to cause, sustained while slaughtering. Inquiries recently instituted by the Labour Department into the wide prevalence of this last cause of accident have shown that onset of septic poisoning has in many cases been due to neglect of proper cleansing and dressing of wounds sustained in slaughtering. Steps have therefore been taken to ensure that slaughtering establishments shall in every case without fail provide first-aid and antiseptic appliances, while the dangers of neglect in such cases have been stressed in notices issued for posting in such “factories.”
Particulars of the extent of disability resulting from industrial accidents classified according to industry will be found in the table on pages 806-7.
The injuries sustained in all industrial accidents in 1924 were classified as to their nature as follow: contusions and abrasions, 374 (including 101 in connection with power-working machinery and 19 in connection with other machinery, 78 in connection with the handling of heavy objects, and 40 in connection with falling objects not being handled by the person injured); burns and scalds, 90; concussions, 4; cuts and lacerations, 754 (including 197 sustained in connection with power-working machinery and 14 in connection with other machinery, 376 through the glancing of tools in use, and 50 through the handling of sharp objects); punctures, 64; amputations, 79 (including 72 through power-working and 1 through other machinery); dislocations, 12; fractures, 52; sprains, 232 (94 of which were due to handling heavy objects), while in 318 cases the nature of the injury was so ill-defined or was so general as to defy classification. There were no cases of drowning or asphyxiation. The fact that the number of amputations is practically identical with the number of cases of permanent injury is due to the fact that no case of amputation has been regarded as resulting in permanent injury which resulted in the loss of less than one joint of a finger, &c, while the mere removal of the tip of a finger has been counted as an amputation.
The parts of the body affected were—head, 34; face, 87 (including 24 due to power-working machines and 20 to flying particles set in motion by tools in the hands of the person injured); neck, 2; back. 87 (including 40 the results of the handling of heavy objects and 15 to slipping or stumbling on the level); thorax and contents, 36; abdomen and contents, 31; external genitals, 3; upper limbs, 1,348 (including 391 due to power-working and 36 to other machinery, 377 to glancing of tools in the hands of persons injured, 96 to the handling of heavy and 78 to the handling of sharp or rough objects, and 100 cases of strains, sprains, and septic wounds sustained during slaughtering operations); while injuries to the lower limbs were sustained in 270 cases (67 of which were due to the handling of heavy objects, and 45 to falling objects which were not being handled by the person injured): in 81 cases the seat of the injury was so ill-defined or the injuries were so general as to baffle classification. In cases of injury to more than one part of the body, the most serious injury has as far as possible been considered for purposes of this classification.
Fuller details of this and other aspects of factory accidents are given in the Annual Statistical Report on Prices, &c.
A further measure of the extent of disability is furnished in the cases of temporary partial disability by data as to the duration of absence from work as a result of the accident. Out of 1,781 cases where the duration of incapacity was stated, there were 440 instances where the period of absence from work was one week or less, 523 instances were it was over one week but did not exceed two weeks, 505 where it was over two but not in excess of four weeks, 182 where it was over four but not in excess of six weeks, 104 where it was over six weeks but not in excess of three months, 23 where it exceeded three but did not exceed six months, and 4 instances where it exceeded six months. The total period of incapacity in all these cases was 34,275 calendar days, an average of over 19 calendar days per accident. Machinery accidents on the whole were much more severe than accidents generally, the average number of days' work lost through machinery accidents being as high as 30 days.
By the 31st January of the calendar year following that in connection with which factory accidents under investigation occurred, there must always necessarily be a number of employees injured during the previous calendar year who have not yet returned to work. In order to render the statistics of time lost and compensation paid as complete as possible supplementary reports on such outstanding cases are prepared by Inspectors of Factories for the Census and Statistics Office in June of the year following that in which the accidents occurred. By June most outstanding cases can be cleared up, although there remains a not altogether inconsiderable residuum of cases where employees fail to return to their old work—especially through having taken up other employment or through the seasonal closing down of the industry (e.g., freezing) in connection with which the accident occurred, so that they cannot be traced. The cases still outstanding at the end of January must naturally be the severer cases, and the importance of the June clearing-up of such outstanding cases will be realized when it is mentioned that in connection with the 1924 investigation of factory accidents it necessitated the transferring of 5 cases of injuries previously regarded as constituting temporary disability to the permanent partial disability class, while at the same time it raised the average compensation payable per accident by approximately £1 5s. As the severest cases of all are still outstanding in June the toll of time lost as a result of factor}' accidents must be slightly underestimated in the statistics. The June clearing-up accounts for a few minor discrepancies existing between the statistics of factory accidents published in this volume and those published in the Annual Report of the Department of Labour.
The mere number of industrial accidents per 100,000 man-hours worked is not a measure of hazard, for it takes no account of the severity of accidents. In the electric-lighting industry accidents are few, but those which do occur are apt to prove fatal. In the meat-freezing industry, on the other hand, accidents are frequent, hut few of them are very severe. A single death usually inflicts a greater economic loss upon the victim's family or upon the community than does a large number of minor temporary disabilities. Yet both types of accident count for one, and for one only, in statistics of accidents and of accident rates. A misleading picture is therefore liable to be painted so long as attention is focussed solely on frequency rates.
What is required, then, is some common denominator in terms of which can be expressed the total volume of accidental injuries per unit of exposure—a single expression which is capable of combining the number with the severity of industrial accidents. The only satisfactory measure of severity for this purpose would appear to be time lost; the physical or physiological results patently cannot be expressed in terms of a common denominator, nor can the cost in terms of human suffering be estimated in standard unite: the search for a hedonistic calculus has long been abandoned as fruitless and unprofitable. Obviously again, compensation paid is not a very satisfactory measure of the economic cost of industrial accidents; for (probably mainly as a precaution against malingering) no system gives full compensation for the worker's immediate economic loss; moreover, systems of compensation have frequently been varied from time to time within a country, while they almost invariably differ at the same time as between different countries, with the result that comparisons of severity-rates computed on this basis are liable to prove an unsafe guide not only in the case of time comparisons within a country, but also in the case of simultaneous international comparisons. Likewise, wages lost would not prove a satisfactory index of the severity of different occupational hazards, since wages vary appreciably from occupation to occupation, as well as from time to time, from district to district, and according to the age and sex and experience .of the worker.
Time lost is, on the other hand, a fairly definite and stable conception. It relates definitely to the physiological results of the accident; perhaps rather less definitely to the psychic and nervous effects of such an accident, which sometimes are far from being negligible. Calendar days lost are probably a better measure of severity than working-days lost, the former being an identical unit for all industries, the latter varying considerably: thus tramwaymen work usually 13 days per fortnight, miners only 11 days. In each industry the average time lost on account of temporary disability is assumed to be identical, where no data are available on this point, with that lost in the case of accidents occurring in that industry for which the time lost is available. As pointed out on page 803 the effect of this expedient is probably somewhat to understate the real toll in time lost of factory accidents.
When time lost is, however, adopted as a measure of the severity of accidents the problem of dealing with cases of death and of permanent disability presents some initial difficulty. Death clearly entails total cessation of labour-power; so that the time lost is manifestly identical with the working-life expectancy of the individual concerned—a period which is less than the total life expectancy of the individual under consideration by the interval, if any, between the date at which voluntary or enforced retirement from gainful employment would have taken place and the date at which death would have ensued subsequent to that retirement but for the injuries which resulted in his premature demise. While it is recognized that significant differences exist in the average ages of workmen in different industries, and in different occupations within the same industry, and while it cannot be gainsaid that more labour power is on the average lost by the death of a worker aged 20 than by that of a worker aged 50, yet it would seem that the age of the individual killed is not particularly relevant to the character of the hazard from which the injury has resulted. If severity weights in the case of death were made to vary with the ages of the persons injured the resultant severity rates would be distorted by purely fortuitous age-variations amongst the victims of industrial accidents. Accordingly, as a measure of severity rates, it has been assumed that deaths of workers through industrial accidents result in New Zealand in a loss of 60,000 working-hours in each case, a round figure which is arrived at (deeming a normal working year to comprise 50 weeks of 44 hours each) on the basis of the average expectation of working-life (which is assumed not in any case to extend beyond 65)—as ascertained from the New Zealand life tables—of a male worker meeting with an accident at the average age at which accidents to male workers occur in New Zealand factories. (For the inherent interest attaching, however, to data as to the potential working-hours lost by individuals meeting with death, &c, through industrial accidents, similar statistics have also been compiled taking into account the actual age and sex at the date of the accident of the persons injured (in so far as age-data are available), again assuming a normal working-year to be one of 2,200 hours; or 50 weeks of 44, hours each. For this purpose separate tables for males and females have been compiled in the Census and Statistics Office, showing the average expectation of working-life—under the age of 65 for males and 60 for females—at each year of life). It is interesting to note that this figure of 60,000 working-hours on the basis of an eight-hour day gives an identical figure to that arrived at independently by the Swedish authorities—viz., 7,500 working-days.
In the case of injuries resulting in permanent total incapacity the same device would be adopted as in the case of death. Permanent total disability may impose a greater economic burden upon the sufferer's family and upon the community than does a death; though a person who technically is permanently and totally incapacitated may sometimes still continue to contribute, on however small a scale, to the family income. The question is, however, one of measuring industrial hazard rather than economic loss; and it surely cannot be seriously contended that an accident which results in permanent total disability indicates a greater hazard than an accident which results in death. Accordingly it seems on the whole expedient to treat these two forms of injury in an identical manner.
Almost everywhere compensation scales in the case of permanent partial disability are based on the loss or disability of specific bodily members rather than on the actual impairment of earnings, which will differ according to the industry to which the person sustaining the injury is attached: such differences are, however, not significant from the standpoint of accident severity or industrial hazard. The scales for assessing compensation for permanent partial disabilities differ from country to country. It is therefore essential, lest international comparisons be vitiated, to adopt a standard system for dealing with such disabilities from the standpoint of measuring industrial hazards. This takes the form of assessing time lost on account of permanent partial disability on the basis of a proportional part of the time lost in connection with injuries resulting in death, the proportion being fixed according to the average degree of physical disability resulting from the particular bodily impairment involved. The international scheme is as follows: Loss of both eyes, 100 per cent.; dismemberment of leg above knee, or arm above elbow, 75 per cent.; dismemberment of arm at or below the elbow, 60 per cent.; dismemberment of hind, 50 per cent.; dismemberment of leg at or below knee, 50 per cent.; loss of hearing of both cars, 50 per cent.; dismemberment of foot, 40 per cent.; permanent disability of thumb and four fingers, 40 per cent.; permanent disability of thumb and three lingers, 33 1/3 per cent.; loss of sight of one eye, 30 per cent.; permanent disability of four fingers, 30 per cent.; permanent disability of thumb and two fingers, 25 per cent.; permanent disability of thumb and one finger, 20 per cent.; permanent disability of three angers, 20 per cent.; permanent disability of two fingers, 12 1/2 per cent.; permanent disability of thumb, 10 per cent.; loss of hearing of one ear, 10 per cent.; permanent disability of great toe, 5 per cent.; permanent disability of any two or more toes, 5 per cent.; permanent disability of one finger, 5 per cent. (It is thus that the data in the footnotes to the table on page 801 have been arrived at.) The figures for time lost so arrived at in cases of permanent partial disability are used as a measure of accident severity, without the addition of the time actually lost by the patient. Thus such cases will be permanently accounted for, as regards severity, in connection with the statistics for the year of their occurrence. A common basis is thus arrived at for accident experience, duly weighted according to severity, for purposes of rigorous comparison from country to country, from year to year, from industry to industry, and from establishment to establishment. The loss of working-hours per 100,000 man-hours worked (L) is then arrived at by the following formula:—
Where H = hundreds of thousands of man-hours worked in the industry or occupation concerned; W = the number of calendar-days' work lost on account of temporary disability; T = the number of cases of death and permanent total disability; P' = the number of cases of permanent partial disability involving a given percentage of total-disability; I' = that given percentage of total disability.
Details are appended:—
| Industry. | Total Cases of Accidents resulting in— | Toll of Calendar Days lost per Accident. | Toll of Hours lost per 100,000 Man-hours worked. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Disability. | Permanent Partial Disability. | Fatality. | Total. | Where Fixed Allowance is made in case of Fatality or Permanent Partial Disability. | Where the Age of the Person injured is taken into account in case of Fatality or Permanent Partial Disability. | Where Fixed Allowance is made in case of Fatality or Permanent Partial Disability. | Where the Age of the Person injured is taken into account in case of Fatality or Permanent Partial Disability. | |
* No data. † Excluding quarrying. | ||||||||
| Food, drink, and tobacco— | ||||||||
| Baking | 8 | .. | .. | 8 | 20.6 | 20.6 | 23 | 23 |
| Flour-milling | 5 | .. | .. | 5 | 55.0 | 55.0 | 157 | 157 |
| Biscuit and confectionery making | 63 | .. | .. | 63 | 20.6 | 20.6 | 166 | 166 |
| Brewing and aerated waters | 13 | .. | 1 | 14 | 718.9 | 1,009.6 | 1,709 | 2,401 |
| Butchering | 2 | 5 | .. | 7 | 1,164.1 | 1,603.4 | 1,652 | 2,276 |
| Meat freezing and preserving | 863 | 2 | 1 | 866 | 32.0 | 32.4 | 2,352 | 2,381 |
| Butter and cheese factories | 17 | 3 | .. | 20 | 330.8 | 314.4 | 308 | 292 |
| Other | 29 | 3 | .. | 32 | 182.0 | 111.2 | 747 | 456 |
| Totals | 1,000 | 13 | 2 | 1,015 | 59.2 | 64.0 | 876 | 948 |
| Clothing, boots, &c.— | ||||||||
| Dressmaking, tailoring, &c. | 8 | 1 | .. | 9 | 447.7 | 698.6 | 100 | 156 |
| Boot making and repairing | 24 | 1 | .. | 25 | 41.9 | 53.2 | 106 | 135 |
| Other | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 32 | 2 | .. | 34 | 149.3 | 224.0 | 101 | 151 |
| Textiles and weaving— | ||||||||
| Woollen-mills | 54 | 4 | 1 | 59 | 389.6 | 362.2 | 2,948 | 2,744 |
| Flax-mills | 2 | 2 | .. | 4 | 254.0 | 214.0 | 399 | 336 |
| Rope and twine works | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 20.0 | 20.0 | 4 | 4 |
| Other | 4 | .. | .. | 4 | 63.9 | 63.9 | 160 | 160 |
| Totals | 61 | 6 | 1 | 68 | 357.0 | 331.3 | 1,453 | 1,348 |
| Building— | ||||||||
| Joinery | 75 | 5 | .. | 80 | 65.9 | 70.7 | 974 | 1,045 |
| Builders | 7 | 4 | .. | 11 | 513.6 | 416.8 | 622 | 506 |
| Plumbers | 9 | 2 | .. | 11 | 314.1 | 383.5 | 1,143 | 1,396 |
| Totals | 91 | 11 | .. | 102 | 140.8 | 141.7 | 821 | 826 |
| Wood-manufacture— | ||||||||
| Sawmilling | 105 | 11 | .. | 116 | 160.9 | 169.0 | 1,076 | 1,130 |
| Coachbuilding | 6 | 3 | .. | 9 | 524.8 | 622.3 | 675 | 800 |
| Furniture-making | 49 | 3 | .. | 52 | 72.5 | 76.5 | 409 | 431 |
| Boatbuilding | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | 245.5 | 233.5 | 343 | 326 |
| Other | 18 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 585.0 | 553.5 | 3,853 | 3,644 |
| Totals | 179 | 21 | 1 | 201 | 201.6 | 208.1 | 1,057 | 1,091 |
| Paper-manufacture and printing— | ||||||||
| Paper-manufacture | 10 | .. | .. | 10 | 32.8 | 32.8 | 516 | 516 |
| Printing | 53 | 6 | .. | 59 | 97.7 | 115.7 | 421 | 499 |
| Other | 3 | 2 | 5 | 209.4 | 298.6 | 1,316 | 1,877 | |
| Totals | 66 | 8 | .. | 74 | 96.5 | 116.8 | 472 | 572 |
| Metalwork and engineering— | ||||||||
| Foundry-workers, &c. | 56 | 2 | .. | 58 | 49.0 | 54.1 | 426 | 470 |
| Engineering— | ||||||||
| General | 145 | 3 | .. | 148 | 44.9 | 54.9 | 444 | 543 |
| Electrical | 9 | 1 | .. | 10 | 114.8 | 110.1 | 267 | 256 |
| Cycle and motor | 23 | .. | .. | 23 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 40 | 40 |
| Other | 31 | 2 | .. | 33 | 68.7 | 34.0 | 420 | 207 |
| Totals | 264 | 8 | .. | 272 | 49.1 | 51.2 | 313 | 327 |
| Other manufactures— | ||||||||
| Brickmaking, &c. | 57 | 2 | 2 | 61 | 469.8 | 497.7 | 3,002 | 3,183 |
| Gas-manufacture | 19 | .. | 1 | 20 | 490.5 | 330.0 | 1,927 | 1,297 |
| Electric lighting | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 9,545.5 | 9,545.5 | 4,286 | 4,286 |
| Leather-working | 15 | 3 | .. | 18 | 214.6 | 255.8 | 458 | 546 |
| Soap and starch making | 13 | .. | .. | 13 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 86 | 86 |
| Jewellery | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Chemical and manure works | 29 | .. | .. | 29 | 21.4 | 21.4 | 177 | 177 |
| Other | 28 | 5 | .. | 33 | 291.0 | 342.0 | 1,097 | 1,290 |
| Totals | 161 | 10 | 4 | 175 | 355.8 | 361.0 | 1,476 | 1,498 |
| Mining and quarrying— | ||||||||
| Quarrying | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | 20.5 | 20.5 | * | * |
| Personal service— | ||||||||
| Laundries | 10 | .. | .. | 10 | 19.2 | 19.2 | 48 | 48 |
| Miscellaneous— | ||||||||
| Miscellaneous minor industries | 24 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 416.5 | 448.3 | 1,891 | 2,036 |
| Grand totals | 1,890 | 80 | 9 | 1,979 | 120.3 | 125.8 | 791† | 827† |
The various industrial groups differ considerably amongst themselves in respect of severity rates. The highest figure for the average number of days lost per accident is to be found in the “textiles and weaving” and in the “other manufactures” groups, and the lowest figure in the “personal service” and “quarrying” groups. (In this connection it should be pointed out that only a very few operations connected with quarrying come within the scope of the Factories Act, and it is probable that, if full data as to all quarrying accidents were available, the average number of days lost per accident would be found to work out very much higher.) The subgroups which stand highest in this respect are electric lighting and butchering, while those which stand lowest are soap and starch manufacture, cycle and motor engineering, laundering, rope and twine manufacture, quarrying, baking, and biscuit- and confectionery-making. As regards the toll of hours lost through factory accidents per 100,000 man-hours worked, the same groups, with the addition of “miscellaneous minor industries,” show the highest figures, while the lowest figures are recorded in the “personal service” and “clothing” and “hoot-manufacturing” groups. Coming to the various subgroups, electric lighting, “other” wood-manufactures (mainly box-making), brickmaking, &e., woollen-manufactures, and meat freezing and preserving, all show figures in excess of 2,000 hours per 100,000 hours worked; while very low figures are recorded in connection with rope and twine manufacture, baking, cycle and motor engineering, laundering, and soap and starch manufacture, followed closely by the clothing and boot manufacture subgroups. Better than any other, however, is the position of the “other clothing” and “jewellery-manufacturing” subgroups, which during 1924 were entirely free from factory accidents.
In interpreting the figures for the less important subgroups too much, attention should not be paid to the figures for a single year. In an industry employing few hands the occurrence of a single fatality in any one year will have the effect of bringing about an exceptionally high severity rate; and these remarks would appear to apply with special force for 1924 to the case of “other wood-manufactures.”
An analysis of machinery accidents occurring in factories during 1924 shows that 19 per cent. of the total occurring on week-days took place on Mondays, 13 per cent. on Tuesdays, 17 per cent. on Wednesdays, 21 per cent. on Thursdays, 20 per cent. on Fridays, and 10 per cent. on Saturdays. When allowance is made for the fact that most factories work less than half a day, if at all, on Saturdays, and when consideration is also given to the fact that an exceptionally large number of close public holidays (including Good Friday, Anzac Day, and Boxing Day) occurred during 1924 on Fridays, it may be fairly definitely asserted that the risk of machinery accidents in factories is high on Mondays, and at a minimum on Tuesdays, while it increases progressively thereafter until the end of the week. A plausible hypothesis is that after the week-end relaxation a period of “incitement” for both employees and machinery is necessary before they become readjusted to the job: by Tuesday this readjustment is complete: but the cumulative effects of fatigue begin to tell on the employees as the week wears on, and these effects can only be eliminated by the week-end rest. In Uruguay and a number of other countries, similar conditions have been found to exist.
There is no evidence in the New Zealand figures of the existence of a seasonal cycle in the frequency of factory accidents.
The effects of fatigue are further brought out by a tabulation of factory accidents according to the hours of occurrence:—
| Hour of Occurrence. | Machinery Accidents. | Falls of Persons. | Handling Objects. | Hand Tools. | Other. | Totals. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusting Machine, Tool, or Work. | Starting, Stopping, and Operating. | Other. | Totals. | ||||||
| 8-9 a.m. | 3 | 11 | 10 | 24 | 3 | 15 | 34 | 22 | 98 |
| 9-10 a.m. | 3 | 39 | 14 | 56 | 9 | 26 | 53 | 28 | 172 |
| 10-11 a.m. | 8 | 48 | 20 | 76 | 32 | 40 | 46 | 47 | 241 |
| 11 a.m.-12 noon | 11 | 38 | 18 | 67 | 23 | 37 | 55 | 47 | 229 |
| 12 noon-1 p.m. | 2 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 34 |
| 1-2 p.m. | 3 | 20 | 6 | 29 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 67 |
| 2-3 p.m. | 5 | 24 | 7 | 36 | 12 | 11 | 35 | 34 | 128 |
| 3-4 p.m. | 5 | 41 | 10 | 56 | 15 | 24 | 32 | 35 | 162 |
| 4-5 p.m. | 9 | 23 | 6 | 38 | 20 | 28 | 38 | 54 | 178 |
| Other hours | 1 | 11 | 3 | 15 | 23 | 22 | 6 | 18 | 84 |
| Hour not stated | 9 | 53 | 28 | 90 | 40 | 100 | 151 | 205 | 586 |
| Totals | 59 | 317 | 123 | 499 | 185 | 317 | 468 | 510 | 1,979 |
In interpreting the foregoing table it must be remembered that some factories close at 4.30 p.m. or 4.45 p.m., so that full hours between 4 and 5 p.m. are not always worked. Further, most factories work only five afternoons but six mornings per week, so that afternoon accidents tend to be fewer than morning accidents in the aggregate. Again, in many establishments the “knock-off” comes before 12, so that a full hour is not always worked between 11 and 12. Finally, most establishments are idle between noon and 1 p.m. When these facts are allowed for, it would appear that for most classes of accidents there is a tendency for the risk to increase (in sympathy with increasing fatigue) with each additional hour of the working half-day, the midday and the night-time rest eliminating the cumulated effects of such fatigue. In the case of some causes of accidents, the increased risk with the number of hours continuously worked is much greater than in other cases: the increase, as the working half-day progresses, in the number of accidents caused by falls of persons in particular is exceptionally marked.
The average age of workers meeting with factory accidents during 1924 was: Males, 32.3 years; females, 20.9 years; both sexes, 31.8 years. These ages are rather less than the average age of male and female wage-earners as returned by the 1921 census—viz., 34.0 and 27.0 years respectively. Assuming that the ages of factory employees do not differ appreciably from those of wage-earners generally, the explanation of the difference is simple: young workers are at the same time inexperienced and therefore liable to an additional risk of incurring an industrial accident. The very much younger ages for females than for males is accounted for by the fact that males normally spend the whole of their working-lives in factories, &c, while for the majority of women employees factory life is terminated at a comparatively early age by marriage.
Table of Contents
THE Public Trust Office is designed mainly to afford, at low rates of commission, a secure and convenient recourse in every case where a person residing either in New Zealand or abroad, and desiring to draw a will, form a trust, or appoint an agent or attorney in the Dominion, may be in doubt or difficulty as to the choice of a trustee, executor, agent, or attorney. The Office aims also to relieve those who for various reasons may be unable or unwilling to commence or continue the administration of trust property to which they may have been appointed.
Operations were commenced in 1873, at the end of which year 257 estates, of a total value of £17,500, were being administered by the Office. By the 31st March, 1920, the number of estates had risen to 14,679, and the value of estates and funds to £20,860,686. The transfer of Native accounts to the Native Trust Office and the completion of the administration of deceased soldiers' estates led to a fall (to 10,175) in the number of estates at the 31st March, 1921, but in spite of this the value of estates and funds had increased to £22,364,319 at that date. Since then there has been a progressive increase in both number and value of estates administered, the records at 31st March, 1925, showing 11,676 estates of a value of £35,570,642.
The following table shows the growth of the Public Trust Office during the last ten years:—
| Year ended Slat March. | Total Value of Estates in Office, including Unrealized Assets. | Funds at Credit of Estates and Accounts. | Interest credited to Estates. | Bonus granted to Estates. | Gross Income. | Office Reserves. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 13,598,744 | 7,082,288 | 281,700 | 25,000 | 103,763 | 302,369 |
| 1917 | 15,065,583 | 8,058,886 | 287,818 | 27,000 | 129,008 | 295,234 |
| 1918 | 17,153,031 | 9,004,057 | 317,633 | 30,000 | 162,614 | 345,871 |
| 1919 | 19,242,347 | 10,065,027 | 352,783 | 33,100 | 194,452 | 393,377 |
| 1920 | 20,860,686 | 11,911,290 | 420,526 | 38,000 | 240,469 | 418,640 |
| 1921 | 22,364,319 | 13,918,906 | 537,890 | .. | 244,090 | 437,414 |
| 1922 | 25,497,779 | 15,329,125 | 556,587 | .. | 220,794 | 451,585 |
| 1923 | 28,904,798 | 17,466,787 | 642,447 | .. | 246,692 | 491,775 |
| 1924 | 32,404,724 | 19,215,388 | 691,768 | .. | 257,623 | 541,473 |
| 1925 | 35,570,612 | 20,864,356 | 729,660 | .. | 299,439 | 605,274 |
The capital funds of the Public Trust Office invested on the 31st March, 1925, amounted to £22,106,190, made up as follows:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Government securities | 1,444,275 |
| Local bodies' debentures | 5,832,542 |
| Land Settlement Finance Act debentures | 48,706 |
| Other debentures and shares | 10,877 |
| Mortgages | 14,255,120 |
| Properties acquired by foreclosure (less reserve) | 36,241 |
| Temporary deposits | 153,000 |
| Savings-bank accounts | 174 |
| Overdrafts by way of advances to estates and beneficiaries | 318,426 |
| Advances for protection of securities acquired or in possession | 6,829 |
| Total | £22,106,190 |
The gross income during the financial year 1924-25 was £299,439. The working expenses were £197,688, and depreciation on office premises, &c., accounted for £11,229, leaving a net profit of £90,522. The net profits of the Office during each of the last ten years are shown below:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Net Profits. |
|---|---|
| £ | |
| 1916 | 46,108 |
| 1917 | 58,862 |
| 1918 | 68,602 |
| 1919 | 70,156 |
| 1920 | 78,246 |
| 1921 | 10,691 |
| 1922 | 11,053 |
| 1923 | 58,700 |
| 1924 | 65,542 |
| 1925 | 90,522 |
It is evident that the revenue of the Office has grown considerably during the decennium. A variety of causes contributed to the phenomenal fall in 1920-21 and 1921-22, the main factors being the granting of increased benefits to beneficiaries and the necessary provision for the cost-of-living bonus to members of the staff.
The Office reserves, which have been built up out of the profits made by the Office in successive years, amounted on the 31st March, 1925, to the considerable sum of £605,274. They consist of—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Assurance and Reserve Fund | 427,346 |
| Investment fluctuation | 88,764 |
| Reserve for protection of mortgage securities and provision against possible loss in realization | 79,275 |
| General Legal Expenses Account | 9,889 |
| Total | £605,274 |
An outstanding feature of the work of the Office at the present time is the rapid increase in the number of wills deposited, which affords convincing evidence of the growing confidence on the part of testators in the appointment of the Public Trustee as executor and trustee of their estates. The number of wills on deposit at the 31st March, 1914, was 6,427; in 1920 it had increased to 25,792; while at 31st March, 1925, it had risen to 44,102.
In order better to provide for the administration of Native funds and Native reserves formerly conducted by the Public Trustee, legislation was passed transferring the administration of these from the Public Trustee to the Native Trustee as from the 1st April, 1921. The Native Trustee Act, 1920, which, together with its amendments of 1921-22, 1922, and 1924, embodies the legislation relating to the creation and functions of the Native Trust Office, provides for the appointment of a Native Trustee and of a Native Trust Office Board, consisting of the Minister of Native Affairs, one other member of the Executive Council being either a Native or a half-caste, the Native Trustee, the Under-Secretaries of Native Affairs and of Lands, and one other person appointed by the Governor-General. The Office is subject to the control of the Minister of Native Affairs.
The funds of the Native Trust Office at the 31st March, 1925, amounted to £865,573, made up as follows:—
| Amounts held under— | £ |
|---|---|
| West Coast Settlement Reserves Act, 1892 | 66,806 |
| Native Reserves Act, 1882 | 50,134 |
| Native Land Act, 1909 (Part X) | 142,946 |
| Native Land Act, 1909 (Miscellaneous) | 38,528 |
| Native Trustee Act, 1920, and amendments | 25,822 |
| Miscellaneous funds (including Maori Land Board accounts) | 492,097 |
| Sundry creditors | 20 |
| Reserve and Assurance Fund | 44,274 |
| Investment Fluctuation Fund | 4,946 |
| Total | £865,573 |
Of the total funds £626,455 was invested in the form of mortgages, £15,000 in Government securities, and £195,290 in local bodies' securities.
The interest on investments for the year 1924-25 totalled £13,419, and commissions, fees, and charges brought in a further £5,100. The net profit for the year was £9,897, of which £8,907 was placed to the Reserve and Assurance Fund and £990 to the Investment Fluctuation Fund.
During the year ended the 31st December, 1924, 565 joint-stock companies were registered, with a total nominal capital of £21,367,310, including 456 private companies, with a nominal capital of £2,793,440. In addition to the total of 565 there were 5 companies limited by guarantee.
The following table gives the total number of companies and the aggregate nominal capital registered during each of the five years 1920-24:—
| Year. | Private Companies. | Public Companies. | Total. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number registered. | Aggregate Nominal Capital. | Number registered. | Aggregate Nominal Capital. | Number registered. | Aggregate Nominal Capital. | |
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 1920 | 356 | 3,573,733 | 145 | 5,990,200 | 501 | 9,563,933 |
| 1921 | 262 | 2,069,858 | 75 | 1,428,350 | 337 | 3,498,208 |
| 1922 | 311 | 1,851,759 | 106 | 11,273,735 | 417 | 13,125,494 |
| 1923 | 405 | 2,663,585 | 97 | 10,342,500 | 502 | 13,006,085 |
| 1924 | 456 | 2,793,440 | 109 | 18,573,870 | 565 | 21,367,310 |
The number of companies registered during 1924 and the amount of nominal capital involved showed a considerable increase over the figures for the preceding year. In the case of private companies the number registered was 51 greater than the 1923 figure, while nominal capital showed an improvement of £129,855. Turning to public companies, it is seen that the number advanced by 12 and the capital registered by £8,231,370. Included in the latter class were 11 overseas companies which accounted for capital totalling £15,757,500. One overseas company alone claimed £10,212,500, while in another case the amount registered was as high as £4,000,000.
In the next table companies registered in 1924 are classified according to the amount of their nominal capital. The greatest number of private companies occurred in the £1,000-£2,000 group, while public companies were most frequent in the £20,000-£50,000 class. It is of interest to note that 80 per cent. of private concerns were registered with capitals of less than £10,000, while companies of larger denominations, although representing but 20 per cent. of the total in point of numbers, claimed 59 per cent. of the aggregate capital. Sixty-one per cent. of the public companies had nominal capitals of £10,000 or over, the aggregate capital of these amounting to 99 per cent. of the total.
| Amount. | Private Companies. | Public Companies. | Total. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Aggregate Nominal Capital. | Number. | Aggregate Nominal Capital. | Number. | Aggregate Nominal Capital. | |
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Under £1,000 | 53 | 23,839 | 2 | 550 | 55 | 24,389 |
| £1,000 and under £2,000 | 68 | 83,976 | 5 | 5,500 | 73 | 89,476 |
| £2,000 and under £3,000 | 65 | 140,695 | 7 | 15,000 | 72 | 155,695 |
| £3,000 and under £4,000 | 43 | 136,250 | 6 | 18,000 | 49 | 154,250 |
| £4,000 and under £5,000 | 32 | 132,200 | 7 | 28,500 | 39 | 160,700 |
| £5,000 and under £6,000 | 45 | 227,200 | 10 | 50,000 | 55 | 277,200 |
| £6,000 and under £7,000 | 28 | 169,700 | 1 | 6,000 | 29 | 175,700 |
| £7,000 and under £8,000 | 18 | 131,450 | 2 | 15,000 | 20 | 146,450 |
| £8,000 and under £9,000 | 9 | 72,500 | 3 | 24,000 | 12 | 96,500 |
| £9,000 and under £10,000 | 4 | 36,280 | .. | .. | 4 | 36,280 |
| £10,000 and under £15,000 | 47 | 497,900 | 14 | 148,500 | 61 | 646,400 |
| £15,000 and under £20,000 | 19 | 303,100 | 5 | 79,500 | 24 | 382,600 |
| £20,000 and under £50,000 | 21 | 565,500 | 25 | 632,000 | 46 | 1,197,500 |
| £50,000 and over | 4 | 272,850 | 22 | 17,551,320 | 26 | 17,824,170 |
| Totals | 456 | 2,793,440 | 109 | 18,573,870 | 565 | 21,367,310 |
There were 2,085 applications for letters patent during 1924; 1,143 were filed with provisional specifications, and 942 with complete specifications; while 299 complete specifications were lodged in respect of applications with which provisional specifications had been previously filed.
The total number of applications received up to the 31st December, 1924, was 53,571, and the patents in force in New Zealand at that date numbered 7,105. The number of patent agents on the register was 20.
In the following table are shown the countries of residence of persons who applied for patents in New Zealand during the last three years. Owing to applications being received from joint applicants resident in different countries, also from applicants giving two addresses, the figures total more than the actual number of applications received.
| Country. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 1,389 | 1,262 | 1,233 |
| Australia | 276 | 305 | 302 |
| United Kingdom | 256 | 287 | 285 |
| United States | 169 | 129 | 235 |
| Germany | 7 | 3 | 19 |
| Holland | 10 | 5 | 18 |
| Denmark | 8 | 6 | 17 |
| Canada | 14 | 19 | 10 |
| France | 14 | 15 | 10 |
| Italy | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Belgium | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| Switzerland | 8 | 2 | 5 |
| British South Africa | 8 | 6 | 3 |
| Argentine | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Sweden | 4 | 13 | 2 |
| Czecho-Slovakia | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Austria | 3 | .. | 2 |
| Norway | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Japan | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Hawaii | .. | .. | 1 |
| Cuba | .. | .. | 1 |
| Java | .. | .. | 1 |
| Federated Malay States | .. | .. | 1 |
| India | 1 | 1 | .. |
| Finland | .. | 1 | .. |
| Russia | .. | 1 | .. |
| Friendly Islands | 1 | .. | .. |
| Spain | 1 | .. | .. |
The total number of applications during 1924 in respect of trade-marks was 1,338, and the fees received totalled £3,880.
Of the 1,338 applications, 510 were made by residents of New Zealand, 355 came from Great Britain, 193 from Australia, and 195 from the United States.
The number of applications for registration of designs totalled 185, as compared with 183 in 1923. Nineteen applications came from Australia, 32 from the United Kingdom, 2 from the United States, and the balance from New Zealand.
The following table shows the number of applications for patents and for the registration of trade-marks and designs in 1890, 1900, 1910, and each of the last ten years:—
| Year. | Patents. | Trademarks. | Designs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 616 | 160 | 5 |
| 1900 | 1,009 | 348 | 15 |
| 1910 | 1,831 | 818 | 46 |
| 1915 | 1,299 | 565 | 89 |
| 1916 | 1,261 | 666 | 113 |
| 1917 | 1,329 | 619 | 83 |
| 1918 | 1,386 | 695 | 53 |
| 1919 | 1,880 | 1,272 | 74 |
| 1920 | 2,193 | 1,391 | 109 |
| 1921 | 2,115 | 995 | 141 |
| 1922 | 2,183 | 1,103 | 214 |
| 1923 | 2,075 | 1,163 | 183 |
| 1924 | 2,085 | 1,338 | 185 |
The Inspection of Machinery Act makes provision for the inspection of all steam boilers and digesters, of hydraulic, electric, and other lifts, and of any prime movers such as gas, oil, and air engines used to drive machinery on land, also of machinery used on vessels afloat that are not self-propelled.
It also provides for the issue of certificates to those who pass the prescribed examinations for land engineers and engine-drivers in charge of boilers and machinery, for winding-engine drivers for mining purposes, for drivers employed on locomotives working on railway-lines not under the control of the Government Working Railways Department, and for the drivers of traction-engines on roads. Certificates are also issued to electric-tram drivers as provided by the Tramways Amendment Act, 1910. The issue of these certificates is controlled by a Board of Examiners set up by the Act, the Chairman being the Chief Inspector of Machinery.
During the year ended 31st March, 1925, inspections of machinery to the number of 27,853 were carried out, as compared with 25,111 during the preceding twelve months. The class of machinery examined is shown by the following statement:—
| Class. | Number. |
|---|---|
| Hydraulic lifts | 264 |
| Electric lifts | 877 |
| Gas-lifts | 5 |
| Oil-lifts | 2 |
| Steam-lifts | 15 |
| Gas, hydraulic, and electric-motor hoists | 1,090 |
| Water-engines, peltons, turbines, and water-wheels | 445 |
| Oil-engines | 12,521 |
| Gas-engines | 1,156 |
| Electric motors | 11,457 |
| Miscellaneous | 21 |
| Total | 27,853 |
Electric motors were first shown separately in the returns in 1922-23, in which year the number examined was 8,013. The figure for 1924-25 (11,457) represents an increase of 3,444, or 43 per cent., in only two years.
Annual inspections of boilers during the year ended 31st March, 1925, numbered 7,944, as follows:—
| Class. | Not exceeding 5 Horse-power. | Exceeding 5 but not exceeding 10 Horse-power. | Exceeding 10 Horse-power. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stationary | 2,996 | 737 | 2,388 | 6,121 |
| Portable | 207 | 1,102 | 514 | 1,823 |
| Totals | 3,203 | 1,839 | 2,902 | 7,944 |
In addition to the annual inspections of boilers, new boilers to the number of 363, and representing an aggregate of 6,591 horse-power, were inspected and tested before being used. Of these, 176, of a horse-power of 3,563, had been made in New Zealand, the others being imported.
During the year ended 31st March, 1925, 563 certificates were issued to land-engineers, engine-drivers, and electric-tram drivers, on their passing the necessary examinations. The certificates were classified as follows:—
| Service— | |
|---|---|
| First-class engine-driver | 11 |
| Second-class engine-driver | 2 |
| Locomotive- and traction-engine driver | 1 |
| Competency— | |
| Extra first-class engineer | 2 |
| First-class engine-driver | 25 |
| Second-class engine-driver | 278 |
| Steam-winding-engine driver | 9 |
| Electric-winding-engine driver | 2 |
| Locomotive- and traction-engine driver | 85 |
| Locomotive-engine driver | 6 |
| Traction-engine driver | 59 |
| Electric-tram driver | 83 |
| Total | 563 |
The number of labourers and artisans employed on public works during each month of the year ended the 31st March, 1925, was as fellows:—
| Month. | Railways. | Roads. | Hydroelectric Works. | Public Buildings. | Other Works. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1924—April | 2,713 | 1,762 | 808 | 336 | 958 | 6,577 |
| May | 2,637 | 1,836 | 920 | 351 | 776 | 6,520 |
| June | 2,621 | 1,681 | 1,001 | 389 | 837 | 6,529 |
| July | 2,691 | 1,556 | 1,070 | 394 | 903 | 6,614 |
| August | 2,738 | 1,479 | 1,033 | 412 | 996 | 6,658 |
| September | 2,927 | 1,540 | 811 | 458 | 1,262 | 6,998 |
| October | 2,885 | 1,531 | 672 | 428 | 1,337 | 6,853 |
| November | 2,913 | 1,563 | 644 | 425 | 1,162 | 6,707 |
| December | 2,870 | 1,594 | 619 | 418 | 1,002 | 6,503 |
| 1925—January | 2,947 | 1,551 | 929 | 409 | 909 | 6,745 |
| February | 3,036 | 1,594 | 1,033 | 463 | 978 | 7,104 |
| March | 3,158 | 3,680 | 1,107 | 451 | 976 | 7,372 |
| Averages | 2,845 | 1,614 | 887 | 411 | 1,008 | 6,765 |
The (monthly) average number of men employed in 1895, 1900, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1920, and each of the last five years was as follows:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Roads. | Railways, Buildings, &c. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | 1,103 | 962 | 2,065 |
| 1900 | 1,825 | 1,243 | 3,068 |
| 1905 | 1,407 | 2,119 | 3,526 |
| 1910 | 1,762 | 3,929 | 5,691 |
| 1915 | 2,494 | 2,234 | 4,728 |
| 1920 | 1,495 | 2,498 | 3,993 |
| 1921 | 1,650 | 3,235 | 4,885 |
| 1922 | 1,062 | 4,016 | 5,078 |
| 1923 | 1,009 | 5,188 | 6,197 |
| 1924 | 1,210 | 4,876 | 6,086 |
| 1925 | 1,614 | 5,151 | 6,765 |
The co-operative contract system adopted in connection with the construction of public works in New Zealand is somewhat as follows: When a length of railway or road is to be constructed on the co-operative principle the formation work is divided into sections, the size of which depends upon the difficulty of the work. Plans and a simple specification of the work are prepared, also an estimate of the cost based on the rate of wages ruling in the district for similar work. The work, at a price reckoned at so-much per unit of quantity or measurement, is offered to a party of men, who, if they accept, become the contractors. The work done by the men is measured periodically, and full payment made to the party, who divide the money amongst themselves according to the time worked by each workman. The engineer in charge of the work has a certain amount of discretion and control in respect of the character of the men employed, the progress of the work, hours of labour, &c.
The constitution of the party is left very much to the men themselves, and they have power, subject to the approval of the engineer, to ballot out any member who proves himself undesirable or inefficient. The Department supplies the men with materials, explosives, &c., at cost price.
When the work is let by direct contract tenders are publicly invited, but the sections of work included in each contract are more extensive than under the co-operative system, yet not in general too large to enable parties of working contractors to tender.
In 1915 the Census and Statistics Office compiled figures as to the total number of employees of the State and of local governing bodies, the results being published in the 1915 number of the Year-book. The total arrived at could be regarded as approximate only, estimates having to be made in respect of certain groups of employees for which figures were not available. The aggregate number of State and local-body employees was set down for 1915 at approximately 60,000, with an aggregate annual remuneration of about £8,000,000.
After a lapse of ten years a similar investigation has now been made into the position as at the 31st March, 1925. The results, for which absolute accuracy is not claimed (though estimation has had to be resorted to in a much smaller percentage of cases than in 1915) are given in this section.
With a few exceptions the permanent employees of the State are divided into three divisions—viz., officers of the Railway Department, officers of the Post and Telegraph Department, and officers of Departments under the control of the Public Service Commissioner. In addition there are the Defence, Naval, and Police Forces; officers of Parliament and of the Legislative Department; administrative officers of Departments under the Public Service Commissioner; Judges and Magistrates; and a few others. There is also a considerable floating staff of temporary and casual employees.
Permanent officers of the Railway Department at the 31st March, 1925, numbered 12,788, the total salaries and wages paid during the preceding twelve months being £3,359,504. Wages paid to temporary and casual employees during the year accounted for a further £1,025,600. Temporary employees at the 31st March, 1925, numbered 4,458, the average employed during the year being 3,970. The total' employees of the Department at the 31st March, 1925, were thus 17,246, and the wages bill for the twelve months was £4,385,104.
The employees of the Post and Telegraph Department at the 31st March, 1925, numbered 10,384, of whom 7,835 were permanent officers and 2,549 casual or temporary employees. Salaries and wages paid to permanent officers during the preceding twelve months aggregated £1,767,623, while a total of £384,287 was paid to temporary and casual employees, the average of whom over the year was 1,897. Altogether £2,151,910 was paid by the Department in salaries and wages during the year, without taking into account the remuneration of non-permanent country Postmasters and Postmistresses, mail contractors, &c.
Classified officers of Government Departments under the control of the Public Service Commissioner numbered 7,385 at the 31st March, 1925, as compared with 5,869 at the corresponding date in 1915. Their aggregate annual salaries were £1,133,835 for the year 1915-16, and £2,064,119 for 1925-26.
A list of Departments, with their classified staffs at the 31st March, 1925, and the annual salaries of these, is given:—
| Department. | Officers. | Salaries. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Agriculture | 497 | 166,141 |
| Audit | 120 | 38,970 |
| Census and Statistics | 57 | 13,075 |
| Crown Law | 7 | 4,670 |
| Customs | 295 | 89,325 |
| Defence | 50 | 12,130 |
| Dominion Laboratory | 17 | 6,705 |
| Dominion Museum | 7 | 2,855 |
| Education | 277 | 95,952 |
| Native-school teachers (year 1924-25) | 262 | 53,820 |
| External Affairs | 5 | 1,335 |
| Government Life Insurance | 127 | 36,022 |
| Health; | 357 | 100,872 |
| Immigration | 12 | 3,270 |
| Industries and Commerce | 14 | 4,875 |
| Internal Affairs | 268 | 65,818 |
| Justice | 236 | 63,960 |
| Labour | 94 | 26,895 |
| Land and Deeds | 136 | 35,772 |
| Land and Income Tax | 156 | 35,980 |
| Land for Settlements | 2 | 1,192 |
| Lands and Survey | 624 | 174,490 |
| Marine and Machinery | 202 | 65,495 |
| Mental Hospitals | 782 | 176,441 |
| Mines | 62 | 21,876 |
| National Provident Fund and Friendly Societies | 41 | 9,550 |
| Native | 62 | 18,570 |
| Native Trust | 20 | 5,685 |
| Patents | 10 | 2,760 |
| Pensions | 97 | 22,940 |
| Police (not including Police Force) | 6 | 1,775 |
| Printing and Stationery | 347 | 91,632 |
| Prisons | 208 | 57,471 |
| Private Secretaries | 9 | 4,325 |
| Public Service Commissioner | 12 | 4,620 |
| Public Service Superannuation | 9 | 2,660 |
| Public Trust | 547 | 151,199 |
| Public Works | 667 | 206,271 |
| Registrar-General | 40 | 10,245 |
| Stamp Duties | 81 | 19,900 |
| State Advances | 75 | 19,105 |
| State Fire and Accident Insurance | 119 | 29,685 |
| State Forests | 91 | 29,322 |
| Tourist and Health Resorts | 108 | 26,648 |
| Treasury | 85 | 21,610 |
| Valuation | 85 | 30,210 |
| Totals | 7,385 | 2,064,119 |
Most of the Departments shown in the foregoing list employ temporary and other unclassified officers, some of whom are under the direct jurisdiction of the Public Service Commissioner. In certain Departments, however, casual and temporary employees on other than clerical work are outside of the control of the Commissioner.
Information as to the number of temporary officers under the control of the Public Service Commissioner as at the 31st March, 1925, is not available, but at the 31st March, 1924, the number was 705, of whom approximately 250 were females. Assuming these numbers to have remained about the same in 1924-25, and allowing average wages of £200 per annum for males and £100 for females, the total wages for this class of temporary officers may be taken as approximately £125,000 for the year.
The Government Printer has, in addition to his permanent staff, a large staff of what may be termed permanent casuals—that is, employees who, not being permanent officers, are put off when there is insufficient work in hand, but who are actually engaged for a considerable part of every year. It becomes necessary, at times, to temporarily engage further assistance outside of the usual casual employees. At the 31st March, 1925, 166 casual and temporary employees were on the pay-sheets of the Printing and Stationery Department. The average number employed during the preceding twelve months was 181, and the wages paid to casual and temporary employees during the year amounted to £31,220.
The Public Works Department employs a large number of temporary hands, who are engaged either on daily wages or under the co-operative system. The figures for the year ended 31st March, 1925, are as follows:—
| Co-operative Employees. | Other Unclassified Employees. | |
|---|---|---|
| Number at 31st March, 1925 | 1,821 | 4,762 |
| Average number during 1924-25 | 1,693 | 4,782 |
| Total earnings during 1924-25 | £337,622 | £936,416 |
The Department of Health, in addition to its classified officers, has a considerable number of unclassified employees engaged in the various sanatoria, maternity homes, and other institutions conducted by the Department. The number of such officers was 450 at the 31st March, 1925, the average for the year was 452, and the total salaries and wages paid amounted to £77,774 for the twelve months ended 31st March, 1925.
Before turning to Departments and services not under the control of the Public Service Commissioner, it is as well to take cognizance of the administrative heads of these Departments. The number of officers in the Administrative Division at the 31st March, 1925, was 32, with aggregate salaries amounting to £32,264. With these may be grouped certain statutory and unattached officers (including the Solicitor-General, the Controller and Auditor-General, and the Public Service Commissioner) bringing the total to 40, and the aggregate salaries to approximately £42,000 per annum.
Judges of the Supreme Court number 9, Judges of the Native Land Court 8, and Stipendiary Magistrates 31. These, with the Judge and members of the Arbitration Court, receive an aggregate of £52,079 per annum.
The permanent employees under the jurisdiction of the Clerk of Parliaments and the Clerk of the House of Representatives at the 31st March, 1925, numbered 69, and their annual salaries amounted to £23,421. A number of casual employees are engaged during session-time, amounting to 154 during the session of 1924, their wages totalling £14,733.
Three important classes of public servants who are not under the control of the Public Service Commissioner are (1) the Navy, (2) the Permanent Defence Force, and (3) the Police Force. The total personnel of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy at the 31st March, 1925, was 640, and their aggregate rates of pay amounted to £121,205 per annum. The Permanent Defence Force at the same date had 482 officers and men, with pay aggregating £158,430 per annum. In addition, 40 casual employees were attached to the Defence Department, and a total of £8,352 was paid to casuals (average 43) during the preceding twelve months. The Police Force numbered 1,025 of all ranks, £300,185 being the amount represented by the aggregate of their annual rates of pay. Temporary employees, who numbered 56 at the 31st March, 1925, and averaged 53 for the twelve months ended 31st March, 1925, received wages totalling £10,268 during the year.
Officers and employees of the State who have not been included above are the High Commissioner and his staff; the Resident Commissioners in the Cook Islands and Niue, with their staffs; officers in the employ of the Samoan Administration; canvassers of the State Insurance Offices; and the officers (other than masters) and crews of Government steamers.
No account is taken of part-time officers of State Departments who are allowed to perform work for remuneration outside the Government. Crown Solicitors, Registrars of Births, &c., and non-permanent, Postmasters and Postmistresses come into this category.
Teachers and others engaged in the Education service of the State receive their salaries from the Consolidated Fund, but in general rank as employees of the various Education Boards, University colleges, &c. The total number of employees under this head, including full — time teachers, professors, lecturers, pupil — teachers, probationers, training — college students, and clerical and other employees of local educational bodies, at the 31st December, 1924, was 9,845, and their annual salaries aggregated £2,371,000. No information is available concerning temporary employees of educational bodies, but their number is small.
With the exception of Hospital Boards and a few minor local authorities, statistics of employees of local bodies are annually collected and compiled, the full details being published in the Annual Statistical Report on Local Government. A summary for the year 1923-24, the latest for which complete returns are available, is here given:—
| Local Bodies. | Permanent Employees. | Temporary Employees. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Salaries and Wages. | Number at End of Year. | Average Number for Year. | Wages paid during Year. | |
| £ | £ | ||||
| County Councils | 1,966 | 433,056 | 2,642 | 1,708 | 324,612 |
| Borough Councils | 7,876 | 1,903,342 | 2,189 | 1,833 | 385,109 |
| Town Boards | 214 | 31,943 | 116 | 49 | 12,917 |
| Road Boards | 149 | 24,600 | 176 | 108 | 22,265 |
| River Boards | 89 | 13,563 | 96 | 81 | 17,051 |
| Land-drainage Boards | 65 | 7,031 | 103 | 70 | 15,974 |
| Electric-power Boards | 542 | 115,283 | 657 | 557 | 117,383 |
| Water-supply Boards | 8 | 1,232 | 7 | 3 | 721 |
| City and Suburban Drainage Boards | 75 | 20,315 | 136 | 125 | 27,351 |
| Tramway Boards | 580 | 143,151 | .. | .. | .. |
| Local Railway Boards | 38 | 6,621 | .. | .. | 4 |
| Gas-lighting Board | 37 | 6,904 | 9 | 13 | 2,382 |
| Harbour Boards | 1,045 | 308,056 | 1,842 | 1,494 | 399,133 |
| Totals | 12,684 | 3,015,097 | 7,973 | 6,041 | 1,324,902 |
The total employees of the above classes of local authorities were thus 20,657 at the 31st March, 1924, and the total amount paid in salaries and wages during the preceding twelve months was £4,339,999. Hospital Boards at the 31st March, 1925, had 3,898 employees, with an aggregate annual remuneration of £452,222, bringing the totals of all local bodies to 24,555 and £4,792,221 respectively.
Of the employees of Hospital Boards, 153 were officers whose full time was not devoted to the service of the Board. Similarly, the 12,684 permanent employees of other local bodies include 650 part-time officers.
In the following summary, covering both State and local-government employees, part-time officers have been excluded throughout, though in the case of local bodies their salaries are included:—
| Class. | Permanent Employees. | Temporary Employees. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Annual Salaries and Wages. | Number. | Amount paid in Wages during Year. | |
* Included amongst permanent employees. | ||||
| £ | £ | |||
| Railway Department | 12,788 | 3,359,504 | 4,458 | 1,025,600 |
| Post and Telegraph Department | 7,835 | 1,767,623 | 2,549 | 384,287 |
| Officers under Public Service Commissioner | 7,385 | 2,064,119 | 705 | 125,000 |
| Government Printing Office | .. | .. | 166 | 31,220 |
| Public Works Department— | ||||
| Co-operative employees | .. | .. | 1,821 | 337,622 |
| Other unclassified employees | .. | .. | 4,762 | 936,416 |
| Health Department | .. | .. | 450 | 77,774 |
| Administrative officers, &c. | 40 | 42,000 | .. | .. |
| Judges and Magistrates | 51 | 52,079 | .. | .. |
| Legislative Department | 69 | 23,421 | 154 | 14,733 |
| Naval Forces | 640 | 121,205 | .. | .. |
| Defence Forces | 482 | 158,430 | 40 | 8,352 |
| Police Force | 1,025 | 300,185 | 56 | 10,268 |
| Education Service | 9,845 | 2,371,000 | .. | .. |
| Hospital Boards | 3,745 | 452,222 | * | * |
| Other local bodies | 12,034 | 3,015,097 | 7,973 | 1,324,902 |
| Totals | 55,939 | 13,726,885 | 23,134 | 4,276,174 |
The huge total of 79,000 is shown as the number of persons employed by the State and by local governing authorities, the annual wages bill amounting to £18,000,000.
Notwithstanding many statistical pitfalls, figures showing the total value of production are of interest and of great value if assessed on a uniform system throughout In the compilation of statistics of value of production for New Zealand, the results of which are given below, wholesale prices have been used in all cases as being the nearest values at present obtainable to the value at the source of production. An allowance has been made for such items as grass-seed, of which practically all the unexported production is returned to the soil. Deductions have also been made from Group I for items the inclusion of which would lead to duplication in the aggregate. Items of this nature are chaff, hay, fodder, and root crops, &c. These are produced for the purpose of adding value to live-stock, &c., the accretions in value of which are accounted for in Groups II and III. The output of factories has been taken as the total value of output at the factory, less the cost of materials used or operated on. The gross output of freezing-works has been included in Group II, whilst Group III includes the gross output of butter, cheese, and preserved-milk factories. An attempt has been made to estimate the approximate value of production by builders, labourers, road and railway workers, industrial workers not in Group V, dressmakers, &c. In and subsequent to 1922-23. figures of building permits are available, and from then on these have been used for estimating the production of the building trade.
It should be noted that every effort has been made to avoid duplication, but this is not entirely possible on the data available. It is considered, however, that in the aggregate the figures are conservative. No allowance is made for the production on small holdings of under one acre, kitchen-gardens, &c., nor of home products of which dressmaking, jam-making, &c., would alone comprise something very considerable in the aggregate.
The following table is submitted subject to these remarks:—
| Year. | Group I: Agricultural Products. | Group II: Pastoral Products. | Group III: Dairying, Poultry, and Bees. | Group IV: Mining Products. | Group V: Factory Products. | Group VI: Fisheries. | Group VII: Forest Products. | Group VIII: Production of Builders, Labourers, and Industrial Workers, &c. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1900-01 | 4,088,108 | 11,000,972 | 2,783,666 | 2,703,147 | 5,307,531 | 86,530 | 2,101,666 | 3,907,210 | 31,978,830 |
| 1905-06 | 4,318,664 | 12,474,853 | 3,942,516 | 3,871,991 | 6,403,274 | 92,068 | 3,220,221 | 5,076,180 | 39,399,767 |
| 1910-11 | 4,026,526 | 20,169,907 | 6,352,245 | 3,774,898 | 8,143,334 | 219,403 | 3,465,778 | 5,752,351 | 51,904,442 |
| 1915-16 | 7,566,704 | 32,390,322 | 12,081,850 | 3,374,477 | 9,739,070 | 342,363 | 2,658,122 | 5,986,060 | 74,138,968 |
| 1916-17 | 6,338,897 | 35,417,330 | 12,959,649 | 2,978,918 | 10,603,853 | 208,062 | 2,902,109 | 7,109,800 | 78,518,618 |
| 1917-18 | 7,491,846 | 38,821,732 | 13,991,403 | 2,523,630 | 11,468,636 | 227,103 | 3,102,605 | 7,928,630 | 85,555,585 |
| 1918-19 | 8,153,668 | 36,008,709 | 15,519,973 | 3,593,916 | 12,333,419 | 306,152 | 3,174,001 | 9,096,600 | 88,186,438 |
| 1919-20 | 8,967,933 | 38,595,940 | 19,270,181 | 3,778,682 | 15,557,618 | 386,059 | 3,912,964 | 9,151,600 | 99,620,977 |
| 1920-21 | 8,951,714 | 27,543,108 | 25,659,266 | 3,431,391 | 19,125,946 | 435,671 | 5,621,258 | 9,201,258 | 99,969,612 |
| 1921-22 | 9,796,425 | 22,678,171 | 21,614,244 | 2,727,205 | 17,590,926 | 465,470 | 5,412,638 | 9,574,500 | 89,859,579 |
| 1922-23 | 8,365,530 | 28,398,110 | 25,584,391 | 2,761,078 | 18,419,600 | 363,140 | 5,432,883 | 9,771,390 | 99,096,122 |
| 1923-24 | 7,226,592 | 32,918,313 | 25,169,625 | 3,088,246 | 19,648,748 | 472,765 | 5,961,849 | 11,472,801 | 105,958,939 |
From the table it is seen that the value of production has now reached a new level, exceeding £100,000,000 for 1923-24. As shown in the table, the largest group is that of pastoral products, followed closely (in recent years) by the group which includes dairying, poultry, and bees. Secondary industries show steady growth, as indicated by the figure for Group V, whilst the great increase in building activity is largely responsible for the high figure now shown for Group VIII. If agriculture is credited with the production of all crops (including pasture grasses) this group emerges as the greatest, as the following table shows:—
| Year. | Gross Value (including Pasture Grasses, Fodder Crops, &c. | Net Value. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| 1900-01 | 11,636,593 | 4,088,108 |
| 1905-06 | 12,809,594 | 4,318,664 |
| 1910-11 | 14,381,332 | 4,026,526 |
| 1915-16 | 29,573,500 | 7,566,704 |
| 1916-17 | 28,035,034 | 6,338,897 |
| 1917-18 | 29,866,104 | 7,491,846 |
| 1918-19 | 31,074,966 | 8,153,668 |
| 1919-20 | 32,994,037 | 8,967,933 |
| 1920-21 | 33,115,205 | 8,951,714 |
| 1921-22 | 33,736,484 | 9,796,425 |
| 1922-23 | 32,036,732 | 8,365,530 |
| 1923-24 | 30,214,170 | 7,226,592 |
It has been shown in the External Trade Section of this book that the increases in the total value of exports during recent years is attributable more to increased prices than to the greater volume of commodities shipped. What is true of exports—the country's surplus production—is also found to apply in the case of production as a whole, the trebling of the annual value between 1900-01 and 1923-24 being due partly to the increased volume of production, but more to the great advance in prices in the latter year as compared with the earlier. It should be added that the increase in the volume of production is proportionately slightly greater than the increase in population.
From the figures of total value of production it is possible, by taking into account the increase of population and the movement in wholesale prices, to compile a series of index numbers of relative productive activity, which afford the only satisfactory basis of discussion of the vexed question of the falling-off in production. The index numbers are given in the following table:—
| Year. | Mean Population for Twelve Months ending 30th June (including Maoris). | Value of Production. | Relative Value of Production per Head (1910-11 = 1000). | Wholesale Price Index Number (1910-11 = 1000). | Relative Productive Activity (1910-11 = 1000). | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total. | Per Head of Mean Population. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 1900-01 | 811,028 | 31,978,830 | 39.43 | 796 | 937 | 850 |
| 1905-06 | 922,074 | 39,399,767 | 42.73 | 863 | 1012 | 853 |
| 1910-11 | 1,047,670 | 51,904,442 | 49.54 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 |
| 1915-16 | 1,150,372 | 74,138,968 | 64.45 | 1301 | 1388 | 937 |
| 1916-17 | 1,148,578 | 78,518,618 | 68.36 | 1380 | 1564 | 882 |
| 1917-18 | 1,151,235 | 85,555,585 | 74.32 | 1500 | 1820 | 824 |
| 1918-19 | 1,174,628 | 88,186,438 | 75.08 | 1516 | 1845 | 822 |
| 1919-20 | 1,217,150 | 99,820,977 | 81.85 | 1652 | 2198 | 752 |
| 1920-21 | 1,259,869 | 99,969,612 | 79.35 | 1602 | 2084 | 769 |
| 1921-22 | 1,291,413 | 89,859,579 | 69.58 | 1405 | 1843 | 762 |
| 1922-23 | 1,317,154 | 99,096,122 | 75.24 | 1519 | 1814 | 837 |
| 1923-24 | 1,339,786 | 105,958,939 | 79.33 | 1601 | 1867 | 858 |
As indicated above, two main factors have been considered—namely, population and price. Obviously, if population increases, one would expect production to increase in the aggregate unless some other factor were introduced to counteract this increase in population. Similarly, price plays an important part in the question. To produce (say) £1,000,000 in goods requires less when prices are high than when low prices rule. The method of allowing for the various factors is not necessarily absolute, and is subject to certain shortcomings. For instance, a temporary falling-off in the production per head of population is not necessarily a serious matter, particularly in a year when the population has increased rapidly by natural increase or even by migration. Numerous workers may arrive in the country, but it requires some time for these to be absorbed into industry. A truer index would be the production per head of persons in actual employment rather than per head of population. The use of wholesale prices as a determining factor is subject to a certain amount of criticism, particularly in secondary industries. It has been found in some countries that wages (a determining factor in industry) have actually increased, whilst wholesale prices have decreased. These divergences will tend to become smoothed out in the long-run, but must, of course, affect the results for individual years, and even for several successive years.
Taking the figures on their face value, it is seen that relative production (1910-11 = 1000) fell off considerably from the base period until 1920-21, when a slight recovery was attained compared with the previous period. The season 1921-22 was practically on a par with 1920-21, but 1922-23 recorded a promising increase which was continued in 1923-24.
By taking the total production figures and adding or subtracting the net imports or exports a result is obtained which gives approximately the total quantity available for home consumption. In the following table an attempt has been made to gauge the extent to which the undermentioned commodities are consumed in New Zealand. In order to eliminate the fluctuation which would naturally occur if a single year were taken—this is especially noticeable in the case of exports and imports—the figures relate to an average of the last three years. It should be mentioned here that in the case of potatoes and onions no attempt has been made to estimate the total quantity raised in home gardens for local consumption.
| Article. | Production. | Imports. | Exports. | Excess of Imports over Exports. | Amount available for Home Consumption. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity. | Per Head. | |||||
* Excess of exports over imports. | ||||||
| lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | lb. | |
| Butter | 164,635,632 | .. | 127,537,424 | -127,537,424* | 37,098,208 | 27.34 |
| Cheese | 153,717,312 | .. | 146,053,152 | -146,053,152 | 7,664,160 | 5.82 |
| Condensed milk | 5,116,968 | 27,580 | 1,464,147 | -1,436,567* | 3,680,401 | 2.77 |
| Ham and bacon | 15,027,264 | 1,095 | 355,244 | -354,149* | 14,673,115 | 11.04 |
| Preserved meat | 8,433,451 | 75,973 | 5,694,491 | -5,618,518* | 2,814,933 | 2.12 |
| Fresh meat— | ||||||
| Beef | 280,162,107 | 187 | 71,811,152 | -71,810,965* | 208,351,142 | 156.81 |
| Mutton | 236,804,172 | .. | 119,075,483 | -119,075,483* | 117,728,689 | 88.61 |
| Lamb | 180,193,049 | .. | 167,280,512 | -167,280,512* | 12,912,537 | 9.72 |
| Pork | 40,288,123 | .. | 2,865,635 | -2,865,635* | 37,422,488 | 28.17 |
| Flour | 291,445,440 | 2,300 | 31,400 | -29,100* | 291,416,340 | 219.33 |
| Maizena and cornflour | .. | 2,190,666 | 1,905 | 2,188,761 | 2,188,761 | 1.65 |
| Oatmeal, rolled oats, &c. | 13,307,840 | 135,706 | 86,554 | 19,152 | 13,356,992 | 10.05 |
| Potatoes | 247,497,573 | 5,951,680 | 1,621,760 | 4,329,920 | 251,827,493 | 189.54 |
| Onions | 8,932,373 | 8,839,787 | 1,152,107 | 7,687,680 | 16,620,053 | 12.51 |
| Arrowroot | .. | 277,386 | 395 | 276,991 | 276,991 | 0.21 |
| Desiccated coconut | .. | 744,139 | 19 | 744,120 | 744,120 | 0.56 |
| Dried apples and apricots | .. | 404,856 | 4,217 | 400,639 | 400,639 | 0.30 |
| Currants | .. | 1,672,164 | 4,887 | 1,667,277 | 1,667,277 | 1.25 |
| Dates | .. | 2,434,873 | 24,668 | 2,410,205 | 2,410,205 | 1.81 |
| Figs | .. | 590,225 | 86 | 590,139 | 590,139 | 0.44 |
| Prunes | .. | 1,491,150 | 2,827 | 1,488,323 | 1,488,323 | 1.12 |
| Raisins | .. | 7,136,748 | 17,288 | 7,119,460 | 7,119,460 | 5.36 |
| Other dried fruits | .. | 115,505 | 2,841 | 112,664 | 112,664 | 0.08 |
| Apples | 51,410,093 | 1,185,906 | 6,734,622 | -5,548,716* | 45,861,377 | 34.52 |
| Pears | 8,669,150 | 837 | 95,978 | -95,141* | 8,574,009 | 6.45 |
| Lemons | 501,298 | 989,121 | 102 | 989,019 | 1,490,317 | 1.12 |
| Bananas | .. | 14,910,893 | .. | 14,910,893 | 14,910,893 | 11.22 |
| Oranges | 137,213 | 3,936,761 | 400 | 3,936,361 | 4,073,574 | 3.07 |
| Rice | .. | 7,546,971 | 83,589 | 7,463,382 | 7,463,382 | 5.62 |
| Macaroni and vermicelli | .. | 412,173 | 487 | 411,686 | 411,686 | 0.30 |
| Mustard | .. | 201,004 | 831 | 200,173 | 200,173 | 0.15 |
| Peel | 32,480 | 721,655 | 654 | 721,001 | 753,481 | 0.57 |
| Sago and tapioca | .. | 2,943,177 | 6,347 | 2,936,830 | 2,936,830 | 2.21 |
| Spices | .. | 739,324 | 554 | 738,770 | 738,770 | 0.56 |
| Sugar | .. | 147,765,221 | 824,208 | 146,941,013 | 146,941,013 | 110.59 |
| Tea | .. | 9,807,468 | 84,586 | 9,722,882 | 9,722,882 | 7.32 |
| Tobacco | .. | 3,544,898 | 31,989 | 3,512,909 | 3,512,909 | 2.64 |
| .. | Gallons. | Gallons. | Gallons. | Gallons. | Gallons. | Gallons. |
| Ale and beer | 12,072,437 | 37,124 | 16,364 | 20,760 | 12,093,197 | 9.10 |
| Spirits | .. | 632,114 | 12,369 | 619,745 | 619,745 | 0.47 |
| Wine | .. | 167,829 | 2,466 | 165,363 | 165,363 | 0.12 |
A census covering the main sports in the Dominion was undertaken by the Census and Statistics Office early in 1924. It was at the outset realized that it would be hopeless to endeavour to include in the inquiry many sports where the lack of organization would render it impossible to obtain information, and the inquiry was therefore confined to those sports whose organization would permit of the necessary information being readily obtained. The collection was conducted on a voluntary basis, and the questionnaire covered the following items:—
(a.) Number of district or local governing bodies affiliated.
(b.) Number of clubs affiliated.
(c.) Number of active club members (males, females, total).
(d.) Number of members included above who belong to school clubs or teams—if available (males, females, total).
Following on the satisfactory results obtained from the initial collection it was decided to institute an annual collection covering the main sports, the governing bodies of which were willing to co-operate with the Census and Statistics Office in the matter. Experience gained from the collection taken in 1924 made it quite clear that certain of the sports bodies were better able to supply information regarding membership towards the end of summer, while others found it more convenient to furnish the figures at the close of the winter. In order, therefore, to cover satisfactorily all branches of sport it was decided to make two collections of statistics during the year, the first in March and the second in September, according to the nature of the sport controlled in each case. It is thought that this arrangement will allow sports bodies ample time to gather information regarding the figures of membership, &c., for the current season, and thus permit of the information supplied being reasonably accurate. The sports covered by the latest collection (autumn of 1925) were horse-racing, tennis, bowling, cricket, swimming, croquet, rowing, shooting (gun clubs), and polo, and the figures shown in regard to these sports in the attached table are those returned at this collection. Figures for other sports relate to the year 1924.
The following table summarizes the information obtained. For some branches of sport the figures given are approximate only, and in a few other cases are incomplete.
| Sport. | Number of District or Local Governing Bodies. | Number of Clubs affiliated. | Membership. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total. | School Members included in Total. | |||||||
| Male. | Female. | Total. | Male. | Female. | Total. | |||
* Not supplied. † Approximate. | ||||||||
| Rugby football | 25 | 670 | 40,000† | .. | 40,000† | 12,000† | .. | 12,000† |
| Horse-racing— | ||||||||
| Galloping | * | 153 | 18,054 | 190 | 18,244 | .. | .. | .. |
| Trotting | * | 38 | 6,777 | 20 | 6,797 | .. | .. | .. |
| Tennis | 13 | .. | .. | .. | 19,351† | .. | .. | .. |
| Bowling | 19 | 285 | 15,055 | .. | 15,055 | .. | .. | .. |
| Cricket | 28 | 278 | 10,831 | .. | 10,831 | 2,898 | .. | 2,898 |
| Golf | * | 96 | 5,335 | 3,780 | 9,115 | .. | .. | .. |
| Athletics— | ||||||||
| Professional | 14 | 214 | 6,539 | 234 | 6,773 | .. | .. | .. |
| Amateur | 5 | 72 | 1,820 | 128 | 1,948 | .. | .. | .. |
| Swimming | 13 | 85 | 4,896 | 1,772 | 6,668 | 789 | .. | 789 |
| Hockey | 34 | 399 | 3,096 | 3,383 | 6,479 | .. | 619 | 619 |
| Association football | 17 | 460 | 6,000† | .. | 6,000† | 1,170 | .. | 1,170 |
| League football | * | * | 3,818 | .. | 3,818 | .. | .. | .. |
| Boxing | * | 37 | 2,570 | .. | 2,570 | .. | .. | .. |
| Croquet | 6 | 103 | 56 | 2,424 | 2,480 | .. | .. | .. |
| Rowing | 8 | 49 | 1,916 | .. | 1,916 | .. | .. | .. |
| Hunting | 1 | 15 | 1,638 | 132 | 1,770 | .. | .. | .. |
| Shooting (gun clubs) | .. | 73 | 1,100 | .. | 1,100 | .. | .. | .. |
| Tramping | .. | 12 | 582 | 311 | 893 | .. | .. | .. |
| Polo | .. | 16 | 160 | .. | 160 | .. | .. | .. |
In the above table no attempt has been made to separate persons engaged in more than one sport or belonging to more than one club in the same branch of sport, with the result that many persons returned under one sport may also be included under others as well, or may be duplicated in the totals for that sport. The figures cannot therefore be made use of without due attention being paid to this limitation.
Rugby football occupies the premier position as regards numbers, approximately 40,000 persons being returned as members of Rugby clubs. Of these some 12,000 are members of school teams. Actual figures in respect of this sport were not available, but the figures given may be regarded as fairly accurate estimates.
Horse-racing occupies the second position as regards numerical strength, 25,041 persons (24,831 males and 210 females) being shown as claiming membership in the various racing and trotting clubs. The greater popularity enjoyed by gallops as compared with trotting races is indicated by the difference in the memberships of the two kinds of clubs, those catering for the former sport accounting for nearly three-fourths of the total of 25,041. It should be explained that those hunt clubs which are registered with the New Zealand Racing Conference are included twice in the above table—viz., under the headings of horse-racing (galloping) and hunting.
The figures given for racing clubs represent merely the memberships of the various clubs and do not include (except in so far as they may also be members) active participants such as owners, jockeys, riders, and trainers. The following table, however, shows the number of such participants engaged in gallops and trotting, as well as the number of horses registered, as returned in the two collections made:—
| — | 1924. | 1925. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galloping. | Trotting. | Total. | Galloping. | Trotting. | Total. | |
* Not available. | ||||||
| Owners | 3,792 | 2,400 | 6,192 | * | 2,550 | * |
| Trainers | 430 | 1,214 | 1,644 | 450 | 1,118 | 1,568 |
| Jockeys and riders | 570 | 1,426 | 1,996 | 502 | 1,228 | 1,730 |
| Total | 4,792 | 5,040 | 9,832 | * | 4,896 | * |
| Number of horses registered | 2,250 | * | * | 2,343 | 3,000 | 5,343 |
Tennis comes next in older of numerical strength, with a total of 19,351, which is less by 616 than the number recorded in the first collection. It should be borne in mind that the total of 19,351 represents the memberships of clubs affiliated to the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, and does not include those persons who play but are not members of affiliated clubs.
One of the best-organized sports bodies in the Dominion is that controlling the sport of bowling. This sport is usually understood as being played mainly by men more or less advanced in years, and as such has little in the way of competition, because, outside of golf and tennis, the sports indulged in do not, for obvious reasons, attract such persons. This accounts, to a large extent, for the numerical strength of bowling, which has been set down as 15,055, an increase of 1,112 over the previous year's figure.
Cricket comes next to bowling, with 10,831 players. This sport requires special facilities for playing, and, moreover, requires special aptitude and much practice on the part of players, hence the number of players is considerably less than those playing tennis, for instance. Cricket is played in most schools, and it is not surprising to find that over 25 per cent. of the cricketers in the Dominion are schoolboys. Cricket furnishes another example of a sport the figures for which are considerably understated through many clubs not being affiliated with local associations under the control of the New Zealand Cricket Council. It is interesting to note that cricket added to its membership by 2,265 since the 1923-24 season.
Next in order of numerical strength is golf, which is played by 9,115 persons, of whom 5,335 are males and 3,780 females.
Athletic clubs have a total membership of 8,721, of whom 6,773, or nearly four-fifths of the total, are members of professional clubs. The figures are no doubt overstated somewhat, as are those for golf and some other sports, by the double inclusion of persons belonging to more than one club in the same branch of sport.
Swimming, hockey, and association football are approximately equal as regards numerical strength, with a margin slightly in favour of the first mentioned. The excess of the females over males playing hockey is accounted for by the fact that schoolgirls are included in the totals for ladies' hockey, while the figures for men's hockey are exclusive of schoolboys.
The number of persons playing League football is 3,818, which is less than two-thirds as many as are shown for Association football.
The comparatively small number engaged in rowing can be attributed mainly to the fact that this sport requires special and more or less expensive facilities. The same remarks apply to hunting and polo, and no doubt account for the limited number participating in these sports.
Croquet, which is mainly played by women, has many of the characteristics, in so far as the players are concerned, of bowling. This sport is very well organized, and has a membership roll of 2,480, of whom only 56 are men.
A general election of parliamentary representatives was held in November, 1925 —for Maori electorates on the 3rd, and for European electorates on the 4th. Official details of the voting in the various electorates are not available in time for publication in this issue of the Year-book, but the members of the new House of Representatives are as follows:—
Roll of Members of the House of Representatives, November, 1925.
| Name. | Electoral District. |
|---|---|
* Declared elected on casting-vote of Returning Officer. † Declared elected on casting-vote of Returning Officer. | |
| For European Electorates. | |
| Anderson, Hon. George James | Mataura. |
| Armstrong, Hubert Thomas | Christchurch East. |
| Atmore, Harry | Nelson. |
| Bartram, Frederick Natley | Grey Lynn. |
| Bell, Allen | Bay of Islands. |
| Bellringer, C. E. | Taranaki. |
| Bitchener, John | Waitaki. |
| Bollard, Hon. Richard Francis | Raglan. |
| Buddo, Hon. David | Kaiapoi. |
| Burnett, Thomas David | Temuka. |
| Campbell, Hugh McLean | Hawke's Bay. |
| Coates, Hon. Joseph Gordon, M.C. | Kaipara. |
| Dickie, H. G. | Patea. |
| Dickson, James McColl | Chalmers. |
| Dickson, James Samuel | Parnell. |
| Elliott, G. | Oroua. |
| Field, William Hughes | Otaki. |
| Forbes, George William | Hurunui. |
| Forsyth, Thomas | Wellington East. |
| Fraser, Peter | Wellington Central. |
| Girling, William James | Wairau. |
| Glenn, William Spiers | Rangitikei. |
| Hamilton, Adam | Wallace. |
| Hamilton, John Ronald | Awarua. |
| Harris, Alexander | Waitemata. |
| Hawken, Oswald James | Egmont. |
| Hockly, Frank Franklin | Rotorua. |
| Holland, H. | Christchurch North. |
| Holland, Henry Edmund | Buller. |
| Horn, James | Wakatipu. |
| Howard, Edwin John | Christchurch South. |
| Hudson, Richard Phineas | Motueka. |
| Hunter, Sir George, Kt. | Waipawa. |
| Jones, David | Ellesmere. |
| Jones, W. | Marsden. |
| Jordan, William Joseph | Manukau. |
| Kyle, H. S. S. | Riccarton. |
| Lee, Ernest Page | Oamaru. |
| Lee, John Alexander | Auckland East. |
| Linklater, Joseph | Manawatu. |
| Luke, Sir John Pearce, Kt., C.M.G. | Wellington North. |
| Lyons, M. E.* | Lyttelton. |
| Lysnar, William Douglas | Gisborne. |
| McKeen, Robert | Wellington South. |
| McLennan, Ewen Donald | Franklin. |
| McLeod, Hon. Alexander Donald | Wairarapa. |
| Macmillan, Charles Edward de la Barca | Tauranga. |
| Mason, J. | Napier. |
| Nash, James Alfred | Palmerston. |
| Nosworthy, Hon. William | Ashburton. |
| Parr, Hon. Sir Christopher James, K.C.M.G. | Eden. |
| Parry, William Edward | Auckland Central. |
| Potter, Vivian Harold | Roskill. |
| Ransom. Ethelbert Alfred | Pahiatua. |
| Reid, D. S. | Waikato. |
| Rhodes, Thomas William | Thames. |
| Rolleston, Francis Joseph | Timaru. |
| Rolleston, John Christopher | Waitomo. |
| Samuel, A. M. | Ohinemuri. |
| Savage, Michael Joseph | Auckland West. |
| Seddon, Thomas Edward Youd* | Westland. |
| Sidey, Thomas Kay | Dunedin South. |
| Smith, Robert William | Waimarino. |
| Statham, Hon. Charles Ernest | Dunedin Central. |
| Stewart, Hon. William Downie | Dunedin West. |
| Sullivan, Daniel Giles | Avon. |
| Sykes, George Robert | Masterton. |
| Tapley, H. L. | Dunedin North. |
| Veitch, William Andrew | Wanganui. |
| Waite, F. | Clutha. |
| Walter, E. | Stratford. |
| Ward, Right Hon. Sir Joseph George, Bart., P.C., K.C.M.G. | Invercargill. |
| Wilford, Thomas Mason | Hutt. |
| Williams, Kenneth Stuart | Bay of Plenty. |
| Wright, Robert Alexander | Wellington Suburbs. |
| Young, James Alexander | Hamilton. |
| For Maori Electorates. | |
| Tau Henare | Northern Maori. |
| Ngata, Hon. Apirana Turupa | Eastern Maori. |
| Pomare, Hon. Sir Maui Ngatata, K.B.E., C.M.G. | Western Maori. |
| Uru, Henare Whakatau. | Southern Maori. |
Between the general elections of 1922 and 1925 by-elections were held in three electorates — viz., Tauranga, Oamaru, and Franklin — the first-mentioned on the 28th March, 1923, the second on the 1st May. 1923, and the third on the 17th June, 1925. The Tauranga and Franklin by-elections were necessitated by the deaths of the sitting members, the Hon. Sir W. H. Herries, K.C.M.G., and the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, P.C., and the Oamaru by-election was due to the invalidation of the previous election owing to irregularities. The results were—
| Tauranga. | Votes. |
|---|---|
| Macmillan, C. E. de la B. | 4,360 |
| Ward, Right Hon. Sir J. G., Bart., P.C., K.C.M.G. | 3,235 |
| Informal | 35 |
| Total | 7,630 |
| Oamaru. | Votes. |
| Macpherson, J. A. | 4,492 |
| Lee, Hon. E. P. | 4,147 |
| Informal | 21 |
| Total | 8,660 |
| Franklin. | Votes. |
|---|---|
| McLennan, Ewen Donald | 6,056 |
| Montgomerie, John Sommerville | 2,245 |
| Informal | 42 |
| Total | 8,343 |
During the year ended the 31st March, 1924, 1,750 licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors were granted. Of these, 1,123 were publicans' and accommodation licenses, 39 New Zealand wine, 38 packet, 147 wholesale, 358 conditional licenses, and 45 club charters. The fees paid amounted to £41,276, and formed part of the revenue of the local governing bodies of the districts in which the licenses were issued. Particulars are given in the following table:—
| Licenses. | In Counties. | In Boroughs. | In Town Districts. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publicans' licenses | 317 | 599 | 42 | 958 |
| Accommodation licenses | 151 | 11 | 3 | 165 |
| Total licensed houses | 468 | 610 | 45 | 1,123 |
| New Zealand wine licenses | 27 | 12 | .. | 39 |
| Packet licenses | 13 | 25 | .. | 38 |
| Wholesale licenses | 3 | 142 | 2 | 147 |
| Conditional licenses | 208 | 146 | 4 | 358 |
| Club charters | 1 | 44 | .. | 45 |
| Total licenses granted | 720 | 979 | 51 | 1,750 |
| Amount of license fees paid to local bodies | £10,920 | £28,537 | £1,819 | £41,276 |
The number of publicans' and accommodation licenses granted in counties, boroughs, and independent town districts during each of the last ten years is here given, together with the total amount of fees paid for all licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquor: —
| Year ended 31st March. | Counties. | Boroughs. | Town Districts. | Total. | Total Fees, All Licenses. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | |||||
| 1915 | 564 | 596 | 47 | 1,207 | 41,769 |
| 1916 | 557 | 598 | 44 | 1,199 | 42,978 |
| 1917 | 536 | 598 | 49 | 1,183 | 46,164 |
| 1918 | 540 | 598 | 46 | 1,184 | 41,208 |
| 1919 | 507 | 606 | 43 | 1,156 | 39,817 |
| 1920 | 496 | 611 | 49 | 1,156 | 40,337 |
| 1921 | 481 | 613 | 47 | 1,141 | 40,538 |
| 1922 | 480 | 615 | 40 | 1,135 | 40,593 |
| 1923 | 474 | 611 | 40 | 1,125 | 40,975 |
| 1924 | 468 | 610 | 45 | 1,123 | 41,276 |
The average number of persons (excluding Maoris) to each licensed house in counties, boroughs, and independent town districts respectively for 1923-24 is next shown:—
| — | Number of Licensed Houses.* | Population. | Number of Persons to each Licensed House. |
|---|---|---|---|
* I.e., houses holding publicans' or accommodation licenses. | |||
| Counties | 468 | 505,164 | 1,079 |
| Boroughs | 610 | 742,829 | 1,218 |
| Town districts | 45 | 39,130 | 870 |
| Totals | 1,123 | 1,287,123 | 1,146 |
That the proportion of licensed houses to population has declined steadily in the last decade is evidenced by the following figures:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Average Persons to a Licensed House. |
|---|---|
| 1915 | 911 |
| 1916 | 920 |
| 1917 | 918 |
| 1918 | 946 |
| 1919 | 964 |
| 1920 | 1,004 |
| 1921 | 1,062 |
| 1922 | 1,069 |
| 1923 | 1,125 |
| 1924 | 1,146 |
The above proportions are based on the population exclusive of Maoris. If Maoris be included the number of persons to each licensed house as at the 31st March, 1924, is found to be 1,200.
The annual fees payable for licenses are,—
| (1.) For a publican's license— | £ |
|---|---|
| (a.) Within the limits of a borough or town district | 40 |
| (b.) Outside the aforesaid limits | 25 |
| (2.) For a New Zealand wine license | 1 |
| (3.) For an accommodation license, a sum to be determined by the Licensing Committee, not exceeding | 20 |
| (4.) For a packet license— | |
| (a.) For a vessel exceeding 50 tons register | 10 |
| (b.) For a vessel not exceeding 50 tons register | 5 |
| (5.) For a wholesale license | 20 |
| (6.) For a conditional license, according to duration of license, a sum not exceeding | 30 |
The approximate capital value of the licensed houses in the counties for the year ended 31st March, 1924, was stated at £741,313, in the boroughs at £3,340,983, and in the town districts at £137,477. There was, besides, an annual value of £106,158 for licensed houses in other boroughs and town districts, which, capitalized at 6 per cent., would represent £1,769,300. The capital value of all licensed houses may therefore be put down at approximately £6,000,000. Caution should be exercised in this connection, as some of the valuations on which the above total is based are by no means recent.
The licensing poll of the 4th November, 1925, held in conjunction with the parliamentary elections, was the third at which the three issues—national continuance, State purchase and control, and national prohibition (without compensation)—were submitted to the electors. As in 1919 and 1922, none of the three issues secured in 1925 the requisite minimum of half the total votes cast, and national continuance is deemed to have been carried. The figures for 1925 in the following statement showing the voting at the last three polls are not final, but are subject to only slight alteration.
| 1919. | 1922. | 1925.* | |
|---|---|---|---|
* Subject to minor alterations. | |||
| For national continuance | 241,251 | 282,669 | 299,484 |
| For State purchase and control | 32,261 | 35,727 | 56,043 |
| For national prohibition | 270,250 | 300,791 | 319,450 |
In the no-license districts an additional issue is submitted — viz., local restoration—three-fifths of the valid votes cast being required for the carrying of the proposal. For the first time on record one district—Ohinemuri—registered in 1925 the necessary three-fifths majority in favour of restoration.
