8.-6

X

REVENQES RECEIVED 1891 TO 1900-01. It will be interesting and remove misgiving if in simple form the revenues received through the principal revenue-producing departments of the State during the year 1891 and the year 1901 are placed before members. The following table gives the actual receipts for each year respectively : — 1890-1891. 1900-01. Increase. Decrease. Customs ... ... 1,527,207 2,180,862 653,655 Stamps ... ... 631,191 903,935 272,744 Property-tax ... ... 357,348 ... ) m Q .g Land- and Income-tax ... ... 468,393J Beer duty ... ... 58,072 85,171 27,099 Railways ... ... 1,123,322 1,720,641 597,319 Registration and other fees 41,495 67,537 26,042 Marine ... ... 20,583 29,553 8,970 Miscellaneous ... 49,004 126,411 77,407 Territorial ... ... 350,552 270,203 ... 80,349 1,774,281 80,349 80,349 Totals ... ... 4,158,774 5,852,706 1,693,932 POPULATION. Arrivals, Departures, Births, Deaths. In my introductory remarks I expressed the opinion that the colony was in need of an increased population. The latest census of the people proved that during the last five years our population had been, relatively to the previous five years —that is, from 1891 to 1896 —actually decreased in number by 7,366 persons. The opinion of the late Hon. John Ballance, as expressed in his Budget in 1891, may not be out of place, showing as it does the bearing an increased or decreased population has upon the prosperity of the colony. Mr. Ballance said, — " I consider it my duty to direct the attention of the Committee to the " lesson conveyed by the census returns of the population recently issued. " Briefly, the rough results of the census, as shown by enumerators, give a " population, subject to revision, of 623,352 persons, not including Maoris, " against 578,482 persons in March, 1886, making an increase for the five years "of 44,870. But the natural increase for this period, being the excess of births " over deaths, is 64,168 persons; so that the loss by excess of departures over " arrivals is 19,298. " The arrivals recorded in the five years were 73,386, and the departures " 83,948, giving a loss of 10,562 persons. It would thus appear that the " unrecorded departures amounted to 8,736 persons. " The full outgo of population from the colony has evidently not been " returned to the Eegistrar-General in the monthly statements; and it is well " known that in the years 1888, 1890, and of late, the steamers for Australia " were greatly crowded, owing to a disposition on the part of the floating popu- " lation to leave —mainly for New South Wales. " Now, here is a loss of wealth and wealth-producing power, in the depar- " ture of so many people from our shores to seek employment in other colonies, " which demands the serious consideration of Parliament." The following table gives the arrivals and departures of persons in and from the colony, also births and deaths, and the four census returns for 1886, 1891, 1896, and 1901:—