B.—No. 2.

A return for 1861, the latest received, shows that in England and "Wales the proportion of males between 16 and 65 years of age to the whole population was 288 per cent.; whilst in New Zealand in 1871, the proportion was 3794 per cent. I have not forgotten that interesting comparisons may be made between this and the neighbouring Colonies. One such return, for 1871, shows the cental proportions of the respective populations at various ages. In New Zealand, the per centage of persons between the useful ages of 21 and 40 was 38 T against, for the same ages, 29-8 in New South Wales, and 29-0 in Victoria. Perhaps a still more interesting table is one showing the centesimal rate of increase of the population at stated ages, in each of the three Colonies. Taking the ten years ending 1871, New Zealand shows an increase of 165T4 per cent, as against 46-09 in IMew South Wales, and 3634 in Victoria. As regards the same ages already referred to, between 21 and 40 years, the increase in New Zealand during the ten years was 162 per cent, as against 38 per cent, in New South Wales, and —astonishing to relate —a decrease of 10-72 in Victoria. lam not altogether unaware that it may be alleged that the returns of the ages of both sexes of the population are somewhat unreliable, owing to the constitutional tendency of the fair sex to imperfect memory on the subject, when the Census Collector impertinently asks for information. But honorable Members will observe that the ages referred to are those between 21 and 40; and it is only after the age of 21 that the female mind, in computing age, refuses to believe that twelve months constitute a year. When the exports of the three Colonies are compared, the result is exceedingly favourable to New Zealand. Substantially the whole of our exports are the produce of the Colony, whilst a considerable amount of the exports of the Australian Colonies consists of the produce and manufactures of Great Britain and of other countries. Thus, Victoria's total exports during 1870 represented a value of £12,470,014, of which more than one-fourth (£3,366,691) was represented by the produce and manufactures of other countries, leaving £9,103,323 as the value of Victorian produce and manufactures exported. The exports from New Zealand during the same year were to the value of £4,822,756, of which only about oneseventeenth (£278,226) was represented by produce and manufactures of other countries. Taking the average of the years from 1866 to 1870 inclusive, the rates per head of imports and exports (excluding articles re-exported) were : — Imports. Exports. Victoria ... £14 4s. Bd. ... £14 10s. 7d. New South Wales ... £12 9s. sd. ... £12 16s. 7d. New Zealand ... £21 16s. 4d. ... £19 2s. 3d. Or, if the Native population be added, the rates in New Zealand will be—lmports, £18 14s. lid.; and exports £16 Bs. 4d. per head. The rate per head of exports is still more striking in the case of the leading products of the several Colonies. Thus, taking again the average of five years (1867 to 1871), New Zealand exported Gold to the amount of £10 Bs. lOd. per head of the European population, against £7 19s. lOd. from Victoria, and 10s. from New South Wales. The value of the Wool export of New Zealand amounted to £6 9s. lOd. per head, while that of Victoria was £5 7s. 5d., and of New South Wales, £4 19s. 9d. per head; and the value of the Agricultural produce and Timber exported from New Zealand was equal to 13s. Id. per head, that of Victoria being 3s. 4d., and of New South Wales, 10s. 6d. per head. For New Zealand, a further sum of 4s. Id. per head, Natives included, must be added for Flax exported, the value of which article of export has increased from £4,256 in 1867, to £90,611 in 1871. I have been curious to learn what amount would have been raised as Customs Revenue in this Colony, supposing the Victorian Tariff had been in force. That Tariff, as honorable Members will recollect, whilst it comprises a number of duties much less heavy than those of New Zealand, comprises also ad valorem duties much heavier than the measurement duties in this Colony. The result is— supposing the imposition of ad valorem duties would not have had the effect of making the stated value of imports less than that which has been made on the entries under our system —that during 1871, £781,349 would have been raised as

Population: Eelative proportions of adult males. Table J.

Population: Centesimal increase, New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria. Table J (1).

Exports, 1870: Victoria and New Zealand.

Exports and Imports, 1866 to 1870 : Eate per head, Victoria, New South Wales, New Zealand. Table K.

Comparison of Staple Articles of Export. Table L.

Amount that would have been raised in New Zealand, during 1871, under the Victorian Customs Tariff.

14

FINANCIAL STATEMENT.