The advent of the motor-car entirely changed the complexion of the roading problem in New Zealand, as elsewhere, and the demand for better roads arose very shortly after motor transport became an appreciable factor. Later on, with the rapid increase in the use of motor-vehicles, particularly heavy ones, the position became acute, and it was soon quite evident that the type of road that was suitable for slow-moving horse-drawn traffic was inadequate.
Prior to the Main Highways Act coming into operation it was usual for the Public Works Department, and to a lesser degree other Departments, to open up, form, bridge, and culvert new roads, and, when these were in a fit state to do so, to hand them over to the care and control of the local authorities, which in rural districts consist of County Councils, Road Boards, and Town Boards.
The latest statistics show the length of roads under the control of these bodies to be as follows: County Councils, 56,098 miles; Road Boards, 4,245 miles; Town Boards, 738 miles: total, 61,081 miles.
In addition to the mileage of roads above shown there are also 3,544 miles of streets in the cities and boroughs, thus making a total length of roads and streets in the Dominion of 64,625 miles, of which at date 28,553 miles are metalled, 17,223 miles are unmetalled, and the balance largely undeveloped.
In counties where the country was sparsely populated, and the revenue derivable from rates was low, certain lengths of road have in the past been maintained more or less by means of grants or subsidies from the Government. It was found in New Zealand, as in other parts of the world, that under the strain of motor-traffic the roads were deteriorating, while the popular clamour that they be improved to meet modern conditions was insistent. This led in 1921 to the introduction of a Main Highways Bill, which provided that all works of construction and maintenance on certain specified highways were to be carried out by the Government without any contribution from local authorities. The mileage then proposed was about 2,000 miles, but the Bill provided that this could from time to time be extended.
It was contended, however, by the local authorities that the creation of these main highways under direct Government operation would lead to dual control and overlapping supervision, and also that it was undesirable to deprive the local authorities of all powers over roads within the areas under their jurisdiction. Further, it was claimed that the scheme, by not covering a sufficient length of roads, did not give adequate relief to the local authorities. In addition the scheme proposed to spend all the money derived from the proposed motor-taxation on a limited length of roads, a great proportion of which were running parallel with railways, and depriving of any assistance the roads that brought the produce of the country to the railways. For these reasons this Bill did not become law; but in 1922 a modified Bill again came before Parliament, and was finally passed as the Main Highways Act, 1922.
For the purposes of the Act (under section 5) a Board called the “Main Highways Board” was provided for. The personnel of the Main Highways Board is as follows: Messrs. F. W. Furkert, Engineer-in-Chief and Under-Secretary, Public Works Department (Chairman); P. S. Waldie, Chief Clerk, Public Works Department; C. J. McKenzie, Assistant Engineer-in-Chief, Public Works Department; A. E. Jull (Waipawa) and J. D. Bruce (Akaroa), county representatives; M. H. Wynyard (Auckland), representative of the motor-owners.
For the purposes of the Board the Dominion has been divided into eighteen highway districts. These highway districts are composed of groups of counties, suitable, by geographical situation and community of interest, for so being grouped. In the majority of cases the constituent counties acquiesced in the grouping; in the few cases where they did not do so the Board had to exercise the authority conferred by the Act. The list of highway districts, with the counties included in each, is as follows:—
| District Number. | District Name. | Counties included. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland North | Mongonui, Hokianga, Bay of Islands, Whangaroa, Hobson, Whangarei, Otamatea, Rodney, Waitemata. |
| 2 | Auckland South | Eden, Manukau, Franklin, Waikato, Raglan, Waipa, Coromandel, Thames, Hauraki Plains, Ohinemuri, Piako, Matamata. |
| 3 | Tauranga | Tauranga, Rotorua, Whakatane, Opotiki, Taupo. |
| 4 | Gisborne | Matakaoa, Waiapu, Uawa, Cook, Waikohu. |
| 5 | Napier | Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, Waipawa, Waipukurau, Patangata, Dannevirke, Weber, Woodville. |
| 6 | King-country | Waitomo, Taumarunui, Ohura, Kaitieke, Kawhia, Otorohanga. |
| 7 | Taranaki | Clifton, Whangamomona, Taranaki, Inglewood, Egmont Stratford, Waimate West, Eltham, Hawera. |
| 8 | Wanganui | Patea, Waitotara, Waimarino, Wanganui, Rangitikei. |
| 9 | Wellington West | Kiwitea, Pohangina, Oroua, Kairanga, Manawatu, Horowhenua, Hutt, Makara. |
| 10 | Wellington East | Pahiatua, Akitio, Eketahuna, Mauriceville, Castlepoint, Masterton, Wairarapa South, Featherston. |
| 11 | Nelson | Collingwood, Takaka, Waimea, Sounds, Marlborough, Murchison. |
| 12 | West Coast | Buller, Inangahua, Grey, Westland. |
| 13 | Canterbury North | Awatere, Kaikoura, Amuri, Cheviot, Waipara. |
| 14 | Canterbury Central | Tawera, Oxford, Ashley, Kowai, Rangiora, Eyre, Waimairi, Heathcote, Paparua, Halswell, Mount Herbert, Akaroa, Wairewa, Springs, Ellesmere, Malvern, Selwyn. |
| 15 | Canterbury South.. | Ashburton, Geraldine, Mackenzie, Levels, Waimate, Waitaki. |
| 16 | Otago Central | Maniototo, Vincent, Lake, Waihemo, Waikouaiti. |
| 17 | Otago South | Peninsula, Taieri, Tuapeka, Bruce, Clutha. |
| 18 | Southland | Southland, Wallace, Fiord. |
Section 8 of the Act required District Highway Councils to be set up in each highway district, these Councils being constituted to include a Public Works Engineer, and one person to represent each constituent county, with an executive of three to be appointed by the members of the Council. The personnel of these District Highway Councils was approved by the Main Highways Board on the 26th September, 1923.
Section 11 of the Act defined the functions of the District Highway Councils, which are to make recommendations for each year as to which roads within the several districts should be declared main highways, and what works should be done and what expenditure incurred on these highways during that period.
The Board instructed the District Highway Councils that they should be guided by the following considerations when recommending roads for declaration as main highways:—
As to whether the roads may be regarded as arterial in that they carry appreciable volumes of through as well as local traffic:
As to whether the roads connect large centres of population within the highway district:
As to whether the roads carry appreciable traffic to and from seaports or railway centres within or without the highway districts.
For the purpose of gauging the respective volumes of through and of local traffic the District Highway Councils were informed that it would be advisable to obtain tallies or estimates of traffic, and this was done in the majority of cases.
It was intended that the activities of the Main Highways Board would begin on the 1st April, 1924, but owing to certain unavoidable delays it was not till the 12th June, 1924, that the first and principal schedule of main highways was gazetted, the date of the Governor-General's signature—viz., the 9th June, 1924—being the legal date when the Board assumed control of the main highways as scheduled.
On the same date 1,046 miles of main highways were gazetted Government roads, this action being in terms of section 22 of the Act, whereby the Board may declare any main highway to be a Government road, and provide a greater proportion of the cost of works of (a) construction and reconstruction (for which the usual subsidy payable by the Board is £1 for £1), and (b) maintenance and repair (for which the subsidy is £1 for £2). The highways that were declared Government roads were chiefly those in districts where settlement was sparse, and where the revenue from rates collectable by the local authorities was insufficient to meet the expenditure necessary for the construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of the highways therein.
The table hereunder shows the lengths of main highways in the various highway districts, and the mileages of those that have been declared Government roads in terms of section 22 of the Main Highways Act:—
| Number and Namo of Highway District. | Ordinary Main Highways. | Main Highways declared Government Roads. | Total all Main Highways. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | ch. | M. | ch. | M. | ch. | |
| 1. Auckland North | 462 | 5 | 92 | 0 | 554 | 5 |
| 2. Auckland South | 373 | 51 | 30 | 55 | 404 | 26 |
| 3. Tauranga | 157 | 40 | 240 | 0 | 397 | 40 |
| 4. Gisborne | 122 | 60 | 124 | 20 | 247 | 0 |
| 5. Napier | 393 | 70 | 36 | 50 | 430 | 40 |
| 6. King-country | 110 | 10 | 123 | 50 | 233 | 60 |
| 7. Taranaki | 127 | 40 | 99 | 70 | 227 | 30 |
| 8. Wanganui | 271 | 0 | 40 | 60 | 311 | 60 |
| 9. Wellington West | 270 | 22 | 23 | 8 | 293 | 30 |
| 10. Wellington East | 303 | 70 | 14 | 0 | 317 | 70 |
| Totals, North Island | 2,592 | 48 | 824 | 73 | 3,417 | 41 |
| 11. Nelson | 169 | 76 | 113 | 64 | 283 | 60 |
| 12. West Coast | .. | 331 | 5 | 331 | 5 | .. |
| 13. Canterbury North | 265 | 0 | 38 | 20 | 303 | 20 |
| 14. Canterbury Central | 288 | 0 | 54 | 0 | 342 | 0 |
| 15. Canterbury South | 430 | 40 | .. | 430 | 40 | .. |
| 16. Otago Central | 240 | 40 | .. | 240 | 40 | .. |
| 17. Otago South | 196 | 20 | .. | 196 | 20 | .. |
| 18. Southland | 409 | 61 | .. | 409 | 61 | .. |
| Totals, South Island | 1,999 | 77 | 537 | 9 | 2,537 | 6 |
| Totals, Dominion | 4,592 | 45 | 1,362 | 2 | 5,954 | 47 |
Under section 23 of the Act the Board has power to contribute towards the maintenance and repair of any street in a borough which is a continuation of a main highway. Payment under this section is limited to a rate equal to that paid in respect of the maintenance and repair of the adjoining main highway.
Numerous requests were received from boroughs throughout the Dominion for assistance towards maintenance of their streets which were extensions of main highways, and in a small number of cases, where the traffic was overwhelmingly foreign to the borough, the Board agreed. It did not feel justified in widening the scope of this provision until the financial results of its first year's working had been demonstrated. At the 31st March, 1925, however, it decided that in all cases where the population of the borough did not exceed six thousand inhabitants assistance would be given under section 23. The length of road involved is approximately 180 miles.
The Main Highways Account is subdivided as under:—
| (a.) Revenue Fund, which includes— | £ |
|---|---|
| Transfer from Consolidated Fund of at least | 35,000 |
| Proceeds of tax on tires and tubes, as collected through Customs Department (approximate) | 150,000 |
| Registration and license fees of motor — vehicles, estimated to produce | 200,000 |
| Probable approximate total per annum | £385,000 |
| (b.) Construction Fund, which includes— | |
| All moneys borrowed by the Minister of Finance as may be required for purposes of construction and reconstruction, to a limit of £3,000,000. This sum is intended to extend over a period of ten years, annual amount available being thus | 300,000 |
| Transfer from Public Works Fund, not less in any year than | 200,000 |
| £500,000 |
The net expenditure out of the Revenue Fund for the nine and two-thirds months ending 31st March, 1925, was £138,962, although when the Act is in full operation it is anticipated that this will rapidly advance. This sum was expended on maintenance and repair of main highways, administration charges, and fees relative to registration of motor-vehicles and annual licenses.
The net expenditure out of the Construction Account for the nine and two-thirds months ending 31st March, 1925, was £233,305. When the Act is in full operation it is anticipated that the payments necessary for works of construction, and reconstruction will entail an expenditure up to the full amount available.
The estimates of amounts required for maintenance and repairs, construction and reconstruction, and all other items are forwarded by the District Highway Councils, and after review by the Board are incorporated in the Consolidated Fund Estimates and Public Works Estimates respectively, which in turn are submitted for approval to both Houses of Parliament, for inclusion in the annual appropriations.
For the year ending 31st March, 1925, the appropriations and expenditure were as under:—
| — | Available for Authorization. | Appropriated. | Expenditure. | Percentage of Expenditure to Appropriations. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
* For collection of motor-registration and license fees. | ||||
| Construction. | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | ||
| North Island | 486,980 | 397,463 | 186,716 | 47.00 |
| South Island | 111,014 | 90,607 | 35,706 | 39.50 |
| Administration charges and compensation for accidents to workmen | 21,500 | 21,500 | 10,867 | 50.70 |
| Totals | 619,494 | 509,570 | 233,289 | 46.00 |
| Maintenance. | ||||
| North Island | 107,115 | 107,115 | 79,766 | 74.20 |
| South Island | 72,454 | 72,454 | 43,909 | 61.00 |
| Administration charges | 5,431 | 5,431 | 7,787 | .. |
| Commission paid to Postal Department* | .. | .. | 7,500 | .. |
| Totals | 185,000 | 185,000 | 138,962 | .. |
Under section 21 of the Act the revenue from the licensing of motor-vehicles and from taxes on tires and tubes is to be apportioned between the North and South Islands in the discretion of the Board, but generally so that the amount apportioned to either Island shall be fixed by reference to the number of motor-vehicles in that Island. In the first instance the Board received a very much greater number of applications for the inclusion of sums on the estimates from the North Island than from the South Island, and later on, similarly, received many more proposals from the North than from the South. Now that the expenditure is known, it is noted that, excluding works being carried out by the Public Works Department on behalf of the Board, the expenditure in the South Island is small.
Up to the 31st March, 1925, the North Island authorities submitted final detail construction proposals for £418,000, as against £42,000 for the South Island. The provisional proposals to the same date totalled £450,000 for the North as against nil for the South Island. The South Island's expenditure under the maintenance heading was much more satisfactory. In accordance with section 21 of the Act immediately the number of motor-vehicles in each Island is known each year an allocation of the funds in hand will be made in accordance therewith, and brought up to date.
Before the Main Highways Act was passed the Government recognized the reasonableness of motor-vehicle owners contributing towards the cost of the construction and upkeep of the road-surfaces which were required principally for them.
Amongst the funds laid down in the Main Highways Act as being available for the Revenue Fund, in addition to Customs duties on tires and tubes, was a sum to be derived from the licensing of motor-vehicles. When the Main Highways Act was passed it was expected that a Motor-vehicles Act dealing with the registration and licensing of motor-vehicles would be simultaneously passed, but owing to the difficulty of co-ordinating all interests it was not until November, 1924, that the Motor-vehicles Act came into being.
This Act provided for the registration and annual licensing of all motor-vehicles, the fees payable being as follows:—
| Registration fees:— | £ | s. | d. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor-cycle | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Any other motor-vehicle | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| License fees:— | |||
| For every motor-cycle | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| For every private motor-car | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| For every public motor-car | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| For every motor-coach or motor-omnibus | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| For trade motors— | |||
| (a.) For every 1-ton truck fitted with pneumatic tires on all wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| (b.) For every motor-lorry fitted with solid tires | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| (c.) For every motor-lorry fitted with pneumatic tires on all wheels | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| For every traction-engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| For every trailer with three or more wheels | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| For every other trailer | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| For every other motor-vehicle | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Other fees:— | |||
| All drivers to be licensed—fee | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| All changes of ownership to be notified | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Special fees for manufacturers and dealers in motor-vehicles— | |||
| In respect of motor-cycles, each registration-plate | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| In respect of any other motor-vehicle, each registration-plate or set of plates | 0 | 10 | 0 |
All the above fees, except that for a driver's license, which is payable to the local authorities, have in terms of the Motor-vehicles Act to be credited to the Main Highways Revenue Account.
The definition of a motor-vehicle for the purposes of the Act is as follows: “‘Motor-vehicle’ means any vehicle propelled by mechanical power, and includes a trailer and any other vehicle of a class declared by regulations under this Act to be motor-vehicles; but does not include a vehicle running on rails, or a vehicle which, though not running on rails, derives power from an overhead wire, if such vehicle is the property of and is run by any local authority.”
Up to the 30th June, 1925, registration of motor-vehicles under the Motor-vehicles Act, 1924, numbered 106,449, the total being made up as follows:—
| Class of Motor-vehicle. | Number. |
|---|---|
| Cars | 71,403 |
| Trucks— | |
| 1 ton | 7,915 |
| 2 tons | 1,705 |
| 3 tons | 761 |
| 4 tons | 651 |
| 5 tons | 241 |
| 6 tons | 42 |
| Over 6 tons | 15 |
| Omnibuses | 1,032 |
| Traction-engines | 314 |
| Trailers— | |
| Two wheels | 223 |
| Three or more wheels | 135 |
| Tractors | 129 |
| Road-rollers | 43 |
| Fire-engines | 90 |
| Ambulances | 51 |
| Miscellaneous | 114 |
| Cycles | 21,585 |
| Total | 106,449 |
The numbers of the principal classes of motor-vehicles registered in each of the eighteen highway districts are as follows:—
| Highway District. | Motor-cars. | Motor-trucks. | Motor-omnibuses. | Motorcycles. | Other Motor-vehicles. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Auckland North | 8,560 | 2,182 | 262 | 1,881 | 86 | 12,971 |
| 2. Auckland South | 6,738 | 1,174 | 122 | 1,907 | 66 | 10,007 |
| 3. Tauranga | 1,476 | 260 | 34 | 339 | 10 | 2,119 |
| 4. Gisborne | 1,721 | 208 | 28 | 188 | 15 | 2,160 |
| 5. Napier | 5,294 | 839 | 54 | 1,380 | 77 | 7,644 |
| 6. King-country | 806 | 211 | 31 | 242 | 13 | 1,303 |
| 7. Taranaki | 4,212 | 578 | 40 | 1,466 | 35 | 6,331 |
| 8. Wanganui | 3,506 | 591 | 24 | 1,141 | 46 | 5,308 |
| 9. Wellington West | 8,520 | 1,669 | 108 | 2,806 | 124 | 13,227 |
| 10. Wellington East | 3,090 | 428 | 18 | 733 | 76 | 4,345 |
| 11. Nelson | 2,349 | 287 | 52 | 901 | 43 | 3,632 |
| 12. West Coast | 771 | 184 | 43 | 325 | 14 | 1,337 |
| 13. Canterbury North | 830 | 75 | 6 | 239 | 25 | 1,175 |
| 14. Canterbury Central | 8,022 | 965 | 56 | 3,554 | 154 | 12,751 |
| 15. Canterbury South | 6,218 | 505 | 68 | 1,782 | 202 | 8,775 |
| 16. Otago Central | 1,095 | 120 | 15 | 332 | 12 | 1,574 |
| 17. Otago South | 4,219 | 710 | 37 | 1,355 | 80 | 6,401 |
| 18. Southland | 3,976 | 344 | 34 | 1,014 | 21 | 5,389 |
| Totals | 71,403 | 11,330 | 1,032 | 21,585 | 1,099 | 106,449 |
In the Taranaki District there have been seven toll-gates in existence since dates ranging from 1906 to 1915. These toll-gates were instituted in order to raise revenue for the construction and maintenance of roads, and the County Councils naturally placed them on those roads on which the traffic and the maintenance charges were greatest. The proceeds from these toll-gates were mainly used in paying interest and sinking funds on loans raised by the local authorities for reconstructing the principal roads, including tar and bituminous surfacing.
The revenue from these toll-gates exceeded all expectations. This was due to the extraordinary increase in traffic, especially of motor-vehicles, which took place, largely as a result of the better road-surfaces provided.
The following table shows the chief figures in connection with toll-gates, and is of interest as an instance of the manner in which revenue has been procured by this means:—
| County. | Locality. | Established. | Total Funds collected since Inception. | Funds collected, 1924. | Approximate Cost of Collection, 1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | |||
| Clifton | Waihi | 1906 | 16,974 | 1,895 | 150 |
| Taranaki | Puniho | 1908 | 20,918 | 2,583 | 232 |
| Eltham | Mangatoki | 1908 | 35,660 | 3,408 | 410 |
| Eltham | Riverlea | 1908 | |||
| Hawera | Riversdale | 1909 | 24,245 | 2,081 | 317 |
| Hawera | Okaiawa | 1909 | 2,778 | ||
| Stratford | Waipuku | 1915 | 19,745 | 3,604 | 240 |
As it is not legally possible for a toll-gate to operate on a main highway, the important routes affected could not be declared main highways until some equitable financial arrangement had been arrived at so that the toll-gates could be abolished without inflicting undue hardship upon the local authorities interested.
After much negotiation and discussion it was agreed—
That in the interests of the public generally the toll-gates in the Taranaki District be closed.
That the roads upon which the toll-gates are situated be declared main highways as from the 1st April, 1925, thus automatically closing these toll-gates.
That the local authorities controlling the toll-gates be compensated by the Board, the compensation to be in the form of annual payments equivalent to half the interest and sinking funds upon loans raised by these local authorities and expended on the roads in question, and the annual payments to be continued until the expiry of the respective loans, or alternatively until an equivalent lump-sum payment is made.
The District Highway Councils were advised that the standards of construction recommended for adoption should be such as are warranted by the present or early prospective traffic. To ensure uniformity in construction as far as possible throughout the Dominion the following standards for first-class, second-class, and third-class roads wore laid down:—
| Item. | Unit. | First Class. | Second Class. | Third Glass. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formation | Minimum widths in feet | 22 | 17 | 14 |
| Curvature | Chains radius | 1 1/2 | 1 | 0 3/4 |
| Grades | .. | 1 in 15 to 1 in 20 | 1 in 15 | 1 in 12 |
| Metalling | Feet and inches | 16' × 9” | 12' × 8” | 10' × 6” |
| Surfacing | .. | Concrete; bitumen; tar; macadam | Macadam or gravel | Macadam or gravel. |
| Bridges | Widths in feet | 18 | 12 | 9 |
| Bridges | Types | According to sites, dimensions, convenience of materials, but generally to provide for permanent materials in substructures. In all cases standard information to be supplied. | ||
| Culverts | Types | To be of concrete, earthenware, Armco, or hardwoods. | ||
As a guide to local authorities in the preparation of proposals, the Board issued skeleton or outline specifications, dealing with: formation; subgrades of pavements; gravelled roads; two-course water-bound macadam roads; tar or bituminous surfacing of water — bound macadam roads; tar or bituminous penetration roads; bituminous concrete roads; Portland-cement concrete roads. These specifications are not laid down as hard-and-fast rules which local authorities must in every case adopt, but are to be regarded as standard practice, the following of which will result in satisfactory work. The standard of construction in all cases should, of course, be regulated by local conditions, and should be commensurate with the traffic requirements. As practically all extensive construction work is generally financed wholly or in part by loan, it is essential that the character of the work should be such as to ensure a life at least equal to the period of the loan.
All proposals are examined by the Board to determine—(1) Whether the proposal is sound from an engineering point of view; (2) whether the proposal is justified as to cost, having regard to the existing surfaces; (3) whether the proposal is economically sound, having regard to the value to the district concerned, and the capacity of the district to pay the cost; (4) whether the proposal fits into and forms part of a comprehensive plan.
The Board encourages the adoption of the simplest construction suitable for the present or early prospective traffic and the conditions obtaining in the particular locality. It has, however, adopted the principle that bridges should, wherever practicable, be on the best possible alignment, and constructed of the most permanent materials available.
In all works, whether formation, bridges, culverts, ditches, surfacing, or any other form of construction, the Board requires provision to be made for continuous and up-to-date maintenance. The patrol system is encouraged. By dividing the highways into suitable patrol sections, by the selection of suitable patrolmen, and by the provision of satisfactory supplies of material and efficient plant, it is considered that a very much improved standard of maintenance can in most cases be obtained without undertaking expensive reconstruction. Improved methods of maintenance will result in better and quicker returns being obtained from the expenditure of funds than will be the case by the piling-up of large sums of borrowed money on elaborate construction-work.
In some instances where the local authorities are unable to finance the purchase of necessary plant the Board has agreed to purchase such plant and let it on hire-purchase terms to local bodies so that the whole cost, plus interest and contingent expenses, will be fully refunded by instalments within a period of four years. The Board, in making the purchases, takes every precaution to ensure that the plant is capable of doing in an economical and efficient manner the work for which it is intended.
A petrological laboratory has been established in Wellington. The installation of the machinery required for testing the various properties of roadmaking-materials is now almost completed, and it will soon be possible to give full reports on the various materials submitted by local authorities for use as road-metal as well as for other purposes throughout the Dominion. The machines being installed are—Deval abrasion machine for testing wearing qualities of rocks; diamond-core drill for cutting test pieces; diamond-saw and grinding-lap; Dorry hardness machine; Page impact machine.
The following important properties will be ascertained—Specific gravity; porosity; resistance to abrasion or attrition; resistance to friction, or hardness; resistance to impact or toughness.
Tests for bitumens, tars, &c., are carried out by the Dominion Analyst, Wellington.
The testing of steel is carried out by the machines already in use by the Public Works or Railway Departments, or at the Canterbury School of Engineering.
The nature of surfacing now rendered necessary by modern traffic requires such knowledge and experience on the part of those laying such surfacing that a class of foremen and overseers with special experience and knowledge of modern road requirements superior to that which formerly was found sufficient is now necessary. On such surfacing all the men in charge should have some experience, and should possess knowledge of the use of the modern methods of construction and up-to-date machinery.
In order to afford some guarantee of experience and reliability, and to ensure that all high-class work is properly supervised, the Board has decided to arrange for examinations, oral or otherwise, of any persons who desire to qualify themselves for positions as foremen or overseers of works coming under that category. Successful candidates will be granted certificates of competence.
Throughout the Dominion there are many railway level-crossings, and at many of these there is positive danger to road traffic. In the majority of cases the elimination would be a difficult and costly matter; still, there are some that could be eliminated either by detours or by overhead bridges at reasonable cost. The danger of these crossings has been intensified by the rapidly increasing motor traffic. Having this in view, the Board is obtaining reports as to the localities, the suggested moans of elimination, the approximate costs, and the relative urgency of each case.
Various difficulties in the past have resulted in the local authorities not carrying out many deviations which are desirable, if not indispensable. It is undoubtedly wrong to surface a road, especially in such a high-class manner as is required for modern traffic, when the road itself is in the wrong position, and when possibly all this work will be lost through eventually having to carry out a deviation that should in the first case have been adopted.
The Board carefully considered the matter, and resolved to make an effort to provide a more liberal scale of subsidies to cover such cases, and thus encourage the adoption of really desirable deviations. Consequently the Board decided that where particular circumstances warrant such action—
(1.) It will carry out at its own cost all engineering and land-plan surveys of deviations in alignment that are wholly outside the existing road reserve.
(2.) It will contribute £1 for £1 towards the cost of all engineering and land-plan surveys of approved deviations which are almost entirely within the existing road reserves.
(3.) It will contribute £1 for £1 towards the cost of compensation for land, new fencing, shifting of fences, severances, and other expenses of a like nature incidental to the legalization of any deviation not declared a Government road, provided it approves of the financial arrangements entered into by the local authority.
(4.) It reserves the right to enter into negotiations concerning the compensation direct.
The law relating to the use of the totalizator in New Zealand is contained in the Gaming Act, 1908 (a consolidation of the existing legislation), and its amendments of 1910, 1914, 1915, 1920 (two), and 1924.
The Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1881, “an Act for the suppression of gaming and betting houses, and for the more effectual abolition of lotteries,” marks the first legislative step towards controlling gambling. This Act made gaming and betting houses illegal, and prohibited the use of the totalizator except in conformity with sections 46 and 47 of the Act, which read as follows:—
46. Notwithstanding anything in this Act hereinbefore contained, it shall be lawful for the Colonial Secretary, on the application of any racing club, to grant to such club a license or authority to use the totalizator at horse-racing meetings held under the control or management of such club, subject to the following conditions, namely:—
(1.) Before the application of the racing club is disposed of by the Colonial Secretary it shall be referred to the senior Resident Magistrate of the principal town of the provincial district in which the racing club is established for his report and recommendation thereon:
(2.) The authority or license shall be in writing, and shall be revocable at any time the Colonial Secretary thinks fit to determine the same, either by written notice to the club or by notice published in the Gazette:
(3.) No more than three totalizators shall be used by the club at one time, and none outside the race-grounds within the control or management of the club:
(4.) Every totalizator shall be under the care and management of some competent person appointed by the club, and under the direct supervision of the stewards.
(a.) “Totalizator” means the instrument for wagering or betting known by that name, and any other instrument or machine of a like nature and conducted upon the same principles;
(b.) “Racing club” includes any club or association formed for the purpose of promoting horse-racing, or for the management of horse-racing meetings.
47. If the conditions above mentioned are duly complied with, no person shall be liable to any penalty or forfeiture under this Act, or any other law for the time being in force relating to gaming and lotteries, for the use of the totalizator in manner hereinbefore provided.
An amendment to the Gaming and Lotteries Act was passed in 1885, but did not make any direct reference to the totalizator. Its principal object was further to suppress betting, penalties being prescribed for exhibiting placards or otherwise advertising betting-houses, sweepstakes, or lotteries, with certain specified exceptions in regard to the two last mentioned.
The Gaming Act of 1894 was noteworthy for its prohibition of betting with an infant, and for its limitation of totalizator licenses. Alter the racing-year 1894-95 the number of totalizator licenses was to be not more than two-thirds of the number issued during the twelve months ended the 31st July, 1893. Laying totalizator odds or dealing in totalizator tickets was made an offence, and money paid or promised to be paid in connection with gaming transactions was declared not to be recoverable at law.
The Gaming and Lotteries Amendment Act of 1907 made several distinct changes, being designed to still further control gambling by confining all betting to racecourses. In addition to making much more stringent provisions in regard to gaming-houses, it provided for the closing of “tote” shops, decreed street betting to be punishable by a heavy fine, or, for a second offence, by imprisonment, and also made betting in factories and on sports-grounds illegal. It further prohibited the use of the “double” totalizator and the publication of dividends and racing tips, forbade racing clubs to accept any totalizator investments by telegram or telephone, and laid down that the totalizator must be closed not later than the time advertised for the starting of the race concerned. Racing clubs authorized to use the totalizator were empowered to license bookmakers, who, when so licensed, could carry out their business on the racecourse, but not legally elsewhere.
The 1907 Act also directed that, after deduction of 10 per cent. commission, all money received from investments on the totalizator must be paid out (to the last complete sixpence) by way of dividend.
The Gaming Act of 1908 merely consolidated all existing legislation on the subject and involved no change. Two years later, however, the Gaming Amendment Act, 1910, was passed with a view to abolishing the bookmaker altogether, and to further restricting the use of the totalizator. The provisions of the 1907 and 1908 Acts for allowing the bookmaker to operate on the course were cancelled, and further attempts to prevent street betting were made. In future every license issued for the use of the totalizator was to be in respect of a single race meeting, and to specify the number of days on which the totalizator was to be used at such meeting. The aggregate number of days on which the totalizator was to be used throughout New Zealand during any racing-year after 1910-11 was not to exceed 250, the number of days on which the totalizator could be used at any one race meeting was not to exceed four, and not more than eight races were to be run on any one day at any race meeting.
The original provision that applications for licenses to use the totalizator were to be referred to a Magistrate was deleted, and for the purpose of determining the racing clubs to which licenses were to be issued a Commission was appointed, with instructions to give consideration to the claims of those clubs which were using the totalizator at only one meeting during the year. The Commission duly allocated licenses to the number of 138, covering the 250 days' racing provided for. Racing clubs received 109 licenses covering 199 days, and trotting clubs twenty-nine licenses for fifty-one days. Racing clubs lost forty-three days, and trotting clubs eleven days, as compared with the preceding year.
In 1914 the maximum number of days on which the totalizator might be used was increased to 281 by the Gaming Amendment Act, 1914, which authorized the granting of single-day licenses to not more than thirty-one clubs not then holding licenses. Of these, not more than fifteen were to be racing clubs, not more than eight trotting clubs, and not more than eight hunt clubs. Hunt clubs, which had not been provided for in the 1910 Act, were thus catered for.
The Gaming Amendment Act, 1915, permitted clubs to make up in subsequent years any days' racing lost through their lands or buildings being used for military purposes.
In 1917 a reduction of ninety-four days per racing-year was imposed as a war measure, which continued in operation until the end of January, 1919. Racing clubs temporarily lost seventy-four days, and trotting clubs twenty.
In 1918 an Inspector of Totalizators was appointed by the Government, and either he or one of his deputies now attends every race meeting where the totalizator is used. The principal duties of the Inspector and Deputy Inspectors are to see that the totalizator-house is large enough to meet the public requirements, that no commissions received in the totalizator-house are held back to the last moment, that the total investments received on each race are correctly balanced, that the correct figures are shown on the dial of the totalizator before the release signal is given to the starter, that the dividends are computed and paid out on such figures, and that ample provision is made for the paying-out of dividends.
Two amendments of the Gaming Act were passed in 1920. The first of these declared the business or occupation of a bookmaker to be unlawful, and forbade persons to bet with a bookmaker on pain of a heavy fine or a term of imprisonment. Formerly the bookmaker alone was punishable.
The second amendment of 1920 authorized the granting of eight additional single-day licenses—all to hunt clubs—and validated the issue of licenses for certain special race meetings held on the occasion of the visit of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to New Zealand. This amendment also referred the vexed question of the redistribution of permits to a Commission, upon receipt of whose report the Governor-General was empowered to issue an Order in Council authorizing the granting, for the racing-year 1921-22, of a number of licenses not exceeding the number recommended by the Commission, such Order in Council, however, to cease if not assented to by both Houses of Parliament.
The Commission recommended that 184 licenses be issued to 120 clubs, covering a total of 316 days, allocated over the three classes of clubs as follows:—
| — | Number of Clubs. | Number of Licenses. | Number of Days. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racing clubs | 72 | 123 | 223 |
| Trotting clubs | 33 | 46 | 78 |
| Hunt clubs | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Totals | 120 | 184 | 316 |
The recommendations involved a net increase of twenty-seven days' racing, mostly in smaller centres. An analysis of the schedule of recommendations shows that this net increase was to be arrived at by granting licenses for twenty-four days to nineteen clubs not then licensed, by granting licenses covering forty-four additional days to thirty-six clubs with existing licenses, and by not renewing the licenses of twenty-one clubs with an aggregate of forty days.
An Order in Council in terms of the Act was issued, but the authority therein given was not acted on pending parliamentary discussion. A Bill to give effect to the recommendations was introduced into the Lower House, but was negatived on account of opposition to the suggested redistribution of existing licenses. Matters accordingly remained as they were until 1924, when an amending Act was passed authorizing the Minister of Internal Affairs to grant 31 additional single-day licenses, 12 to racing clubs and 19 to trotting clubs. The number of days now permitted by statute is 320, but as only seven hunt clubs were eligible to apply for the eight additional permits provided for by the Act of 1920, totalizator permits issuable cover 319 days annually.
Statistics of totalizator investments, taxation, &c., are given in Section XXIIB of this book.
THE following are brief summaries of the more important enactments of the parliamentary session of 1924:—
The Rent Restriction Act (1924, No. 3) extends to the 31st day of August, 1925, the duration of Part I of the War Legislation Amendment Act, 1916, and its amendments, relating to the restriction of rent. Section 3 voids covenants purporting to exclude the application of the said Part I to dwellinghouses.
The Customs Amendment Act (1924, No. 5) amends the Customs Act, 1913, by imposing on certain kinds of sugar a duty of 1/4d. a pound. Under the amendments of the tariff contained in the Customs Amendment Act, 1923, these particular kinds of sugar were admitted duty-free.
The Local Authorities Superannuation Amendment Act (1924, No. 6) amends the Local Authorities Superannuation Act, 1908. Section 2 empowers a local authority to agree with a contributor to its fund for a reduction of the contributor's retiring-allowance in consideration of an increased annuity to his widow. Section 3 repeals section 32 of the principal Act, which made special provision in respect of cases where a local authority paid compensation under the Workers' Compensation Act to contributors or their dependants.
The Copyright Amendment Act (1924, No. 7) extends to British protectorates the benefits of the Copyright Act, 1913. Section 3 corrects an error in section 7 of the principal Act.
The Extradition Amendment Act (1924, No. 8) amends the Extradition Act, 1908, by making Stipendiary Magistrates Commissioners under it, and by adding bribery to the list of extradition crimes.
The Sale of Food and Drugs Amendment Act (1924, No. 9) amends in various particulars the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1908. Section 2 enacts a new definition of the term “drug.” Section 3 provides that any article of food supplied with or as part of a meal, or for consumption in a shop, hotel, restaurant, &c., shall be deemed to be sold, offered or exposed for sale within the meaning of the principal Act. Section 7 provides that a person in possession of food or drugs with the concurrence of the owner thereof shall be deemed to be his agent. Section 9 makes it an offence to qualify or contradict by advertisement the particulars required to be stated on any label or package. The other sections extend the powers of the Governor-General to make regulations, and the powers of Inspectors.
The War Funds Amendment Act (1924, No. 10) was passed to incorporate the National War Funds Council (sections 2 to 4), to empower the Council to accept and administer trusts (section 5), to extend the powers of the Supreme Court in relation to war funds (section 6), and to make special provisions with respect to funds held in London by the High Commissioner.
The Acts Interpretation Act, (1924, No. 11) consolidates, with amendments, the Acts Interpretation Act, 1908, and the Acts amending that Act. The only material amendment is the provision in paragraph (h) of section 25, to the effect that the power to make by-laws, regulations, &c., includes the power to prescribe a fine or penalty not exceeding £5 for the breach of any such by-law, regulation, &c.
The Amusements-tax Amendment Act (1924, No. 12) raises to 2s. the price for admission to entertainments that shall be exempt from payment of the tax.
The Births and Deaths Registration Act (1924, No. 13) consolidates, with amendments, the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1908, and the various Acts amending that Act. The only outstanding alteration of the law is that contained in section 24, which enables the Registrar-General (but not a local Registrar) to register a birth notwithstanding that the prescribed time for registration may have expired. The fact that the Registrar-General may register a birth after the prescribed time will not operate, however, to relieve any person from the liability he may have incurred by failure to register the birth within the proper time.
The Masseurs Registration Amendment Act (1924, No. 14) amends in various particulars the Masseurs Registration Act, 1920. Section 2 defines “massage” for the purposes of the principal Act. Section 4 renders minors ineligible for registration. Section 5 extends section 12 of the principal Act, dealing with offences. Section 6 declares “chiropractors” not to be within the scope of the principal Act.
The Engineers Registration Act (1924, No. 16) provides for the registration of engineers. Section 3 constitutes an Engineers Registration Board of six persons, of whom three are to be appointed on the recommendation of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers—one as representative of civil engineers, one as representative of electrical engineers, and one as representative of mechanical engineers. Section 6 prescribes the qualifications of applicants for registration. Section 9 provides for the cancellation of registration in certain circumstances. Section 12 makes provision for appeals against decisions of the Board. Section 14 makes it an offence to use improperly words, initials, &c., implying registration. Section 15 provides that fees shall form part of the Consolidated Fund and for the payment out of moneys appropriated by Parliament of the expenses of administration of the Act. Section 16 confers on the Governor-General in Council power to make regulations.
The Local Bodies' Loans Amendment Act (1924, No. 17) amends in various particulars the Local Bodies' Loans Act, 1913. Section 2 extends to the conversion of loans the provisions of section 11 of the Finance Act, 1921, relative to the variation by the Governor-General in Council of the terms on which local authorities or public bodies are authorized to borrow moneys. Section 4 amends the provisions of section 89 of the principal Act as to sinking funds in the case of converted loans. Section 5 provides that with the consent of the Minister of Finance a local authority may on application by the holder of debentures cancel such debentures and issue a consolidated debenture in lieu thereof.
The Police Force Amendment Act (1924, No. 18) amends in various particulars the Police Force Act, 1913. Section 4 repeals section 16 of the principal Act, and makes more detailed provisions with respect to inquiries into breaches of duty by members of the various ranks in the Force and the punishments for such breaches. Section 5 contains special provisions as to such inquiries. Section 6 extends existing provisions restoring rights of members of the Force who resigned for the purpose of joining the Expeditionary Force. Section 7 amends section 29 of the principal Act by providing that where a warrant has actually been issued for the arrest of any person any member of the Force may, without having the warrant in his possession, arrest such person. Section 8 amends section 32 of the principal Act by defining the term “goods” for the purposes of that section.
The Post and Telegraph Amendment Act (1924 No. 19) amends in various important particulars the Post and Telegraph Act, 1908. Section 2 makes it an offence to defraud the revenue of the Department by means of the improper use of the telephone, and section 3 provides a general penalty for offences with intent to defraud such revenue. Section 4 authorizes the making of regulations as to the inspection of telegrams by authorized persons. Section 5 provides for the licensing of dealers in wireless apparatus. Section 6 authorizes the application in assistance of “broadcasting” agencies of portion of fees received in respect of wireless-telegraphy licenses granted pursuant to the section. Section 7 is an important section, which declares that persons or companies authorized under the preceding section to maintain “broadcasting” services shall, for the purposes of the law relating to payments, be deemed to be agents of the Post and Telegraph Department. Section 8 extends the authority of the Postmaster-General to pay moneys at credit of the account of a deceased depositor in the Post Office Savings-bank without requiring probate or letters of administration.
The Prevention of Crime (Borstal Institutions Establishment) Act (1924, No. 20) makes better provision for the prevention of crime and the reformation of young offenders, and provides for the establishment of Borstal Institutions. The Act is an adaptation of Part I of the Prevention of Crime Act, 1908 (Imperial), as amended by the Criminal Justice Administration Act, 1914. Section 17 provides for the crediting of wages to inmates of Borstal Institutions.
The Land and Income Tax Amendment Act (1924, No. 22) amends in various particulars the Land and Income Tax Act, 1923. Section 2 amends section 49 of the principal Act to provide an increase in the amount that may be deducted from the unimproved value of mortgaged lands for the purposes of land-tax. Section 3 amends section 58 of the principal Act (declaring two or more companies with substantially the same shareholders to be deemed to be a single company for the purposes of land-tax) by extending the scope of subsection (2) thereof as to what classes of companies shall be deemed to be a single company. Section 4 renders the lessee of Native land liable for payment of tax on behalf of the Native owner. Section 5 amends section 77 of the principal Act to provide that special exemptions in respect of insurance premiums shall be calculated with, respect to assessable income. Section 6 exempts from income-tax income derived by any person from a pension in respect of the Great War granted in Great Britain or within the British dominions. Section 7 amends section 79 of the principal Act to provide that increases in valuations on the reconstruction of a company shall be included in profits for the purpose of ascertaining assessable income. Section 8 further amends section 79 by adding to paragraph (b) of subsection (1) thereof a proviso to the effect that only 5 per cent. of any bonus, &c., granted to any taxpayer on his retirement from any employment or service shall be deemed to be assessable income. Section 9 also amends section 79 and section 78 to provide that income derived from lands the property of the Crown held as small grazing-runs, or for pastoral purposes shall be assessable for income-tax, but exempts persons so paying income-tax from liability from land-tax in respect of such lands. Section 10 defines the term “capital value” for the purposes of section 83 of the principal Act. Section 11 constitutes unpaid land-tax a charge on the land in respect of which it is payable, and provides the necessary machinery for enforcing the charge.
The Education Reserves Amendment Act (1924, No. 24) amends in various particulars the Education Reserves Act, 1908. Section 2 enables the value of improvements to be paid to an outgoing tenant by a Land Board, and the amount thereof to be added to the capital value of the land for the purposes of its subsequent disposition. Section 3 provides for certain payments in respect of education reserves to be made in the first place out of the Consolidated Fund, and for the subsequent recoupment of that fund out of certain funds or accounts established in connection with such reserves. Section 4 provides for the application of revenue from education reserves and endowments, and section 5 for the payment of expenses of administration, maintenance, &c., thereof.
The Mortgages Final Extension Act (1924, No. 25) repeals the Mortgages Extension Act, 1919, and its amendments. Its object is to provide for final extensions of the due date for payment of the principal sums secured by mortgages to which the Act of 1919 applied. Extensions may be granted on applications by mortgagors before the 31st January, 1925, to a date not later than the 31st March, 1927. Provision is made for the granting of extension orders to be made by a Judge in Chambers or by a Registrar of the Supreme Court in Chambers. An appeal may be made to a Judge from an order of a Registrar. Section 9 allows a Judge in certain cases to refer applications to Magistrates or other persons (agreed to by the mortgagors and mortgagees) for determination. Section 10 contains provisions limiting the powers of mortgagees under mortgages to which this Act applies. Until after the 31st March, 1925, a mortgagee may not call up principal moneys or commence action upon the covenant to pay the same or exercise any power of sale, or without leave of the Court commence an action or proceeding for breach of any covenant, &c. (other than one for payment of interest) contained in the mortgage. After that date the mortgagee is further restrained in the exercise of such powers in any case where an application for an extension order has been duly filed until the application has been refused, or, if an order has been made, until default in complying with the terms and conditions of the extension order or of the mortgage as affected by the order has been made by the mortgagor. Even in cases where application for an extension order has not been made the mortgagee has to serve a notice demanding payment, and then must wait three months before taking further action. Section 11 provides that if the date for repayment has passed a mortgagor may, on giving to the mortgagee three months' notice in writing, repay the principal moneys. Section 12 makes provisions as to rates of interest to be payable after the commencement of this Act under mortgages to which it applies. Section 13 authorizes a trustee mortgagee to arrange with his mortgagor for a renewal for not longer than five years, at such rate of interest as the trustee thinks fit, of a mortgage to which this Act applies, notwithstanding that a higher rate of interest might be obtainable for a new loan. Section 14 validates written agreements to vary mortgages. Section 15 declares that for the purposes only of this Act instalments of principal and interest under a “table” mortgage shall be deemed to consist wholly of interest. Section 16 provides that for the purpose of actions for recovery of interest or other moneys payable by virtue of instruments to winch former Mortgages Extension Acts applied, any period terminating on the passing of this Act and commencing not earlier than the 14th August, 1914, shall not be taken into account in computing the period prescribed by any Statute of Limitations. Section 17 confers special equitable jursidiction on the Supreme Court for the purposes of this Act. Section 18 provides that no party to any proceedings before the Supreme Court under this Act shall be liable to pay the costs of any other party to such proceedings. Section 19 applies to the Crown all the provisions of this Act.
The Government Railways Amendment Act (1924, No. 26) amends in various particulars the Government Railways Act, 1908. Section 2 extends the authority of the Governor-General to make regulations with respect to the classification of the Department. Section 3 provides that an appointment may be made to any position in Subdivision I of the First Division notwithstanding that the former appointee may not have relinquished office. Section 4 renders it necessary for any person charged with the duty of weighing goods or live-stock to make an oath to faithfully carry out the duties of his office.
The Stamp Duties Amendment Act (1924, No. 27) amends to a considerable extent the provisions of the Stamp Duties Act, 1923. Section 4 repeals section 109 of the principal Act, and makes fresh provisions with respect to mortgage duty. The object of it is to allow a mortgagee himself to determine how his security, being a mixed mortgage, is to be apportioned between the land and the chattels. In such a case the mortgage over the land is security only for such portion of the mortgage debt as is covered by the mortgage duty which has been paid. By paying additional mortgage duty from time to time the mortgagee is entitled to increase the amount for winch the land is security. Section 5 repeals section 111 of the principal Act, and makes fresh provisions with respect to mortgages to secure current accounts. It modifies the general principle contained in section 4 of this Act to the effect that where the mortgagee pays additional duty, and so increases the value of his security, the additional security is available only for moneys which became owing after payment of the additional duty. Section 7 amends section 101 of the principal Act to exempt from the duty payable under that section declarations of trust in respect of property to be held on a charitable trust in New Zealand. Section 8 imposes a duty on the issue of shares to a third person pursuant to the direction of the person entitled thereto. Section 12 authorizes the holder of an unstamped bill of exchange to affix and cancel the proper stamp. Section 13 amends section 154 of the principal Act relating to duty on agreements—the agreements that shall be exempt from duty are particularized. Section 16 exempts certain deeds from duty. Section 17 authorizes the Commissioner to remit any penalty payable in respect of failure to stamp any receipt. Section 18 adds certain receipts to the list of exemptions from payment of duty contained in section 181 of the principal Act. Section 20 imposes a duty on instruments of guarantee.
The Medical Practitioners Amendment Act (1924, No. 23) amends in various particulars the Medical Practitioners Act, 1914. Section 4 modifies the right to registration in New Zealand conferred by section 8 of the principal Act on the holders of foreign diplomas. Section 5 authorizes the removal, and prescribes procedure to be followed in removing, from the New Zealand Register a name which has been removed from a British or other register. Section 6 confers certain disciplinary powers on the Medical Council.
The Police Offences Amendment Act (1924, No. 29) contains a number of amendments of the Police Offences Act, 1908. The more important provisions are: Section 4, which deals with Sunday trading; section 7, which makes a separate offence of being found by night on property without lawful excuse, but not under circumstances disclosing criminal intent; section 9, which confers on constables powers of search for pillaged goods; section 10, which makes the unlawful use of motor-cars an offence; section 11, authorizing the delivery to their ships without further authority of naval ratings arrested for drunkenness; section 12, which makes it an offence to obtain credit by fraud; section 13, which provides for the police supervision of wrestling contests; and section 14, which makes it an offence to publish unauthorized programmes of football or cricket matches or horse-racing or trotting events.
The Dairy-produce Export Control Amendment Act (1924, No. 30) enables the Board constituted under the Dairy-produce Export Control Act, 1923, to exhibit and advertise New Zealand dairy-produce.
The Land Act (1924, No. 31) is a consolidation, with amendments, of the Land Act, 1908, and the various Acts amending the same. The amendments are for the most part purely machinery amendments.
The Land Transfer (Compulsory Registration of Titles) Act (1924, No. 32) provides for the bringing under the Land Transfer Act, 1915, of all land heretofore alienated from the Crown for an estate in fee-simple and not already subject to that Act. By section 3 Registrars are directed to proceed in respect of land to which this Act relates, so as to bring all such land under the principal Act within five years, or as soon thereafter as may be. Section 8 directs Registrars to issue in respect of lands so dealt with either “ordinary” certificates of title (in cases where if application had been duly made under the principal Act such a title could be issued) or “limited” certificates of title. By section 9 a “limited” certificate is defined as a certificate limited either as to description of parcels or as to title, or as to both. Section 10 provides for notice of issue of a certificate of title being given by registered letter to every person having any estate or interest evidenced by such certificate or by any memorial endorsed thereon. By section 11 a Registrar is required before issuing a limited certificate to file with his records minutes of the defects found in the titles and the requisitions that ought to be complied with to justify his issuing an ordinary certificate. Section 12 provides a right (restricted to certain persons) to search the Registrar's minutes. Sections 13 and 14 provide for a limited certificate being made an ordinary certificate. Section 15 declares memorials on limited certificates to be evidence in all Courts. Section 16 defines the application of the principal Act to limited certificates. Section 17 enables persons claiming title adverse to that of the proprietor under a limited certificate to make application for title under the principal Act by virtue of adverse possession or under any title the existence or probable existence of which is set forth in the Registrar's minutes. Section 18 prevents action being taken against the Registrar-General by the registered proprietor of land comprised in certain limited certificates, and section 19 saves the right to interests excepted from guarantee. Section 20 provides that the memorial of title endorsed on limited certificates shall be limited. Section 21 extinguishes after twelve years interests excepted from guarantee. Section 22 provides for caveats in respect of applications under this Act. Section 23 provides that where a certificate is issued under this Act to trustees who have no power to sell, the Registrar shall register a memorial to that effect, and enter a caveat for the protection of the beneficiaries. Section 24 imposes certain restrictions on the issue of ordinary certificates. Section 25 protects the Registrar from actions for damages in respect of errors or omissions in descriptions of parcels.
The Trustee Amendment Act (1924, No. 33) amends the Trustee Act, 1908, in various particulars. Section 2, which repeals section 17 of the Administration Act, 1908, and section 42 of the Finance Act, 1922, gives power (following section 21 of the Imperial Act 56 & 57 Vict., c. 53) to executors and trustees to compound, compromise, &c., in respect of debts, accounts, claims, or things relating to the testator's or intestate's estate or to the trust. Section 3 repeals (with a saving as to existing investments and the renewal thereof) section 46 of the Finance Act, 1920, authorizing the approval of certain institutions with whom trustees may invest trust moneys on deposit. Sections 4 and 5 amend section 95 of the principal Act to make investments in savings-banks and in debentures of Road Boards, Town Boards, and Electric-power Boards, lawful investments of trust funds. Section 6 authorizes the trustee of a deceased person's estate which does not exceed £300 after providing for all liabilities to apply a reasonable portion thereof to the maintenance of the widow and children and the education of the children. Section 7 authorizes the appointment of advisory trustees to assist private trustees.
The Pensions Amendment Act (1924, No. 34) amends the Pensions Act, 1913. Sections 2 to 9 make various amendments of the provisions of the principal Act relating to old-age pensions. The more important are: Section 6, which makes certain exemptions as to the value of a claimant's residence, furniture, and other personal effects for the purpose of computing the value of his accumulated property; section 7, which makes special provision with respect to computation of pensions in cases where applicants are in receipt of war pensions; and section 9, which provides for an allowance of 2s. 6d. a week to pensioners who have no means other than their pension. Section 10 provides for special provisions in respect of service in a New Zealand Contingent in the South African War. Sections 11 to 13 deal with widows' pensions, increasing rates payable to widows in respect of children, increasing the exemption in respect of the value of a widow's residence for the purpose of computing her pension, and authorizing the Minister, on the certificate of a Magistrate, to grant a pension to a mother having care of children, though she is not qualified to receive a widow's pension. Sections 14 to 18 establish pensions for the blind. Section 14 provides the qualifications for a pension. Section 15 provides for a maximum pension of £39 a year, but, in addition, earnings are subsidized up to a certain limit, no pension or subsidy being payable after the total receipts of the pensioner from all sources exceed £3 10s. a week. Section 17 provides that no instalment of a pension shall be payable while a pensioner is an inmate of any institution controlled by any Department of State. Sections 19 and 20 are general provisions, the former section making it an offence for any person to fraudulently aid any other person in obtaining a pension-certificate or any instalment payable thereunder; and the latter section providing that nothing in this Act shall so operate as to reduce the amount of an old-age or widow's pension actually being paid to any person at the commencement thereof.
The Poultry Act (1924, No. 37) provides for the regulating of the keeping of poultry and the sale and export of poultry and eggs. Provision is made for the appointment of Inspectors, on whom certain powers of entry for purposes of inspection of poultry or eggs intended for export are conferred. Poultry are required to be kept under sanitary conditions, and cruelty to poultry is made an offence. Every owner of poultry is required to notify an Inspector of any outbreak of disease among his poultry, and to comply with the Inspector's directions. Section 8 makes it an offence to sell diseased poultry. Section 9 makes principals and agents equally liable in respect of offences arising out of sales. Section 11 empowers the Governor-General in Council to declare diseases, to appoint ports of export, and to appoint grading-stores. Section 12 authorizes the making of regulations, inter alia, for regulating the marketing, grading, packing, and export of poultry and eggs.
The Meat-export Control Amendment Act (1924, No. 38) empowers the Board established under the principal Act to exhibit and advertise New Zealand meat, and prescribes the manner in which contracts of the Board shall be made.
The Motor-vehicles Act (1924, No. 39) repeals the Motor Regulation Act, 1908, and provides for the registration, licensing, and regulation of the use of motor-vehicles. It is divided into Parts, as follows:—
Part I.—Registration and Annual Licensing of Motor-vehicles.
Part II.—Licensing of Drivers of Motor-vehicles.
Part III.—Apportionment of Fees and Fines.
Part IV.—General.
Part I: Section 3 requires motor-vehicles to be registered and annually licensed, and prescribes a penalty for using an unregistered or unlicensed motor-vehicle. Section 4 provides for the appointment of a Registrar and Deputy Registrars, which offices are to be held by members of the Post and Telegraph Department. Under section 5 application for registration is to be made by the owner to a Deputy Registrar in the provincial district within which the garage of the motor-vehicle is situated. Section 8 provides for the keeping of local registers and a Dominion register. Section 10 requires owners to obtain annual licenses for motor-vehicles. Section 12 provides that while any such license is in force the motor-vehicle to which it relates may be used on any road or street in New Zealand, and, with certain exceptions, local authorities are prohibited from charging any fee in respect of any motor-vehicle or the use thereof on any road or street. Section 13 provides for local registers and a Dominion register of licenses. Section 15 provides for the cancellation of registration. Section 16 provides for the transfer of registration on a change of garage from one provincial district to another, and section 17 for the transfer of a certificate of registration and the annual license on a change of ownership. Section 18 contains special provisions as to motor-vehicles held for the purpose of sale by manufacturers or dealers, and section 19 as to motor-vehicles being the property of His Majesty or of the Governor-General.
Part II: Section 20 prohibits unlicensed persons from driving motor-vehicles. Section 21 prescribes a fee of 5s. for a driver's license, which is to be issued by a local authority, and continues in force throughout the whole of New Zealand until the 31st March next after the date on which it is issued. Section 22 provides that on conviction of the holder of a driver's license for an offence against this Act the Court may endorse his license or impose a disqualification.
Part III: Section 23 provides for the payment of driver's license fees to local authorities. By section 24 other fees (including fines) are to be applied towards the maintenance of main highways.
Part IV: Section 25 confers power to make by-laws restricting the use of motor-vehicles on roads, bridges, &c. Section 27 makes it an indictable offence to cause bodily injury or death through reckless driving. Section 28 prescribes penalties on summary conviction for reckless or negligent driving. Section 29 provides that compliance with conditions as to limit of speed shall not be a defence against a charge of negligent driving. Section 39 provides that on conviction of any person for an offence under section 27 or section 28 the Court may order the person so convicted, as part of the sentence, to pay a sum not exceeding £50 as compensation in respect of bodily injury or death of any person occasioned by the act or default of the person convicted. Section 31 prescribes duties of motor-drivers in cases of accidents on highways. Section 36 confers on the Governor-General in Council very full powers to make regulations.
A Schedule to the Act prescribes the fees payable for annual licenses and the exemptions from payment.
The Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Amendment Act (1924, No. 40) amends the Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Act, 1921-22. Section 2 repeals section 26 of the principal Act, and substitutes for it provision as to patents endorsed “licenses of right.” Section 3 repeals section 29 of the principal Act, and enacts in lieu thereof provision for the prevention of abuse of monopoly rights. Section 4 allows the acceptance of a complete specification after the expiration of the time prescribed by the principal Act.
The Gaming Amendment Act (1924, No. 41) amends the Gaming Act, 1908. Section 2 increases, by twelve in the case of racing clubs and nineteen in the case of trotting clubs, the total number of licenses to use the totalizator that may be granted in any year. Section 4 confers authority to refund totalizator investments on a horse withdrawn from a race before the totalizator closes for that race. Section 5 limits to eight the number of times on which the totalizator may be opened for receiving investments, and the number of races that may be held on any one day. Section 6 provides that no member of a racing, hunt, or trotting club shall have, as such, any pecuniary interest in the property of the club, and that on the dissolution thereof the net assets shall be disposed of for such public or charitable purposes as the club, with the approval of the Minister of Internal Affairs, may determine. Failing such determination the Governor-General appoints the manner of disposal. Section 7 provides for the appointment of Inspectors of Totalizators. Section 8 fixes at 7 stone the minimum weight to be carried by any horse in a handicap flat race.
The Dairy Industry Amendment Act (1924, No. 42) amends the Dairy Industry Act, 1908. The object of the amendment is to validate certain allotments of additional shares in co-operative dairy companies and certain articles of association of such companies as to the supply of dairy-produce by shareholders. The Act is purely a measure of validation, and nothing in it authorizes either the allotment of any shares after its passing or the future inclusion of articles purporting to oblige shareholders to supply milk, cream, or other dairy-produce to the company, and all such articles heretofore made shall after six months from the passing of this Act cease to have force or effect unless valid and effective irrespective of the provisions of this Act.
The Native Trustee Amendment Act (1924, No. 43) amends the Native Trustee Act, 1920. Section 4 authorizes the Native Trustee in certain cases to dispose of Native reserves for the benefit of beneficial owners. Section 5 authorizes him to accept a chattel security or an assignment of rent by way of collateral security for any investment by him. Section 6 makes special provisions relative to accumulations of revenue from the New Zealand Company's reserved “tenths.” Section 7 enables the Native Trustee to acquire land for roading or other purposes for the better administration of land vested in him. Section 9 amends section 12 of the Amendment Act of 1921-22, and makes further provision as to interest payable on advances from the Native Trustee's Account.
The Mining Amendment Act (1924, No. 44) amends the Mining Act, 1908. Section 2 authorizes the Governor-General on request to issue leases or licenses to prospect or mine for mineral oil on land held in trust for special purposes. Section 3 extends the authority of Wardens to grant dredging or alluvial claims. Section 4 protects against forfeiture special dredging claims worked on tribute. Section 5 constitutes removal from the register a determination of a mining privilege. Section 6 amends section 165 of the principal Act to provide that licenses for dams shall not be granted without the written consent of the Minister.
The Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act (1924, No. 45) amends in various particulars the law relating to Native land, and confers on the Native Land Court and the Native Appellate Court respectively jurisdiction to hear and determine certain claims and disputes in relation to Native lands.
The Public Works Amendment Act, (1924, No. 45) amends in various particulars the Public Works Act, 1908. Section 2 makes provision as to the apportionment of the cost of repair and improvement of a road serving two or more districts. Section 3 enables special permits to build private motor-garages adjacent to the road-line to be granted in cases where the building-line is fixed under section 117 of the principal Act. Section 7 makes it necessary for a Proclamation defining the middle-line of a railway, with explanatory maps, to be deposited in the District Land Registry Office. Section 8 confers on the Minister (to facilitate the carrying-out of hydro-electric schemes) the right to enter upon any road, street, railway, or other land, and there to construct, erect, lay down, maintain, renew, or repair cables, wires, and other things. Section 11 provides for compensation for removal of trees causing damage to electric lines. Section 13 requires the consent of the Minister before registration of a transfer of land subject to an irrigation agreement. Section 15 limits the powers of the Governor-General to cancel licenses to use water-power or to erect electric lines. Section 16 extends the definition of the term “heavy traffic” in section 139 of the principal Act to include certain classes of motor traffic. Section 17 prohibits (with a saving as to vehicles now in use) the use on any road or street in New Zealand of a motor-vehicle designed to carry more than 6 tons, or so designed that its weight when laden may exceed 10 tons. Section 18 makes provision for extending the operation of heavy-traffic licenses and of licenses for vehicles plying for hire. Section 19 is an important section, enabling the Governor-General to make regulations as to the use of motor-lorries.
The Rating Amendment Act (1924, No. 47) exempts from rates lands and buildings used for the purposes of Sunday schools at which religious education is given to children and young persons, and not used for pecuniary gain or profit.
The Customs Amendment Act (No. 2) (1924, No. 48) amends the tariff in respect of certain kinds of tobacco.
The Chattels Transfer Act (1924, No. 49) consolidates and amends the Chattels Transfer Act, 1908, and its amendments relating to chattel securities and the transfer of chattels. The amendments, which are with few exceptions of a highly technical nature, were drafted after consideration of suggestions offered by legal representatives of banks, leading mercantile houses, and stock agents. Section 12 provides for the keeping in the chief town of each provincial district of a separate register of all registrations within that district. Section 32 is a new provision, to enable valid assignments of moneys to become payable to milk-suppliers, and to exclude agreements of that nature from the necessity of registration. Subsection (2) of section 41 prescribes an implied covenant, in instruments by way of security comprising sheep, that the grantor will deliver to the grantee the wool shorn from such sheep in each year during the continuance of the instrument. Section 57 is a new provision to enable the security of business carried on under the hire-purchase system. The section is limited to the class of articles specified in the Seventh Schedule. Additions to the schedule may be made from time to time by Order in Council. Section 59 applies certain provisions of this Act to mortgages, charges, and debentures granted or issued by companies.
The Education Amendment Act (1924, No. 50) amends in various particulars the Education Act, 1914. Sections 2 to 8 make provision for the combining of secondary and technical schools for the purpose of control. Section 9 provides for the establishment and conduct of junior high schools. Sections 10 to 12 allow the control of technical schools to be vested in the controlling authorities instead of in Boards of Managers. Sections 13 to 18 provide for the registration of teachers. Under section 19 Education Boards may limit attendances at public schools in order to prevent overcrowding.
The Native Land Rating Act (1924, No. 51) forms part of the Rating Act, 1908, its object being to make separate provision with respect to the making, levying, and recovery of rates in respect of Native lands. Section 4 exempts from liability for rates customary land and Native land, not exceeding 5 acres in any case, occupied by any Native burial-ground or a church or Native meeting-house. Section 5 provides for the exemption by Order in Council of other classes of Native lands. Section 6 makes special provisions as to payment of rates where land is vested in a trustee. Section 9 prescribes the procedure with respect to the recovery of rates not paid within certain fixed times. The Court may make an order granting a charge over the land in favour of the local authority for the amount of rates payable and the costs of obtaining the charge. If the charge remains unsatisfied for more than one year the land may be vested in the Native Trustee for sale. Section 11 provides that a person in actual occupation of Native land, whether with or without title, shall be deemed to be the occupier for the purposes of the principal Act. Under section 12 a charge may, in the case of land held in common, be made in favour of an owner or owners who have paid rates. Section 14 makes provision for the granting of remissions of rates on Native lands, and also empowers the Court in any proceedings to vest the land affected in the local authority in satisfaction of unpaid rates, or in the Crown on condition of its paying the rates mentioned in the order. Section 15 authorizes the registration of charges against the Land Transfer title or upon the Deeds Register. Section 16 authorizes the discharge in whole or in part of charges granted by the Court, and the registration of discharges.
The Companies Empowering Act (1924, No. 52) amends the Companies Act, 1908, by authorizing companies to issue labour shares to persons in their service. Section 2 provides that any company incorporated under the principal Act may issue labour shares if empowered so to do by its memorandum of association, and empowers any company to alter its memorandum of association to provide for the issue of labour shares. Section 3 attaches the following special conditions to labour shares:—
(a.) They shall have no nominal value, and are not to form part of the capital of the company;
(b.) They are to be numbered consecutively:
(c.) They are not transferable, except as may be specially provided by the regulations of the company;
(d.) They entitle their holders to attend and vote at meetings of shareholders, to share in the profits of the company or in its assets on winding up, to such extent and in such manner as may be determined by the memorandum or articles of association;
(e.) Save as otherwise specially provided in this Act or the memorandum or articles of association, holders shall have and enjoy all the privileges of other shareholders.
Section 4 provides that no scheme under this Act and no alteration thereof shall be valid unless and until the Court of Arbitration certifies that it is favourable to the workers, and a certificate may be revoked by the Court on the grounds set forth in subsection (2). Under section 5, if the holder of labour shares leaves the service of the company (whether by reason of death or otherwise) he is deemed to have surrendered his shares, and the value of them (computed in accordance with the regulations of the company) shall be payable to him or his legal personal representatives, as the case may be. Section 6 authorizes a company (if authorized by its regulations) to issue capital shares in payment or satisfaction of any share in the profits of the company to which the holders of labour shares or their legal personal representatives may be entitled. Section 7 provides that a company having issued labour shares shall cause to be entered on its register of members full particulars as to all such labour shares issued and surrendered, and of the amounts paid or other consideration given by the company in respect of any such surrender. Section 8 declares that certain provisions of the principal Act shall not apply to labour shares or to the holders thereof.
The Master and Apprentice Amendment Act (1924, No. 53) provides that the Minister of Labour may execute indentures of apprenticeship to the occupation of farming for boys without parents or guardians in New Zealand, and that Part II of the Master and Apprentice Amendment Act, 1920, shall be administered by the Minister of Labour.
The Fruit Control Act (1924, No. 54) differs from the Meat Export Control Act, 1921-22, and the Dairy-produce Export Control Act, 1921-22, in that it provides not only for the control of export of fruit, but also for the control of fruit intended for local consumption.
Part I deals with the control of export. As in the case of the other two Acts mentioned, it comes into force on a date to be specified in that behalf by a Proclamation in Executive Council issued after a poll of producers has decided in favour thereof. Section 5 establishes the New Zealand Fruit-export Control Board, and sections 8 to 14 define its powers.
Part II, dealing with the control of fruit intended for local consumption, is to be brought into operation separately in the several provincial districts (except Westland, to which it does not apply) in accordance with the decision of polls of producers. Section 19 provides for a separate Local Control Board for each provincial district, and section 20 confers on each such Board, with respect to fruit produced in its district and intended for sale for consumption in New Zealand, the same powers, so far as applicable, as the Export Control Board has with respect to fruit intended for export. Section 21 provides for the union of two or more districts to form a combined district under the control of one Local Control Board. Section 22 provides for the dissolution of a Board if a poll, taken on petition of 10 per cent. of the producers in that district, carries a proposal to that effect.
Part III provides for the imposition of a levy on fruit exported or subject to control of Local Control Boards.
Part IV contains general provisions similar to those contained in the Meat Export and Dairy-produce Export Control Acts. Section 34 contains a saving of the provisions of the Orchard and Garden Diseases Act, 1908.
The Coal-mines Amendment Act (1924, No. 56) amends the Coal-mines Act, 1908. Section 3 fixes the conditions governing the payment of rents and royalties under leases. Section 4 authorizes the Minister to grant relief to holders of coal-mining leases by way of postponement, remission, or reduction of rent. By section 6 Wardens may authorize the sale of coal won in prospecting. Section 7 makes provisions with respect to main airways, air-crossings, and stoppings. Section 9 requires a vote of workmen to be taken on the question of the provision of bath-houses by the owner of a coal-mine.
The Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Act (1924, No. 57) amends the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, 1915. Section 3 authorizes the Dominion Revaluation Board to reduce mortgages in respect of improvements, purchase of stock, &c. Section 4 provides that on the exercise of a power of sale under a mortgage the excess of the mortgage over the amount realized may be written off. Section 5 provides that sections 6 to 8 of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Amendment Act, 1923, relative to the reduction of rent, shall apply with respect to land held, under a license to occupy. Section 7 makes provision for extension of certain small-grazing-run leases held by discharged soldiers.
The Honey-export Control Act (1924, No. 58) makes provision for the appointment of a Honey Control Board, with power to control the export of honey. The scheme follows generally that of previous Export Control Acts, the Act not coming into operation until a poll of producers has been taken.
The Egmont National Park Act (1924, No. 60), which follows the scheme of the Tongariro National Park Act, 1922, authorizes the setting-apart of certain lands in the vicinity of Mount Egmont, and certain ranges of hills known as the Patua Ranges, as a national park, and provides for the control and management thereof.
The Legislature Amendment Act (1924, No. 61) provides for the compulsory registration of electors. Section 2 makes it necessary for every person qualified to be registered as an elector for any district to make application for such registration forthwith after the commencement of this Act or his becoming qualified. Failure for four months so to be registered is by section 3 made an offence, the fine being 5s. on a first conviction and 20s. on any subsequent conviction. Section 4 requires an elector to notify his changes of address within the district for which he is registered, the fines for failure for two months being the same as for failure to register. Section 5 provides that an elector shall not be disqualified for failure to notify a change of address, and section 6 that temporary absence from the district shall not constitute a disqualification. Sections 7 and 8 provide for notifications of deaths and marriages by Registrars of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, for the purpose of amending rolls. Section 9 directs the preparation of new rolls from particulars supplied pursuant to the provisions of this Act, and section 10 provides for the abolition of existing rolls. Section 13 makes fresh provision with respect to absent voters, the principal feature of which is the abolition of the absent voter's permit. Section 14 defines the persons not registered as electors who are entitled to vote on making a declaration as to their qualifications. Section 15 amends the existing law as to qualifications of electors. Inter alia, it substitutes for the one month prescribed by section 4 of the Legislature Amendment Act, 1914, a period of three months' residence as the qualifying period for registration as an elector of a district.
The British Nationality and Status of Aliens (in New Zealand) Amendment Act (1924, No. 62) allows Natives of Western Samoa to be naturalized, notwithstanding that they may not have an adequate knowledge of the English language.
The Government Accident Insurance Amendment Act (1924, No. 63) transfers from the Government Insurance Commissioner to the General Manager of the State Fire Insurance Office the business of Government accident insurance. Section 4 extends the business of the Accident Insurance Branch to permit of insurance against accident to property. Section 5 abrogates the limit of the risk in respect of a single person. Section 6 allows the profits of the Accident Insurance Branch to be used for the purpose of allowing rebates of premiums to insurers.
The Finance Act (1924, No. 64), which makes provisions with respect to public finance and other matters, is divided into Parts as follows:—
Part I.—Public Revenues and Loans.
Part II.—Superannuation Funds.
Part III.—Local Authorities and Public Bodies.
Part IV.—New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition.
Part V.—Miscellaneous.
Part I: Section 2 empowers the Minister of Finance to borrow £2,000,000 for certain public works. Section 3 increases from £3,000,000 to £5,000,000 the annual borrowing authority for the purposes of the State Advances Office. Section 4 contains an additional authority to borrow for the purposes of the Hauraki Plains Act, 1908; section 5 for the purposes of the Rangitaiki Land Drainage Act, 1910; and section 6 for the purposes of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Act, 1910. Section 7 makes further provision for the application of moneys borrowed under the Railways Improvement Authorization Act, 1914. Section 10 increases to £150,000 the limit of the Imprest Account for general purposes. Section 12 exempts from payment of income-tax certain profits from any business carried on within the Ross Dependency by virtue of a license heretofore issued by the Imperial Government. Section 13 reduces the duty on certain classes of tobacco manufactured in New Zealand. Section 14 voids covenants in mortgages tending to adversely affect mortgagors in the event of the Public Trustee becoming administrator of their estates. Section 15 confers special powers on the Public Trustee to enable him to conserve the value of mortgaged properties. Section 19 authorizes the Minister of Finance to issue moneys from the Consolidated Fund in payment for certain shares of the Bank of New Zealand. Section 21 establishes a Government Stores Marine Insurance Fund. Sections 22 and 23 make certain concessions to members of the General Assembly and certain members of their families in respect of steamer passages. Section 25 transfers to the State Advances Office the administration of the Repatriation Act, 1918. Section 27 authorizes the imposition of a levy on gas companies towards the cost of administration of the Board of Trade (Gas) Regulations, 1924. Section 28 contains special provisions as to computation of Government subsidy in cases where general rates include hospital levies. Section 31 provides for the appointment of a Commissioner to promote the commercial interests of New Zealand in Canada and the United States. Section 32 authorizes the making of reciprocal arrangements with respect to the granting of assistance to members of naval or military forces of other dominions. Section 33 authorizes any local authority to borrow any amount required as its contribution towards the cost of construction of main highways.
Part II: The only provisions of general interest in this Part are section 36, which revives the right of election to become a contributor to the Teachers' Superannuation Fund; section 37, which authorizes the Teachers' Superannuation Board to allow a contributor to count for superannuation purposes any period prior to his becoming a contributor, if it is satisfied that his becoming a contributor was delayed by reason of service with the Expeditionary Force; and section 39, which enacts special provisions for payment of retiring-allowances to Stipendiary Magistrates.
Part III: Most of the sections in this Part contain particular provisions with respect to particular local authorities. There are a few sections of general application. Section 42 extends the authority conferred on the Governor-General by section 39 of the Finance Act, 1920, to increase the borrowing-powers of Fire Boards. Section 43 provides that an owner insuring property with a company not carrying on business in New Zealand shall make returns and contributions to the Fire Board within whose jurisdiction the insured property is situated. Section 60 extends the powers of Electric-power Boards to borrow by way of bank overdraft. Section 63 authorizes local bodies to grant free tramway passes to disabled soldiers.
Part IV contains special enabling provisions with respect to the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition to be held in Dunedin from November, 1925, to May, 1926.
The Appropriation Act (1924, No. 65) appropriates for the use of His Majesty the moneys required for the purposes of the current financial year. In addition, it contains a number of miscellaneous provisions. Section 16 extends the benefits of the Public Service Superannuation Fund to officers of the Cook Islands Public Service and the Samoan Public Service. Section 18 authorizes the payment of £100,000 towards the cost of an additional cruiser for the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy.
The Shipping and Seamen Amendment Act (1924, No. 66) amends the Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908. Its object is to enable the Governor-General to make regulations requiring any class or classes of vessels, whether registered in New Zealand or not, to be equipped with wireless — telegraph installations for transmitting and receiving messages.
Table of Contents
ON page 1 of this book the islands comprising the Dominion of New Zealand are divided into three groups, viz.:—
Islands forming the Dominion proper, for statistical and general practical purposes.
Outlying islands included within the geographical boundaries of New Zealand as proclaimed in 1847.
Annexed islands.
Only the first of these groups has been covered by the preceding sections of this book. The present section deals briefly with the second and third groups, and also with the mandated territories of Western Samoa and Nauru, the Ross Dependency, and the Tokelau or Union Group.
The outlying islands included within the geographical boundaries as proclaimed in 1847 are—
| Three Kings Islands. | Auckland Islands. | Campbell Island. | Antipodes Islands. | Bounty Islands. | Snares Islands. |
The THREE KINGS ISLANDS (so named by Tasman on account of his having discovered them on the anniversary of the Feast of the Epiphany) are a group of uninhabited islets extending about seven miles in an east-north-east direction, and situated about thirty-eight miles west-north-west of Cape Maria van Diemen, at the northern extremity of the North Island. It was here that the s.s. “Elingamite” was wrecked on the 9th November, 1902, with heavy loss of life.
The AUCKLAND ISLANDS were discovered on the 18th August, 1806, by Captain Abraham Bristow, in the ship “Ocean.” The discoverer, who named the group after Lord Auckland, again visited the islands in 1807 and took formal possession of them. They lie about 290 miles south of Bluff Harbour, their accepted position being given as latitude 50° 32' south and longitude 166° 13' east. They have several good harbours. Port Ross, at the northern end of the principal island, was described by the eminent French commander D'Urville as one of the best harbours of refuge in the known world. At the southern end of the island there is a through passage extending from the east to the west coast. It has been variously named Adams Strait and Carnley Harbour, and forms a splendid sheet of water. The largest of the islands is about twenty-seven miles long by about fifteen miles broad, and is very mountainous, the highest part being about 2,000 ft. above the sea.
CAMPBELL ISLAND, which lies about 150 miles south-east of the Auckland Islands, was discovered in 1810 by Frederick Hazelburgh, master of the brig “Perseverance,” owned by Mr. Robert Campbell, of Sydney. It is mountainous, and of a circumference of about thirty miles. There are several good harbours.
The ANTIPODES ISLANDS are an isolated group, consisting of several detached rocky islands lying nearly north and south over a space of four to five miles: accepted position, 49° 41' 15” south, and longitude 178° 43' east.
The BOUNTY ISLANDS, a little cluster of islets, thirteen in number, and without verdure, were discovered in 1788 by Captain Bligh, R.N., of H.M.S. “Bounty"; position verified by observation, 47° 43' south, longitude 179° 0 1/2' east.
The SNARES ISLANDS are situated about fifty-six miles to the south-west of Stewart Island, and comprise six islets of a total area of about 600 acres.
On each group of outlying islands the New Zealand Government maintains a depot of provisions and clothing for the use of castaways.
The KERMADEC ISLANDS, four in number, with some outlying islets, rank as “annexed islands,” having been annexed to New Zealand by Proclamation dated the 21st July, 1887. The islands are situated between the parallels of 29° 10' and 31° 30' south latitude, and between the meridians of 177° 45' and 179° west longitude. The principal island, Sunday, is 600 miles distant from Auckland, and lies a little more than half-way to Tonga, but 100 miles to the eastward of the direct steam route to that place. It is 300 miles eastward of the steam route to Fiji, and 150 miles westward of the steam route from Auckland to Rarotonga. Macaulay Island (named after the father of Lord Macaulay) and Curtis Islands were discovered in May, 1788, by Lieutenant Watts, in the “Penrhyn,” a transport ship. The remainder of the group was discovered in 1793 by Rear-Admiral de Bruni, Chevalier d'Entrecasteaux, during the course of his search for the missing La Pérouse. The Admiral gave the name of “Kermadec” to the whole group of islands, after the captain of his consort ship “L'Espérance,” and the name of the Admiral's ship, “La Recherche,” was given to the largest island. The name so given was not continued, but that of “Raoul” took its place, which would appear to have been given after the sailing-master of the “La Recherche,” whose name was Joseph Raoul. The name of “Sunday,” by which it is now generally known, may have become attached to the island from the fact that it was discovered on a Sunday.
The islands are volcanic, and in two of them signs of activity are still to be seen. The rainfall is plentiful but not excessive. The climate is mild and equable, and slightly warmer than that of the north of New Zealand. The following are the areas of the islands and islets of the group: Sunday Island, 7,200 acres; Herald group of islets, 85 acres; Macaulay Island, 764 acres; Curtis Islands, 128 acres and 19 acres; L'Espérance, 12 acres: total, 8,208 acres. Sunday Island is twenty miles in circumference, roughly triangular in shape, and at the highest point 1,723 ft. above the sea-level. It is rugged and broken over a very large extent of its surface, and, except in a few places, covered with forest. The soil everywhere on the island is very rich, being formed by the decomposition of a dark-coloured pumiceous tuff and a black andesitic lava, with which is closely mixed a fine vegetable mould. The great luxuriance and richness of the vegetation bear witness to the excellence of the soil, which is everywhere—except where destroyed by eruptions and on the steep cliffs—the same rich loam. Want of water is one of the drawbacks. Three of the four lakes on the island are fresh, but are so difficult of approach as to be practically useless. Various attempts at settlement have been made from time to time, but the islands are now uninhabited.
The COOK ISLANDS, with others included within the extended boundaries of the Dominion as from the 11th June, 1901, are as under:—
RAROTONGA: A magnificent island, rising to a height of 3,000 ft., clothed to the tops of the mountains with splendid vegetation. It has abundant streams, considerable tracts of sloping land, and rich alluvial valleys. The two harbours are poor.
MANGAIA, the south-easternmost of the Cook Group, is of volcanic origin and about, thirty miles in circumference. The productions, which are numerous and cheap, are obtained by assiduous labour.
ATIU resembles Mangaia in appearance and extent. It is a mere bank of coral 10 ft. or 12 ft. high, steep and rugged, except where there are small sandy beaches and some clefts, where the ascent is gradual.
MAUKE (or Parry Island) is a low-lying island. It is about two miles in diameter, well wooded, and inhabited.
MITIARO is a low-lying island, from three to four miles long and one mile wide.
HERVEY ISLANDS: This group consists of two islands, surrounded by a reef which is about 10 1/2 miles in circumference.
AITUTAKI presents a most fruitful appearance, its shores being bordered by flat land on which are innumerable coconut and other trees, the higher ground being beautifully interspersed with lawns. It is eighteen miles in circuit.
NIUE (or Savage Island), lying about 300 miles to the east of Tonga, is a coral island, thirty-six miles in circumference, rising to a height of 200 ft. It has the usual tropical productions.
PALMERSTON ISLAND, lying about 450 miles east of Niue and about 220 from the nearest island of the Cook Group (Aitutaki), is remarkable as the “San Pablo” of Magellan, the first island discovered in the South Sea. It has no harbour. The soil is fairly fertile, and there is some good hardwood timber.
SUWARROW ISLAND lies about 500 miles east of Apia, the capital of Western Samoa. It is a coral atoll, of a triangular form, fifty miles in circumference, the reef having an average width of half a mile across, enclosing a land-locked lagoon eight miles by six, which is capable of being made into an excellent harbour. The entrance is half a mile wide, and the accommodation permits of ships riding in safety in all weathers, with depths of from 3 to 30 fathoms. It is out of the track of hurricanes, but is at present uninhabited, although visited periodically. As a depot for the collection of trade from the various islands it might in time be very valuable.
PUKAPUKA ISLAND (Danger): Next to the 10th parallel, but rather north of the latitude of the Navigators and east of them, are a number of small atolls. Of these, the nearest to the Samoan Group—about 500 miles—is Danger Island, bearing north-west of Suwarrow about 250 miles.
NASSAU ISLAND is a fine island of about 360 acres, and lies about 45 miles to the south-east of Pukapuka or Danger Island. The area under cultivation (well-planted coconuts) is about 300 acres.
RAKAANGA is an atoll, three miles in length and of equal breadth.
MANIHIKI, lying about 400 miles eastward of Danger Island, is an atoll, about thirty miles in circumference, valuable from the extent of the coconut-groves. The interior lagoon contains a vast deposit of pearl-shell.
PENRHYN ISLAND (Tongareva) lies about 300 miles north-east of Manihiki. It is one of the most famous pearl-islands in the Pacific, and there is a lagoon with two entrances capable of being made into a harbour fit for a large number of vessels.
The Constitution and laws of the Cook Islands and Niue have been remodelled by the Cook Islands Act, 1915, as amended by the Cook Islands Amendment Acts of 1921 and 1923.
Island Councils were continued or established, consisting either wholly or partly of ex officio, elected, or nominated members. Generally, European officials and Arikis or Native chiefs are Councillors ex officio, and nominated members hold office during the pleasure of the Governor-General or for a fixed period not exceeding five years. Women are eligible both as members and as electors of Island Councils. The amending Act of 1921 provided for the election of a European member of the Island Council of Rarotonga as a representative of the European population.
Each Council is empowered to make laws for the good government of the island, with the proviso that such laws must not be repugnant to Acts of the New Zealand Parliament or regulations made thereunder. The maximum penalties imposed by the Ordinance of an Island Council must not exceed three months' imprisonment or a fine of £50. The Council has no power to deal with Customs duties, to borrow money, to establish Courts of Justice, or to appropriate expenditure of revenue other than that raised under authority of their Ordinance. No Ordinance has effect until it has received the assent of the Resident Commissioner or the Governor-General. The Governor-General may, by notice in the Gazette, disallow any Ordinance within one year after the Commissioner has given his assent.
Laws are enforced through the High Court, which has all jurisdiction, civil or criminal, necessary for the administration of justice. Judges and Commissioners of the High Court are appointed by the Governor-General; the Chief Judge to reside at Rarotonga, a second at Niue. A Commissioner may, with some exceptions, exercise the full powers and functions of a Judge, but rules of Court may allow an appeal from his decision to that of a Judge.
A judgment obtained in a civil proceeding in the High Court may be enforced in the Supreme Court of New Zealand. From any decision in the former Court an appeal lies to the Supreme Court in the Dominion.
The manufacture or importation of intoxicating liquor is prohibited absolutely, except that the Resident Commissioner may import liquor to be sold for medicinal, sacramental, or industrial purposes, but for no other purpose. Attempts are made by the Natives to evade the law by illicitly manufacturing “bush-beer,” an offence which the Administration is endeavouring to check.
At the census of the 17th April, 1921, the islands had a population of 13,209, made up as shown in the following statement. Uninhabited islands are not included.
| Island. | Native Population. | Population other than Native. | Totals. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | Males. | Females.* | Both Sexes.* | Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | |
* Includes 22 Native women married to and living as Europeans. | |||||||||
| Aitutaki | 682 | 661 | 1,343 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 696 | 677 | 1,373 |
| Atiu | 432 | 398 | 830 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 436 | 401 | 837 |
| Mangaia | 625 | 584 | 1,209 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 635 | 595 | 1,230 |
| Manihiki | 224 | 205 | 429 | 3 | .. | 3 | 227 | 205 | 432 |
| Mauke | 296 | 265 | 561 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 308 | 270 | 578 |
| Mitiaro | 106 | 101 | 207 | .. | .. | .. | 106 | 101 | 207 |
| Palmerston | 41 | 42 | 83 | .. | .. | .. | 41 | 42 | 83 |
| Penrhyn | 170 | 200 | 370 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 174 | 202 | 376 |
| Pukapuka | 288 | 242 | 530 | .. | .. | .. | 288 | 242 | 530 |
| Rakaanga | 171 | 138 | 309 | 1 | .. | 1 | 172 | 138 | 310 |
| Rarotonga | 1,768 | 1,519 | 3,287 | 105 | 111 | 216 | 1,873 | 1,630 | 3,503 |
| Totals, Cook and northern islands | 4,803 | 4,355 | 9,158 | 153 | 148 | 301 | 4,956 | 4,503 | 9,459 |
| Niue | 1,703 | 1,988 | 3,691 | 33 | 26 | 59 | 1,736 | 2,014 | 3,750 |
| Grand totals | 6,506 | 6,343 | 12,849 | 186 | 174 | 360 | 6,692 | 6,517 | 13,209 |
The population totals for each of the last five censuses are—
| Island. | 1902. | 1906. | 1911. | 1916. | 1921. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Includes 112 soldiers in camp in New Zealand. | |||||
| Aitutaki | 1,170 | 1,162 | 1,237 | 1,302 | 1,373 |
| Atiu | 918 | 918 | 812 | 759 | 837 |
| Mangaia | 1,541 | 1,531 | 1,471 | 1,245 | 1,230 |
| Manihiki | 484 | 521 | 444 | 493 | 432 |
| Manuae (or Hervey) | 10 | .. | 29 | 23 | .. |
| Mauke | 370 | 446 | 457 | 490 | 578 |
| Mitiaro | 165 | 210 | 199 | 237 | 207 |
| Niue | 4,079 | 3,822 | 3,943 | 3,880 | 3,750 |
| Palmerston | 115 | 82 | 107 | 90 | 83 |
| Penrhyn | 445 | 420 | 335 | 326 | 376 |
| Pukapuka | 505 | 435 | 490 | 474 | 530 |
| Rakaanga | 400 | 352 | 315 | 295 | 310 |
| Rarotonga | 2,060 | 2,441 | 2,759 | 3,064 | 3,503 |
| Suwarrow | 30 | .. | .. | 7 | .. |
| Totals | 12,292 | 12,340 | 12,598 | 12,797* | 13,209 |
The estimated population of the islands at the 30th September, 1925, was 13,887.
