8.—6

1891. 1900. , 1 , , . , Arrivals. Departures. Arrivals. Departures. 14,431 ... 17,629 18,074 ... 16,243 1900. Births ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 19,546 Deaths ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7,200 Excess of births over deaths ... ... ... 12,346 Arrivals from United Kingdom. 1891 ... ... ... 2,435 1896 ... ... ... 1,956 1892 ... ... ... 2,555 1897 ... ... ... 2,724 1893 ... ... ... 2,929 1898 ... ... ... 2,598 1894 ... ... ... 2,846 1899 ... ... ... 1,918 1895 ... ... ... 2,365 1900 ... ... ... 2,314 Census Returns of Population of the North, South, and Stewart Islands, 1886, 1891, 1896, 1901 (excluding Maoris). 1886 1891 Increase. Numerical. Percentage. North Island and adjacent islets ... 250,482 281,455 30,973 12-36 South Island and adjacent islets ... 327,592 344,711 17,119 5-22 Stewart Island ... ... ... 209 202 Dec. 7 1891. 1896. North Island and adjacent islets ... 281,455 340,631 59,176 21-03 South Island and adjacent islets ... 344,711 362,236 17,525 soB Stewart Island ... ... ... 202 252 50 76,751 1896. 1901. North Island and adjacent islets ... 340,631 390,571 49,940 14-66 South Island and adjacent islets ... 362,236 381,661 19,425 5-36 Stewart Island ... ... ... 252 272 20 3-97 69,385 Decrease in five years .. "... ... 7,366 That is, between 1891 and 1896 there was an increase of 76,751, and between 1896 and 1901 an increase only of 69,385 (the Chatham and Kermadec Islands not included). OUR WORKING RAILWAYS. The rapid and continued growth of the business of our railways—the principal highways and means of communication between the various parts of the colony—is one of the best indications of the continued healthy and prosperous condition of the colony. The lines were taken over by the Government in January, 1895, and on the 31st March of that year the number of miles of line open for traffic was 1,993, and train-miles run 3,221,620. At the close of the last financial year, 31st March, 1901, the mileage open was 2,212, and the trainmiles run 4,620,971. During the year ending 31st March, 1895, the railways carried 3,905,578 passengers, 28,623 season-ticket holders, 444,981 parcels, 750 carriages, 705 drays, 40,890 cattle, 1,519,921 sheep, 43,292 pigs, 36,972 tons of lime, chaff, &c, 85,102 tons firewood, 198,578 tons timber, 388,556 tons grain, 377,938 tons merchandise, 857,917 tons minerals ; earned a gross revenue of £1,150,851; and gave employment to 4,957 men. For the year ending 31st March, 1901, they carried 6,243,593 passengers, 82,921 season-ticket holders, 633,770 parcels, 1,336 carriages, 1,566 drays, 72,868 cattle, 2,412,191 sheep, 51,059 pigs, 78,844 tons chaff, lime, &c, 92,830 tons firewood, 380,803 tons timber, 772,571 tons grain, 551,879 tons merchandise, 1,366,241 tons minerals; earned a gross revenue of .£1,727,236 ; and gave employment to 7,793 men. Thus the traffic for year ending 31st March, 1901, shows an increase over that for year ending 31st March, 1895, of 1,399,351 train-miles, 2,338,015 passengers, 54,298 season tickets, 188,789 parcels, 586 carriages, 86.1 drays,

XI