A system of compulsory registration of births, deaths, and marriages is now in force in the islands. The latest available figures are given in the “Vital Statistics” section of this book.
In 1916 education in the Cook Islands was placed under the control of the Minister for the Cook Islands, and Government schools in charge of certificated European teachers from New Zealand have since that date been established on all the principal islands of the Lower Cook Group.
In 1923 the Cook Islands Department arranged with the London Missionary Society, in consideration of an annual subsidy of £500, to open schools in the islands of the Northern Cook Group and to provide trained full-time Native teachers. This instruction will be given in the vernacular in accordance with the Government syllabus.
There are now 17 schools under the jurisdiction of the Administration in the Cook Islands and the northern islands, with a total of 1,728 pupils on the rolls.
A technical school has been established at Avarua (Rarotonga), with classes in agriculture, drawing, and woodwork, and an advanced class in carpentry. In most of the schools classes for simple cookery and for mat and basket weaving are held.
In Niue there are two Government schools. Special interest is shown in the technical branch, and additional technical classes are given after school hours. The leading pupils are being trained with a view to taking charge of village schools, which it is hoped may soon be established in other districts of Niue.
Scholarships for annual competition, tenable for two years at St. Stephen's College, Auckland, and the Maori College, Otaki, for boys, and Hukarere School, Napier, for girls, have been created by the Administration.
Wireless stations have now been established at the islands of Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia, and Niue, with a receiving-set at Atiu.
The revenue and expenditure for each of the last ten years are as shown in the table following, separate figures being given for the Cook Islands Administration and the Island of Niue:—
| Year ended 31st March. | Revenue. | Expenditure. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Islands. | Niue. | Total. | Cook Islands. | Niue. | Total. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1916 | 7,673 | 1,914 | 9,587 | 9,081 | 2,094 | 11,175 |
| 1917 | 9,710 | 2,068 | 11,778 | 8,586 | 1,747 | 10,333 |
| 1918 | 11,068 | 2,787 | 13,855 | 12,615 | 2,987 | 15,602 |
| 1919 | 13,847 | 3,604 | 17,451 | 12,343 | 3,111 | 15,454 |
| 1920 | 22,881 | 6,563 | 29,444 | 17,061 | 3,662 | 20,723 |
| 1921 | 27,099 | 6,938 | 34,037 | 27,745 | 5,221 | 32,966 |
| 1922 | 17,719 | 4,293 | 22,012 | 23,528 | 8,893 | 32,421 |
| 1923 | 19,791 | 6,069 | 26,860 | 19,119 | 6,453 | 25,572 |
| 1924 | 19,138 | 4,642 | 23,780 | 18,431 | 4,403 | 22,834 |
| 1925 | 23,536 | 3,598 | 27,134 | 21,554 | 3,449 | 25,003 |
The principal items contributing to the total receipts of £27,134 for the year ended 31st March, 1925, were: Customs duties, £13,641; copra-export duty, £2,836; stamp-sales, £1,322; Court fees and fines, £1,973; fruit-inspection fees, £1,498; and motor-fees, £1,111.
At the 31st March, 1925, the Cook Islands Administration had a credit balance of £5,491, and the Niue Administration £1,361.
The exports of the islands for the year 1924 aggregated £169,157, and imports £155,000, as against corresponding totals of £131,937 and £149,978 for 1923. The figures for each of the last ten years are—
| Year. | Exports. | Imports. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook Islands. | Niue. | Total. | Cook Islands. | Niue. | Total. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 63,057 | 8,130 | 71,187 | 65,590 | 9,678 | 75,268 |
| 1916 | 68,146 | 3,379 | 71,525 | 58,478 | 9,512 | 67,990 |
| 1917 | 60,190 | 9,400 | 69,590 | 80,061 | 13,079 | 93,140 |
| 1918 | 82,708 | 16,537 | 99,245 | 99,632 | 17,258 | 116,890 |
| 1919 | 127,729 | 35,997 | 163,726 | 142,925 | 21,783 | 164,708 |
| 1920 | 94,697 | 13,140 | 107,837 | 177,911 | 20,524 | 198,435 |
| 1921 | 69,361 | 16,721 | 86,082 | 112,974 | 26,339 | 139,313 |
| 1922 | 135,766 | 15,122 | 150,888 | 116,726 | 15,418 | 132,144 |
| 1923 | 118,710 | 13,227 | 131,937 | 131,590 | 18,388 | 149,978 |
| 1924 | 154,554 | 14,603 | 169,157 | 138,202 | 16,798 | 155,000 |
The principal exports from the Cook Islands and the northern islands are fruit and copra, and from Niue copra and the well-known Niue hats.
Exports of principal items during 1924 were—
| Quantity. | Value. | |
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| Copra | 2,902 tons | 54,267 |
| Oranges | 177,396 cases | 51,644 |
| Bananas | 81,231 cases | 41,352 |
| Tomatoes | 25,438 cases | 13,745 |
| Shell | 124 1/4 tons | 4,395 |
| Hats | 2,529 1/2 doz. | 1,533 |
Other items are coconuts, pineapples, lemons, kumeras, mangoes, coffee, and arrowroot.
As might naturally be expected, most of the trade of the Group is with New Zealand. The United States has stepped into the second position in recent years. The figures for 1924 are—
| Country. | Exports. | Imports. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Cook Islands. | From Niue. | Total. | Into Cook Islands. | Into Niue. | Total. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| New Zealand | 108,352 | 14,603 | 122,955 | 101,727 | 14,169 | 115,896 |
| United States | 29,081 | .. | 29,081 | 18,671 | 123 | 18,794 |
| United Kingdom | 14,502 | .. | 14,502 | 8,791 | 1,028 | 9,819 |
| Australia | .. | .. | .. | 5,693 | 1,393 | 7,086 |
| Tahiti | 2,364 | .. | 2,364 | 1,190 | .. | 1,190 |
| Canada | .. | .. | .. | 605 | 37 | 642 |
| Western Samoa | 255 | .. | 255 | 155 | 39 | 194 |
| Japan | .. | .. | .. | 425 | .. | 425 |
| Switzerland | .. | .. | .. | 341 | .. | 341 |
| France | .. | .. | .. | 220 | .. | 220 |
| Belgium | .. | .. | .. | 101 | .. | 101 |
| Sweden | .. | .. | .. | 80 | .. | 80 |
| Netherlands | .. | .. | .. | 50 | .. | 50 |
| Germany | .. | .. | .. | 50 | .. | 50 |
| China | .. | .. | .. | 48 | .. | 48 |
| Czecho-Slovakia | .. | .. | .. | 31 | .. | 31 |
| Italy | .. | .. | .. | 20 | .. | 20 |
| Tonga | .. | .. | .. | .. | 7 | 7 |
| South Africa | .. | .. | .. | 4 | .. | 4 |
| Fiji | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| American Samoa | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| Totals | 154,554 | 14,603 | 169,157 | 138,202 | 16,798 | 155,000 |
Four large and many smaller islands, the whole of volcanic origin, form the Group known by its Native name of Samoa. The Native race inhabiting the islands is of typical Polynesian character, with straight hair, brown colouring, good physique, and mild and hospitable disposition.
The first known visit of Europeans to the islands was that of a Dutch expedition, under Jacob Roggeveen, in its voyage around the world in 1721-22. In 1768 De Bougainville called at the islands, and in 1787 La Pérouse, who named them “Navigators Islands,” a name by which they are still frequently called. The first British vessel to pay a visit was H.M.S. “Pandora,” in 1790. Missionaries, who were to play an important part in the development of the country, made their advent in the person of two members of the London Missionary Society, arriving at Savai'i, in 1830.
The first formal recognition of “whites” took place some eight years later, when Captain Bethune, of the British Navy, concluded a commercial treaty with the Native chiefs, by which harbour dues were to be paid and security to European interests guaranteed in return. Next year (1839) Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, in command of a United States exploring expedition, completed a similar treaty.
Three great nations were to have control of the destinies of the Samoans. Great Britain appointed a Consular Agent in 1847, the United States a Commercial Agent in 1853, and Germany her first representative in 1861.
In 1869 one of the frequent internecine wars of the Natives broke out, a war that was to have far-reaching consequences, for the foreign authorities took for the first time direct measures to ensure peace. The trouble arose over rival claimants to the Native chieftainship, and continued, despite several patched-up truces, for several years.
Petitions were presented to Great Britain in 1877, and the United States in 1878, that the islands should be annexed, but the statesmen of those days did not consider it advisable. In 1878, however, the United States were given the privilege of forming a naval and coaling station at Pago Pago, in the island of Tutuila, much the best harbour of the Group. Next year similar privileges were granted the other two Powers—Germany at Saluafata, and Great Britain at a place to be settled later.
Finally, at a conference in Berlin in 1889, an Act was signed by the representatives of the three States, guaranteeing the neutrality and independence of the islands. This arrangement lasted until 1898, when, on the death of King Malietoa Laupepa, disturbances again arose over the succession. In accordance with the recommendation of a joint Commission the kingship was abolished. The Anglo-German agreement of the 14th November, 1899, accepted by the United States in January, 1900, gave to Germany all rights over Western Samoa and to the United States, Tutuila and the other islands of Eastern Samoa.
On the outbreak of war in 1914 between the United Kingdom and Germany a New Zealand Expeditionary Force took possession of Western Samoa, landing at Apia on the 29th August, and remained in occupation until the establishment of Civil government under the ægis of the Dominion.
The islands are now administered by the New Zealand Government under mandate of the League of Nations.
On the 1st May, 1920, by Orders passed by the Governor-General in Council, provision was made for the civil administration of the Territory; and by the Samoa Act, 1921, the constitution and legal system of the Territory were settled. Amendments have been made by the Samoa Amendment Act, 1923.
Western Samoa is administered by an Administrator appointed by the Governor-General of New Zealand, and responsible to the Minister of External Affairs. There is a Legislative Council, consisting of not less than six official members appointed by the Governor-General, and three unofficial members who are elected by the European residents. The Administrator, acting with the advice and consent of this Council, is empowered to make Ordinances for the peace, order, and good government of the Territory, subject to disallowance by the Governor-General. A High Court is established, and the Supreme Court of New Zealand is given jurisdiction over Western Samoa.
The Samoan Natives are to a large extent granted domestic self-government.
The Fono of Faipules (Native Parliament, leading chiefs representing every district), who are appointed by the Administrator, meets twice yearly to consider matters affecting the welfare of the Samoan people, and to submit recommendations thereon to the Administrator.
Western Samoa includes all islands lying between the 13th and 15th degrees of south latitude and the 171st and 173rd degrees of longitude west of Greenwich.
The principal islands are Savai'i and Upolu. Savai'i is the larger of the two, with a length of 48 miles, a breadth of 25 miles, and a total area of 703 square miles. The island is mountainous, rising to a height of over 4,000 ft. Upolu, which extends some 45 miles in length and 13 in breadth, measures about 430 square miles in area. Of the two, Upolu is the more fertile and populous, and contains the port and capital of Apia. Rainfall is plentiful throughout the Group.
At the census of the 17th April, 1921, the total population of Western Samoa was returned as 36,343, made up as follows:—
| Males. | Females. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| European population | 1,128 | 938 | 2,066 |
| Native Samoan population | 16,568 | 15,954 | 32,522 |
| Chinese indentured labourers | 1,290 | .. | 1,290 |
| Melanesian and Polynesian indentured labourers | 456 | 9 | 465 |
| Totals | 19,442 | 16,901 | 36,343 |
The estimated population of Western Samoa at the 30th September, 1925, was 38,829.
The following figures of the movement of the population relate to the twelve months ended the 31st December, 1924:—
| — | Births. | Deaths. | Marriages. | Immigration. | Emigration. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European population | 119 | 17 | 32 | 399 | 496 |
| Native Samoans | 1,900 | 766 | 198 | 1,156 | 1,273 |
| Chinese indentured labourers | .. | 5 | 1 | 1 | 207 |
| Melanesian and Polynesian indentured labourers | 1 | 10 | 1 | .. | 36 |
| Totals | 2,020 | 798 | 232 | 1,556 | 2,012 |
By the Samoa Health Ordinance, 1921, which is on the lines of the New Zealand Health Act, 1920, but remodelled to suit local conditions, the control of the medical and sanitary services was placed in the hands of a Board of Health. A Government hospital is maintained at Apia, and district hospitals have been established at Tuasivi (Savai'i) and Aleiapata (Upolu).
Of the more important tropical diseases only three are prevalent in Western Samoa—viz, uncinariasis (or hookworm disease), frambœsia, and filariasis. A preliminary survey carried out in 1920 by Dr. O'Connor, of the London School of Tropical Medicine, showed that hookworm infection amongst the Samoans was almost universal. The institution of free treatment at the beginning of 1923 made it possible to commence a systematic campaign against this disease. The methods of the International Health Board (Rockefeller Foundation) had been studied both in Queensland and in Fiji, and, with lanterns, slides, and films obtained from the Board, a commencement was made to educate the Natives to a recognition of the necessity for sanitation. In each village an illustrated lecture was given at night, and early next morning every one who desired treatment was given a dose of carbon tetrachloride and magnesium sulphate. This continued until October, 1923, when, owing to doubt as to the purity of the drug, the work was temporarily abandoned. During the period April—October over eighteen thousand Natives were treated. The pressure of other public health work prevented a recommencement of the campaign against hookworm until November, 1924, between which month and the 31st March, 1925, 16,205 Natives were treated.
Frambœsia (yaws) is so common that practically no Samoan reaches adult life without having suffered from the infection. Usually the primary stage appears during the first few years of life. With the introduction of free treatment the demand for treatment was so great that, with the staff available, it was found impracticable to carry on both hookworm and yaws campaigns at the same time. The treatment of yaws is one of the best ways of driving home to the Native the value of European methods of treatment of the sick as compared with theirs, and it was therefore reluctantly decided that the campaign against hookworm would have to be postponed until treatment has been given to all those suffering from yaws in the Territory. During 1923-24 and 1924-25 53,888 injections of novarsenobillon were given—36,304 in the first round of the Territory (which was wholly covered), and 17,284 in the second round. With periodic inspections of the area and treatment of those found suffering from the disease, especially the young children with primary and secondary lesions, yaws should in a few years be well under control. One difficulty experienced in the earlier part of this campaign was that the Natives were unwilling to produce for treatment those young children in whom the disease was still in the primary stage, there being a popular belief that treatment at that time will only “drive the disease in,” and so injure the child. Latterly this difficulty has largely disappeared. So satisfied are the Natives as to the value of the methods now being used that they have agreed, through the Fono of Faipules, to the introduction of stringent regulations for the control of the disease. They have also agreed to the payment of a tax of £1 per adult male, to meet the expenditure of eradicating yaws and hookworm.
Filariasis is not regarded as such a pressing problem as hookworm and yaws, though it is estimated that filarial embryos are present in the blood of 25 per cent. of the Native population. Researches were carried out in Western Samoa by Dr. O'Connor from 1920 to 1922, and a second expedition, under Dr. P. A. Buxton, arrived in January, 1924, to continue the work. The expedition expects to remain in Samoa for two years investigating this and other tropical conditions.
During the past four years the sanitation of Apia has been considerably improved. Until 1920 sanitation may be said to have been practically unknown. There were no men with a sufficient knowledge of plumbing and drainlaying, and the work carried out was in most cases crude and unsatisfactory. Sinks and bathrooms discharged their contents on the ground under the floor, or just outside the house. The average pit privy was most insanitary and unsightly. Some of the septic tanks installed prior to that date have worked satisfactorily, but many have required to be remodelled. With the introduction of Civil administration a commencement was made to improve conditions; and regulations, consisting largely of detailed specifications of the standard of work required, were drafted. A Health Inspector with qualifications in plumbing and drainlaying was appointed, and a careful survey was made of the condition of every building in Apia and the immediate vicinity.
As a result of these activities the sanitation of Apia has been rapidly brought up to a reasonable standard. The administration set an example by improving, as rapidly as finance and labour permitted, the conditions prevailing in the buildings under its control. The two largest drainage schemes installed in Apia are at the hospital and at the schools. Most of the work has been done by Native labour under white supervision, with the help of a few Chinese artisans.
For the information of the various workers in plumbing and drainage, none of whom were qualified plumbers or drainlayers, models illustrating the various methods of jointing used in plumbing and the proper arrangement of vents, junctions, &c., in drains, were prepared. These have greatly assisted in improving the standard of work done.
The reticulation of Apia with a high-pressure water-supply system has been completed. In several villages water has been piped into the villages from springs in the hills. In other villages where this is not possible large reinforced-concrete tanks are being erected to receive the rain-water from church buildings.
Education in Samoa has hitherto been almost entirely in the hands of the missions, which have done splendid work in teaching practically every Native to read and write in the vernacular. As a consequence the Samoan is probably the best educated of the Polynesian races. Formerly higher education was not attempted except for the training of pastors, whose duty included that of teaching in the village schools connected with their respective churches. But latterly higher education in the English language has been carried out by the Administration schools at Ifi Ifi, Malifa, and Vaipouli, by the London Missionary Society at Papauta, by the Methodist Mission at Faleula, and by the Marist Brothers and Sisters at Apia. Arrangements have now been made by the Administration for these schools to be annually inspected by one of the Senior Inspectors of the New Zealand Education Department.
According to the latest returns, about 12,800 scholars are in attendance at the various mission schools, which include village schools, district schools, high schools, and colleges. The Administration schools—four in number—have an aggregate roll number of 586.
Of a total area of about 725,000 acres in the islands of Savai'i and Upolu, only 143,630 acres have been alienated from the Natives—all prior to the British occupation of the Territory. Of the land remaining to the Natives approximately 348,000 acres are cultivable, the remaining 233,000 acres being waste or inferior land. Of the former, 36,000 acres are in coconut plantations, and 20,000 acres in bananas and taro, the balance being undeveloped.
Land alienated includes 103,630 acres of Crown estates and other Government land, 5,000 acres belonging to the missions, and 35,000 acres owned by European companies or private planters. The mission holdings are partly cultivated, but excluding these only 18,050 acres of alienated land has been developed. An area of 10,000 acres is in coconuts and 4,520 acres in cacao, the balance of the 18,050 acres consisting of 1,780 acres of cacao plantations and 1,750 acres of rubber plantations which have been abandoned by the planters.
The revenue for the financial year ended 31st March, 1925, including a subsidy of £19,140 from the New Zealand Government, was £130,914, of which receipts under the head of Customs and Marine contributed £72,652, other principal items being — Fees and charges (Court, hospital, &c.), £7,247; Native taxes, £17,219 (including £7,705 derived from the medical levy of £1 per adult male Samoan; and Post Office and wireless-telegraphy receipts, £8,619. The ordinary expenditure for the year totalled £135,523. The figures of revenue and expenditure for each of the last five years are—
| Year ended 31st March. | Revenue. | Expenditure. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary. | Loan Account. | Total. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1921 | 149,027 | 147,163 | 29,434 | 176,597 |
| 1922 | 135,569 | 137,180 | 49,229 | 186,409 |
| 1923 | 131,250 | 132,658 | 20,777 | 153,435 |
| 1924 | 133,917 | 143,010 | 5,658 | 148,668 |
| 1925 | 130,914 | 135,523 | .. | 135,523 |
The revenue is augmented by an annual subsidy from the New Zealand Government, the amount (£19,140 in 1924-25) being based on the additional cost of the Medical and Education Departments of Samoa since New Zealand accepted the mandate, and on the cost of the wireless station in excess of revenue.
The total expenditure on public works out of loan account to the 31st March, 1925, was £120,000. Some of the principal items are—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Hospital, extensions | 24,835 |
| Roads and bridges (including reclamation for protection of roads) | 23,669 |
| Apia waterworks | 22,136 |
| Hotel purchase and equipment | 13,521 |
| Steam-laundry | 6,170 |
| Native water-supplies | 4,748 |
| District schools | 4,421 |
The public-works expenditure was met out of a loan account fund of £125,000 provided by the New Zealand Government. Of this amount £25,000 was donated as a gift free of charge, the remaining £100,000 being en loan at 5 per cent., and repayable in thirty years. The sum of £5,000, not yet expended, will be utilized for Native water-supply purposes.
The exports and imports of Western Samoa (exclusive of specie and military stores) for each year since 1915 are—
| Year | Exports. | Imports. |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| 1915 | 262,389 | 267,091 |
| 1916 | 235,415 | 180,340 |
| 1917 | 320,444 | 301,173 |
| 1918 | 306,640 | 309,396 |
| 1919 | 532,500 | 291,368 |
| 1920 | 386,587 | 561,153 |
| 1921 | 241,539 | 408,892 |
| 1922 | 365,610 | 282,939 |
| 1923 | 288,774 | 268,881 |
| 1924 | 361,418 | 274,803 |
The principal item of export is copra, exports of which in 1924 totalled 13,202 tons, of a value of £284,272. Formerly the bulk of the copra went to the United States, but the States received only 52 tons in 1924, the balance going to the United Kingdom and the Continent of Europe, the exact destination not being known in respect of 6,987 tons, of a value of £151,629. Cocoa-beans of a value of £57,958, representing 1,016 tons, constituted the only other item of any importance.
Of the exports in 1924, £344,052 was the produce of Western Samoa, the remaining £17,366 being re-exports. Of the total of £209,789 for which definite information was available, £111,203 went to the United Kingdom, £37,513 to Germany, £21,906 to the Netherlands, £12,008 to the United States, £8,261 to New Zealand, £8,175 to France, and £7,009 to Australia. The imports came principally from Australia (£99,448), New Zealand (£87,541), the United States (£42,582), and the United Kingdom (£25,340).
In addition to a scale of import duties, there are export duties on copra (£1 per ton) and cocoa (£2 per ton). The net import duty collected in 1924 was £38,521, export duties collected totalling £15,234.
Eighty steam-vessels, of an aggregate tonnage of 102,828, and one sailing-vessel (294 tons) were entered inwards at the Port of Apia during 1924. The tonnage of cargo brought by these vessels was 10,242 tons, while cargo entered outwards totalled 15,270 tons.
Barely one-third of a degree south of the Equator, and lying 166° 55' east of Greenwich, is the little phosphate island known as Nauru, or Pleasant Island. Prior to the world-wide conflagration of 1914-19 this rich though little-known island was a German possession. It was surrendered to H.M.A.S. “Melbourne” on the 9th September, 1914, and was included with the rest of the German New Guinea possessions in the capitulation of Herbertshohe. The island was garrisoned with Australian troops on the 6th November, 1914, and a Civil administration was established on the 1st January, 1915. A mandate for the administration of the island was conferred by the Allied and Associated Powers upon the British Empire, to come into operation at the same date as the Treaty of Peace with Germany. The mandate is held jointly by the Imperial Government, the Government of Australia, and the New Zealand Government.
An agreement between the three parties to the mandate was drawn up and completed on the 2nd July, 1919. The administrative control of the island is vested in an Administrator, whose term of appointment is five years. The first Administrator was appointed by Australia.
Under the concession granted by the German Government to the Jaluit Gesellschaft, and transferred by that company to the Pacific Phosphate Company, the rights of which were purchased by the Governments of Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand for £3,500,000 (including the company's interests in the near by Ocean Island), and vested by these Governments in the British Phosphate Commission, the Commission holds the exclusive right to work the phosphate deposits on the island. Up to the 1st July, 1921, the owners of the land (Natives) were paid 1/2d. per ton royalty for all phosphates shipped from their land. The Native owners complained that this was not adequate remuneration, and representations concerning this were submitted to the three Governments interested, with the result that the Native owners are now paid—(a) £20 per acre for all phosphate lands taken up by the Commission on lease subsequent to the 30th June, 1921; (b) a royalty of 2d. per ton on all phosphate shipped from their respective lands. In addition, a royalty of Id. per ton is paid to the Administration, to be held in trust for the benefit of the Nauruans generally.
The yearly production of phosphates was for the five years ended the 30th June, 1925, allocated between the three Governments in the following proportions, which coincide with the proportion of capital supplied by each towards the undertaking: Great Britain, 42 per cent.; Australia, 42 per cent.; New Zealand, 16 per cent. Any portion of its share not required by any Government may be disposed of either to the other Governments pro rata, or, if they do not require it, to other countries. The partner countries receive interest at 6 per cent. on their capital invested, and redemption of capital within fifty years is provided for by a sinking fund. At the end of the first quinquennial period the allocation of phosphates was to be readjusted on the basis of actual requirements, similar readjustments to be made every five years in future. Great Britain has hitherto taken very little of its quota, being at present able to obtain phosphates to better advantage from North African sources of supply. New Zealand was importing phosphate from Makatea during the earlier years of the first quinquennium, but is now obtaining all her supplies from Nauru and Ocean Island. Over the whole period Great Britain has taken only 1.64 per cent. of the output, and New Zealand 13.60 per cent., while 66.15 per cent. has gone to Australia, 14.08 per cent. to Japan, 4.48 per cent. to European countries, and 0.05 per cent. to Canada. New Zealand's share in 1924-25 was 20.99 per cent., and Australia's 71.66 per cent., only 7.35 per cent. being disposed of elsewhere. The exports for each of the five years are:—
| Year ended 30th June. | Great Britain. | Australia. | New Zealand. | Other Countries. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| 1921 | 16,750 | 265,914 | 17,100 | 64,660 | 364,424 |
| 1922 | 15,550 | 171,286 | 38,500 | 136,150 | 361,486 |
| 1923 | .. | 203,446 | 51,550 | 58,762 | 313,758 |
| 1924 | .. | 320,031 | 60,850 | 71,028 | 451,909 |
| 1925 | .. | 337,298 | 98,790 | 34,635 | 470,723 |
| Totals, five years | 32,300 | 1,297,975 | 266,790 | 365,235 | 1,962,300 |
Of the total exported during the five years, 1,112,216 tons were produced in Nauru and 850,084 tons in Ocean Island.
Nauru, which is encircled by a road ten miles long, has an area of only 5,000 to 6,000 acres. The island is surrounded by a wide reef. Near the coast is a belt of flat land, covered with coconut-trees, of an area, of about 1,400 acres. Behind this rises higher land covering some 4,250 acres, and enclosing a lagoon of almost fresh water. This higher country consists of a mass of phosphate of great richness.
At the 1st April, 1924, there were 1,189 Native inhabitants, who speak a language akin to that of the Gilbert-Islanders. In addition there were 684 Chinese, 102 Natives of New Guinea, 19 Gilbert and Ellice Islanders, and 12 Caroline and Marshall Islanders, who have been introduced for the working of the phosphate-deposits. Europeans numbered 114, the total population being thus 2,120.
Imports during 1923 were valued at £53,684, consisting almost entirely of food-supplies and of machinery for the working of the phosphate. In addition to the phosphate a little copra is exported.
Fifty-two vessels, of a total tonnage of 210,300 were entered and cleared in 1923.
Nauru possesses a wireless station, which was erected by the German authorities as part of their chain of wireless stations throughout the Pacific. Wireless telephonic communication between Nauru and Ocean Island has been instituted.
The revenue of the Nauru Administration for the financial year 1923-24 was £11,837, and the expenditure £10,265. The figures for each of the last five years available are—
| Year. | Revenue. £ | Expenditure. £ |
|---|---|---|
* Year ended 30th June. | ||
| 1919 | 6,761 | 4,727 |
| 1920 | 10,611 | 4,818 |
| 1921 | 9,519 | 11,851 |
| 1922-23* | 12,372 | 10,378 |
| 1923-24* | 11,837 | 10,265 |
By Imperial Order in Council of the 30th July, 1923, the coasts of the Ross Sea, with the adjacent islands and territories, were proclaimed a British settlement within the meaning of the British Settlements Act, 1887, under the name of the Ross Dependency. The new dependency has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of New Zealand. The Order in Council referred to reads as follows:—
Whereas by the British Settlements Act, 1887, it is, amongst other things, enacted that it shall be lawful for His Majesty in Council from time to time to establish all such laws and institutions and constitute such Courts and officers as may appear to His Majesty in Council to be necessary for the peace, order, and good government of His Majesty's subjects and others within any British settlement:
And whereas the coasts of the Ross Sea, with the islands and territories adjacent thereto, between the 160th degree of east longitude and the 150th degree of west longitude, which are situated south of the 60th degree of south latitude, are a British settlement within the meaning of the said Act:
And whereas it is expedient that provision should be made for the government thereof:
Now, therefore, His Majesty, by virtue and in exercise of the powers by the said Act, or otherwise, in His Majesty vested, is pleased, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:—
I. From and after the publication of this Order in the Government Gazette of the Dominion of New Zealand that part of His Majesty's Dominions in the Antarctic seas which comprises all the islands and territories between the 160th degree of east longitude and the 150th degree of west longitude which are situated south of the 60th degree of south latitude shall be named the Ross Dependency.
II. From and after the publication as aforesaid the Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of the Dominion of New Zealand for the time being (hereinafter called “the Governor “) shall be the Governor of the Ross Dependency; and all the powers and authorities which by this Order are given and granted to the Governor for the time being of the Ross Dependency are hereby vested in him.
III. In the event of the death or incapacity of the said Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of the Dominion of New Zealand, or in the event of his absence from the said Dominion, the officer for the time being administering the government of the Dominion shall be Governor for the time being of the Ross Dependency.
IV. The said Governor is further authorized and empowered to make all such rules and regulations as may lawfully be made by His Majesty's authority for the peace, order, and good government of the said dependency, subject, nevertheless, to any instructions which he may from time to time receive from His Majesty or through a Secretary of State.
V. The Governor is authorized to make and execute, on His Majesty's behalf, grants and dispositions of any lands which may lawfully be granted or disposed of by His Majesty within the said dependency, in conformity with such rules and regulations as may from time to time be in force in the dependency.
Regulations respecting the Ross Dependency were made on the 14th November, 1923, and gazetted on the following day. They read as follows:—
Whereas by His Majesty's Order in Council under the British settlements Act (Imperial), 1887, dated the thirtieth day of July, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-three, I, John Rushworth, Viscount Jellicoe, Governor-General of the Dominion of New Zealand, was appointed Governor of the Ross Dependency, and all the powers and authorities which by such order were given and granted to the Governor for the time being of such dependency were vested in me, and I was further authorized and empowered to make all such rules and regulations as may lawfully be made by His Majesty's authority for the peace, order, and good government of the said dependency:
Now, therefore, I, acting as Governor of the said dependency, in pursuance of the powers vested in me by the said Order in Council or otherwise, do make the following regulations:—
1. The laws and usages in force in the Dominion of New Zealand at this date shall be from this date in force in the Ross Dependency in all respects as if the same had been enacted or in force in such dependency by regulation or otherwise, except in so far as the same are inapplicable to the conditions of such dependency.
2. All laws hereafter enacted by the Legislature of the said Dominion shall, as far as applicable, have the same force and effect as if they had been duly enacted for such dependency, unless disallowed or modified by myself or the Governor for the time being of such dependency.
3. All persons appointed by myself or the Governor for the time being of such dependency shall have such power and authority as shall be granted them in due course of law, and may be empowered to do such things as are necessary or desirable to ensure that the said laws are duly observed and complied with in every respect, and to do all things necessary or expedient for the peace, order, and good government of such dependency, and to safeguard and preserve His Majesty's rights and sovereignty over and in respect of such dependency.
As witness my hand this 14th day of November, 1923.
JELLICOE, Governor.
An officer appointed as an officer of the Government of the Ross Dependency, with the powers and authorities therein of a Stipendiary Magistrate, visited the dependency at the end of the year 1923 with the whale-fishing fleet which had come out from Norway under an agreement entered into with the Imperial Government prior to the Ross Sea area coming under the jurisdiction if New Zealand. Under the agreement Messrs. Konow and Larsen, of Christiana, are licensed to catch whales in the waters of the dependency for a period of twenty-one years. The license is not an exclusive one, but the licensees were given to understand at the time of its granting that they would be given some opportunity to recoup the heavy initial expenditure arising out of a pioneer expedition. The benefits accruing to the Government under the license are an annual payment of £200 in respect of each floating establishment (factory-ship), and a royalty of 2s. 6d. per barrel of oil taken over and above 20,000 barrels. The expedition is limited to two floating establishments with five catchers to each establishment.
The expedition, which included one floating establishment — a vessel of 7,630 tons — and five catchers, with a personnel of 179, left Hobart on the 30th November, 1923, and proceeded to the Ross Sea, returning to New Zealand in April. 1924. Owing to severe conditions of weather and ice the venture was not so successful as was anticipated, only 17,791 barrels of oil being taken. A second expedition in 1924-25 was much more successful, 32,165 barrels of oil being taken.
The latest addition to New Zealand's dependencies is the Tokelau or Union Group, which consists of three islands, or groups of islets (Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo), and lies about 4 degrees due north of Apia, Samoa. Copra is the chief article of trade.
The Natives are Polynesians, numbering under 1,000, and the language is allied to that of Samoa. The islanders are ruled by their own chiefs with the assistance of Native Councils.
The Group at present forms part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate, and is administered from Fiji by the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific.
An invitation of the Imperial Government that the New Zealand Government should take charge of the Union Islands has been accepted, and arrangements are being made for the control of the Group by New Zealand. The islands will be governed from Apia, Samoa, that being the nearest natural trading-port, and (since 1923) the port of entry for the Group.
Table of Contents
| Year. | Estimated Population (inclusive of Maoris). | Estimated Mean Population (Inclusive of Maoris). | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1875 | 238,077 | 183,249 | 421,326 | 228,605 | 175,723 | 404,328 |
| 1876 | 250,363 | 194,182 | 444,545 | 244,220 | 188,716 | 432,936 |
| 1877 | 252,464 | 201,624 | 454,088 | 251,414 | 197,903 | 449,317 |
| 1878 | 264,565 | 211,549 | 476,114 | 258,092 | 206,072 | 464,164 |
| 1879 | 281,832 | 225,492 | 507,324 | 273,199 | 218,520 | 491,719 |
| 1880 | 292,302 | 236,157 | 528,459 | 287,067 | 230,825 | 517,892 |
| 1881 | 299,354 | 245,653 | 545,007 | 296,043 | 240,941 | 536,984 |
| 1882 | 307,671 | 254,133 | 561,804 | 303,513 | 249,893 | 553,406 |
| 1883 | 319,033 | 265,941 | 584,974 | 313,352 | 260,037 | 573,389 |
| 1884 | 331,035 | 277,366 | 608,401 | 325,034 | 271,654 | 596,688 |
| 1885 | 336,493 | 282,830 | 619,323 | 333,764 | 280,098 | 613,862 |
| 1886 | 340,486 | 290,869 | 631,355 | 337,726 | 286,549 | 624,275 |
| 1887 | 347,398 | 297,932 | 645,330 | 343,942 | 294,401 | 638,343 |
| 1888 | 347,788 | 301,561 | 649,349 | 347,593 | 299,747 | 647,340 |
| 1889 | 351,428 | 306,593 | 658,021 | 349,608 | 304,077 | 653,685 |
| 1890 | 355,397 | 312,080 | 667,477 | 353,413 | 309,336 | 662,749 |
| 1891 | 359,035 | 317,016 | 676,051 | 357,227 | 314,549 | 671,776 |
| 1892 | 368,007 | 324,419 | 692,426 | 363,521 | 320,718 | 684,239 |
| 1893 | 380,496 | 333,762 | 714,258 | 374,252 | 329,090 | 703,342 |
| 1894 | 386,624 | 341,497 | 728,121 | 383,560 | 337,630 | 721,190 |
| 1895 | 392,586 | 348,113 | 740,699 | 389,605 | 344,805 | 734,410 |
| 1896 | 398,660 | 355,356 | 754,016 | 395,029 | 351,259 | 746,288 |
| 1897 | 406,376 | 362,534 | 768,910 | 402,518 | 358,945 | 761,463 |
| 1898 | 413,797 | 369,520 | 783,317 | 410,087 | 366,027 | 776,114 |
| 1899 | 420,352 | 376,007 | 796,359 | 417,075 | 372,763 | 789,838 |
| 1900 | 425,301 | 382,831 | 808,132 | 422,827 | 379,419 | 802,246 |
| 1901 | 437,343 | 393,457 | 830,800 | 432,046 | 389,065 | 821,111 |
| 1902 | 449,028 | 402,044 | 851,072 | 443,186 | 397,750 | 840,936 |
| 1903 | 462,794 | 412,854 | 875,648 | 455,911 | 407,449 | 863,360 |
| 1904 | 477,112 | 423,570 | 900,682 | 469,953 | 418,212 | 888,165 |
| 1905 | 490,486 | 435,119 | 925,605 | 483,799 | 429,345 | 913,144 |
| 1906 | 507,189 | 449,268 | 956,457 | 500,047 | 443,278 | 943,325 |
| 1907 | 518,187 | 459,028 | 977,215 | 512,688 | 454,148 | 966,836 |
| 1908 | 535,867 | 472,506 | 1,008,373 | 527,027 | 465,767 | 992,794 |
| 1909 | 545,944 | 484,713 | 1,030,657 | 540,906 | 478,609 | 1,019,515 |
| 1910 | 555,466 | 494,944 | 1,050,410 | 550,705 | 489,829 | 1,040,534 |
| 1911 | 566,202 | 509,048 | 1,075,250 | 561,302 | 502,585 | 1,063,887 |
| 1912 | 579,685 | 522,786 | 1,102,471 | 572,944 | 515,917 | 1,088,861 |
| 1913 | 595,582 | 538,924 | 1,134,506 | 587,634 | 530,854 | 1,118,488 |
| 1914 | 594,634 | 551,204 | 1,145,838 | 595,108 | 545,064 | 1,140,172 |
| 1915 | 590,436 | 562,202 | 1,152,638 | 592,535 | 556,703 | 1,149,238 |
| 1916 | 575,835 | 574,504 | 1,150,339 | 577,715 | 571,510 | 1,149,235 |
| 1917 | 563,300 | 584,148 | 1,147,448 | 569,567 | 579,326 | 1,148,893 |
| 1918 | 567,986 | 590,163 | 1,158,149 | 565,643 | 587,155 | 1,152,798 |
| 1919 | 627,828 | 599,353 | 1,227,181 | 597,907 | 594,758 | 1,192,665 |
| 1920 | 643,696 | 613,915 | 1,257,611 | 635,762 | 606,634 | 1,242,396 |
| 1921 | 660,948 | 631,769 | 1,292,717 | 653,306 | 623,346 | 1,276,652 |
| 1922 | 673,772 | 645,112 | 1,318,884 | 666,789 | 638,337 | 1,305,126 |
| 1923 | 685,951 | 657,070 | 1,343,021 | 678,079 | 650,114 | 1,328,193 |
| 1924 | 700,033 | 670,370 | 1,370,403 | 690,401 | 662,217 | 1,352,618 |
| Year ended 31st March. | Estimated Population (inclusive of Maoris). | Estimated Mean Population (inclusive of Maoris). | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1876 | 242,070 | 186,441 | 428,511 | 233,552 | 179,573 | 413,125 |
| 1877 | 253,118 | 196,863 | 449,981 | 247,594 | 191,652 | 439,246 |
| 1878 | 262,702 | 205,557 | 468,259 | 257,488 | 200,695 | 458,183 |
| 1879 | 268,730 | 214,861 | 483,591 | 265,716 | 210,209 | 475,925 |
| 1880 | 285,915 | 228,738 | 514,653 | 277,323 | 221,799 | 499,122 |
| 1881 | 294,154 | 238,090 | 532,244 | 290,035 | 233,414 | 523,449 |
| 1882 | 301,417 | 247,630 | 549,047 | 298,001 | 242,896 | 540,897 |
| 1883 | 310,157 | 256,498 | 566,655 | 305,787 | 252,064 | 557,851 |
| 1884 | 322,545 | 269,252 | 591,797 | 316,351 | 262,875 | 579,226 |
| 1885 | 333,599 | 279,601 | 613,200 | 328,072 | 274,427 | 602,499 |
| 1886 | 335,114 | 285,451 | 620,565 | 333,593 | 282,226 | 615,819 |
| 1887 | 342,647 | 292,700 | 635,347 | 338,881 | 289,075 | 627,956 |
| 1888 | 347,665 | 299,249 | 646,914 | 345,156 | 295,975 | 641,131 |
| 1889 | 349,235 | 302,893 | 652,128 | 348,450 | 301,071 | 649,521 |
| 1890 | 355,796 | 309,057 | 664,853 | 352,516 | 305,975 | 658,491 |
| 1891 | 355,716 | 312,878 | 668,594 | 355,756 | 310,968 | 666,724 |
| 1892 | 360,877 | 318,588 | 679,465 | 358,307 | 315,735 | 674,042 |
| 1893 | 371,539 | 326,643 | 698,182 | 366,208 | 322,616 | 688,824 |
| 1894 | 382,854 | 335,886 | 718,740 | 377,197 | 331,264 | 708,461 |
| 1895 | 388,223 | 343,245 | 731,468 | 385,539 | 339,565 | 725,104 |
| 1896 | 393,808 | 349,568 | 743,376 | 391,016 | 346,406 | 737,422 |
| 1897 | 400,540 | 356,963 | 757,503 | 396,580 | 352,790 | 749,370 |
| 1898 | 407,649 | 363,919 | 771,568 | 404,095 | 360,441 | 764,536 |
| 1899 | 415,511 | 371,019 | 786,530 | 411,580 | 367,469 | 779,049 |
| 1900 | 420,930 | 377,541 | 798,471 | 418,221 | 374,280 | 792,501 |
| 1901 | 429,112 | 386,750 | 815,862 | 425,745 | 383,066 | 808,811 |
| 1902 | 437,783 | 395,356 | 833,139 | 433,448 | 391,053 | 824,501 |
| 1903 | 453,611 | 404,382 | 857,993 | 445,697 | 399,869 | 845,566 |
| 1904 | 467,129 | 414,971 | 882,100 | 460,370 | 409,677 | 870,047 |
| 1905 | 481,658 | 426,458 | 908,116 | 474,394 | 420,714 | 895,108 |
| 1906 | 495,136 | 437,978 | 933,114 | 488,397 | 432,218 | 920,615 |
| 1907 | 510,057 | 451,541 | 961,598 | 503,806 | 445,844 | 949,650 |
| 1908 | 523,209 | 462,111 | 985,320 | 516,633 | 456,826 | 973,459 |
| 1909 | 540,108 | 475,955 | 1,016,063 | 531,659 | 469,033 | 1,000,692 |
| 1910 | 548,449 | 486,763 | 1,035,212 | 544,279 | 481,359 | 1,025,638 |
| 1911 | 557,448 | 498,751 | 1,056,199 | 652,949 | 492,757 | 1,045,706 |
| 1912 | 569,376 | 511,968 | 1,081,344 | 563,880 | 505,948 | 1,069,828 |
| 1913 | 584,556 | 527,033 | 1,111,589 | 576,966 | 519,501 | 1,096,467 |
| 1914 | 598,211 | 541,457 | 1,139,668 | 591,383 | 534,245 | 1,125,628 |
| 1915 | 596,014 | 554,372 | 1,150,386 | 597,113 | 547,914 | 1,145,027 |
| 1916 | 585,496 | 564,754 | 1,150,250 | 590,755 | 559,563 | 1,150,318 |
| 1917 | 573,569 | 577,369 | 1,150,938 | 577,715 | 571,510 | 1,149,225 |
| 1918 | 568,036 | 586,523 | 1,154,559 | 570,802 | 581,946 | 1,152,748 |
| 1918 | 585,827 | 592,579 | 1,178,406 | 576,931 | 589,551 | 1,166,482 |
| 1920 | 633,495 | 603,420 | 1,236,915 | 609,661 | 597,999 | 1,207,660 |
| 1921 | 648,659 | 618,839 | 1,267,498 | 641,077 | 611,129 | 1,252,206 |
| 1922 | 664,979 | 636,272 | 1,301,251 | 657,746 | 627,965 | 1,285,711 |
| 1923 | 676,825 | 648,476 | 1,325,301 | 669,867 | 641,514 | 1,311,381 |
| 1924 | 688,020 | 659,833 | 1,347,853 | 681,002 | 653,027 | 1,334,029 |
| 1925 | 705,161 | 674,326 | 1,379,487 | 694,303 | 665,692 | 1,359,995 |
| Year. | Arrivals. | Departures. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Race Aliens included in foregoing Totals.* | Males. | Females. | Total. | Race Aliens included in foregoing Totals.† | |
* Not available prior to 1897. † Not available prior to 1915. | ||||||||
| 1875 | 19,558 | 12,179 | 31,737 | .. | 4,727 | 1,740 | 6,467 | .. |
| 1876 | 11,524 | 6,890 | 18,414 | .. | 4,677 | 1,782 | 6,459 | .. |
| 1877 | 8,104 | 4,883 | 12,987 | .. | 4,696 | 1,915 | 6,611 | .. |
| 1878 | 10,671 | 5,592 | 16,263 | .. | 4,138 | 1,623 | 5,761 | .. |
| 1879 | 15,186 | 8,771 | 23,957 | .. | 3,852 | 1,382 | 5,234 | .. |
| 1880 | 9,564 | 5,590 | 15,154 | .. | 5,816 | 2,107 | 7,923 | .. |
| 1881 | 6,643 | 3,045 | 9,688 | .. | 5,705 | 2,367 | 8,072 | .. |
| 1882 | 7,042 | 3,903 | 10,945 | .. | 5,082 | 2,374 | 7,456 | .. |
| 1883 | 11,218 | 7,997 | 19,215 | .. | 6,230 | 2,956 | 9,186 | .. |
| 1884 | 12,475 | 7,546 | 20,021 | .. | 7,303 | 3,397 | 10,700 | .. |
| 1885 | 10,766 | 5,433 | 16,199 | .. | 7,866 | 3,829 | 11,695 | .. |
| 1886 | 11,068 | 5,033 | 16,101 | .. | 10,442 | 4,595 | 15,037 | .. |
| 1887 | 9,224 | 4,465 | 13,689 | .. | 8,434 | 4,278 | 12,712 | .. |
| 1888 | 9,112 | 4,494 | 13,606 | .. | 15,048 | 7,733 | 22,781 | .. |
| 1889 | 10,158 | 5,234 | 15,392 | .. | 9,493 | 5,685 | 15,178 | .. |
| 1890 | 9,753 | 5,275 | 15,028 | .. | 10,809 | 6,001 | 16,810 | .. |
| 1891 | 9,427 | 5,004 | 14,431 | .. | 11,396 | 6,233 | 17,629 | .. |
| 1892 | 12,131 | 5,991 | 18,122 | .. | 8,469 | 4,695 | 13,164 | .. |
| 1893 | 17,385 | 8,750 | 26,135 | .. | 10,263 | 5,460 | 15,723 | .. |
| 1894 | 16,375 | 8,862 | 25,237 | .. | 15,708 | 7,276 | 22,984 | .. |
| 1895 | 14,181 | 7,681 | 21,862 | .. | 13,746 | 7,221 | 20,967 | .. |
| 1896 | 11,145 | 6,091 | 17,236 | .. | 10,032 | 5,732 | 15,764 | .. |
| 1897 | 12,153 | 6,439 | 18.592 | 57 | 10,250 | 5,590 | 15,840 | .. |
| 1898 | 12,524 | 6,331 | 13,855 | 76 | 10,438 | 5,721 | 16,159 | .. |
| 1899 | 11,862 | 6,644 | 18,506 | 123 | 10,567 | 6,052 | 16,619 | .. |
| 1900 | 11,966 | 6,108 | 18,074 | 111 | 11,043 | 5,200 | 16,243 | .. |
| 1901 | 16,968 | 8,118 | 25,086 | 146 | 12,426 | 6,138 | 18,564 | .. |
| 1902 | 2,1,522 | 8,771 | 30,293 | 102 | 15,600 | 6,701 | 22,301 | .. |
| 1903 | 20,479 | 10,404 | 30,883 | 166 | 12,983 | 6,625 | 19,608 | .. |
| 1904 | 21,980 | 10,652 | 32,632 | 320 | 14,671 | 7,606 | 22,277 | .. |
| 1905 | 21,344 | 11,341 | 32,685 | 341 | 15,390 | 7,993 | 23,383 | .. |
| 1906 | 25,607 | 13,626 | 39,233 | 454 | 17,211 | 9,174 | 26,385 | .. |
| 1907 | 23,228 | 12,880 | 36,108 | 314 | 19,310 | 11,068 | 30,378 | .. |
| 1908 | 29,342 | 15,628 | 44,970 | 655 | 19,707 | 11,002 | 30,709 | .. |
| 1909 | 24,065 | 14,585 | 38,650 | 442 | 22,244 | 11,687 | 33,931 | .. |
| 1910 | 22,135 | 13,634 | 35,769 | 367 | 20,451 | 11,910 | 32,361 | .. |
| 1911 | 25,333 | 16,056 | 41,389 | 804 | 23,539 | 13,650 | 37,189 | .. |
| 1912 | 26,775 | 17,885 | 44,660 | 803 | 21,914 | 13,819 | 35,733 | .. |
| 1913 | 25,891 | 18,697 | 44,588 | 589 | 18,560 | 11,809 | 30,369 | .. |
| 1914 | 22,526 | 15,120 | 37,646 | 823 | 20,025 | 12,481 | 32,506 | .. |
| 1915 | 14,487 | 11,064 | 25,551 | 322 | 13,318 | 9,158 | 22,476 | 329 |
| 1916 | 11,959 | 9,840 | 21,799 | 1,013 | 11,932 | 9,231 | 21,163 | 569 |
| 1917 | 9,159 | 6,490 | 15,649 | 724 | 7,597 | 6,272 | 13,869 | 708 |
| 1918 | 6,356 | 5,550 | 11,906 | 917 | 6,097 | 5,563 | 11,660 | 404 |
| 1919 | 10,772 | 10,159 | 20,931 | 708 | 11,377 | 8,500 | 19,877 | 322 |
| 1920 | 23,687 | 20,375 | 44,062 | 1,734 | 17,951 | 14,973 | 32,924 | 443 |
| 1921 | 22,446 | 19,436 | 41,882 | 641 | 16,019 | 12,540 | 28,559 | 707 |
| 1922 | 18,811 | 16,422 | 35,233 | 549 | 15,643 | 12,746 | 28,389 | 700 |
| 1923 | 19,445 | 17,043 | 36,488 | 729 | 16,037 | 13,631 | 29,668 | 632 |
| 1924 | 21,719 | 18,096 | 39,815 | 1,017 | 16,489 | 14,104 | 30,593 | 911 |
| Year. | Numbers. | Rates per 1,000 of Mean Population. | Deaths under 1 Year. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Births. | Marriages. | Deaths. | Births. | Marriages. | Deaths. | Deaths under 1 Year per 1,000 Births. | ||
| 1875 | 14,438 | 1 3,209 | 5,712 | 1,816 | 40.23 | 8.94 | 15.92 | 125.78 |
| 1876 | 16,168 | 3,196 | 4,904 | 1,673 | 41.73 | 8.25 | 12.66 | 103.48 |
| 1877 | 16,856 | 3,114 | 4,685 | 1,527 | 41.28 | 7.62 | 11.47 | 90.59 |
| 1878 | 17,770 | 3,377 | 4,645 | 1,486 | 41.96 | 7.97 | 10.96 | 83.62 |
| 1879 | 18,070 | 3,352 | 5,583 | 1,941 | 40.32 | 7.48 | 12.46 | 107.42 |
| 1880 | 19,341 | 3,181 | 5,437 | 1,805 | 40.78 | 6.71 | 11.46 | 93.33 |
| 1881 | 18,732 | 3,277 | 5,491 | 1,731 | 37.95 | 6.64 | 11.13 | 92.41 |
| 1882 | 19,009 | 3,600 | 5,701 | 1,678 | 37.32 | 7.07 | 11.19 | 88.27 |
| 1883 | 19,202 | 3,612 | 6,061 | 1,995 | 36.28 | 6.82 | 11.45 | 103.90 |
| 1884 | 19,846 | 3,800 | 5,740 | 1,573 | 35.91 | 6.87 | 10.39 | 79.26 |
| 1885 | 19,693 | 3,813 | 6,081 | 1,756 | 34.35 | 6.65 | 10.61 | 89.17 |
| 1886 | 19,299 | 3,488 | 6,135 | 1,899 | 33.15 | 5.99 | 10.54 | 98.40 |
| 1887 | 19,135 | 3,563 | 6,137 | 1,795 | 32.09 | 5.97 | 10.29 | 93.81 |
| 1888 | 18,902 | 3,617 | 5,708 | 1,336 | 31.22 | 5.97 | 9.43 | 70.68 |
| 1889 | 18,457 | 3,632 | 5,772 | 1,456 | 30.17 | 5.94 | 9.44 | 78.89 |
| 1890 | 18,278 | 3,797 | 5,994 | 1,438 | 29.44 | 6.12 | 9.66 | 78.67 |
| 1891 | 18,273 | 3,805 | 6,518 | 1,667 | 29.01 | 6.04 | 10.35 | 91.23 |
| 1892 | 17,876 | 4,002 | 6,459 | 1,594 | 27.83 | 6.23 | 10.06 | 89.17 |
| 1893 | 18,187 | 4,115 | 6,767 | 1,600 | 27.50 | 6.22 | 10.23 | 87.97 |
| 1894 | 18,528 | 4,178 | 6,918 | 1,507 | 27.28 | 6.15 | 10.19 | 81.34 |
| 1895 | 18,546 | 4.110 | 6,863 | 1,637 | 26.78 | 5.94 | 9.91 | 88.27 |
| 1896 | 18,612 | 4,843 | 6,432 | 1,439 | 26.33 | 6.85 | 9.10 | 77.32 |
| 1897 | 18,737 | 4,928 | 6,595 | 1,354 | 25.96 | 6.83 | 9.14 | 72.26 |
| 1898 | 18,955 | 5,091 | 7,244 | 1,510 | 25.74 | 6.91 | 9.84 | 79.66 |
| 1899 | 18,835 | 5,461 | 7,680 | 1,806 | 25.12 | 7.28 | 10.24 | 95.89 |
| 1900 | 19,546 | 5,860 | 7,200 | 1,469 | 25.60 | 7.67 | 9.43 | 75.16 |
| 1901 | 20,491 | 6,095 | 7,634 | 1,563 | 26.34 | 7.83 | 9.81 | 71.40 |
| 1902 | 20,655 | 6,394 | 8,375 | 1,712 | 25.89 | 8.01 | 10.50 | 82.89 |
| 1903 | 21,829 | 6,748 | 8,528 | 1,770 | 26.61 | 8.23 | 10.40 | 81.03 |
| 1904 | 22,766 | 6,983 | 8,087 | 1,616 | 26.94 | 8.26 | 9.57 | 70.98 |
| 1905 | 23,682 | 7,200 | 8,061 | 1,599 | 27.22 | 8.28 | 9.27 | 67.52 |
| 1906 | 24,252 | 7,592 | 8,339 | 1,506 | 27.08 | 8.48 | 9.31 | 62.10 |
| 1907 | 25,094 | 8,192 | 10,066 | 2,228 | 27.30 | 8.91 | 10.95 | 88.79 |
| 1908 | 25,940 | 8,339 | 9,043 | 1,761 | 27.45 | 8.82 | 9.57 | 67.89 |
| 1909 | 26,524 | 8,094 | 8,959 | 1,634 | 27.29 | 8.33 | 9.22 | 61.60 |
| 1910 | 25,984 | 8,236 | 9,639 | 1,760 | 26.17 | 8.30 | 9.71 | 67.73 |
| 1911 | 26,354 | 8,825 | 9,534 | 1,484 | 25.97 | 8.70 | 9.39 | 56.31 |
| 1912 | 27,508 | 9,149 | 9,214 | 1,409 | 26.48 | 8.81 | 8.87 | 51.22 |
| 1913 | 27,935 | 8,813 | 10,119 | 1,653 | 26.14 | 8.25 | 9.47 | 59.17 |
| 1914 | 28,338 | 9,280 | 10,148 | 1,456 | 25.99 | 8.51 | 9.31 | 51.38 |
| 1915 | 27,850 | 10,028 | 9,965 | 1,394 | 25.33 | 9.12 | 9.06 | 50.05 |
| 1916 | 28,509 | 8,213 | 10,596 | 1,446 | 25.94 | 7.47 | 9.64 | 50.70 |
| 1917 | 28,239 | 6,417 | 10,528 | 1,360 | 25.69 | 5.84 | 9.58 | 48.16 |
| 1918 | 25,860 | 6,227 | 16,364 | 1,252 | 23.44 | 5.65 | 14.84 | 48.41 |
| 1919 | 24,483 | 9,519 | 10,808 | 1,108 | 21.42 | 3.33 | 9.46 | 45.26 |
| 1920 | 29,921 | 12,175 | 12,109 | 1,513 | 25.09 | 10.21 | 10.15 | 50.57 |
| 1921 | 28,567 | 10,635 | 10,682 | 1,366 | 23.34 | 8.69 | 8.73 | 47.82 |
| 1922 | 29,006 | 9,556 | 10,977 | 1,215 | 23.17 | 7.63 | 8.77 | 41.89 |
| 1923 | 27,967 | 10,070 | 11,511 | 1,225 | 21.94 | 7.90 | 9.03 | 43.80 |
| 1924 | 28,014 | 10,259 | 10,767 | 1,127 | 21.57 | 7.90 | 8.29 | 40.23 |
| Year. | Number of Scholars receiving | University Students. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Education at | Secondary Education at | |||||||
| Public Schools. | Registered Private Schools. | Native Village Schools. | Secondary Schools. | District High Schools. | Technical High Schools. | Registered Private Schools. | ||
| 1875 | 45,562 | 7,316 | 1,401 | 598 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1876 | 51,964 | 9,357 | 1,570 | 654 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1877 | 56,239 | 9,992 | 1,799 | 716 | .. | .. | 173 | .. |
| 1878 | 65,366 | 9,206 | 1,382 | 1,159 | .. | .. | 160 | .. |
| 1879 | 75,556 | 10,234 | 1,618 | 1,417 | .. | .. | 240 | .. |
| 1880 | 82,401 | 11,238 | 1,623 | 1,631 | .. | .. | 211 | .. |
| 1881 | 83,587 | 9,987 | 2,010 | 1,819 | .. | .. | 239 | .. |
| 1882 | 87,179 | 10,002 | 2,024 | 1,899 | .. | .. | 279 | .. |
| 1883 | 92,476 | 11,255 | 1,923 | 2,384 | .. | .. | 361 | .. |
| 1884 | 97,238 | 12,203 | 2,226 | 2,642 | .. | .. | 419 | .. |
| 1885 | 102,407 | 11,989 | 2,161 | 2,659 | .. | .. | 442 | .. |
| 1886 | 106,328 | 12,497 | 2,346 | 2,358 | .. | .. | 490 | .. |
| 1887 | 110,919 | 13,417 | 2,631 | 2,242 | .. | .. | 588 | .. |
| 1888 | 112,685 | 13,893 | 2,512 | 2,120 | .. | .. | 662 | .. |
| 1889 | 115,456 | 13,516 | 2,462 | 2,147 | .. | .. | 588 | .. |
| 1890 | 117,912 | 13,691 | 2,259 | 2,117 | .. | .. | 596 | .. |
| 1891 | 119,523 | 14,176 | 2,231 | 2,205 | .. | .. | 705 | .. |
| 1892 | 122,620 | 14,467 | 2,133 | 2,262 | .. | .. | 695 | .. |
| 1893 | 124,690 | 14,931 | 2,134 | 2,251 | .. | .. | 680 | .. |
| 1894 | 127,300 | 14,649 | 2,418 | 2,454 | .. | .. | 680 | .. |
| 1895 | 129,856 | 14,704 | 2,675 | 2,525 | .. | .. | 742 | .. |
| 1896 | 131,037 | 13,979 | 2,862 | 2,614 | .. | .. | 677 | .. |
| 1897 | 132,197 | 14,524 | 2,864 | 2,709 | .. | .. | 653 | .. |
| 1898 | 131,621 | 14,857 | 2,972 | 2,706 | .. | .. | 667 | .. |
| 1899 | 131,315 | 15,380 | 3,065 | 2,723 | .. | .. | 766 | .. |
| 1900 | 130,724 | 15,602 | 3,109 | 2,792 | .. | .. | 805 | .. |
| 1901 | 131,351 | 15,397 | 3,273 | 2,899 | 662 | .. | 783 | .. |
| 1902 | 132,262 | 15,667 | 3,742 | 3,072 | 1,479 | .. | 864 | .. |
| 1903 | 133,568 | 15,687 | 3,693 | 3,722 | 2,096 | .. | 862 | .. |
| 1904 | 135,475 | 16,445 | 3,754 | 4,038 | 2,330 | .. | 971 | .. |
| 1905 | 137,623 | 16,738 | 3,863 | 4,060 | 2,872 | .. | 1,153 | .. |
| 1906 | 139,302 | 17,217 | 4,174 | 4,270 | 2,594 | .. | 1,332 | .. |
| 1907 | 141,071 | 18,174 | 4,183 | 4,196 | 2,452 | .. | 1,325 | .. |
| 1908 | 147,428 | 16,244 | 4,217 | 4,327 | 2,142 | 699 | .. | 1,634 |
| 1909 | 152,416 | 17,989 | 4,121 | 4,856 | 1,891 | 846 | .. | 1,846 |
| 1910 | 156,324 | 19,052 | 4,280 | 5,176 | 1,916 | 1,253 | .. | 1,862 |
| 1911 | 161,648 | 19,967 | 4,557 | 5,465 | 1,777 | 1,341 | 831 | 1,900 |
| 1912 | 166,264 | 20,350 | 4,694 | 5,831 | 1,815 | 1,526 | 883 | 2,228 |
| 1913 | 172,168 | 21,251 | 4,647 | 6,154 | 1,837 | 1,664 | 545 | 2,318 |
| 1914 | 178,509 | 22,247 | 5,072 | 6,418 | 1,896 | 1,839 | 850 | 2,257 |
| 1915 | 183,214 | 22,477 | 5,191 | 6,488 | 2,102 | 1,955 | 992 | 2,039 |
| 1916 | 185,884 | 23,635 | 5,132 | 7,052 | 2,115 | 2,105 | 1,004 | 1,985 |
| 1917 | 188,174 | 25,685 | 5,173 | 7,590 | 2,180 | 2,347 | 1,206 | 1,977 |
| 1918 | 192,680 | 26,371 | 5,064 | 8,384 | 2,283 | 2,747 | 1,366 | 2,226 |
| 1919 | 193,900 | 20,977 | 5,198 | 9,068 | 2,159 | 2,926 | 1,497 | 3,060 |
| 1920 | 197,645 | 22,193 | 5,508 | 9,196 | 2,157 | 2,766 | 1,439 | 3,822 |
| 1921 | 205,181 | 23,924 | 5,822 | 10,030 | 2,176 | 3,349 | 1,634 | 4,123 |
| 1922 | 210,491 | 24,861 | 6,161 | 10,736 | 2,606 | 4,202 | 1,998 | 3,958 |
| 1923 | 211,960 | 26,010 | 6,186 | 11,619 | 2,818 | 5,054 | 2,134 | 4,202 |
| 1924 | 213,290 | 26,302 | 6,310 | 12,010 | 2,900 | 5,369 | 2,473 | 4,236 |
| Year | Summary Convictions in Magistrates' Courts. | Sentences in Supreme Courts. | Prisoners in Gaol at end of Year. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergoing Sentence. | Total in Confinement. | |||||||
| Number. | Rate per 1,000 of Mean Population. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 of Mean Population. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 of Mean Population. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 of Mean Population. | |
| 1875 | 17,596 | 43.52 | 257 | 0.64 | 651 | 15.45 | 707 | 16.78 |
| 1876 | 16,100 | 37.19 | 249 | 0.58 | 611 | 13.74 | 662 | 14.90 |
| 1877 | 16,293 | 36.26 | 250 | 0.56 | 655 | 14.42 | 705 | 15.53 |
| 1878 | 16,370 | 35.27 | 292 | 0.63 | 596 | 12.52 | 657 | 13.80 |
| 1879 | 16,088 | 32.72 | 296 | 0.60 | 698 | 13.76 | 787 | 15.51 |
| 1880 | 15,025 | 29.01 | 330 | 0.64 | 703 | 13.30 | 871 | 16.48 |
| 1881 | 14,079 | 26.22 | 270 | 0.50 | 641 | 11.76 | 698 | 12.81 |
| 1882 | 16,573 | 29.95 | 265 | 0.48 | 578 | 10.28 | 636 | 11.32 |
| 1883 | 16,944 | 29.55 | 258 | 0.45 | 567 | 9.69 | 613 | 10.48 |
| 1884 | 17,968 | 30.11 | 287 | 0.48 | 560 | 9.20 | 629 | 10.34 |
| 1885 | 17,804 | 29.00 | 266 | 0.43 | 531 | 8.57 | 589 | 9.51 |
| 1886 | 16,705 | 26.76 | 306 | 0.49 | 558 | 8.84 | 625 | 9.90 |
| 1887 | 15,557 | 24.37 | 386 | 0.60 | 633 | 9.81 | 691 | 10.71 |
| 1888 | 14,472 | 22.36 | 308 | 0.48 | 605 | 9.32 | 641 | 9.87 |
| 1889 | 14,082 | 21.54 | 276 | 0.42 | 611 | 9.29 | 633 | 9.62 |
| 1890 | 14,128 | 21.32 | 270 | 0.41 | 517 | 7.75 | 562 | 8.42 |
| 1891 | 13,349 | 19.87 | 283 | 0.42 | 494 | 7.31 | 534 | 7.90 |
| 1892 | 13,583 | 19.85 | 241 | 0.35 | 433 | 6 25 | 476 | 6.87 |
| 1893 | 13,710 | 19.49 | 304 | 0.43 | 463 | 6.48 | 502 | 7.03 |
| 1894 | 12,934 | 17.93 | 371 | 0.51 | 483 | 6.63 | 555 | 7.62 |
| 1895 | 13,383 | 18.22 | 407 | 0.55 | 531 | 7.17 | 582 | 7.86 |
| 1896 | 14,481 | 19.40 | 355 | 0.48 | 493 | 6.54 | 550 | 7.29 |
| 1897 | 15,325 | 20.13 | 366 | 0.48 | 623 | 8.10 | 674 | 8.77 |
| 1898 | 16,991 | 21.89 | 391 | 0.50 | 533 | 6.80 | 595 | 7.60 |
| 1899 | 17,586 | 22.27 | 405 | 0.51 | 508 | 6.38 | 566 | 7.11 |
| 1900 | 19,242 | 23.99 | 427 | 0.53 | 527 | 6.52 | 568 | 7.03 |
| 1901 | 20,724 | 25.24 | 345 | 0.42 | 661 | 8.39 | 713 | 9.05 |
| 1902 | 22,455 | 26.70 | 338 | 0.40 | 602 | 7.45 | 653 | 8.08 |
| 1903 | 25,186 | 29.17 | 398 | 0.46 | 688 | 8.26 | 739 | 8.88 |
| 1904 | 25,672 | 28.90 | 490 | 0.55 | 701 | 7.78 | 750 | 8.33 |
| 1905 | 25,371 | 27.78 | 449 | 0.49 | 760 | 8.21 | 810 | 8.75 |
| 1906 | 27,670 | 29.33 | 427 | 0.45 | 833 | 8.71 | 891 | 9.32 |
| 1907 | 30,901 | 31.96 | 463 | 0.48 | 791 | 8.09 | 847 | 8.67 |
| 1908 | 30,852 | 31.08 | 527 | 0.53 | 815 | 8.08 | 879 | 8.72 |
| 1909 | 31,151 | 30.55 | 536 | 0.53 | 877 | 8.51 | 949 | 9.21 |
| 1910 | 32,435 | 31.17 | 495 | 0.48 | 843 | 8.01 | 881 | 8.38 |
| 1911 | 33,029 | 31.05 | 453 | 0.43 | 802 | 7.46 | 873 | 8.12 |
| 1912 | 36,191 | 33.24 | 480 | 0.44 | 821 | 7.45 | 866 | 7.86 |
| 1913 | 39,685 | 35.48 | 446 | 0.40 | 834 | 7.35 | 919 | 8.10 |
| 1914 | 41,723 | 36.59 | 522 | 0.46 | 981 | 8.56 | 1,045 | 9.12 |
| 1915 | 39,675 | 34.52 | 509 | 0.44 | 941 | 8.16 | 998 | 8.66 |
| 1916 | 35,459 | 30.85 | 448 | 0.39 | 834 | 7.25 | 890 | 7.74 |
| 1917 | 34,189 | 29.76 | 623 | 0.54 | 954 | 8.31 | 1,007 | 8.78 |
| 1918 | 29,252 | 25.37 | 632 | 0.55 | 1,005 | 8.68 | 1,047 | 9.04 |
| 1919 | 32,692 | 27.41 | 808 | 0.68 | 852 | 6.94 | 920 | 7.50 |
| 1920 | 35,517 | 28.59 | 1,011 | 0.81 | 996 | 7.92 | 1,060 | 8.43 |
| 1921 | 37,124 | 29.08 | 1,475 | 1.16 | 1,044 | 8.08 | 1,099 | 8.50 |
| 1922 | 34,513 | 26.44 | 1,417 | 1.09 | 1,052 | 8.32 | 1,114 | 8.90 |
| 1923 | 37,104 | 27.94 | 1,663 | 1.25 | 1,141 | 8.50 | 1,195 | 8.90 |
| 1924 | 39,594 | 29.27 | 1,388 | 1.03 | 1,197 | 8.85 | 1,247 | 9.22 |
| Year. | Horses. | Total Cattle. | Dairy Cows. | Sheep. | Pigs. | Goats. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Not enumerated. | ||||||
| 1876 | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| 1877 | * | * | * | * | * | * |
| 1878 | 137,768 | 578,430 | * | 13,069,338 | 207,337 | 14,243 |
| 1879 | * | * | * | 11,570,847 | * | * |
| 1880 | * | * | * | 11,530,623 | * | * |
| 1881 | 161,736 | 698,637 | * | 12,1,90,215 | 200,083 | 11,223 |
| 1882 | * | * | * | 12,408,106 | * | * |
| 1883 | * | * | * | 13,306,329 | * | * |
| 1884 | * | * | * | 13,978,520 | * | * |
| 1885 | * | * | * | 14,546,801 | * | * |
| 1886 | 187,382 | 853,358 | * | 15,174,263 | 277,901 | 10,220 |
| 1887 | * | * | * | 15,155,626 | * | * |
| 1888 | * | * | * | 15,042,198 | 41 | * |
| 1889 | * | * | * | 15,423,328 | * | * |
| 1890 | * | * | * | 16,116,113 | * | * |
| 1891 | 211,040 | 788,919 | * | 17,865,423 | 222,553 | 9,055 |
| 1892 | * | * | * | 18,570,752 | * | * |
| 1893 | * | * | * | 19,380,369 | * | * |
| 1894 | * | 885,305 | * | 20,230,829 | * | * |
| 1895 | * | 964,034 | 257,140 | 19,826,604 | * | * |
| 1896 | 237,418 | 1,047,901 | 276,217 | 19,138,493 | 239,778 | * |
| 1897 | 249,813 | 1,138,067 | 300,219 | 19,687,954 | 209,834 | * |
| 1898 | 252,834 | 1,209,165 | 324,485 | 19,673,725 | 186,027 | * |
| 1899 | 258,115 | 1,203,024 | 333,536 | 19,348,506 | 193,512 | * |
| 1900 | 261,931 | 1,222,139 | 355,256 | 19,355,195 | 249,751 | * |
| 1901 | 266,245 | 1,256,680 | 372,416 | 20,233,099 | 250,975 | * |
| 1902 | 279,672 | 1,361,784 | 381,492 | 20,342,727 | 224,024 | * |
| 1903 | 286,955 | 1,460,663 | 428,773 | 18,954,553 | 193,740 | * |
| 1904 | 298,714 | 1,593,547 | 468,125 | 18,280,806 | 226,591 | * |
| 1905 | 314,322 | 1,736,850 | 498,241 | 19,130,875 | 255,320 | * |
| 1906 | 326,537 | 1,810,936 | 517,720 | 20,108,471 | 249,727 | * |
| 1907 | 342,608 | 1,851,750 | 543,927 | 20,983,772 | 242,273 | * |
| 1908 | 352,832 | 1,816,299 | 541,363 | 22,449,053 | 241,128 | * |
| 1909 | 363,259 | 1,773,326 | 536,629 | 23,480,707 | 245,092 | * |
| 1910 | * | * | * | 24,269,620 | * | * |
| 1911 | 404,284 | 2,020,171 | 633,733 | 23,996,126 | 348,754 | * |
| 1912 | * | * | * | 23,750,153 | * | * |
| 1913 | * | * | * | 24,191,810 | * | * |
| 1914 | * | * | * | 24,798,763 | * | * |
| 1915 | * | * | * | 24,901,421 | * | * |
| 1916 | 371,331 | 2,417,491 | 750,323 | 24,788,150 | 297,501 | 17,601 |
| 1917 | 373,600 | 2,575,230 | 777,439 | 25,270,386 | 283,770 | 18,235 |
| 1918 | 378,050 | 2,869,465 | 793,212 | 26,538,302 | 258,694 | 17,730 |
| 1919 | 363,188 | 3,035,478 | 826,135 | 25,828,554 | 235,347 | 16,924 |
| 1920 | 346,407 | 3,101,945 | 893,454 | 23,319,970 | 266,829 | 14,534 |
| 1921 | 337,259 | 3,139,223 | 1,004,666 | 23,235,031 | 349,892 | 17,367 |
| 1922 | 332,105 | 3,323,223 | 1,137,055 | 22,222,259 | 384,333 | 17,480 |
| 1923 | 330,818 | 3,480,694 | 1,248,643 | 23,081,439 | 400,889 | 17,071 |
| 1924 | 330,430 | 3,563,497 | 1,312,588 | 23,775,776 | 414,271 | 18,196 |
| 1925 | 326,830 | 3,503,744 | 1,323,432 | 24,547,955 | 440,115 | 18,975 |
| Year | Imports. | Exports. | Total Trade. | Rate per Head of Mean Population (including Maoris). | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imports. | Exports. | Total Trade. | ||||||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| 1875 | 8,029,172 | 5,828,627 | 13,857,799 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 34 | 5 | 6 |
| 1876 | 6,905,171 | 5,673,465 | 12,578,636 | 15 | 19 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 1 |
| 1877 | 6,973,418 | 6,327,472 | 13,300,890 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 8 | 29 | 12 | 1 |
| 1878 | 8,755,663 | 6,015,700 | 14,771,363 | 18 | 17 | 3 | 12 | 19 | 2 | 31 | 16 | 5 |
| 1879 | 8,374,585 | 5,743,126 | 14,117,711 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 28 | 14 | 3 |
| 1880 | 6,162,011 | 6,352,692 | 12,514,703 | 11 | 18 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 3 | 4 |
| 1881 | 7,457,045 | 6,060,866 | 13,517,911 | 13 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 25 | 3 | 6 |
| 1882 | 8,609,270 | 6,658,008 | 15,267,278 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 27 | 11 | 9 |
| 1883 | 7,974,038 | 7,095,999 | 15,070,037 | 13 | 18 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 26 | 5 | 8 |
| 1884 | 7,663,888 | 7,091,667 | 14,755,555 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 17 | 9 | 24 | 14 | 8 |
| 1885 | 7,479,921 | 6,819,939 | 14,299,860 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 5 | 11 |
| 1886 | 6,759,013 | 6,672,791 | 13,431,804 | 10 | 16 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 21 | 10 | 3 |
| 1887 | 6,245,515 | 6,866,169 | 13,111,684 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 10 |
| 1888 | 5,941,900 | 7,767,325 | 13,709,225 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 7 |
| 1889 | 6,308,863 | 9,341,864 | 15,650,727 | 9 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 18 | 10 |
| 1890 | 6,260,525 | 9,811,720 | 16,072,245 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 1 | 24 | 5 | 0 |
| 1891 | 6,503,849 | 9,566,397 | 16,070,246 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 23 | 18 | 6 |
| 1892 | 6,943,056 | 9,534,851 | 16,477,907 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 8 | 24 | 1 | 7 |
| 1893 | 6,911,515 | 8,985,364 | 15,896,879 | 9 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 6 | 22 | 12 | 1 |
| 1894 | 6,788,020 | 9,231,047 | 16,019,067 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 22 | 4 | 3 |
| 1895 | 6,400,129 | 8,550,224 | 14,950,353 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 7 | 2 |
| 1896 | 7,137,320 | 9,321,105, | 16,458,425 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 1 | 1 |
| 1897 | 8,055,223 | 10,016,993 | 18,072,216 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 23 | 14 | 8 |
| 1898 | 8,230,600 | 10,517,955 | 18,748,555 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 3 | 2 |
| 1899 | 8,739,633 | 11,938,335 | 20,677,968 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 3 | 8 |
| 1900 | 10,646,096 | 13,246,161 | 23,892,257 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 29 | 15 | 8 |
| 1901 | 11,817,915 | 12,881,424 | 24,699,339 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 1902 | 11,326,723 | 13,644,977 | 24,971,700 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 29 | 13 | 11 |
| 1903 | 12,788,675 | 15,010,378 | 27,799,053 | 14 | 16 | 3 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 32 | 4 | 0 |
| 1904 | 13,291,694 | 14,748,348 | 28,040,042 | 14 | 19 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 31 | 11 | 5 |
| 1905 | 12,828,857 | 15,655,947 | 28,484,804 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 11 | 31 | 3 | 11 |
| 1906 | 15,211,403 | 18,095,137 | 33,306,540 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 3 | 8 | 35 | 6 | 2 |
| 1907 | 17,302,861 | 20,068,957 | 37,371,818 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 20 | 15 | 2 | 38 | 13 | 1 |
| 1908 | 17,471,284 | 16,317,494 | 33,788,778 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 9 | 34 | 0 | 9 |
| 1909 | 15,674,719 | 19,661,996 | 35,336,715 | 15 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 5 | 9 | 34 | 13 | 3 |
| 1910 | 17,051,583 | 22,180,209 | 39,231,792 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 14 | 1 |
| 1911 | 19,545,879 | 19,028,490 | 38,574,369 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 30 | 5 | 2 |
| 1912 | 20,976,574 | 21,770,581 | 42,747,155 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 19 | 11 | 39 | 5 | 3 |
| 1913 | 22,288,302 | 22,986,722 | 45,275,024 | 19 | 18 | 7 | 20 | 11 | 0 | 40 | 9 | 7 |
| 1914 | 21,856,096 | 26,261,447 | 48,117,543 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 8 | 42 | 4 | 1 |
| 1915 | 21,728,834 | 31,748,912 | 53,477,746 | 18 | 18 | 2 | 27 | 12 | 6 | 46 | 10 | 8 |
| 1916 | 26,339,283 | 33,286,937 | 59,626,220 | 22 | 18 | 5 | 28 | 19 | 4 | 51 | 17 | 9 |
| 1917 | 20,919,265 | 31,587,547 | 52,506,812 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 9 | 11 | 45 | 14 | 1 |
| 1918 | 24,234,007 | 28,516,188 | 52,750,195 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 14 | 9 | 45 | 15 | 2 |
| 1919 | 30,671,698 | 53,970,075 | 84,641,773 | 25 | 14 | 4 | 45 | 5 | 0 | 70 | 19 | 4 |
| 1920 | 61,595,828 | 16,441,946 | 108,037,774 | 49 | 11 | 7 | 37 | 7 | 7 | 86 | 19 | 2 |
| 1921 | 42,942,443 | 44,828,827 | 87,771,270 | 33 | 12 | 9 | 35 | 2 | 3 | 68 | 15 | 0 |
| 1922 | 35,012,561 | 12,726,249 | 77,738,810 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 32 | 14 | 9 | 59 | 11 | 3 |
| 1923 | 43,378,493 | 45,967,165 | 89,345,658 | 32 | 13 | 2 | 34 | 12 | 2 | 67 | 5 | 4 |
| 1924 | 48,527,603 | 52,612,711 | 101,140,314 | 35 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 10 | 74 | 15 | 4 |
| Year | Exports of New Zealand Produce. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wool. | Frozen Meat. | Tallow. | ||||
| Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | |
| 1875 | 54,401,540 | 3,398,155 | .. | .. | 36,220 | 55,865 |
| 1876 | 59,853,454 | 3,395,816 | .. | .. | 61,760 | 109,896 |
| 1877 | 64,481,824 | 3,658,938 | .. | .. | 92,505 | 156,552 |
| 1878 | 59,270,256 | 3,292,807 | .. | .. | 100,380 | 178,502 |
| 1879 | 62,222,810 | 3,126,439 | .. | .. | 92,710 | 145,595 |
| 1880 | 66,860,150 | 3,169,300 | .. | .. | 101,470 | 146,535 |
| 1881 | 59,415,940 | 2,909,760 | .. | .. | 83,155 | 120,611 |
| 1882 | 65,322,707 | 3,118,554 | 15,244 | 19,339 | 108,780 | 165,938 |
| 1883 | 68,149,430 | 3,014,211 | 87,975 | 118,328 | 141,185 | 233,557 |
| 1884 | 81,139,028 | 3,267,527 | 254,069 | 345,090 | 150,770 | 234,829 |
| 1885 | 86,507,431 | 3,205,275 | 296,473 | 373,857 | 138,600 | 176,962 |
| 1886 | 90,853,744 | 3,072,971 | 346,055 | 427,193 | 129,700 | 119,619 |
| 1887 | 88,824,382 | 3,321,074 | 402,107 | 455,870 | 154,720 | 147,233 |
| 1888 | 83,225,733 | 3,115,098 | 552,298 | 628,800 | 136,460 | 124,950 |
| 1889 | 102,227,354 | 3,976,375 | 656,822 | 783,374 | 159,020 | 159,460 |
| 1890 | 102,817,077 | 4,150,599 | 898,894 | 1,087,617 | 173,300 | 162,471 |
| 1891 | 106,187,114 | 1,129,686 | 1,000,307 | 1,194,724 | 175,580 | 173,257 |
| 1892 | 118,180,912 | 4,313,307 | 869,600 | 1,033,377 | 165,220 | 165,513 |
| 1893 | 109,719,684 | 774,738 | 903,836 | 1,085,167 | 170,060 | 183,588 |
| 1894 | 144,295,154 | 4,827,016 | 1,025,243 | 1,194,545 | 199,400 | 204,499 |
| 1895 | 116,015,170 | 3,662,131 | 1,134,097 | 1,262,711 | 263,560 | 260,999 |
| 1896 | 129,151,624 | 4,391,848 | 1,103,362 | 1,251,993 | 222,540 | 208,821 |
| 1897 | 135,835,117 | 4,443,144 | 1,407,921 | 1,566,286 | 310,200 | 259,964 |
| 1898 | 149,385,815 | 4,645,804 | 1,551,773 | 1,698,750 | 347,160 | 302,141 |
| 1899 | 147,169,497 | 4,324,627 | 1,865,827 | 2,088,856 | 338,620 | 311,649 |
| 1900 | 140,706,486 | 4,749,196 | 1,844,831 | 2,123,881 | 367,780 | 368,473 |
| 1901 | 146,820,079 | 3,699,103 | 1,857,547 | 2,253,262 | 335,360 | 351,710 |
| 1902 | 160,419,023 | 3,354,563 | 2,138,557 | 2,718,763 | 424,060 | 550,131 |
| 1903 | 155,128,381 | 4,041,274 | 2,378,650 | 3,197,043 | 396,940 | 517,871 |
| 1904 | 144,647,376 | 4,673,826 | 1,912,979 | 2,793,599 | 322,480 | 357,974 |
| 1905 | 139,912,737 | 5,381,333 | 1,690,684 | 2,694,432 | 318,942 | 347,888 |
| 1906 | 154,384,568 | 6,765,655 | 2,025,507 | 2,877,031 | 378,400 | 455,026 |
| 1907 | 171,635,595 | 7,657,278 | 2,354,808 | 3,420,664 | 414,880 | 560,965 |
| 1908 | 162,518,481 | 5,332,781 | 2,120,303 | 3,188,515 | 372,520 | 481,335 |
| 1909 | 189,683,703 | 6,305,888 | 2,572,604 | 3,601,093 | 484,160 | 648,452 |
| 1910 | 204,368,957 | 8,308,410 | 2,654,196 | 3,850,777 | 520,180 | 756,841 |
| 1911 | 169,424,811 | 6,491,707 | 2,250,565 | 3,503,400 | 413,120 | 607,257 |
| 1912 | 188,361,790 | 7,105,483 | 2,573,238 | 3,909,569 | 470,900 | 684,739 |
| 1913 | 186,533,036 | 8,057,620 | 2,578,693 | 4,449,933 | 454,860 | 663,088 |
| 1914 | 220,472,898 | 9,318,114 | 3,229,969 | 5,863,062 | 490,300 | 694,348 |
| 1915 | 196,570,114 | 10,387,875 | 3,591,260 | 7,794,395 | 535,260 | 780,828 |
| 1916 | 185,506,859 | 12,386,074 | 3,326,045 | 7,271,318 | 449,440 | 785,339 |
| 1917 | 178,274,486 | 12,175,366 | 2,446,945 | 5,982,404 | 251,980 | 553,016 |
| 1918 | 108,724,575 | 7,527,266 | 2,036,904 | 4,957,576 | 328,420 | 847,618 |
| 1919 | 274,246,613 | 19,559,537 | 3,822,683 | 9,628,292 | 937,480 | 2,680,006 |
| 1920 | 162,327,176 | 11,863,827 | 4,629,282 | 11,673,696 | 540,820 | 1,748,773 |
| 1921 | 158,714,828 | 5,221,479 | 4,322,754 | 11,164,345 | 554,240 | 867,298 |
| 1922 | 321,533,215 | 11,882,463 | 3,518,004 | 8,387,461 | 529,900 | 750,574 |
| 1923 | 217,566,091 | 10,904,658 | 3,043,910 | 9,012,627 | 504,860 | 785,668 |
| 1924 | 206,189,911 | 15,267,544 | 3,213,574 | 9,489,877 | 479,760 | 799,230 |
| 1875 | 104 | 660 | 442 | 1,862 | 355,322 | 1,407,770 |
| 1876 | 871 | 3,910 | 885 | 3,488 | 318,367 | 1,268,559 |
| 1877 | 5,206 | 23,458 | 4,999 | 16,713 | 366,955 | 1,476,312 |
| 1878 | 3,106 | 12,111 | 3,019 | 9,368 | 311,437 | 1,244,190 |
| 1879 | 339 | 1,631 | 172 | 628 | 284,100 | 1,134,641 |
| 1880 | 2,717 | 8,350 | 717 | 1,983 | 303,215 | 1,220,263 |
| 1881 | 2,426 | 8,496 | 3,056 | 0,112 | 250,683 | 996,867 |
| 1882 | 11,264 | 52,088 | 3,553 | 10,130 | 230,893 | 921,664 |
| 1883 | 8,869 | 42,020 | 2,519 | 6,892 | 222,899 | 892,445 |
| 1884 | 15,766 | 66,593 | 10,342 | 25,074 | 246,392 | 988,953 |
| 1885 | 24,923 | 102,387 | 15,245 | 35,742 | 222,732 | 890,056 |
| 1886 | 23,175 | 105,537 | 16,429 | 45,657 | 235,578 | 939,648 |
| 1887 | 17,018 | 54,921 | 23,913 | 54,562 | 187,938 | 747,878 |
| 1888 | 29,995 | 118,252 | 36,682 | 78,918 | 229,608 | 914,309 |
| 1889 | 37,955 | 146,840 | 26,558 | 67,105 | 197,492 | 785,490 |
| 1890 | 34,816 | 122,701 | 40,451 | 84,986 | 187,641 | 751,360 |
| 1891 | 39,430 | 150,258 | 39,770 | 86,675 | 251,161 | 1,007,172 |
| 1892 | 53,930 | 227,162 | 41,493 | 91,042 | 237,393 | 951,963 |
| 1893 | 58,149 | 254,645 | 46,201 | 99,626 | 227,502 | 915,921 |
| 1894 | 60,771 | 251,280 | 55,655 | 115,203 | 221,614 | 887,865 |
| 1895 | 57,964 | 227,601 | 76,743 | 150,909 | 293,493 | 1,162,181 |
| 1896 | 71,353 | 281,716 | 71,372 | 130,166 | 263,694 | 1,O11,428 |
| 1897 | 99,002 | 402,605 | 77,683 | 150,517 | 251,647 | 980,204 |
| 1898 | 96,801 | 403,690 | 68,711 | 135,776 | 280,175 | 1,080,691 |
| 1899 | 136,086 | 571,799 | 69,440 | 141,818 | 389,570 | 1,513,180 |
| 1900 | 172,583 | 740,620 | 102,849 | 229,111 | 373,614 | 1,439,602 |
| 1901 | 201,591 | 882,406 | 104,294 | 238,685 | 455,558 | 1,753,784 |
| 1902 | 253,998 | 1,205,802 | 74,746 | 163,539 | 507,852 | 1,951,426 |
| 1903 | 285,106 | 1,318,067 | 74,780 | 194,998 | 533,314 | 2,037,832 |
| 1904 | 314,360 | 1,380,460 | 84,526 | 185,486 | 520,323 | 1,987,501 |
| 1905 | 305,722 | 1,408,557 | 88,562 | 205,171 | 520,485 | 2,093,936 |
| 1906 | 320,225 | 1,560,235 | 131,206 | 341,002 | 563,843 | 2,270,904 |
| 1907 | 328,441 | 1,615,345 | 236,833 | 662,355 | 508,210 | 2,027,490 |
| 1908 | 229,971 | 1,171,182 | 280,798 | 783,419 | 506,381 | 2,004,799 |
| 1909 | 321,108 | 1,639,380 | 400,607 | 1,105,390 | 506,371 | 2,006,900 |
| 1910 | 356,535 | 1,811,975 | 451,915 | 1,195,373 | 478,286 | 1,896,318 |
| 1911 | 302,387 | 1,576,917 | 439,174 | 1,192,057 | 454,837 | 1,815,251 |
| 1912 | 378,117 | 2,088,809 | 577,070 | 1,680,393 | 343,163 | 1,345,131 |
| 1913 | 372,258 | 2,061,651 | 611,663 | 1,770,297 | 376,161 | 1,459,499 |
| 1914 | 434,067 | 2,338,576 | 863,776 | 2,564,125 | 227,954 | 895,367 |
| 1915 | 420,144 | 2,700,625 | 817,258 | 2,730,211 | 422,825 | 1,694,553 |
| 1916 | 358,632 | 2,632,293 | 949,416 | 3,514,310 | 292,620 | 1,199,212 |
| 1917 | 254,397 | 2,031,551 | 885,743 | 3,949,251 | 218,624 | 903,888 |
| 1918 | 431,023 | 3,402,223 | 883,430 | 4,087,278 | 11,987 | 42,391 |
| 1919 | 345,818 | 3,080,128 | 1,572,311 | 7,790,990 | 320,207 | 1,334,405 |
| 1920 | 312,009 | 3,022,335 | 1,222,050 | 0,160,840 | 212,973 | 883,748 |
| 1921 | 898,478 | 11,169,530 | 1,368,786 | 8,199,183 | 149,595 | 612,168 |
| 1922 | 1,120,200 | 9,041,554 | 1,161,196 | 4,686,850 | 131,848 | 540,182 |
| 1923 | 1,250,140 | 10,689,200 | 1,441,400 | 0,870,397 | 169,512 | 698,583 |
| 1924 | 1,269,455 | 11,641,668 | 1,594,486 | 7,023,297 | 133,631 | 551,788 |
| Year. | Exports of New Zealand Produce. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kauri-gum. | Phormium Fibre. | Timber (sawn and hewn). | ||||
| Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | Quantity. | Value. | |
| Tons. | £ | Tons. | £ | Sup. ft. | £ | |
| 1875 | 3,230 | 138,523 | 639 | 11,742 | 5,225,627 | 26,914 |
| 1876 | 2,888 | 109,234 | 897 | 18,285 | 7,369,146 | 36,444 |
| 1877 | 3,632 | 118,348 | 1,053 | 18,826 | 8,222,329 | 37,675 |
| 1878 | 3,445 | 132,975 | 622 | 10,666 | 4,071,326 | 33,656 |
| 1879 | 3,228 | 147,535 | 445 | 7,874 | 5,103,189 | 24,025 |
| 1880 | 4,725 | 242,817 | 894 | 15,617 | 7,611,576 | 40,321 |
| 1881 | 5,460 | 253,778 | 1,308 | 26,285 | 13,180,280 | 65,119 |
| 1882 | 5,533 | 260,309 | 2,040 | 41,955 | 16,486,901 | 94,493 |
| 1883 | 6,518 | 336,606 | 2,013 | 36,761 | 23,783,521 | 124,898 |
| 1884 | 6,393 | 342,151 | 1,525 | 23,475 | 24,707,156 | 128,924 |
| 1885 | 5,870 | 299,762 | 1,063 | 16,316 | 28,439,013 | 141,355 |
| 1886 | 4,920 | 257,653 | 1,112 | 15,922 | 29,349,789 | 127,905 |
| 1887 | 6,790 | 362,434 | 1,578 | 25,094 | 30,919,464 | 127,108 |
| 1888 | 8,482 | 380,933 | 4,042 | 75,269 | 43,474,434 | 177,877 |
| 1889 | 7,519 | 329,590 | 17,084 | 361,182 | 42,568,600 | 176,608 |
| 1890 | 7,438 | 378,563 | 21,158 | 381,789 | 42,098,863 | 181,689 |
| 1891 | 8,388 | 437,056 | 15,809 | 281,514 | 42,824,365 | 182,431 |
| 1892 | 8,705 | 517,678 | 12,793 | 214,542 | 22,860,551 | 87,581 |
| 1893 | 8,317 | 510,775 | 12,587 | 219,375 | 26,718,046 | 101,082 |
| 1894 | 8,338 | 404,567 | 4,677 | 66,256 | 31,901,415 | 116,116 |
| 1895 | 7,425 | 418,766 | 1,806 | 21,040 | 38,297,905 | 141,892 |
| 1896 | 7,126 | 431,323 | 2,968 | 32,985 | 34,984,414 | 133,511 |
| 1897 | 6,641 | 398,010 | 2,769 | 30,674 | 39,326,396 | 154,169 |
| 1898 | 9,905 | 586,767 | 4,850 | 74,556 | 40,721,632 | 164,723 |
| 1899 | 11,116 | 607,919 | 10,371 | 184,411 | 50,425,741 | 196,749 |
| 1900 | 10,159 | 622,293 | 15,906 | 332,182 | 57,517,085 | 232,174 |
| 1901 | 7,541 | 446,114 | 10,171 | 195,728 | 71,822,369 | 294,699 |
| 1902 | 7,430 | 450,223 | 20,852 | 534,031 | 49,251,549 | 208,005 |
| 1903 | 9,357 | 631,102 | 22,652 | 595,684 | 57,097,990 | 240,713 |
| 1904 | 9,203 | 501,817 | 26,936 | 710,281 | 60,326,992 | 254,021 |
| 1905 | 10,883 | 561,444 | 27,877 | 696,467 | 75,370,136 | 318,895 |
| 1906 | 9,154 | 522,486 | 27,779 | 776,106 | 75,528,899 | 304,941 |
| 1907 | 8,708 | 579,888 | 28,547 | 832,068 | 72,154,417 | 311,862 |
| 1908 | 5,530 | 372,798 | 17,403 | 396,288 | 84,554,414 | 375,235 |
| 1909 | 8,250 | 552,698 | 14,318 | 306,973 | 71,599,318 | 337,740 |
| 1910 | 8,693 | 465,044 | 20,645 | 448,414 | 81,940,062 | 407,658 |
| 1911 | 7,587 | 395,707 | 17,366 | 300,209 | 86,309,570 | 439,353 |
| 1912 | 7,908 | 401,305 | 18,641 | 376,264 | 94,454,491 | 490,508 |
| 1913 | 8,780 | 549,100 | 28,092 | 721,924 | 63,469,105 | 319,055 |
| 1914 | 8,473 | 497,444 | 19,702 | 455,214 | 83,342,949 | 422,864 |
| 1915 | 4,575 | 279,133 | 23,220 | 571,621 | 76,797,161 | 383,883 |
| 1916 | 5,456 | 339,882 | 27,674 | 1,001,725 | 71,503,154 | 381,488 |
| 1917 | 4,594 | 291,917 | 23,516 | 1,197,390 | 71,338,174 | 408,121 |
| 1918 | 2,419 | 157,313 | 25,167 | 1,387,763 | 74,932,815 | 556,309 |
| 1919 | 4,128 | 255,812 | 22,347 | 866,930 | 49,726,670 | 439,935 |
| 1920 | 6,481 | 556,756 | 18,949 | 647,545 | 69,664,014 | 697,608 |
| 1921 | 3,901 | 367,197 | 9,643 | 293,775 | 45,902,627 | 503,785 |
| 1922 | 6,391 | 563,270 | 9,727 | 265,080 | 44,186,848 | 479,447 |
| 1923 | 6,598 | 590,222 | 10,612 | 284,897 | 47,570,490 | 473,752 |
| 1924 | 5,201 | 443,576 | 12,982 | 388,887 | 42,928,726 | 472,120 |
| As at 31st March | Amount of Debentures and Stock in Circulation. | Gross Indebtness per head of Population. | Amount of Sinking fund accrued | Net indebtness | Net indebtness per head of Population. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876 | 17,400,031 | 41 | 6 | 0 | 1,100,120 | 16,299,911 | 38 | 13 | 9 |
| 1877 | 18,678,111 | 42 | 0 | 4 | 1,289,956 | 17,388,155 | 39 | 2 | 3 |
| 1878 | 20,691,111 | 42 | 11 | 4 | 1,438,838 | 19,252,273 | 42 | 7 | 11 |
| 1879 | 22,608,311 | 47 | 9 | 8 | 1,678,127 | 20,930,184 | 43 | 19 | 2 |
| 1880 | 23,958,311 | 47 | 4 | 6 | 1,805,231 | 22,153,080 | 43 | 13 | 4 |
| 1881 | 28,185,711 | 52 | 19 | 2 | 1,077,442 | 27,108,269 | 50 | 18 | 8 |
| 1882 | 28,479,111 | 51 | 17 | 5 | 1,103,518 | 27,315,593 | 49 | 15 | 0 |
| 1883 | 29,445,011 | 51 | 19 | 3 | 1,305,523 | 28,139,488 | 49 | 13 | 2 |
| 1884 | 31,071,582 | 52 | 10 | 1 | 1,434,949 | 29,636,633 | 50 | 1 | 7 |
| 1885 | 32,195,422 | 52 | 10 | 1 | 1,531,884 | 30,663,538 | 50 | 0 | 1 |
| 1886 | 33,880,722 | 54 | 11 | 11 | 1,617,166 | 32,263,556 | 51 | 19 | 10 |
| 1887 | 35,741,653 | 56 | 5 | 1 | 1,427,199 | 34,314,454 | 54 | 0 | 2 |
| 1888 | 36,758,437 | 56 | 16 | 5 | 1,344,427 | 35,414,010 | 54 | 14 | 10 |
| 1889 | 38,375,050 | 58 | 16 | 11 | 1,390,915 | 36,984,135 | 56 | 14 | 3 |
| 1890 | 38,667,950 | 58 | 3 | 2 | 1,386,186 | 37,281,764 | 56 | 1 | 6 |
| 1891 | 38,830,350 | 58 | 1 | 7 | 1,487,042 | 37,343,308 | 55 | 17 | 1 |
| 1892 | 38,713,068 | 56 | 19 | 6 | 1,037,862 | 37,675,206 | 55 | 9 | 0 |
| 1893 | 39,257,840 | 56 | 4 | 7 | 1,113,770 | 38,144,070 | 54 | 12 | 8 |
| 1894 | 39,826,415 | 55 | 8 | 3 | 951,924 | 38,874,491 | 54 | 1 | 9 |
| 1895 | 40,386,964 | 55 | 4 | 3 | 751,932 | 39,635,032 | 54 | 3 | 9 |
| 1896 | 43,050,780 | 57 | 18 | 3 | 778,891 | 42,271,889 | 56 | 17 | 4 |
| 1897 | 44,366,618 | 58 | 11 | 5 | 814,294 | 43,552,324 | 57 | 9 | 11 |
| 1898 | 44,963,424 | 58 | 5 | 6 | 881,903 | 44,081,521 | 57 | 2 | 8 |
| 1899 | 46,938,006 | 59 | 13 | 7 | 857,279 | 46,080,727 | 58 | 11 | 9 |
| 1900 | 47,874,452 | 59 | 19 | 2 | 944,375 | 46,930,077 | 58 | 15 | 6 |
| 1901 | 49,591,245 | 60 | 15 | 8 | 1,033,494 | 48,557,751 | 59 | 10 | 4 |
| 1902 | 52,966,447 | 63 | 11 | 6 | 1,128,816 | 51,837,631 | 62 | 4 | 5 |
| 1903 | 55,899,019 | 65 | 3 | 0 | 1,357,739 | 54,541,280 | 63 | 11 | 4 |
| 1904 | 57,522,215 | 65 | 4 | 3 | 1,500,687 | 56,021,528 | 63 | 10 | 2 |
| 1905 | 59,912,000 | 65 | 19 | 7 | 1,650,718 | 58,261,282 | 64 | 3 | 3 |
| 1906 | 62,191,040 | 66 | 13 | 0 | 1,661,519 | 60,529,521 | 64 | 17 | 4 |
| 1907 | 64,179,040 | 66 | 14 | 10 | 2,042,068 | 62,136,972 | 64 | 12 | 4 |
| 1908 | 66,453,897 | 67 | 8 | 11 | 1,268,361 | 65,185,536 | 66 | 3 | 2 |
| 1909 | 70,938,534 | 69 | 16 | 4 | 1,479,224 | 69,459,310 | 68 | 7 | 3 |
| 1910 | 74,890,645 | 72 | 6 | 10 | 1,503,225 | 73,387,420 | 70 | 17 | 10 |
| 1911 | 81,078,122 | 76 | 15 | 3 | 1,734,486 | 79,323,636 | 75 | 2 | 0 |
| 1912 | 84,353,913 | 78 | 0 | 3 | 2,160,603 | 82,193,310 | 76 | 0 | 3 |
| 1913 | 90,060,763 | 81 | 0 | 5 | 2,603,642 | 87,457,121 | 78 | 13 | 7 |
| 1914 | 99,730,427 | 87 | 10 | 2 | 3,063,992 | 91,689,835 | 80 | 9 | 1 |
| 1915 | 100,059,910 | 86 | 19 | 7 | 3,178,055 | 96,644,455 | 84 | 0 | 3 |
| 1916 | 109,637,397 | 95 | 6 | 4 | 3,679,964 | 105,957,433 | 92 | 2 | 4 |
| 1917 | 129,836,105 | 112 | 16 | 2 | 4,263,590 | 125,572,515 | 109 | 2 | 1 |
| 1918 | 150,840,055 | 130 | 12 | 11 | 4,971,605 | 145,868,450 | 126 | 6 | 10 |
| 1919 | 176,076,260 | 149 | 8 | 5 | 5,951,056 | 170,125,204 | 144 | 7 | 5 |
| 1920 | 201,170,755 | 162 | 12 | 9 | 7,257,564 | 193,913,191 | 156 | 15 | 5 |
| 1921 | 206,324,319 | 162 | 15 | 7 | 8,763,072 | 197,561,222 | 155 | 17 | 4 |
| 1922 | 219,054,385 | 168 | 6 | 10 | 10,655,394 | 208,241,121 | 160 | 0 | 8 |
| 1923 | 218,953,324 | 165 | 4 | 2 | 11,879,256 | 207,024,048 | 156 | 4 | 2 |
| 1924 | 221,616,361 | 164 | 8 | 5 | 12,974,028 | 208,595,743 | 154 | 15 | 3 |
| 1925 | 227,814,647 | 165 | 2 | 11 | 13,462,839 | 214,287,128 | 155 | 6 | 9 |
| Year ended 31st March. | Consolidated Fund. | Public Works Fund. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts. | Payments. | Receipts. | Payments. | |||
| From Taxation. | From other Sources. | Total. | Total. | |||
* Year ended 30th June. † Nine months ended 31st March. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1876* | 1,349,808 | 1,464,120 | 2,813,928 | 4,282,901 | 2,074,648 | 3,002,193 |
| 1877* | 1,350,942 | 2,229,352 | 3,580,294 | 4,310,875 | 1,931,697 | 1,600,313 |
| 1878* | 1,343,943 | 2,572,080 | 3,916,023 | 4,212,474 | 2,200,000 | 1,178,041 |
| 1879* | 1,519,505 | 2,648,384 | 4,167,889 | 4,365,275 | 20,541 | 1,519,484 |
| 1880† | 1,447,717 | 1,687,188 | 3,134,905 | 3,845,035 | 3,632 | 2,244,428 |
| 1881 | 1,755,414 | 1,529,628 | 3,285,042 | 4,019,851 | 1,841 | 1,527,807 |
| 1882 | 1,890,679 | 1,866,814 | 3,757,493 | 3,675,797 | 15,211 | 826,790 |
| 1883 | 1,956,557 | 1,960,603 | 3,917,160 | 3,824,736 | 1,004,898 | 897,037 |
| 1884 | 1,957,080 | 1,914,187 | 3,871,267 | 3,924,005 | 945,776 | 1,409,589 |
| 1885 | 1,815,674 | 2,139,514 | 3,955,188 | 4,101,318 | 2,504,113 | 1,336,727 |
| 1886 | 2,016,730 | 2,080,266 | 4,096,996 | 4,282,901 | 198,867 | 1,475,386 |
| 1887 | 1,882,050 | 1,946,412 | 3,828,462 | 4,310,875 | 1,499,500 | 1,333,484 |
| 1888 | 1,876,235 | 1,845,444 | 3,721,679 | 4,212,474 | 500,000 | 966,159 |
| 1889 | 2,031,658 | 2,341,357 | 4,373,015 | 4,226,112 | 1,503,000 | 613,939 |
| 1890 | 2,090,405 | 2,176,714 | 4,267,119 | 4,256,921 | 83,142 | 482,464 |
| 1891 | 2,173,985 | 2,322,043 | 4,496,028 | 4,369,566 | 4,262 | 334,756 |
| 1892 | 2,179,739 | 2,248,791 | 4,428,530 | 4,417,843 | 216,533 | 391,501 |
| 1893 | 2,339,511 | 2,330,040 | 4,669,551 | 4,324,990 | 215,765 | 462,506 |
| 1894 | 2,353,250 | 2,339,213 | 4,692,463 | 4,455,116 | 418,323 | 406,797 |
| 1895 | 2,300,350 | 2,147,549 | 4,447,899 | 4,352,185 | 353,000 | 504,486 |
| 1896 | 2,335,760 | 2,220,255 | 4,556,015 | 4,370,481 | 162,272 | 575,087 |
| 1897 | 2,521,011 | 2,276,797 | 4,798,708 | 4,509,981 | 540,275 | 601,343 |
| 1898 | 2,678,576 | 2,400,654 | 5,079,230 | 4,602,372 | 759,673 | 865,543 |
| 1899 | 2,707,099 | 2,551,129 | 5,258,228 | 4,858,511 | 935,691 | 916,327 |
| 1900 | 2,891,126 | 2,808,492 | 5,699,618 | 5,140,127 | 1,062,116 | 993,223 |
| 1901 | 3,042,890 | 2,864,026 | 5,906,916 | 5,479,704 | 1,401,788 | 1,309,021 |
| 1902 | 3,113,079 | 3,039,760 | 6,152,839 | 5,914,915 | 2,364,796 | 2,143,252 |
| 1903 | 3,277,964 | 3,169,471 | 6,447,435 | 6,214,019 | 1,398,950 | 1,514,445 |
| 1904 | 3,649,601 | 3,480,516 | 7,180,117 | 6,434,281 | 1,875,614 | 1,796,841 |
| 1905 | 3,754,379 | 3,592,818 | 7,347,197 | 6,635,902 | 1,908,683 | 1,354,158 |
| 1906 | 3,841,596 | 3,808,502 | 7,650,098 | 7,122,340 | 1,555,768 | 1,811,819 |
| 1907 | 4,264,555 | 4,214,401 | 8,478,956 | 7,774,926 | 1,918,081 | 2,168,894 |
| 1908 | 4,645,754 | 4,418,235 | 9,063,989 | 8,213,965 | 1,846,054 | 2,109,882 |
| 1909 | 4,377,761 | 4,023,424 | 9,001,185 | 8,785,513 | 3,628,270 | 3,363,895 |
| 1910 | 4,180,516 | 5,058,401 | 9,238,917 | 8,990,922 | 2,093,697 | 2,216,397 |
| 1911 | 4,837,322 | 5,459,951 | 10,297,273 | 9,343,106 | 3,396,648 | 2,058,691 |
| 1912 | 5,296,590 | 5,764,571 | 11,061,161 | 10,340,368 | 1,256,456 | 2,340,380 |
| 1913 | 5,606,829 | 6,127,442 | 11,734,271 | 11,082,038 | 3,300,729 | 2,548,918 |
| 1914 | 5,918,034 | 6,311,627 | 12,229,661 | 11,825,864 | 3,478,751 | 2,760,798 |
| 1915 | 5,880,811 | 6,571,134 | 12,451,945 | 12,379,803 | 2,224,491 | 2,737,364 |
| 1916 | 7,266,966 | 7,240,564 | 14,507,530 | 12,943,107 | 3,187,154 | 2,583,212 |
| 1917 | 10,549,654 | 7,805,540 | 18,355,194 | 14,058,770 | 1,105,837 | 1,775,513 |
| 1918 | 12,340,853 | 7,865,369 | 20,206,222 | 15,120,288 | 1,091,195 | 1,401,837 |
| 1919 | 13,801,643 | 8,550,729 | 22,352,372 | 18,673,599 | 1,240,680 | 1,387,661 |
| 1920 | 16,251,769 | 9,829,571 | 26,081,340 | 23,781,524 | 2,243,389 | 2,232,815 |
| 1921 | 22,184,414 | 12,075,847 | 34,260,261 | 28,068,730 | 5,012,156 | 3,658,240 |
| 1922 | 16,370,516 | 11,756,491 | 28,127,007 | 28,466,838 | 9,792,916 | 6,875,636 |
| 1913 | 15,594,288 | 11,985,155 | 27,579,443 | 26,263,760 | 3,968,565 | 4,729,679 |
| 1924 | 16,416,870 | 11,543,500 | 27,960,370 | 26,148,005 | 4,275,914 | 4,658,272 |
| 1925 | 16,172,306 | 12,470,694 | 28,643,000 | 27,399,200 | 4,833,280 | 5,482,069 |
| Year ended 31st March. | Receipts. | Payments. | Total Gross Indebtedness. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue. | Other Receipts. | Total. | ||||
| From Rates. | From other Sources. | |||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1878 | 210,916 | 1,313,963 | .. | 1,524,879 | 1,185,972 | 1,069,337 |
| 1879 | 234,988 | 1,127,038 | .. | 1,362,026 | 1,630,869 | 1,259,415 |
| 1880 | 266,938 | 989,256 | .. | 1,256,194 | 1,601,691 | 1,597,204 |
| 1881 | 249,087 | 814,142 | 889,705 | 1,952,934 | 1,871,752 | 3,039,807 |
| 1882 | 297,328 | 694,652 | 419,608 | 1,411,588 | 1,637,337 | 3,277,584 |
| 1883 | 327,128 | 600,450 | 311,466 | 1,239,044 | 1,397,863 | 3,540,046 |
| 1884 | 398,659 | 744,527 | 331,994 | 1,475,180 | 1,499,117 | 4,039,769 |
| 1885 | 401,393 | 841,895 | 430,561 | 1,673,849 | 1,653,706 | 4,433,309 |
| 1886 | 410,639 | 882,618 | 514,728 | 1,807,985 | 1,644,706 | 5,086,044 |
| 1887 | 434,237 | 790,063 | 992,633 | 2,216,933 | 1,885,001 | 5,825,683 |
| 1888 | 433,832 | 795,067 | 511,594 | 1,740,493 | 1,819,787 | 6,015,354 |
| 1889 | 445,929 | 676,428 | 316,139 | 1,438,496 | 1,560,605 | 6,164,901 |
| 1890 | 460,303 | 707,725 | 206,688 | 1,374,716 | 1,476,540 | 6,316,716 |
| 1891 | 463,581 | 662,765 | 236,902 | 1,363,248 | 1,381,320 | 6,427,473 |
| 1892 | 488,824 | 693,296 | 214,124 | 1,396,244 | 1,400,467 | 6,550,183 |
| 1893 | 508,157 | 709,676 | 340,538 | 1,558,371 | 1,482,548 | 6,750,698 |
| 1894 | 551,412 | 681,831 | 623,038 | 1,856,281 | 1,589,124 | 7,253,072 |
| 1895 | 581,868 | 683,857 | 328,798 | 1,594,523 | 1,584,518 | 7,422,306 |
| 1896 | 592,903 | 738,146 | 269,145 | 1,600,194 | 1,627,079 | 7,547,511 |
| 1897 | 598,526 | 765,047 | 246,919 | 1,610,492 | 1,636,716 | 7,675,814 |
| 1898 | 644,552 | 790,602 | 304,645 | 1,739,799 | 1,733,016 | 7,783,445 |
| 1899 | 685,769 | 820,727 | 385,368 | 1,891,864 | 1,778,574 | 7,995,400 |
| 1900 | 714,151 | 848,032 | 372,028 | 1,934,211 | 1,960,073 | 8,149,272 |
| 1901 | 734,023 | 919,831 | 825,039 | 2,478,893 | 2,250,572 | 8,785,303 |
| 1902 | 800,471 | 1,019,024 | 775,432 | 2,594,927 | 2,528,092 | 9,245,364 |
| 1903 | 846,716 | 1,053,582 | 966,087 | 2,866,385 | 2,867,506 | 9,886,676 |
| 1904 | 950,150 | 1,206,069 | 1,142,595 | 3,298,814 | 3,230,712 | 10,756,062 |
| 1905 | 1,019,431 | 1,255,222 | 1,350,631 | 3,625,284 | 3,497,321 | 12,056,736 |
| 1906 | 1,151,219 | 1,392,148 | 1,326,597 | 3,869,964 | 3,601,506 | 12,873,165 |
| 1907 | 1,233,049 | 1,579,391 | 1,227,473 | 4,039,913 | 3,897,515 | 13,903,153 |
| 1908 | 1,356,257 | 1,750,665 | 1,410,994 | 4,517,916 | 4,491,113 | 14,931,351 |
| 1909 | 1,390,698 | 1,934,122 | 1,440,746 | 4,765,566 | 4,800,711 | 15,920,757 |
| 1910 | 1,526,317 | 1,934,034 | 2,362,171 | 5,822,522 | 4,898,482 | 17,809,917 |
| 1911 | 1,592,601 | 2,171,725 | 1,776,958 | 5,541,284 | 5,360,261 | 19,105,603 |
| 1912 | 1,677,877 | 2,298,934 | 2,25,258 | 6,402,069 | 6,074,372 | 20,772,555 |
| 1913 | 1,799,299 | 2,531,686 | 2,383,123 | 6,714,108 | 6,537,769 | 22,212,555 |
| 1914 | 2,005,638 | 2,719,112 | 2,411,575 | 7,136,325 | 6,796,314 | 23,828,637 |
| 1915 | 2,140,086 | 2,861,297 | 2,595,706 | 7,597,089 | 6,806,567 | 24,625,387 |
| 1916 | 2,355,155 | 2,967,645 | 2,469,275 | 7,792,075 | 6,920,736 | 26,162,587 |
| 1917 | 2,534,539 | 3,243,942 | 1,411,422 | 7,189,903 | 6,758,593 | 26,959,234 |
| 1918 | 2,674,541 | 3,283,749 | 1,250,047 | 7,208,337 | 7,103,073 | 27,852,971 |
| 1919 | 2,939,606 | 3,452,071 | 942,780 | 7,334,457 | 7,320,277 | 28,323,853 |
| 1920 | 3,144,213 | 4,486,582 | 3,329,003 | 10,959,798 | 10,883,586 | 30,485,774 |
| 1921 | 3,549,590 | 5,336,374 | 3,429,662 | 12,315,626 | 12,761,690 | 32,465,048 |
| 1922 | 3,779,895 | 6,074,782 | 5,486,912 | 15,341,589 | 15,091,875 | 37,205,539 |
| 1923 | 4,277,781 | 6,243,951 | 7,399,674 | 17,921,406 | 15,695,507 | 43,683,449 |
| 1924 | 4,445,627 | 6,704,144 | 5,685,107 | 16,834,878 | 16,520,950 | 47,126,139 |
| As at 31st March. | Counties. | Boroughs. | Harbour Hoards. | Electric-power Districts. | Other. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOTE.—Loans from Government—i.e., Inscribed Debt and Advances from State Advances Office—have not been included. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1876 | .. | 431,539 | .. | .. | .. | 431,539 |
| 1877 | .. | 502,500 | .. | .. | .. | 502,500 |
| 1878 | .. | 1,056,119 | .. | .. | .. | 1,056,119 |
| 1879 | .. | 1,259,415 | .. | .. | .. | 1,259,415 |
| 1880 | .. | 1,597,304 | .. | .. | .. | 1,597,304 |
| 1881 | .. | 1,844,007 | 1,195,800 | .. | .. | 3,039,807 |
| 1882 | .. | 1,940,684 | 1,336,900 | .. | .. | 3,277,584 |
| 1883 | 7,800 | 1,958,546 | 1,508,900 | .. | 64,800 | 3,540,046 |
| 1884 | 8,110 | 2,107,300 | 1,575,200 | .. | 271,720 | 3,962,330 |
| 1885 | 7,800 | 2,156,455 | 1,872,100 | .. | 276,868 | 4,313,223 |
| 1886 | 3,510 | 2,257,775 | 2,414,945 | .. | 275,280 | 4,951,510 |
| 1887 | 8,700 | 2,452,585 | 2,887,700 | .. | 271,762 | 5,620,747 |
| 1888 | 14,282 | 2,527,353 | 3,006,900 | .. | 264,268 | 5,812,803 |
| 1889 | 23,523 | 2,534,556 | 3,057,118 | .. | 276,853 | 5,892,050 |
| 1890 | 8,505 | 2,541,453 | 3,155,600 | .. | 272,501 | 5,978,059 |
| 1891 | 8,010 | 2,540,390 | 3,226,000 | .. | 268,293 | 6,042,693 |
| 1892 | 9,660 | 2,539,445 | 3,276,300 | .. | 256,529 | 6,081,934 |
| 1893 | 11,660 | 2,567,095 | 3,369,410 | .. | 255,704 | 6,203,869 |
| 1894 | 11,010 | 2,738,184 | 3,610,450 | .. | 255,180 | 6,614,824 |
| 1895 | 10,510 | 2,757,395 | 3,652,350 | .. | 265,255 | 6,685,510 |
| 1896 | 10,510 | 2,777,495 | 3,686,959 | .. | 262,614 | 6,737,578 |
| 1897 | 10,510 | 2,817,378 | 3,703,561 | .. | 261,949 | 6,793,398 |
| 1898 | 11,710 | 2,834,306 | 3,723,380 | .. | 264,965 | 6,834,361 |
| 1899 | 10,500 | 2,881,567 | 3,804,187 | .. | 267,000 | 6,963,254 |
| 1900 | 6,900 | 2,939,025 | 3,845,881 | .. | 265,544 | 7,057,350 |
| 1901 | 6,714 | 3,251,817 | 4,035,331 | .. | 260,207 | 7,563,069 |
| 1902 | 6,714 | 3,435,884 | 4,123,631 | .. | 273,466 | 7,839,695 |
| 1903 | 6,614 | 3,655,436 | 4,256,481 | .. | 298,665 | 8,217,196 |
| 1904 | 6,214 | 4,226,800 | 4,308,851 | .. | 357,045 | 8,898,910 |
| 1905 | 7,800 | 4,863,986 | 4,382,551 | .. | 763,905 | 10,018,242 |
| 1906 | 15,228 | 5,314,173 | 4,554,151 | .. | 834,499 | 10,718,051 |
| 1907 | 31,678 | 5,920,305 | 4,676,551 | .. | 987,514 | 11,616,048 |
| 1908 | 37,138 | 6,540,071 | 4,877,676 | .. | 1,077,449 | 12,532,334 |
| 1909 | 56,534 | 7,016,926 | 5,052,845 | .. | 1,177,317 | 13,303,622 |
| 1910 | 76,877 | 7,687,209 | 5,788,400 | .. | 1,385,199 | 14,937,685 |
| 1911 | 99,038 | 8,159,986 | 6,001,650 | .. | 1,466,939 | 15,727,613 |
| 1912 | 122,418 | 8,507,486 | 6,235,978 | .. | 1,724,995 | 16,590,877 |
| 1913 | 121,911 | 9,084,205 | 6,371,636 | .. | 1,905,580 | 17,483,332 |
| 1914 | 183,936 | 10,083,810 | 6,608,700 | .. | 2,047,036 | 18,923,482 |
| 1915 | 247,694 | 10,206,353 | 6,869,500 | .. | 2,121,928 | 1,445,470 |
| 1916 | 265,091 | 11,086,719 | 7,014,390 | .. | 2,387,968 | 20,754,168 |
| 1917 | 286,679 | 11,606,485 | 7,151,743 | .. | 2,387,860 | 21,432,767 |
| 1918 | 421,214 | 12,150,384 | 7,268,993 | .. | 2,419,946 | 22,260,537 |
| 1919 | 537,415 | 12,365,958 | 7,301,143 | .. | 2,469,196 | 22,673,712 |
| 1920 | 752,176 | 13,944,507 | 7,377,142 | .. | 2,534,468 | 24,608,293 |
| 1921 | 1,046,378 | 14,575,825 | 7,528,288 | 147,750 | 2,888,719 | 26,186,960 |
| 1922 | 1,328,297 | 16,282,960 | 8,110,911 | 1,480,000 | 3,064,036 | 30,266,204 |
| 1923 | 1802,633 | 19,501,988 | 8,437,987 | 3,052,300 | 3,284,474 | 36,079,382 |
| 1924 | 1,870,078 | 19,819,497 | 9,020,188 | 4,740,865 | 3,659,372 | 39,110,000 |
| Year. | Assets. | Liabilities. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advances. | Coin and Bullion. | Total (including other Items) | Notes in Circulation. | Deposits. | Total (Including other Items). | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| 1875 | 8,441,183 | 1,644,772 | 10,987,178 | 885,874 | 5,967,205 | 6,987,318 |
| 1876 | 9,240,058 | 1,614,918 | 11,776,070 | 874,516 | 6,238,471 | 7,221,399 |
| 1877 | 10,194,256 | 1,864,063 | 12,992,104 | 874,827 | 7,185,106 | 8,152,230 |
| 1878 | 12,544,561 | 1,894,865 | 15,393,630 | 965,046 | 8,960,369 | 10,031,009 |
| 1879 | 13,145,185 | 1,915,574 | 16,054,295 | 950,425 | 8,021,073 | 9,057,463 |
| 1880 | 11,228,865 | 2,166,578 | 14,220,275 | 918,297 | 8,538,935 | 9,550,177 |
| 1881 | 11,888,689 | 2,045,915 | 14,863,645 | 916,269 | 9,069,377 | 10,083,188 |
| 1882 | 14,285,567 | 1,900,203 | 17,162,234 | 971,386 | 8,945,346 | 10,015,273 |
| 1883 | 14,821,780 | 1,881,675 | 17,794,761 | 968,520 | 8,659,477 | 9,706,700 |
| 1884 | 14,947,091 | 2,023,088 | 18,442,139 | 971,903 | 9,643,214 | 10,691,599 |
| 1885 | 15,470,275 | 2,101,784 | 18,811,567 | 968,481 | 10,083,296 | 11,130,244 |
| 1886 | 15,834,877 | 2,177,544 | 19,041,827 | 943,075 | 10,579,711 | 11,603,194 |
| 1887 | 15,310,050 | 2,342,052 | 18,799,847 | 896,517 | 11,031,614 | 11,995,495 |
| 1888 | 15,041,897 | 2,319,325 | 18,709,444 | 873,045 | 11,155,778 | 12,108,353 |
| 1889 | 14,272,481 | 2,217,833 | 17,652,915 | 879,440 | 11,528,424 | 12,486,717 |
| 1890 | 13,996,086 | 2,536,529 | 17,735,259 | 903,010 | 12,368,610 | 13,356,598 |
| 1891 | 11,448,745 | 2,405,099 | 16,814,518 | 937,309 | 12,796,098 | 13,820,458 |
| 1892 | 12,128,065 | 2,450,712 | 17,558,168 | 959,943 | 13,587,062 | 14,623,335 |
| 1893 | 12,688,303 | 2,627,367 | 18,255,534 | 973,894 | 14,433,777 | 15,489,633 |
| 1894 | 11,897,740 | 2,896,562 | 17,746,421 | 901,526 | 13,927,217 | 14,930,791 |
| 1895 | 11,600,080 | 3,310,943 | 18,159,781 | 897,919 | 13,544,415 | 14,491,627 |
| 1896 | 10,972,220 | 3,308,392 | 16,900,199 | 946,366 | 14,490,827 | 15,520,431 |
| 1897 | 10,020,640 | 3,093,295 | 17,276,771 | 1,009,038 | 14,290,512 | 15,380,248 |
| 1898 | 10,564,266 | 2,791,081 | 17,013,404 | 1,070,133 | 14,143,229 | 15,299,058 |
| 1899 | 10,954,435 | 2,675,361 | 17,190,433 | 1,163,759 | 14,591,223 | 15,834,858 |
| 1900 | 11,343,411 | 2,739,197 | 17,314,535 | 1,299,825 | 15,570,610 | 16,964,582 |
| 1901 | 12,148,335 | 2,996,345 | 18,422,274 | 1,361,355 | 16,034,848 | 17,490,035 |
| 1902 | 12,747,773 | 3,201,824 | 18,999,180 | 1,375,788 | 17,231,768 | 18,701,063 |
| 1903 | 13,435,993 | 3,608,941 | 19,913,546 | 1,450,267 | 19,011,114 | 20,563,879 |
| 1904 | 14,651,198 | 3,896,195 | 20,893,096 | 1,468,161 | 19,074,960 | 20,643,359 |
| 1905 | 15,496,395 | 4,006,108 | 21,770,525 | 1,468,977 | 20,545,601 | 22,144,166 |
| 1906 | 16,649,329 | 4,593,954 | 23,829,933 | 1,574,254 | 22,422,243 | 24,143,008 |
| 1907 | 18,514,045 | 4,836,718 | 26,584,239 | 1,644,645 | 23,517,111 | 25,334,348 |
| 1908 | 21,172,808 | 4,840,942 | 29,098,567 | 1,615,109 | 21,821,753 | 23,611,903 |
| 1909 | 19,078,032 | 4,947,096 | 26,937,265 | 1,577,558 | 21,996,621 | 23,728,326 |
| 1910 | 18,439,999 | 5,035,764 | 26,398,927 | 1,626,094 | 24,968,761 | 26,742,081 |
| 1911 | 21,259,727 | 5,195,333 | 29,433,614 | 1,677,842 | 26,765,122 | 28,625,803 |
| 1912 | 22,907,656 | 5,338,295 | 31,196,400 | 1,714,667 | 25,622,083 | 27,508,348 |
| 1913 | 22,902,298 | 5,204,266 | 30,708,932 | 1,674,333 | 25,733,187 | 27,591,099 |
| 1914 | 24,250,246 | 5,712,751 | 32,502,312 | 1,998,388 | 27,640,507 | 29,808,349 |
| 1915 | 23,638,970 | 6,781,006 | 33,209,483 | 2,846,275 | 31,433,653 | 34,448,270 |
| 1916 | 24,911,706 | 7,393,917 | 37,015,486 | 4,049,529 | 37,757,917 | 41,977,619 |
| 1917 | 28,847,749 | 8,072,279 | 44,979,615 | 5,410,957 | 42,930,713 | 48,541,961 |
| 1918 | 31,711,350 | 8,085,961 | 48,570,126 | 6,266,768 | 45,562,939 | 52,048,732 |
| 1919 | 31,717,720 | 8,017,159 | 48,615,209 | 7,087,545 | 50,489,444 | 57,861,393 |
| 1920 | 38,241,932 | 7,728,942 | 56,111,433 | 7,890,418 | 59,405,341 | 67,818,469 |
| 1921 | 50,607,541 | 7,660,532 | 68,701,282 | 7,569,319 | 49,397,411 | 58,808,439 |
| 1922 | 44,768,178 | 7,822,562 | 61,779,570 | 7,019,220 | 45,913,394 | 53,868,834 |
| 1923 | 43,322,242 | 7,900,594 | 59,641,235 | 6,593,068 | 49,039,482 | 56,204,292 |
| 1924 | 44,559,661 | 7,816,145 | 81,325,365 | 6,587,546 | 49,502,499 | 57,131,235 |
| Year. | Number of Depositors at end of Year. | Total Amount of Deposits during Year. | Total Amount of Withdrawals during Year. | Excess of Deposits over Withdrawals. | Interest Credited to Depositors. | Total Amount to Credit of Depositors. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Fifteen months, 1st January, 1920, to 31st March, 1921. † Year ended 31st March following. ‡ Excess of withdrawals over deposits. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| 1875 | 24,334 | 657,653 | 729,760 | — 72,107‡ | 28,565 | 727,295 |
| 1876 | 26,117 | 664,135 | 696,281 | — 32,146‡ | 28,762 | 723,911 |
| 1877 | 28,761 | 681,294 | 667,023 | 14,271 | 29,194 | 767,376 |
| 1878 | 32,132 | 762,085 | 742,054 | 20,031 | 31,665 | 819,071 |
| 1879 | 34,747 | 812,400 | 876,181 | — 63,781‡ | 31,716 | 787,006 |
| 1880 | 38,667 | 864,442 | 780,505 | 83,937 | 32,823 | 903,766 |
| 1881 | 51,008 | 1,189,012 | 902,195 | 286,817 | 42,205 | 1,232,788 |
| 1882 | 57,517 | 1,325,852 | 1,142,599 | 183,253 | 54,910 | 1,470,951 |
| 1883 | 61,936 | 1,178,474 | 1,295,720 | -117,246‡ | 56,047 | 1,409,752 |
| 1884 | 65,717 | 1,227,910 | 1,195,931 | 31,979 | 57,382 | 1,499,112 |
| 1885 | 69,957 | 1,341,001 | 1,264,305 | 76,696 | 62,228 | 1,638,036 |
| 1886 | 74,871 | 1,248,405 | 1,336,287 | - 87,882‡ | 65,825 | 1,615,979 |
| 1887 | 79,724 | 1,312,151 | 1,182,409 | 129,742 | 67,364 | 1,813,085 |
| 1888 | 84,488 | 1,544,747 | 1,387,471 | 157,276 | 78,080 | 2,048,442 |
| 1889 | 90,745 | 1,515,282 | 1,457,081 | 58,201 | 84,810 | 2,191,452 |
| 1890 | 97,208 | 1,658,543 | 1,500,437 | 158,106 | 92,319 | 2,441,876 |
| 1891 | 104,467 | 1,842,988 | 1,693,515 | 149,473 | 104,099 | 2,695,448 |
| 1892 | 112,528 | 1,878,270 | 1,821,349 | 56,921 | 111,302 | 2,863,671 |
| 1893 | 122,684 | 2,386,090 | 2,122,522 | 263,568 | 114,760 | 3,241,998 |
| 1894 | 129,423 | 2,252,862 | 2,268,624 | — 15,762‡ | 114,643 | 3,340,880 |
| 1895 | 137,683 | 2,794,507 | 2,369,333 | 425,174 | 129,490 | 3,895,543 |
| 1896 | 147,758 | 2,881,153 | 2,591,559 | 289,594 | 126,498 | 4,311,635 |
| 1897 | 159,331 | 3,187,219 | 2,891,169 | 296,050 | 137,240 | 4,744,925 |
| 1898 | 169,968 | 3,279,611 | 3,194,894 | 84,717 | 128,129 | 4,957,771 |
| 1899 | 183,046 | 3,644,980 | 3,417,299 | 227,681 | 134,918 | 5,320,371 |
| 1900 | 197,408 | 4,170,429 | 3,827,416 | 343,013 | 146,169 | 5,809,552 |
| 1901 | 212,436 | 4,611,456 | 4,230,193 | 381,263 | 159,198 | 6,350,013 |
| 1902 | 227,465 | 5,069,619 | 4,708,772 | 360,847 | 172,926 | 6,883,787 |
| 1903 | 243,675 | 5,661,593 | 5,343,828 | 317,765 | 187,130 | 7,388,682 |
| 1904 | 259,164 | 5,836,540 | 5,664,770 | 171,770 | 200,930 | 7,761,382 |
| 1905 | 276,066 | 6,625,744 | 5,984,185 | 641,559 | 259,081 | 8,662,023 |
| 1906 | 298,746 | 7,907,155 | 6,907,104 | 1,000,051 | 291,192 | 9,953,266 |
| 1907 | 319,173 | 9,351,664 | 8,125,123 | 1,226,541 | 343,424 | 11,523,231 |
| 1908 | 342,077 | 9,674,075 | 9,417,820 | 256,255 | 379,808 | 12,159,294 |
| 1909 | 359,714 | 9,611,120 | 9,499,320 | 111,800 | 395,804 | 12,666,898 |
| 1910 | 380,585 | 10,708,939 | 9,695,515 | 1,013,424 | 424,668 | 14,104,990 |
| 1911 | 405,566 | 11,627,368 | 10,662,046 | 965,322 | 472,875 | 15,543,187 |
| 1912 | 432,199. | 11,725,183 | 11,449,711 | 275,472 | 511,599 | 16,330,257 |
| 1913 | 458,594 | 11,286,702 | 11,041,454 | 245,248 | 655,908 | 17,131,414 |
| 1914 | 483,262 | 11,904,323 | 10,603,018 | 1,301,305 | 615,310 | 19,048,029 |
| 1915 | 509,085 | 13,706,057 | 11,294,973 | 2,411,084 | 707,252 | 22,166,365 |
| 1916 | 538,072 | 15,576,408 | 12,957,420 | 2,618,988 | 817,856 | 25,603,209 |
| 1917 | 566,351 | 17,106,529 | 14,461,169 | 2,645,360 | 947,821 | 29,196,390 |
| 1918 | 590,205 | 18,101,105 | 14,938,842 | 3,162,263 | 1,059,472 | 33,418,125 |
| 1919 | 630,783 | 29,758,447 | 25,962,377 | 3,796,070 | 1,178,935 | 38,393,130 |
| 1920* | 664,819 | 44,302,852 | 41,162,486 | 3,140,366 | 1,818,535 | 43,352,031 |
| 1921† | 678,930 | 29,125,997 | 30,236,231 | -1,110,234‡ | 1,599,907 | 43,841,704 |
| 1922† | 690,790 | 26,682,427 | 27,769,263 | -1,086,836‡ | 1,605,525 | 44,360,393 |
| 1923† | 710,157 | 29,598,372 | 29,510,321 | 88,051 | 1,649,976 | 46,098,421 |
| 1924† | 735,148 | 29,582,897 | 30,413,609 | - 830,712‡ | 1,680,919 | 46,948,628 |
| Year. | Letters posted and delivered. | Newspapers posted and delivered. | Money-orders issued. | Postal Notes issued.‡ | Postal Revenue.‡ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number. | Amount. | Number. | Amount. | ||||
* Received and dispatched. † Counted once only. ‡ Year ended 31st March following. | |||||||
| £ | £ | £ | |||||
| 1875 | 10,427,851* | 6,811,277* | 73,027 | 293,481 | .. | .. | 122,496 |
| 1876 | 11,770,737* | 7,962,748* | 80,255 | 310,268 | .. | .. | 129,263 |
| 1877 | 13,054,870* | 8,066,311* | 90,672 | 334,973 | .. | .. | 143,600 |
| 1878 | 15,524,761* | 9,410,366* | 101,017 | 368,255 | .. | .. | 158,998 |
| 1879 | 20,957,818* | 10,057,944* | 117,999 | 428,673 | .. | .. | 141,448 |
| 1880 | 22,824,468* | 10,272,917* | 135,648 | 465,405 | .. | .. | 149,517 |
| 1881 | 25,557,931* | 12,248,043* | 135,556 | 452,182 | .. | .. | 156,579 |
| 1882 | 30,525,579* | 13,313,099* | 148,162 | 499,368 | .. | .. | 168,325 |
| 1883 | 33,588,468* | 13,030,563* | 172,556 | 541,133 | .. | .. | 172,665 |
| 1884 | 35,257,846* | 14,093,742* | 186,052 | 572,666 | .. | .. | 188,772 |
| 1885 | 35,829,855* | 14,233,878* | 188,622 | 581,395 | 16,412 | 6,910 | 197,456 |
| 1886 | 38,084,592* | 14,324,047* | 155,680 | 547,755 | 92,546 | 37,659 | 206,029 |
| 1887 | 39,377,774* | 15,381,323* | 159,579 | 555,744 | 122,255 | 47,729 | 213,355 |
| 1888 | 40,398,020* | 16,202,849* | 162,387 | 555,996 | 149,879 | 56,842 | 212,247 |
| 1889 | 42,301,233* | 16,721,016* | 172,076 | 589,545 | 175,023 | 65,484 | 222,978 |
| 1890 | 43,917,200* | 17,912,734* | 176,427 | 602,077 | 189,915 | 69,722 | 225,867 |
| 1891 | 47,612,864* | 18,501,912* | 195,239 | 651,990 | 220,683 | 79,326 | 245,395 |
| 1892 | 50,610,742* | 18,557,565* | 199,438 | 694,847 | 247,902 | 87,857 | 252,494 |
| 1893 | 52,085,449* | 19,556,030* | 210,957 | 750,929 | 285,389 | 101,002 | 253,457 |
| 1894 | 52,168,336* | 19,271,590* | 222,678 | 776,783 | 319,368 | 112,308 | 254,800 |
| 1895 | 29,586,949† | 12,675,973† | 243,497 | 812,604 | 349,627 | 123,368 | 242,615 |
| 1896 | 30,442,053† | 13,216,521† | 269,566 | 902,160 | 376,796 | 129,012 | 262,482 |
| 1897 | 33,030,095† | 14,261,345† | 293,659 | 970,831 | 409,866 | 134,378 | 272,163 |
| 1898 | 35,654,947† | 15,095,487† | 318,370 | 1,029,241 | 431,449 | 139,957 | 304,947 |
| 1899 | 38,484,371† | 15,717,388† | 344,664 | 1,118,808 | 461,447 | 147,686 | 325,301 |
| 1900 | 39,898,479† | 17,045,715† | 369,834 | 1,214,853 | 490,506 | 154,436 | 316,858 |
| 1901 | 52,567,560† | 18,973,632† | 405,967 | 1,286,508 | 556,316 | 173,317 | 281,097 |
| 1902 | 57,714,631† | 18,517,276† | 367,207 | 1,277,059 | 616,264 | 191,905 | 302,604 |
| 1903 | 61,687,457† | 19,696,434† | 396,312 | 1,416,225 | 707,044 | 220,070 | 343,207 |
| 1904 | 66,501,434† | 21,500,744† | 407,783 | 1,476,887 | 785,347 | 250,123 | 383,243 |
| 1905 | 71,116,261† | 23,626,362† | 417,441 | 1,541,712 | 875,324 | 276,279 | 410,967 |
| 1906 | 79,084,566† | 23,716,431† | 439,020 | 1,686,231 | 981,642 | 314,053 | 438,729 |
| 1907 | 159,680,654 | 38,862,863 | 441,487 | 1,773,591 | 1,092,631 | 347,300 | 478,388 |
| 1908 | 175,440,111 | 41,358,913 | 488,084 | 2,050,684 | 1,222,280 | 389,143 | 544,642 |
| 1909 | 186,926,337 | 42,561,641 | 538,740 | 2,307,593 | 1,414,752 | 447,619 | 566,990 |
| 1910 | 196,768,968 | 42,305,554 | 569,657 | 2,457,523 | 1,666,959 | 524,943 | 603,150 |
| 1911 | 205,450,627 | 43,801,719 | 607,764 | 2,759,393 | 1,821,566 | 574,980 | 613,252 |
| 1912 | 214,184,119 | 43,460,016 | 666,425 | 3,231,350 | 1,970,643 | 636,473 | 644,637 |
| 1913 | 223,961,200 | 43,572,759 | 690,745 | 3,357,774 | 2,238,842 | 721,743 | 695,136 |
| 1914 | 233,901,320 | 43,779,983 | 691,518 | 3,427,505 | 2,314,327 | 725,118 | 698,898 |
| 1915 | 242,547,859 | 41,311,535 | 664,860 | 3,471,818 | 2,370,079 | 723,314 | 858,583 |
| 1916 | 242,121,361 | 41,807,999 | 669,355 | 3,607,087 | 2,286,463 | 695,819 | 964,793 |
| 1917 | 245,796,945 | 40,366,792 | 642,683 | 3,476,645 | 2,166,597 | 638,246 | 976,027 |
| 1918 | 242,527,369 | 35,476,212 | 638,500 | 3,649,371 | 2,091,051 | 619,605 | 983,585 |
| 1919 | 247,143,183 | 35,498,263 | 690,291 | 4,604,059 | 2,197,520 | 655,910 | 1,068,489 |
| 1920 | 259,743,234 | 37,859,247 | 699,674 | 5,276,776 | 2,280,219 | 705,027 | 1,352,677 |
| 1921 | 253,767,131 | 38,680,982 | 669,383 | 4,850,820 | 2,377,622 | 739,783 | 1,499,304 |
| 1922 | 239,997,081 | 35,635,219 | 659,943 | 4,278,529 | 2,434,506 | 747,025 | 1,378,421 |
| 1923 | 252,021,959 | 38,138,697 | 684,979 | 4,390,159 | 2,652,777 | 804,343 | 1,146,588 |
| 1924 | 272,311,925 | 41,602,497 | 731,511 | 4,692,929 | 2,846,333 | 860,029 | 1,257,942 |
| Year ended 31st March. | Miles Open for Traffic. | Capital Cost of Open Lines. | Train mileage. | Passengers carried, excluding Season-ticket Holders. | Goods and Live-stock.* | Revenue. | Expenditure. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Equivalent tonnage of live-stock. † Not available. | |||||||
| £ | Tons. | £ | £ | ||||
| 1876 | 542 | † | † | † | † | 65,717 | 55,592 |
| 1877 | 718 | † | † | † | † | 311,187 | 224,801 |
| 1878 | 1,052 | 7,284,106 | 1,904,374 | 1,542,695 | 864,947 | 569,898 | 405,896 |
| 1879 | 1,089 | 8,362,332 | 2,488,073 | 2,722,740 | 959,756 | 758,096 | 545,478 |
| 1880 | 1,171 | 8,460,210 | 2,640,898 | 2,967,090 | 1,128,671 | 762,572 | 580,016 |
| 1881 | 1,288 | 9,228,334 | 2,396,765 | 2,849,561 | 1,398,087 | 836,454 | 521,957 |
| 1882 | 1,333 | 9,443,000 | 2,502,804 | 2,911,477 | 1,460,145 | 892,026 | 523,099 |
| 1883 | 1,371 | 10,478,997 | 2,785,685 | 3,283,378 | 1,590,989 | 953,347 | 592,821 |
| 1884 | 1,404 | 11,251,633 | 2,841,745 | 3,272,644 | 1,726,471 | 961,304 | 655,990 |
| 1885 | 1,479 | 11,810,194 | 2,882,422 | 3,232,886 | 1,778,140 | 1,045,712 | 690,026 |
| 1886 | 1,613 | 12,472,814 | 3,020,550 | 3,362,266 | 1,856,733 | 1,047,418 | 690,340 |
| 1887 | 1,721 | 13,017,567 | 3,008,949 | 3,426,403 | 1,783,524 | 998,768 | 699,072 |
| 1888 | 1,753 | 13,352,978 | 2,944,786 | 3,451,850 | 1,770,638 | 994,843 | 687,328 |
| 1889 | 1,777 | 13,472,837 | 2,796,007 | 3,132,803 | 1,954,126 | 997,615 | 647,045 |
| 1890 | 1,809 | 13,899,955 | 2,868,203 | 3,376,459 | 2,112,734 | 1,095,569 | 682,787 |
| 1891 | 1,842 | 14,278,586 | 2,894,776 | 3,433,629 | 2,134,023 | 1,121,701 | 700,703 |
| 1892 | 1,869 | 14,656,691 | 3,010,489 | 3,555,764 | 2,122,987 | 1,115,432 | 706,517 |
| 1893 | 1,886 | 14,733,120 | 3,002,174 | 3,759,044 | 2,258,235 | 1,181,522 | 732,142 |
| 1894 | 1,948 | 15,137,036 | 3,113,231 | 3,972,701 | 2,128,709 | 1,172,792 | 735,359 |
| 1895 | 1,993 | 15,352,613 | 3,221,620 | 3,905,578 | 2,123,343 | 1,150,851 | 732,160 |
| 1896 | 2,014 | 15,425,532 | 3,307,226 | 4,162,426 | 2,175,943 | 1,183,041 | 751,368 |
| 1897 | 2,018 | 15,577,392 | 3,409,218 | 4,439,387 | 2,461,127 | 1,286,158 | 789,054 |
| 1898 | 2,055 | 15,993,903 | 3,666,483 | 4,672,264 | 2,628,746 | 1,376,008 | 857,191 |
| 1899 | 2,090 | 16,404,076 | 3,968,708 | 4,955,553 | 2,744,441 | 1,469,665 | 929,737 |
| 1900 | 2,104 | 16,703,887 | 4,187,893 | 5,468,284 | 3,251,716 | 1,623,891 | 1,052,358 |
| 1901 | 2,212 | 17,207,328 | 4,620,971 | 6,243,593 | 3,461,331 | 1,727,236 | 1,127,848 |
| 1902 | 2,235 | 18,170,722 | 5,066,360 | 7,356,136 | 3,667,039 | 1,874,586 | 1,252,237 |
| 1903 | 2,291 | 19,081,735 | 5,443,333 | 7,575,390 | 3,918,261 | 1,974,038 | 1,343,415 |
| 1904 | 2,328 | 20,692,911 | 5,685,399 | 8,306,383 | 4,259,217 | 2,180,641 | 1,438,724 |
| 1905 | 2,374 | 21,701,572 | 6,107,079 | 8,514,112 | 4,185,467 | 2,209,231 | 1,492,900 |
| 1906 | 2,407 | 22,498,972 | 6,413,573 | 8,826,382 | 4,415,166 | 2,349,704 | 1,621,239 |
| 1907 | 2,458 | 23,504,272 | 6,755,454 | 9,600,786 | 4,824,563 | 2,624,600 | 1,812,482 |
| 1908 | 2,474 | 24,365,647 | 7,051,274 | 9,756,716 | 5,070,176 | 2,761,938 | 1,949,759 |
| 1909 | 2,674 | 27,762,592 | 7,458,236 | 10,457,144 | 5,135,408 | 2,929,526 | 2,114,815 |
| 1910 | 2,717 | 28,513,476 | 7,889,166 | 11,141,142 | 5,490,018 | 3,249,790 | 2,169,474 |
| 1911 | 2,753 | 29,606,546 | 8,141,075 | 11,200,613 | 5,863,674 | 3,494,182 | 2,303,272 |
| 1912 | 2,798 | 30,506,080 | 8,371,687 | 11,891,134 | 5,887,908 | 3,676,509 | 2,465,896 |
| 1913 | 2,851 | 31,611,220 | 9,016,224 | 13,123,879 | 6,246,128 | 3,971,002 | 2,705,609 |
| 1914 | 2,854 | 32,355,087 | 9,319,268 | 13,355,893 | 6,019,633 | 4,043,328 | 2,889,323 |
| 1915 | 2,945 | 34,133,825 | 9,383,420 | 13,565,772 | 6,453,472 | 4,105,457 | 2,920,455 |
| 1916 | 2,960 | 34,857,882 | 9,356,522 | 14,201,506 | 6,370,945 | 4,548,356 | 2,910,883 |
| 1917 | 2,960 | 35,378,664 | 9,146,331 | 14,173,115 | 6,239,173 | 4,800,810 | 2,926,864 |
| 1918 | 2,983 | 36,001,432 | 7,468,646 | 11,408,156 | 5,742,968 | 4,687,700 | 3,042,907 |
| 1919 | 2,983 | 36,167,681 | 7,477,583 | 11,374,521 | 5,611,738 | 4,988,632 | 3,308,575 |
| 1920 | 2,996 | 36,390,115 | 7,408,608 | 12,760,814 | 6,000,279 | 5,752,487 | 4,105,067 |
| 1921 | 3,009 | 37,235,254 | 9,303,392 | 15,315,640 | 6,487,279 | 6,908,531 | 5,636,601 |
| 1922 | 3,021 | 39,309,097 | 8,717,265 | 14,262,440 | 6,321,351 | 6,643,591 | 6,237,727 |
| 1923 | 3,028 | 40,275,161 | 8,346,731 | 14,256,610 | 6,618,588 | 6,727,802 | 5,502,497 |
| 1924 | 3,053 | 41,399,427 | 9,024,503 | 13,836,311 | 6,925,517 | 6,984,211 | 5,403,766 |
| 1925 | 3,085 | 44,570,746 | 9,083,623 | 12,424,012 | 7,033,459 | 7,112,524 | 5,545,416 |
| Year. | Number of Bankruptcies. | Debtors' Statements of Assets, excluding Amounts secured to Creditors. | Amount realized by Official Assignees. | Amount of Debts proved. | Amount paid in Dividends and Preferential Claims. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Not available | |||||||||||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | ||
| 1875 | 450 | 297,115 | 2 | 2 | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. |
| 1876 | 549 | 395,546 | 10 | 4 | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. |
| 1877 | 1,017 | 381,027 | 3 | 2 | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. |
| 1878 | 1,044 | 406,938 | 15 | 8 | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. |
| 1879 | 1,836 | 2,113,945 | 6 | 10 | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. |
| 1880 | 1,483 | 1,198,270 | 1 | 0 | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. |
| 1881 | 1,412 | 717,380 | 18 | 8 | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. |
| 1882 | 1,333 | 803,072 | 1 | 7 | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. |
| 1883 | 1,656 | 1,320,943 | 4 | 9 | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. | * | .. | .. |
| 1884 | 846 | 801,149 | 11 | 3 | 112,539 | 7 | 2 | 481,221 | 14 | 6 | 44,117 | 18 | 6 |
| 1885 | 984 | 297,305 | 19 | 11 | 109,862 | 8 | 2 | 332,887 | 9 | 2 | 94,188 | 2 | 4 |
| 1886 | 1,089 | 415,952 | 17 | 9 | 128,369 | 17 | 8 | 566,291 | 0 | 1 | 102,965 | 19 | 1 |
| 1887 | 1,036 | 311,744 | 15 | 4 | 135,632 | 16 | 9 | 503,758 | 17 | 4 | 109,255 | 6 | 4 |
| 1888 | 881 | 252,322 | 6 | 0 | 98,213 | 6 | 7 | 571,740 | 17 | 8 | 79,842 | 12 | 2 |
| 1889 | 724 | 441,874 | 5 | 6 | 187,047 | 17 | 0 | 755,165 | 4 | 0 | 95,031 | 16 | 2 |
| 1890 | 652 | 262,732 | 16 | 5 | 112,951 | 9 | 4 | 381,123 | 19 | 4 | 122,275 | 18 | 9 |
| 1891 | 605 | 141,970 | 12 | 6 | 84,341 | 4 | 8 | 302,712 | 5 | 0 | 72,571 | 18 | 3 |
| 1892 | 507 | 122,049 | 14 | 4 | 66,497 | 9 | 1 | 238,953 | 0 | 4 | 43,661 | 15 | 4 |
| 1893 | 484 | 111,483 | 8 | 2 | 68,843 | 19 | 3 | 464,273 | 14 | 4 | 37,721 | 7 | 8 |
| 1894 | 626 | 187,785 | 8 | 0 | 85,538 | 6 | 9 | 310,077 | 16 | 2 | 70,888 | 13 | 5 |
| 1895 | 485 | 133,603 | 1 | 10 | 88,684 | 4 | 10 | 239,562 | 1 | 2 | 70,017 | 16 | 1 |
| 1896 | 412 | 115,455 | 7 | 5 | 71,711 | 15 | 8 | 256,870 | 7 | 1 | 37,491 | 12 | 1 |
| 1897 | 419 | 73,466 | 9 | 2 | 40,942 | 7 | 4 | 133,344 | 15 | 6 | 45,015 | 3 | 3 |
| 1898 | 407 | 90,068 | 8 | 4 | 45,474 | 0 | 7 | 285,154 | 17 | 0 | 30,994 | 5 | 0 |
| 1899 | 389 | 59,434 | 19 | 11 | 34,268 | 12 | 2 | 158,931 | 11 | 9 | 30,083 | 11 | 11 |
| 1900 | 304 | 77,689 | 7 | 0 | 53,415 | 7 | 8 | 141,799 | 19 | 5 | 37,411 | 2 | 11 |
| 1901 | 222 | 58,657 | 18 | 11 | 49,781 | 3 | 10 | 84,451 | 11 | 10 | 30,357 | 15 | 9 |
| 1902 | 205 | 61,604 | 6 | 3 | 39,385 | 14 | 11 | 110,995 | 7 | 10 | 29,406 | 1 | 6 |
| 1903 | 204 | 46,766 | 10 | 9 | 23,760 | 18 | 2 | 88,018 | 17 | 5 | 17,617 | 14 | 5 |
| 1904 | 257 | 86,094 | 2 | 7 | 43,513 | 10 | 3 | 125,392 | 4 | 1 | 28,103 | 8 | 10 |
| 1905 | 304 | 100,813 | 5 | 10 | 47,797 | 19 | 9 | 146,331 | 11 | 10 | 28,149 | 13 | 5 |
| 1906 | 347 | 106,376 | 3 | 9 | 50,761 | 7 | 4 | 192,926 | 14 | 2 | 35,447 | 17 | 9 |
| 1907 | 350 | 77,697 | 15 | 7 | 59,849 | 9 | 6 | 158,663 | 2 | 11 | 42,459 | 8 | 1 |
| 1908 | 406 | 200,446 | 12 | 1 | 67,018 | 7 | 11 | 199,068 | 19 | 4 | 47,799 | 19 | 3 |
| 1909 | 471 | 204,187 | 7 | 7 | 71,350 | 13 | 10 | 259,017 | 3 | 8 | 44,109 | 13 | 6 |
| 1910 | 393 | 127,633 | 10 | 11 | 79,099 | 15 | 9 | 176,000 | 19 | 7 | 47,796 | 1 | 4 |
| 1911 | 344 | 88,592 | 8 | 11 | 40,009 | 4 | 3 | 133,517 | 8 | 8 | 28,756 | 17 | 0 |
| 1912 | 312 | 64,398 | 3 | 2 | 39,964 | 16 | 0 | 120,324 | 10 | 8 | 26,825 | 4 | 9 |
| 1913 | 343 | 155,582 | 5 | 3 | 42,734 | 13 | 9 | 228,829 | 2 | 9 | 25,812 | 10 | 0 |
| 1914 | 391 | 174,409 | 14 | 7 | 64,153 | 2 | 9 | 199,250 | 12 | 9 | 33,910 | 9 | 7 |
| 1915 | 294 | 92,875 | 15 | 9 | 63,309 | 19 | 6 | 153,926 | 7 | 11 | 42,374 | 6 | 4 |
| 1916 | 304 | 123,440 | 13 | 9 | 56,415 | 18 | 4 | 172,774 | 6 | 5 | 29,222 | 17 | 3 |
| 1917 | 265 | 138,695 | 16 | 9 | 63,645 | 1 | 9 | 178,244 | 9 | 0 | 27,404 | 19 | 4 |
| 1918 | 164 | 50,356 | 4 | 6 | 67,728 | 10 | 5 | 88,607 | 6 | 9 | 33,176 | 5 | 6 |
| 1919 | 141 | 43,626 | 15 | 11 | 54,662 | 8 | 7 | 59,767 | 1 | 10 | 24,979 | 17 | 10 |
| 1920 | 145 | 44,025 | 14 | 7 | 47,896 | 14 | 0 | 77,751 | 18 | 10 | 45,227 | 2 | 4 |
| 1921 | 336 | 362,601 | 6 | 11 | 78,270 | 17 | 11 | 558,503 | 19 | 5 | 38,646 | 5 | 2 |
| 1922 | 690 | 344,861 | 5 | 6 | 126,144 | 13 | 1 | 834,355 | 17 | 5 | 63,008 | 17 | 8 |
| 1923 | 674 | 368,672 | 18 | 7 | 124,640 | 13 | 8 | 668,924 | 12 | 2 | 65,667 | 1 | 11 |
| 1924 | 670 | 279,601 | 17 | 8 | 118,640 | 19 | 6 | 703,995 | 5 | 9 | 74,877 | 18 | 9 |
By J. W. BUTCHER (Chief Compiler, Census and Statistics Office, Wellington).
THE 1917 number of the “New Zealand Official Year-book” contained an article by the writer on the subject of cancer mortality in New Zealand. The article in question summarized and analysed the published cancer death statistics of the Dominion over a period of forty-five years—from 1872 to 1910.
A suggestion was recently made by Dr. T. H. A. Valintine, Director-General of Health, that the article should be revised and brought up to date, and the present article was accordingly put in hand. While in many respects it is a revision of the former treatise, it has been largely rewritten, and a considerable amount of new matter has been added. The writer desires to record his appreciation of the valuable assistance rendered him by Mr. W. R. Hamilton, of the Census and Statistics Office, particularly in the extraction and working up of data and the discussion of points that have arisen in the course of the work.
Like its predecessor, the present article has been compiled solely with a view to presenting the principal available statistical facts in a handy form for general information, and for reference by those interested in the subject of cancer and its control. The increase of cancer throughout the civilized world has occasioned much concern in recent years, and for a proper study of the problem full and comprehensive statistical information is a prime necessity.
The basic figures used throughout the article have been taken in the main from successive issues of the “Annual Report on the Vital Statistics of New Zealand” and its predecessor, the “Statistics of New Zealand.” To enable comparisons to be made between remote and recent years in respect of certain aspects not dealt with in the earlier published statistics, a search was made, by the courtesy of the Registrar-General, through the death registers for the period 1875-79, and the necessary particulars were extracted therefrom.
The year 1872 marks the beginning of our statistical knowledge of the fatal incidence of cancer in New Zealand, that being the year in which the compilation of annual statistics of causes of death was instituted. From 1872 to 1898 the only information (in itself not insignificant) published as to cancer deaths is that showing the number of such deaths by sexes and by five-yearly groups of ages, with the total deaths by sexes for each provincial district. Since 1899 similar information has been made available as to general location in the human system, with fuller details of location since 1915. From 1914 onwards statistics of cancer cases treated in public hospitals have been published, two tables being added in 1917 showing by location of disease and condition on discharge (1) ages of patients, and (2) duration in hospital.
During the fifty-three years ending with 1924 New Zealand has lost 26,532 people by cancer, this number being equal to two-sevenths of the present-day population of Wellington City, and somewhat greater than the combined populations of the boroughs of Napier and Hastings.
The highest rate yet recorded for either sex occurred in 1924, in which year no fewer than 1,245 deaths were ascribed to cancer, as compared with 1,115 in 1923. The highest rate prior to 1924 was in 1919, following which decreases were experienced for three years in succession.
The number and the crude rate per 10,000 of mean population for each year from 1872 onwards are as shown, males and females separately, in the following table. Maoris are not included either in this table or elsewhere throughout the article, except in the portion relating to cancer cases dealt with in public hospitals and in the small piece dealing separately with Maori deaths from cancer.
| Year. | Number. | Rate per 10,000. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | Males. | Females. | Total. | |
| 1872 | 28 | 27 | 55 | 1.76 | 2.37 | 2.01 |
| 1873 | 33 | 46 | 79 | 1.98 | 3.79 | 2.75 |
| 1874 | 25 | 32 | 57 | 1.37 | 2.34 | 1.79 |
| 1875 | 37 | 34 | 71 | 1.82 | 2.19 | 1.98 |
| 1876 | 39 | 66 | 105 | 1.78 | 3.92 | 2.71 |
| 1877 | 34 | 43 | 77 | 1.50 | 2.43 | 1.91 |
| 1878 | 55 | 38 | 93 | 2.35 | 2.04 | 2.21 |
| 1879 | 50 | 68 | 118 | 2.01 | 3.42 | 2.63 |
| 1880 | 62 | 71 | 133 | 2.36 | 3.36 | 2.80 |
| 1881 | 61 | 72 | 133 | 2.25 | 3.25 | 2.70 |
| 1882 | 78 | 69 | 147 | 2.79 | 3.00 | 2.89 |
| 1883 | 78 | 80 | 158 | 2.70 | 3.33 | 2.99 |
| 1884 | 98 | 93 | 191 | 3.26 | 3.69 | 3.46 |
| 1885 | 87 | 90 | 177 | 2.81 | 3.46 | 3.11 |
| 1886 | 116 | 98 | 214 | 3.69 | 3.67 | 3.68 |
| 1887 | 127 | 111 | 238 | 3.96 | 4.03 | 3.99 |
| 1888 | 136 | 127 | 263 | 4.19 | 4.53 | 4.34 |
| 1889 | 144 | 116 | 260 | 4.41 | 4.07 | 4.25 |
| 1890 | 156 | 139 | 295 | 4.72 | 4.79 | 4.75 |
| 1891 | 154 | 141 | 295 | 4.61 | 4.77 | 4.68 |
| 1892 | 173 | 134 | 307 | 5.08 | 4.44 | 4.78 |
| 1893 | 188 | 144 | 332 | 5.35 | 4.65 | 5.02 |
| 1894 | 240 | 168 | 408 | 6.65 | 5.27 | 6.01 |
| 1895 | 208 | 175 | 383 | 5.67 | 5.37 | 5.53 |
| 1896 | 205 | 184 | 389 | 5.49 | 5.52 | 5.50 |
| 1897 | 210 | 185 | 395 | 5.51 | 5.43 | 5.47 |
| 1898 | 263 | 208 | 471 | 6.77 | 5.98 | 6.40 |
| 1899 | 271 | 197 | 468 | 6.85 | 5.56 | 6.24 |
| 1900 | 246 | 184 | 430 | 6.12 | 5.09 | 5.63 |
| 1901 | 265 | 250 | 515 | 6.48 | 6.77 | 6.62 |
| 1902 | 296 | 240 | 536 | 7.05 | 6.35 | 6.72 |
| 1903 | 325 | 257 | 582 | 7.51 | 6.63 | 7.10 |
| 1904 | 323 | 248 | 571 | 7.23 | 6.23 | 6.76 |
| 1905 | 313 | 253 | 566 | 6.79 | 6.18 | 6.51 |
| 1906 | 337 | 286 | 623 | 7.10 | 6.79 | 6.96 |
| 1907 | 361 | 313 | 674 | 7.41 | 7.25 | 7.33 |
| 1908 | 363 | 294 | 657 | 7.24 | 6.63 | 6.95 |
| 1909 | 383 | 328 | 711 | 7.43 | 7.19 | 7.32 |
| 1910 | 399 | 343 | 742 | 7.60 | 7.33 | 7.47 |
| 1911 | 448 | 361 | 809 | 8.38 | 7.52 | 7.97 |
| 1912 | 418 | 394 | 812 | 7.65 | 8.08 | 7.82 |
| 1913 | 446 | 410 | 856 | 7.95 | 8.08 | 8.01 |
| 1914 | 510 | 394 | 904 | 8.97 | 7.55 | 8.29 |
| 1915 | 460 | 440 | 900 | 8.13 | 8.25 | 8.19 |
| 1916 | 480 | 429 | 909 | 8.70 | 7.83 | 8.27 |
| 1917 | 511 | 446 | 957 | 9.40 | 8.03 | 8.71 |
| 1918 | 471 | 465 | 936 | 8.73 | 8.26 | 8.49 |
| 1919 | 543 | 488 | 1,031 | 9.49 | 8.55 | 9.02 |
| 1920 | 502 | 527 | 1,023 | 8.23 | 9.04 | 8.63 |
| 1921 | 523 | 521 | 1,044 | 8.36 | 8.71 | 8.53 |
| 1922 | 562 | 504 | 1,066 | 8.80 | 8.22 | 8.52 |
| 1923 | 569 | 546 | 1,115 | 8.76 | 8.74 | 8.75 |
| 1924 | 658 | 587 | 1,245 | 9.94 | 9.22 | 9.59 |
Judged by the crude rate alone the increase in the death-rate is seen to be enormous, the average rate for the last five years being almost four times that of the first five. The increase has been steady and practically continuous, though in many cases considerable fluctuations between individual years are apparent. These, however, disappear in the quinquennial moving graph, which is for this reason a better means of illustrating the progressive increase of cancer in the Dominion.
There has been such a great alteration in the age-constitution of the Dominion's population as to render unsafe any comparison based on crude rates, even in respect of the general death-rate of the country. More particularly is this the case with cancer, which as a cause of death is mainly confined to the period of life after age 45; and as the proportion of the population above that age in recent years is much higher than in the “seventies” and “eighties,” and is, indeed, increasing at each successive census, it is quite unsafe and, indeed, erroneous to argue from crude rates, which favour earlier years at the expense of later. The question of alteration of sex-proportion also enters into the matter. To enable a true idea of the increase of cancer to be arrived at, therefore, a standardization has been attempted, and the results show that the increase, while still formidable, is considerably less than is indicated by the crude rates.
For the purpose of the standardization of the rates the age and sex constitution of the population as disclosed at the census of 1911 was taken as the basis. The system of standardization adopted was similar to that used in arriving at the international index of mortality, but was more detailed. The population and deaths of each year of the period were divided, each sex separately, into five-yearly groups of ages (with one group only for ages 80 and over), and the rates for the various groups ascertained and weighted according to the percentage which the respective age-groups bore to the total population at the census of 1911. As in the case of the international index, the standardized rates are affected to a certain extent by changes in the age-constitution at death, but the effect of any such changes does not appreciably impair the accuracy of the rates.
| Year. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | 31 | 47 | 38 |
| 1873 | 40 | 66 | 52 |
| 1874 | 21 | 44 | 32 |
| 1875 | 32 | 40 | 36 |
| 1876 | 34 | 77 | 54 |
| 1877 | 33 | 41 | 37 |
| 1878 | 42 | 37 | 40 |
| 1879 | 35 | 64 | 49 |
| 1880 | 41 | 60 | 50 |
| 1881 | 35 | 56 | 45 |
| 1882 | 51 | 52 | 51 |
| 1833 | 40 | 59 | 49 |
| 1884 | 47 | 53 | 50 |
| 1885 | 40 | 54 | 46 |
| 1886 | 51 | 60 | 55 |
| 1887 | 56 | 66 | 61 |
| 1888 | 66 | 73 | 69 |
| 1889 | 58 | 59 | 58 |
| 1890 | 57 | 67 | 62 |
| 1891 | 61 | 66 | 63 |
| 1892 | 62 | 64 | 63 |
| 1893 | 68 | 64 | 66 |
| 1894 | 73 | 65 | 69 |
| 1895 | 64 | 66 | 65 |
| 1896 | 60 | 68 | 64 |
| 1897 | 63 | 69 | 66 |
| 1898: | 77 | 76 | 76 |
| 1899 | 69 | 63 | 66 |
| 1900 | 64 | 57 | 61 |
| 1901 | 67 | 77 | 72 |
| 1902 | 71 | 73 | 72 |
| 1903 | 77 | 76 | 77 |
| 1904 | 72 | 66 | 69 |
| 1905 | 68 | 64 | 66 |
| 1906 | 71 | 72 | 71 |
| 1907 | 82 | 77 | 80 |
| 1908 | 73 | 70 | 72 |
| 1909 | 74 | 72 | 73 |
| 1910 | 76 | 73 | 74 |
| 1911 | 83 | 75 | 80 |
| 1912 | 77 | 80 | 78 |
| 1913 | 80 | 81 | 80 |
| 1914 | 90 | 76 | 83 |
| 1915 | 79 | 82 | 80 |
| 1916 | 80 | 71 | 76 |
| 1917 | 84 | 80 | 80 |
| 1918 | 75 | 77 | 78 |
| 1919 | 88 | 79 | 84 |
| 1920 | 80 | 84 | 82 |
| 1921 | 81 | 80 | 81 |
| 1922 | 81 | 70 | 76 |
| 1923 | 80 | 74 | 78 |
| 1924 | 92 | 78 | 86 |
The diagram probably shows plainly the difference between the crude and standardized rates, and the convergence of the one to the other as the population elements more closely approach the standard, The quinquennial moving graph has been adopted with a view to giving a more accurate view of the progression by eliminating temporary fluctuations.
A noticeable point about the diagram is that while in the years immediately preceding 1911 there is a gradual approach of the one curve to the other, the experience after 1911 is a somewhat rapid departure from the point of intersection. This is a reflex of the war, being due to the sudden and abnormal change in the age-constitution of the population through the loss of many thousands of young men.
Diagrams showing the crude and standardized cancer death-rates of each sex are also given on the same basis as the foregoing. Distinct points of difference between the two sets of curves are: (1) The more consistent movement of the female rate than of the male, both crude and standardized; (2) the wider gap between crude and standardized rates in the earlier years in the case of females than in the case of males; (3) the more rapid divergence after the standard year in the case of males than of females (for the reason given above); and (4) the rise in the male standardized rate and the fall in the corresponding female rate in the last two or three years, when the crude rates show almost an opposite movement.
Dividing the last fifty years into ten quinquennial periods we get the following summaries showing the ages of those who have died of cancer in each period:—
| Age, in Years. | 1875-79. | 1880-84. | 1885-89. | 1890-94. | 1895-99. | 1900-04. | 1905-09. | 1910-14. | 1915-19. | 1920-24. | Totals, 1875-1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males | |||||||||||
| Under 5 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 23 | 13 | 12 | 83 |
| 5 and under 10 | .. | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 37 |
| 10 and under 15 | 1 | .. | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 29 |
| 15 and under 20 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 62 |
| 20 and under 25 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 71 |
| 25 and under 30 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 98 |
| 30 and under 35 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 34 | 18 | 23 | 151 |
| 35 and under 40 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 33 | 21 | 35 | 29 | 46 | 56 | 56 | 315 |
| 40 and under 45 | 24 | 41 | 44 | 37 | 54 | 48 | 52 | 83 | 92 | 107 | 582 |
| 45 and under 50 | 36 | 59 | 78 | 73 | 83 | 105 | 99 | 115 | 153 | 174 | 975 |
| 50 and under 55 | 26 | 69 | 94 | 154 | 122 | 134 | 166 | 195 | 194 | 267 | 1,421 |
| 55 and under 60 | 32 | 47 | 96 | 152 | 217 | 181 | 180 | 264 | 247 | 316 | 1,732 |
| 60 and under 65 | 20 | 45 | 95 | 170 | 216 | 259 | 275 | 309 | 346 | 417 | 2,152 |
| 65 and under 70 | 18 | 32 | 76 | 116 | 185 | 262 | 311 | 375 | 397 | 446 | 2,189 |
| 70 and under 75 | 13 | 20 | 41 | 75 | 118 | 220 | 322 | 375 | 384 | 413 | 1,981 |
| 75 and under 80 | 5 | 16 | 24 | 44 | 68 | 98 | 195 | 234 | 299 | 299 | 1,282 |
| 80 and over | 7 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 31 | 60 | 65 | 154 | 230 | 241 | 822 |
| Totals | 215 | 377 | 610 | 911 | 1,157 | 1,455 | 1,757 | 2,221 | 2,465 | 2,814 | 13,982 |
| Females. | |||||||||||
| Under 5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 63 |
| 5 and under 10 | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 21 |
| 10 and under 15 | .. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 24 |
| 15 and under 20 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 25 |
| 20 and under 25 | 2 | .. | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 46 |
| 25 and under 30 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 19 | 137 |
| 30 and under 35 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 25 | 19 | 27 | 33 | 42 | 51 | 42 | 293 |
| 35 and under 40 | 25 | 29 | 33 | 35 | 46 | 49 | 77 | 72 | 94 | 100 | 560 |
| 40 and under 45 | 31 | 58 | 57 | 75 | 71 | 96 | 112 | 129 | 134 | 196 | 959 |
| 45 and under 50 | 36 | 66 | 66 | 90 | 130 | 119 | 139 | 186 | 229 | 249 | 1,310 |
| 50 and under 55 | 21 | 53 | 91 | 121 | 135 | 136 | 156 | 182 | 286 | 320 | 1,503 |
| 55 and under 60 | 43 | 44 | 82 | 117 | 151 | 172 | 178 | 245 | 251 | 296 | 1,579 |
| 60 and under 65 | 26 | 39 | 58 | 92 | 131 | 173 | 204 | 214 | 297 | 322 | 1,556 |
| 65 and under 70 | 20 | 29 | 51 | 69 | 107 | 152 | 226 | 265 | 288 | 334 | 1,541 |
| 70 and under 75 | 12 | 16 | 35 | 41 | 63 | 112 | 154 | 230 | 254 | 338 | 1,255 |
| 75 and under 80 | 4 | 11 | 19 I | 29 | 51 | 66 | 101 | 176 | 202 | 236 | 895 |
| 80 and over | 3 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 34 | 49 | 114 | 144 | 202 | 592 |
| Totals | 249 | 385 | 542 | 726 | 949 | 1,179 | 1,474 | 1,902 | 2,268 | 2,685 | 12,359 |
These numbers are instructive as showing that there has been a steady and fairly rapid upward movement in the age-distribution at death. In the first of the ten five-yearly periods the greatest number of deaths occurred at the age-groups 55 to 60 and 45 to 50, while in the last period ages 60 to 75 predominate. It is, however, unsafe to base any discussion on mere numbers, which are influenced by alterations in the age-constitution of the population; so we turn to the following tables giving the average annual rates of deaths for the various age-groups in the same quinquennial periods as shown above. The rates quoted are per 10,000 of mean population at the respective age-groups.
| Age, in Years. | 1875-79. | 1880-84. | 1885-89. | 1890-94. | 1895-99. | 1900-04. | 1905-09. | 1910-14. | 1915-19. | 1920-24. | Totals, 1875-1924. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | |||||||||||
| Under 5 | 0.06 | 0.23 | 0.32 | 0.23 | 0.28 | 0.13 | 0.29 | 0.74 | 0.38 | 0.35 | 0.33 |
| 5 and under 10 | .. | 0.11 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.18 | 0.36 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.16 |
| 10 and under 15 | 0.09 | 0.06 | 0.14 | 0.23 | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.21 | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.14 | .. |
| 15 and under 20 | 0.13 | 0.17 | 0.26 | 0.35 | 0.10 | 0.56 | 0.31 | 0.30 | 0.34 | 0.46 | 0.33 |
| 20 and under 25 | 0.67 | 0.26 | 0.39 | 0.60 | 0.28 | 0.46 | 0.32 | 0.23 | 0.41 | 0.44 | 0.39 |
| 25 and under 30 | 0.30 | 0.57 | 0.65 | 0.63 | 0.38 | 0.52 | 0.67 | 0.75 | 0.56 | 0.24 | 0.54 |
| 30 and under 35 | 0.83 | 0.86 | 0.70 | 0.80 | 1.11 | 0.57 | 0.88 | 1.34 | 0.78 | 0.90 | 0.90 |
| 35 and under 40 | 1.21 | 1.17 | 1.40 | 3.12 | 1.82 | 2.68 | 1.71 | 2.26 | 2.58 | 2.33 | 2.11 |
| 40 and under 45 | 2.79 | 4.05 | 4.57 | 4.02 | 5.27 | 4.29 | 3.99 | 5.16 | 5.28 | 4.81 | 4.56 |
| 45 and under 50 | 6.77 | 7.89 | 8.63 | 8.50 | 9.52 | 10.62 | 8.91 | 9.22 | 9.69 | 9.85 | 9.19 |
| 50 and under 55 | 7.44 | 13.18 | 13.08 | 18.28 | 15.07 | 16.62 | 17.54 | 18.05 | 16.23 | 18.17 | 16.32 |
| 55 and under 60 | 16.21 | 17.05 | 22.33 | 25.95 | 30.40 | 26.03 | 24.53 | 30.71 | 26.13 | 28.64 | 26.48 |
| 60 and under 65 | 15.09 | 21.99 | 34.01 | 40.85 | 39.11 | 40.25 | 43.41 | 46.79 | 43.90 | 50.22 | 41.86 |
| 65 and under 70 | 24.58 | 30.00 | 46.51 | 52.00 | 51.11 | 49.78 | 53.87 | 61.41 | 68.22 | 65.00 | 56.66 |
| 70 and under 75 | 27.77 | 31.50 | 46.05 | 56.14 | 64.42 | 75.53 | 81.78 | 83.74 | 86.94 | 85.61 | 76.99 |
| 75 and under 80 | 23.46 | 49.80 | 51.45 | 66.08 | 69.83 | 76.05 | 107.27 | 87.14 | 98.96 | 101.70 | 89.05 |
| 80 and over | 82.45 | 43.72 | 42.05 | 36.01 | 57.56 | 78.77 | 63.29 | 109.28 | 121.12 | 112.67 | 94.30 |
| Females. | |||||||||||
| Under 5 | 0.23 | 0.29 | 0.05 | 0.24 | 0.10 | 0.14 | 0.38 | 0.47 | 0.18 | 0.37 | 0.26 |
| 5 and under 10 | .. | 0.06 | .. | 0.14 | 0.19 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.09 |
| 10 and under 15 | .. | 0.13 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.14 | 0.05 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 0.16 | 0.11 |
| 15 and under 20 | .. | 0.09 | .. | 0.06 | 0.10 | 0.28 | 0.09 | 0.13 | 0.25 | 0.15 | 0.13 |
| 20 and under 25 | 0.27 | .. | 0.16 | 0.26 | 0.39 | 0.47 | 0.22 | 0.25 | 0.16 | 0.24 | 0.25 |
| 25 and under 30 | 1.54 | 0.69 | 0.68 | 0.67 | 0.60 | 1.19 | 1.04 | 0.77 | 0.56 | 0.74 | 0.81 |
| 30 and under 35 | 1.66 | 2.15 | 3.25 | 2.67 | 1.67 | 1.90 | 1.89 | 1.90 | 2.11 | 1.07 | 2.00 |
| 35 and under 40 | 4.49 | 4.27 | 4.52 | 4.43 | 4.89 | 4.33 | 5.29 | 4.15 | 4.30 | 4.14 | 4.44 |
| 40 and under 45 | 7.47 | 10.07 | 8.55 | 10.86 | 9.20 | 10.58 | 10.03 | 9.12 | 7.92 | 9.30 | 9.26 |
| 45 and under 50 | 13.74 | 16.49 | 12.32 | 14.88 | 19.92 | 16.23 | 15.56 | 17.33 | 16.75 | 14.91 | 15.99 |
| 50 and under 55 | 11.13 | 19.03 | 22.83 | 23.48 | 23.11 | 21.98 | 21.87 | 21.17 | 27.28 | 24.40 | 23.07 |
| 55 and under 60 | 36.00 | 26.91 | 34.26 | 35.09 | 33.88 | 33.65 | 31.29 | 37.40 | 32.14 | 30.76 | 33.04 |
| 60 and under 65 | 28.51 | 29.12 | 33.57 | 37.93 | 39.38 | 41.46 | 42.15 | 40.34 | 47.20 | 43.13 | 41.16 |
| 65 and under 70 | 40.23 | 38.31 | 45.69 | 48.98 | 50.48 | 47.73 | 57.35 | 58.68 | 58.76 | 58.41 | 54.72 |
| 70 and under 75 | 36.63 | 32.53 | 50.95 | 41.95 | 52.10 | 63.60 | 62.47 | 73.53 | 72.97 | 87.24 | 68.20 |
| 75 and under 80 | 25.89 | 47.27 | 51.90 | 56.31 | 70.20 | 72.40 | 78.75 | 104.08 | 91.37 | 93.78 | 84.38 |
| 80 and over | 37.50 | 41.52 | 54.55 | 29.33 | 38.10 | 53.63 | 58.61 | 103.18 | 101.02 | 112.50 | 83.93 |
At first glance the rates appear to upset the conclusions arrived at from the tables of numbers, and to explain the change in the position, of the maxima as being due merely to alterations in the age-constitution. Taking, for instance, the male group for ages 45 to 50 in the quinquennial period 1875-79 we find that the number of deaths (36), which is the greatest for any age-group in that period, represents a rate of only 6-77 per 10,000 of male population of those ages, as against a rate of 27-77 per 10,000 at the age-group 70 to 75. With a few exceptions, due probably to the small numbers dealt with, it is found throughout the period that the higher the age-group the higher the death-rate. But a closer examination of the rates reveals an important fact—namely, that the increases in the death-rates at the higher ages are much greater than at the middle ages; or, in other words, that death from cancer is on the average now occurring later in life than formerly. To illustrate this more clearly the n five-yearly periods have been combined into live ten-yearly periods and the percentage increases of the last period over each preceding decennium are shown for the various age-groups and for each sex in the following statement.
| Age, in Years. | Rates per 10,000 Population. | Percentage Increase shown by Rates for 1915-24 over Rates for | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875-84. | 1885-94. | 1895-1904. | 1905-14. | 1915-24. | 1875-84. | 1885-94. | 1895-1904. | 1905-14. | |
* Decrease. | |||||||||
| Males. | |||||||||
| Under 5 | 0.15 | 0.28 | 0.20 | 0.53 | 0.37 | 147 | 32 | 85 | -30* |
| 5 and under 10 | 0.06 | 0.14 | 0.27 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 167 | 14 | -41* | 14 |
| 10 and under 15 | 0.04 | 0.10 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.19 | 375 | 90 | 36 | 27 |
| 15 and under 20 | 0.16 | 0.31 | 0.33 | 0.31 | 0.41 | 156 | 32 | 24 | 32 |
| 20 and under 25 | 0.44 | 0.50 | 0.38 | 0.28 | 0.42 | - 5* | -16* | 11 | 50 |
| 25 and under 30 | 0.45 | 0.64 | 0.46 | 0.71 | 0.39 | -13* | -39* | -15* | -45* |
| 30 and under 35 | 0.84 | 0.75 | 0.81 | 1.13 | 0.84 | .. | 12 | 4 | -26* |
| 35 and under 40 | 1.19 | 2.28 | 2.28 | 2.01 | 2.45 | 106 | 8 | 8 | 22 |
| 40 and under 45 | 3.47 | 4.30 | 4.76 | 4.64 | 5.02 | 45 | 17 | 6 | 8 |
| 45 and under 50 | 7.42 | 8.56 | 10.11 | 9.07 | 3.77 | 32 | 14 | - 3* | 8 |
| 50 and under 55 | 10.89 | 15.88 | 15.84 | 18.12 | 17.30 | 59 | 9 | 9 | - 5* |
| 55 and under 60 | 16.70 | 24.42 | 28.25 | 27.86 | 27.48 | 65 | 13 | - 3* | - 1* |
| 60 and under 65 | 19.28 | 38.11 | 39.55 | 45.14 | 47.14 | 145 | 24 | 19 | 4 |
| 65 and under 70 | 27.80 | 49.68 | 50.33 | 57.59 | 66.48 | 139 | 34 | 32 | 15 |
| 70 and under 75 | 29.92 | 52.10 | 71.24 | 82.83 | 86.25 | 188 | 66 | 21 | 4 |
| 75 and under 80 | 39.30 | 60.05 | 73.40 | 95.27 | 100.26 | 155 | 67 | 37 | 5 |
| 80 and over | 55.99 | 38.56 | 69.98 | 89.89 | 116.64 | 108 | 202 | 67 | 30 |
| Females. | |||||||||
| Under 5 | 0.26 | 0.14 | 0.12 | 0.43 | 0.28 | 8 | 100 | 133 | -35* |
| 5 and under 10 | 0.03 | 0.07 | 0.14 | 0.08 | 0.11 | 267 | 57 | -21* | 37 |
| 10 and under 15 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.09 | 0.13 | 0.17 | 112 | 240 | 89 | 31 |
| 15 and under 20 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.19 | 0.11 | 0.20 | 300 | 567 | 5 | 82 |
| 20 and under 25 | 0.11 | 0.21 | 0.43 | 0.23 | 0.20 | 82 | - 5* | -53* | -13* |
| 25 and under 30 | 1.07 | 0.67 | 0.92 | 0.90 | 0.65 | -39* | - 3* | -29* | -20* |
| 30 and under 35 | 1.92 | 2.94 | 1.80 | 1.89 | 1.88 | - 2* | -36* | 4 | - 1* |
| 35 and under 40 | 4.37 | 4.47 | 4.59 | 4.67 | 4.21 | - 4* | - 6* | - 8* | -10* |
| 40 and under 45 | 8.98 | 9.72 | 9.90 | 9.52 | 8.69 | - 3* | - 11* | -12* | - 9* |
| 45 and under 50 | 15.40 | 13.68 | 17.97 | 16.52 | 15.74 | 2 | 15 | -12* | - 5* |
| 50 and under 55 | 16.36 | 23.20 | 22.53 | 21.49 | 25.68 | 57 | 10 | 14 | 19 |
| 55 and under 60 | 30.75 | 34.74 | 33.76 | 34.59 | 31.38 | 2 | -10* | - 7* | - 9* |
| 60 and under 65 | 28.87 | 36.12 | 40.54 | 41.20 | 44.99 | 56 | 25 | 11 | 9 |
| 65 and under 70 | 39.07 | 47.52 | 48.83 | 58.00 | 58.57 | 50 | 23 | 20 | 1 |
| 70 and under 75 | 34.17 | 45.66 | 58.92 | 68.66 | 80.49 | 136 | 76 | 37 | 17 |
| 75 and under 80 | 38.74 | 54.48 | 71.42 | 93.16 | 92.65 | 139 | 70 | 30 | - 1* |
| 80 and over | 40.09 | 39.22 | 47.00 | 83.98 | 107.42 | 168 | 174 | 129 | 28 |
The table discloses that the increase over the period of fifty years has been far from uniform for the various age-groups, some groups, especially among the females, actually showing lower rates in the last ten years than in any of the four preceding decennia. It will be noted that the decreases and the lower rates of increase occur in the main at the middle age-groups. In fact, among women, the weighted average rates between ages 20 and 50 were lower in the ten years 1915-24 than in the period 1875-84, and the increase among males of those ages has been very small.
On the other hand, there have been large rates of increase for age-groups under 20 and over 60. The numbers concerned in the earlier age-groups are insignificant, and the increase calls for little comment beyond a motion of the fact that if any reliance can be placed on rates worked from such small numbers, the New Zealand figures support the conclusion arrived at in America that juvenile cancer is on the increase. Practically the whole of the increase during the period has been confined to ages over 50, and more particularly after age 60 there has been a very substantial increase. It is, however, evident from the next table that in general the rate of increase between successive decennia has a falling tendency, even at the higher age-groups, and that the increase during the last ten years is smaller than during any previous decennium.
| Age, in Years. | Male Rate. | Female Rate. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase, 1885-94 over 1875-84. | Increase, 1895-1904 over 1885-94. | Increase, 1905-14 over 1895-1904. | Increase, 1915-24 over 1905-14. | Increase, 1885-94 over 1875-84. | Increase, 1895-1904 over 1885-94. | Increase, 1905-14 over. 1895-1904. | Increase. 1915-24 over 1905-14. | |
* Decrease. | ||||||||
| Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | Per Cent. | |
| Under 5 | 87 | -29* | 165 | -30* | -46* | -14* | 258 | -35* |
| 5 and under 10 | 133 | 93 | -48* | 14 | 133 | 100 | -43* | 37 |
| 10 and under 15 | 150 | 40 | 7 | 27 | -37* | 80 | -14 | 31 |
| 15 and under 20 | 94 | 6 | - 6* | 32 | -40* | 533 | -42* | 82 |
| 20 and under 25 | 14 | -24* | -26* | 50 | 91 | 105 | -47* | -13* |
| 25 and under 30 | 42 | -28* | 54 | -45* | -37* | 37 | — 2* | -28* |
| 30 and under 35 | -11* | 8 | 40 | -26* | 53 | -39* | 5 | - 1* |
| 35 and under 40 | 92 | .. | -12* | 22 | 2 | 3 | 2 | -10* |
| 40 and under 45 | 24 | 11 | - 3* | 8 | 8 | 2 | - 4* | - 9* |
| 45 and under 50 | 16 | 18 | -10* | 8 | -11* | 31 | - 8* | - 5* |
| 50 and under 55 | 46 | .. | 14 | — 5* | 42 | -3* | - 5* | 19 |
| 55 and under 60 | 46 | 16 | - 1* | - 1* | 13 | - 3* | 2 | - 9* |
| 60 and under 65 | 98 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 25 | 12 | 2 | 9 |
| 65 and under 70 | 79 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 22 | 3 | 19 | 1 |
| 70 and under 75 | 74 | 37 | 16 | 4 | 34 | 29 | 17 | 17 |
| 75 and under 80 | 53 | 22 | 30 | 5 | 41 | 31 | 30 | - 1* |
| 80 and over | -31* | 81 | 28 | 30 | -2* | 20 | 79 | 28 |
| Totals (unweighted) | 97 | 42 | 18 | 15 | 41 | 35 | 23 | 17 |
A progressive decline in the rate of increase is disclosed by the total figures for each sex, and with few exceptions individual age-groups show much lower rates of increase in the later decennia than in the earlier. The increase between the first and second of the ten-yearly periods was exceedingly high between ages 50 and 80, while comparatively low rates of increase are shown for these age-groups between the last two decennia, in spite of the exceptionally high rates recorded in 1924 in most of these groups.
A comparison of the rates at ages 50 and over for the last five years is now given.
| Age-group. | Males. | Females. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 1920. | 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | |
| 50 and under 55 | 21.55 | 18.12 | 17.50 | 18.99 | 15.68 | 23.42 | 30.99 | 20.02 | 21.30 | 27.06 |
| 55 and under 60 | 28.25 | 31.05 | 30.02 | 24.67 | 29.56 | 37.55 | 35.41 | 28.62 | 27.21 | 27.17 |
| 60 and under 65 | 52.17 | 50.86 | 46.49 | 47.16 | 54.66 | 48.90 | 35.35 | 46.96 | 41.04 | 43.37 |
| 65 and under 70 | 66.63 | 69.53 | 62.78 | 57.56 | 68.91 | 58.28 | 62.43 | 52.91 | 54.99 | 63.63 |
| 70 and under 75 | 62.13 | 68.26 | 89.87 | 103.08 | 108.57 | 72.04 | 87.35 | 81.14 | 91.73 | 102.36 |
| 75 and under 80 | 88.80 | 102.60 | 87.66 | 100.87 | 128.04 | 119.81 | 94.55 | 77.33 | 92.03 | 82.63 |
| 80 and over | 121-75 | 105.46 | 122.53 | 100.39 | 113.56 | 105.97 | 134.50 | 106.88 | 93.07 | 129.41 |
From the figures of deaths at each age-group the following table of average ages at death in each of the ten five-yearly periods from 1875 to 1924 has been compiled. The averages are only approximately correct, but they are quite comparable with one another, and the conclusion that the average age at death from cancer has increased by ten years among males and nine years among females is sound, though it should be noted that the increases are in part due to alterations in the age-constitution of the population.
| Period. | Average Age at Death. | |
|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | |
| Years. | Years. | |
| 1875-79 | 53 | 51 |
| 1880-84 | 54 | 51 |
| 1885-89 | 56 | 54 |
| 1890-94 | 58 | 54 |
| 1895-99 | 60 | 56 |
| 1900-04 | 61 | 57 |
| 1905-09 | 63 | 58 |
| 1910-14 | 63 | 60 |
| 1915-19 | 64 | 60 |
| 1920-24 | 63 | 60 |
These figures are further instructive as showing that the average age at death from cancer is considerably higher for males than for females.
Apart from the great increase in cancer as disclosed by the first of the diagrams accompanying this article, probably the most remarkable point about the diagram is the demonstration of the fact that the death-rate of females from cancer has increased at a much lower rate than that of males. The average rates for males for the ten years 1875-84 were 2.28 per 10,000 males living, and for the last ten years 8.85 per 10,000, the corresponding rates for females being 3.06 and 8.48. In other words, the average rate among females was 34 per cent, higher than among males in the period 1875-84, but 4 per cent, lower in the period 1915-24.
Prior to 1892 the male rate exceeded the female on only three occasions—namely, in 1878, 1886, and 1889; but during the last thirty-three years the male rate has been exceeded by the female on only seven occasions—in 1896, 1901, 1912, 1913, 1915,1920, and 1921.
The above remarks are based on the figures of crude rates, but the position is better seen from the standardized rates, and particularly from the diagram on the next page, wherein the quinquennial moving average adopted has tended to eliminate the effect of fluctuations as between individual years.
The male standardized rate is seen to have risen from 35 to 83 per 100,000 of population during the half-century, the rate for the last quinquennium being over 2 1/3 times as high as for the first quinquennium. The corresponding movement in the ease of females has been from 52 to 77, the rate for 1920-24 being less than U times that ruling fifty years ago.
In the earlier years there was a substantial female excess on the basis of the standardized rates, which provide the only satisfactory means of comparison. This female excess was rapidly reduced till it disappeared about 1895, after which the rates for the two sexes practically coincided until about 1905, when the present male excess came into existence. The fifty years are, roughly, divisible into three distinct periods with different characteristics, as follows: 1875-95, female excess, rapidly falling: 1895-1905, correspondence between male and female rates; 1905-24, excess in male rate.
There is reason to believe that there is a direct connection between the changes in the birth-rate and the alterations in the sex excess of the cancer death-rate. Up to 1875 the birth-rate was high (40 per 1,000) and showed no tendency to fall; but beginning with 1877 a rapid fall commenced, which reached its limit in 1899 (25 per 1,000); after 1900 the rate remained practically stationary until 1917, after which it again fell sharply.
It has been proved beyond doubt by an investigation under aken by the Registrar-General of England and Wales that the death-rate from cancer of the womb is much higher among married women than among single women of the cancer ages, and the inference is that child-bearing is one of the prime causes of this class of cancer. A corollary inference is that a continued fall in the birth-rate brings with it, other things being equal, a fall in the frequency of cancer of the womb, and this inference appears to be justified by the figures quoted above.
Any factor affecting the death-rate from cancer of the womb must also, though to a less extent, affect the total cancer death-rate of females, and in consequence disturb the ratio between the rates for the two sexes.
In order to test the validity of the conclusion that the fall in the birth-rate has been responsible for some counteracting effect on the increase in the female death-rate from cancer, an examination of the cancer deaths registered in the five years 1875-79 was made through the courtesy of the Registrar-General. It was found that out of 249 deaths of females from cancer, of which 41 wore undefined as to location, no fewer than 82 were due to cancer of the womb. This represents 33 per cent, of the total—or, if the undefined cases are excluded, 39 per cent.—as against 15 per cent, of the total and 16 per cent, of the defined cases in the seventeen years 1908-24. Cancer of the genital organs was thus more than twice as high in the “seventies” as now, in proportion to the total deaths of women from cancer.
While it would appear from the foregoing that the decrease in the birth-rate and its consequent effect on the frequency of cancer of the womb has had an appreciable effect on the female death-rate from cancer and the relativity of the rates of the two sexes, it must not be overlooked that there is at least one other factor to be considered, and that is the growth of medical science combined with better ability to diagnose cancer nowadays. The subject is dealt with in a later portion of this article, and will not be discussed here beyond a mention of the probability that in a period when cancer was not so well known a proportion of cases of the more remote cancer of the stomach, which is twice as frequent in males as in females, would be overlooked or incorrectly diagnosed, while the more apparent cancer of the breast and genital organs would be less liable to escape observation.
Evidence that the change in the sex proportions among those dying from cancer is not due to a different movement in the changing age-constitution of the respective sexes is also afforded by a comparison of the rates for the two sexes at each age-group. The following table shows for successive decennia the proportion which the female rate has borne to the male rate at each age-group from 25 years upwards.
| Age-group. | 1875-84. | 1885-94. | 1895-1904. | 1905-14. | 1915-24. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 and under 30 | 238 | 105 | 200 | 127 | 167 |
| 30 and under 35 | 229 | 392 | 222 | 167 | 224 |
| 35 and under 40 | 367 | 196 | 201 | 232 | 172 |
| 40 and under 45 | 259 | 226 | 208 | 205 | 173 |
| 45 and under 50 | 208 | 160 | 178 | 182 | 161 |
| 50 and under 55 | 150 | 146 | 142 | 119 | 148 |
| 55 and under 60 | 184 | 142 | 120 | 124 | 114 |
| 60 and under 65 | 150 | 95 | 103 | 91 | 95 |
| 65 and under 70 | 141 | 96 | 96 | 101 | 88 |
| 70 and under 75 | 114 | 88 | 83 | 83 | 93 |
| 75 and under 80 | 99 | 91 | 97 | 98 | 92 |
| 80 and over | 72 | 102 | 67 | 93 | 92 |
With the solitary exception of the age-group “30 and under 35” in the period 1885-94, it is seen that at each age-group between 25 and 80 the proportion of the female rate to the male rate was higher (in most cases substantially so) in the period 1875-84 than in any subsequent decennium.
A further point disclosed by the table is that the incidence of cancer is heavier among females than among males between the ages of 25 and 60, but in recent years is lighter thereafter. In the ten years 1875 to 1884 the female excess continued up to age 75.
It should be noted that the figures given in the table above are the percentages which the female rate bears to the male. The absolute excess of the female rate at ages 25 to 40 is much less than at ages 40 to 60, a point that is demonstrated by the annexed diagram, which is based on the rates for the various age-groups for the ten years 1915-24.
The first published figures showing a classification of cancer deaths in New Zealand according to location in the human system appeared in 1900 and covered the four years 1896-99, the last year separately and the other three in combination. The classification adopted, which differed somewhat for males and females even in regard to the grouping of locations common to the two sexes, continued in use until 1907, after which year the whole system of classification of causes of death was drastically altered consequent on the introduction of the “international classification of causes of death.”
The international classification divides cancer into seven groups of locations, only two of which are comparable with groups in the former classification. One group relates to females only and covers cancer of the female genital organs, while the class covering cancer of the breast is almost entirely confined to females, very few fatal cases of cancer of the male breast (only four in the last ten years) being recorded in New Zealand. Partly for this reason, and partly because of the differences in function and development of this organ as between the two sexes, cancer of the male breast is excluded from this class in the following table and included among the residual class—"cancer of other and unspecified organs.” The table gives figures of cancer deaths according to location for each year since the international classification was adopted in New Zealand.
| Year. | Males. | Females. | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccal Cavity. | Stomach and Liver. | Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum. | Skin. | Other and Unspecified Organs. | Totals. | Buccal Cavity. | Stomach and Liver. | Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum. | Genital Organs. | Breast. | Skin. | Other and Unspecified Organs. | Totals. | |
| 1908 | 37 | 170 | 55 | 11 | 90 | 363 | 4 | 102 | 43 | 53 | 31 | 2 | 59 | 294 |
| 1909 | 41 | 168 | 63 | 8 | 103 | 383 | 4 | 91 | 54 | 73 | 46 | 3 | 57 | 328 |
| 1910 | 35 | 160 | 61 | 8 | 135 | 399 | 6 | 95 | 54 | 68 | 40 | 2 | 78 | 343 |
| 1911 | 43 | 195 | 87 | 10 | 113 | 448 | .. | 98 | 55 | 64 | 42 | 4 | 98 | 361 |
| 1912 | 44 | 192 | 58 | 8 | 116 | 418 | 3 | 136 | 50 | 58 | 50 | 7 | 90 | 394 |
| 1913 | 33 | 185 | 85 | 9 | 134 | 446 | 3 | 126 | 66 | 77 | 63 | 3 | 72 | 410 |
| 1914 | 58 | 240 | 69 | 5 | 138 | 510 | 4 | 125 | 53 | 81 | 53 | 4 | 74 | 394 |
| 1815 | 47 | 208 | 66 | 12 | 127 | 460 | 5 | 130 | 71 | 94 | 56 | 13 | 71 | 440 |
| 1816 | 39 | 202 | 84 | 11 | 144 | 480 | 7 | 134 | 68 | 83 | 61 | 9 | 67 | 429 |
| 1917 | 52 | 225 | 91 | 13 | 130 | 511 | 7 | 132 | 55 | 97 | 74 | 9 | 72 | 446 |
| 1918 | 52 | 186 | 70 | 18 | 145 | 471 | 12 | 143 | 64 | 85 | 73 | 3 | 85 | 465 |
| 1919 | 43 | 227 | 101 | 19 | 153 | 543 | 10 | 130 | 81 | 84 | 63 | 6 | 114 | 488 |
| 1920 | 52 | 226 | 64 | 8 | 152 | 502 | 7 | 149 | 98 | 90 | 64 | 6 | 113 | 527 |
| 1921 | 48 | 227 | 91 | 13 | 144 | 523 | 8 | 145 | 100 | 90 | 86 | 7 | 85 | 521 |
| 1922 | 44 | 246 | 99 | 21 | 152 | 562 | 5 | 123 | 88 | 87 | 74 | 11 | 116 | 504 |
| 1923 | 45 | 226 | 119 | 10 | 169 | 569 | 10 | 136 | 103 | 102 | 74 | 5 | 116 | 546 |
| 1924 | 52 | 265 | 114 | 25 | 202 | 658 | 4 | 146 | 109 | 102 | 124 | 12 | 90 | 587 |
| Totals | 765 | 3,548 | 1,377 | 209 | 2,347 | 8,246 | 99 | 2,141 | 1,212 | 1,388 | 1,074 | 106 | 1,457 | 7,477 |
It will be seen that in the classes common to both sexes males have a considerable preponderance of the total deaths, the male excess being greatest for cancer of the buccal cavity and least for cancer of the peritoneum, intestines, and rectum.
Some of the classes cover a fairly wide range of organs, and it is found -that the sex proportions vary considerably between different organs grouped within the same class. For instance, the whole of the male excess in the class covering the peritoneum, intestines, and rectum occurs in respect of cancer of the rectum, there being a slight female excess for cancer of the intestines, a fact which is not disclosed by the foregoing table. Before going more fully into the question of sex proportions for the various classes, it is therefore advisable to examine the available information for individual organs.
Figures of detailed location are available for the last ten years, and these are summarized in the following table, which is instructive both as showing the sex proportions for the principal organs and as giving the percentage which each organ forms of the tota in its class. For the purpose of this table cancer of the throat, which prior to 1923 was included in the “other and undefined” class, is grouped for the whole period in the “stomach and liver” class, to which it now belongs.
| Location. | Number of Deaths. | Percentage of Class Totals. | Female Deaths per 100 Male Deaths. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | ||
| Buccal Cavity. | |||||
| Lip | 65 | 4 | 13.71 | 5.33 | 6 |
| Tongue | 184 | 25 | 38.82 | 33.33 | 14 |
| Jaw | 115 | 22 | 24.26 | 29.34 | 19 |
| Mouth, tonsils | 110 | 24 | 23.21 | 32.00 | 22 |
| Totals | 474 | 75 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 16 |
| Stomach and Liver. | |||||
| Throat | 39 | 15 | 1.72 | 1.09 | 38 |
| Pharynx | 29 | 14 | 1.28 | 1.01 | 48 |
| œsophagus | 253 | 75 | 11.14 | 5.43 | 30 |
| Stomach | 1,350 | 730 | 59.44 | 52.86 | 54 |
| Stomach and liver | 98 | 55 | 4.32 | 3.98 | 56 |
| Liver, gall-bladder | 502 | 492 | 22.10 | 35.63 | 98 |
| Totals | 2,271 | 1,381 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 61 |
| Peritoneum, Intestines, Rectum. | |||||
| Peritoneum, mesentery | 28 | 32 | 3.12 | 3.82 | 114 |
| Intestines | 505 | 587 | 56.17 | 70.13 | 116 |
| Rectum | 366 | 218 | 40.71 | 26.05 | 60 |
| Totals | 899 | 837 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 93 |
| Female Genital Organs. | |||||
| Ovary, Fallopian tube | .. | 122 | .. | 13.35 | .. |
| Uterus | .. | 753 | .. | 82.38 | .. |
| Vagina, vulva | .. | 39 | .. | 4.27 | .. |
| Totals | .. | 914 | .. | 100.00 | .. |
| Breast. | |||||
| Breast | 4 | 749 | 100.00 | 100.00 | .. |
| Skin | |||||
| Skin | 150 | 81 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 54 |
| Other and Undefined. | |||||
| Neck, glands of neck | 140 | 25 | 9.45 | 2.73 | 18 |
| Thyroid | 6 | 35 | 0.40 | 3.82 | 583 |
| Larynx | 107 | 32 | 7.22 | 3.49 | 30 |
| Lung | 49 | 55 | 3.31 | 6.00 | 112 |
| Pancreas | 137 | 79 | 9.25 | 8.62 | 58 |
| Kidney | 46 | 37 | 3.11 | 4.04 | 80 |
| Bladder | 141 | 50 | 9.52 | 5.46 | 35 |
| Prostate | 227 | .. | 15.33 | .. | .. |
| Male genital organs | 18 | .. | 1.21 | .. | .. |
| Bones (other than of jaw) | 62 | 76 | 4.19 | 8.30 | 123 |
| Other specified organs | 149 | 109 | 10.06 | 11.90 | 73 |
| Abdomen (organ not specified) | 85 | 90 | 5.74 | 9.83 | 106 |
| Disseminated | 159 | 194 | 10.74 | 21.18 | 122 |
| Undefined | 155 | 134 | 10.47 | 14.63 | 86 |
| Totals | 1,481 | 916 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 62 |
| Grand totals | 5,279 | 4,953 | .. | .. | 94 |
The most noticeable feature of the buccal-cavity class is the high proportion of males, both in the total deaths and in the figures for each of the four divisions. Among individual locations in this group the male excess is relatively greatest in cancer of the lip, cancer of the tongue coming second in this respect. The tongue is the organ most commonly affected in fatal cases in tins area, while cancer of the lip is responsible for comparatively few deaths—an average of 7 per annum.
In the next class, cancer of the stomach, either alone or with the liver also affected, is responsible for three-fifths of the total deaths, cancer of the liver coming next. The œsophagus ranks comparatively high as a seat of the disease in the case of males, but is not nearly so important in women. A noticeable feature of the statistics for this class is that while the percentage of females to males is only 54 among deaths from cancer of the stomach, and even less in fatal cases located in the œsophagus, pharynx, and throat, females practically equal males among the liver cases.
The intestines are unique among the more important organs common to both sexes in that during the last ten years more females than males have died from cancer of this location. Cancer of the peritoneum, the totals for which are very small, also shows a female excess, but males outnumber females in the proportion of five to three in fatal cases of cancer of the rectum.
In four out of every five deaths from cancer of the female genital organs the uterus is the seat of the disease, the ovaries being affected in the great bulk of the remaining cases. Pew deaths are due to cancer of the external genitals.
Cancer of the breast and also cancer the female genital organs are discussed farther on under a separate heading. A remarkable increase in deaths from mammary cancer occurred during 1924.
Deaths from cancer of the skin are not numerous. Male deaths in this class are twice as heavy as females.
Among the “other and undefined” class the most common seat of fatal cancer is the prostate, followed by the pancreas, the bladder, the neck, the larynx, the bones, and the lungs, among specified organs. Disseminated cancer and the more or less indefinite cancer of the abdomen also rank high.
Cancer of the thyroid causes very few deaths, but the figures are remarkable on account of the high female excess, which is in keeping with the sex proportions shown for deaths from exophthalmic goitre and other diseases of the thyroid. Cancer of the bones and of the lungs is also somewhat higher among women than among men, and the same position is shown for disseminated cancer and cancer of the abdomen.
As mentioned earlier in this article, a special investigation of the registration entries relating to cancer deaths during the five years 1875-79 was undertaken to enable comparisons to be made between early and recent years, more particularly in respect of the location incidence of the disease and of the sex - distribution of cancer of the principal organs and groups of organs.
The 215 deaths of males and the 249 deaths of females during the five years referred to were distributed as follows:—
| Location. | Number of Deaths. | |
|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | |
| Lip | 5 | 1 |
| Tongue | 19 | .. |
| Jaw | 3 | 1 |
| Mouth, tonsils | 5 | .. |
| Totals, buccal cavity | 32 | 2 |
| Throat | 1 | 2 |
| œsophagus | 4 | .. |
| Stomach | 71 | 38 |
| Stomach and liver | 8 | 4 |
| Liver, gall-bladder | 28 | 24 |
| Totals, stomach and liver | 112 | 63 |
| Peritoneum | 1 | .. |
| Intestines | 8 | 7 |
| Rectum | 7 | 5 |
| Totals, peritoneum, &c. | 16 | 12 |
| Ovary | .. | 2 |
| Uterus | .. | 82 |
| Totals, female genital organs | .. | 84 |
| Breast | .. | 31 |
| Skin | 4 | 2 |
| Neck, glands of neck | 4 | 1 |
| Lung | 3 | .. |
| Pancreas | 1 | .. |
| Kidney | 1 | 2 |
| Bladder | 2 | .. |
| Prostate | 2 | .. |
| Male genital organs | 1 | .. |
| Bones | 3 | 2 |
| Other specified organs | 9 | 3 |
| Abdomen (organ not specified) | 1 | 1 |
| Disseminated | 1 | .. |
| Undefined | 23 | 41 |
| Totals, other and undefined | 51 | 50 |
| Grand totals | 215 | 249 |
With few exceptions the figures for individual organs are too small to permit of valid comparisons being made. It may, however, be pointed out that, allowing for the greater male excess in the population in the “seventies,” cancer of the stomach, liver, and intestines shows much the same relative proportions for the respective sexes as is indicated by the figures for the last ten years. A similar result is shown for cancer the buccal cavity and of the skin, while the figures for cancer of the rectum show a somewhat smaller male excess than has been the experience in recent years.
Cancer of the uterus shows a much greater proportion in 1875-79 than in 1915-24, both of the total female deaths from cancer and of the total deaths from cancer of organs peculiar to that sex. The following table shows the percentage which each group bears to the total in the two periods, and also gives the rates per 10,000 of population:—
| Class. | Percentage of Total. | Rate per 10,000 of Population. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875-79. | 1915-24. | 1875-79. | 1915-24. | |||||
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Buccal cavity | 16.84 | 0.96 | 9.71 | 1.65 | 0.28 | 0.02 | 0.79 | 0.13 |
| Stomach and liver | 58.95 | 32.85 | 46.54 | 30.45 | 0.99 | 0.77 | 3.81 | 2.37 |
| Peritoneum, intestines, and rectum | 8.42 | 5.80 | 18.42 | 18.46 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 1.51 | 1.44 |
| Female genital organs | .. | 40.60 | .. | 20.15 | .. | 0.95 | .. | 1.57 |
| Breast | .. | 14.97 | 0.08 | 16.52 | .. | 0.35 | 0.01 | 1.28 |
| Skin | 2.11 | 0.96 | 3.08 | 1.79 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.25 | 0.14 |
| Other defined locations | 13.68 | 3.86 | 22.17 | 10.98 | 0.23 | 0.09 | 1.82 | 0.85 |
| Totals, defined locations | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 | 1.68 | 2.34 | 8.19 | 7.78 |
| Undefined and general | .. | .. | .. | .. | 0.22 | 0.47 | 0.67 | 0.72 |
| Grand totals | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1.90 | 2.81 | 8.86 | 8.50 |
The male rate for the average of the ten years 1915-24 is 4 2/3 times as high as for the average of the quinquennium 1875-79, taking all cases into consideration, and nearly five times as high if only cases with defined locations are considered. The corresponding female rates for the later period are 3 and 3 1/3 times as high respectively as in the earlier.
An examination of the figures for individual groups shows wide variations from the general rate of increase. The crude rate for cancer of the female genital organs was only two-thirds higher in 1915-24 than in 1875-79, and cancer of the buccal cavity in males and of the stomach and liver in both sexes shows a rate of increase somewhat lower than the general increase for specified locations. Cancer of the female breast has increased only slightly more than the average. The figures for cancer of the buccal cavity in females, of the breast in males, and of the skin in both saxes are too small to base any conclusions on.
Two classes, however—cancer of the peritoneum, intestines, and rectum, and cancer of other specified organs—show enormous rates of increase, and it would appear that in the “seventies” cancer of the internal organs other than the stomach and liver was either very rare, or went largely unnoticed on account of difficulties of diagnosis. The latter explanation is the more probable.
It should be borne in mind that the increases quoted are based on crude rates, and would be much lower if the rates were standardized.
We now come to a study of the ages at death from cancer of the various classes. Probably the most noticeable feature of the following table, which summarizes the figures for the last seventeen years, is the high proportion of the total cancer deaths of persons under 25 years of age coming within the “other and unspecified” class. Of 238 deaths under 25 during the period no fewer than 180 (76 per cent.) were in this class, the latter total being contributed to principally by cancer of the urinary system, the pancreas, the abdomen, the lungs, and the bones.
Males.
| Age-group. | Buccal Cavity. | Stomach and Liver. | Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum | Skin. | Other and Unspecified Organs. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 53 |
| 5 and under 20 | 4 | 7 | 1 | .. | 52 | 64 |
| 20 and under 25 | .. | 4 | 3 | .. | 22 | 29 |
| 25 and under 30 | .. | 7 | - 11 | .. | 28 | 46 |
| 30 and under 35 | 3 | 26 | 25 | 2 | 28 | 84 |
| 35 and under 40 | 7 | 56 | 35 | 3 | 68 | 169 |
| 40 and under 45 | 25 | 130 | 59 | 6 | 83 | 303 |
| 45 and under 50 | 43 | 220 | 83 | 7 | 133 | 486 |
| 50 and under 55 | 84 | 326 | 118 | 12 | 189 | 729 |
| 55 and under 60 | 94 | 442 | 140 | 8 | 215 | 899 |
| 60 and under 65 | 99 | 556 | 182 | 13 | 329 | 1,179 |
| 65 and under 70 | 112 | 612 | 224 | 26 | 356 | 1,330 |
| 70 and under 75 | 115 | 570 | 225 | 36 | 356 | 1,302 |
| 75 and under 80 | 91 | 363 | 162 | 39 | 266 | 921 |
| 80 and under 85 | 55 | 167 | 88 | 32 | 131 | 473 |
| 85 and under 90 | 25 | 50 | 17 | 16 | 39 | 147 |
| 90 and over | 6 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 32 |
| Totals | 765 | 3,548 | 1,377 | 209 | 2,347 | 8,246 |
Females
| Age-group. | Buccal Cavity | Stomach and Liver. | Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum | Genital Organs. | Breast. | Skin. | Other and Unspecified Organs. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | .. | 5 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 29 | 35 |
| 5 and under 20 | 2 | .. | 4 | 6 | .. | .. | 26 | 38 |
| 20 and under 25 | .. | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | .. | 9 | 19 |
| 25 and under 30 | .. | 8 | 10 | 16 | 1 | .. | 25 | 60 |
| 30 and under 35 | 6 | 19 | 21 | 40 | 30 | 1 | 31 | 148 |
| 35 and under 40 | 1 | 50 | 44 | 83 | 54 | 1 | 64 | 297 |
| 40 and under 45 | 4 | 90 | 54 | 138 | 112 | 2 | 102 | 502 |
| 45 and under 50 | 10 | 151 | 91 | 195 | 122 | 4 | 149 | 722 |
| 50 and under 55 | 10 | 210 | 115 | 219 | 136 | 5 | 165 | 860 |
| 55 and under 60 | 10 | 243 | 131 | 180 | 146 | 6 | 151 | 867 |
| 60 and under 65 | 7 | 292 | 141 | 156 | 130 | 9 | 183 | 918 |
| 65 and under 70 | 14 | 374 | 187 | 127 | 105 | 6 | 163 | 976 |
| 70 and under 75 | 8 | 327 | 182 | 103 | 105 | 20 | 142 | 887 |
| 75 and under 80 | 14 | 227 | 131 | 81 | 67 | 20 | 129 | 669 |
| 80 and under 85 | 8 | 110 | 72 | 25 | 43 | 21 | 67 | 346 |
| 85 and under 90 | 3 | 30 | 23 | 10 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 108 |
| 90 and over | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 25 |
| Totals | 99 | 2,141 | 1,212 | 1,388 | 1,074 | 106 | 1,457 | 7,477 |
A table in similar form to the foregoing is also given for the period 1875-79, the figures for which were specially extracted from, the death registers.
Males.
| Age-group. | Buccal Cavity. | Stomach and Liver. | Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum. | Skin. | Other and Unspecified Organs. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 |
| 5 and under 20 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 |
| 20 and under 25 | .. | 3 | .. | .. | 3 | 6 |
| 25 and under 30 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 3 |
| 30 and under 35 | .. | 4 | .. | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| 35 and under 40 | 1 | 10 | 1 | .. | 1 | 13 |
| 40 and under 45 | 3 | 16 | 2 | .. | 3 | 24 |
| 45 and under 50 | 4 | 19 | 5 | .. | 8 | 36 |
| 50 and under 55 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 26 |
| 55 and under 60 | 9 | 14 | .. | .. | 9 | 32 |
| 60 and under 65 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 20 |
| 65 and under 70 | 2 | 13 | 2 | .. | 1 | 18 |
| 70 and under 75 | 3 | 6 | .. | 1 | 3 | 13 |
| 75 and under 80 | 1 | 3 | .. | .. | 1 | 5 |
| 80 and under 85 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 5 |
| 85 and under 90 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 |
| 90 and over | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 32 | 112 | 16 | 4 | 51 | 215 |
Females
| Age-group. | Buccal Cavity | Stomach and Liver. | Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum. | Genital Organs. | Breast. | Skin. | Other and Unspecified Organs. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 4 |
| 5 and under 20 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 20 and under 25 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 |
| 25 and under 30 | .. | 2 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | 5 | 11 |
| 30 and under 35 | .. | 1 | .. | 5 | 2 | .. | 3 | 11 |
| 35 and under 40 | .. | 6 | 4 | 7 | .. | 1 | 7 | 25 |
| 40 and under 45 | .. | 5 | .. | 13 | 5 | .. | 7 | 31 |
| 45 and under 50 | .. | 8 | 1 | 17 | 6 | .. | 4 | 36 |
| 50 and under 55 | .. | .. | 8 | 1 | 10 | 2 | .. | 21 |
| 55 and under 60 | .. | .. | 12 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 43 |
| 60 and under 65 | .. | .. | 11 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 26 |
| 65 and under 70 | .. | .. | 7 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 20 |
| 70 and under 75 | .. | 4 | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| 75 and under 80 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 80 and under 85 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 |
| 85 and under 90 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. |
| 90 and over | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | 2 | 68 | 12 | 84 | 31 | 2 | 50 | 249 |
A study of the figures for 1908-24 reveals variations in the maxima for different classes. In the class covering the female genital organs the maximum occurred at the age-group 50 to 55, with the group 45 to 50 second, while cancer of the skin claimed its greatest number of victims at ages 75 to 80. Cancer of the female breast had its maximum at ages 55 to 60, while in all other classes the maxima lay between ages 65 and 75.
The average ages at death from the various classes of cancer in the last seventeen years are given in the next table, and show a range in keeping with that-recorded for the maxima, with the exception of the “other and unspecified” lass, whose comparatively low average is due to its high proportion of the total juvenile cases. Averages are also shown for the period 1875-79, but with the exception of the classes “stomach and liver,” “female genital organs,” and “other and unspecified” the figures are too small to be of use for comparative purposes. No averages are given where there were less than 20 deaths in a group.
| Location. | 1875-79. | 1908-24. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Years. | Years. | Years. | Years. | |
| Buccal cavity | 58 | .. | 65 | 63 |
| Stomach and liver | 52 | 53 | 64 | 63 |
| Peritoneum, intestines, and rectum | .. | .. | 64 | 63 |
| Female genital organs | .. | 50 | .. | 56 |
| Breast | .. | 54 | .. | 58 |
| Skin | .. | .. | 71 | 72 |
| Other and unspecified | 51 | 47 | 61 | 57 |
| Totals | 53 | .. | 63 | 60 |
FACTORS IN THE VARYING SEX PROPORTIONS FOR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
The statistics of cancer deaths according to organs affected show that with few exceptions there is a largo male excess in respect of organs common to both sexes. Questions naturally arise as to the cause of the male excess in general, and of the exceptions.
It is not the function of the statistical writer to answer these questions, which are inextricably bound up with the whole question of cancer causation, a matter on which there is still much to be decided. It may not be out of place, however, to draw attention to certain factors which may assist to throw some light on the subject.
The organs in which there is either a female excess or an equality between the deaths for the two sexes are the liver, the intestines, the thyroid, the lungs, and the bones. To these should be added the indefinite disseminated cancer and cancer of the abdomen. In all other organs of any importance as the seat of the disease there is a pronounced male excess.
Whether it is merely a coincidence, or whether there is some causative connection between cancer and other diseases, it is a fact that sex proportions for most non-malignant diseases of individual organs (where the classification permits of a comparison) vary in the same direction as in the case of cancer. For instance, deaths from non-malignant diseases of the liver, the intestinal tract, and the thyroid show a female excess, while a substantial male excess is shown for diseases of the stomach, the kidneys, the bladder, and the skin. Diseases of the bones show much the same result for the two sexes, with, however, a slight male excess, as against a slight female excess in cancer of the bones; while the lungs, which also show a slight female excess in cancer cases, have a fairly considerable male excess in other cases, including tuberculosis. Deaths from non-malignant diseases of the buccal cavity, pharynx, œsophagus, larynx, and pancreas are too few to base any proportions on, though in general they show a male excess.
The figures given in the following table cover the aggregate of the two years, 1923-24. They do not purport to include deaths from all diseases of the organs mentioned, but only those where the classification follows a grouping according to organs affected, and where the grouping is such as to permit of a comparison with the cancer figures for the same organs or groups of organs.
| Disease. | Number of Deaths. | Female Deaths per 100 Male Deaths. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | ||
| Ulcer of stomach | 92 | 33 | 36 |
| Other diseases of stomach | 45 | 40 | 89 |
| Diseases of liver | 94 | 128 | 136 |
| Diarrhœa and enteritis (over 2) | 58 | 59 | 102 |
| Hernia, intestinal obstruction | 79 | 89 | 113 |
| Simple peritonitis | 33 | 55 | 167 |
| Diseases of skin | 51 | 36 | 71 |
| Diseases of thyroid | 21 | 90 | 429 |
| Diseases of pancreas | 11 | 9 | 82 |
| Nephritis | 395 | 305 | 77 |
| Other diseases of kidneys | 83 | 40 | 48 |
| Diseases of bladder | 44 | 9 | 20 |
| Diseases of bones | 30 | 28 | 93 |
These figures cover only a small proportion of the total deaths, and cannot be taken as conclusively showing any connection between cancer and other diseases of individual organs. It would appear, however, that the absence of a male excess in cancer of certain organs is associated with a greater liability to disease generally in those organs on the part of females.
Another factor that may enter into the question of the female excess in certain organs is the proximity of those organs in the female to the breast or the genital organs. The lungs, the liver, the intestines, and the abdomen all come within this category, and it is not impossible that the departure from the normal male excess in the case of these organs is due in part at least to this circumstance. The higher female excess in thyroid diseases, malignant and other, is no doubt due to developmental differences between the two sexes in respect of this organ. Metastasis and secondary growths appear to be more common in cancer of the breast than in cancer of most other organs, and this may possibly explain the female excess in disseminated cancer cases, and in cancer of the bones. Both of these classes, however, have a wide range through the human system, and are on that account difficult to classify.
We now come to a consideration of the question of the male excess in general. and in the majority of individual organs. Omitting organs peculiar to either sex, it is found that during the ten years 1915-24 there were 5,030 male and 3,290 female deaths from cancer, giving a ratio of 65 females per 100 males. There is a somewhat higher proportion of males among the population at advanced ages, but this accounts for only a small part of the male excess. It is obvious that there must be some other reason for the greater portion of the male excess, and that it is due either to fundamental differences (original or naturally developed) in the corresponding organs of the two sexes, or to differences in regard to such matters as occupations, habits, manner of living, &c.
The former alternative deals with questions on which the layman is not qualified to speak, and will not be discussed here. It is improbable, however, that natural differences between the two sexes can have much influence in the relative frequency of cancer, the great probability being that the more or less artificial and acquired differences covered by the second alternative are at the root of the matter. These differences are legion, and extend over the whole range of work, recreation, diet, and personal habits.
In the realm of work men have in general much severer conditions than women, involving a greater degree of exertion, of bodily and mental fatigue, and of liability to injury. Further, their duties are more permanent and less changing than those of women.
Recreation on the part of men also involves in general greater exertion and a greater liability to injury than in the case of women.
"Diet” is here used in a very broad sense as covering eating, drinking, smoking, &c., both as to nature and quantity of what is consumed and also as to the manner of its consumption. Two of the more obvious differences under this head between the two sexes—the greater indulgence in smoking and in alcoholic liquors on the part of men—are commonly put down as important causes of the great male excess in cancer of the buccal cavity and of the stomach respectively. But there are other differences in regard to diet between the two sexes, perhaps not so apparent if looked at from the point of view of generalities or averages, but nevertheless affecting a much greater proportion of the one sex than of the other. Overeating and hasty eating are far more common among men than among women, even in the towns, while in certain industries in the back country meals are often partaken of by men under circumstances which encourage or even necessitate these habits and others—e.g., the eating of roughly prepared food, canned food, and an undue proportion of meat.
Under the head of “personal habits” come such matters as the care and cleanliness of the body, and particularly of the teeth and mouth. Here, again, it is not so much a general difference between the habits of the two sexes that is evident, as the fact “that more men than women are concerned. Differences in this respect are to a large extent connected with differences under the heads of “work” and “diet.”
Dealing now with individual locations, it is seen that the male preponderance in cancer is common to the whole of the food passages from the lips to the stomach, as well as to the closely adjoining neck and larynx, and that this preponderance decreases with distance from the lips. Smoking, drinking, differences in regard to what is eaten and how it is eaten, and care of the mouth and teeth, are all factors to be taken into account. Probably the last-mentioned, which is closely connected with the other factors enumerated, deserves more prominence than it usually receives. Smoking may affect only the lips and tongue, or, on the other hand, it may have an influence on the internal food-passages. Even in the case of the lips, where the male excess is greatest, and which come into contact with the pipe or cigarette, there are other factors to be considered—e.g., care of the teeth, shaving, and the presence of hair round the lips.
There has been a somewhat greater relative increase in cancer of the buccal cavity among women than among men during the last few years, the number of male deaths to every female death having fallen from 9 1/2 during the nine years 1908-16 to 6 1/2 during the subsequent eight years. It is generally accepted that there has been a considerable increase in smoking by women since the war, but there have also been similar increases in, say, the employment of women in offices. As a matter of fact, among women between the ages of 20 and 40 (who are those among whom the smoking habit would most naturally develop), there were three deaths from cancer of the buccal cavity in the nine years immediately preceding 1917, two in 1917, and two since that year. It is unwise to dogmatize in the present state of our knowledge of cancer causation.
Other organs in which there is a pronounced male excess are the rectum, the pancreas, the internal urinary organs, and the skin. Probably sedentary occupations are an important factor in the first-mentioned, and differences under the head of “diet” in the second and third, while nature and conditions of work, care of the skin, and shaving, are probable factors in the fourth.
Reference has already been made to the fact that an investigation undertaken by the Registrar-General of England covering the deaths of that country for the period 1911-13 disclosed that the death-rate from cancer of the uterus is much higher among married women than among single. This result was in accordance with the general opinion of statisticians and medical men, but in another respect the investigation gave result- contrary to anticipations, in that it showed that single women are more liable than married women to cancer of the ovaries and, breast.
No official statistics on the point are available for New Zealand, but an examination of the deaths in 1916 and 1924 has been made, the former in the course of preparation of the writer's previous article on cancer and the latter for the purposes of the present article. The resultant statistics, though of little use in themselves on account of the very small number of cases considered, are nevertheless corroborative of the conclusions arrived at in England.
Of 83 deaths in 1916 from cancer of the female genital organs, including cancer of the ovaries, which was not treated separately, only 2 were of single women, while out of 61 women who died from cancer of the breast 7 were unmarried. After making allowance for the proportions of single and married women (the latter including widows) at various ages in the population, it was found that in deaths from cancer of the breast the rate for single women was two-fifths higher than for married women. The rate for single women in genital-organ cases, on the other hand, was only one-sixth as high as for married women.
The examination of the 1924 deaths from cancer of the female genital organs went a step further than in the case of the 1916 deaths, and divided the former class into three divisions according to organ affected—viz., uterus, ovary, and other organs. A distinction was also made between married women and widows. The results, -which are summarized below, show a much greater proportion of single women, and also of widows, among those dying from cancer of the breast and ovaries than among those with whom the uterus was the seat of the disease.
| Organ. | Married Women. | Widows. | Single Women. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uterus | 55 | 19 | 1 | 75 |
| Ovary | 11 | 5 | 4 | 20 |
| Other or undefined genital organs | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Breast | 66 | 37 | 21 | 124 |
The only single woman who died from cancer of the uterus in 1924 was over 70 years of age, while in the corresponding case in the “other and undefined” genital organs the deceased was a girl of 16 years, the location being given as “pelvic organs.” Single women who died from cancer of the ovaries were all between 30 and 60 years of age, but those dying from cancer of the breast were distributed over all ages from 30 to 80.
A table of conjugal condition and ages in uterine, ovarian, and mammary eases is appended:—
| Age, in Years. | Uterus. | Ovary. | Breast. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Married Women | Widows. | Single Women | Married Women. | Widows. | Single Women. | Married Women | Widows. | Single Women. | |
| 25 and under 30 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. |
| 30 and under 35 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | .. | 2 |
| 35 and under 40 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 | .. | .. |
| 40 and under 45 | 10 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 7 | .. | 3 |
| 45 and under 50 | 6 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 8 | .. | 1 |
| 50 and under 55 | 11 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 12 | 2 | 5 |
| 55 and under 60 | 5 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 12 | 2 | 4 |
| 60 and under 65 | 6 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 7 | 9 | 2 |
| 65 and under 70 | 5 | 2 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 70 and under 75 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | .. | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 75 and under 80 | 2 | 3 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 80 and under 85 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | .. |
| 85 and under 90 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. |
| Totals | 55 | 19 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 66 | 37 | 21 |
As in the case of the 1916 statistics, single women show a much higher rate for cancer of the breast than do married women, if the numbers at various age-groups are considered. Single women show also a higher rate than widows, and widows a slightly lower rate than married women. At the census of 1921 the proportions of married, single, and widowed women at various age-groups were approximately as follows:—
| Age, in Years. | Married to Single. | Married to Widowed. | Widowed to Single. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 and under 45 | 4 | 19 | 2/9 |
| 45 and under 60 | 5 | 5 1/2 | 1 |
| 60 and under 75 | 7 | 1 1/5 | 5 1/2 |
| 75 and under 90 | 5 | 1/3 | 15 |
If these proportions be applied to the figures of deaths from cancer of the breast we get the following results:—
| Age, in Years. | Comparison of Married and Single. | Comparison of Married and Widowed. | Comparison of Widowed and Single. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Married. | Single. | Married. | Widowed. | Widowed. | Single. | ||||
| Actual. | On Population Basis. | Actual. | On Population Basis. | Actual. | On Population Basis. | ||||
| 30 and under 45 | 16 | 5 | 20 | 16 | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 1 |
| 45 and under 60 | 32 | 10 | 50 | 32 | 4 | 22 | 4 | 10 | 10 |
| 60 and under 75 | 14 | 5 | 35 | 14 | 23 | 28 | 23 | 5 | 27 |
| 75 and under 90 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 15 |
| Totals | 66 | 21 | 110 | 66 | 37 | 53 | 37 | 21 | 53 |
The New Zealand figures show, in their small way, similar results to those ascertained in England—viz., that the rate is greater in married women for cancer of the uterus, and for single women in cancer of the breast. If conjugal condition only were the test we should expect that in a country with a rising marriage-rate, as in New Zealand, cancer of the uterus would increase at a greater rate than cancer of the breast. This is not the case, however, the increase in the marriage-rate being accompanied by a fall in the birth-rate, which appears to be a better index.
Unlike most other classes of cancer, for which comparable statistics are available only from 1908 onwards, statistics of cancer of the female genital organs and breast date back to the year 1896. The deaths from these two classes in each of the last twenty-nine years are as follows:—
| Year. | Genital Organs. | Breast. |
|---|---|---|
* Three years, not shown separately. | ||
| 1896-98* | 143 | 70 |
| 1899 | 50 | 20 |
| 1900 | 54 | 17 |
| 1901 | 55 | 38 |
| 1902 | 44 | 33 |
| 1903 | 48 | 33 |
| 1904 | 58 | 25 |
| 1905 | 49 | 38 |
| 1906 | 68 | 38 |
| 1907 | 73 | 48 |
| 1908 | 53 | 31 |
| 1909 | 72 | 46 |
| 1910 | 68 | 40 |
| 1911 | 64 | 42 |
| 1912 | 58 | 50 |
| 1913 | 77 | 63 |
| 1914 | 81 | 53 |
| 1915 | 94 | 56 |
| 1916 | 83 | 61 |
| 1917 | 97 | 74 |
| 1918 | 85 | 73 |
| 1919 | 84 | 63 |
| 1920 | 90 | 64 |
| 1921 | 90 | 86 |
| 1922 | 87 | 74 |
| 1923 | 102 | 74 |
| 1924 | 102 | 124 |
If the period of twenty-nine years be divided into three groups—two of ten years and one of nine years—and the numbers for the two classes compared, we get the following results, which show that cancer of the breast is increasing at a much greater rate than cancer of the genital organs:—
| Period. | Genital Organs. | Breast. | Breast Cases per 1,000 of Genital Organ Cases. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896-1905 | 501 | 274 | 547 |
| 1906-1915 | 708 | 467 | 660 |
| 1916-1924 | 820 | 693 | 845 |
During the five years 1875-79 there were 84 deaths from cancer of the genital organs, and 31 from cancer of the breast, the latter representing a rate of only 369 per 1,000 of the former, as compared with 845 in 1916-24.
Figures of conjugal condition of women dying from these two classes of cancer in 1875-79 were also extracted, but the results are negative. Of 31 who died from cancer of the breast, only 2 were returned as single women, and of 82 who died from cancer of the uterus, 2 were single, while both deaths from cancer of the ovary were of married women.
One of the points to which a good deal of attention has been directed in recent years is the question as to the effect on cancer frequency of such matters as rainfall, temperature, topography, &c. The subject, however, is so involved, on account of the combination of factors, that nothing very definite has yet been ascertained, though a good deal of evidence has been adduced in support of various theories. Most of this evidence is inconclusive and more or less unconvincing, the investigators having in many cases overlooked all factors other than the particular one they have been dealing with. As an example of the futility of taking only one factor into account we may refer to the earlier portion of this article, which shows the great effect differences in the age-constitution have on the crude death-rates. If we were considering the question of altitude, for instance, and found that a town 1,000 ft. above sea-level had a cancer death-rate of 80 per 100,000, while another only a few feet above sea-level had a rate of only 70, it would be quite premature and erroneous to argue from this alone that altitude had anything to do with the matter. Apart from the important factor of age-constitution, consideration must also be given to quite an array of other matters, such as character, habits, occupation, and nationality of the inhabitants, rainfall, sunshine, temperature, and environment generally.
Nothing short of a cancer census, or an investigation which could take all these factors into account, would give definite results, and no such investigation on any large scale has been attempted in New Zealand. From the published statistics of numbers of deaths from cancer in each provincial district during the last fifty years, however, a certain amount of information is derivable, and is placed on record as affording some little evidence on the question of geographical distribution of cancer in New Zealand.
The number of cancer deaths in each provincial district during the fifty years is as given in the following statement, which groups the period into quinquennia, and shows males and females separately:—
| District. | 1875-79 | 1880-84 | 1885-89 | 1890-94 | 1895-99 | 1900-04 | 1905-09 | 1910-14 | 1915-19 | 1920-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including Southland. | ||||||||||
| Males. | ||||||||||
| Auckland | 56 | 92 | 130 | 177 | 222 | 310 | 364 | 527 | 665 | 760 |
| Hawke's Bay | 6 | 14 | 34 | 52 | 51 | 55 | 80 | 120 | 141 | 146 |
| Taranaki | 5 | 10 | 19 | 24 | 48 | 55 | 72 | 98 | 78 | 113 |
| Wellington | 18 | 28 | 75 | 140 | 203 | 241 | 314 | 432 | 419 | 548 |
| Marlborough | 3 | 11 | 9 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 33 | 34 | 37 | 40 |
| Nelson | 10 | 21 | 27 | 34 | 63 | 90 | 74 | 86 | 96 | 80 |
| Westland | 13 | 21 | 39 | 49 | 58 | 80 | 62 | 64 | 64 | 44 |
| Canterbury | 42 | 57 | 92 | 156 | 199 | 250 | 311 | 397 | 440 | 513 |
| Otago* | 62 | 123 | 185 | 262 | 293 | 353 | 447 | 463 | 525 | 570 |
| Totals, males | 215 | 377 | 610 | 911 | 1,157 | 1,455 | 1,757 | 2,221 | 2,465 | 2,814 |
| Females. | ||||||||||
| Auckland | 51 | 69 | 124 | 157 | 200 | 237 | 330 | 468 | 568 | 742 |
| Hawke's Bay | 2 | 5 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 42 | 66 | 92 | 128 | 115 |
| Taranaki | 3 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 29 | 44 | 57 | 65 | 103 | 86 |
| Wellington | 31 | 41 | 68 | 114 | 145 | 237 | 277 | 363 | 451 | 573 |
| Marlborough | 3 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 32 | 20 | 33 | 35 |
| Nelson | 26 | 17 | 28 | 34 | 38 | 56 | 46 | 63 | 61 | 68 |
| Westland | 12 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 27 | 21 | 37 | 47 | 44 |
| Canterbury | 60 | 92 | 90 | 147 | 208 | 234 | 317 | 368 | 426 | 505 |
| Otago* | 61 | 122 | 178 | 207 | 256 | 287 | 328 | 426 | 451 | 517 |
| Totals, females | 249 | 385 | 542 | 726 | 949 | 11,179 | 1,474 | 1,902 | 2,268 | 2,685 |
| Both Sexes. | ||||||||||
| Auckland | 107 | 161 | 254 | 334 | 422 | 547 | 694 | 995 | 1,233 | 1,502 |
| Hawke's Bay | 8 | 19 | 52 | 74 | 91 | 97 | 146 | 212 | 269 | 261 |
| Taranaki | 8 | 24 | 34 | 40 | 77 | 99 | 129 | 163 | 181 | 199 |
| Wellington | 49 | 69 | 143 | 254 | 348 | 478 | 591 | 795 | 870 | 1,121 |
| Marlborough | 6 | 18 | 14 | 26 | 34 | 36 | 65 | 54 | 70 | 75 |
| Nelson | 36 | 38 | 55 | 68 | 101 | 146 | 120 | 149 | 157 | 148 |
| Westland | 25 | 39 | 55 | 69 | 77 | 107 | 83 | 101 | 111 | 88 |
| Canterbury | 102 | 149 | 182 | 303 | 407 | 484 | 628 | 765 | 866 | 1,018 |
| Otago* | 123 | 245 | 363 | 469 | 549 | 640 | 775 | 889 | 976 | 1,087 |
| Totals, both sexes | 464 | 762 | 1,152 | 1,637 | 2,106 | 2,634 | 3,231 | 4,123 | 4,733 | 5,499 |
Mere numbers, of course, afford no basis of comparison, and crude rates are untrustworthy, as they do not take into account differences in the age and sex constitution of the populations of the various provincial districts. A comparison of the crude rates is nevertheless of interest, and the rates have accordingly been worked out for each of the four quinquennia covered by the twenty years 1904—23. Each of the five-yearly periods adopted had a census in its central year, and the rates have been worked out on the basis of the census population figures.
| Quinquennium. | Auckland. | Hawke's Bay. | Taranaki. | Wellington. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago.* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Including Southland. | |||||||||
| Males. | |||||||||
| 1904-08 | 5.98 | 6.30 | 5.77 | 6.37 | 7.06 | 6.93 | 14.63 | 7.54 | 9.24 |
| 1909-13 | 6.82 | 8.62 | 6.62 | 7.68 | 7.09 | 6.01 | 15.60 | 8.20 | 9.36 |
| 1914-18 | 8.36 | 10.96 | 5.51 | 7.32 | 9.83 | 7.64 | 16.91 | 10.01 | 11.04 |
| 1919-23 | 7.69 | 8.46 | 6.12 | 8.25 | 8.28 | 6.63 | 13.49 | 10.01 | 10.79 |
| Females. | |||||||||
| 1904-08 | 6.07 | 6.19 | 6.05 | 6.56 | 8.08 | 4.81 | 5.56 | 7.63 | 7.28 |
| 1909-13 | 7.28 | 7.73 | 4.79 | 7.05 | 6.35 | 5.86 | 9.44 | 8.65 | 9.22 |
| 1914-18 | 7.12 | 9.23 | 7.45 | 7.68 | 7.55 | 5.15 | 13.03 | 8.97 | 8.67 |
| 1919-23 | 8.04 | 7.61 | 5.83 | 8.86 | 8.60 | 6.29 | 15.11 | 9.49 | 10.11 |
| Both Sexes. | |||||||||
| 1904-08 | 6.02 | 6.25 | 5.90 | 6.46 | 7.52 | 5.97 | 10.63 | 7.58 | 8.30 |
| 1909-13 | 7.03 | 8.24 | 5.82 | 7.38 | 6.88 | 5.98 | 12.73 | 8.43 | 9.31 |
| 1914-18 | 7.74 | 10.10 | 6.45 | 7.50 | 8.72 | 6.41 | 15.05 | 9.47 | 9.84 |
| 1919-23 | 7.80 | 8.04 | 5.98 | 8.55 | 8.43 | 6.47 | 14.24 | 9.75 | 10.45 |
The rates quoted for Otago are inclusive of the figures for Southland, separate statistics for which are not available for the first two quinquennia. Both in 1914-18 and 1919-23, the rates for Southland were much lower than those for Otago, as will be seen from the following:—
| — | Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914-18. | 1919-23. | 1914-18. | 1919-23. | 1914-18. | 1910-23. | |
| Otago | 12.05 | 11.85 | 9.34 | 10.46 | 10.65 | 11.15 |
| Southland | 8.89 | 8.56 | 7.12 | 9.30 | 8.02 | 8.91 |
Judged by the crude rates, Westland appears to be easily the least healthy of the provincial districts from the point of view of cancer, having in each of the four quinquennia a rate considerably higher than Otago, which comes second, followed by Canterbury. Taranaki, Nelson, and Auckland, in that order, have the lowest rates, while Wellington compares very favourably with Canterbury and Otago.
It is known, however, that there is a considerable diversity between the age-constitution of the North and South Islands, and also between individual provincial districts. For many years past there has been a steady flow of population from South to North, and it is the young people who have so migrated. Thus there has been a rapid increase in the proportion of old people in the South Island, while the natural tendency in this direction has been retarded in the North by the influx of young men and women from the South.
In the light of this and of the fact that the three provincial districts with the highest cancer death-rates are all in the South Island, it is quite useless to attempt any discussion as to relative cancer frequency on the crude rates, and an attempt has accordingly been made to allow for the differences in age and sex constitution between the various provincial districts.
The system of standardization employed for the Dominion cannot be utilized for the provincial districts on account of the deaths not having been divided into age-groups in the latter case. A different method accordingly had to be improvised. The population and cancer deaths of the Dominion for each of the two periods 1914-18 and 1919-23 were divided into eight groups—viz., males and females separately at ages under 45, 45 to 60, 60 to 75, and 75 and over—and rates for the Dominion ascertained for each group. Then the rates for the various groups were weighted by the population of each provincial district for the corresponding groups, and a figure arrived at representing the numbers of deaths from cancer to which the respective provincial districts would be entitled on the basis of the Dominion death-rate. For want of a better term this number may be referred to as the “standard” number of deaths.
The following stable shows for each of the two periods covered the “standard” and actual numbers of deaths from cancer in each provincial district, with the excess or deficit of the latter as compared with the former.
| Provincial District. | 1914-18. | 1919-23. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Standard” Deaths. | Actual Deaths. | Excess (+) or Deficit (-) of Actual Deaths. | “Standard” Deaths. | Actual Deaths. | Excess (+) or Deficit (-) of Actual Deaths. | |||
| Numerical. | Per Cent. | Numerical. | Per Cent. | |||||
| Males. | ||||||||
| Auckland | 660 | 648 | -12 | -2 | 788 | 737 | -51 | -6 |
| Hawke's Bay | 117 | 149 | +32 | +27 | 134 | 132 | -2 | -1 |
| Taranaki | 106 | 79 | -27 | -25 | 117 | 99 | -18 | -15 |
| Wellington | 443 | 407 | -36 | -8 | 509 | 524 | +15 | +3 |
| Marlborough | 38 | 41 | +3 | +8 | 41 | 39 | -2 | -5 |
| Nelson | 115 | 96 | -19 | -17 | 114 | 83 | -31 | -27 |
| Westland | 47 | 62 | +15 | +32 | 41 | 51 | +10 | +24 |
| Canterbury | 423 | 432 | +9 | +2 | 464 | 495 | +31 | +7 |
| Otago | 347 | 384 | +37 | +11 | 349 | 401 | +52 | +15 |
| Southland | 136 | 134 | -2 | -1 | 142 | 138 | -4 | -3 |
| Totals | 2,432 | 2,432 | .. | 2,699 | 2,699 | .. | .. | .. |
| Females. | ||||||||
| Auckland | 590 | 546 | -44 | -7 | 743 | 715 | -28 | -4 |
| Hawke's Bay | 98 | 125 | +27 | +28 | 111 | 113 | +2 | +2 |
| Taranaki | 92 | 101 | +9 | +10 | 111 | 86 | -25 | -23 |
| Wellington | 410 | 432 | +22 | +5 | 496 | 539 | +43 | +9 |
| Marlborough | 30 | 30 | .. | 33 | 36 | +3 | +9 | .. |
| Nelson | 89 | 59 | -30 | -34 | 100 | 71 | -29 | -29 |
| Westland | 29 | 44 | +15 | +52 | 30 | 50 | +20 | -67 |
| Canterbury | 406 | 415 | +9 | +2 | 477 | 475 | -2 | .. |
| Otago | 321 | 318 | -3 | -1 | 361 | 362 | +1 | .. |
| Southland | 109 | 104 | -5 | -5 | 124 | 139 | +15 | +12 |
| Totals | 2,174 | 2,174 | .. | .. | 2,586 | 2,586 | .. | .. |
| Both Sexes. | ||||||||
| Auckland | 1,250 | 1,194 | -56-4 | 1,531 | 1,452 | -79 | -5 | .. |
| Hawke's Bay | 215 | 274 | +59 | +27 | 245 | 245 | .. | .. |
| Taranaki | 198 | 180 | -18 | -9 | 228 | 185 | -43 | -19 |
| Wellington | 853 | 839 | -14 | -2 | 1,005 | 1,063 | +58 | +6 |
| Marlborough | 68 | 71 | +3 | +4 | 74 | 75 | +1 | +1 |
| Nelson | 204 | 155 | -49 | -24 | 214 | 154 | -60 | -28 |
| Westland | 76 | 106 | +30 | +39 | 71 | 101 | +30 | +42 |
| Canterbury | 829 | 847 | +18 | +2 | 941 | 970 | +29 | +3 |
| Otago | 668 | 702 | +34 | +5 | 710 | 763 | +53 | +7 |
| Southland | 245 | 238 | -7 | -3 | 266 | 277 | +11 | +4 |
| Totals | 4,606 | 4,600 | .. | .. | 5,285 | 5,285 | .. | .. |
We now have a basis of comparison for the various districts, and it is seen at once that in each quinquennia, for each sex and for the two sexes in conjunction, Nelson shows the best results and Westland the worst. Taranaki and Auckland also show up well, but of the other two North Island provincial districts Hawke's Bay in one quinquennium and Wellington in the other compare unfavourably with the Dominion average. Canterbury, which has the third highest crude rate, has very little excess when the age — constitution is taken into account, while Otago shows a high excess in the case of males but has slightly under standard figures for females.
The relative positions of the various provincial districts is better seen by combining the two quinquennia, as in the following table. Decennial figures are also more satisfactory than quinquennial in that they tend more to the elimination of temporary fluctuations. Along with the figures for the ten years 1914-23 are given those for 1904-13, which were compiled for the writer's article on cancer mortality by a similar system to that used for 1914-23 but with a somewhat different grouping of ages. It is remarkable that in each of the ten-yearly periods covered, Nelson had the highest percentage deficit and Westland the highest percentage excess, while in each period also Nelson, Taranaki, and Auckland all show a better position than the Dominion averages and are the only provincial districts to do so for both sexes in conjunction.
| Provincial District. | 1904-13. | 1914-23. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | Males. | Females. | Both Sexes. | |
| Auckland | -12 | -6 | -10 | -4 | -5 | -5 |
| Hawke's Bay | +9 | .. | +5 | +12 | +14 | +13 |
| Taranaki | +3 | -14 | -5 | -26 | -8 | -14 |
| Wellington | +11 | +7 | +9 | -2 | +7 | +2 |
| Marlborough | -8 | +11 | .. | +1 | +5 | +3 |
| Nelson | -27 | -27 | -25 | -22 | -31 | -26 |
| Westland | +24 | -9 | +12 | +28 | +59 | +41 |
| Canterbury | -1 | +4 | +2 | +5 | +1 | +3 |
| Otago | +6 | +5 | +5 | +13 | .. | +6 |
| Southland | -2 | +4 | +1 | |||
The “thermometers” on the next page show for the decennium 1914-23 the relative positions of the various provinces as regards the fatal incidence of cancer when differences in the age-constitution have been eliminated. The position of each province on the thermometer is determined by the percentage of its recorded cancer deaths above or below the “standard,” which is indicated by zero.
It is beyond the scope of this work to delve into considerations of the causes of the relative frequency of cancer in various provinces, but it may be pointed out that Auckland occupies the northern half of the North Island, with Taranaki bordering it on the south-west, while Nelson occupies on a smaller scale the corresponding portion of the South Island—viz., the north-west corner. Auckland lies nearest the Equator and has a warm climate, plenty of sunshine, and a moderate rainfall. Taranaki has a mild climate, with a fairly heavy rainfall. Nelson is noted for its sunshine, having long since earned the sobriquet of “Sunny Nelson,” and has a mild climate and a moderate rainfall. Westland, a long narrow strip lying between the Southern Alps and the sea, has a very moist but not a. cold climate. Wellington has a moderate rainfall and a fairly equable climate. The part bordering on Cook Strait, which contains the greater portion of the population of the province, is liable both to the moisture-laden northerly and the cold southerly wind. Otago and Canterbury have a greater range of temperature than any other province and have a comparatively small rainfall. Southland, the most southerly portion of the Dominion, has a moderate rainfall, spread, however, over more days of the year than in other districts, and has less sunshine than other portions of the Dominion. Each of the ten provincial districts has a liberal amount of coast-line, and in every case the bulk of the population is within a few miles of the coast.
Westland is essentially a mining and timber-milling district; Otago, Canterbury, and Marlborough are principally agricultural in the closer-settled portions; while Nelson is mainly a mining and mixed farming (including fruitgrowing) district. Auckland and Taranaki are mainly dairying districts, with a certain amount of mining and timber-milling in the former. Hawke's Bay is a sheep-farming district, and Wellington is fairly evenly divided between agricultural, dairy, and sheep — farming. Five of the ten provinces have approximately half of their population situated in towns of over 5,000 inhabitants, the exceptions being Taranaki (two-ninths), Nelson (one-fourth), Marlborough (largest town, 4,850), Westland (one-third), and Southland (one-third). The population is densest in Wellington, and least dense in Westland. All North Island provincial districts, but only Canterbury in the South Island, have a density above the Dominion average. Canterbury has a population of predominantly English origin, and Otago and Southland of predominantly Scotch origin, though in Southland the Irish race is strongly represented, as also in Westland and the west coast district of Nelson. The North Island is mainly inhabited by New-Zealand-born people of English or mixed English, Scotch, and Irish descent. Wellington and Auckland are probably the most cosmopolitan provincial districts.
The statistics given and discussed up to this stage relate to the population exclusive of Maoris, official statistics of causes of death in the case of Maoris not having hitherto been compiled. In order to get an idea as to the incidence of cancer among the Native race, an examination of the Maori death registers for the five years 1920-24 has been made.
Coloured races are generally considered to be much less liable to cancer than the white races, and, though there is not a great deal of statistical information on the subject, medical experience in America, Asia, and Africa is that cancer is comparatively rare among the native races.
The figures extracted for Maoris show that cancer is comparatively rare as a cause of death among this race, though, unfortunately, tuberculosis and typhoid are not. During the five years covered only 69 deaths were recorded as being due to cancer, representing a crude rate of only 2.60 per 10,000 per annum, as against a corresponding rate of 8.80 among the rest of the population. The proportion of Maori deaths for which the cause is either not shown at all or is indicated by such vague terms as “natural causes” &c., is considerably higher than in the European registration, and the number and rate quoted may be understated a little, but there is sufficient evidence on which to conclude that cancer is much rarer among Maoris than among Europeans.
Of the 69 deaths, 41 were of males and 28 of females. The figures of location are of little value, on account of the high proportion of cases (one-third) in which no information was given. They are, however, summarized in the following table:—
| Location. | Males. | Females. |
|---|---|---|
| Throat | 1 | .. |
| Stomach | 11 | 3 |
| Liver | 8 | .. |
| Intestines | 1 | 3 |
| Rectum | 3 | .. |
| Uterus | .. | 4 |
| Breast | .. | 1 |
| Lung | 1 | .. |
| Pancreas | 2 | 1 |
| Kidney | 1 | .. |
| Bladder | .. | 2 |
| Prostate | 1 | .. |
| Abdomen | 1 | 1 |
| Humerus | .. | 1 |
| Unspecified | 11 | 12 |
| Totals | 41 | 28 |
Probably the most noticeable feature of the table is the fact that while 8 males are shown to have died from cancer of the liver, no female deaths were ascribed to cancer of this location. The apparent absence of cancer of the buccal cavity is another noteworthy point.
The ages of the 69 Maoris who died from cancer during the five years were as follows:—
| Age, in Years. | Males. | Females. |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | .. | 2 |
| 20 and under 25 | 2 | .. |
| 25 and under 30 | 2 | 1 |
| 30 and under 35 | .. | 2 |
| 35 and under 40 | 3 | 2 |
| 40 and under 45 | .. | 3 |
| 45 and under 50 | 6 | 2 |
| 50 and under 55 | 5 | 2 |
| 50 and under 60 | 3 | 2 |
| 60 and under 65 | 9 | 1 |
| 65 and under 70 | 7 | 4 |
| 70 and under 75 | 1 | 3 |
| 75 and under 80 | 1 | 2 |
| 80 and over | 2 | 2 |
| Totals | 41 | 28 |
The deaths were by no means distributed evenly over the period, the figures for each of the five years being:—
| Year. | Males. | Females. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| 1921 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 1922 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| 1923 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| 1924 | 9 | 3 | 12 |
Statistics of cancer cases in the public hospitals of the Dominion are available from 1914 onwards—a period of eleven years. The statistics for the first three years of this period are confined to two sets of figures showing by sex and location—(1) condition on discharge, and (2) ages of all patients treated, the latter without regard to condition on leaving hospital. From 1917 onwards, however, tables have been added showing in respect of cancer cases the sex, location, and condition, classified according to (1) age and (2) duration in hospital. The statistics on the subject are thus very complete, but it should be noted that they relate to inmates of public hospitals only, private hospitals not. being included.
In the public hospital returns discharges are divided into three classes—recovered, relieved, and unrelieved — a fourth class consisting of the deaths. The figures of discharges and deaths in cancer cases for each of the eleven years for which the information is available are:—
| Year. | Discharges. | Deaths. | Totals. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recovered. | Believed. | Unrelieved. | ||||||||
| Males. | Females | Males. | Females | Males. | Females | Males. | Females | Males. | Females | |
| 1914 | 75 | 68 | 122 | 70 | 66 | 31 | 173 | 85 | 436 | 254 |
| 1915 | 106 | 86 | 101 | 79 | 61 | 49 | 132 | 92 | 400 | 306 |
| 1916 | 79 | 74 | 86 | 83 | 90 | 46 | 169 | 92 | 424 | 295 |
| 1917 | 80 | 72 | 116 | 107 | 65 | 49 | 172 | 76 | 433 | 304 |
| 1918 | 66 | 69 | 110 | 76 | 66 | 55 | 168 | 87 | 410 | 287 |
| 1919 | 73 | 87 | 108 | 108 | 106 | 65 | 186 | 93 | 473 | 353 |
| 1920 | 53 | 67 | 112 | 87 | 106 | 84 | 174 | 109 | 445 | 347 |
| 1921 | 75 | 58 | 142 | 131 | 110 | 84 | 184 | 91 | 511 | 364 |
| 1922 | 83 | 78 | 170 | 121 | 154 | 94 | 186 | 108 | 593 | 401 |
| 1923 | 92 | 73 | 160 | 129 | 157 | 100 | 195 | 117 | 604 | 419 |
| 1924 | 108 | 112 | 187 | 168 | 211 | 114 | 250 | 135 | 756 | 529 |
| Totals | 890 | 844 | 1,414 | 1,159 | 1,192 | 771 | 1,989 | 1,085 | 5,485 | 3,859 |
Before proceeding further it may be as well to point out that the classification of each patient is of necessity done by the Medical Superintendent of the hospital at the time the patient leaves the institution. In the circumstances it would be idle to suggest that all those classed as recovered are in actual fact permanently rid of their malady, there being undoubtedly a small proportion of cases where the recovery proves to have been prematurely announced, and probably a greater proportion where the recovery applies quite correctly to the organ treated but where the disease subsequently breaks out again, probably in some other organ. The classification, however, represents the judgment of tire expert best qualified to exercise it in each individual case, and it is quite probable that, owing to the general tendency towards conservatism in giving a decision in cancer cases, a proportion of actual recoveries may be classed as relieved only.
It would appear from the following table that some medical men are more conservative than others in this respect, it being scarcely possible that the wide range in the percentage of recoveries as between different hospitals can be due entirely to corresponding differences in the class of cases treated or in the effectiveness of the treatment given. The figures cover the four years 1920-23 for the hospitals mentioned.
| Hospital. | Total Cancer Cases. | Recoveries. | Recoveries as Percentage of Total Cases. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunedin | 618 | 41 | 6 1/2 |
| Christchurch | 542 | 58 | 10 1/2 |
| Auckland | 527 | 120 | 23 |
| Wellington | 340 | 5 | 1 1/2 |
| Waikato (Hamilton) | 152 | 5 | 3 |
| Napier | 136 | 26 | 19 |
| Palmerston North | 135 | 30 | 22 |
| Wanganui | 102 | 12 | 12 |
| Southland (Invercargill) | 89 | 5 | 5 1/2 |
| Cook (Gisborne) | 82 | 27 | 33 |
| New Plymouth | 82 | 28 | 34 |
| Nelson | 60 | 17 | 28 |
| Ashburton | 52 | 14 | 27 |
| Timaru | 46 | 7 | 15 |
| Wairau (Blenheim) | 41 | 4 | 10 |
| Masterton | 40 | 9 | 22 1/2 |
| Oamaru | 40 | 6 | 15 |
| Whangarei | 39 | 15 | 38 1/2 |
| Westport | 34 | 13 | 38 |
| Grey River (Greymouth) | 32 | 6 | 19 |
| Thames | 28 | 7 | 25 |
| Westland (Hokitika) | 28 | 5 | 18 |
The percentage of recoveries for all cancer cases in public hospitals during the four years was 16.
No official statistics exist as to the after-history of patients, and in the case of cancer it would be necessary to have records covering a period of five years or even longer to ascertain the proportion of discharges where death from cancer subsequently occurs. Nevertheless even one year's experience may be of some little value, and for the purposes of this article a comparison of the 1924 hospital returns with one another and with the death records was made.
It was found that 11 persons (5 males, 6 females) who had been discharged from hospital during 1924 as recovered after treatment for cancer died of cancer before the end of the year. Four of the 11 patients had been readmitted and again discharged, 2 as recovered, 1 as relieved, and 1 as unrelieved. Five of the 11 deaths occurred in public hospitals, and 6 elsewhere.
In 15 other cases patients discharged as recovered were readmitted suffering from cancer, being again discharged recovered in 4 instances, relieved in 10 instances, and unrelieved in 1 instance. Altogether 26 patients discharged as recovered from cancer during the year died of cancer or were readmitted to hospital suffering from the disease before the end of the year.
It might be expected that a considerable proportion of those discharged unrelieved, particularly in the early part of the year, would die before the end of the year, and this is found to have been the case. To a less extent this applies also to those discharged relieved. Reference to the following table will show that death occurred before the end of the year in 136 cases where the patient was discharged unrelieved (42 per cent. of unrelieved cases) and in 77 cases (22 per cent.) where the patient had been discharged relieved. The actual number of patients concerned was somewhat less, several patients having been discharged more than once during the year.
| Quarter in which discharged. | Number of Discharges. | Number of these where Death occurred before End of Year. | Percentage of Cases where Death occurred before End of Year. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Relieved Cases. | ||||||
| First | 41 | 45 | 18 | 12 | 44 | 27 |
| Second | 51 | 23 | 21 | 10 | 41 | 43 |
| Third | 45 | 46 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Fourth | 50 | 54 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Totals | 187 | 168 | 51 | 26 | 27 | 15 |
| Unrelieved Cases. | ||||||
| First | 40 | 24 | 22 | 15 | 55 | 62 |
| Second | 57 | 45 | 32 | 16 | 56 | 36 |
| Third | 62 | 24 | 32 | 9 | 52 | 37 |
| Fourth | 52 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 14 |
| Totals | 211 | 114 | 93 | 43 | 44 | 38 |
Reference has been made to the fact that in a proportion of cases patients are discharged more than once during the year. As the statistics relate not to the number of patients but to the number of cases (each discharge or death being taken into account), it follows that the figures are in excess of the actual number of patients treated.
It is interesting and informative to ascertain the extent to which duplication of this nature augments the figures, and the examination of the individual returns for 1924 has enabled this to be done for that year. It is found that 157 patients were inmates of public hospitals more than once during the year, these representing an aggregate of 372 cases. The figures for each sex, according to number of discharges, are as follows:—
| Number of Times. | Males. | Females. | Totals. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients. | Aggregate of Cases. | Patients. | Aggregate of Cases. | Patients. | Aggregate of Cases. | |
| One | 525 | 525 | 388 | 388 | 913 | 913 |
| Two | 65 | 130 | 51 | 102 | 116 | 232 |
| Three | 19 | 57 | 10 | 30 | 29 | 87 |
| Four | 9 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 40 |
| Five | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | .. | .. |
| Eight | 1 | 8 | .. | .. | 1 | 8 |
| Totals | 619 | 756 | 451 | 529 | 1,070 | 1,285 |
The total of 1,285 cases dealt with during the year thus represented 1,070 patients; or, in other words, statistics of cases overstate the number of patients by approximately one-fifth. If patients be classified according to their condition when last leaving hospital during the year, the following position is disclosed, the figures of total cases being also shown for purposes of comparison:—
| Condition on leaving Hospital. | Males. | Females. | Totals. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases. | Patients. | Cases. | Patients. | Cases. | Patients. | |
| Recovered | 108 | 95 | 112 | 102 | 220 | 197 |
| Relieved | 187 | 131 | 168 | 131 | 355 | 262 |
| Unrelieved | 21 | 143 | 114 | 83 | 325 | 226 |
| Died | 250 | 250 | 135 | 135 | 385 | 385 |
| Totals | 756 | 619 | 529 | 451 | 1,285 | 1,070 |
In addition to the 385 patients who died in hospital, 113 died from cancer during the year after discharge from hospital, thus bringing the total deaths during the year of patients treated for cancer in public hospitals to 498, or 47 per cent. of all such patients treated.
The next table shows the condition on first and second discharge of all patients discharged on more than one occasion. In cases where there were more than two discharges of the same patient each consecutive pair of discharges has been treated separately.
| Condition on First Discharge. | Condition on Second Discharge. | Number of Cases. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Total. | ||
| Recovered | Recovered | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Relieved | 6 | 6 | 12 | |
| Unrelieved | .. | 1 | 1 | |
| Died | 4 | .. | 4 | |
| Relieved | Recovered | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Relieved | 20 | 19 | 39 | |
| Unrelieved | 20 | 7 | 27 | |
| Died | 14 | 7 | 21 | |
| Unrelieved | Recovered | 4 | .. | 4 |
| Relieved | 16 | 8 | 24 | |
| Unrelieved | 19 | 14 | 33 | |
| Died | 29 | 9 | 38 | |
The proportion of recoveries and of deaths varies with the location of the disease in the system. Cancer of the three purely external classes—buccal cavity, breast, and skin—shows a comparatively high percentage of recoveries, while the percentage of recoveries when the location is the stomach or intestines is exceedingly low and the death-rate high. Cancer of the female genital organs gives fairly satisfactory results, with recoveries not greatly less than deaths. The proportion of recoveries in cancer cases is higher among females than among males, and the proportion of deaths correspondingly lower, this being due mainly to the fact that external or semi-external cancer is more common among females and internal cancer among males. The figures of discharges and deaths during the eleven years 1914 to 1924 for each of the seven headings of the international classification are given in the following table:—
| Location. | Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | Died. | Totals. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Buccal cavity | 421 | 30 | 377 | 34 | 190 | 8 | 234 | 13 | 1,222 | 85 |
| Stomach and liver | 40 | 16 | 285 | 111 | 441 | 163 | 747 | 246 | 1,513 | 536 |
| Peritoneum, intestines, and rectum | 37 | 45 | 182 | 108 | 144 | 90 | 322 | 188 | 685 | 431 |
| Female genital organs | .. | 203 | .. | 312 | .. | 269 | .. | 244 | 1,028 | .. |
| Breast | .. | 387 | .. | 343 | .. | 92 | .. | 140 | 962 | .. |
| Skin | 194 | 65 | 225 | 53 | 75 | 25 | 70 | 23 | 564 | 166 |
| Other and undefined | 198 | 98 | 345 | 198 | 342 | 124 | 616 | 231 | 1,501 | 651 |
| Totals | 890 | 844 | 1,414 | 1,159 | 1,192 | 771 | 1,989 | 1,085 | 5,485 | 3,859 |
The excess of males in the figures for locations common to both sexes is much greater in hospital cases than in the death records, and it would appear that males are the more prone to enter public hospitals for treatment.
Of the total recoveries (1,734), 1,300, or 75 per cent., were in the four classes covering external or semi-external cancer, and only 138, or 8 per cent., in the two wholly internal classes. The corresponding male percentages were 69 and 9 respectively, and the female 81 and 7.
Proportionately to the total cases dealt with, females considerably outnumber males in the recoveries, due mainly to the comparatively high percentage of recoveries in cases of cancer of the breast. From the following table, however, it is evident that for each class the percentage of recoveries is higher for females than for males. Conversely, with the exception of cancer of the skin, the percentage of deaths is higher for males than for females.
| Location. | Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | Died. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females | Males. | Females | Males. | Females | Males. | Females. | |
| Buccal cavity | 34.45 | 35.29 | 30.85 | 40.00 | 15.55 | 9.41 | 19.15 | 15.30 |
| Stomach and liver | 2.64 | 2.98 | 18.84 | 20.71 | 29.15 | 30.41 | 49.37 | 45.90 |
| Peritoneum, intestines, and rectum | 5.40 | 10.44 | 26.57 | 25.06 | 21.02 | 20.88 | 47.01 | 43.62 |
| Female genital organs | .. | 19.75 | .. | 30.35 | .. | 26.17 | .. | 23.73 |
| Breast | .. | 40.23 | .. | 35.66 | .. | 9.56 | .. | 14.55 |
| Skin | 34.40 | 39.16 | 39.89 | 31.93 | 13.30 | 15.06 | 12.41 | 13.85 |
| Other and undefined | 13.19 | 15.05 | 22.98 | 30.42 | 22.79 | 19.05 | 41.04 | 35.48 |
| Totals | 16.23 | 21.87 | 25.78 | 30.03 | 21.73 | 19.98 | 36.26 | 28.12 |
As indicated above, statistics, of ages of patients are available from 1914 onwards, but for the first three years the figures relate to all cancer patients irrespective of condition on discharge. Details of age in conjunction with condition have been published for each year since 1917, and the figures for the eight years are summarized in the following table:—
| Age, in Years. | Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | Died. | Totals. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females | Males. | Females | Males. | Females | Males. | Females | Males. | Females | |
| Under 20 | 12 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 25 | 14 | 68 | 56 |
| 20 and under 45 | 108 | 226 | 143 | 300 | 100 | 169 | 160 | 189 | 511 | 884 |
| 45 and under 50 | 60 | 113 | 103 | 150 | 85 | 95 | 115 | 111 | 363 | 469 |
| 50 and under 55 | 67 | 86 | 134 | 147 | 124 | 109 | 165 | 103 | 490 | 445 |
| 55 and under 60 | 66 | 52 | 131 | 88 | 126 | 70 | 173 | 94 | 496 | 304 |
| 60 and under 65 | 94 | 47 | 171 | 87 | 168 | 64 | 243 | 87 | 676 | 285 |
| 65 and under 70 | 82 | 29 | 149 | 56 | 149 | 48 | 213 | 80 | 593 | 213 |
| 70 and under 75 | 62 | 26 | 128 | 43 | 108 | 53 | 189 | 70 | 487 | 192 |
| 75 and under 80 | 39 | 9 | 76 | 19 | 55 | 22 | 132 | 38 | 302 | 88 |
| 80 and over | 37 | 9 | 55 | 21 | 43 | 7 | 99 | 30 | 234 | 67 |
| Unspecified | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 5 | 1 |
| Totals | 630 | 616 | 1,105 | 927 | 975 | 645 | 1,515 | 816 | 4,225 | 3,004 |
Taking the whole of the patients, it is seen that in the earlier age-groups there is a decided female excess, which disappears after age 50 and gives place to a male excess, which becomes more pronounced as age increases. The position is due in part to the high figure for females under 50 in respect of genital-organ and breast cases, and partly to the fact that while the sexes are nearly on an equality in point of numbers at the lower ages, males largely outnumber females in the population at the higher ages. The latter explanation by no means fully accounts for the male excess at the higher ages or in general, and it would appear that for some reason males suffering from cancer are more liable than females to enter public hospitals. While among all those who died from cancer during the eight years 1917-24 the number of females per 100 males was 94, among those who died of this disease in public hospitals there were only 54 females per 100 males.
In the case of those recovered and relieved the female excess continued up to age 55; among the unrelieved it ceased after age 50; while among those who died, females exceeded males only in the age-group 20 and under 45, where the female figures are more particularly augmented by genital-organ and breast cases.
The next table summarizes age in conjunction with location in the system, and covers all cases dealt with during the eight years.
| Location. | Sex. | Under 20. | 20 and under 45. | 45 and under 50. | 50 and under 55. | 55 and under 60. | 60 and under 65. | 65 and under 70. | 70 and under 75. | 75 and under 80. | 80 and over. | Totals, including Unspecified. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccal cavity | M. | 5 | 78 | 80 | 116 | 115 | 164 | 144 | 90 | 60 | 59 | 913 |
| F. | 3 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 65 | |
| Stomach and liver | M. | 3 | 118 | 122 | 171 | 156 | 228 | 178 | 126 | 61 | 43 | 1,206 |
| F. | 1 | 58 | 53 | 74 | 45 | 55 | 56 | 37 | 26 | 5 | 410 | |
| Peritoneum, &c. | M. | 4 | 82 | 53 | 60 | 59 | 79 | 66 | 63 | 38 | 22 | 527 |
| F. | 2 | 81 | 40 | 54 | 42 | 34 | 30 | 33 | 16 | 7 | 338 | |
| Female genital organs | F. | 7 | 334 | 146 | 140 | 72 | 64 | 23 | 26 | 9 | 9 | 831 |
| Breast | F. | 3 | 235 | 146 | 105 | 87 | 76 | 57 | 43 | 12 | 14 | 778 |
| Skin | M. | 4 | 44 | 24 | 37 | 43 | 51 | 66 | 76 | 52 | 48 | 445 |
| F. | 6 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 9 | 18 | 120 | |
| Other and undefined | M. | 52 | 189 | 84 | 106 | 123 | 154 | 139 | 132 | 91 | 62 | 1,134 |
| F. | 34 | 151 | 64 | 49 | 40 | 41 | 33 | 29 | 10 | 11 | 462 | |
| Totals | M. | 68 | 511 | 363 | 490 | 496 | 676 | 593 | 487 | 302 | 234 | 4,225 |
| F. | 56 | 884 | 469 | 445 | 304 | 285 | 213 | 192 | 88 | 67 | 3,004 |
In the appendix to this article will be found a table giving similar information to the above, classified according to condition on discharge. A study of the figures reveals a wide variation in age-distribution as between the various locations, and it is also found that those who are discharged recovered are on the whole younger than those who die or are discharged unrelieved. The position, which holds good for each class of location, is well shown by the following table, which gives the percentage under 60 years of age in each group.
| Location. | Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved | Died. | Totals. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | Both Sexes. | |
| Buccal cavity | 47 | 79 | 48 | 57 | 35 | 67 | 35 | 75 | 43 | 68 | 45 |
| Stomach and liver | 69 | 58 | 51 | 67 | 49 | 58 | 44 | 51 | 47 | 56 | 50 |
| Peritoneum, &c. | 58 | 86 | 60 | 71 | 46 | 64 | 43 | 57 | 49 | 65 | 55 |
| Female genital organs | .. | 90 | .. | 86 | .. | 84 | .. | 77 | 84 | 84 | .. |
| Breast | .. | 81 | .. | 76 | .. | 58 | .. | 63 | .. | 74 | 74 |
| Skin | 39 | 52 | 34 | 32 | 25 | 47 | 31 | 34 | 34 | 42 | 36 |
| Other and undefined | 61 | 80 | 47 | 78 | 54 | 71 | 43 | 67 | 49 | 73 | 56 |
| Totals | 50 | 80 | 48 | 76 | 46 | 70 | 42 | 63 | 46 | 70 | 57 |
The highest proportion of patients under 60 years of age is shown by cancer of the female genital organs, and the lowest by cancer of the skin. In general, for each class and for either sex, there is a steady gradation downwards from “recovered” to “died” in the proportion which patients under 60 years of age bear to the totals in the respective groups. The higher average age of males, irrespective of location of disease or of condition on discharge, is also well brought out.
A point that is stressed by medical men in connection with cancer is that the question of life or death is dependent on the stage at which the disease is discovered and steps taken to remove it. Early discovery has probably much more to do with the comparatively high proportion of recoveries in cases of external cancer than has the relative ease and safety of operation. There are no official statistics available for New Zealand as to duration of illness prior to admission to hospital, although provision is made for the necessary information to be entered on the discharge-cards. Unfortunately, in a large percentage of cases the particulars cannot be given, and for this reason the data have not hitherto been tabulated.
An examination of the cards was made for the purposes of this article, and in spite of the deficiencies occasioned by the lack or indefiniteness of the information, more or less satisfactory evidence was obtained to the effect that in general the earlier the treatment was commenced the better the prospect of recovery. The figures are as follows:—
| Duration of Illness prior to Admission. | Males. | Females. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | Died. | Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | Died. | |
| Under 3 months | 9 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 5 |
| 3 months and under 6 months | 32 | 20 | 29 | 27 | 39 | 11 | 21 | 13 |
| 6 months and under 1 year | 16 | 36 | 32 | 55 | 16 | 29 | 19 | 22 |
| 1 year and under 2 years | 9 | 14 | 22 | 40 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 20 |
| 2 years and under 5 years | 10 | 18 | 16 | 24 | 5 | 19 | 7 | 21 |
| 5 years and over | 1 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Totals, stated duration | 77 | 112 | 118 | 164 | 5 | 99 | 75 | 84 |
| Duration not stated | 31 | 75 | 93 | 86 | 37 | 69 | 39 | 51 |
| Grand totals | 108 | 187 | 211 | 250 | 112 | 168 | 114 | 135 |
The percentage of recoveries in cases where the duration of illness was shown to have been less than six months was 25 in the case of males and 42 for females. The corresponding percentages for duration between six months and one year were 12 and 19 respectively, and over one year 12 and 9.
Even the figures of cases where the duration was not stated are not without an element of value. It seems reasonable to assume that in the great majority of these cases the lack of information is due to the fact that the disease was at such an advanced stage that it was impossible to say with any degree of accuracy how long it had had a hold. Whether this be so or not, the position is that while cases in which the duration of illness was not stated represent 31 per cent. of recoveries, the percentage for both relieved and unrelieved cases was 41 and for deaths 36.
Although information as to duration of illness prior to admission to hospital is scanty, this defect does not apply to the question of length of stay in hospital, special statistics of which have been published since 1917. A summary for the eight years 1917-24 is here given, classified according to condition on leaving hospital.
| Period. | Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | Died. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Under 1 week | 65 | 29 | 230 | 194 | 265 | 173 | 214 | 138 |
| 1 week and under 2 weeks | 152 | 50 | 184 | 101 | 185 | 120 | 231 | 136 |
| 2 weeks and under 1 month | 225 | 241 | 316 | 264 | 274 | 187 | 317 | 179 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | 130 | 217 | 250 | 257 | 153 | 111 | 330 | 148 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | 35 | 50 | 77 | 77 | 44 | 24 | 153 | 75 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | 10 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 25 | 14 | 83 | 50 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | 5 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 46 | 31 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | 2 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 36 | 12 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 62 | 29 |
| 9 months and under 12 months | .. | .. | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 12 |
| 12 months and over | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 1 | 21 | 6 |
| Totals | 630 | 616 | 1,105 | 927 | 975 | 645 | 1,515 | 816 |
Out of a total of 7,229 patients treated for cancer during the-eight years, 1,308 remained in hospital less than one week, 2,467 less than two weeks, and 4,470 less than one month. Only 628 remained for a longer period than three months, and of these no fewer than 410 (65 per cent.) died in hospital, while 84, representing a further 13 per cent., were discharged unrelieved. Only 42 were discharged as recovered after three months' stay in hospital.
Of the total recoveries, 762 (61 per cent.) were recorded within one month after admission to hospital, and 1,109 (89 per cent.) within two months. Some 352 patients died within one week after admission, and out of the grand total of 7,229 patients 2,419 (33 1/2 per cent.) either died or were discharged unrelieved within one month after admission—an indication that in a large percentage of cases hospital treatment is sought only at a stage when successful treatment is quite out of the question.
From the figures given above it is obvious that, after the first month at least, the longer the stay in hospital the less the prospect of recovery and the greater the probability of death. This applies, of course, to the average of all patients, and not to each individual patient, whose prospects are dependent on such matters as his age, the location of the disease, the stage it has reached, &c. In the following table of average “probabilities,” which has been compiled from the experience of the eight years 1917-24, no account has been taken of individual differences in regard to the matters indicated.
| — | Recovery. | Relief. | Discharge Unrelieved. | Death in Hospital. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| On admission | 15 | 21 | 26 | 31 | 23 | 21 | 36 | 27 |
| At end of— | ||||||||
| First week | 16 | 24 | 25 | 30 | 21 | 19 | 38 | 27 |
| Second week | 15 | 26 | 26 | 31 | 19 | 17 | 40 | 26 |
| First month | 12 | 25 | 24 | 31 | 15 | 14 | 48 | 30 |
| Second month | 8 | 17 | 18 | 24 | 14 | 12 | 60 | 47 |
| Third month | 6 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 68 | 60 |
| Sixth month | 5 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 77 | 76 |
The fact that a lower percentage probability of recovery is shown at date of admission than two weeks later is due to the considerable percentage of cases where the disease has reached such a stage that the patient dies or is discharged unrelievable within the first fortnight.
In the appendix to this article will be found a table giving for the eight years 1917-24 full details of duration in hospital classified according to sex and to location of disease. This table cannot be conveniently summarized for all locations and conditions, but a summary of recoveries and deaths in hospital is here given for each class of location, in conjunction with an abridged classification of duration in hospital.
| Location. | Sex. | Recoveries. | Deaths. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under Two Weeks. | Two Weeks and under One Month. | One Month and under Two Months. | Two Months and over. | Totals. | Under Two Weeks. | Two Weeks and under One Month. | One Month and under Two Months. | Two Months and over. | Totals. | ||
| Buccal cavity | M. | 116 | 117 | 45 | 14 | 292 | 40 | 18 | 36 | 86 | 180 |
| F. | 7 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 12 | |
| Stomach and liver | M. | 4 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 26 | 179 | 155 | 137 | 109 | 580 |
| F. | .. | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 72 | 52 | 38 | 22 | 184 | |
| Peritoneum, &c. | M. | 1 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 26 | 102 | 49 | 45 | 53 | 249 |
| F. | 4 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 36 | 60 | 34 | 14 | 42 | 150 | |
| Female genital organs | F. | 11 | 52 | 69 | 14 | 146 | 59 | 42 | 30 | 55 | 186 |
| Breast | F. | 19 | 138 | 101 | 32 | 290 | 26 | 16 | 37 | 40 | 119 |
| Skin | M. | 68 | 54 | 21 | 4 | 147 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 29 | 49 |
| F. | 21 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 48 | 3 | 2 | .. | 9 | 14 | |
| Other and undefined | M. | 28 | 44 | 43 | 24 | 139 | 115 | 90 | 106 | 146 | 457 |
| F. | 17 | 20 | 19 | 9 | 65 | 51 | 32 | 26 | 42 | 151 | |
| Totals | M. | 217 | 225 | 130 | 58 | 630 | 445 | 317 | 330 | 423 | 1,515 |
| F. | 79 | 241 | 217 | 79 | 616 | 274 | 179 | 148 | 215 | 816 | |
The large excess of males among recoveries during the first two weeks, and the female excess thereafter, is seen to be due to the much shorter stay of buccal-cavity and skin cases, where males predominate, than of female genital-organ and breast cases. Death is shown to occur much more rapidly after admission (and presumably operation) in intestinal cases than in other classes.
The next table shows for each class of location, in conjunction with condition of discharge, the percentage of cases where the duration in hospital was less than two months. A wide range is revealed between the various classes and conditions:—
| Location. | Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | Died. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Buccal cavity- | 95 | 95 | 94 | 96 | 89 | 100 | 52 | 58 |
| Stomach and liver | 81 | 67 | 92 | 90 | 92 | 93 | 81 | 88 |
| Peritoneum, &c. | 58 | 50 | 72 | 80 | 91 | 88 | 79 | 72 |
| Female genital organs | .. | 90 | .. | 90 | .. | 92 | .. | 70 |
| Breast | .. | 89 | .. | 88 | .. | 93 | .. | 66 |
| Skin | 97 | 98 | 94 | 88 | 80 | 82 | 41 | 36 |
| Other and undefined | 83 | 86 | 84 | 86 | 89 | 92 | 68 | 72 |
| Totals | 91 | 87 | 89 | 88 | 90 | 92 | 72 | 74 |
We have seen how alterations in the age and sex constitution of the population have had their effect in increasing the cancer death-rate of the Dominion—an effect which can be accurately gauged by means of standardized rates. There are other and important factors whose effect cannot, be so definitely arrived at but is nevertheless very real. A consideration of thee factors leads to the conclusion that an increase in the cancer death — rate decade after decade is only what might have been expected.
In some respects it is not altogether a matter for regret that our statistics of deaths from cancer do not go back into the “fifties” and “forties,” as the farther back we go the less reliability can we place on the recorded figures. There can be little doubt that even up to the “seventies” and “eighties” the deaths from cancer were considerably understated, and that each succeeding decade has seen a greater proportion of the deaths due to cancer correctly assigned to that disease. The explanation of this is threefold.
In the earlier years of settlement of a new country deaths have a tendency to be classified into two main divisions, “violent” and “natural,” due partly to the large percentage which comes under the former heading as a result of drowning, bush accidents, &c., which take such a heavy toll of the pioneer. The earlier death registers of New Zealand contain a considerable proportion of such entries as “accident,” “natural causes,” &c., and the fact that in a given year, say, 100 deaths are set down as due to cancer can only be taken as proof that not less than 100 persons died of cancer. Matters were placed on a better footing by the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1875, but it was many years afterwards before “natural causes” and other indefinite terms were finally discontinued.
Then, as the country has grown older, fewer and fewer of her citizens have died without medical attention. With our present-day facilities of travel and communication it is almost impossible that any sufferer from cancer should endure weeks and months of illness without receiving constant and regular medical attention, but it is quite conceivable that in many cases of death in earlier years in districts remote from the larger settlements where medical attention could not be obtained, or if obtained at all was of such a nature as to allow of only a cursory examination, the disease was actually cancer, but would not be so diagnosed.
But probably the greatest factor in the understatement of cancer deaths in earlier years lay in the comparative lack of knowledge of cancer, and the consequent inability to recognize it in some of its less apparent manifestations. There is good reason to believe that in the days before it gradually became customary to look behind the symptoms of persistent diarrhœa and indigestion, in accordance with the dictates of experience, many cases of cancer of the stomach were allocated to non-malignant diseases of the digestive system. There has been a decided downward tendency in deaths from diarrhœa, indigestion, &c., of persons in later life during recent years, which seems to indicate that wider knowledge resulting in more correct diagnoses is responsible largely for the increases in the recorded figures of cancer of the stomach, ulcer of the stomach, intestinal obstruction, and appendicitis. This, is, however, not a matter for a layman to discuss at length, but it may be as well in passing to again refer to the fact that the increase in the cancer death-rate during the fifty-odd years covered by New Zealand's statistics has been much smaller among females than among males, another fact which seems to support the theory that the spread of medical knowledge has had something to do with the increase in the recorded cancer rate. Females are much less prone to cancer of the stomach than males, while cancer of the breast and of the genital organs (which during the seventeen years ending with 1924 represented one-third of the total deaths of females from cancer) is comparatively easily recognized. Hence in the earlier years (perhaps even now) there would be a greater probability of cancer being correctly diagnosed in the case of a female than in a male.
A fourth factor in the understatement of cancer deaths in earlier years, it is somewhat surprising to find, is statistical inaccuracy or difference in the system of classifying. An examination of the death registers for the period 1875-79 shows that several cases of malignant disease of internal organs, which would nowadays be classed as cancer, were not included in the published statistics.
While from the foregoing it is evident that much of the increase in cancer mortality is apparent only, it is obvious that the factors mentioned cannot account for anything like the whole of the great increase that has been recorded in the cancer death-rate, and that there must have been a definite and substantial real increase-Paradoxical though it may seem to say so, even this real increase is in large part a reflection of the progress that has been made in the science of medicine and sanitation.
New Zealand has been noticeably successful in reducing her rate of infantile mortality, and a certain measure of success has attended the efforts made in recent years to cope with tuberculosis. The judicious handling of infectious and epidemic diseases, and the legislative safeguards against unnecessary occupational risks, have further increased every person's prospect of reaching middle life. But by an unalterable law of nature a man must die in due course, and if he survives the years of childhood and reaches middle life without having fallen a victim to accident, epidemic disease, tuberculosis, or some other cause, he finds his selection of diseases in his older age considerably limited, being largely confined to heart-disease in some form or other, arterial degeneration, apoplexy, cancer, and old age. If we could eliminate or reduce cancer, this would have no effect on the death-rate after the first few years, and little immediate effect even, as the average death from cancer occurs after age 60. The main point of difference between cancer and the other principal causes of death in later life lies in the more painful nature and the prolonged agony of the illness preceding death.
For the information of those who may have occasion to use detailed figures of cancer mortality and morbidity, tables have been compiled giving statistics of age, sex, and geographical distribution (by provincial districts) for each year from 1875 to 1924, with details of location and age from 1908 to 1924. Tables are also added giving for cancer cases dealt with in hospital during the eight years 1917-24, statistics of location, sex, and condition, in conjunction with (1) age and (2) period in hospital.
| Year. | Under 5. | 5 and under 10. | 10 and under 15. | 15 and under 20. | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 35. | 35 and under 40. | 40 and under 45. | 45 and under 50. | 50 and under 55. | 55 and under 60. | 60 and under 65. | 65 and under 70. | 70 and under 75. | 75 and under 80. | 80 and over. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .. | 37 |
| 1876 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | .. | 2 | 39 |
| 1877 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 34 |
| 1878 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 55 |
| 1879 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 50 |
| 1880 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 62 |
| 1881 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 61 |
| 1882 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 7 | .. | 78 |
| 1883 | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | 2 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 78 |
| 1884 | 1 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 98 |
| 1885 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 87 |
| 1886 | 2 | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 116 |
| 1887 | 2 | 2 | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 127 |
| 1888 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 3 | 11 | 14 | 20 | 25 | 20 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 136 |
| 1889 | 3 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 22 | 28 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 6 | 144 |
| 1890 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 24 | 25 | 34 | 14 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 156 |
| 1891 | 3 | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | .. | 2 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 154 |
| 1892 | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 22 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 173 |
| 1893 | 2 | .. | 3 | .. | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 34 | 28 | 37 | 26 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 188 |
| 1894 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 41 | 44 | 48 | 30 | 15 | 17 | 4 | 240 |
| 1895 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 4 | 14 | 20 | 26 | 41 | 34 | 24 | 25 | 12 | 3 | 208 |
| 1896 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .. | 3 | 9 | 16 | 34 | 33 | 42 | 29 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 205 |
| 1897 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 17 | 43 | 50 | 27 | 22 | 16 | 4 | 210 |
| 1898 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 18 | 23 | 48 | 54 | 44 | 24 | 16 | 6 | 263 |
| 1899 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 54 | 36 | 61 | 30 | 14 | 14 | 271 |
| 1900 | 1 | .. | .. | 5 | 1 | .. | 3 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 19 | 43 | 49 | 32 | 38 | 21 | 11 | 246 |
| 1901 | 1 | 2 | .. | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 23 | 23 | 31 | 42 | 51 | 44 | 22 | 6 | 205 |
| 1902 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 19 | 31 | 23 | 34 | 55 | 55 | 38 | 16 | 9 | 296 |
| 1903 | .. | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 37 | 38 | 55 | 62 | 47 | 22 | 11 | 325 |
| 1904 | .. | 2 | .. | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 32 | 35 | 58 | 62 | 53 | 17 | 23 | 323 |
| 1905 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 33 | 32 | 51 | 50 | 71 | 27 | 12 | 313 |
| 1906 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 27 | 34 | 60 | 62 | 57 | 33 | 15 | 337 |
| 1907 | 2 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 17 | 18 | 33 | 42 | 57 | 58 | 64 | 46 | 11 | 361 |
| 1908 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 31 | 28 | 55 | 75 | 58 | 44 | 13 | 363 |
| 1909 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 42 | 44 | 52 | 66 | 72 | 45 | 14 | 383 |
| 1910 | 4 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 5 | 9 | 10 | 20 | 28 | 45 | 64 | 62 | 77 | 45 | 29 | 399 |
| 1911 | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 4 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 18 | 48 | 51 | 62 | 78 | 72 | 44 | 31 | 448 |
| 1912 | 5 | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 17 | 14 | 37 | 59 | 61 | 66 | 67 | 42 | 25 | 418 |
| 1913 | .. | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 19 | 25 | 39 | 51 | 56 | 59 | 68 | 53 | 33 | 446 |
| 1914 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 38 | 43 | 58 | 66 | 81 | 91 | 50 | 36 | 510 |
| 1915 | 7 | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 27 | 29 | 46 | 69 | 70 | 74 | 53 | 48 | 460 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 49 | 43 | 69 | 73 | 81 | 55 | 38 | 480 |
| 1917 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 25 | 27 | 32 | 53 | 65 | 87 | 76 | 65 | 56 | 511 |
| 1918 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 35 | 49 | 54 | 62 | 71 | 72 | 50 | 45 | 471 |
| 1919 | 4 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 33 | 35 | 51 | 81 | 96 | 81 | 78 | 43 | 543 |
| 1920 | 3 | 2 | .. | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 28 | 51 | 55 | 78 | 85 | 63 | 54 | 45 | 502 |
| 1921 | 1 | 2 | .. | 2 | 3 | .. | 4 | 13 | 21 | 27 | 44 | 62 | 78 | 91 | 71 | 64 | 40 | 523 |
| 1922 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .. | 1 | 3 | 12 | 22 | 35 | 56 | 68 | 80 | 88 | 80 | 50 | 57 | 562 |
| 1923 | 3 | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 63 | 59 | 83 | 82 | 96 | 57 | 46 | 569 |
| 1924 | .. | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 27 | 50 | 53 | 72 | 98 | 100 | 103 | 74 | 53 | 658 |
| Year. | Under 5. | 5 and under 10. | 10 and under 15. | 15 and under 20. | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 35. | 35 and under 40. | 40 and under 45. | 45 and under 50. | 50 and under 55. | 55 and under 60. | 60 and under 65. | 65 and under 70. | 70 and under 75. | 75 and under 80. | 80 and over. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1875 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | .. | 1 | 34 |
| 1876 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 66 |
| 1877 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | 43 |
| 1878 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 2 | .. | .. | 38 |
| 1879 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 2 | .. | 68 |
| 1880 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | .. | 71 |
| 1881 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 6 | 5 | g | 9 | 14 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 3 | .. | 72 |
| 1882 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 69 |
| 1883 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 80 |
| 1884 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 3 | 6 | 18 | 23 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 93 |
| 1885 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 90 |
| 1886 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 98 |
| 1887 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 22 | 24 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 111 |
| 1888 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 127 |
| 1889 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 116 |
| 1890 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 139 |
| 1891 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 27 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 5 | .. | 141 |
| 1892 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 22 | 16 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 134 |
| 1893 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 5 | 16 | 17 | 27 | 26 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 144 |
| 1894 | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 9 | 5 | 18 | 26 | 23 | 29 | 23 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 168 |
| 1895 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 27 | 35 | 23 | 29 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 175 |
| 1896 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 20 | 25 | 41 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 184 |
| 1897 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 4 | 6 | 16 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 24 | 22 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 185 |
| 1898 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 29 | 24 | 31 | 25 | 25 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 208 |
| 1899 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 15 | 13 | 5 | 197 |
| 1900 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 16 | 32 | 29 | 27 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 184 |
| 1901 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 25 | 30 | 37 | 34 | 38 | 23 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 250 |
| 1902 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 27 | 38 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 15 | 6 | 240 |
| 1903 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 3 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 25 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 25 | 16 | 4 | 257 |
| 1904 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 6 | 4 | 9 | 19 | 17 | 25 | 37 | 41 | 37 | 26 | 14 | 10 | 248 |
| 1905 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 6 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 33 | 35 | 46 | 28 | 11 | 7 | 253 |
| 1906 | 3 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 27 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 45 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 286 |
| 1907 | 3 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 32 | 44 | 46 | 36 | 19 | 11 | 313 |
| 1908 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 29 | 32 | 41 | 50 | 40 | 28 | 29 | 8 | 294 |
| 1909 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 27 | 20 | 40 | 34 | 35 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 12 | 328 |
| 1910 | 5 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 29 | 28 | 39 | 42 | 49 | 41 | 36 | 37 | 20 | 343 |
| 1911 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 7 | 8 | 22 | 19 | 30 | 35 | 39 | 44 | 52 | 43 | 30 | 28 | 361 |
| 1912 | 3 | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 29 | 39 | 41 | 49 | 48 | 45 | 53 | 35 | 23 | 394 |
| 1913 | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 27 | 46 | 30 | 58 | 34 | 66 | 51 | 40 | 20 | 410 |
| 1914 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 25 | 43 | 37 | 57 | 39 | 61 | 47 | 34 | 23 | 394 |
| 1915 | .. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 19 | 26 | 49 | 45 | 49 | 56 | 67 | 47 | 35 | 26 | 440 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 33 | 57 | 49 | 56 | 62 | 47 | 36 | 34 | 429 |
| 1917 | 4 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 12 | 19 | 30 | 55 | 59 | 46 | 54 | 56 | 52 | 34 | 22 | 446 |
| 1918 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 27 | 57 | 51 | 50 | 72 | 51 | 49 | 49 | 24 | 465 |
| 1919 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 25 | 35 | 75 | 56 | 59 | 52 | 59 | 50 | 36 | 488 |
| 1920 | 4 | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 40 | 56 | 53 | 63 | 66 | 60 | 53 | 58 | 33 | 527 |
| 1921 | 5 | .. | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 38 | 41 | 72 | 61 | 49 | 66 | 66 | 47 | 43 | 521 |
| 1922 | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 2 | 4 | 20 | 32 | 54 | 55 | 57 | 72 | 62 | 63 | 39 | 41 | 504 |
| 1923 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 28 | 45 | 52 | 61 | 57 | 65 | 67 | 73 | 47 | 36 | 546 |
| 1924 | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 6 | 9 | 19 | 41 | 46 | 79 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 43 | 51 | 587 |
| Year. | Auckland. | Hawke's Bay. | Taranaki. | Wellington. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago.* | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including Southland. | ||||||||||
| 1875 | 13 | 1 | .. | 4 | .. | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 37 |
| 1876 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .. | 2 | .. | 8 | 10 | 39 |
| 1877 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | .. | 1 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 34 |
| 1878 | 12 | .. | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 21 | 55 |
| 1879 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 50 |
| 1880 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 62 |
| 1881 | 18 | 1 | .. | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 61 |
| 1882 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 78 |
| 1883 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 21 | 78 |
| 1884 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 46 | 98 |
| 1885 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 11 | .. | 3 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 87 |
| 1886 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 37 | 116 |
| 1887 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 40 | 127 |
| 1888 | 29 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 42 | 136 |
| 1889 | 31 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 26 | 44 | 144 |
| 1890 | 29 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 30 | 44 | 156 |
| 1891 | 32 | 9 | 4 | 25 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 23 | 40 | 154 |
| 1892 | 38 | 8 | 6 | 27 | .. | 5 | 10 | 31 | 48 | 173 |
| 1893 | 36 | 12 | 4 | 32 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 32 | 55 | 188 |
| 1894 | 42 | 13 | 5 | 33 | 6 | 13 | 13 | 40 | 75 | 240 |
| 1895 | 42 | 9 | 9 | 40 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 36 | 39 | 208 |
| 1896 | 42 | 11 | 7 | 35 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 26 | 57 | 205 |
| 1897 | 42 | 7 | 11 | 32 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 39 | 58 | 210 |
| 1898 | 47 | 9 | 6 | 47 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 47 | 72 | 263 |
| 1899 | 49 | 15 | 15 | 49 | 3 | 16 | 6 | 51 | 67 | 271 |
| 1900 | 67 | 11 | 6 | 39 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 37 | 60 | 246 |
| 1901 | 48 | 10 | 11 | 35 | 6 | 19 | 19 | 46 | 71 | 265 |
| 1902 | 69 | 8 | 16 | 49 | 2 | 20 | 17 | 50 | 65 | 296 |
| 1903 | 65 | 14 | 11 | 56 | 2 | 18 | 21 | 59 | 79 | 325 |
| 1904 | 61 | 12 | 11 | 62 | 3 | 23 | 15 | 58 | 78 | 323 |
| 1905 | 62 | 8 | 15 | 56 | 3 | 15 | 6 | 52 | 96 | 313 |
| 1906 | 73 | 20 | 11 | 69 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 57 | 75 | 337 |
| 1907 | 68 | 18 | 16 | 61 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 81 | 85 | 361 |
| 1908 | 72 | 14 | 14 | 60 | 6 | 20 | 14 | 62 | 101 | 363 |
| 1909 | 89 | 20 | 16 | 68 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 59 | 90 | 383 |
| 1910 | 97 | 22 | 16 | 86 | 5 | 17 | 11 | 67 | 78 | 399 |
| 1911 | 102 | 20 | 21 | 89 | 6 | 14 | 17 | 83 | 96 | 448 |
| 1912 | 84 | 20 | 22 | 75 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 78 | 105 | 418 |
| 1913 | 111 | 29 | 17 | 85 | 5 | 19 | 11 | 76 | 93 | 446 |
| 1914 | 133 | 29 | 22 | 97 | 11 | 21 | 13 | 93 | 91 | 510 |
| 1915 | 131 | 24 | 18 | 76 | 6 | 18 | 12 | 74 | 101 | 460 |
| 1916 | 117 | 37 | 14 | 79 | 3 | 21 | 12 | 88 | 109 | 480 |
| 1917 | 136 | 36 | 17 | 77 | 12 | 24 | 14 | 98 | 97 | 511 |
| 1918 | 131 | 23 | 8 | 78 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 79 | 120 | 471 |
| 1919 | 150 | 21 | 21 | 109 | 7 | 21 | 15 | 101 | 98 | 543 |
| 1920 | 133 | 24 | 16 | 111 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 92 | 93 | 502 |
| 1921 | 136 | 21 | 22 | 99 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 98 | 114 | 523 |
| 1922 | 149 | 37 | 17 | 95 | 7 | 23 | 10 | 99 | 125 | 562 |
| 1923 | 169 | 29 | 23 | 110 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 105 | 109 | 569 |
| 1924 | 173 | 35 | 35 | 133 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 119 | 129 | 658 |
| Year. | Auckland. | Hawke's Bay. | Taranaki. | Wellington. | Marlborough. | Nelson. | Westland. | Canterbury. | Otago.* | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
* Including Southland/ | ||||||||||
| 1875 | 7 | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | 5 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 34 |
| 1876 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 15 | 18 | 66 |
| 1877 | 9 | .. | .. | 5 | .. | 5 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 43 |
| 1878 | 10 | .. | .. | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 38 |
| 1879 | 12 | 1 | .. | 12 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 68 |
| 1880 | 16 | .. | 2 | 9 | .. | 6 | 2 | 15 | 21 | 71 |
| 1881 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 25 | 72 |
| 1882 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 20 | 69 |
| 1883 | 13 | .. | 3 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 25 | 80 |
| 1884 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 19 | 31 | 93 |
| 1885 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 22 | 31 | 90 |
| 1886 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 6 | .. | 5 | 2 | 18 | 36 | 98 |
| 1887 | 26 | 8 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 19 | 28 | 111 |
| 1888 | 35 | 2 | 4 | 15 | .. | 2 | 6 | 19 | 44 | 127 |
| 1889 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 39 | 116 |
| 1890 | 30 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 40 | 139 |
| 1891 | 33 | 6 | 4 | 24 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 22 | 40 | 141 |
| 1892 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 30 | 47 | 134 |
| 1893 | 24 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 46 | 144 |
| 1894 | 47 | 5 | 4 | 32 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 35 | 34 | 168 |
| 1895 | 32 | 6 | 2 | 29 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 33 | 60 | 175 |
| 1896 | 49 | 6 | 5 | 36 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 36 | 40 | 184 |
| 1897 | 41 | 11 | 7 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 50 | 45 | 185 |
| 1898 | 38 | 6 | 5 | 35 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 44 | 60 | 208 |
| 1899 | 40 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 45 | 51 | 197 |
| 1900 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 40 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 37 | 44 | 184 |
| 1901 | 44 | 6 | 13 | 48 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 52 | 64 | 250 |
| 1902 | 46 | 7 | 8 | 46 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 48 | 65 | 240 |
| 1903 | 52 | 12 | 10 | 52 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 46 | 57 | 257 |
| 1904 | 54 | 13 | 10 | 51 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 51 | 57 | 248 |
| 1905 | 48 | 8 | 5 | 50 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 60 | 65 | 253 |
| 1906 | 54 | 13 | 14 | 55 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 57 | 65 | 286 |
| 1907 | 79 | 14 | 14 | 53 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 74 | 60 | 313 |
| 1908 | 65 | 12 | 18 | 64 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 52 | 69 | 294 |
| 1909 | 84 | 19 | 6 | 55 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 74 | 69 | 328 |
| 1910 | 77 | 17 | 12 | 67 | 2 | 14 | 6 | 70 | 78 | 343 |
| 1911 | 83 | 17 | 8 | 61 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 75 | 93 | 361 |
| 1912 | 90 | 18 | 16 | 76 | 4 | 14 | 11 | 73 | 92 | 394 |
| 1913 | 113 | 17 | 15 | 73 | 3 | 15 | 5 | 75 | 94 | 410 |
| 1914 | 105 | 23 | 14 | 86 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 75 | 69 | 394 |
| 1915 | 96 | 21 | 22 | 92 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 96 | 85 | 440 |
| 1916 | 101 | 29 | 20 | 82 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 86 | 86 | 429 |
| 1917 | 130 | 24 | 21 | 84 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 69 | 88 | 446 |
| 1918 | 114 | 28 | 24 | 88 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 89 | 94 | 465 |
| 1919 | 127 | 26 | 16 | 105 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 86 | 98 | 488 |
| 1920 | 147 | 21 | 16 | 103 | 7 | 17 | 8 | 111 | 97 | 527 |
| 1921 | 132 | 20 | 16 | 121 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 88 | 113 | 521 |
| 1922 | 153 | 27 | 10 | 110 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 78 | 100 | 504 |
| 1923 | 156 | 19 | 28 | 100 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 112 | 93 | 546 |
| 1924 | 154 | 28 | 16 | 139 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 116 | 114 | 587 |
| Year. | Under 5. | 5 and under 20. | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 35. | 35 and under 40. | 40 and under 45. | 45 and under 50. | 50 and under 55. | 55 and under 60. | 60 and under 65. | 65 and under 70. | 70 and under 75. | 75 and under 80. | 80 and under 85. | 85 and under 90. | 90 and over. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccal Cavity. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 4 | .. | 1 | .. | 37 |
| 1909 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | .. | 41 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | .. | 35 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | .. | 43 |
| 1912 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 44 |
| 1913 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 33 |
| 1914 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 3 | .. | 58 |
| 1915 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | .. | 1 | 47 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | .. | .. | 39 |
| 1917 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 2 | .. | 52 |
| 1918 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | .. | 52 |
| 1919 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 1 | .. | 43 |
| 1920 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | .. | 9 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 52 |
| 1921 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 3 | .. | .. | 48 |
| 1922 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 44 |
| 1923 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1 | .. | 45 |
| 1924 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2 | .. | 52 |
| Totals | 2 | 4 | .. | .. | 3 | 7 | 25 | 43 | 84 | 94 | 99 | 112 | 115 | 91 | 55 | 25 | 6 | 765 |
| Stomach and Liver. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 13 | 31 | 33 | 25 | 27 | 3 | .. | .. | 170 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 22 | 24 | 30 | 31 | 22 | 6 | 1 | .. | 168 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 33 | 20 | 33 | 18 | 12 | 1 | .. | 160 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 26 | 27 | 37 | 31 | 20 | 10 | 1 | .. | 195 |
| 1912 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 34 | 27 | 28 | 34 | 13 | 10 | 1 | .. | 192 |
| 1913 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 32 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 6 | 3 | .. | 185 |
| 1914 | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 7 | 20 | 18 | 30 | 36 | 43 | 49 | 22 | 7 | 3 | .. | 240 |
| 1915 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 5 | 2 | 16 | 13 | 30 | 28 | 34 | 34 | 24 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 208 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 4 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 25 | 32 | 33 | 43 | 19 | 6 | 4 | .. | 202 |
| 1917 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 13 | 12 | 18 | 28 | 24 | 49 | 27 | 30 | 13 | 6 | .. | 225 |
| 1918 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 21 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 22 | 7 | 2 | .. | 186 |
| 1919 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 40 | 52 | 37 | 24 | 10 | 1 | .. | 227 |
| 1920 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 23 | 21 | 43 | 45 | 29 | 21 | 12 | 5 | .. | 226 |
| 1921 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 22 | 23 | 32 | 46 | 28 | 29 | 10 | 4 | .. | 227 |
| 1922 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 12 | 17 | 25 | 32 | 43 | 37 | 38 | 16 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 246 |
| 1923 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 9 | 13 | 28 | 28 | 37 | 35 | 41 | 15 | 10 | 4 | .. | 226 |
| 1924 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 37 | 47 | 44 | 38 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 265 |
| Totals | 5 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 26 | 56 | 130 | 220 | 326 | 442 | 556 | 612 | 570 | 303 | 167 | 50 | 7 | 3,548 |
| Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | .. | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | .. | 55 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 6 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 1 | .. | .. | 63 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | .. | .. | 61 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 5 | 6 | .. | .. | 87 |
| 1912 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | .. | 3 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 2 | .. | .. | 58 |
| 1913 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 1 | .. | 85 |
| 1914 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 2 | .. | 69 |
| 1915 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 4 | 4 | .. | .. | 66 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 6 | .. | .. | 84 |
| 1917 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 13 | 6 | 2 | .. | 91 |
| 1918 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 4 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 2 | .. | 70 |
| 1919 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 9 | .. | .. | 101 |
| 1920 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 | .. | 1 | 64 |
| 1921 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 20 | 10 | 8 | .. | .. | 91 |
| 1922 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 2 | .. | 99 |
| 1923 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 22 | 18 | 6 | 5 | .. | 119 |
| 1924 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 19 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 114 |
| Totals | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 25 | 35 | 59 | 83 | 118 | 140 | 182 | 224 | 225 | 162 | 88 | 17 | 2 | 1,377 |
| Skin. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .. | 1 | 11 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 8 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 8 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 10 |
| 1912 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 8 |
| 1913 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | ... | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 9 |
| 1914 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 5 |
| 1915 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .. | 11 |
| 1917 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | .. | 13 |
| 1918 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | .. | 18 |
| 1919 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | .. | 2 | 19 |
| 1920 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | .. | 8 |
| 1921 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | .. | 3 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | 13 |
| 1922 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21 |
| 1923 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 10 |
| 1924 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 25 |
| Totals | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 26 | 36 | 39 | 32 | 16 | 7 | 209 |
| Other and Unspecified Organs. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | 1 | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 1 | .. | 90 |
| 1909 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 9 | 3 | .. | .. | 103 |
| 1910 | 4 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 31 | 19 | 5 | 1 | .. | 135 |
| 1911 | 2 | 2 | .. | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 113 |
| 1912 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 4 | 2 | .. | 116 |
| 1913 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 22 | 20 | 6 | 1 | .. | 134 |
| 1914 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | .. | 4 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 15 | 7 | 3 | .. | 138 |
| 1915 | 6 | 3 | .. | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 23 | 14 | 19 | 9 | .. | .. | 127 |
| 1916 | .. | 3 | 2 | .. | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 10 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 144 |
| 1917 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 3 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 23 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 130 |
| 1918 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 12 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 145 |
| 1919 | 3 | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 27 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 153 |
| 1920 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 29 | 15 | 18 | 6 | 3 | .. | 152 |
| 1921 | 1 | 3 | 2 | .. | 2 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 9 | 3 | .. | 144 |
| 1922 | 2 | 4 | .. | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 19 | 29 | 19 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 152 |
| 1923 | 2 | 3 | 1 | .. | 1 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 26 | 23 | 27 | 15 | 11 | 3 | .. | 169 |
| 1924 | .. | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 28 | 31 | 35 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 202 |
| Totals | 42 | 52 | 22 | 28 | 28 | 68 | 83 | 133 | 189 | 215 | 329 | 356 | 356 | 266 | 131 | 39 | 10 | 2,347 |
| Year. | Under 5. | 5 and under 20. | 20 and under 25. | 25 and under 30. | 30 and under 35. | 35 and under 40. | 40 and under 45. | 45 and under 50. | 50 and under 55. | 55 and under 60. | 60 and under 65. | 65 and under 70. | 70 and under 75. | 75 and under 80. | 80 and under 85. | 85 and under 90. | 90 and over. | Totals. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccal Cavity. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 6 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| 1912 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| 1913 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 3 |
| 1914 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 4 |
| 1915 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 5 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | 7 |
| 1917 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 7 |
| 1918 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | 12 |
| 1919 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | .. | 10 |
| 1920 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 7 |
| 1921 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 8 |
| 1922 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 5 |
| 1923 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 10 |
| 1924 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
| Totals | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 6 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 99 |
| Stomach and Liver. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 6 | .. | 2 | .. | 102 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 1 | .. | 91 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 5 | .. | .. | 95 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 2 | .. | 98 |
| 1912 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 5 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 12 | 5 | 1 | .. | 136 |
| 1913 | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 35 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 2 | .. | 126 |
| 1914 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 7 | .. | .. | 125 |
| 1915 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 18 | 30 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 130 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 9 | 14 | 27 | 23 | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 134 |
| 1917 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 12 | 4 | .. | .. | 132 |
| 1918 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 27 | 19 | 24 | 17 | 7 | 2 | .. | 143 |
| 1919 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 5 | 2 | .. | 130 |
| 1920 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 8 | 2 | .. | 149 |
| 1921 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 23 | 11 | 19 | 28 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 145 |
| 1922 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 3 | .. | 123 |
| 1923 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 2 | .. | 136 |
| 1924 | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 4 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 17 | 25 | 20 | 10 | 17 | 2 | .. | 146 |
| Totals | 5 | .. | 2 | 8 | 19 | 50 | 90 | 151 | 210 | 243 | 292 | 374 | 327 | 227 | 110 | 30 | 3 | 2,141 |
| Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | . | 1 | .. | 43 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 5 | .. | 2 | .. | 54 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 1 | .. | 54 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 7 | .. | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | .. | 55 |
| 1912 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 4 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 5 | 2 | .. | .. | 50 |
| 1913 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | .. | 66 |
| 1914 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 3 | .. | .. | 53 |
| 1915 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 2 | .. | .. | 71 |
| 1916 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | .. | .. | 68 |
| 1917 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .. | 55 |
| 1918 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 1 | .. | 64 |
| 1919 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 81 |
| 1920 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .. | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 2 | .. | 98 |
| 1921 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 1 | .. | 100 |
| 1922 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 88 |
| 1923 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 103 |
| 1924 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 23 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 109 |
| Totals | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 21 | 44 | 54 | 91 | 115 | 131 | 141 | 187 | 182 | 131 | 72 | 23 | 4 | 1,212 |
| Female Genital Organs. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | .. | .. | 53 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 4 | .. | 1 | .. | 73 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2 | .. | .. | 68 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | .. | 64 |
| 1912 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | 58 |
| 1913 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 4 | .. | .. | .. | 77 |
| 1914 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 81 |
| 1915 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 4 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | .. | 94 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | 83 |
| 1917 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 8 | .. | .. | 1 | 97 |
| 1918 | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 8 | .. | 1 | .. | 85 |
| 1919 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 19 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | .. | 1 | 84 |
| 1920 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | .. | 90 |
| 1921 | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | .. | 90 |
| 1922 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 2 | .. | 1 | 87 |
| 1923 | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .. | 102 |
| 1924 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 1 | .. | 102 |
| Totals | .. | 6 | 6 | 16 | 40 | 83 | 138 | 195 | 219 | 180 | 156 | 127 | 103 | 81 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 1,388 |
| Breast. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | .. | .. | 31 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | .. | 46 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | .. | .. | 40 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .. | 42 |
| 1912 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 8 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 50 |
| 1913 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 | .. | 63 |
| 1914 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | .. | 1 | 53 |
| 1915 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | .. | 56 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | .. | 61 |
| 1917 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | .. | 74 |
| 1918 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | .. | 1 | 73 |
| 1919 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 3 | .. | .. | 63 |
| 1920 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 2 | .. | .. | 64 |
| 1921 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 2 | .. | 86 |
| 1922 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 7 | 11 | 6 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .. | 74 |
| 1923 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 7 | .. | 2 | .. | 74 |
| 1924 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 2 | .. | 124 |
| Totals | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 30 | 54 | 112 | 122 | 136 | 146 | 130 | 105 | 105 | 67 | 43 | 19 | 3 | 1,074 |
| Skin. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 2 |
| 1909 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| 1910 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 |
| 1911 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | 4 |
| 1912 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 3 | .. | .. | 7 |
| 1913 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 3 |
| 1914 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 4 |
| 1915 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | .. | 13 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 9 |
| 1917 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .. | 9 |
| 1918 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 3 |
| 1919 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 3 | .. | .. | 6 |
| 1920 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | 3 | .. | .. | .. | 6 |
| 1921 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 7 |
| 1922 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | 6 | .. | 2 | 1 | .. | 11 |
| 1923 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 1924 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| Totals | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 106 |
| Other and Unspecified Organs. | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1908 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | .. | .. | 59 |
| 1909 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | .. | .. | 57 |
| 1910 | 5 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 78 |
| 1911 | 2 | 2 | .. | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | .. | 2 | 98 |
| 1912 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 1 | .. | 90 |
| 1913 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 8 | .. | .. | .. | 72 |
| 1914 | 2 | 2 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | .. | 1 | 74 |
| 1915 | .. | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | .. | 71 |
| 1916 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 67 |
| 1917 | 3 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 3 | .. | .. | 72 |
| 1918 | .. | 1 | .. | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 1 | .. | 85 |
| 1919 | 1 | 5 | 1 | .. | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 21 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 3 | .. | 114 |
| 1920 | 3 | .. | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 3 | .. | 113 |
| 1921 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 3 | .. | 1 | 85 |
| 1922 | .. | 3 | .. | 2 | .. | 5 | 8 | 14 | 18 | 7 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 7 | .. | 1 | 116 |
| 1923 | 1 | 3 | .. | 2 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 10 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 1 | .. | 116 |
| 1924 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 1 | .. | 90 |
| Totals | 29 | 26 | 9 | 25 | 31 | 64 | 102 | 149 | 165 | 151 | 183 | 163 | 142 | 129 | 67 | 15 | 7 | 1,457 |
| Age, in Years. | Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | Died. | Totals. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Cancer of Buccal Cavity. | ||||||||||
| Under 20 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .. | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 20 and under 45 | 36 | 3 | 29 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 78 | 12 |
| 45 and under 50 | 30 | 2 | 29 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 80 | 8 |
| 50 and under 55 | 33 | 5 | 45 | 5 | 18 | .. | 20 | 2 | 116 | 12 |
| 55 and under 60 | 37 | 4 | 37 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 24 | 2 | 115 | 9 |
| 60 and under 65 | 42 | 1 | 54 | 4 | 34 | .. | 34 | .. | 164 | 5 |
| 65 and under 70 | 47 | .. | 37 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 144 | 3 |
| 70 and under 75 | 29 | .. | 25 | 3 | 15 | .. | 21 | .. | 90 | 3 |
| 75 and under 80 | 16 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 2 | 60 | 7 |
| 80 and over | 19 | .. | 17 | 3 | 7 | .. | 16 | .. | 59 | 3 |
| Unspecified | 2 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. |
| Totals | 292 | 19 | 291 | 28 | 150 | 6 | 180 | 12 | 913 | 65 |
| Cancer of Stomach and Liver. | ||||||||||
| Under 20 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 20 and under 45 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 15 | 45 | 21 | 47 | 20 | 118 | 58 |
| 45 and under 50 | 6 | 3 | 24 | 11 | 35 | 16 | 57 | 23 | 122 | 53 |
| 50 and under 55 | 7 | 1 | 38 | 19 | 56 | 24 | 70 | 30 | 171 | 74 |
| 55 and under 60 | .. | 1 | 30 | 9 | 48 | 16 | 78 | 19 | 156 | 45 |
| 60 and under 65 | 4 | 4 | 39 | 8 | 76 | 15 | 109 | 28 | 228 | 55 |
| 65 and under 70 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 10 | 57 | 17 | 87 | 28 | 178 | 56 |
| 70 and under 75 | .. | .. | 24 | 4 | 34 | 14 | 68 | 19 | 126 | 37 |
| 75 and under 80 | .. | .. | 10 | 4 | 18 | 9 | 33 | 13 | 61 | 26 |
| 80 and over | 1 | .. | 4 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 28 | 3 | 43 | 5 |
| Totals | 26 | 12 | 221 | 81 | 379 | 133 | 580 | 184 | 1,206 | 410 |
| Cancer of Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum. | ||||||||||
| Under 20 | 1 | 2 | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 4 | 2 |
| 20 and under 45 | 7 | 8 | 27 | 27 | 12 | 12 | 36 | 34 | 82 | 81 |
| 45 and under 50 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 18 | 53 | 40 |
| 50 and under 55 | 4 | 7 | 19 | 12 | 8 | 17 | 29 | 18 | 60 | 54 |
| 55 and under 60 | .. | 9 | 17 | 7 | 16 | 11 | 26 | 15 | 59 | 42 |
| 60 and under 65 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 7 | 16 | 9 | 39 | 15 | 79 | 34 |
| 65 and under 70 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 4 | 18 | 3 | 28 | 22 | 66 | 30 |
| 70 and under 75 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 11 | 35 | 17 | 63 | 33 |
| 75 and under 80 | 1 | .. | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 25 | 6 | 38 | 15 |
| 80 and over | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 7 | .. | 14 | 5 | 22 | 7 |
| Unspecified | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. |
| Totals | 26 | 36 | 136 | 76 | 116 | 76 | 249 | 150 | 527 | 338 |
| Cancer of Female Genital Organs. | ||||||||||
| Under 20 | .. | 2 | .. | 3 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 7 |
| 20 and under 45 | .. | 74 | .. | 113 | .. | 88 | .. | 59 | .. | 334 |
| 45 and under 50 | .. | 24 | .. | 44 | .. | 40 | .. | 38 | .. | 146 |
| 50 and under 55 | .. | 26 | .. | 46 | .. | 45 | .. | 23 | .. | 140 |
| 55 and under 60 | .. | 5 | .. | 24 | .. | 21 | .. | 22 | .. | 72 |
| 60 and under 65 | .. | 8 | .. | 20 | .. | 19 | .. | 17 | .. | 64 |
| 65 and under 70 | .. | 3 | .. | 7 | .. | 7 | .. | 6 | .. | 23 |
| 70 and under 75 | .. | 2 | .. | 7 | .. | 9 | .. | 8 | .. | 26 |
| 75 and under 80 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 6 | .. | 9 |
| 80 and over | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 6 | .. | 9 |
| Unspecified | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 |
| Totals | .. | 146 | .. | 267 | .. | 232 | .. | 186 | .. | 831 |
| Cancer of Female Breast. | ||||||||||
| Under 20 | .. | 3 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 |
| 20 and under 45 | .. | 106 | .. | 84 | .. | 17 | .. | 28 | .. | 235 |
| 45 and under 50 | .. | 65 | .. | 51 | .. | 14 | .. | 16 | .. | 146 |
| 50 and under 55 | .. | 33 | .. | 53 | .. | 7 | .. | 12 | .. | 105 |
| 55 and under 60 | .. | 27 | .. | 32 | .. | 9 | .. | 19 | .. | 87 |
| 60 and under 65 | .. | 24 | .. | 27 | .. | 13 | .. | 12 | .. | 76 |
| 65 and under 70 | .. | 19 | .. | 21 | .. | 10 | .. | 7 | .. | 57 |
| 70 and under 75 | .. | 13 | .. | 12 | .. | 7 | .. | 11 | .. | 43 |
| 75 and under 80 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 3 | .. | 6 | .. | 12 |
| 80 and over | .. | .. | .. | 5 | .. | 1 | .. | 8 | .. | 14 |
| Totals | .. | 290 | .. | 288 | .. | 81 | .. | 119 | .. | 778 |
| Cancer of Skin. | ||||||||||
| Under 20 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 4 | 6 |
| 20 and under 45 | 17 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 44 | 13 |
| 45 and under 50 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 12 |
| 50 and under 55 | 13 | 5 | 14 | .. | 4 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 37 | 11 |
| 55 and under 60 | 18 | 3 | 18 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 9 |
| 60 and under 65 | 23 | 4 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 3 | .. | 51 | 10 |
| 65 and under 70 | 19 | 3 | 32 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 66 | 11 |
| 70 and under 75 | 20 | 7 | 36 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 76 | 21 |
| 75 and under 80 | 17 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 7 | .. | 10 | .. | 52 | 9 |
| 80 and over | 10 | 4 | 22 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 48 | 18 |
| Totals | 147 | 48 | 190 | 41 | 59 | 17 | 49 | 14 | 445 | 120 |
| Cancer of other Organs. | ||||||||||
| Under 20 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 11 | 52 | 34 |
| 20 and under 45 | 43 | 26 | 48 | 52 | 34 | 29 | 64 | 44 | 189 | 151 |
| 45 and under 50 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 29 | 23 | 14 | 30 | 14 | 84 | 64 |
| 50 and under 55 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 12 | 38 | 12 | 40 | 16 | 106 | 49 |
| 55 and under 60 | 11 | 3 | 29 | 12 | 39 | 9 | 44 | 16 | 123 | 40 |
| 60 and under 65 | 19 | 3 | 42 | 16 | 35 | 7 | 58 | 15 | 154 | 41 |
| 65 and under 70 | 12 | 2 | 30 | 9 | 32 | 8 | 65 | 14 | 139 | 33 |
| 70 and under 75 | 11 | 3 | 33 | 6 | 32 | 8 | 56 | 12 | 132 | 29 |
| 75 and under 80 | 5 | 1 | 25 | .. | 15 | 4 | 46 | 5 | 91 | 10 |
| 80 and over | 7 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 34 | 4 | 62 | 11 |
| Unspecified | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. |
| Totals | 139 | 65 | 267 | 146 | 271 | 100 | 457 | 151 | 1,134 | 462 |
| Summary of all Cancer Cases. | ||||||||||
| Under 20 | 12 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 25 | 14 | 68 | 56 |
| 20 and under 45 | 108 | 226 | 143 | 300 | 100 | 169 | 160 | 189 | 511 | 884 |
| 45 and under 50 | 60 | 113 | 103 | 150 | 85 | 95 | 115 | 111 | 363 | 469 |
| 50 and under 55 | 67 | 86 | 134 | 147 | 124 | 109 | 165 | 103 | 490 | 445 |
| 55 and under 60 | 66 | 52 | 131 | 88 | 126 | 70 | 173 | 94 | 496 | 304 |
| 60 and under 65 | 94 | 47 | 171 | 87 | 168 | 64 | 243 | 87 | 676 | 285 |
| 65 and under 70 | 82 | 29 | 149 | 56 | 149 | 48 | 213 | 80 | 593 | 213 |
| 70 and under 75 | 62 | 26 | 128 | 43 | 108 | 53 | 189 | 70 | 487 | 192 |
| 75 and under 80 | 39 | 9 | 76 | 19 | 55 | 22 | 132 | 38 | 302 | 88 |
| 80 and over | 37 | 9 | 55 | 21 | 43 | 7 | 99 | 30 | 234 | 67 |
| Unspecified | 3 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 5 | 1 |
| Totals | 630 | 616 | 1,105 | 927 | 975 | 645 | 1,515 | 816 | 4,225 | 3,004 |
| Period in Hospital. | Recovered. | Relieved. | Unrelieved. | Died. | Totals. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| Cancer of Buccal Cavity. | ||||||||||
| Under 1 week | 22 | 1 | 66 | 3 | 53 | 1 | 19 | .. | 160 | 5 |
| 1 week and under 2 weeks | 94 | 6 | 76 | 9 | 30 | 2 | 21 | 3 | 221 | 20 |
| 2 weeks and under 1 month | 117 | 7 | 87 | 7 | 30 | 3 | 18 | 1 | 252 | 18 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | 45 | 4 | 45 | 8 | 21 | .. | 36 | 3 | 147 | 15 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | 10 | .. | 9 | .. | 6 | .. | 26 | 1 | 51 | 1 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | .. | 15 | 2 | 26 | 4 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 3 | .. | 9 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 14 | 1 | 17 | 1 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 17 | .. | 18 | .. |
| 9 months and under 12 months | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | .. |
| 12 months and over | 1 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 4 | .. |
| Totals | 292 | 19 | 291 | 28 | 150 | 6 | 180 | 12 | 913 | 65 |
| Cancer of Stomach and Liver. | ||||||||||
| Under 1 week | 3 | .. | 24 | 8 | 78 | 24 | 75 | 40 | 180 | 72 |
| 1 week and under 2 weeks | 1 | .. | 31 | 12 | 79 | 22 | 104 | 32 | 215 | 66 |
| 2 weeks and under 1 month | 5 | 4 | 78 | 23 | 122 | 50 | 155 | 52 | 360 | 129 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | 12 | 4 | 71 | 30 | 70 | 28 | 137 | 38 | 290 | 100 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | 3 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 6 | 54 | 9 | 89 | 24 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 22 | 7 | 35 | 9 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 10 | 3 | 10 | 5 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 10 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| 9 months and under 12 months | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| 12 months and over | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. |
| Totals | 26 | 12 | 221 | 81 | 379 | 133 | 580 | 184 | 1,206 | 410 |
| Cancer of Peritoneum, Intestines, and Rectum. | ||||||||||
| Under 1 week | .. | 2 | 26 | 8 | 28 | 15 | 56 | 30 | 110 | 55 |
| 1 week and under 2 weeks | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 23 | 17 | 46 | 30 | 77 | 54 |
| 2 weeks and under 1 month | 5 | 4 | 33 | 17 | 42 | 20 | 49 | 34 | 129 | 75 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | 9 | 10 | 32 | 31 | 12 | 15 | 45 | 14 | 98 | 70 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | 7 | 11 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 19 | 48 | 42 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | 2 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 26 | 17 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | .. | 1 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 8 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | .. | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 12 |
| 9 months and under 12 months | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 12 months and over | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 7 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Totals | 26 | 36 | 136 | 76 | 116 | 76 | 249 | 150 | 527 | 338 |
| Cancer of Female Genital Organs. | ||||||||||
| Under 1 week | .. | 4 | .. | 69 | .. | 72 | .. | 27 | .. | 172 |
| 1 week and under 2 weeks | .. | 7 | .. | 26 | .. | 41 | .. | 32 | .. | 106 |
| 2 weeks and under 1 month | .. | 52 | .. | 76 | .. | 57 | .. | 42 | .. | 227 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | .. | 69 | .. | 70 | .. | 43 | .. | 30 | .. | 212 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | .. | 9 | .. | 21 | .. | 8 | .. | 15 | .. | 53 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | .. | 5 | .. | 4 | .. | 5 | .. | 15 | .. | 29 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4 | .. | 12 | .. | 16 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 5 | .. | 5 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 6 | .. | 9 |
| 9 months and under 12 months | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 2 |
| 12 months and over | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Totals | .. | 146 | .. | 267 | .. | 232 | .. | 186 | .. | 831 |
| Cancer of Female Breast. | ||||||||||
| Under 1 week | 3 | .. | 56 | .. | 37 | .. | 10 | .. | 106 | .. |
| 1 week and under 2 weeks | .. | 16 | .. | 23 | .. | 15 | .. | 16 | .. | 70 |
| 2 weeks and under 1 month | .. | 138 | .. | 98 | .. | 17 | .. | 16 | .. | 269 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | .. | 101 | .. | 76 | .. | 6 | .. | 37 | .. | 220 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | .. | 22 | .. | 29 | .. | 4 | .. | 13 | .. | 68 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | .. | 6 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 9 | .. | 17 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 4 | .. | 8 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 4 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 8 | .. | 10 |
| 9 months and under 12 months | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 4 |
| 12 months and over | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 2 |
| Totals | .. | 290 | .. | 288 | .. | 81 | .. | 119 | .. | 778 |
| Cancer of Skin. | ||||||||||
| Under 1 week | 35 | 14 | 51 | 14 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 113 | 32 |
| 1 week and under 2 weeks | 33 | 7 | 39 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 90 | 16 |
| 2 weeks and under 1 month | 54 | 16 | 56 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 123 | 29 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | 21 | 10 | 33 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 6 | .. | 63 | 25 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | 3 | .. | 9 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 9 | .. | 26 | 3 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | .. | 1 | .. | 1 | 2 | .. | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 3 | 2 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | 1 | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 5 |
| 9 months and under 12 months | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 months and over | .. | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| Totals | 147 | 48 | 190 | 41 | 59 | 17 | 49 | 14 | 445 | 120 |
| Cancer of other Organs. | ||||||||||
| Under 1 week | 5 | 5 | 63 | 36 | 83 | 21 | 60 | 30 | 211 | 92 |
| 1 week and under 2 weeks | 23 | 12 | 31 | 22 | 40 | 20 | 55 | 21 | 149 | 75 |
| 2 weeks and under 1 month | 44 | 20 | 62 | 35 | 72 | 37 | 90 | 32 | 268 | 124 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | 43 | 19 | 69 | 32 | 47 | 14 | 106 | 26 | 265 | 91 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | 12 | 5 | 22 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 50 | 18 | 95 | 35 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 31 | 9 | 45 | 20 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 7 | .. | 17 | 7 | 32 | 11 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 17 | 6 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | 2 | .. | 2 | .. | 2 | 1 | 22 | 2 | 28 | 3 |
| 9 months and under 12 months | .. | .. | 3 | 1 | 2 | .. | 10 | 3 | 15 | 4 |
| 12 months and over | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 6 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| Totals | 139 | 65 | 267 | 146 | 271 | 100 | 457 | 151 | 1,134 | 462 |
| Summary of all Cancer Cases. | ||||||||||
| Under 1 week | 65 | 29 | 230 | 194 | 265 | 173 | 214 | 138 | 774 | 534 |
| 1 week and under 2 weeks | 152 | 50 | 184 | 101 | 185 | 120 | 231 | 136 | 752 | 407 |
| 2 weeks and under 1 month | 225 | 241 | 316 | 264 | 274 | 187 | 317 | 179 | 1,132 | 871 |
| 1 month and under 2 months | 130 | 217 | 250 | 257 | 153 | 111 | 330 | 148 | 863 | 733 |
| 2 months and under 3 months | 35 | 50 | 77 | 77 | 44 | 24 | 153 | 75 | 309 | 226 |
| 3 months and under 4 months | 10 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 25 | 14 | 83 | 50 | 137 | 99 |
| 4 months and under 5 months | 5 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 46 | 31 | 73 | 51 |
| 5 months and under 6 months | 2 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 36 | 12 | 49 | 21 |
| 6 months and under 9 months | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 62 | 29 | 80 | 40 |
| 9 months and under 12 months | .. | .. | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 12 | 28 | 15 |
| 12 months and over | 2 | .. | .. | .. | 5 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 28 | 7 |
| Totals | 630 | 616 | 1,105 | 927 | 975 | 645 | 1,515 | 816 | 4,225 | 3,004 |
THE first incursions of this character into the fields of biometrics which have been undertaken in New Zealand are understood to have been those of the late Mr. George Leslie, who dealt with the period 1880-92, and of Dr. C. E. Adams, whose investigation covered the period 1881-91. The next series was initiated by the Census and Statistics Office in 1915. With the aid of the professional services of Mr. A. T. Traversi, F.I.A., the present Commissioner of the Government Insurance Department (at that time Actuary to the New Zealand Friendly Societies Office) tables were prepared from the results of five censuses, in combination with the records of deaths, for the four quinquennial periods, 1891-95, 1896-1901, 1901-5, and 1906-10. The results of this investigation were published in the “New Zealand Official Year-book” for 1915, pages 183-200.
For the current investigation the aid of the Commissioner of the Government Insurance Department was again sought, and this opportunity may be taken of expressing the cordial thanks of the Census and Statistics Office for the assistance rendered. Under his direction the system adopted was devised and the work carried out, while the following notes on the construction of the tables were furnished by him for publication.
The construction of tables of mortality for the New Zealand population from the census records available has on this occasion been attended with some unusual difficulties. Of outstanding importance was the effect which the movements of members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the Great War had upon the calculation of the years of life lived through the periods under observation—viz., 1st January, 1911, to 31st December, 1915, and 1st January, 1916, to 31st December, 1920. Special methods had to be adopted in order to secure the elimination of such members from the “exposed to risk” after the tabulation of their service history into the following groups:—
(1.) Those who embarked and returned during the same census period:
(2.) Those who did not return during either census period:
(3.) Those who returned within a different census period from that in which they embarked.
Briefly, the method adopted was as follows: In category (1) the periods not exposed, to risk were calculated from data* furnished as to ages and dates of leaving and returning to New Zealand, and the results deducted from the “exposed to risk” got from the census figures. In categories (2) and (3) those who went to the war were eliminated altogether from the census figures, and separate calculations made as to the periods they were in New Zealand, the results being added on afterwards. Notwithstanding the care bestowed upon this part of the work, considerable adjustment was found to be required to produce rational results.
* This Information was obtained from the individual “history sheets” recorded in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force War Accounts and Records Branch of the Department of Defence, by whom facilities for the extraction of particulars were generously granted. A card was prepared for each member of the Expeditionary Force, showing date of birth and dale of embarkation, and of death or debarkation.
As might have been expected, it was found as the results emerged that the civilian population of New Zealand was affected during the war period (though no doubt in a lesser degree than the populations of European countries) by extraordinary influences upon mortality resulting in some way or other from the war. The most serious disturbance which affected the rates of mortality of the second intercensal period was the influenza visitation towards the end of the year 1918. The death curve for that year took such an upward leap that it was at once palpable that the results would require separate treatment. This epidemic was severely felt by the population between early adulthood and middle life, its maximum intensity operating at about age 30, and the male section suffering considerably more than the female section. The statistical elimination of these disturbances from the figures of the second intercensal period left an experience relating to the years 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, which proved to be somewhat abnormal in itself. After careful consideration it was decided to tabulate full results in respect to the first intercensal period (which was affected by the operations of the war only to a relatively small extent), but in respect of the second period to show rates of mortality for the years 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, and the year 1918 separately for certain ages only.
The technical principles upon which the tables were constructed are very similar to those followed upon the previous occasion as set out on pages 184 et seq., of the 1915 Official Year-book. For the sake of convenience of reference the description therein contained is repeated with necessary modifications.
From the results of two censuses, taken approximately five years apart, the number of years of life lived in five exact calendar years were calculated for quinquennial groups of ages 5 to 9, 10 to 14, &c., and after the special adjustment mentioned above for he members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force were designated W5, W10, &c. The deaths for the same period were grouped similarly. Then, by means of an ordinary non-osculatory third-difference formula (derived for use on the Millionaire calculating-machine)—
U5 = .8.06 W0 + .23 W5 — .04 W10
the years of life and death were interpolated for the quinquennial ages 10, 15, &c., enabling the values of qx at the quinquennial ages mentioned to be got by well-known methods. The values in respect to the second census period had to be discarded, as already indicated, and special methods first adopted for the calculation of the years of life lived through the influenza year 1918. These methods involved the suitable scaling-down of arithmetical means to conform to geometrical means, as set out in my paper* contained in volume 80 of the transactions of the Royal Statistical Society. Incidentally, this method of scaling-down was adopted after a careful trial of other formulas. The years of life estimated in this way were deducted from the years of life for the whole census period, giving the years of life for the years 1916, 1917, 1919, and 1920. The deaths were suitably subdivided, and the values of qx in respect of these two special periods were then obtained in the manner already mentioned.
* “Ascertainment of Mean Population from Census Returns,” by A. T. Traversi, A.I.A., Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, vol. 80, Part I.
This procedure sufficed for the main portion of the tables (with the exceptions mentioned below). The two ends of the tables, however, required special treatment. For the older ages a special formula based upon third differences was employed, whilst at the infantile ages the values of qx at each age up to age 5 were got by Dr. Farr's methods—namely, by taking the deaths in the five calendar years at the given age and measuring them against the relative births less deaths at previous ages (with suitable modifications in respect of the years 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, and the separate year 1918). For instance, to get q1 for the 1911-15 mortality table the deaths in the years 1911-15 were divided by the births from the middle of 1909 to the middle of 1914 less deaths under 1 year of age during the five years 1910-14. At certain ages some adjustment was found necessary to produce reasonable smoothness in the curve. These slight adjustments were effected graphically, and the various processes having furnished the values of qx for ages 10, 15, 20, &c., as well as for the infantile ages, the intermediate values were interpolated by means of an osculatory third-difference formula.
It is hardly necessary to set out in detail the processes by which the remaining functions were derived from qx. On this occasion values of life annuities at rates of interest, 3 per cent., 4 per cent., and 5 per cent., have been calculated and are shown in the tables that follow. The tables of annuities were constructed by a continued process, and, seeing that values of the complete expectations of life had been already constructed, a very comprehensive check on the relative accuracy of the two functions at certain ages was secured by means of Hardy's well-known (39a) summation formula from the relation apart from having the work done in duplicate.
It may be stated in general that the mortality rates of the period 1911-15 exhibit an improvement over those deduced in respect to the period 1906-10, which in themselves were below the progressively decreasing rates of the preceding periods.
I desire to acknowledge the assistance rendered by Mr. L. S. Polden, A.I.A., in connection with the work.
Tables 1 and 2 exhibit for each sex separately the rate of mortality in New Zealand during each year of age per 1,000 persons who enter upon such age. For 1911-15 the mortality rate is given for each year of age; for the period 1916—17-19-20, and for the year 1918, the mortality rate is quoted for single years up to age 5, thenceforward at quinquennial intervals. Results for the periods 1901-5 and 1906-10 are reproduced from the earlier investigation for purposes of comparison.
In tables 3 and 4 the expectation of life or average after-lifetime in New Zealand is given for each year of age for the periods 1901-5, 1906-10, and 1911-15. A column is devoted to survivors (period 1911-15)—that is, numbers surviving at each age in New Zealand out of 100,000 born.
Tables 5 and 6, showing values of annuities, introduce a new feature, as annuity values did not form a part of the previous investigation. The tables are calculated for each sex on the basis of the mortality during the period 1911-15.
The data contained in table 7 afford the means of a criterion by which the results of the New Zealand investigation may be measured. As life tables for a uniform period were not available, two sets of New Zealand figures have been inserted.
The Australian figures quoted are the preliminary results of an investigation by the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, kindly furnished by the Commonwealth Statistician.
South African data are from the South African Life Table No. 1, prepared by the Union Office of Census and Statistics, and covering population of European descent.
The English mortality is derived from English Life Table No. 8, published in the Supplement to the Seventy-fifth Annual Report of the Registrar-General. The United States figures have been extracted from life tables for the eleven original registration States, published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census; and those for Japan, from the publications of the Imperial Japanese Statistical Office.
The average after-lifetime or expectation of life in five other countries is compared in table 8 with the results obtained for New Zealand. With respect to the external figures, the remarks in the preceding paragraph are applicable.
(Rate of mortality in New Zealand during each year of age per 1,000 males who enter upon such age.)
| Age. | 1901-5. | 1906-10. | 1911-15. | 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920. | 1918. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 83.06 | 77.96 | 60.50 | 55.11 | 51.29 |
| 1 | 12.19 | 11.22 | 7.66 | 9.14 | 10.55 |
| 2 | 5.85 | 5.30 | 4.68 | 5.68 | 5.57 |
| 3 | 4.36 | 3.86 | 3.27 | 4.66 | 4.77 |
| 4 | 3.48 | 2.85 | 2.67 | 3.49 | 3.59 |
| 5 | 2.82 | 2.38 | 2.20 | 3.05 | 2.81 |
| 6 | 2.50 | 2.10 | 1.95 | .. | .. |
| 7 | 2.25 | 1.89 | 1.75 | .. | .. |
| 8 | 2.00 | 1.70 | 1.58 | .. | .. |
| 9 | 1.80 | 1.53 | 1.45 | .. | .. |
| 10 | 1.68 | 1.46 | 1.38 | 1.72 | 1.67 |
| 11 | 1.69 | 1.47 | 1.45 | .. | .. |
| 12 | 1.74 | 1.52 | 1.61 | .. | .. |
| 13 | 1.85 | 1.63 | 1.83 | .. | .. |
| 14 | 2.05 | 1.84 | 2.05 | .. | .. |
| 15 | 2.30 | 2.09 | 2.24 | 1.96 | 4.40 |
| 16 | 2.57 | 2.35 | 2.39 | .. | .. |
| 17 | 2.82 | 2.58 | 2.53 | .. | .. |
| 18 | 3.07 | 2.78 | 2.67 | .. | .. |
| 19 | 3.34 | 2.98 | 2.79 | .. | .. |
| 20 | 3.60 | 3.17 | 2.91 | 3.27 | 8.80 |
| 21 | 3.83 | 3.34 | 3.01 | .. | .. |
| 22 | 4.00 | 3.49 | 3.10 | .. | .. |
| 23 | 4.09 | 3.60 | 3.19 | .. | .. |
| 24 | 4.10 | 3.67 | 3.27 | .. | .. |
| 25 | 4.09 | 3.72 | 3.35 | 3.92 | 16.54 |
| 26 | 4.08 | 3.79 | 3.42 | .. | .. |
| 27 | 4.13 | 3.87 | 3.48 | .. | .. |
| 28 | 4.22 | 3.98 | 3.55 | .. | .. |
| 29 | 4.34 | 4.10 | 3.64 | .. | .. |
| 30 | 4.48 | 4.22 | 3.77 | 4.38 | 19.81 |
| 31 | 4.64 | 3.37 | 3.96 | .. | .. |
| 32 | 4.80 | 4.54 | 4.19 | .. | .. |
| 33 | 4.98 | 4.75 | 4.44 | .. | .. |
| 34 | 5.17 | 4.99 | 4.70 | .. | .. |
| 35 | 5.38 | 5.25 | 4.94 | 6.19 | 18.71 |
| 36 | 5.59 | 5.50 | 5.15 | .. | .. |
| 37 | 5.80 | 5.73 | 5.34 | .. | .. |
| 38 | 5.93 | 5.90 | 5.53 | .. | .. |
| 39 | 6.16 | 6.02 | 5.75 | .. | .. |
| 40 | 6.35 | 6.15 | 6.03 | 6.50 | 16.26 |
| 41 | 6.59 | 6.34 | 6.37 | .. | .. |
| 42 | 6.94 | 6.64 | 6.76 | .. | .. |
| 43 | 7.40 | 7.10 | 7.18 | .. | .. |
| 44 | 7.95 | 7.67 | 7.63 | .. | .. |
| 45 | 8.56 | 8.30 | 8.09 | 8.08 | 16.46 |
| 46 | 9.20 | 8.94 | 8.55 | .. | .. |
| 47 | 9.85 | 9.54 | 9.02 | .. | .. |
| 48 | 10.51 | 10.06 | 9.52 | .. | .. |
| 49 | 11.18 | 10.52 | 10.06 | .. | .. |
| 50 | 11.87 | 11.01 | 10.68 | 9.92 | 16.56 |
| 51 | 12.60 | 11.58 | 11.34 | .. | .. |
| 52 | 13.36 | 12.30 | 12.03 | .. | .. |
| 53 | 14.11 | 13.22 | 12.79 | .. | .. |
| 54 | 14.83 | 14.27 | 13.66 | .. | .. |
| 55 | 15.61 | 15.42 | 14.67 | 13.78 | 19.44 |
| 56 | 16.53 | 16.63 | 15.83 | .. | .. |
| 57 | 17.67 | 17.84 | 17.13 | .. | .. |
| 58 | 19.04 | 18.95 | 18.54 | .. | .. |
| 59 | 20.58 | 19.97 | 20.04 | .. | .. |
| 60 | 22.29 | 21.10 | 21.63 | 22.88 | 25.26 |
| 61 | 24.17 | 22.49 | 23.19 | .. | .. |
| 62 | 26.23 | 24.34 | 24.72 | .. | .. |
| 63 | 28.34 | 26.61 | 26.41 | .. | .. |
| 64 | 30.50 | 29.18 | 28.42 | .. | .. |
| 65 | 32.90 | 32.09 | 30.92 | 32.04 | 34.71 |
| 66 | 35.73 | 35.41 | 33.83 | .. | .. |
| 67 | 39.19 | 39.19 | 37.05 | .. | .. |
| 68 | 43.34 | 43.46 | 40.68 | .. | .. |
| 69 | 48.04 | 48.17 | 44.86 | .. | .. |
| 70 | 53.20 | 53.29 | 49.70 | 52.59 | 56.05 |
| 71 | 58.75 | 58.78 | 55.15 | .. | .. |
| 72 | 64.57 | 64.57 | 61.12 | .. | .. |
| 73 | 70.56 | 70.56 | 67.70 | .. | .. |
| 74 | 76.77 | 76.77 | 75.00 | .. | .. |
| 75 | 83.39 | 83.39 | 83.10 | .. | .. |
| 76 | 90.60 | 90.60 | 92.14 | .. | .. |
| 77 | 98.58 | 98.58 | 102.04 | .. | .. |
| 78 | 107.50 | 107.50 | 112.63 | .. | .. |
| 79 | 117.24 | 117.24 | 123.68 | .. | .. |
| 80 | 127.55 | 127.55 | 135.02 | .. | .. |
| 81 | 138.18 | 138.18 | 146.27 | .. | .. |
| 82 | 148.87 | 148.87 | 157.57 | .. | .. |
| 83 | 159.10 | 159.10 | 169.46 | .. | .. |
| 84 | 191.17 | 191.17 | 213.18 | .. | .. |
| 85 | 179.43 | 179.43 | 197.17 | .. | .. |
| 86 | 191.17 | 191.17 | 213.18 | .. | .. |
| 87 | 205.03 | 205.03 | 230.14 | .. | .. |
| 88 | 219.47 | 219.47 | 248.59 | .. | .. |
| 89 | 233.94 | 233.94 | 269.08 | .. | .. |
| 90 | 250.77 | 250.77 | 292.15 | .. | .. |
| 91 | 272.29 | 272.29 | 317.44 | .. | .. |
| 92 | 300.85 | 300.85 | 344.58 | .. | .. |
| 93 | 334.89 | 334.89 | 374.12 | .. | .. |
| 94 | 372.85 | 372.85 | 406.60 | .. | .. |
| 95 | 417.05 | 417.05 | 442.56 | .. | .. |
| 96 | 469.84 | 469.84 | 481.65 | .. | .. |
| 97 | 533.53 | 533.53 | 523.49 | .. | .. |
| 98 | 611.32 | 611.32 | 568.64 | .. | .. |
| 99 | 701.67 | 701.67 | 617.63 | .. | .. |
| 100 | 799.77 | 799.77 | 671.00 | .. | .. |
| 101 | 900.82 | 900.82 | 727.63 | .. | .. |
| 102 | .. | .. | 787.15 | .. | .. |
| 103 | .. | .. | 851.26 | .. | .. |
| 104 | .. | .. | 921.65 | .. | .. |
(Rate of mortality in New Zealand during each year of age per 1,000 females who enter upon such age.)
| Age. | 1901-5. | 1906-10. | 1911-15. | 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920. | 1918. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 68.54 | 62.03 | 47.05 | 44.25 | 41.13 |
| 1 | 11.63 | 10.58 | 7.86 | 8.04 | 8.79 |
| 2 | 5.41 | 5.27 | 4.36 | 4.80 | 5.43 |
| 3 | 4.22 | 3.31 | 2.85 | 3.83 | 4.41 |
| 4 | 3.31 | 2.52 | 2.35 | 3.54 | 4.03 |
| 5 | 2.65 | 2.24 | 2.17 | 2.56 | 2.52 |
| 6 | 2.25 | 1.90 | 1.96 | .. | .. |
| 7 | 2.00 | 1.85 | 1.75 | .. | .. |
| 8 | 1.69 | 1.61 | 1.56 | .. | .. |
| 9 | 1.52 | 1.42 | 1.40 | .. | .. |
| 10 | 1.46 | 1.38 | 1.30 | 1.37 | 1.61 |
| 11 | 1.47 | 1.41 | 1.28 | .. | .. |
| 12 | 1.52 | 1.46 | 1.32 | .. | .. |
| 13 | 1.65 | 1.56 | 1.40 | .. | .. |
| 14 | 1.87 | 1.72 | 1.51 | .. | .. |
| 15 | 2.14 | 1.93 | 1.63 | 1.65 | 2.90 |
| 16 | 2.43 | 2.15 | 1.77 | .. | .. |
| 17 | 2.68 | 2.36 | 1.93 | .. | .. |
| 18 | 2.90 | 2.56 | 2.11 | .. | .. |
| 19 | 3.12 | 2.77 | 2.29 | .. | .. |
| 20 | 3.33 | 2.98 | 2.46 | 2.62 | 5.49 |
| 21 | 3.54 | 3.20 | -2.61 | .. | .. |
| 22 | 3.74 | 3.40 | 2.76 | .. | .. |
| 23 | 3.94 | 3.60 | 2.90 | .. | .. |
| 24 | 4.14 | 3.81 | 3.04 | .. | .. |
| 25 | 4.33 | 4.01 | 3.19 | 4.23 | 9.77 |
| 26 | 4.49 | 419 | 3.34 | .. | .. |
| 27 | 4.61 | 4.34 | 3.48 | .. | .. |
| 28 | 4.66 | 4.44 | 3.63 | .. | .. |
| 29 | 4.65 | 4.50 | 3.78 | .. | .. |
| 30 | 4.62 | 4.55 | 3.95 | 4.75 | 10.67 |
| 31 | 4.62 | 4.61 | 4.14 | .. | .. |
| 32 | 4.69 | 4.72 | 4.34 | .. | .. |
| 33 | 4.85 | 4.89 | 4.56 | .. | .. |
| 34 | 5.08 | 5.11 | 4.76 | .. | .. |
| 35 | 5.34 | 5.34 | 4.94 | 4.94 | 10.09 |
| 36 | 5.60 | 5.55 | 5.08 | .. | .. |
| 37 | 5.84 | 5.72 | 5.20 | .. | .. |
| 38 | 6.04 | 5.80 | 5.31 | .. | .. |
| 39 | 6.22 | 5.83 | 5.44 | .. | .. |
| 40 | 6.40 | 5.84 | 5.62 | 4.94 | 9.35 |
| 41 | 6.58 | 5.89 | 5.85 | .. | .. |
| 42 | 6.77 | 6.02 | 6.11 | .. | .. |
| 43 | 6.93 | 6.23 | 6.40 | .. | .. |
| 44 | 7.07 | 6.50 | 6.71 | .. | .. |
| 45 | 7.22 | 6.81 | 7.03 | 5.62 | 9.55 |
| 46 | 7.45 | 7.17 | 7.33 | .. | .. |
| 47 | 7.81 | 7.57 | 7.63 | .. | .. |
| 48 | 8.32 | 8.01 | 7.95 | .. | .. |
| 49 | 8.95 | 8.49 | 8.35 | .. | .. |
| 50 | 9.66 | 9.01 | 8.87 | 7.45 | 13.98 |
| 51 | 10.41 | 9.58 | 9.53 | .. | .. |
| 52 | 11.16 | 10.21 | 10.30 | .. | .. |
| 53 | 11.87 | 10.90 | 11.15 | .. | .. |
| 54 | 12.56 | 11.63 | 12.05 | .. | .. |
| 55 | 13.31 | 12.42 | 12.96 | 10.49 | 16.03 |
| 56 | 14.15 | 13.29 | 13.80 | .. | .. |
| 57 | 15.16 | 14.26 | 14.76 | .. | .. |
| 58 | 16.33 | 15.24 | 15.71 | .. | .. |
| 59 | 17.60 | 16.23 | 16.75 | .. | .. |
| 60 | 19.01 | 17.33 | 17.91 | 16.05 | 22.43 |
| 61 | 20.56 | 18.67 | 19.04 | .. | .. |
| 62 | 22.27 | 20.35 | 20.12 | .. | .. |
| 63 | 24.06 | 22.37 | 21.38 | .. | .. |
| 64 | 25.91 | 24.64 | 23.03 | .. | .. |
| 65 | 27.95 | 27.18 | 25.31 | 25.02 | 30.31 |
| 66 | 30.32 | 30.01 | 28.19 | .. | .. |
| 67 | 33.15 | 3315 | 31.52 | .. | .. |
| 68 | 36.37 | 36.49 | 35.33 | .. | .. |
| 69 | 39.89 | 40.03 | 39.68 | .. | .. |
| 70 | 43.81 | 43.91 | 44.60 | 41.39 | 45.97 |
| 71 | 48.24 | 48.27 | 50.27 | .. | .. |
| 72 | 53.25 | 53.25 | 56.67 | .. | .. |
| 73 | 58.93 | 58.93 | 63.52 | .. | .. |
| 74 | 65.19 | 65.19 | 70.56 | .. | .. |
| 75 | 71.95 | 71.95 | 77.53 | .. | .. |
| 76 | 79.12 | 79.12 | 84.37 | .. | .. |
| 77 | 86.62 | 86.62 | 91.24 | .. | .. |
| 78 | 94.37 | 94.37 | 98.26 | .. | .. |
| 79 | 102.43 | 102.43 | 105.50 | .. | .. |
| 80 | 110.91 | 110.91 | 113.06 | .. | .. |
| 81 | 119.90 | 119.90 | 120.46 | .. | .. |
| 82 | 129.50 | 129.50 | 127.62 | .. | .. |
| 83 | 139.25 | 139.25 | 135.30 | .. | .. |
| 84 | 149.07 | 149.07 | 144.21 | .. | .. |
| 85 | 159.68 | 159.68 | 155.09 | .. | .. |
| 86 | 171.77 | 171.77 | 167.46 | .. | .. |
| 87 | 186.07 | 186.07 | 180.82 | .. | .. |
| 88 | 201.02 | 201.02 | 195.91 | .. | .. |
| 89 | 216.15 | 216.15 | 213.46 | .. | .. |
| 90 | 233.78 | 233.78 | 234.21 | .. | .. |
| 91 | 256.22 | 256.22 | 257.67 | .. | .. |
| 92 | 285.79 | 285.79 | 283.34 | .. | .. |
| 93 | 320.94 | 320.94 | 311.97 | .. | .. |
| 94 | 360.14 | 360.14 | 344.28 | .. | .. |
| 95 | 405.69 | 405.69 | 381.01 | .. | .. |
| 96 | 459.90 | 459.90 | 421.67 | .. | .. |
| 97 | 525.07 | 525.07 | 465.78 | .. | .. |
| 98 | 604.58 | 604.58 | 514.06 | .. | .. |
| 99 | 696.87 | 696.87 | 567.25 | .. | .. |
| 100 | 796.91 | 796.91 | 626.08 | .. | .. |
| 101 | 899.64 | 899.64 | 690.60 | .. | .. |
| 102 | .. | .. | 760.32 | .. | .. |
| 103 | .. | .. | 835.17 | .. | .. |
| 104 | .. | .. | 915.09 | .. | .. |
(Expectation of life or average after-lifetime in New Zealand at each year of age, and numbers surviving at each age in New Zealand out of 100,000 males born.)
| Age. | (= ex + 5). | lx. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-5. | 1906-10. | 1911-15. | 1911-15. | |
| 0 | 58.092 | 59.165 | 60.960 | 100,000 |
| 1 | 62,308 | 63.125 | 63.853 | 93,950 |
| 2 | 62.071 | 62.836 | 63.342 | 93,230 |
| 3 | 61.433 | 62.168 | 62.638 | 92,794 |
| 4 | 60.700 | 61.407 | 61.842 | 92,491 |
| 5 | 59.911 | 60.581 | 61.006 | 92,244 |
| 6 | 59.079 | 59.724 | 60.139 | 92,041 |
| 7 | 58.225 | 58.849 | 59.256 | 91,862 |
| 8 | 57.356 | 57.959 | 58.359 | 91,701 |
| 9 | 56.469 | 57.057 | 57.450 | 91,556 |
| 10 | 55.570 | 56.144 | 56.533 | 91,423 |
| 11 | 54.663 | 55.225 | 55.610 | 91,297 |
| 12 | 53.755 | 54.306 | 54.691 | 91,165 |
| 13 | 52.848 | 53.388 | 53.778 | 91,018 |
| 14 | 51.945 | 52.474 | 52.876 | 90,851 |
| 15 | 51.050 | 51.570 | 51.983 | 90,665 |
| 16 | 50.167 | 50.677 | 51.099 | 90,462 |
| 17 | 49.295 | 49.795 | 50.220 | 90,246 |
| 18 | 48.436 | 48.923 | 49.346 | 90,018 |
| 19 | 47.583 | 48.058 | 48,477 | 89,778 |
| 20 | 46.741 | 47.200 | 47.611 | 89,528 |
| 21 | 45.908 | 46.348 | 40.749 | 89,267 |
| 22 | 45.083 | 45.502 | 45.888 | 88,998 |
| 23 | 44.262 | 44.659 | 45.029 | 88,722 |
| 24 | 43.442 | 43.819 | 44.172 | 88,439 |
| 25 | 42.618 | 42.979 | 43.315 | 88,150 |
| 26 | 41.791 | 42.137 | 42.459 | 87,855 |
| 27 | 40.960 | 41.296 | 41.603 | 87,555 |
| 28 | 40.128 | 40.454 | 40.747 | 87,250 |
| 29 | 39.296 | 39.614 | 39.890 | 86,940 |
| 30 | 38.465 | 38.775 | 39.034 | 86,624 |
| 31 | 37.636 | 37.937 | 38.180 | 86,297 |
| 32 | 36.809 | 37.101 | 37.329 | 85,955 |
| 33 | 35.984 | 36.268 | 36.484 | 85,595 |
| 34 | 35.162 | 35.439 | 35.645 | 85,215 |
| 35 | 34.342 | 34.614 | 34.811 | 84,814 |
| 36 | 33.525 | 33.794 | 33.981 | 84,395 |
| 37 | 32.711 | 32.978 | 33.155 | 83,960 |
| 38 | 31.899 | 32.166 | 32.330 | 83,512 |
| 39 | 31.088 | 31.353 | 31.507 | 83,050 |
| 40 | 30.278 | 30.540 | 30.686 | 82,572 |
| 41 | 29.468 | 29.726 | 29.869 | 82,074 |
| 42 | 28.660 | 28.913 | 29.058 | 81,551 |
| 43 | 27.857 | 28.103 | 28.252 | 81,000 |
| 44 | 27.061 | 27.300 | 27.453 | 80,418 |
| 45 | 26.274 | 26.507 | 26.660 | 79,804 |
| 46 | 25.496 | 25.725 | 25.873 | 79,158 |
| 47 | 24.728 | 24.952 | 25.092 | 78,481 |
| 48 | 23.969 | 24.188 | 24.316 | 77,773 |
| 49 | 23.219 | 23.429 | 23.545 | 77,033 |
| 50 | 22.475 | 22.672 | 22.779 | 76,258 |
| 51 | 21.739 | 21.919 | 22.019 | 75,444 |
| 52 | 21.010 | 21.170 | 21.266 | 74,588 |
| 53 | 20.289 | 20.428 | 20.519 | 73,691 |
| 54 | 19.572 | 19.695 | 19.779 | 72,748 |
| 55 | 18.859 | 18.972 | 19.046 | 71,754 |
| 56 | 18.151 | 18.262 | 18.322 | 70,701 |
| 57 | 17.447 | 17.562 | 17.608 | 69,582 |
| 58 | 16.752 | 16.872 | 16.906 | 68,390 |
| 59 | 16.068 | 16.188 | 16.216 | 67,122 |
| 60 | 15.395 | 15.508 | 15.538 | 65,777 |
| 61 | 14.734 | 14.831 | 14.870 | 64,354 |
| 62 | 14.087 | 14.161 | 14.211 | 62,862 |
| 63 | 13.453 | 13.502 | 13.559 | 61,308 |
| 64 | 12.831 | 12.857 | 12.913 | 59,689 |
| 65 | 12.218 | 12.229 | 12.276 | 57,993 |
| 66 | 11.617 | 11.618 | 11.652 | 56,200 |
| 67 | 11.029 | 11.026 | 11.042 | 54,299 |
| 68 | 10.459 | 10.455 | 10.448 | 52,287 |
| 69 | 9.910 | 9.907 | 9.870 | 50,160 |
| 70 | 9.385 | 9.383 | 9.310 | 47,910 |
| 71 | 8.884 | 8.884 | 8.771 | 45,529 |
| 72 | 8.407 | 8.407 | 8.254 | 43,018 |
| 73 | 7.953 | 7.953 | 7.758 | 40,389 |
| 74 | 7.519 | 7.519 | 7.285 | 37,655 |
| 75 | 7.102 | 7.102 | 6.836 | 34,831 |
| 76 | 6.703 | 6.703 | 6.410 | 31,937 |
| 77 | 6.321 | 6.321 | 6.010 | 28,994 |
| 78 | 5.958 | 5.958 | 5.636 | 26,035 |
| 79 | 5.615 | 5.615 | 5.287 | 23,103 |
| 80 | 5.294 | 5.294 | 4.963 | 20,246 |
| 81 | 4.995 | 4.995 | 4.660 | 17,512 |
| 82 | 4.716 | 4.716 | 4.373 | 14,951 |
| 83 | 4.453 | 4.453 | 4.097 | 12,595 |
| 84 | 4.201 | 4.201 | 3.831 | 10,461 |
| 85 | 3.954 | 3.954 | 3.574 | 8,552 |
| 86 | 3.709 | 3.709 | 3.329 | 6,866 |
| 87 | 3.467 | 3.467 | 3.096 | 5,402 |
| 88 | 3.233 | 3.233 | 2.872 | 4,159 |
| 89 | 3.001 | 3.001 | 2.656 | 3,125 |
| 90 | 2.765 | 2.765 | 2.450 | 2,284 |
| 91 | 2.523 | 2.523 | 2.255 | 1,617 |
| 92 | 2.280 | 2.280 | 2.071 | 1,104 |
| 93 | 2.046 | 2.040 | 1.897 | 724 |
| 94 | 1.825 | 1.825 | 1.732 | 453 |
| 95 | 1.613 | 1.613 | 1.576 | 269 |
| 96 | 1.409 | 1.409 | 1.430 | 150 |
| 97 | 1.214 | 1.214 | 1.294 | 78 |
| 98 | 1.030 | 1.030 | 1.165 | 37 |
| 99 | 0.864 | 0.864 | 1.042 | 16 |
| 100 | 0.720 | 0.720 | 0.919 | 6 |
| 101 | 0.599 | 0.599 | 0.772 | 2 |
| 102 | .. | .. | 0.500 | 1 |
(Expectation of life or average after-lifetime in New Zealand at each year of age, and numbers surviving at each age in New Zealand out of 100,000 females born.)
| Age. | (= ex + 5.) | lx | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-5. | 1908-10. | 1911-15. | 1911-15. | |
| 0 | 60.549 | 61.764 | 63.482 | 100,000 |
| 1 | 63.967 | 64.816 | 65.591 | 95,295 |
| 2 | 63.714 | 64.503 | 65.107 | 94,546 |
| 3 | 63.058 | 63.843 | 64.390 | 94,134 |
| 4 | 62.323 | 63.053 | 63.572 | 93,866 |
| 5 | 61.528 | 62.211 | 62.721 | 93,645 |
| 6 | 60.689 | 61.350 | 61.856 | 93,442 |
| 7 | 59.825 | 60.465 | 60.977 | 93,259 |
| 8 | 58.944 | 59.576 | 60.083 | 93,096 |
| 9 | 58.043 | 58.672 | 59.176 | 92,951 |
| 10 | 57.131 | 57.754 | 58.258 | 92,821 |
| 11 | 56.213 | 56.834 | 57.333 | 92,700 |
| 12 | 55.295 | 55.913 | 56.406 | 92,581 |
| 13 | 54.379 | 54.994 | 55.480 | 92,459 |
| 14 | 53.468 | 54.079 | 54.557 | 92,330 |
| 15 | 52.567 | 53.172 | 53.639 | 92,191 |
| 16 | 51.679 | 52.273 | 52.726 | 92,041 |
| 17 | 50.803 | 51.385 | 51.818 | 91,878 |
| 18 | 49.939 | 50.505 | 50.918 | 91,701 |
| 19 | 49.082 | 49.634 | 50.024 | 91,508 |
| 20 | 48.234 | 48.770 | 49.138 | 91,298 |
| 21 | 47.394 | 47.914 | 48.258 | 91,073 |
| 22 | 46.561 | 47.067 | 47.383 | 90,835 |
| 23 | 45.733 | 46.226 | 46.512 | 90,584 |
| 24 | 44.912 | 45.391 | 45.646 | 90,321 |
| 25 | 44.097 | 44.562 | 44.784 | 90,046 |
| 26 | 43.287 | 43.740 | 43.926 | 89,759 |
| 27 | 42.480 | 42.922 | 43.071 | 89,459 |
| 28 | 41.674 | 42.107 | 42.220 | 89,148 |
| 29 | 40.867 | 41.292 | 41.372 | 88,824 |
| 30 | 40.055 | 40.477 | 40.527 | 88,488 |
| 31 | 39.239 | 39.659 | 39.686 | 88,138 |
| 32 | 38.419 | 38.841 | 38.849 | 87,773 |
| 33 | 37.597 | 38.023 | 38.016 | 87,392 |
| 34 | 36.778 | 37.207 | 37.188 | 86,993 |
| 35 | 35.963 | 36.396 | 36.363 | 86,579 |
| 36 | 35.154 | 35.588 | 35.541 | 86,151 |
| 37 | 34.349 | 34.784 | 34.720 | 85,713 |
| 38 | 33.548 | 33.981 | 33.899 | 85,267 |
| 39 | 32.749 | 33.177 | 33.077 | 84,814 |
| 40 | 31.950 | 32.368 | 32.255 | 84,353 |
| 41 | 31.153 | 31.555 | 31.435 | 83,879 |
| 42 | 30.356 | 30.739 | 30.617 | 83,388 |
| 43 | 29.560 | 29.923 | 29.802 | 82,878 |
| 44 | 28.762 | 29.107 | 28.991 | 82,348 |
| 45 | 27.964 | 28.294 | 28.183 | 81,795 |
| 46 | 27.163 | 27.485 | 27.379 | 81,220 |
| 47 | 26.363 | 26.680 | 26.578 | 80,625 |
| 48 | 25.567 | 25.880 | 25.778 | 80,010 |
| 49 | 24.777 | 25.085 | 24.981 | 79,374 |
| 50 | 23.997 | 24.295 | 24.187 | 78,711 |
| 51 | 23.226 | 23.511 | 23.399 | 78,013 |
| 52 | 22.465 | 22.734 | 22.619 | 77,270 |
| 53 | 21.713 | 21.963 | 21.849 | 76,474 |
| 54 | 20.968 | 21.200 | 21.090 | 75,621 |
| 55 | 20.228 | 20.443 | 20.341 | 74,710 |
| 56 | 19.494 | 19.694 | 19.602 | 73,742 |
| 57 | 18.767 | 18.953 | 18.870 | 72,720 |
| 58 | 18.048 | 18.220 | 18.145 | 71,647 |
| 59 | 17.339 | 17.494 | 17.427 | 70,521 |
| 60 | 16.641 | 16.774 | 16.715 | 69,340 |
| 61 | 15.954 | 16.061 | 16.011 | 68,098 |
| 62 | 15.278 | 15.357 | 15.312 | 66,801 |
| 63 | 14.615 | 14.666 | 14.616 | 65,457 |
| 64 | 13.963 | 13.990 | 13.925 | 64,058 |
| 65 | 13.321 | 13.331 | 13.241 | 62,583 |
| 66 | 12.689 | 12.689 | 12.572 | 60,999 |
| 67 | 12.070 | 12.067 | 11.922 | 59,279 |
| 68 | 11.467 | 11.463 | 11.294 | 57,411 |
| 69 | 10.881 | 10.878 | 10.689 | 55,383 |
| 70 | 10.312 | 10.311 | 10.110 | 53,185 |
| 71 | 9.762 | 9.762 | 9.559 | 50,813 |
| 72 | 9.231 | 9.231 | 9.038 | 48,259 |
| 73 | 8.722 | 8.722 | 8.551 | 45,524 |
| 74 | 8.237 | 8.237 | 8.098 | 42,632 |
| 75 | 7.777 | 7.777 | 7.674 | 39,624 |
| 76 | 7.341 | 7.341 | 7.277 | 36,552 |
| 77 | 6.929 | 6.929 | 6.902 | 33,468 |
| 78 | 6.539 | 6.539 | 6.545 | 30,414 |
| 79 | 6.168 | 6.168 | 6.203 | 27,426 |
| 80 | 5.815 | 8.515 | 5.876 | 24,533 |
| 81 | 5.478 | 5.478 | 5.561 | 21,759 |
| 82 | 5.156 | 5.156 | 5.254 | 19,138 |
| 83 | 4.848 | 4.848 | 4.950 | 16,696 |
| 84 | 4.552 | 4.552 | 4.646 | 14,437 |
| 85 | 4.262 | 4.262 | 4.345 | 12,355 |
| 86 | 3.976 | 3.976 | 4.050 | 10,439 |
| 87 | 3.697 | 3.697 | 3.765 | 8,691 |
| 88 | 3.428 | 3.428 | 3.485 | 7,119 |
| 89 | 3.165 | 3.165 | 3.213 | 5,724 |
| 90 | 2.900 | 2.900 | 2.949 | 4,502 |
| 91 | 2.632 | 2,632 | 2.698 | 3,448 |
| 92 | 2.366 | 2.366 | 2.461 | 2,560 |
| 93 | 2.113 | 2.113 | 2.236 | 1,835 |
| 94 | 1.876 | 1.876 | 2.023 | 1,263 |
| 95 | 1.650 | 1.650 | 1.822 | 828 |
| 96 | 1.436 | 1.436 | 1.636 | 513 |
| 97 | 1.232 | 1.232 | 1.464 | 297 |
| 98 | 1.042 | 1.042 | 1.305 | 159 |
| 99 | 0.871 | 0.871 | 1.157 | 77 |
| 100 | 0.723 | 0.723 | 1.017 | 33 |
| 101 | 0.600 | 0.600 | 0.884 | 12 |
| 102 | .. | .. | 0.740 | 4 |
| 103 | .. | .. | 0.500 | 1 |
(Present value of an annuity of 1 payable at the end of each complete year of life.)
| Age at Entry upon Annuity. | Value of Annuity. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| At 3 per Cent. | At 4 per Cent. | At 5 per Cent. | |
| 0 | 25.495 | 20.646 | 17.202 |
| 1 | 26.950 | 21.855 | 18.225 |
| 2 | 26.973 | 21.904 | 18.284 |
| 3 | 26.913 | 21.888 | 18.289 |
| 4 | 26.811 | 21.838 | 18.266 |
| 5 | 26.689 | 21.772 | 18.231 |
| 6 | 26.551 | 21.693 | 18.184 |
| 7 | 26.401 | 21.605 | 18.131 |
| 8 | 26.240 | 21.508 | 18.071 |
| 9 | 26.070 | 21.404 | 18.005 |
| 10 | 25.891 | 21.293 | 17.932 |
| 11 | 25.705 | 21.175 | 17.855 |
| 12 | 25.515 | 21.054 | 17.775 |
| 13 | 25.322 | 20.932 | 17.694 |
| 14 | 25.130 | 20.809 | 17.612 |
| 15 | 24.937 | 20.686 | 17.531 |
| 16 | 24.743 | 20.561 | 17.449 |
| 17 | 24.546 | 20.435 | 17.365 |
| 18 | 24.347 | 20.306 | 17.280 |
| 19 | 24.144 | 20.175 | 17.192 |
| 20 | 23.938 | 20.041 | 17.102 |
| 21 | 23.728 | 19.903 | 17.010 |
| 22 | 23.514 | 19.762 | 16.914 |
| 23 | 23.295 | 19.616 | 16.815 |
| 24 | 23.070 | 19.466 | 16.712 |
| 25 | 22.840 | 19.311 | 16.606 |
| 26 | 22.604 | 19.151 | 16.495 |
| 27 | 22.363 | 18.986 | 16.379 |
| 28 | 22.114 | 18.814 | 16.258 |
| 29 | 21.858 | 18.636 | 16.131 |
| 30 | 21.596 | 18.452 | 16.000 |
| 31 | 21.328 | 18.263 | 15.863 |
| 32 | 21.056 | 18.069 | 15.723 |
| 33 | 20.778 | 17.871 | 15.578 |
| 34 | 20.497 | 17.669 | 15.430 |
| 35 | 20.212 | 17.462 | 15.279 |
| 36 | 19.921 | 17.251 | 15.122 |
| 37 | 19.625 | 17.034 | 14.960 |
| 38 | 19.323 | 16.810 | 14.793 |
| 39 | 19.013 | 16.580 | 14.619 |
| 40 | 18.697 | 16.343 | 14.438 |
| 41 | 18.375 | 16.100 | 14.252 |
| 42 | 18.047 | 15.851 | 14.061 |
| 43 | 17.715 | 15.597 | 13.864 |
| 44 | 17.379 | 15.339 | 13.663 |
| 45 | 17.037 | 15.075 | 13.456 |
| 46 | 16.692 | 14.806 | 13.244 |
| 47 | 16.341 | 14.531 | 13.027 |
| 48 | 15.984 | 14.249 | 12.802 |
| 49 | 15.622 | 13.962 | 12.572 |
| 50 | 15.254 | 13.668 | 12.335 |
| 51 | 14.881 | 13.368 | 12.091 |
| 52 | 14.504 | 13.062 | 11.841 |
| 53 | 14.121 | 12.750 | 11.585 |
| 54 | 13.733 | 12.432 | 11.322 |
| 55 | 13.341 | 12.108 | 11.052 |
| 56 | 12.945 | 11.780 | 10.778 |
| 57 | 12.548 | 11.449 | 10.499 |
| 58 | 12.150 | 11.114 | 10.216 |
| 59 | 11.751 | 10.777 | 9.929 |
| 60 | 11.351 | 10.437 | 9.639 |
| 61 | 10.950 | 10.095 | 9.345 |
| 62 | 10.546 | 9.748 | 9.045 |
| 63 | 10.138 | 9.395 | 8.738 |
| 64 | 9.725 | 9.035 | 8.423 |
| 65 | 9.310 | 8.672 | 8.103 |
| 66 | 8.896 | 8.306 | 7.780 |
| 67 | 8.483 | 7.941 | 7.455 |
| 68 | 8.074 | 7.576 | 7.129 |
| 69 | 7.669 | 7.214 | 6.803 |
| 70 | 7.270 | 6.855 | 6.478 |
| 71 | 6.880 | 6.502 | 6.158 |
| 72 | 6.500 | 6.156 | 5.843 |
| 73 | 6.130 | 5.819 | 5.535 |
| 74 | 5.773 | 5.492 | 5.234 |
| 75 | 5.428 | 5.174 | 4.941 |
| 76 | 5.098 | 4.869 | 4.658 |
| 77 | 4.784 | 4.578 | 4.387 |
| 78 | 4.487 | 4.302 | 4.130 |
| 79 | 4.208 | 4.042 | 3.887 |
| 80 | 3.946 | 3.797 | 3.657 |
| 81 | 3.699 | 3.565 | 3.440 |
| 82 | 3.463 | 3.343 | 3.231 |
| 83 | 3.234 | 3.127 | 3.027 |
| 84 | 3.010 | 2.916 | 2.826 |
| 85 | 2.793 | 2.709 | 2.630 |
| 86 | 2.583 | 2.510 | 2.440 |
| 87 | 2.381 | 2.317 | 2.256 |
| 88 | 2.186 | 2.130 | 2.077 |
| 89 | 1.997 | 1.948 | 1.902 |
| 90 | 1.813 | 1.772 | 1.732 |
| 91 | 1.639 | 1.603 | 1.569 |
| 92 | 1.473 | 1.443 | 1.414 |
| 93 | 1.315 | 1.289 | 1.265 |
| 94 | 1.164 | 1.143 | 1.122 |
| 95 | 1.020 | 1.002 | 0.986 |
| 96 | 0.884 | 0.870 | 0.856 |
| 97 | 0.757 | 0.746 | 0.735 |
| 98 | 0.637 | 0.628 | 0.619 |
| 99 | 0.521 | 0.514 | 0.508 |
| 100 | 0.404 | 0.399 | 0.395 |
| 101 | 0.264 | 0.262 | 0.259 |
(Present value of an annuity of 1 payable at the end of each complete year of life.)
| Age at Entry upon Annuity. | Value of Annuity. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| At 3 per Cent. | At 4 per Cent. | At 5 per Cent. | |
| 0 | 26.124 | 21.100 | 17.547 |
| 1 | 27.236 | 22.027 | 18.335 |
| 2 | 27.275 | 22.090 | 18.404 |
| 3 | 27.217 | 22.074 | 18.409 |
| 4 | 27.113 | 22.023 | 18.384 |
| 5 | 26.993 | 21.957 | 18.349 |
| 6 | 26.863 | 21.885 | 18.308 |
| 7 | 26.723 | 21.806 | 18.262 |
| 8 | 26.573 | 21.718 | 18.208 |
| 9 | 26.413 | 21.621 | 18.149 |
| 10 | 26.244 | 21.518 | 18.083 |
| 11 | 26.066 | 21.408 | 18.011 |
| 12 | 25.883 | 21.293 | 17.936 |
| 13 | 25.694 | 21.173 | 17.858 |
| 14 | 25.502 | 21.051 | 17.777 |
| 15 | 25.307 | 20.926 | 17.694 |
| 16 | 25.109 | 20.799 | 17.609 |
| 17 | 24.908 | 20.669 | 17.523 |
| 18 | 24.705 | 20.538 | 17.434 |
| 19 | 24.500 | 20.404 | 17.345 |
| 20 | 24.293 | 20.269 | 17.254 |
| 21 | 24.083 | 20.132 | 17.161 |
| 22 | 23.870 | 19.992 | 17.066 |
| 23 | 23.655 | 19.849 | 16.969 |
| 24 | 23.435 | 19.703 | 16.870 |
| 25 | 23.212 | 19.554 | 16.767 |
| 26 | 22.984 | 19.401 | 16.662 |
| 27 | 22.753 | 19.245 | 16.553 |
| 28 | 22.518 | 19.084 | 16.442 |
| 29 | 22.278 | 18.920 | 16.327 |
| 30 | 22.033 | 18.752 | 16.208 |
| 31 | 21.784 | 18.579 | 16.086 |
| 32 | 21.531 | 18.402 | 15.961 |
| 33 | 21.274 | 18.222 | 15.832 |
| 34 | 21.012 | 18.038 | 15.699 |
| 35 | 20.746 | 17.849 | 15.563 |
| 36 | 20.475 | 17.655 | 15.422 |
| 37 | 20.196 | 17.455 | 15.276 |
| 38 | 19.911 | 17.248 | 15.124 |
| 39 | 19.618 | 17.034 | 14.965 |
| 40 | 19.317 | 16.812 | 14.799 |
| 41 | 19.009 | 16.583 | 14.627 |
| 42 | 18.694 | 16.348 | 14.448 |
| 43 | 18.374 | 16.107 | 14.264 |
| 44 | 18.047 | 15.859 | 14.074 |
| 45 | 17.714 | 15.605 | 13.877 |
| 46 | 17.374 | 15.344 | 13.674 |
| 47 | 17.028 | 15.075 | 13.464 |
| 48 | 16.673 | 14.799 | 13.246 |
| 49 | 16.311 | 14.514 | 13.020 |
| 50 | 15.942 | 14.222 | 12.786 |
| 51 | 15.567 | 13.923 | 12.545 |
| 52 | 15.188 | 13.619 | 12.299 |
| 53 | 14.807 | 13.312 | 12.049 |
| 54 | 14.423 | 13.000 | 11.794 |
| 55 | 14.037 | 12.685 | 11.535 |
| 56 | 13.648 | 12.366 | 11.270 |
| 57 | 13.255 | 12.041 | 11.000 |
| 58 | 12.857 | 11.710 | 10.723 |
| 59 | 12.454 | 11.373 | 10.439 |
| 60 | 12.046 | 11.030 | 10.148 |
| 61 | 11.634 | 10.680 | 9.849 |
| 62 | 11.215 | 10.323 | 9.543 |
| 63 | 10.789 | 9.956 | 9.225 |
| 64 | 10.355 | 9.581 | 8.898 |
| 65 | 9.917 | 9.199 | 8.563 |
| 66 | 9.480 | 8.815 | 8.225 |
| 67 | 9.048 | 8.434 | 7.887 |
| 68 | 8.623 | 8.057 | 7.551 |
| 69 | 8.207 | 7.686 | 7.219 |
| 70 | 7.802 | 7.323 | 6.893 |
| 71 | 7.411 | 6.972 | 6.575 |
| 72 | 7.038 | 6.635 | 6.270 |
| 73 | 6.684 | 6.314 | 5.979 |
| 74 | 6.352 | 6.012 | 5.703 |
| 75 | 6.039 | 5.728 | 5.443 |
| 76 | 5.743 | 5.457 | 5.196 |
| 77 | 5.461 | 5.199 | 4.958 |
| 78 | 5.189 | 4.950 | 4.729 |
| 79 | 4.927 | 4.708 | 4.506 |
| 80 | 4.674 | 4.474 | 4.289 |
| 81 | 4.427 | 4.246 | 4.078 |
| 82 | 4.185 | 4.021 | 3.868 |
| 83 | 3.941 | 3.794 | 3.656 |
| 84 | 3.694 | 3.563 | 3.439 |
| 85 | 3.446 | 3.330 | 3.220 |
| 86 | 3.201 | 3.098 | 3.001 |
| 87 | 2.961 | 2.870 | 2.785 |
| 88 | 2.723 | 2.644 | 2.570 |
| 89 | 2.488 | 2.420 | 2.356 |
| 90 | 2.258 | 2.200 | 2.145 |
| 91 | 2.037 | 1.988 | 1.941 |
| 92 | 1.826 | 1.785 | 1.745 |
| 93 | 1.624 | 1.590 | 1.557 |
| 94 | 1.431 | 1.403 | 1.376 |
| 95 | 1.248 | 1.225 | 1.203 |
| 96 | 1.077 | 1.058 | 1.040 |
| 97 | 0.917 | 0.903 | 0.888 |
| 98 | 0.769 | 0.757 | 0.746 |
| 99 | 0.629 | 0.620 | 0.612 |
| 100 | 0.497 | 0.491 | 0.485 |
| 101 | 0.370 | 0.366 | 0.362 |
| 102 | 0.233 | 0.230 | 0.228 |
(Rate of mortality in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England and Wales, United States of America, and Japan during each year of age, per 1,000 males or females who enter upon such age.)
| Age. | New Zealand, 1911-15. | New Zealand, 1916-17-19-20. | Australia, 1920-22. | South Africa, 1920-22. | England and Wales, 1910-12. | United States, 1909-11. | Japan, 1908-13. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| 0 | 60.50 | 47.05 | 55.11 | 44.25 | 71.36 | 55.55 | 87.84 | 73.88 | 120.44 | 97.67 | 124.95 | 103.77 | 160.50 | 145.04 |
| 1 | 7.60 | 7.86 | 9.14 | 8.04 | 14.49 | 12.45 | 21.64 | 20.76 | 34.24 | 31.93 | 28.82 | 26.40 | 44.10 | 43.70 |
| 2 | 4.68 | 4.36 | 5.68 | 4.80 | 6.23 | 5.56 | 8.91 | 9.15 | 13.37 | 13.22 | 13.03 | 11.64 | 23.57 | 23.86 |
| 3 | 3.27 | 2.85 | 4.66 | 3.83 | 4.23 | 3.65 | 5.73 | 5.35 | 8.18 | 8.02 | 8.07 | 7.59 | 14.73 | 14.73 |
| 4 | 2.67 | 2.35 | 3.49 | 3.54 | 3.07 | 2.84 | 3.44 | 4.25 | 5.97 | 5.86 | 5.79 | 5.50 | 10.27 | 10.37 |
| 5 | 2.20 | 2.17 | 3.05 | 2.56 | 2.52 | 2.40 | 2.94 | 3.04 | 4.89 | 4.80 | 4.77 | 4.54 | 7.10 | 7.57 |
| 6 | 1.95 | 1.96 | .. | .. | 2.15 | 2.03 | 2.58 | 2.26 | 3.97 | 3.90 | 4.05 | 3.77 | 5.39 | 5.81 |
| 7 | 1.75 | 1.75 | .. | .. | 1.90 | 1.75 | 2.31 | 1.82 | 3.21 | 3.16 | 3.45 | 3.14 | 4.49 | 4.86 |
| 8 | 1.58 | 1.56 | .. | .. | 1.73 | 1.53 | 2.14 | 1.62 | 2.62 | 2.60 | 2.98 | 2.65 | 3.91 | 4.32 |
| 9 | 1.45 | 1.40 | .. | .. | 1.63 | 1.37 | 2.04 | 1.58 | 2.20 | 2.20 | 2.63 | 2.31 | 3.49 | 4.03 |
| 10 | 1.38 | 1.30 | 1.72 | 1.37 | 1.36 | 1.27 | 2.00 | 1.64 | 1.93 | 1.96 | 2.42 | 2.11 | 3.20 | 3.96 |
| 11 | 1.45 | 1.28 | .. | .. | 1.54 | 1.20 | 2.00 | 1.74 | 1.81 | 1.86 | 2.33 | 2.0 | 3.06 | 4.18 |
| 12 | 1.61 | 1.32 | .. | .. | 1.54 | 1.17 | 2.06 | 1.86 | 1.82 | 1.89 | 2.35 | 2.10 | 3.12 | 4.75 |
| 13 | 1.83 | 1.40 | .. | .. | 1.59 | 1.20 | 2.15 | 1.97 | 1.93 | 2.00 | 2.47 | 2.25 | 3.58 | 5.58 |
| 14 | 2.05 | 1.51 | .. | .. | 1.69 | 1.30 | 2.28 | 2.08 | 2.11 | 2.18 | 2.66 | 2.48 | 4.27 | 6.53 |
| 15 | 2.24 | 1.63 | 1.96 | 1.65 | 1.84 | 1.45 | 2.45 | 2.19 | 2.35 | 2.39 | 2.91 | 2.77 | 4.99 | 7.55 |
| 16 | 2.39 | 1.77 | .. | .. | 2.02 | 1.64 | 2.66 | 2.33 | 2.59 | 2.57 | 3.24 | 3.08 | 5.88 | 8.56 |
| 17 | 2.53 | 1.93 | .. | .. | 2.22 | 1.86 | 2.93 | 2.54 | 2.79 | 2.68 | 3.65 | 3.39 | 6.82 | 9.45 |
| 18 | 2.67 | 2.11 | .. | .. | 2.45 | 2.10 | 3.26 | 2.80 | 3.02 | 2.78 | 4.09 | 3.70 | 7.69 | 10.12 |
| 19 | 2.79 | 2.29 | .. | .. | 2.66 | 2.34 | 3.62 | 3.08 | 3.26 | 2.86 | 4.55 | 4.02 | 8.40 | 10.56 |
| 20 | 2.91 | 2.46 | 3.27 | 2.62 | 2.84 | 2.54 | 3.94 | 3.34 | 3.48 | 2.95 | 5.03 | 4.35 | 8.87 | 10.79 |
| 25 | 3.35 | 3.19 | 3.92 | 4.23 | 3.55 | 3.27 | 4.42 | 4.06 | 4.00 | 3.40 | 5.71 | 5.36 | 8.54 | 10.31 |
| 30 | 3.77 | 3.95 | 4.38 | 4.75 | 3.92 | 3.85 | 4.98 | 5.06 | 4.78 | 4.11 | 6.81 | 6.20 | 7.73 | 9.83 |
| 35 | 4.94 | 4.94 | 6.19 | 4.94 | 4.75 | 4.51 | 6.50 | 5.42 | 6.24 | 5.23 | 8.74 | 7.30 | 8.10 | 10.21 |
| 40 | 6.03 | 5.62 | 6.50 | 4.94 | 6.18 | 5.26 | 8.17 | 6.20 | 8.11 | 6.60 | 10.46 | 8.25 | 9.59 | 10.65 |
| 45 | 8.09 | 7.03 | 8.08 | 5.62 | 8.44 | 6.05 | 11.09 | 7.57 | 10.89 | 8.54 | 12.84 | 10.12 | 12.24 | 10.76 |
| 50 | 10.68 | 8.87 | 9.92 | 7.45 | 11.58 | 8.07 | 13.45 | 9.45 | 14.82 | 11.40 | 15.81 | 12.83 | 16.40 | 12.96 |
| 55 | 14.67 | 12.96 | 13.78 | 10.49 | 15.53 | 11.09 | 18.06 | 13.17 | 21.11 | 16.15 | 21.78 | 18.20 | 22.91 | 17.50 |
| 60 | 21.63 | 17.91 | 22.88 | 16.05 | 24.07 | 15.61 | 25.96 | 18.66 | 30.42 | 23.10 | 31.04 | 26.13 | 32.84 | 24.69 |
| 65 | 30.92 | 25.31 | 32.04 | 25.02 | 35.61 | 24.58 | 35.79 | 29.65 | 43.75 | 33.42 | 44.06 | 38.15 | 47.60 | 36.54 |
| 70 | 49.70 | 44.60 | 52.59 | 41.39 | 52.81 | 40.34 | 56.33 | 45.64 | 64.70 | 52.59 | 62.40 | 56.79 | 69.78 | 56.56 |
| 75 | 83.10 | 77.53 | .. | .. | 83.50 | 68.60 | 80.61 | 67.23 | 97.51 | 80.79 | 92.72 | 82.55 | 101.32 | 84.46 |
| 80 | 135.02 | 113.06 | .. | .. | 135.00 | 115.00 | 119.90 | 119.99 | 142.99 | 124.19 | 135.64 | 125.66 | 145.72 | 124.10 |
| 85 | 197.17 | 155.09 | .. | .. | 201.50 | 175.00 | 173.31 | 150.79 | 199.11 | 173.37 | 190.94 | 178.07 | 211.08 | 185.04 |
| 90 | 292.15 | 234.21 | .. | .. | 280.00 | 247.50 | 235.02 | 238.34 | 273.95 | 238.26 | 253.85 | 245.38 | 305.77 | 275.30 |
(Expectation of life or average after-lifetime in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, England and Wales, United States of America, and Japan.)
| Age. | New Zealand, 1911-15. | Australia, 1920-22. | South Africa, 1920-22. | England and Wales, 1910-12. | United States, 1909-11. | Japan, 1908-13. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | Males. | Females. | |
| 0 | 60.96 | 63.48 | 59.16 | 63.29 | 55.61 | 59.18 | 51.50 | 55.35 | 49.86 | 53.24 | 44.25 | 44.73 |
| 1 | 63.85 | 65.59 | 62.66 | 65.99 | 59.94 | 62.88 | 57.51 | 60.31 | 55.94 | 58.37 | 51.61 | 51.24 |
| 2 | 63.34 | 65.11 | 62.58 | 65.81 | 60.26 | 63.20 | 58.53 | 61.28 | 56.59 | 58.94 | 52.97 | 52.55 |
| 3 | 62.64 | 64.39 | 61.97 | 65.18 | 59.79 | 62.78 | 58.32 | 61.09 | 56.33 | 58.63 | 53.23 | 52.83 |
| 4 | 61.84 | 63.57 | 61.23 | 64.42 | 59.14 | 62.12 | 57.80 | 60.58 | 55.79 | 58.08 | 53.02 | 52.61 |
| 5 | 61.01 | 62.72 | 60.41 | 63.60 | 58.34 | 61.38 | 57.14 | 59.94 | 55.11 | 57.39 | 52.57 | 52.16 |
| 6 | 60.14 | 61.86 | 59.57 | 62.75 | 57.51 | 60.57 | 56.42 | 59.22 | 54.37 | 56.65 | 51.94 | 51.55 |
| 7 | 59.26 | 60.98 | 58.69 | 61.88 | 56.66 | 59.70 | 55.64 | 58.46 | 53.59 | 55.87 | 51.22 | 50.85 |
| 8 | 58.36 | 60.08 | 57.80 | 60.98 | 55.79 | 58.81 | 54.82 | 57.64 | 52.77 | 55.04 | 50.45 | 50.09 |
| 9 | 57.45 | 59.18 | 56.90 | 60.08 | 54.90 | 57.90 | 53.96 | 56.79 | 51.93 | 5419 | 49.64 | 49.31 |
| 10 | 56.53 | 58.26 | 56.00 | 59.16 | 54.02 | 57.00 | 53.08 | 55.91 | 51.07 | 53.31 | 48.82 | 48.51 |
| 11 | 55.61 | 57.33 | 55.08 | 58.23 | 53.12 | 56.09 | 52.18 | 55.02 | 50.19 | 52.42 | 47.97 | 47.70 |
| 12 | 54.69 | 56.41 | 54.17 | 57.30 | 52.23 | 55.19 | 51.27 | 54.12 | 49.30 | 51.53 | 47.12 | 46.90 |
| 13 | 53.78 | 55.48 | 53.25 | 56.37 | 51.34 | 54.29 | 50.37 | 53.22 | 48.42 | 50.64 | 46.26 | 46.12 |
| 14 | 52.88 | 54.56 | 52.33 | 55.44 | 50.44 | 53.39 | 49.46 | 52.33 | 47.54 | 49.75 | 45.43 | 45.37 |
| 15 | 51.98 | 53.64 | 51.42 | 54.51 | 49.56 | 52.50 | 48.57 | 51.44 | 46.66 | 48.87 | 44.62 | 44.67 |
| 16 | 51.10 | 52.73 | 50.51 | 53.58 | 48.68 | 51.62 | 47.68 | 50.56 | 45.80 | 48.01 | 43.84 | 44.00 |
| 17 | 50.22 | 51.82 | 49.62 | 52.67 | 47.81 | 50.74 | 46.80 | 49.69 | 44.95 | 47.15 | 43.10 | 43.38 |
| 18 | 49.35 | 50.92 | 48.73 | 51.77 | 46.95 | 49.86 | 45.93 | 48.83 | 44.11 | 46.31 | 42.39 | 42.79 |
| 19 | 48.48 | 50.02 | 47.84 | 50.88 | 46.10 | 49.00 | 45.07 | 47.96 | 43.29 | 45.48 | 41.72 | 42.22 |
| 20 | 47.61 | 49.14 | 46.97 | 49.99 | 45.26 | 48.15 | 44.21 | 47.10 | 42.48 | 44.66 | 41.06 | 41.67 |
| 25 | 43.32 | 44.78 | 42.68 | 45.67 | 41.18 | 44.00 | 40.00 | 42.80 | 38.59 | 40.69 | 37.84 | 38.83 |
| 30 | 39.03 | 40.53 | 38.43 | 41.44 | 37.08 | 39.93 | 35.81 | 38.54 | 34.70 | 36.79 | 34.31 | 35.72 |
| 35 | 34.81 | 36.36 | 34.19 | 37.24 | 33.05 | 35.93 | 31.71 | 34.37 | 30.94 | 32.95 | 30.58 | 32.42 |
| 40 | 30.69 | 32.26 | 30.04 | 33.09 | 29.16 | 31.89 | 27.74 | 30.30 | 27.32 | 29.15 | 26.82 | 29.03 |
| 45 | 26.66 | 28.18 | 26.01 | 28.94 | 25.42 | 27.90 | 23.92 | 26.34 | 23.77 | 25.36 | 23.14 | 25.49 |
| 50 | 22.78 | 24.19 | 22.18 | 24.86 | 21.86 | 23.97 | 20.29 | 22.51 | 20.32 | 21.67 | 19.61 | 21.84 |
| 55 | 19.05 | 20.34 | 18.50 | 20.90 | 18.38 | 20.16 | 16.89 | 18.87 | 16.98 | 18.13 | 16.30 | 18.31 |
| 60 | 15.54 | 16.72 | 15.07 | 17.12 | 15.14 | 16.56 | 13.78 | 15.48 | 13.95 | 14.90 | 13.28 | 14.99 |
| 65 | 12.28 | 13.24 | 11.99 | 13.55 | 12.18 | 13.24 | 10.99 | 12.36 | 11.24 | 11.96 | 10.14 | 11.94 |
| 70 | 9.31 | 10.11 | 9.24 | 10.36 | 9.53 | 10.35 | 8.53 | 9.58 | 8.83 | 9.38 | 8.26 | 9.28 |
| 75 | 6.84 | 7.67 | 6.83 | 7.66 | 7.39 | 7.83 | 6.49 | 7.29 | 6.75 | 7.20 | 6.31 | 7.09 |
| 80 | 4.96 | 5.88 | 4.95 | 5.56 | 5.56 | 5.78 | 4.90 | 5.49 | 5.10 | 5.37 | 4.70 | 5.26 |
| 85 | 3.57 | 4.35 | 3.61 | 4.05 | 4.17 | 4.50 | 3.72 | 4.19 | 3.90 | 4.08 | 3.40 | 3.77 |
| 90 | 2.45 | 2.95 | 2.66 | 2.93 | 3.11 | 3.17 | 2.87 | 3.16 | 3.01 | 3.05 | 2.38 | 2.61 |
Table of Contents
POPULATION:—
| Males. | Females. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated (inclusive of Maoris but exclusive of residents of Cook and other Pacific islands) at 30th September, 1925 | 710,905 | 679,582 | 1,390,487 |
MIGRATION:—
| Males. | Females. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arrivals (excluding crews), ten months, 1925 | 18,823 | 14,549 | 33,372 |
| Departures (excluding crews), ten months, 1925 | 13,773 | 11,500 | 25,273 |
VITAL STATISTICS:—
| Males. | Females. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Births, nine months, 1925 | 10,958 | 10,273 | 21,231 |
| Deaths, nine months, 1925 | 4,625 | 3,629 | 8,254 |
| Corresponding yearly rates per 1000 | Births, 21.35; deaths, 8.30 | ||
EXPORTS:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Total for ten months, 1925 | 46,149,945 |
| Total, New Zealand produce, ten months, 1925 | 45,541,512 |
Principal items (New Zealand produce)—
| Quantity. | Value. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | |||
| Butter | cwt. | 906,942 | 7,246,794 |
| Cheese | cwt. | 1,014,810 | 4,141,504 |
| Beef, frozen | cwt. | 465,042 | 699,614 |
| Lamb, whole carcases, frozen | cwt. | 1,426,710 | 6,389,527 |
| Mutton, whole carcases, frozen | cwt. | 869,608 | 2,500,547 |
| Sausage-skins | lb. | 2,993,861 | 640,431 |
| Milk, dried | lb. | 10,878,589 | 299,823 |
| Hides | number | 948,764 | 797,960 |
| Rabbit-skins | number | 17,940,702 | 764,474 |
| Sheep-skins, without wool | number | 7,228,691 | 1,583,329 |
| Wool | bales | 518,234 | 16,078,384 |
| Phormium-fibre | tons | 13,941 | 440,687 |
| Tallow | tons | 21,962 | 783,458 |
| Kauri-gum | tons | 4,413 | 337,519 |
| Gold | oz. | 99,146 | 408,624 |
| Timber, sawn | sup. ft. | 38,896,457 | 456,650 |
IMPORTS:—
| Value. £ | |
|---|---|
| Total for ten months, 1925 | 42,980,176 |
| Principal imports— | |
| Sugar | 1,121,708 |
| Tea | 795,822 |
| Whisky | 579,915 |
| Cigarettes | 627,666 |
| Tobacco | 760,094 |
| Apparel | 1,944,241 |
| Boots, shoes, and slippers | 825,885 |
| Carpeting, matting, and oilcloth | 560,262 |
| Drapery n.e.i. | 506,238 |
| Cotton piece-goods | 2,124,718 |
| Silk, satin, and velvet piece-goods | 740,803 |
| Woollen piece-goods | 765,581 |
| Benzine, benzoline, gasolene, kerosene, &c. | 1,083,553 |
| Motor-spirit n.e.i. | 1,505,660 |
| Coal | 566,975 |
| Hardware n.e.i. | 507,422 |
| Iron and steel—Galvanized plate and sheet | 475,021 |
| Iron and steel—Tubes, pipes, and fittings | 443,039 |
| Electrical machinery and equipment | 1,687,439 |
| Timber, sawn | 609,085 |
| Timber, other | 409,353 |
| Paper, printing | 440,615 |
| Paper, other | 438,826 |
| Motor-vehicles | 3,349,604 |
| Rubber-tires, &c., for motor-vehicles | 890,854 |
SHIPPING, OVERSEAS:—
| Number. | Tonnage. | |
|---|---|---|
| Inwards, ten months, 1925 | 545 | 1,775,856 |
| Outwards, ten months, 1925 | 558 | 1,810,521 |
RAILWAYS:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Receipts, 1st April to 10th October, 1925 | 3,823,691 |
| Expenditure, 1st April to 10th October, 1925 | 3,297,145 |
AGRICULTURE:—
| Acres. | |
|---|---|
| Area sown or intended to be sown, season 1925-26— | |
| Wheat | 160,000 |
| Oats | 385,000 |
| Potatoes | 22,500 |
MORTGAGES:—
| Number. | Amount. | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Registered, seven months ended October, 1925 | 30,048 | 30,415,767 |
| Discharged, seven months ended October, 1925 | 23,960 | 22,365,849 |
LAND TRANSFERS:—
| Number. | Consideration.£ | |
|---|---|---|
| Registrations, seven months ended October, 1925— | ||
| Town and suburban properties | 16,000 | 10,673,377 |
| Country properties | 6,240 | 11,463,784 |
| Total | 22,240 | 22,137,161 |
BANKS OF ISSUE:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Assets, September quarter, 1925 | 61,340,146 |
| Liabilities, September quarter, 1925 | 59,194,084 |
| Advances, September quarter, 1925 | 44,975,360 |
| Deposits, September quarter, 1925 | 51,459,752 |
| Bank rate of discount, November, 1925 | 6 1/2 per cent. |
| Overdraft interest rate, November, 1925 | 6 1/2 per cent. |
POST OFFICE SAVINGS-BANK:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Deposits during seven months ended October, 1925 | 19,563,837 |
| Withdrawals during seven months ended October, 1925 | 19,565,615 |
PENSIONS:—
| Number. | Annual Value. | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Old-age, October, 1925 | 22,239 | 856,201 |
| Widows', October, 1925 | 3,651 | 284,778 |
| Military, October, 1925 | 466 | 22,834 |
| War, October, 1925 | 20,803 | 1,102,559 |
| Miners', October, 1925 | 625 | 39,063 |
| Epidemic, October, 1925 | 348 | 15,660 |
BANKRUPTCY:—
| Number. | |
|---|---|
| Auckland, January-October, 1925 | 252 |
| Wellington, January-October, 1925 | 136 |
| Christchurch, January-October, 1925 | 89 |
| Dunedin, January-October, 1925 | 47 |
| Total | 524 |
STATE ADVANCES (LOANS AUTHORIZED): —
| Number | Amount. | £ |
|---|---|---|
| To settlers, six months ended September, 1925 | 868 | 835,260 |
| To workers, six months ended September, 1925 | 918 | 691,520 |
| To local authorities, six months ended September, 1925 | 70 | 101,360 |
ESTATES CERTIFIED FOR STAMP DUTY:—
| Number. | Amount. | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Ten months ended October, 1925 | 3,891 | 11,484,738 |
CONSOLIDATED FUND:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Receipts, six months ended September, 1925 | 12,035,554 |
| Expenditure, six months ended September, 1925 | 12,989,161 |
LOANS OF LOCAL BODIES:—
| £ | |
|---|---|
| Amount raised six months ended September, 1925:— | |
| Counties | 381,603 |
| Boroughs | 920,850 |
| Electric-power Boards | 1,056,050 |
| Harbour Boards | 336,700 |
| Others | 181,475 |
| Total | 2,876,678 |
| RETAIL PRICES, ALL GROUPS:— | |
| Dominion index number (base: July, 1914 = 1000) August, 1925 | 1631 |
| WAGE RATES: — | |
| Dominion index number (base: Year, 1914 = 1000), September quarter, 1925 | 1,566 |
| INDUSTRIAL DISTURBANCES:— | |
| Number reported during nine months ended September, 1925 | 57 |
| Number of workers affected | 5,964 |
| Approximate loss in wages | £68,620 |
Following the inauguration of annual statistics of incomes and income-tax compiled from the income-tax returns received by the Commissioner of Taxes—as shown in Section XXXII of this book—a similar system of land and land-tax statistics has been initiated. The statistics for the first year (1924-25) have just become available, and are summarized in the three tables which follow. Full details will appear in the Annual Statistical Report on Prices, Incomes, &c., for 1924.
| Class. | Number of Returns. | Number of Tax-payers. | Unimproved Value of Land. | Exemptions. | Taxable Balance. | Tax assessed. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary. | Mortgage. | Hardship, | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| I. Persons and firms | 57,789 | 43,624 | 178,163,013 | 12,278,126 | 53,865,683 | 150,000 | 111,869,204 | 816,925 |
| II. Deceased persons' estates, trusts, &c. | 4,184 | 3,893 | 19,184,649 | 894,301 | 2,202,559 | 19,192 | 16,068,597 | 1,27,029 |
| III. Natives, Native Land Boards, Native trusts, &c. | 2,805 | 2,267 | 6,275,373 | 861,868 | 36,380 | .. | 5,377,125 | 19,736 |
| IV. Companies | 1,805 | 1,381 | 17,965,420 | 210,428 | 1,876,540 | .. | 15,878,452 | 225,999 |
| Totals | 66,583 | 51,165 | 221,588,455 | 14,244,723 | 57,981,162 | 169,192 | 149,193,378 | 1,189,689 |
| Occupation. | Number of Returns. | Number of Taxpayers. | Unimproved Value of Land. | Exemptions. | Taxable Balance. | Tax assessed. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary. | Mortgage. | Hardship. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| 1. Farming, &c. | 37,979 | 26,814 | 139,066,878 | 6,284,379 | 44,209,702 | 54,777 | 88,518,020 | 663,483 |
| 2. Professional | 3,317 | 2,467 | 6,162,095 | 869,960 | 1,903,556 | .. | 3,388,579 | 18,743 |
| 3. Manufacturing and industrial | 3,238 | 2,615 | 8,789,712 | 897,011 | 1,618,663 | .. | 6,274,038 | 58,697 |
| 4. Commerce and trade | 4,295 | 3,436 | 16,033,885 | 1,032,116 | 3,156,269 | .. | 11,845,500 | 122,940 |
| 5. Banking, insurance, and finance | 29 | 25 | 2,092,625 | 1,500 | 11,916 | .. | 2,079,209 | 57,327 |
| 6. Transportation | 465 | 399 | 880,045 | 151,348 | 149,778 | .. | 578,919 | 4,049 |
| 7. Miscellaneous | 17,260 | 15,409 | 48,563,215 | 5,008,409 | 6,931,278 | 114,415 | 36,509,113 | 264,450 |
| Totals | 66,583 | 51,165 | 221,588,455 | 14,244,723 | 57,981,162 | 169,192 | 149,193,378 | 1,189,689 |
| Amount. | Number of Returns. | Number of Taxpayers. | Unimproved Value of Lund. | Exemptions. | Taxable Balance. | Tax assessed. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary. | Mortgage. | Hardship. | ||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |||
| Under £100 | 128 | 6 | 7,413 | 6,820 | 178 | .. | 415 | 2 |
| £100-£199 | 139 | 11 | 20,734 | 18,731 | 177 | .. | 1,826 | 6 |
| £200-£299 | 139 | 9 | 33,603 | 30,732 | 777 | .. | 2,094 | 8 |
| £300-£399 | 112 | 5 | 38,824 | 36,235 | 1,054 | .. | 1,535 | 17 |
| £400-£499 | 106 | 5 | 46,502 | 41,306 | 2,984 | .. | 2,212 | 7 |
| £500-£599 | 4,133 | 3,372 | 2,305,220 | 1,811,637 | 266,767 | 1,150 | 225,666 | 876 |
| £600-£699 | 5,542 | 4,737 | 3,540,692 | 2,323,022 | 550,501 | 3,170 | 663,999 | 2,666 |
| £700-£799 | 4,580 | 3,746 | 3,395,935 | 1,809,177 | 672,166 | 8,892 | 905,700 | 3,571 |
| £800-£899 | 3,788 | 3,057 | 3,181,478 | 1,438,499 | 711,365 | 6,733 | 1,024,881 | 4,013 |
| £900-£999 | 3,093 | 2,422 | 2,909,435 | 1,126,669 | 741,059 | 3,750 | 1,037,957 | 4,018 |
| £1,000-£1,999 | 18,454 | 13,695 | 26,341,450 | 5,243,017 | 9,295,931 | 64,907 | 11,737,595 | 46,214 |
| £2,000-£2,999 | 8,480 | 5,800 | 20,579,908 | 358,878 | 9,466,527 | 38,040 | 10,716,463 | 43,849 |
| £3,000-£3,999 | 4,858 | 3,321 | 16,698,865 | .. | 8,088,584 | 19,550 | 8,590,731 | 36,611 |
| £4,000-£4,999 | 2,901 | 2,139 | 12,917,959 | .. | 6,161,659 | 8,500 | 6,747,800 | 29,859 |
| £5,000-£5,999 | 2,060 | 1,572 | 11,260,031 | .. | 5,034,946 | 14,500 | 6,210,585 | 28,554 |
| £6,000-£6,999 | 1,482 | 1,151 | 9,573,222 | .. | 4,266,604 | .. | 5,306,618 | 25,042 |
| £7,000-£7,999 | 1,077 | 857 | 8,055,125 | .. | 3,250,844 | .. | 4,804,281 | 23,588 |
| £8,000-£8,999 | 774 | 637 | 6,556,495 | .. | 2,311,570 | .. | 4,244,925 | 21,551 |
| £9,000-£9,999 | 648 | 547 | 6,139,301 | .. | 2,226,894 | .. | 3,912,407 | 20,553 |
| £10,000-£19,999 | 2,776 | 2,764 | 37,889,258 | .. | 4,877,635 | .. | 33,011,623 | 209,377 |
| £20,000-£29,999 | 665 | 664 | 16,151,562 | .. | 37,541 | .. | 16,114,021 | 135,186 |
| £30,000-£39,999 | 284 | 284 | 9,701,309 | .. | 15,291 | .. | 9,686,018 | 98,153 |
| £40,000-£49,999 | 138 | 138 | 6,053,695 | .. | .. | .. | 6,053,695 | 106,040 |
| £50,000 and over | 226 | 226 | 18,190,439 | .. | 108 | .. | 18,190,331 | 349,928 |
| Totals | 66,583 | 51,165 | 221,588.455 | 14,244,723 | 57,981,162 | 169,192 | 149,193,378 | 1,189,689 |
| 1642. | Discovery of New Zealand by Tasman. |
| 1769. | Captain Cook's first visit to New Zealand. |
| 1788. | Discovery of Macaulay and Curtis Islands (Kermadec Group), and of Bounty Islands. |
| 1791. | Discovery of Snares and Chatham Islands. |
| 1792. | First sealing gang left on New Zealand coast. |
| 1793. | Discovery of Raoul or Sunday Island (Kermadec Group). Visit of Lieutenant-Governor King, of Norfolk Island, to Doubtless Bay. |
| 1800. | Discovery of Antipodes Islands. |
| 1806. | Discovery of Auckland Islands. |
| 1807. | Defeat of Hongi and the Ngapuhi Tribe. |
| 1810. | Discovery of Campbell Island. |
| 1814. | Arrival of Rev. Samuel Marsden, and introduction of Christianity. Horses, oxen, sheep, and poultry first brought to New Zealand. |
| 1818. | Hongi's and Te Morenga's great expedition to East Cape. |
| 1819-20. | Raid on Taranaki and Port Nicholson by Patuone, Nene, and Te Rauparaha. |
| 1820. | Hongi's visit to England. Rev. S. Marsden travelled from Waitemata, via Kaipara, to Bay of Islands—the first white man to do so. First vessel entered Auckland Harbour. |
| 1821. | Hongi's capture of Mauinaina and Te Totara Pas. Ngati-Toa migration from Kawhia to Otaki. |
| 1822. | Fall of Matakitaki Pa, Waikato, to Hongi. |
| 1823. | Fall of Mokoia Pa, Rotorua, to Hongi. |
| 1823-28. | Jurisdiction of Courts of Justice in New South Wales extended to British subjects in New Zealand. |
| 1824. | Fall of Te Whetumatarau Pa to Pomare. |
| 1825. | First attempt at colonization by an expedition under Captain Herd. Great defeat of Ngati-Whatau by Hongi. |
| 1827. | Hongi's forces destroyed mission station at Whangaroa. |
| 1828. | Death of Hongi. |
| 1829. | Brig “Hawes” captured by Maoris. |
| 1830. | Battles of Taumata-wiwi and Kororareka. Fall of Kaiapohia Pa, Canterbury, to Te Rauparaha. |
| 1831. | Tory Channel whaling-station established. Application of thirteen chiefs for the protection of King William IV. Capture of Pukerangiora Pa, Waitara, by Waikato. |
| 1832. | Repulse of Waikato at Nga-motu Pa. |
| 1833. | Mr. Busby appointed British Resident at Bay of Islands. |
| 1834. | Bishop Williams's first visit to East Cape. Battle near Otaki. Waimate Pa shelled and captured by British—first occasion on which H.M. troops employed in New Zealand. |
| 1835. | Declaration of independence of the whole of New Zealand as one nation, with title of “United Tribes of New Zealand.” Ngati-Awa tribes migrated to and conquered Chatham Islands. |
| 1836. | Battles between Waikato and Te Arawa. |
| 1838. | Pelorus Sound discovered. Arrival of Roman Catholic mission under Bishop Pompallier. |
| 1839. | Governor of New South Wales authorized to include within the limits of that colony any territory that might be acquired in sovereignty by Her Majesty in New Zealand. Preliminary expedition of New Zealand Company under Colonel Wakefield arrived at Port Nicholson. |
| 1840. | Arrival of New Zealand Company's settlers at Port Nicholson. First steamer arrived. Treaty of Waitangi signed. British sovereignty proclaimed. Captain Hobson appointed Lieutenant-Governor, with residence at Auckland. Settlements formed at Petre (Wanganui) and Akaroa. |
| 1841 | Issue of charter of incorporation of New Zealand Company. New Zealand proclaimed independent of New South Wales. Arrival of New Plymouth settlers. |
| 1842. | Settlement founded at Nelson. |
| 1843. | Affray with Natives at the Wairau, and massacre of persons who had surrendered. |
| 1844. | Royal flagstaff at Kororareka out down by Heke. |
| 1845. | Destruction of Kororareka by Heke. |
| 1846. | Capture of pa at Ruapekapeka and termination of Heke's war. Native hostilities near Wellington. Te Rauparaha captured and detained as a prisoner. New Zealand divided into two provinces, New Munster and New Ulster, and representative institutions conferred. |
| 1847. | Attack by Maoris on Wanganui. |
| 1848. | Suspension of that part of New Zealand Government Act which had conferred representative institutions. Severe earthquake at Wellington. Otago founded. |
| 1850. | Surrender of New Zealand Company's charter, all its interests reverting to the Imperial Government. Canterbury founded. |
| 1852. | Discovery of gold at Coromandel. Constitution Act passed, granting representative institutions to New Zealand, and dividing country into six provinces. |
| 1854. | Opening at Auckland of first session of the General Assembly. |
| 1855. | First members elected to the House of Representatives under system of responsible Government. Very severe earthquake on both sides of Cook Strait. |
| 1856. | Appointment of first Ministry under system of responsible Government. |
| 1857. | Goldfield opened at Collingwood. |
| 1858. | New Provinces Act passed. Hawke's Bay Province constituted. |
| 1859. | Establishment of Marlborough Province. |
| 1860. | Hostilities in Waitara district. |
| 1861. | Truce arranged with Waitara Maoris. Bank of New Zealand incorporated. Southland Province established. Gold discovered at Gabriel's Gully, Otago. |
| 1862. | Coromandel proclaimed a goldfield. Wreck of s.s. “White Swan,” with loss of many public records. First electric-telegraph line opened—Christchurch to Lyttelton. |
| 1863. | Wreck of H.M.S. “Orpheus” on Manukau bar, with loss of 181 lives. Control of Native affairs transferred to Colonial Government. Commencement of Waikato War. Defeat of Maoris at Rangiriri, and occupation of Ngaruawahia. First railway in New Zealand opened. |
| 1864. | Severe fighting in Waikato and elsewhere, including Battles of Rangiaohia, Orakau, Gate Pa, and Te Ranga. Gold discovered on west coast of South Island. |
| 1865. | Seat of Government transferred to Wellington. Further fighting, followed by proclamation of peace. Activities of Hauhau fanatics, including murders of Europeans. Rebel Natives defeated at Wairoa. |
| 1866. | Further defeats of rebel Natives. Commencement of Panama steam mail-service. Cook Strait submarine telegraph-cable laid. |
| 1867. | Opening of Thames Goldfield. Admission of four Maori members to House of Representatives as direct representatives of Maori people. |
| 1868. | Westland Province established. Maori prisoners, under leadership of Te Kooti, seized schooner “Rifleman” and escaped from Chatham Islands to mainland, where they massacred Europeans and were engaged in a series of fights with European forces and friendly Natives. Considerable fighting also with other rebel Natives. |
| 1869. | Continuation of fighting with rebels and of pursuit after Te Kooti. Termination of Panama mail-service. Visit of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. Government Life Insurance Office established. |
| 1870. | Further fighting with Te Kooti. Last of Imperial troops left New Zealand. Commencement of San Francisco mail-service. Bounty Island taken possession of. Inauguration of Vogel public-works policy. Act passed to establish the New Zealand University. Southland Province reunited with Otago. |
| 1871. | Commencement of railway-construction under public-works policy. |
| 1872. | Resumption of friendly relations with Waitara Maoris. Appointment of Maori chiefs (two) to Legislative Council. Public Trust Office created. |
| 1873. | Establishment of New Zealand Shipping Company. |
| 1874. | In pursuance of immigration and public-works policy, 31,774 assisted immigrants introduced. |
| 1875. | Resumption of amicable relations with Maori King. Establishment of Union Steam Ship Company. Abolition of Provinces Act passed. |
| 1876. | New Zealand connected by cable with Australia. Abolition of Provinces Act came into operation, provincial institutions being abolished and the country divided into counties and boroughs. |
| 1877. | Education Act passed, providing for free and compulsory education. |
| 1879. | Trouble with Parihaka Natives, under Te Whiti, and imprisonment of 180 of these. Triennial Parliaments Act passed. Adult male suffrage introduced. |
| 1880. | Release of Parihaka prisoners. |
| 1881. | Wreck of s.s. “Tararua,” with loss of 130 lives. Severe earthquakes in Wellington. Arrest of Te Whiti and Tohu. |
| 1882. | First shipment of frozen meat from New Zealand. |
| 1883. | Amnesty to Maori political offenders proclaimed. Te Whiti and Tohu released. Direct steam communication inaugurated between New Zealand and England. |
| 1885. | New Zealand Industrial Exhibition at Wellington. |
| 1886. | Tarawera eruption, involving loss of 101 lives and destruction of Pink and White Terraces. |
| 1887. | Annexation of Kermadec Islands. Members of House of Representatives reduced to seventy-four, including four Maoris. Australian Naval Defence Act passed, providing for additional naval force on the Australian Station. |
| 1888. | British protectorate over Cook Islands proclaimed. |
| 1889. | South Seas Exhibition at Dunedin. |
| 1890. | Great maritime strike. First election of House of Representatives under one-man-one-vote principle. |
| 1891. | Inauguration of Liberal regime under Hon. John Ballance, succeeded on his death in 1893 by Mr. Seddon. This and following years marked by passage of industrial and social legislation. |
| 1892. | Introduction of lease-in-perpetuity system of land-tenure. |
| 1893. | Franchise extended to women. Special licensing poll introduced. |
| 1894. | Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act passed. Government Advances to Settlers Act passed. Wreck of s.s. “Wairarapa.” with loss of 135 lives. First ascent of Mount Cook. |
| 1895. | Government assumed management of Midland Railway. |
| 1896. | Brunner Mine explosion, causing sixty-seven deaths. Abolition of non-residential or property qualification to vote. Government Valuation of Land Act passed. |
| 1898. | Old-age Pensions Act passed. |
| 1899. | Labour Day instituted. New Zealand Contingent (the first of ten) sent to South Africa. |
| 1900. | Number of European representatives in Lower House increased to seventy-six. |
| 1901. | Duke and Duchess of York visited New Zealand. Universal penny postage adopted by New Zealand. Cook and other Pacific islands annexed. |
| 1902. | Pacific cable opened. Wreck of s.s. “Elingamite.” Conference of colonial Premiers in London, at which New Zealand was represented by Right Hon. R. J. Seddon. |
| 1903. | Empire Day proclaimed. State Fire Insurance Act passed. |
| 1904. | New Zealand rifle team competed at Bisley, and won Kolapore Cup. |
| 1905. | Workers' Dwellings Act passed. Title of New Zealand's representative in London altered to “High Commissioner.” “All Black” Rugby football team visited United Kingdom, winning all matches but one. |
| 1906. | Death of Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, Premier since 1893. Government Advances to Workers Act passed. New Zealand International Exhibition at Christchurch. |
| 1907. | New Zealand constituted a Dominion. Lease-in-perpetuity system of land-tenure abolished. Parliament Buildings destroyed by fire. |
| 1908. | Through communication established between Wellington and Auckland. Wellington-Manawatu Railway purchased by Government. American Fleet visited Auckland. New Zealand's subsidy to British Navy increased to £100,000 per annum. Second Ballot Act passed. |
| 1909. | s.s. “Penguin” wrecked, with loss of seventy-five lives. Battle-cruiser presented by New Zealand to Imperial Government. System of compulsory military training introduced. |
| 1910. | Field-Marshal Lord Kitchener's visit to New Zealand to report and advise on defences. Public Debt Extinction Act, National Provident Fund Act, and Workers' Dwellings Act passed. |
| 1911. | Wireless telegraphy installed in New Zealand. Widows' Pensions Act passed. First poll on national prohibition taken. |
| 1912. | Foundation-stone of new Parliament Buildings laid. Public Service placed under Commissioner control. |
| 1913. | Visit of Dominions Royal Commission. Visit of gift ship H.M.S. “New Zealand” to Dominion. Aeroplane presented to New Zealand as nucleus of proposed air fleet. Extensive strikes. Second Ballot Act repealed. |
| 1914. | Western Samoa occupied by New Zealand Advance Expeditionary Force. Main Expeditionary Force left for Egypt. Huntly coal-mine disaster, whereby forty-three lives lost. |
| 1915. | New Zealand Expeditionary Force engaged in operations on Gallipoli Peninsula. National Cabinet formed. National register of men compiled. |
| 1916. | New Zealand Division transferred to western front, whore it took part in heavy fighting during this and two following years, Mounted Brigade being retained in Egypt, and being later engaged in successful advance into Palestine. Compulsory enrolment of men for war service introduced. Lake Coleridge electric-supply scheme opened. |
| 1918. | S.s. “Wimmera” sunk by enemy mine off New Zealand coast. Otira tunnel pierced. Great influenza epidemic, causing over five thousand deaths. |
| 1919. | Visit of French mission under General Pau. Second visit of H.M.S. “New Zealand,” bringing Admiral of the Fleet Viscount. Jellicoe of Scapa. Women made eligible for seats in Parliament. Dissolution, of National Ministry New Zealand represented at Peace Conference by Right Hon. W. F. Massey, P.C., Prime Minister. |
| 1920. | Visit of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. Railway strike. First aeroplane flight over Cook Strait. League of Nations gave New Zealand mandate to administer Western Samoa. Anzac Day constituted a national holiday. |
| 1921. | System of compulsory registration of firearms introduced. Samoa Act passed, making provision for “peace, order, and good government” of Western Samoa in terms of mandate. New Zealand represented at Disarmament Conference, Washington, by Hon. Sir John Salmond. |
| 1922. | Earth tremors over period of several weeks in Taupo district. British Empire Exhibition Mission visited New Zealand. Anzac Day made observable in all respects as if it were a Sunday. Meat-export trade placed under control of a Board. Enrolment of volunteers in view of possible outbreak of war with Turkey. |
| 1923. | Destructive floods in several parts of Dominion. Seventeen lives lost in railway accident at Ongarue. Opening of Arthur's Pass tunnel. Ross Dependency proclaimed and placed under jurisdiction of Governor-General of New Zealand. Sockburn ærodrome purchased by Government. First winter ascent of Mount Cook. Highway districts created. Reintroduction of penny postage. Extension of scheme of advances to settlers and workers. Dairy-produce Export Control Act passed, and adopted by dairy producers. |
| 1924. | Visit of Special Service Squadron to New Zealand. “All Black” Rugby football team visited Great Britain and Ireland. New Zealand took part in British Empire Exhibition at Wembley. Railway strike. Direct two-way radio communication effected between New Zealand and England. Mangahao electric-supply scheme opened. S.s. “Ripple” lost with all hands off Cape Palliser. Motor-vehicles Act passed, providing for registration and annual licensing of motor-vehicles. Land Transfer (Compulsory Registration of Titles) Act passed, bringing under Land Transfer Act all land hitherto alienated in fee-simple and not already under Land Transfer Act. Visit of a party of Samoan faipules to New Zealand. |
| 1925. | Death of Right Hon. W. F. Massey, Prime Minister since 1912. Visit of American Fleet, to New Zealand. Administration of Union Group transferred to New Zealand. Social Hygiene Regulations made, to provide means of coping with spread of venereal disease. Repayment of the Public Debt Act passed. Strike of seamen on British vessels trading to New Zealand. New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition at Dunedin. |
The following list contains the names of some of the principal works dealing with New Zealand, Samoa, the Cook Islands, and the Ross Dependency, but it does not purport to be a complete list. The year of publication is given in each case, and the list is arranged as far as possible in chronological order of issue.
| 1807. | New Zealand. By Dr. Savage. London—J. Murray. |
| 1817. | Voyage to New Zealand. By John L. Nicholas. London—Black. |
| 1823. | Journal of Ten Months' Residence in New Zealand. By Captain Cruise. London—Longmans. |
| 1830. | The New-Zealanders (Library of Entertaining Knowledge). London—Chas. Knight. |
| 1832. | Nine Months' Residence in New Zealand. By Augustus Earle. London—Longmans. |
| 1836. | Two Visits to New Zealand. By Dr. Marshall. London—Nisbet and Co. |
| 1840. | Manners and Customs of the New-Zealanders. By J. S. Polack. London—Madden and Co. |
| 1843. | Travels in New Zealand. By E. Dieffenbach. London—Murray. |
| 1846. | The New-Zealanders. (Five coloured illustrations.) By G. F. Angas. London—Thomas McLean. |
| 1855. | Te-Ika-a-Maui, or New Zealand and its Inhabitants. By Rev. Richard Taylor. London—Wertheim and Macintosh. (Second edition, enlarged, 1870.) |
| 1856. | Traditions and Superstitions of the New-Zealanders. By Edward Shorthand. London—Longmans. |
| 1859. | New Zealand and its Colonization. By William Swainson, formerly Attorney-General for New Zealand. London—Smith, Elder, and Co. |
| 1859. | Story of New Zealand. By Dr. Thompson. London—John Murray. |
| 1863. | Old New Zealand. By Judge Maning. Auckland—Creighton and Scales. |
| 1864. | The Maori King, or the Story of our Quarrel with the Natives of New Zealand. By J. E. Gorst, M.A. London—Macmillan and Co. |
| 1874. | Life of Henry Williams. By Hugh Carleton. Auckland—Upton. |
| 1878. | Forty Years in New Zealand. By Rev. J. Buller. London—Hodder and Stoughton. |
| 1879. | Reminiscences of the War in New Zealand. By T. W. Gudgeon. London—Sampson Low. |
| 1879. | George Augustus Selwyn. By Rev. H. W. Tucker. London—W. W. Gardner. |
| 1885. | Polynesian Mythology and Maori Legends. By Sir G. Grey. |
| 1887. | Mission Commerciale en Nouvelle-Zélande. Par Emile de Harven. Bruxelles—P. Weissenbruch. |
| 1889. | Ancient History of the Maori. By John White. London. |
| 1890. | Early History of New Zealand. By R. A. Sherrin and J. H. Wallace. Edited by Thomson W. Leys. (Brett's Historical Series.) Auckland—Brett. |
| 1891. | Storia della Nuova Zelanda (2 vols.). Per D. Felice Vaggioli. Parma—Vesc. Fiaccadori. |
| 1893. | Captain Cook's Journal during his First Voyage round the World. Edited by Captain W. J. L. Wharton, R.N. London—Elliot Stock. |
| 1895. | History of New Zealand. By G. W. Rusden. Melbourne—Melville, Mullen, and Slade. |
| 1896. | The Art Workmanship of the Maori Race in New Zealand. By Augustus Hamilton. Dunedin—Fergusson and Mitchell. |
| 1896. | Journal of Sir Joseph Banks. Edited by Sir Joseph B. Hooker. London—Macmillan and Co. |
| 1896. | Moko, or Maori Tattooing. By Major-General Robley. London—Chapman and Hall. |
| 1897. | New Zealand Rulers and Statesmen (1844-97). By W. Gisborne. London. |
| 1898. | Abel Janszoon Tasman's Journal of his Discovery of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand in 1642, &c. By J. E. Heeres. Amsterdam—F. Mueller and Co. |
| 1898. | Contributions to the Early History of New Zealand. By T. M. Hocken. London. |
| 1898. | New Zealand (Story of the Empire Series). By W. P. Reeves. London—Marshall and Sons. |
| 1899. | History of New Zealand. 2v. (1896-99). By Alfred Saunders. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs; Smith, Anthony, Sellars, and Co. |
| 1900. | Old Marlborough. By T. L. Buick. Palmerston North—Hart and Keeling. |
| 1901. | Newest England. By H. D. Lloyd. London. |
| 1901. | New Zealand. By R. A. Loughnan. Wellington. |
| 1902. | The Progress of New Zealand in the Century. By R. F. Irvine and O. T. J. Alpers. London. |
| 1902. | State Experiments in Australia and New Zealand. By W. P. Reeves. London—Grant Richards. |
| 1902. | The Last Maori War in New Zealand. By Major-General Sir George S. Whitmore, K.C.M.G., M.L.C. London—Sampson, Low, Marston, and Co. |
| 1903. | Old Manawatu. By T. L. Buick. Palmerston North—Buick and Young. |
| 1904. | La Démocratie en Nouvelle Zélande. Paris, 1904. Translated by E. V. Burns, 1914. London. |
| 1904. | Wars of the Northern against the Southern Tribes of New Zealand in the Nineteenth Century. By S. Percy Smith, F.R.G.S. Wellington—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). (Second and enlarged edition in 1910.) |
| 1904. | La Nouvelie Zélande. Par Comte de Courte. Paris—Hachette et Cie. |
| 1905. | The Maori Race. By E. Tregear. Wanganui—A. D. Willis. |
| 1905. | The Animals of New Zealand. An Account of the Colony's Air-breathing Vertebrates. By Captain F. W. Hutton and James Drummond. Third Edition, 1907. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1906. | Adrift in New Zealand. By E. W. Elkington. London. |
| 1907. | The Plants of New Zealand. By R. M. Laing and E. W. Blackwell. Second and Revised Edition. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1907. | Maori Life in Ao-tea. By Johannes C. Andersen. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1907 | Maori and Polynesian. By J. M. Brown. London. |
| 1907. | Our Feathered Immigrants. Evidence for and against Introduced Birds in New Zealand, together with Notes on Native Avifauna. Illustrated. By J. Drummond. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1908. | State Regulation of Labour and Labour Disputes in New Zealand. By Henry Broadhead. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1908. | New Zealand. By F. W. Wright and W. P. Reeves. London—Black. |
| 1908. | New Zealand. (Romance of Empire Series.) By Reginald Horsley. London—T. C. and E. C. Jack. |
| 1908. | Adventure in New Zealand. By E. J. Wakefield. New Edition. Wellington—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1908. | Bibliography of the Literature relating to New Zealand. By T. M. Hocken, Wellington. |
| 1908. | Historical Records of New Zealand. By the Hon. Dr. Robert McNab, Litt.D. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1908. | New Zealand Revisited. By the Right Hon. Sir John Eldon Gorst. London—Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons (Limited). |
| 1909. | New Zealand in Evolution, Industrial, Economic, and Political. By G. H. Scholefield, with an introduction by W. P. Reeves. London—T. F. Unwin. |
| 1909. | Murihiku. A History of the South Island of New Zealand and the Islands Adjacent and Lying to the South, from 1642 to 1835. By the Hon. Dr. Robert McNab, Litt.D. Wellington—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1909. | The Dominion of New Zealand. By A. P. Douglas. London. |
| 1910. | The Maoris of New Zealand. By J. Cowan. Wellington—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1910. | The Geology of New Zealand. By James Park. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1910. | Maori Patterns, Painted and Carved. By J. H. Menzies. Christchurch—Smith and Anthony. |
| 1910. | New Zealand Plants and their Story. By L. Cockayne, Ph.D., F.L.S. Second Edition, 1919. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1910. | History and Traditions of the Maoris of the West Coast, North Island of New Zealand. By S. Percy Smith, F.R.G.S. New Plymouth—Polynesian Society. |
| 1910. | Birds of the Water, Wood, and Waste. By H. Guthrie-Smith. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1911. | Hawaiki: The Original Home of the Maori. By S. Percy Smith. Third Edition. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1911. | The Course of Prices in New Zealand. By James W. McIlraith, LL.B., Litt.D. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1911. | State Socialism in New Zealand. By J. E. Le Rossignol and W. Downie Stewart. London—G. G. Harrop and Co. |
| 1911. | New Zealand. By the Right Hon. Sir Robert Stout, P.C., K.C.M.G., LL.D., and J. Logan Stout, LL.B. Cambridge—University Press. |
| 1911. | With the Lost Legion in New Zealand. By Colonel G. Hamilton-Browne. London—T. Werner Laurie. |
| 1912. | Stone Implements of the Maori. By Elsdon Best. (Dominion Museum Bulletin No. 4.) Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1913. | La Nuova Zelanda. Giuseppe Capra. Scuola Tipografica D. Bosco—S. Benigno Canavese. |
| 1913. | New Zealand, its History, Commerce, and Industrial Resources. By S. Playne. London. |
| 1913. | Social Welfare in New Zealand. By H. H. Lusk. London. |
| 1913. | The Lore of the Whare Wananga. Third Volume of Memoirs of Polynesian Society. On Maori Religion, Myths, Cosmogony, &c. |
| 1914. | The Constitutional History and Law of New Zealand. By J. Hight, Litt.D., and H. D. Bamford, LL.D Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1914. | The Treaty of Waitangi. By T. Lindsay Buick. Wellington—S. and W. Mackay |
| 1914. | The Wilds of Maoriland. By M. J. Bell. London. |
| 1914. | Oxford Survey of the British Empire. Vol. 5. Australasian Territories. London. |
| 1914. | Early Rangitikei. By Sir James G. Wilson, Kt. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1914. | Mutton Birds and Other Birds. By H. Guthrie-Smith. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1916. | Jubilee History of South Canterbury. By Johannes C. Andersen. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1917. | A Natural History of Australia, New Zealand, and the Adjacent Islands. By R. P. Thomson. London. |
| 1917. | A Dictionary of the Maori Language. By Herbert L. Williams. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1919. | Official History of New Zealand's Effort in the Great War. Vol. 1. The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. By Major Fred Waite, D.S.O., N.Z.E. Wellington—Whitcombe and Tombs (for N.Z. Government). |
| 1919. | New Zealand To-day. By Hon. G. W. Russell. Christchurch—G. W. Russell (Limited). |
| 1920. | Prices: An Inquiry into Prices in New Zealand. By the Census and Statistics Office, Wellington. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1920. | Mounted Riflemen in Sinai and Palestine. The Story of New Zealand's Crusaders. By A. Briscoe Moore (late Lieutenant, Auckland Mounted Rifles). Auckland—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1921. | New Zealand One Hundred Years Ago. By Major Richard A. Cruise. Auckland—Brett Printing and Publishing Company. (A reprint of the book published in 1823.) |
| 1921. | Official History of New Zealand's Effort in the Great War. Vol. 2. The New Zealand Division, 1916-19. By Colonel H. Stewart, C.M.G., D.S.O., M.C. Wellington—Whitcombe and Tombs (for N.Z. Government). |
| 1921. | Maori and Pakeha: a History of New Zealand. By A. W. Shrimpton, M.A., and A. E. Mulgan. Christchurch—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1921. | The Vegetation of New Zealand. By L. Cockayne, Ph.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., F.N.Z.Inst. Leipzig—Wilhelm Engelmann. (Vol. 14 of a work Die Vegetation der Erde.) |
| 1921. | The Hot Springs of New Zealand. By Arthur Stanley Herbert, M.D. London—H. K. Lewis and Co. (Limited). |
| 1921. | Tutira: the Story of a New Zealand Sheep-station. By H. Guthrie-Smith. London—Blackwood and Sons. |
| 1921. | History of the Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F., 1914-19. By Captain David Ferguson, M.C. (late of the 2nd Battalion, Canterbury Regiment). Auckland—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1921. | Official History of the Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F., in the Great War, 1914-18. By Lieutenant A. E. Byrne, M.C., Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. Dunedin—J. Wilkie and Co. (Limited). |
| 1922. | The Naturalization of Animals and Plants in New Zealand. By Hon. George M. Thomson, F.L.S., F.N.Z.Inst., M.L.C. Cambridge University Press. |
| 1922. | The Geomorphology of New Zealand. By C. A. Cotton, D.Sc., F.G.S., F.N.Z.Inst., Wellington—Government Printer |
| 1922. | Maori Myth and Religion. Spiritual and Mental Concepts of the Maori. Astronomical Knowledge of the Maori. Maori Division of Time. By Elsdon Best, F.N.Z.Inst. Dominion Museum Monographs 1-4. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1922. | The New Zealand Wars: a History of the Maori Campaigns and the Pioneering Period: Vol. 1, 1845-64. By James Cowan. Wellington — Government Printer. Vol. 2, 1864-72, issued 1923. |
| 1922. | Medical Practice in Otago and Southland in the Early Days. By Robert Valpy Fulton, M.D. Edin. Dunedin—Otago Daily Times. |
| 1922. | Official History of New Zealand's Effort in the Great War. Vol. 3. The New Zealanders in Sinai and Palestine. By Lieut.-Colonel C. Guy Powles, C.M.G., D.S.O Wellington—Whitcombe and Tombs (for N.Z. Government). |
| 1922. | New Zealand Citizen: an Elementary Account of the Citizen's Rights and Duties and the Work of Government. By E. K. Mulgan, M.A. (late Senior-Inspector of Schools), and Alan E. Mulgan. Auckland—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1922. | New Zealand Tunnelling Company, 1915-19. Edited by J. C. Neill, A.O.S.M. (late Lieutenant, N.Z. Tunnelling Company). Auckland—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1922. | Regimental History of New Zealand Cyclist Corps in the Great War, 1914-18. By Officers. Auckland—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1923. | With the Machine Gunners in France and Palestine. By J. H. Luxford, Major, N.Z.M.G.C. The Official History of the Machine Gun Corps in the Great World War, 1914-18. Auckland—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1923. | The Waikato War, together with some Account of Te Kooti Rikirangi. By John Featon (new edition revised by Captain Mair). Auckland—Brett Printing and Publishing Co. |
| 1923. | New Zealand Dominion Museum. Monographs Nos. 5 and 6. Wellington—Government Printer. No. 5, Polynesian Voyagers. By Elsdon Best. No. 6, Maori Schools of Learning. By Elsdon Best. |
| 1924. | Dominion Civics. By N. E. Coad. Wellington—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1924. | Official History of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment, 1914-19. By Major A. H. Wilkie. Auckland—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1924. | The Maori. By Elsdon Best. Published by the Board of Maori Ethnological Research. Wellington—H. Tombs. |
| 1924. | New Zealand Dominion Museum. Bibliography of Printed Maori to 1900. By Herbert W.. Williams. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1924. | Who's Who in New Zealand and the Western Pacific, 1925. Wellington—Gordon and Gotch. |
| 1924. | Maori Religion and Mythology. (Museum Bulletin No. 10.) By Elsdon Best. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1924. | Game Animals of New Zealand. By T. E. Donne. London—Murray. |
| 1924. | Red Deer Stalking in New Zealand. By T. E. Donne. London—Constable. |
| 1924. | Sterbende Welt. By A. Reischek. Leipszig—Brockhaus. |
| 1924. | The Long White Cloud (Aotearoa). By W. P. Reeves. Third Edition (to which is added a sketch of recent events in New Zealand by C. J. Wray). London—Allen and Unwin. |
| 1924. | White Wings (on early shipping). By H. Brett. Auckland—Brett Co. |
| 1925. | The Maori as He Was. By Elsdon Best. Wellington—Government Printer. |
| 1925. | Bird Life on Island and Shore. By H. Guthrie-Smith. Edinburgh — Wm. Blackwood and Sons. |
| 1925. | Recollections of Early New Zealand. By H. B. Morton. Auckland—Whitcombe and Tombs (Limited). |
| 1845. | Quelques Semaines dans l'Arohipel de Samoa. By G. F. de Lurcy. (Extrait du Bulletin de la Société de Geographie.) Paris. |
| 1846. | Missionary Life in Samoa. By G. A. Lundie. Glasgow—W. Collins. |
| 1872. | Report on the Islands of the Samoa Group. By E. Wakeman. New York—Slote and James. |
| 1875. | My Story of Samoan Methodism. By M. Dyson. Melbourne—Ferguson and Moore. |
| 1878. | Grammar and Dictionary of the Samoan Language. By G. Pratt. London—Trübner and Co. |
| 1879. | Frcundschafts-Vertrag zwischen des Deutschen Reiche und der Regierung von Samoa. (Agreement between Germany and Samoa.) |
| 1884. | Samoa a Hundred Years Ago and Long Before. By George Turner. London—Macmillan. |
| 1887. | My Consulate in Samoa. By W. B. Churchward. London—Bentley and Son. |
| 1889. | Iles Samoa. By A. Marques. Lisbon. |
| 1889. | Les Iles des Samoa ou des Navigateurs. By A. de Ganniers. Paris. |
| 1890. | Le Missionaire des Samoa. By A. Monfat. Belleoour. |
| 1893. | Kurze Anleitung zum Verständnisz der Samoanischen Sprache. By B. Funk. Berlin—Mittler und Sohn. |
| 1895. | In Stevenson's Samoa. By Marie Fraser. London—Smith and Eider. |
| 1896. | Samoanische Texte. By O. Stuebel. Berlin—Mueller. |
| 1897. | Old Samoa. By Rev. John B. Stair. London—Religious Tract Society. |
| 1899. | The Imbroglio in Samoa. By H. C. Ide. (From North American Review, June, 1899.) |
| 1899. | Samoan Question. By W. Cooper. Auckland—Wilson and Horton. |
| 1900. | Samoa: Das Land, die Leute und die Mission. By G. Kurze. Berlin—M. Warneck. |
| 1902. | Samoa Uma. By L. P. Churchill. New York—Forest and Stream Publishing Company. |
| 1902. | Manuia Samoa. By Richard Dekken. Oldenburg—G. Stalling. |
| 1902. | Samoa. By Dr. F. Reinecke. Berlin—W. Süsserott. |
| 1902-3. | Die Samoa-Inseln. By A. Krämer. Stuttgart. |
| 1904. | Samoa: die Perle der Südsee. By Otto E. Ehlers. Berlin—H. Paetel. |
| 1906. | The Fishes of Samoa. By D. S. Jordan and A. Scale. Bulletin 25, United States Fisheries Bureau. |
| 1910. | Beiträge zur Geologie der Samoainseln. By I. Friedlander. München. |
| 1910. | Die deutschen Kolonien. By Major A. D. Kurd Schwabe. Berlin—Weller and Hüttich. (Samoa, in Vol. 2.) |
| 1912. | Island Reminiscences. By Thomas Trood, British Vice-Consul at Apia, Samoa. Sydney—McCarron, Stewart, and Co. |
| 1918. | History of Samoa. By R. M. Watson. Wellington—Whitcombe and Tombs. |
| 1918. | Grammar and Vocabulary of the Samoan Language. By H. Neffgen. London—Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co. |
| 1924. | Samoa Expeditionary Force, 1914-15. By S. J. Smith. Wellington—Ferguson and Osborn. |
| 1892. | The South Pacific . . . with Notes on the Hervey Group. By Rev. W. W. Gill. Sydney—Government Printer. |
| 1893. | Phrase Book of the Cook Islands. By F. Nicholas. Wellington. |
| 1905. | A Compilation of Acts . . . relating to the Government of the Cook Islands. N.Z, Crown Law Office. |
| 1916. | Rarotongan Records. By Rev. W. W. Gill. (From the Journal of the Polynesian Society.) New Plymouth. |
| 1847. | A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions . . . 1839-43. By Sir James Clark Ross, R.N. (2 vols.). London—John Murray. (This is the “Erebus” and “Terror” voyage, which resulted in the famous volumes by Sir Joseph Hooker on the Flora of New Zealand (2 vols.), Tasmania (3 vols.), and Antarctica (2 vols.), and on the Zoology (2 vols.), edited by John Richardson and John Edward Gray.) |
| 1901. | The Antarctic Manual, for the Use of the Expedition of 1901. Edited by George Murray, F.R.S. London—Royal Geographical Society. |
| 1901. | First on the Antarctic Continent . . . an Account of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1898-1900. By Carsten E. Borchgrevink, F.R.G.S. London-George Newnes (Limited). |
| 1901. | To the South Polar Regions: Expedition of 1898-1900. By Louis Bernacchi, F.R.G.S. London—Hurst and Blackett (Limited). |
| 1902. | Report on the Collections of Natural History made in the Antarctic Regions during the Voyage of the “Southern Cross.” London—British Museum. |
| 1904. | The Antarctic Regions. By Dr. Karl Fricker. London—Swan, Sonnenschein, and Co. |
| 1905. | Naermest Sydpolen Aaret, 1900. By Carsten E. Borchgrevink. Copenhagen—Gyldendalske Boghandel. |
| 1905. | The Siege of the South Pole: the Story of Antarctic Exploration. By Hugh Robert Mill, LL.D.. D.Sc. London—Alston Rivers (Limited). |
| 1905. | The Voyage of the “Discovery.” By Captain Robert F. Scott, C.V.O., R.N. (2 vols.). London—Smith, Elder, and Co. |
| 1905. | Two Years in the Antarctic: being a Narrative of the British National Antarctic Expedition. By Albert B. Armitage, Lieutenant, R.N.R. London—Edward Arnold. |
| 1906. | The Voyage of the “Scotia": being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration in Antarctic Seas. By Three of the Staff. London—William Blackwood and Sons. |
| 1907. | South Polar Times, Vol. 1, April to August, 1902, and Vol. 2, April to August, 1903. London—Smith, Elder, and Co. (Facsimile of the magazine produced on the “Discovery” month by month during the winters of 1902-3. Contains drawings, many coloured maps, &c., and whilst much of the matter is ephemeral, it contains information concerning the country, its flora and fauna, including Ross Island, &c. Vol. 3 was published in 1914.) |
| 1907-12. | National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-4. Natural History—Vol. 1, Geology, 1907; Vol. 2, Zoology, 1907; Vol. 3, Zoology and Botany, 1907; Vol. 4, Zoology, 1908; Vol. 5, Zoology and Botany, 1910; Vol. 6, Zoology and Botany, 1912: Physical Observations, 1908: Meteorology, Part I, 1908: Photographs and Sketches, 1908: Panoramas, n.d.: Charts, n.d. (11 vols.). London—British Museum. |
| 1908. | Aurora Australis. Published at the winter quarters of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907, during the winter months of April, May, June, and July, 1908. (Contains an account of the ascent of Mount Erebus.) |
| 1909. | The Heart of the Antarctic: being the Story of the British Antarctic Expedition. 1907-1909. By E. H. Shackleton, C.V.O. (2 vols.). London—William Heinemann. |
| 1910. | The Heart of the Antarctic. By Sir Ernest Shackleton, C.V.O. London—William Heinemann. (Popular edition in 1 vol. of the edition of 1909.) |
| 1910. | 21 Meilen vom Suedpol, die Geschichte der Britishen Suedpol Expedition, 1907-9. Von E. H. Shackleton . . . (2 B.). Berlin—Wilhelm Suesserott. |
| 1910-11. | British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-9, under command of Sir E. H. Shackleton, C.V.O. Reports of Scientific Investigations. Vol. 1, Biology, Parts I to VII, and Vol. 2, Biology, Parts I to IV. London—British Museum. |
| 1911. | Shackleton in the Antarctic. By Sir Ernest Shackleton, C.V.O. London—William Heinemann. (Adapted from “The Heart of the Antarctic.") |
| 1913. | Scott's Last Expedition. Vol. 1, Journals of Captain R. F. Scott, C.V.O., R.N.; Vol. 2, Reports of the Journeyings and the Scientific Work undertaken by Dr. E. A. Wilson and the Surviving Members of the Expedition. Arranged by Leonard Huxley. London—Smith, Elder, and Co. |
| 1914. | Antarctic Adventure: Scott's Northern Party. By Raymond E. Priestly. London—T. Fisher Unwin. |
| 1914. | Antarctic Penguins: a Study of their Social Habits. By Dr. G. Murray Levich, R.N. London—William Heinemann. |
| 1914 | South Polar Times. Vol. 3, April to October, 1911. London—Smith, Elder, and Co. (Vols. 1 and 2 published in 1907.) |
| 1914. | The Voyages of Captain Scott. By Charles Turley. London—Smith, Elder. and Co. |
| 1914-23. | British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition, 1910. Zoology, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-4; Vol. 2, Nos. 1-11; Vol. 3, Nos. 1-10; Vol. 4, Nos. 1-4; Vol. 5, Nos. 1 and 2; Vol. 6, Nos. 1 and 2; Botany, Part III. Geology, Vol. 1, Nos. 1-5 (the work still being issued). London—British Museum. |
| 1916 | The Voyages of the “Morning.” By Captain Gerald S. Doorly, R.N.R. London—Smith, Elder, and Co. |
| 1916. | With Scott: the Silver Lining. By Griffith Taylor, D.Sc., &c. London—Smith, Elder, and Co. |
| 1919. | South: the Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition, 1914-17. By Sir Ernest Shackleton, C.V.O. London—William Heinemann. |
| 1921. | The Great White South: being an Account of Experiences with Captain Scott's South Pole Expedition, and of the Nature Life of the Antarctic. By Herbert G. Ponting, F.R.G.S. London—Duckworth and Co. |
| 1921. | South with Scott. By Edward R. G. Evans. London—Collins. (A popular edition issued in 1923.) |
| 1922. | The Worst Journey in the World: Antarctic, 1910-13. By Apsley Cherry-Garrard. (2 vols.) London—Constable and Co. |
| 1923. | South: the Story of Shackleton's 1914-17 Expedition. By Sir Ernest Shackleton, C.V.O. London—William Heinemann. |
| 1923. | Shackleton's Last Voyage. By F. Wild. London—Cassell. |
| 1924. | To the Frozen South. By A. J. Villiers. Hobart—Davies. |
The following geological papers, all by H. T. Ferrar, are not available in separate book form:—
Notes on the Physical Geography of the Antarctic. In Geographical Journal, Vol. 25, 1905, pp. 373-82.
Cavities in Crystalline Rocks. In Geographical Magazine, Vol. 2, 1905, pp. 190-1
The Antarctic Icecap. In Geographical Magazine, Vol. 3, 1906, pp. 529-34.
| Acclimatization | Appeared for the Last or Only Time in the Year-book of Article on | |
|---|---|---|
| Year. | Page. | |
| 1894 | 430 | |
| Agriculture in New Zealand (by M. Murphy, F.L.S.) | 1912 | 809 |
| Building-stones | 1892 | 194 |
| Cancer mortality in New Zealand | 1917 | 776 |
| Chatham Islands, the | 1900 | 531 |
| Cheviot Estate, the | 1895 | 264 |
| Christchurch to West Coast, journey from | 1899 | 548 |
| Coal-deposits of New Zealand, the | 1900 | 479 |
| Cook Islands, the laws of | 1902 | 573 |
| Co-operative system of constructing public works | 1894 | 234 |
| Education system of New Zealand, the | 1925 | 816 |
| Effect of nativity order on infantile mortality | 1925 | 835 |
| Exotic trees in Canterbury | 1904 | 569 |
| External trade of New Zealand, the | 1915 | 858 |
| Forest-trees and the timber industry | 1899 | 470 |
| Frozen-meat trade, the | 1894 | 311 |
| Gold-dredging industry, the | 1899 | 509 |
| Government training-ship “Amokura ” | 1913 | 942 |
| Hanmer Thermal Springs | 1905 | 631 |
| Hemp industry, the | 1900 | 477 |
| H.M.S. “New Zealand” | 1913 | 932 |
| Kauri-gum | 1900 | 489 |
| Labour in New Zealand | 1894 | 362 |
| Land- and income-tax assessment | 1913 | 884 |
| Laws of England and New Zealand, difference between | 1896 | 281 |
| Local Government in New Zealand | 1925 | 845 |
| Maori, ancient, his amusements, games, &c. | 1907 | 707 |
| Maori, ancient, his clothing | 1908 | 734 |
| Maori, chant (tangi) | 1907 | 711 |
| Maori, colour-sense of the | 1905 | 637 |
| Maori, marriage customs | 1906 | 638 |
| Maori, mythology | 1900 | 536 |
| Maori, neolithic, the | 1902 | 578 |
| Maori, place-names | 1919 | 936 |
| Maori, religion | 1901 | 530 |
| Maori, sociology | 1903 | .. |
| Maori, songs | 1908 | .. |
| Marlborough Sounds, the | 1901 | 517 |
| Midland Railway, the | 1894 | 386 |
| Mineral waters of New Zealand | 1913 | 896 |
| Moa, heir of the | 1899 | 517 |
| Mount Cook, a night on | 1900 | 525 |
| Mount Cook, district, the | 1899 | 554 |
| Mount Cook, its glaciers, and the Hermitage | 1898 | 552 |
| Mount Sefton, ascent of | 1900 | 519 |
| New Zealand Contingents for South Africa | 1900 | 449 |
| New Zealand International Exhibition | 1907 | 701 |
| Otago lakes, the | 1901 | 523 |
| Patents, designs, and trade-marks | 1893 | 350 |
| Pumice-stone deposits of New Zealand | 1900 | 486 |
| Railways in New Zealand, their history and progress | 1894 | 377 |
| Scenic wonderland, a | 1898 | 565 |
| Sheep, crossbreeding of | 1894 | 308 |
| Sheep-farming | 1894 | 302 |
| Shipping companies—New Zealand Shipping Company | 1895 | 392 |
| Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company | 1895 | 393 |
| Union Company of New Zealand | 1895 | 389 |
| Southern Alps, the | 1894 | 474 |
| State farms | 1894 | 243 |
| Sydney Pageant, the | 1901 | 527 |
| Terman intelligence tests in New Zealand schools | 1925 | 823 |
| Thermal-springs district | 1905 | 614 |
| Timber-trees of the world | 1903 | 605 |
| Tokaanu to Raetihi | 1899 | 539 |
| Topographical nomenclature of the Maori | 1919 | 936 |
| Tree-planting | 1906 | 611 |
| Tuhoeland | 1899 | 546 |
| Varieties of soil | 1892 | 193 |
| Wages and working-hours in New Zealand | 1919 | 860 |
| Waihi Gold-mining Company | 1897 | 432 |
| Walk to district and through to Wanganui | 1899 | 520 |
| Waiouru to Mangaonoho | 1899 | 543 |
| Wanganui River, up the, to Tokaanu | 1900 | 509 |
| Wattle-growing in the Auckland Provincial District | 1897 | 430 |
| Wellington-Manawatu Railway, the | 1895 | 381 |
| West Coast Sounds, the | 1894 | 482 |
| White Island, a day on | 1906 | 637 |
A.
- Absolute Decrees in Divorce, 241.
- Accident Insurance, 677.
- State, 679.
- Accidents, 161, 193, 244.
- Factory, 795-809.
- Mining, 478.
- Railway, 370.
- Industrial, 795-809.
- Acclimatization of Fishes, 463.
- Accommodation in Mental Hospitals, 212.
- Accommodation Licenses, 827.
- Accrued Sinking Funds, 582.
- Acreage and Yield of Crops, 416-428.
- Acreage of Holdings, 380.
- Acts passed 1924, 841-853.
- Actuarial Investigation—
- National Provident Fund, 616.
- Public Service Superannuation Fund, 611.
- State Life Insurance, 676.
- Ad valorem Duties, 331.
- Added Value in Manufacturing, 497.
- Adenoids: Hospital Cases, 185.
- Adjacent Islands, Population of, 102.
- Administration, 53-58.
- Administrators, 59.
- Admissions to Hospitals, 173.
- Admissions to Mental Hospitals, 209.
- Adoptions, 123.
- Adult Suffrage, 56.
- Advances—
- Bank, 659.
- Cold Storage, 602.
- Discharged Soldiers, 398.
- Fishing Industry Promotion, 601.
- Fruit-preserving Industry, 600.
- Local Authorities, 598.
- Repatriation, 599.
- Revenue from, 557.
- Settlers, 586.
- Workers, 595.
- Aerated-water Factories, 509.
- Afforestation, 455.
- After-lifetime, Average, 141, 952.
- Age, Mean—
- At Death, 140.
- At Marriage, 133.
- Ages—
- Of Brides and Bridegrooms, 132.
- Of Deceased Persons, 139.
- Of Hospital Patients, 176.
- Of Industries, 504.
- Of Inmates of Benevolent Institutions, 208.
- Of Inmates of Mental Hospitals, 210.
- Of Issue left, 146.
- Of Maoris convicted, 263.
- Of Migrants, 84.
- Of Mothers of Illegitimate Children, 121.
- Of New-Zealand-born convicted, 262.
- Of Parents. 117, 124.
- Of Persons arrested and convicted, 249.
- Of Persons dying, 139.
- Of Persons injured in Factories, 809.
- Of Persons married, 132.
- Of Prisoners, 256.
- Of Public-school Pupils, 223.
- Aggregation of Land, 394.
- Agricultural and Pastoral Production; 409-448.
- Value of, 821.
- Agricultural Bursaries, 236.
- Agricultural College, Lincoln, 235.
- Agricultural Machinery Factories, 517.
- Agricultural Produce exported, 282.
- Agriculture, 409-428.
- Board of. 411.
- Department of, 411.
- Aid, State—
- To Cold Storage, 602.
- To Dairy Industry, 439.
- To Discharged Soldiers, 398, 599.
- To Fishing Industry, 601.
- To Fruit-preserving Industry, 600.
- To Housing, 599.
- To Immigrants; 88.
- To Kauri-gum Industry, 476.
- To Local Authorities, 598.
- To Mining, 479.
- To Settlers, 586.
- To Tree-planting, 457.
- To Water-power Development, 529-535.
- To Workers, 595.
- Aitutaki Island, 856.
- Alcoholic Liquors—
- Consumption of, 266.
- Sale of, 827.
- Alien Immigrants, 86.
- Alienation of Land, 391.
- Alienation of Native Lands, 400.
- Aliens—
- Immigration of, 86.
- Naturalization of, 91.
- Race, 87.
- “All Groups” Index Numbers, 736.
- Allocation of Public Debt, 573.
- Alluvial-gold Mining, 467.
- Alpine Meadow-land, 449.
- Altitude of Mountains, 2.
- Amortization of Debt. 582.
- Amusements-tax, 568.
- Angora Goats, 446.
- Animals, Domestic, 429-448.
- Annexation, 52.
- Annexed Islands, 1, 855-859.
- Population of, 106.
- Annual Value Rating-system, 627.
- Antecedent Liability, 628.
- Ante-nuptial Conceptions, 120.
- Anti-dumping Legislation, 333.
- Antipodes Islands, 1, 854.
- Apia, 860.
- Radio-station, 376.
- Apiaries, Registration of, 447.
- Apiculture, 447.
- Appeal Court, 253.
- Appellate Court, Native, 400.
- Appendicitis Cases in Hospitals, 186.
- Apples, 427.
- Applicants for Crown Land, 390.
- Arapuni Power Scheme, 534.
- Arbitration Act, 779.
- Unions Registered under, 759-767.
- Arbitration Court, 780.
- Area of Indigenous Forests, 449.
- Area of New Zealand, 2.
- Area under Cultivation, 384.
- Army, 267.
- Arrested Persons convicted, 248.
- Arrivals, 82-88.
- Arthur's Pass Tunnel, 363.
- Articles on Special Subjects in Previous Issues, 971.
- Assembly, General, 54.
- Asses and Mules, 445.
- Assessable Income, 714.
- Assessment Court, 648.
- Assessment of Land and Income Tax, 562.
- Assets—
- Of Bankrupts, 707.
- Of Banks, 658.
- Of Building Societies, 697.
- Of Fire-insurance Companies, 682.
- Of Friendly Societies, 691.
- Of Life-insurance Companies, 672.
- Of Local Bodies. 639.
- Of Manufacturing Industries, 500.
- Of National Provident Fund, 617.
- Assisted Immigration, 88.
- Associated Diseases, 163.
- Asylums, 208-213.
- Benevolent and Orphan, 207.
- Athletic Sports, 823.
- Atiu Island, 855.
- Atlantic Salmon, 464.
- Auckland Islands, 1, 854.
- Audit of Expenditure, 545.
- Australia and New Zealand—
- Bank Deposits in, 661, 667.
- Birth-rates of, 112.
- Building Societies in, 697.
- Death-rates of, 141.
- Standardized, 143.
- Debt of, 586.
- Deposits in Banks in, 661, 667.
- Friendly Societies in, 693.
- Illegitimacy-rates of, 122.
- Index of Mortality of, 143.
- Live-stock in, 429.
- Marriage-rates of, 129.
- Oat Crop of, 422.
- Potato Crop of, 425.
- Public Debt of, 586.
- Railway Revenue of, 368.
- Reciprocity between, 344.
- Savings-banks Deposits in, 667
- Sheep in, 433.
- Trade between, 295, 325.
- Wheat Crop of, 421.
- Australia, Reciprocity with, 344.
- Authorities, Loan, Unexercised, 645.
- Automatic Signalling, 364.
- Automatic Telephones, 374.
- Avifauna, 49.
- Award Rates of Wages, 747.
B.
- Bacon produced, 446, 506
- Balance of Trade, 276.
- Balances of Accounts, 554.
- Banking, 655-667.
- Bank-notes, Issue of. 662.
- Tax on, 560.
- Bankruptcy, 706.
- Banks of Issue, 655.
- Banks, Savings—
- Post Office, 662.
- Private, 666.
- Barley, 416, 423.
- Barren Land, 380, 384.
- Baths, Medicinal, 5.
- Beans and Peas, 416, 423.
- Export of, 299, 423.
- Beef consumed and exported, 442.
- Beer, Consumption of, 266.
- Beer Duty, 334, 561.
- Beer produced. 509.
- Bees, 447.
- Beeswax produced, 448.
- Benevolent Asylums, 207.
- Benign Tumours, Hospital Cases, 182.
- Bertillon Classification of Diseases, 152.
- Betting-houses, 838.
- Bibliography, 965.
- Birds, 49.
- In Forests, 454.
- Birthplaces—
- Of Persons arrested and convicted, 249.
- Of Persons convicted of Drunkenness, 265.
- Of Persons naturalized, 92.
- Of Persons who died, 144.
- Of Prisoners, 256.
- Births, 108-126.
- Biscuit-factories, 508.
- Blind, Pensions for the, 609.
- Boarding of School-children, 223.
- Boatbuilding-works, 519.
- Boats, Fishing, 461.
- Boer War, 268.
- Pensions, 608.
- Boilers, Inspection of, 814.
- Bones, Diseases of, treated in Hospital, 191.
- Bookmakers, 839.
- Boot and Shoe Factories, 511.
- Boroughs, 57, 618-645.
- Capital and Unimproved Values, 653.
- Population of, 100.
- Borrowers from Building Societies, 695.
- Borstal Institutions, 254, 843.
- Boundaries of New Zealand, 1.
- Bounty Islands, 1, 854.
- Boys' Training-schools, 234.
- Brass-foundries, 516.
- Bread, Law re Sale of, 201.
- Breast-diseases treated in Hospital, 190.
- Breeding-ewes, 431.
- Breeds of Cattle, 438.
- Breeds of Sheep, 432.
- Breweries, 509.
- Brickworks, 515.
- Brides and Grooms—
- Ages of, 132.
- Condition of, 131.
- Briquetting of Coal, 475.
- British Postal Orders, 373.
- British Preference, 333, 341.
- British Sovereignty, 52.
- British Trade Representatives, 68.
- Broadcasting, 377.
- Bronchitis Cases in Hospital, 185.
- Brother-in-law, Marriage with, 127.
- Building Permits, 104.
- Building Societies, 694-697.
- Buildings, 104.
- Building-stones, 477.
- Bullion held by Banks, 658.
- Bullion, Movement of, 277.
- Bursaries, 231, 236.
- Bush-beer Manufacture, 857.
- Bush, Virgin, Area of, 384, 449.
- Butter—
- Exported, 282-307, 440.
- Factories, 439, 507.
- Grading of, 411, 439.
- Production of, 439, 507.
- By-elections, 827.
C.
- Cabinet, 53.
- Members of, 62.
- Cables, Ocean, 378.
- Cadets, Senior, 267.
- Calf-skins exported, 299.
- Campbell Island, 1, 854.
- Cancer, 157, 181, 889-6.
- Candle-factories, 510.
- Capital—
- Invested in Factories, 502.
- Invested in Railways, 366.
- Of Banks of Issue, 655.
- Of Joint-stock Companies, 812.
- Capital Value of Land, 646-654.
- Rating on, 627-632.
- Cargo handled at Ports, 349.
- Carry-over of Wheat, 420.
- Cash Lands, 391, 396.
- Cassiterite, 472.
- Castaways, Depots of Provisions for, 854.
- Casualties in the War, 268.
- Casualties, Shipping, 362.
- Cattle, 436.
- Causes of Death, 152.
- Of Infants, 151.
- Of Maoris, 166.
- Causes of Factory Accidents, 801.
- Causes of Industrial Disputes, 789.
- Causes of Insanity, 209.
- Cement-works, 515.
- Census, 76.
- Census and Statistics Office, 71.
- Census Legislation, 70.
- Cereals, 416.
- Certificates, Marine Officers', 361.
- Certificates of Title, 388.
- Limited, 387.
- Chaff, 423.
- Chaffcutters, 413.
- Character of Organization of Industries, 503.
- Character of Stock, 579.
- Charges before Magistrates, 245.
- Charitable Aid, 204.
- Chatham Islands, 1.
- Flora, 47.
- Cheese—
- Exported, 282-307, 440.
- Factories, 439, 507.
- Grading of, 411, 439.
- Produced, 439, 507.
- Child Welfare, 233.
- Childbirth, Deaths in, 159.
- Childbirth: Hospital Cases, 190.
- Children born, Sexes of, 114.
- Children, Dependent, Care of, 233.
- Children under One Year, Deaths of, 148.
- Children's Homes, 208, 234.
- Chinese, 87.
- Christchurch Magnetic Observatory, 407.
- Chronological List of Events, 961.
- Cinnabar, 471.
- Circulatory Diseases treated in Hospitals. 184.
- City and Suburban Drainage Districts, 620-645.
- Civil Law Cases, 240.
- Civil Marriages, 134.
- Civil Service, 68.
- Employees, 816.
- Pensions, 609.
- Superannuation, 610.
- Class-books, School, 224.
- Climate, 27-45.
- Clothing-factories, 510.
- Clothing-prices, 735.
- Clover-seeds, 424
- Exported, 299.
- Club Charters, 827.
- Coachbuilding-works, 517.
- Coal exported, 282, 299.
- Coal-miners' Relief Fund, 483.
- Coal-mining, 473.
- Coastal Trade, 349.
- Coastwise Shipping, 358.
- Coates Ministry, 62.
- Cocksfoot, 425.
- Coin held by Banks, 658.
- Coin-in-slot Telephones, 375.
- Cold-storage Advances, 602.
- Coleridge, Lake, Water-power, 529.
- Colleges, University, 235.
- Collieries, 473.
- Colonization, 52.
- Commerce, 271-353.
- Commercial Orchards, 427.
- Committals for Sentence, 245, 250.
- Companies, Joint-stock, 812.
- In Manufacturing Industries, 502.
- Companies, Taxation of, 564.
- Compensation to Workers, 796.
- Compulsory Education, 219.
- Compulsory Registration of Electors, 56, 851.
- Compulsory Registration of Titles, 386, 846.
- Compulsory Training, 268.
- Conciliation Councils, 780.
- Condensed-milk Factories, 507.
- Confectionery-factories, 508.
- Confinement—
- Deaths in, 159.
- Hospital Cases, 190.
- Maternity Hospital Cases, 206.
- Conjugal Condition of Persons marrying, 131.
- Conjugal Rights, Restitution of, 241.
- Consolidated Fund, 546.
- Constitution, 53.
- Of Cook Islands, 856.
- Of Local Bodies, 618.
- Construction of Railways, Cost of, 366.
- Consuls, Foreign, 69.
- Consumption of Commodities, 822
- Alcoholic Liquors, 266.
- Meat, 441.
- Timber, 451.
- Wheat, 420.
- Contributory Causes of Death, 163.
- Conveyance of Children to School, 223.
- Conveyancing, 386.
- Convictions in Supreme Courts, 250.
- Convictions, Summary, 245.
- For Drunkenness, 264.
- Of Juveniles, 260.
- Of Maoris, 263.
- Of New-Zealand-born, 262.
- Of Persons arrested, 248.
- Of Women, 262.
- Cook and other Pacific Islands, 1, 855-859.
- Bibliography, 970.
- Births, 126.
- Deaths, 168.
- Exports to, 307.
- Flora, 47.
- Imports from, 330.
- Marriages, 136.
- Population, 106, 857.
- Radio-stations, 376.
- Cook's Visits to New Zealand, 51.
- Co-operative Dairy Companies, 439.
- Co-operative Public Works, 815
- Copper, 471.
- Cordial-factories, 509.
- Corn Crops, Acreage and Yield of, 416.
- Coroners' Inquests, 244.
- Correspondence Classes, 224.
- Cost of Railway-construction, 366.
- Council, Executive, 53.
- Members of, 62.
- Council, Legislative, 54.
- Members of, 65.
- Councils of Conciliation, 780.
- Counties, 58, 619-645.
- Capital and Unimproved Values, 652.
- Population of, 99.
- Courts—
- Appeal, 253.
- Arbitration, 780.
- Assessment, 648.
- Bankruptcy, 706.
- Divorce, 241.
- Magistrates', 240, 245.
- Native Appellate, 400.
- Native Land, 400.
- Supreme, 240, 250.
- Cow-testing, 411, 437.
- Creameries, 439.
- Cream-separators on Farms, 413.
- Creditors' Petitions, 706.
- Credits-in-Aid, 546, 555.
- Crime, Law and, 240-266.
- Criminal Cases, 245-253.
- Criminals, Habitual, 258.
- Crops, 416-428.
- Crown Lands, 390-398.
- Crown Tenants, 393.
- Cuckoos, 49.
- Cultivation, Area in, 384.
- Curtis Islands, 855.
- Customary Land, 399.
- Customs Tariff and Revenue, 331-345.
- Customs Taxation, 335, 561.
- Cycle-works, 518.
D.
- Dairy Industry, 439.
- Dairying Machinery in Use, 413.
- Dairy-produce, 439.
- Export Control, 441.
- Export of, 282-307 440.
- Grading of, 411, 439.
- Retail Prices, 725.
- Danger Island, 1, 856.
- Dates of Maturity of Loans, 580.
- Dates of Principal Events, 961.
- Dead-births, 123.
- Deaf, School for the, 234.
- Death Duties, 565.
- Deaths, 137-169.
- From Factory Accidents, 801.
- In Hospitals, 173.
- In Mental Hospitals, 210.
- Debentures, 579, 640.
- Debenture-tax, 564.
- Debt of Local Bodies, 640.
- Debt, Public, 570-586.
- Debtors' Petitions, 706.
- Deceased Husband's Brother, Marriage with, 127.
- Deceased Wife's Sister, Marriage with, 127.
- Decrees in Divorce, 241.
- Deeds Registration, 387.
- Deer, 454.
- Defence, 267-270.
- Deferred-payment Lands, 391, 397.
- Demography, 76-107.
- Denominational Schools, 214, 227.
- Density of Population, 103.
- Dental Treatment for School-children, 203.
- Dentists, Registration of, 200.
- Departmental Reports, 74.
- Departments, Government, 67, 816.
- Departures, 82-88.
- Dependencies, 1, 854-868.
- Deposits, 657-667, 705.
- By Insurance Companies, 668, 681.
- Depots for Castaways, 854.
- Depreciated Rate of Exchange, Provisions re, 333.
- Designs, Registration of, 813.
- Destination of Exports, 289-300.
- Detention, Reformative, 258.
- Diamond Drills, 480.
- Diarrhœa Cases in Hospital, 186.
- Differential Tariff, 333, 341.
- Diphtheria Cases in Hospital, 178.
- Diplomas in Public Health, 199.
- Direction of Export Trade, 289-300.
- Direction of Import Trade, 314-329.
- Direction of Oversea Shipping, 356.
- Discharged Mortgages, 701.
- Discharged Soldiers—
- Financial Assistance for, 398, 599.
- Land for, 396.
- Pensions for, 606.
- Discharges from Hospitals, 173.
- Discharges from Mental Hospitals, 210.
- Discount Rates, 661.
- Discovery of New Zealand, 51.
- Diseases, Notification of, 170, 198.
- Diseases, Principal. Deaths from, 154.
- Diseases treated in Hospitals, 176-194.
- Dislocations treated in Hospitals, 193.
- Disputes, Industrial, 779-794.
- Dissolution of Marriages, 241.
- Dissolution of Parliament, Dates of, 63.
- Distinct Criminal Cases, 247.
- Distinct Prisoners received under Sentence, 255.
- Distribution of—
- Births over Year, 112.
- Deaths over Year, 138.
- Marriages over Year, 130.
- Population, 93.
- Wealth, 710.
- District Exports, 347.
- District High Schools, 229.
- Dividend Duty, 568.
- Dividends, Bank, 655.
- Divorce, 241.
- Domestic Servants, Assisted Passages for, 88.
- Domestic-science Bursaries, 236.
- Domicile of Debt, 579, 642.
- Dominion of New Zealand, 1.
- Drainage Districts, 620-645.
- Dredging, Gold, 467.
- Drift, Urban, 95.
- Drills, Prospecting, 480.
- Drowning Accidents, 162, 244.
- Drugs, Sale of, 201.
- Drunkenness, 264.
- Ducks, 446.
- Dumping, 333.
- Dunedin Medical School, 207.
- Dunes, Reclamation of, 453.
- Duration of Incapacity from Factory Accidents, 803.
- Duration of Marriage and Number of Previous Issue, 119.
- Dutiable Imports, 339.
- Duties, Customs and Excise, 331-345.
- Duties, Death, 565.
- Dwellings, 104.
- Soldiers', 398.
- Workers', 599.
E.
- Early History, 51.
- Early Trade, 271.
- Earned Income, 714.
- Reduced Tax on, 564, 713.
- Earnings of Factory Employees, 489, 521.
- Ears, Diseases of, treated in Hospital, 184.
- Earthquakes, 22.
- Economic Pensions, 608.
- Education, 214-239.
- In Cook Islands, 858.
- In Western Samoa, 863.
- Education Gazette, 225.
- Educational Association, Workers', 238.
- Educational Endowments, 392.
- Effect of Prices on Exports, 302.
- Effective Wages, 752.
- Election, General, 826.
- Electoral Qualifications, 56.
- Electric—
- Current, 514, 527-544.
- Power Boards, 536. 621-645.
- Railway, 363.
- Telegraph, 373.
- Emigration, 82-88.
- Employees—
- Factory, 487, 521.
- Farm, 412.
- Local Body, 819.
- Postal, 378.
- Public Works, 815.
- Railway, 370.
- State, 816.
- Unions of, 759-767.
- Employers' Liability, 677, 679, 796.
- Employment and Unemployment, 768-778.
- Employment Bureaux, 772.
- Enactments of 1924, 841-853.
- Endemic Diseases, 178.
- Endowments, Educational, 392.
- Endowments, National, 391.
- Engine-drivers' Certificates, 814.
- Engineering-works, 516.
- Engines—
- Employed in Factories, 492.
- Employed on Farms, 414.
- Railway, 364.
- Ensilage, 423.
- Enteritis Cases in Hospital, 186.
- Entertainments-tax, 568.
- Entrepôt Trade, 278, 301.
- Entry, Ports of, 346.
- Epidemic Diseases, 178.
- Epidemic Pensions, 608.
- Erection of Dwellings, 104, 398, 599.
- Estate Duty, 565.
- Estates—
- Acquired for Settlement, 394.
- Administered by Public Trust Office, 810.
- Passed for Probate, 712.
- Estimated Population, 76.
- Ewes, Breeding, 431.
- Examinations, Annual, 238.
- Excess-profits Tax, 564.
- Exchanges, Telephone, 374.
- Excise Duties, 334.
- Taxation by means of, 335, 561.
- Executive Council, 53.
- Members of, 62.
- Exemptions from Income-tax, 564, 713, 717.
- Ex-nuptial Births, 121.
- Exotic Trees, Planting of, 455.
- Expectation of Life, 141, 952.
- Expeditionary Forces, 268.
- Medical Examination, 194.
- Expenditure—
- Education, 239.
- Hospital, 203.
- Hydro-electric, 535.
- Local Body, 638.
- Mental Hospital, 213.
- Naval Defence, 270.
- Postal, 378.
- Public, 545-559.
- Railway, 369.
- State Afforestation, 456.
- Experimental Farms, 411.
- Explorers, 51.
- Export Control—
- Dairy Produce, 441.
- Fruit, 427.
- Honey, 448.
- Meat, 442.
- Export Duties. 334.
- Export Prices, 302-307, 741.
- Exports, 281-308.
- Of Porte, 348.
- External Injuries treated in Hospital, 193.
- External Migration, 82-88.
- External Trade, 271-353.
- Extinction of Public Debt, 582.
- Extra-marital Conceptions, 120.
- Eyes, Diseases of, treated in Hospital, 183.
F.
- Factories, 484-526.
- Accidents in, 795-809.
- Dairy, 439, 507.
- Fallow Land, 384.
- Farm Implements, 412.
- Advances on, 593.
- Farmers—
- Assisted Passages for, 88.
- Tree-planting by, 457.
- Farming, 409-448.
- Fauna, 47.
- Control of, in State Forests, 454.
- Feeble-minded, Schools for, 234.
- Fellmongering-works, 518.
- Female Suffrage, 56.
- Fern Lands, 384.
- Fibre, Phormium, 384, 426.
- Exported. 282-307.
- Grading of, 411.
- Finance, Public, 545-602.
- Finances of Local Bodies, 634-645.
- Financial Assistance to Soldiers, 398.
- Fire Brigades, 689.
- Fire Districts, 622, 626, 632.
- Fire Inquests, 244.
- Fire Insurance, 681-689.
- State, 688.
- Fire Losses, 687.
- Fire-protection in Forests, 455.
- First Births, 119.
- Sex-proportions, 114.
- First Offenders' Probation, 258.
- Fish Curing and Preserving, 506.
- Fish exported, 287, 461.
- Fisheries, 459-464.
- Fish-hatcheries, 483.
- Fishing Industry Promotion Advances, 601.
- Fishing-boats, 461.
- Fixed Assets of Industries, 500.
- Fixed Deposits, 660.
- Flax (Phormium Tenax), 384, 426.
- Exports, 282-307.
- Mills, 426, 512.
- Fleeces, Average Weight of, 434.
- Flocks—
- Fowls, 447.
- Sheep, 432.
- Flora, 45.
- Flotation of Loans, 570.
- Flour-mills, 507.
- Fodder Grasses, 423.
- Food and Drugs, Sale of, 201.
- Food, Retail Prices of, 720-730.
- Foodstuffs, Consumption of, 822.
- Football, 824.
- Forces, Military, 267.
- Foreign Consuls, 69.
- Foreign Insurance Companies, 668, 681.
- Foreign Vessels entered and cleared, 355.
- Foreigners naturalized, 92.
- Forest-produce exported, 284.
- Forestry, 449-458.
- Forwarding Trade, 278, 301.
- Foster-homes for Children, 234.
- Foundries, 516.
- Foveaux Strait Oysters, 462.
- Fowls, 446.
- Fowl-wheat, 421.
- Fractions, Totalizator, 568.
- Fractures: Hospital Cases, 193.
- Franchise, 56.
- Local, 618.
- Free and Dutiable Imports, 339.
- Free Secondary Education, 230.
- Free University Education, 235.
- Freehold, Crown Land made, 393.
- Freehold Tenure, 382, 393.
- Freezing-works, 505.
- Frequency Rates of Factory Accidents, 799.
- Friendly Societies, 690-693.
- Frozen Meat exported, 282-307.
- Frozen-meat Works, 505.
- Fruit Export Control, 427.
- Fruit Industry, The, 427.
- Fruit-preserving, 428.
- Advances, 600.
- Factories, 508.
- Fuel and Light, Retail Prices of, 733.
- Funded Debt, 584.
- Funds—
- Of Banks, 655.
- Of Friendly Societies, 691.
- Of Public Trust Office, 810.
- Furniture-making Works, 520.
G.
- Games, 823.
- Gaming, 838.
- Gaols, Prisoners in, 254.
- Gardens, Acreage in, 427.
- Gas-lighting District, 623-645.
- Gasworks, 513.
- Gauge, Railway, 364.
- Geese, 446.
- General Assembly, 54.
- General Election, 826.
- Genital Organs, Diseases of, treated in Hospital, 189.
- Geodetic Survey, 404.
- Geographic Board, 406.
- Geographical, 1.
- Geological Survey, 22, 479.
- Geology, 17.
- German Samoa, 2, 860-864.
- Geysers, 5.
- Gift Duty, 567.
- Glaciers, 2.
- Glasshouses, 428.
- Goats 446.
- Gold exported, 277, 282-307, 466.
- Duty on, 334.
- Goldfields, Subsidized Roads on, 481.
- Gold-mining, 466.
- Gonorrhea, 172, 179.
- Goods carried on Railways, 365.
- “Go slow” Policy, 779.
- Government Departments, 67.
- Employees of, 816.
- Government Insurance—
- Accident, 679.
- Fire, 688.
- Life, 674.
- Government Railways, 363-370.
- Superannuation Fund, 613.
- Government, System of, 53.
- Government Valuation of Land, &c., 646-654.
- Government Water-races, 481, 544.
- Governor-General, 60.
- Powers, Duties, &c., 54.
- Governors, Successive, 59.
- Grading—
- Of Dairy-produce, 411, 439.
- Of Fruit, 428.
- Of Honey. 447.
- Of Phormium-fibre, 411.
- Graduated Land-tax, 562.
- Grain Crops, 416.
- Grain-mills, 507.
- Grapes, 428.
- Grass Lands, Acreage of, 384, 428.
- Grass-seed, 425.
- Exported, 299.
- Greasy Wool exported, 435.
- Green Fodder, 423.
- Greenstone, 477.
- Groceries, Retail Prices of, 723.
- Gross Indebtedness, 571.
- Grounds for Divorce, 242.
- Growth of Population, 77.
- Growth of Trade, 271.
- Gum, Kauri, 476.
- Exported, 282-307.
H.
- Habitual Criminals, 258.
- Half-castes, 106.
- Ham and Bacon Curing, 506.
- Hands employed in Factories, 487.
- Hanmer Springs, 5.
- Harbour Beards, 621-645.
- Harness-making, 518.
- Hawaiki, 51.
- Hay, 423.
- Heads of Government Departments, 67.
- Health Act, 197.
- Health, Public, 197-203.
- Herd-book Societies, 437.
- Hernia Cases treated in Hospital, 187.
- Hervey Islands, 855.
- Hides exported, 282-307.
- High Schools, 229.
- Technical, 232.
- Higher Education, 234.
- Highway Districts, 57, 621, 626, 631, 830.
- Hindus, 87.
- His Majesty's Ships, 268.
- History, 51, 961.
- Hogs, 445.
- Holdings, Occupied, 380.
- Home Separators, 412.
- Homes, Benevolent, 207.
- Homes, Children's, 207, 234.
- Home-science Bursaries, 236.
- Homicide, 162-244.
- Honey, 447.
- Export Control, 448.
- Hops, 426.
- Horahora Electric Supply, 532.
- Horse-racing, 825, 838.
- Horses, 444.
- Horticultural Stations, 411.
- Hosiery-factories, 511.
- Hospital Districts, 203, 622, 626, 632.
- Hospitals, 173-194, 203-213.
- Expenditure on, 203.
- Maternity, 206.
- Mental, 208.
- Private, 206.
- Private Mental, 211.
- Public, 173-194, 203.
- St. Helens, 206.
- Hot Springs, 5.
- Hour of Occurrence of Factory Accidents, 808.
- Hours of Celebration of Marriage, 127.
- Hours of Labour, 755.
- House of Representatives, 55.
- Members of, 66, 826.
- House-rent, 730.
- Housing, 104, 599.
- Huia, The, 49.
- Hunt Clubs, 825, 840.
- Husbands' Petitions in Divorce, 241.
- Hydraulic Sluicing, 467.
- Hydro-electric Power, 527-544.
I.
- Igneous Rocks, 21.
- Illegitimacy, 121.
- Illegitimate Infants, Deaths of, 148.
- Immigration, 82-88.
- Assisted, 88.
- Restriction, 91.
- Implements, Farm, 412.
- Advances on, 593.
- Imports, 300-330.
- Free and Dutiable, 339.
- Of Ports, 346.
- Improved-farm Settlements, 391.
- Incapacity from Factory Accidents, 799-809.
- Incomes, 713-719.
- Income-tax, 564, 718.
- Increase in Food-prices during War, 728.
- Increase of Population, 77.
- Indebtedness of Local Bodies, 640.
- Indebtedness, Public, 570-586.
- Indentured Labourers in Samoa, 107, 861.
- Index Numbers, Price, 720-742.
- Index of Mortality, 142.
- Indians, 87.
- Indigenous Forest, 451.
- Individualization of Native Land, 399.
- Industrial Accidents, 795-809.
- Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration, 779.
- Industrial Disputes, 779-794.
- Industrial Life Assurance, 671.
- Industrial Manufacture, 484-526.
- Industrial Schools, 233.
- Industrial Unions, 759-767.
- Industries, Manufacturing, 484-526.
- Infancy, Diseases of, 151, 193.
- Infantile Mortality, 148.
- Infantile Paralysis, 178.
- Infant-life Protection, 148, 234.
- Infectious Diseases—
- Hospital Cases. 178.
- Notification of, 170, 198.
- Prevention of. 198.
- Influenza, 154, 178.
- Injuries in Factories, 795-809.
- Injuries treated in Hospital, 193.
- Inland Fisheries, 463.
- Inmates—
- Of Benevolent and Orphan Asylums, 208.
- Of Gaols, 254.
- Of Hospitals, 173.
- Of Mental Hospitals, 208.
- Inquests, 244.
- Insanity, 208-213.
- Inscribed Stock, 579.
- Insolvency, 706.
- Inspection, Medical, of Schools, 202.
- Inspection of Machinery, 814.
- Instruction, Public, 214-231.
- Instruments, Registration of, 387.
- Insurance, 668-689.
- Intensity of Earthquakes, 26.
- Intercensal Estimates, 80.
- Interest—
- Credited by Post-Office Savings Bank, 663.
- On Local Bodies' Debt, 642.
- On Mortgages, 704.
- On Public Debt, 580.
- Paid by various Accounts, 559, 581.
- Intermediate Customs Tariff, 333.
- International Payments, 277.
- Inter-urban Telephones, 373.
- Intestinal Obstruction: Hospital Cases, 187.
- Intoxicating Liquor—
- Consumption of, 266.
- Sale of, 827.
- Investment Societies, 694.
- Investments, Revenue from, 557.
- Investments, Totalizator, 567.
- Invisible Imports and Exports, 277.
- Iron-foundries, 516.
- Iron-ores, 468.
- Ironsand, 469.
- Islands—
- Adjacent, Population of, 102.
- Administered on Mandate, 2, 860-866.
- Annexed, 1, 855-859.
- Outlying, 1, 854.
- Issue of Bank-notes, 662.
- Issue of Deceased Males, 145.
- Issue, Previous, of Parents, 118.
J.
- Jam-factories, 508.
- Joint-stock Companies, 812.
- In Manufacturing Industries, 502.
- Journal of Agriculture, 411.
- Journal, School, 224.
- Judicial Separation, 241.
- June Year Exports, 300.
- Junior Scholarships—
- National, 230.
- University, 235.
- Justice, 240-266.
- Juvenile Offenders, 260.
- Juvenile Probation, 233.
K.
- Kaingaroa Plantation, 455.
- Kakapo, The, 49.
- Kauri-gum, 476.
- Exported, 282-307.
- Kawarau Falls Dam, 467.
- Kea, The, 49.
- Kermadec Islands, 1, 855.
- Flora, 47.
- Kidney-diseases in Hospitals, 189.
- Kiwi, The, 49.
- Kumara Water-races, 481, 544.
L.
- Labour Department Employment Bureaux, 772.
- Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 781.
- Labour, Hours of, 755.
- In factories, 523.
- Lake Coleridge Works, 529.
- Lakes, 12.
- Lamb consumed and exported, 442.
- Land and Income Tax, 562.
- Land Boards, 390.
- Maori, 400.
- Land Districts, 390.
- Land Drainage Districts, 620-645.
- Land for Discharged Soldiers, 396.
- Land for Settlements, 394.
- Land, Government Valuation of, 646-654.
- Land, Occupation of, 380.
- Land Offices, 390.
- Land Purchase Board, 394.
- Land Tenure and Settlement, 380-408.
- Land Transfer and Deeds Registration, 386.
- Land, Valuation of, 646-654.
- Lands opened for Selection, 392.
- Land-settlement Finance Associations, 396.
- Land-tax, 562, 960.
- Latest Statistical Information, 958.
- Law and Crime, 240-266.
- Lease, Renewable, 391, 397.
- Leather ware-making, 518.
- Legislation of 1924, 841-853.
- Legislative Council, 54.
- Members of, 65.
- Legitimacy of Infants dying, 148.
- Legitimate Births, 117.
- Legitimation Act, 122.
- Legumes, 416, 423.
- Letters of Naturalization, 91.
- Letters Patent, 813.
- Letters posted, 371.
- Liabilities—
- Of Bankrupts, 707.
- Of Banks, 657.
- Of Building Societies, 697.
- Of Fire-insurance Companies, 682.
- Of Friendly Societies, 692.
- Of Life-insurance Companies, 672.
- Of Local Bodies, 639.
- Of National Provident Fund, 616.
- Libraries, School, 224.
- Licensed Houses, 828.
- Licenses by Local Bodies, 637. 827.
- Licenses, Publicans', 827.
- Licensing, 827.
- Poll, 829.
- Life, Expectation of, 141, 952.
- Life Insurance, 668-676.
- State, 674.
- Life Tables, 947-957.
- Light, Fuel and, Retail Prices of, 733.
- Lighthouses, 361.
- Lignite, 473.
- Lime and Cement Works, 515.
- Limited Certificates of Title, 387.
- Limonite, 468.
- Lincoln Agricultural College, 235.
- Linseed, 424.
- Liver-diseases treated in Hospital, 187.
- Live-stock, 429-448.
- Advances on, 593.
- Carried on Railways, 365.
- Loans—
- Allocation of, 573.
- By Building Societies, 695.
- Dates of Maturity of, 580.
- Domicile of, 579, 642.
- Of Local Bodies, 640.
- Receipts from, 556, 577.
- Redemption of, 556, 577.
- Unexercised Authorities for, 645.
- Local Bodies, 56, 618-645.
- Advances to, 598.
- Duties under Health Act, 197.
- Employees, 819.
- Superannuation, 614.
- Taxation by, 569, 635.
- Tree-planting by, 457.
- Local Government, 56, 618-645.
- Local Option, 829.
- Local Railway Districts, 621-645.
- Local Taxation, 569, 635.
- Location of Debt, 579, 642.
- Location of New Zealand, 1.
- Lockouts, 779-794.
- Locomotives, 364.
- Lodges, 690.
- London Missionary Society, 858, 860, 863.
- London Prices—
- Of Food, 728.
- Of New Zealand Stock, 585.
- Loss of Wages, 785-792.
- Loss of Work through Factory Accidents, 803.
- Losses from Fires, 687.
- In Forests, 455.
- Lotteries, 838.
- Lower Departments of Secondary Schools, 231.
- Lunacy, 208-213.
M.
- Macaulay Island, 855.
- Machinery—
- Accidents, 801-808.
- Factory, 492.
- Farm, 412.
- Inspection of, 814.
- Magistrates' Courts—
- Civil Cases, 240.
- Criminal Cases, 245.
- Magistrates, Superannuation of, 613.
- Magnetic Ironsand, 469.
- Magnetic Observatory, 407.
- Magnetic Survey, 406.
- Mails, 371.
- Main Highways, 830.
- Districts, 621, 626, 631, 830.
- Maize, 416, 423.
- Male and Female Death-rates, 137.
- Malformations: Hospital Cases, 192.
- Malthouses, 509.
- Mammalia, 48.
- Mandated Territories, 2, 860-866.
- Mangahao Hydro-electric Scheme, 533.
- Mangaia Island, 859.
- Manganese-ore, 471.
- Mangolds, 425.
- Mangrove Oysters, 462.
- Man-hours lost through Factory Accidents, 803.
- Manihiki Island, 1, 856.
- Manual Education, 224.
- Manual Telephones, 374.
- Manufacturing Production, 484-526.
- Maori Land Boards. 400.
- Maori War Pensions, 605.
- Maoris, 51.
- Births of, 108, 126.
- Children attending Schools, 228.
- Deaths of, 108, 166.
- Half-castes, 106.
- In Mental Hospitals, 212.
- Infantile Mortality of, 168.
- Marriages of, 135.
- Members of Parliament, 55, 66, 827.
- Offences by, 263.
- Population, 105.
- Schools for, 214, 228.
- Maps, Publication of, 407.
- Marine Fish-hatchery, 463.
- Marine Officers' Certificates, 361.
- Market Gardens, 427.
- Marriages, 127-136.
- Dissolution of, 241.
- Masculinity, 80.
- Of Children born, 114.
- Of Children dying, 149.
- Of Dead-born Infants, 123.
- Of First-born, 114.
- Of Hospital Patients, 176.
- Of Illegitimate Infants, 116.
- Of Persona, dying, 137.
- Of Public-school Children, 223.
- Mastoid Diseases treated in Hospitals, 184.
- Materials used in Manufacture, 495.
- Maternal Mortality, 159.
- Maternity Allowances, 615.
- Maternity Hospitals, 206.
- Maturity of Loans, Dates of, 580.
- Mauke Island, 855.
- Measles, 178.
- Meat—
- Consumption of, 441.
- Export Control, 442.
- Export of, 282-307, 441.
- Freezing-works, 505.
- Retail Prices, 727.
- Medical Examination for Expeditionary Force, 194.
- Medical Inspection of Schools, 202.
- Medical Practitioners, Registration of, 199.
- Medicine, School of, Dunedin, 207.
- Medicinal Waters. 5.
- Mental Defectives, 208.
- Mental Hospitals, 208-213.
- Mercury-mines, 471.
- Meridional Circuits, 403.
- Metal-mines, Accidents at, 478.
- Meteorology, 27-45.
- Midwives, Registration of, 200.
- Migration, External, 82-88.
- Mileage of Railways, 364.
- Military Forces, 267.
- Military Pensions, 605.
- Milk exported, 286, 298.
- Milking-machines, 413.
- Milk-testing, 411, 437.
- Milling-timber Resources, 451.
- Milling-wheat, 420.
- Mills, Wool used at, 435.
- Mineral Waters, 5.
- Minerals, 465-483.
- Miners' Pensions, 605.
- Minimum Wage Rates, 748.
- Mining, 465-483.
- Accidents, 478.
- Act, Examinations under, 483.
- Advances, 481.
- Produce exported, 284, 465.
- Water-power for, 481, 544.
- Ministers of each Denomination, 135.
- Marriages by, 134.
- Ministries, Successive, 60.
- Ministry, Coates, 62.
- Minors, Marriages of, 127,134.
- Mission Schools, 214, 805, 858, 868.
- Missionaries, Arrival of, 62.
- Mitiaro Island, 855.
- Moa, The, 49.
- Money, Purchasing-power of, 733, 736.
- Money-orders issued and paid, 372.
- Moratorium, 705, 843.
- Morbidity, 170-196.
- Mortality, Index of, 142.
- Mortality, Infantile, 148.
- Mortality Investigation, 141, 947-957.
- Mortgages, 698-705.
- Mortgage-tax, 563.
- Mothers, Ages of, 117.
- In Dead-born Cases, 124.
- In Illegitimate Gases, 121.
- Motive Power in Factories, 492.
- Motor-vehicles, Registration of, 834, 847.
- Motor-vessels registered, 354.
- Mot or-works, 518.
- Mountains, 2.
- Mouth, Diseases of the, 185.
- Movement of Specie and Bullion, 277.
- Mules, 445.
- Multiple Births, 116.
- Mutton consumed and exported, 441.
N.
- Nassau Island, 856.
- National Endowments, 391.
- National Prohibition, 829.
- National Provident Fund, 61-4.
- National Scholarships, 230.
- Nationality—
- Of Migrants, 86.
- Of Naturalized Persons, 92.
- Of Vessels, 355.
- Native Appellate Court, 400.
- Native Grasses, 384, 428.
- Native Land Court, 399.
- Native Lands, 399.
- Native Schools, 214, 228.
- Native Succession Duty, 567.
- Native Trust Office, 401, 811.
- Native-land Purchase, 401.
- Nativity Order, 115, 118, 125.
- Natural Increase of Population, 79, 111.
- Naturalization, 91.
- Nauru Island, 2, 864.
- Naval Defence, 268.
- Navigable Rivers, 7.
- Navigators Islands, 2, 861-864.
- Navy, 268.
- Nephrite. 477,
- Nervous System, Diseases of the, treated in Hospital, 183.
- Net Indebtedness, 571.
- New-Zealand-born, Offences by, 262.
- “New Zealand,” H.M.S., 268.
- New Zealand Produce exported, 282-307.
- New Zealand University, 234.
- Newspapers—
- Posted, 371.
- Registered, 372.
- Night Letter-telegrams, 374.
- Nisi Decrees in Divorce, 241.
- Niue Island, 1, 856.
- No-license Issue, 829.
- Nominal Wages, 745-755.
- Nomination of Assisted Immigrants, 88.
- Note-issue of Banks, 662.
- Tax on, 560.
- Notification of Births, 108.
- Notification of Diseases, 170, 198.
- Notornis, The, 49.
- Nullity of Marriage, 241.
- Nurseries and Plantations, 427.
- State, 455.
- Nurses, Registration of, 200.
- Nurses, Retiring-allowances to, 615.
O.
- Oats, 422.
- Exported, 282, 422.
- Occupation of Land, 380.
- Occupation with Right of Purchase, 391, 397.
- Occupations—
- Of Bankrupts, 708.
- Of Deceased Males, 144.
- Of Immigrants, 87.
- Ocean Cables, 378.
- Ocean Island, 865.
- Offences, 245-252.
- Offenders Probation Act, 258.
- Officers, Military, 267.
- Official Assignees, 706.
- Official Representatives Abroad, 68.
- Officiating Ministers, 135.
- Oil, 476.
- Oilskin-factories, 519.
- Old Age, Deaths from, in Hospital, 193.
- Old-age Pensions, 603.
- Onakaka Iron-ore, 468.
- Opossum Trapping, 454.
- Orchards, 427.
- Origin of Imports, 316.
- Origins of Earthquakes, 23.
- Ornamental Stones, 477.
- Orphan Asylums, 207.
- Orphanhood, 145.
- Osmiridium, 472.
- Otekaike Special School, 234.
- Otira Tunnel, 363.
- Outlying Islands, 1, 854.
- Overdraft Rates, 661.
- Oversea Shipping, 354.
- Oversea Trade, 271-353.
- Overseas Representatives, 68.
- Overtime in Factories, 523.
- Oyster-beds, 462.
P.
- Pacific Cable, 378.
- Pacific Islands, Annexed, 1, 855-859.
- Packet Licenses, 827.
- Palmerston Island, 1, 856.
- Papatupu Land,399.
- Parapara Iron-ore Deposit, 468.
- Parcel-post, 372.
- Parents, Ages of, 117.
- Parliament, 54.
- Parliamentary Elections, 56, 826.
- Parliamentary Reports, 74.
- Parliaments, Successive, 63.
- Parry Island (Mauke), 855.
- Party-line Telephones, 375.
- Passages at Reduced Rates, 88.
- Passengers, Railway, 365.
- Passports, 91.
- Pastoral Produce exported, 282-307.
- Pastoral Production, 429-448.
- Pasture Grasses, 428.
- Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks, 813.
- Patients in Mental Hospitals, 208.
- Patients in Public Hospitals, 173, 205.
- Payers of Income-tax, 714.
- Payers of Land-tax, 960.
- Peas and Beans, 416, 423.
- Export of, 299, 423.
- “Pelorus Jack,” 48.
- Pelts, Export of, 282-307
- Penguins, 49.
- Penrhyn Island, 1, 856.
- Pensions, 603-609.
- Peritonitis Cases in Hospital, 188.
- Permanent Building Societies, 694.
- Permanent Heads of Departments, 67.
- Permanent Military Forces, 267.
- Permission to enter New Zealand, 91.
- Permits and Passports, 91.
- Permits, Building, 104.
- Petitions—
- Bankruptcy, 706.
- Divorce, 241.
- Petroleum, 476.
- Pharynx, Diseases of, treated in Hospital, 185.
- Phormium Tenax, 384, 426.
- Fibre exported, 282-307.
- Grading of Fibre, 411.
- Mills, 426, 512.
- Phosphate Rock, 477.
- From Nauru Island, 865.
- Phthisis, 156, 179.
- Miner's, 605.
- Physical Education, 225.
- Physiography, 1-50.
- Pickle-factories, 510.
- Pig-iron Manufacture, 468.
- Pigs, 445.
- Wild, 454.
- Pisciculture, 463.
- Plantations, 427.
- State, 455.
- Planting of Oysters, 462.
- Platinum, 472.
- Pleasant Island, 864.
- Plumbers Registration, 201.
- Plural Births, 116.
- Pneumonia Cases in Hospital, 185.
- Police, 244.
- Provident Fund, 610.
- Policies, Insurance, 668-689.
- Polling—
- At General Election, 826.
- At Licensing Polls, 829.
- At Rating Polls, 633.
- Poll-tax on Chinese, 88.
- Population, 76-107.
- Of Cook Islands, 106, 857.
- Of Western Samoa, 107, 861.
- Pork consumed, 446.
- Portfolios of Ministers, 62.
- Portobello Marine Fish-hatchery, 463.
- Ports—
- Of Entry, 346.
- Shipping of, 358.
- Trade of, 346-353.
- Post Office Savings-bank, 662.
- Postal and Telegraphic, 371-379.
- Postal Notes, 373.
- Post-primary Education, 229.
- Potatoes, 425.
- Pottery-works, 515.
- Poultry, 446.
- Pounamu, 477.
- Power in Factories, 492.
- Power, Water, 527-544.
- Pratique, Granting of, 198.
- Preferential Tariff, 333, 341.
- Premature Birth, 151.
- Premiers, Successive, 60.
- Premium Income of Insurance Companies, 669-689.
- Pre-natal Influences, 150.
- Preserved Milk exported, 286, 298.
- Press Telegrams, 373.
- Prevention of Quackery, 202.
- Previous Convictions of Prisoners, 257.
- Previous Issue of Parents, 118.
- Prices, 720-743.
- Effect on Exports, 302.
- Of Stock, 585.
- Primage Duty, 332.
- Primary Schools, 214-229.
- Principal Events, 961.
- Principal Exports, 282-307.
- Printing Establishments, 517.
- Prisoners, 254.
- New-Zealand-born, 263.
- Prisons, 254.
- Prisons Board, 258
- Private Hospitals, 206.
- Private Mental Hospital, 211.
- Private Railways, 370.
- Private Savings-banks, 666.
- Private Schools, 227.
- Private Wealth, 710.
- Probate, Estates passed for, 712.
- Probation, 258.
- Juvenile, 233.
- Probationer Teachers, 225.
- Proclamation of British Sovereignty, 52.
- Production—
- Agricultural and Pastoral, 409-448.
- Factory, 484-526.
- Mineral, 465-483.
- Value of, 820.
- Production Districts, Exports of, 347.
- Productive Activity, 822.
- Profits-tax, 564.
- Prohibition Issue, 829.
- Prorogation of Parliament, Dates of, 63.
- Prospecting, State Aid to, 479.
- Prospecting-drills, Government, 480.
- Protection of Infant Life, 148, 234.
- Provident Fund, National, 614.
- Provincial Districts, 57.
- Educational Systems, 215.
- Industries in, 485.
- Population of, 94.
- Provisional State Forests, 450.
- Public Debt, 570-586.
- Repayment of, 583.
- Public Finance, 545-602.
- Public Health, 197-203.
- Public Hospitals—
- Admissions and Discharges, 173.
- Diseases treated in, 176-194.
- Finances, 203.
- Public Instruction, 214-234.
- Public Reserves, 380, 392.
- Public Schools, 221.
- Public Service, 68.
- Employees and Salaries, 816.
- Superannuation. 610.
- Public Trust Office, 810.
- Public Works—
- Co-operative System, 815.
- Employees, 815.
- Fund, 550.
- Publicans' Licenses, 827.
- Publications, 965.
- Statistical, 72.
- Puerperal Accidents and Diseases, 159, 190.
- Pukapuka Island, 1, 856.
- Pulmonary Tuberculosis, 156, 179.
- Pulse Crops, 416, 423.
- Punishments by Magistrates' Courts, 247.
- Punishments by Supreme Courts, 252.
- Pupils at Public Schools, 221.
- Pupil-teachers, 225.
- Purchase of Estates for Settlement, 394.
- Purchase of Native Lands, 401.
- Purchase of Dwellings, 398, 600.
- Purchasing-power of Money, 733, 736.
Q.
- Quackery-prevention, 202.
- Quadruplets, 116.
- Quarantine, 198.
- Quarries, 477.
- Accidents at, 478.
- Quarterly Statistics—
- Banking, 657-665.
- Births, 112.
- Deaths, 138.
- Marriages, 130.
- Prices, 722-734, 740.
- Trade, 273.
- Quartz-mining, 466.
- Quicksilver-mining, 471.
- Quinnat Salmon, 464.
- Quinquennial Census, 76.
- Quorum—
- Executive Council, 54.
- House of Representatives, 56,
- Quotations, New Zealand Stock, 585.
R.
- Rabbit Districts, 622, 627, 632.
- Rabbit-skins, Exports of, 299.
- Race Aliens, 87.
- Racing, 825, 838.
- Tax on, 567.
- Radio-telegraph, 376.
- Railway Districts. 621-645.
- Railways, 363-370.
- Private, 370.
- Superannuation Fund, 613.
- Ram Forests, 451.
- Rainfall, 27-45.
- Rakaanga Island, 1, 856.
- Rams, 431.
- Rarotonga Island, 855.
- Rateable Value of Land, 650.
- Rates collected by Local Bodies, 636.
- Rates of Interest—
- On Local Bodies' Debt, 640.
- On Mortgages, 704.
- On Public Debt, 580.
- Paid by Post Office Savings-bank, 662.
- Rating by Local Bodies, 627-634.
- On Unimproved Value, 632.
- Reapers-and-binders, 413.
- Rebate of Rent, 391.
- Receipts-tax, 560.
- Reception of Assisted Immigrants, 90.
- Reciprocity, 341.
- Reclamation of Sand-dunes, 453.
- Redemption of Loans, 556, 577.
- Reduced Passage-rates for Assisted Immigrants, 88.
- Re-exports, 278, 301.
- Reformative Detention, 258.
- Registered Companies, 812.
- Registered Mortgages, 698.
- Registered Vessels, 354.
- Registrars, Marriages before, 134.
- Registration—
- Of Adopted Children, 123.
- Of Apiaries, 447.
- Of Births, 108.
- Of Companies, 812.
- Of Dairies, 439.
- Of Dairy Companies, 439.
- Of Dead-births, 108, 123.
- Of Deaths, 137.
- Of Deeds, 387.
- Of Dentists, 200.
- Of Designs, 813.
- Of Electors, 56, 851.
- Of Friendly Societies, 690.
- Of Industrial Unions, 759-767.
- Of Marriages, 127.
- Of Medical Practitioners, 199.
- Of Mortgages, 698.
- Of Motor-vehicles, 834, 847.
- Of Newspapers, 372.
- Of Nurses and Midwives, 200.
- Of Patents, 813.
- Of Plumbers, 201.
- Of Private Schools, 227.
- Of Still-births, 108, 123.
- Of Titles, 386, 845.
- Of Trade-marks, 813.
- Of Trade Unions, 759-767.
- Of Vessels, 354.
- Rejections from Expeditionary Force, Causes of, 195.
- Relief Fund, Coal-miners', 483.
- Religious Denominations—
- Marriages by Ministers of, 134.
- Ministers on Marriage List, 135.
- Renewable Leases, 391, 397.
- Rent, Rebate of, 391.
- Rents, Government Revenue from, 558.
- Rents, House, 730.
- Repatriation Advances, 599.
- Repayment of Public Debt, 583.
- Representatives abroad, 68.
- Representatives, Members of House of, 66, 826.
- Research Scholarships, 236.
- Reserve Funds of Banks, 655.
- Reserves, Public, 380, 392.
- Respiratory Diseases treated in Hospital, 185.
- Restitution of Conjugal Rights, 241.
- Restriction, Immigration, 91.
- Retail Prices, 720-738.
- Revaluation of Soldier Properties, 398.
- Revenue—
- Customs, 335.
- Local Body, 635.
- Postal, 378.
- Public, 545-559.
- Railway, 367.
- Revocation of Naturalization, 92.
- Rhodes Scholarships, 236.
- Richmond Special School, 234.
- Rifle Clubs, 267.
- River Districts, 620-645.
- Rivers, 7.
- Road Districts, 57, 619-645.
- Roads, 830.
- On Goldfields, Subsidized, 481.
- Rock Oysters, 462.
- Rolling-stock, Railways, 364.
- Roman Catholic Schools, 227.
- Root Crops, 424.
- Ross Dependency, 2, 866.
- Bibliography of, 971.
- Rossi-Forel Scale, 25.
- Rotorua Nursery, 457.
- Rotorua Thermal Springs, 5.
- Rugby Football, 824.
- Rural Population, 94.
- Rural Security, Mortgages on, 700.
- Rural-mail Deliveries, 371.
- Rye, 426.
- Rye-grass, 425.
S.
- Saddlery-making, 518.
- Sailing-vessels registered, 354.
- Sailmaking-factories, 519.
- St. Helens Hospitals, 203.
- Sale of Food and Drugs, 201.
- Salmon, Acclimatization of, 463.
- Samoa, 2, 860-864.
- San Pablo Island, 856.
- Sanatoria, 5, 173, 179, 205.
- Sand-dune Reclamation, 453.
- Sanitation, 197.
- Sauce-factories, 510.
- Sausage-skins, Exports of, 299.
- Savage Island, 1, 856.
- Savai'i Island, 861.
- Savings-banks, 662-667.
- Sawmills, 451, 513.
- Scarlet Fever, 178.
- Scheelite, 470.
- Scholars, 214-234.
- Scholarships, 230, 235.
- School Committees, 219.
- School Journal, 224.
- School Libraries and Class-books, 224.
- School-children, 214-234.
- Dental Treatment for, 203.
- Medical Inspection of, 202.
- Schools, 214-234.
- Medical Inspection of, 202.
- Of Mines, 481.
- Scoured Wool exported, 435.
- Scrub Lands, 384.
- Sea-fisheries, 459.
- Seals, 463.
- Season Tickets, Railway, 365.
- Secondary Education, 229.
- Second-growth Land, 384.
- Seed-gardens, 427.
- Seeds, Grass and Clover, 425.
- Exported, 299.
- Seismology, 22.
- Selections of Land, 392.
- Senior Cadets, 267.
- Senior Scholarships—
- National, 230.
- University, 236.
- Sentences on Criminals, 247, 252.
- Separate Rates, 636.
- Separation, Judicial, 241.
- Separators, Cream, 413.
- Settlement and Colonization, 52.
- Settlement Conditions, Selections under, 392.
- Settlement Surveys, 403.
- Settlements, Land for, 394.
- Settlers, Advances to, 587.
- Severities of Factory Accidents, 803.
- Sex Proportions, 80.
- Of Children born, 114.
- Of Children dying, 149.
- Of Dead-born, Infants, 123.
- Of First-born, 114.
- Of Hospital Patients, 176.
- Of Illegitimate Infants, 116.
- Of Persons dying, 137.
- Of Public-school Children, 223.
- Shearing-machines on Farms, 413.
- Sheep, 430.
- Sheep-skins and Pelts exported, 282-307.
- Sheet-metal Works, 516.
- Shipbuilding-works, 519.
- Shipping, 354-362.
- Ships, Survey of, 361.
- Shipwrecked Mariners, Depots for, 854.
- Short-time in Factories, 524.
- Sick and Accident Funds, 483.
- Sick and Funeral Funds, 691.
- Sickness, 170-196.
- Silver, Production of, 468.
- Silviculture, 453.
- Singapore Naval Base, 270.
- Sinking Funds, 582.
- Payments towards, 559, 581.
- Sister-in-law, Marriage with, 127.
- Skin-diseases treated in Hospital, 192.
- Skins, Export of, 282-307.
- Slaughter of Animals for Food, 441.
- Slaughterhouses, 411.
- Sliped Wool exported, 435.
- Slot Telephones, 375.
- Sluicing, 467.
- Snares Islands, 1, 854.
- Soap-factories, 510.
- Social Hygiene Regulations, 172.
- Soldiers, 267.
- Acquisition of Land by, 396.
- Dwellings, 398.
- Financial Assistance to, 398, 599.
- Pensions, 606.
- Settlement of, 396.
- War Bursaries for Dependants, 231.
- Source of Income, 714.
- South Africa, Reciprocity with, 343.
- South African War, 268.
- Pensions, 608.
- Southern Alps, 2.
- Sown Grasses, Extent of, 428.
- Spas, 5.
- Special Articles in previous Issues, 971.
- Special Rates, 636.
- Special Schools, 233.
- Special Trade, 278.
- Specie, Movement of, 277.
- Spirits, Consumption of, 266.
- Sports, 823.
- Springs, Hot, 5.
- Stakes, Tax on, 567.
- Stamp Duties, 565.
- Standardized Birth-rates, 110.
- Standardized Death-rates, 142.
- Cancer, 892.
- Standardized Marriage-rates, 128.
- State Accident Insurance, 679.
- State Advances, 587-602.
- State Afforestation, 455.
- State Aid—
- To Cold Storage, 602.
- To Dairy Industry, 439.
- To Discharged Soldiers, 398, 599.
- To Fishing Industry, 601.
- To Fruit-preserving Industry, 600.
- To Housing, 599.
- To Immigrants, 88.
- To Kauri-gum Industry, 476.
- To Local Authorities, 598.
- To Mining, 479.
- To Settlers, 586.
- To Tree-planting, 457.
- To Water-power Development, 529-535.
- To Workers, 595.
- State Coal-mines, 475.
- State Employees, 816.
- State Fire Insurance, 688.
- State Forests, 450.
- State Indebtedness, 570-586.
- State Instruction, 214-234.
- State Insurance—
- Accident, 679.
- Fire, 688.
- Life, 674.
- State Railways, 363-370.
- State Schools, 221.
- State Water-power Supply, 529-535.
- Statistical Information, Latest, 958.
- Statistical Legislation, 70.
- Statistical Organization, 70-75.
- Statistical Publications, 72.
- Statistical Summary, 869-888.
- Stewart Island, 1.
- Oysters, 462.
- Still-births, 123.
- Stipendiary Magistrates' Courts—
- Civil Cases, 240.
- Criminal Cases, 245.
- Stock, Character of, 579.
- Stock, Live, 429-448.
- Advances on, 593.
- Stock, Quotations for, 585.
- Stomach-diseases treated in Hospital, 186.
- Stones, Building and Ornamental, 477.
- Stop-work Meetings, 779.
- Stratigraphy, 18.
- Streams, 7.
- Strikes, 779-794.
- Stud Sheep, 432.
- Students, University, 235.
- Subdivision of Land, 394.
- Submarine Cable, 378.
- Subsidiary Accounts or Funds, 554.
- Subsidized Prospecting, 479.
- Subsidized Roads on Gold-fields, 481.
- Succession Duty, 566.
- Suffrage, 56.
- Sugar, Duty on, 334.
- Sugar-prices, 724.
- Suicide, 162, 244.
- Sulphur, 472.
- Summary Convictions, 245.
- Summary, of Legislation, 841-853.
- Sumner School for Deaf, 234.
- Sunday Island, 855.
- Sunshine, 27-32.
- Superannuation, 610.
- Super-tax, 563, 564.
- Supreme Court—
- Civil Cases, 240.
- Criminal Cases, 250.
- Surtax, Preferential, 333, 341.
- Surveys, 402-408.
- Geological, 22, 479.
- Of Ships, 361.
- Suwarrow Island, 1, 856.
- Sympathetic Strikes, 779-794.
- Syphilis, 172, 179.
T.
- Takahe, The, 49.
- Tallow exported, 282-307.
- Tanning Establishments, 518.
- Taranaki Ironsand, 469.
- Taranaki Scholarships, 235.
- Tariff, Customs, 331-334.
- Tasman's Discovery of New Zealand, 51.
- Tax, Land, and Income, 562.
- Tax on Totalizator Investments, 567.
- Taxation, 560-569.
- Local. 569, 635.
- Taxpayers, 714, 960.
- Tea, Duty on, 333.
- Teachers, Public-school, 225.
- Superannuation Fund, 612.
- Training of, 226.
- Technical Education, 232.
- Telegraph, Electric, 373.
- Telephones, 374.
- Temperature, 27-45.
- Temporary Visitors, 84.
- Tenements, 104.
- Tent-factories, 519.
- Tenure of Occupied Lands, 382.
- Tenures under which Land selected, 391, 396.
- Terminating Building Societies, 694.
- Territorial Forces, 267.
- Thermal Regions, 5.
- Three Kings Islands, 1, 854.
- Threshing-machines, 413.
- Tidal Survey, 406.
- Tile-making, 515.
- Timber—
- Export, 282-307, 452.
- Duty, 334.
- Output, 451, 513.
- Plantations, 455.
- Resources, 450.
- Trees, 451.
- Time lost through Factory Accidents, 803.
- Time of Occurrence of Factory Accidents, 808.
- Tin, 472.
- Tinware-works, 516.
- Tire-tax, 560, 833.
- Title, Certificates of, issued, 386.
- Titles, Compulsory Registration, of, 386, 846.
- Tobacco, Excise Duty on, 334.
- Tokelau Islands, 868.
- Toll Communications, 373.
- Toll-gates, 835.
- Tolls, 637.
- Tomato-culture, 428.
- Tongareva Island, 1, 856.
- Tonnage of Trade, 349.
- Tonnage of Shipping, 354-360.
- Tonnage Statistics, Port, 349.
- Tonsils: Hospital Cases, 185.
- Topographical Survey, 405.
- Totalizator, 838.
- Taxation, 567.
- Tourists, 84.
- Town Districts, 57, 619-645.
- Capital and Unimproved Values, 654.
- Population, 101.
- Tractors on Farms, 413.
- Trade, 271-353.
- Representatives, 68.
- Trade-marks, 813.
- Trade-unions, 759-767.
- Training-farm, 234.
- Training of Defence Forces, 268.
- Training of Teachers, 227.
- Train-miles run, 365.
- Tramway Districts, 621-645.
- Transfer, Land, 386.
- Transfers between Accounts, 557.
- Transhipments, 352.
- Transit Trade, 278, 301.
- Travelling Scholarships, 236.
- Trawlers, 461.
- Treasury Bills, 579.
- Treaty of Waitangi, 52.
- Tree-planting, 455.
- Trees, Forest, 451.
- Triangulation, 404.
- Trigonometrical Stations, 404.
- Triplets, 116.
- Trotting Clubs, 825, 840.
- Trout, Acclimatization of, 463.
- Trust Funds, 697.
- Tuatara, The, 50.
- Tuberculosis, 156, 179.
- Tumour Cases in Hospitals, 182.
- Tungsten-ore, 470.
- Turkeys, 446.
- Turnips, 425.
- Tussock Land, 384, 428.
- Twins and Triplets born, 116.
U.
- Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion, 91.
- Undeveloped Water-power, 542.
- Unemployment, 768-778.
- Unexercised Loan Authorities, 645.
- Unimproved Occupied Land, 384.
- Unimproved Value of Land, 646-654.
- Land-tax assessed on, 562.
- Rating on, 632.
- Union Islands, 868.
- Unions, Trade, 759-767.
- University Education, 234.
- Unpaid Totalizator Fractions, 568.
- Unproductive Land, 380, 384.
- Upolu Island, 861.
- Urban Areas—
- Births, 113.
- Deaths, 145.
- Population, 98.
- Urban Population, 94.
- Urban Security, Mortgages on, 700.
- Urgent Telegrams, 373.
- Urinary Diseases treated in Hospital, 189.
V.
- Valuation of Land, 646-654.
- Value of Exports affected by Prices, 302.
- Value of Production, 820.
- Vegetation, 45.
- Vehicles, Railway, 364.
- Venereal Diseases—
- Control of, 172.
- Hospital Cases, 179.
- Vessels—
- Employed in Fishing Industry, 461.
- Entered and cleared, 354.
- Nationality of, 355.
- Registered, 354.
- Survey of, 361.
- War, 268.
- Vice-regal Representatives. 59.
- Village Settlements, 391.
- Villages, Population of, 102
- Vinegar-factories, 510.
- Vineyards, 428.
- Violent Deaths, 161, 244.
- Virgin Bush, Area of, 384. 449.
- Visitors, 84.
- Vital Statistics, 108-196.
- Viticulture, 428.
- Volcanoes, 2, 21.
- Voluntary Inmates of Mental Hospitals, 210.
- Voting—
- At General Election, 826.
- At Licensing Polls, 829.
- At Rating Polls, 633.
W.
- Wages, 744-755.
- Lost through Industrial Disputes, 785-792.
- Of Factory Employees, 489, 521.
- Of Employees of General and Local Governments, 816.
- Waikaremoana Power-supply, 534.
- Waikato Power-supply, 532.
- Waiotapu Forest Plantation, 455.
- Waipori Power-supply, 533.
- Waitangi, Treaty of, 52.
- Wakari Private Mental Hospital, 211.
- War, 268.
- Bursaries, 231.
- Expenditure, 576.
- Increases in Food-prices, 728.
- Indebtedness, 576.
- Loans Sinking Fund, 583.
- Pensions. 606.
- Tax, 564.
- War Loans Sinking Fund, 583.
- Warships, 269.
- Washed Wool exported, 435.
- Washington Conference, 268.
- Water-power, 527-544.
- Waterproof-material Factories, 510.
- Water-races, Government, 481, 544.
- Water-supply Districts, 620-645.
- Wealth, Private, 710.
- Weather, 27-45.
- Weekly Wage-rates, 748.
- Weka, The, 49.
- Welfare of Children, 333.
- Weraroa Training-farm, 234.
- Western Samoa, 2, 860-864.
- Bibliography of, 969.
- Births in, 126.
- Deaths in, 169.
- Marriages in, 136.
- Population of, 107.
- Whakarewarewa Forest Plantation, 455.
- Whales, 48.
- Whaling, 48, 52, 462, 867.
- Wheat, 418.
- Export of, 282.
- White Island Sulphur, 472.
- Wholesale Licenses, 827.
- Wholesale Prices, 738.
- Widows left by Married Men, 147.
- Widows' Pensions, 604.
- Wills administered by Public Trust Office, 811.
- Wind, 27-45.
- Wine, Consumption of, 266.
- Wine Licenses. 827.
- Wire (Telegraph), Miles of, 373.
- Wireless Telegraphy, 376.
- Withdrawals from Savings-banks, 663-666.
- Wives' Petitions in Divorce, 241.
- Women, Deaths of, in Childbirth, 159.
- Women, Offences by, 262.
- Women's Suffrage, 56.
- Wool, 434.
- Exported, 282-307, 435.
- Used at Local Mills, 435, 520.
- Woollen-mills, 520.
- Wool purchased by, 435.
- Wool-presses on Farms, 413.
- Wool-scouring Works, 518.
- Workers, Advances to, 595.
- Workers' Compensation, 677, 679, 796.
- Workers' Dwellings, 599.
- Workers' Educational Association, 238.
- Workers' Unions, 759-767.
- Working-days lost through Industrial Disputes, 783-793.
- Working-hours, 755.
- World's Cattle, 439.
- World's Coal-production, 476.
- World's Gold-production, 468.
- World's Sheep Flocks, 433.
- Wrecks, 362.
Y.
- Year-book. The, 73.
- Yields of Crops, 416-428.
Z.
- Zoology, 47.