History of New Zealand. Vol. III.

B. DETAILED STATEMENTS

B. DETAILED STATEMENTS.

2. Temperature and Rainfall.

Auckland. Wellington. Christchurch. Dunedin.
Latitude 36°60′ 41°16′ 43°32′ 45°52′
Mean Temperature ° ° ° °
Summer 66·6 62·2 61·1 57·7
Autumn 61·1 56·6 53·3 51·1
Winter 52·2 48·8 43·3 43·3
Spring 57·7 54·4 53·3 50·0
Year 59·9 55·5 52·2 50·0
Yearly Extremes
Average maximum 88·8 78·8 88·8 84·4
Average minimum 33·3 32·2 25·5 29·9
in. in. in. in.
Average Rainfall * 41·1 37·7 25·5 35·5

* These figures hardly give an adequate idea of the rainfall of the country, as the rainfall in the Western portions of the Colony is greater than in the Eastern, and the towns shown are situated on the Easterly coasts. At Hokitika, on the West coast, for example, the average is 120 in., and the maximum 154 ½ in.

3. Constitution, 1893.

Legislative Council
Present No. of Members 46
Term of appointment—
Prior to September, 1891 Life
From to September, 1891 7 years
How appointed Nominated
House of Representatives No. of Members—
Europeans 70
Maoris 4
Term for which elected (years) 3
Constituencies—
European 62 *
Maori 4

* Four with three members to each.

5. Population of Chief Cities, 1891.
( With Suburbs.)

Percentage of Total Population.
Auckland 51,287 8·8
Wellington 34,190 5·5
Christchurch 47,846 7·7
Dunedin 45,869 7·7

7. Birth, Death and Marriage Rates.

Average 1889–93. Per 1000 of the Population.
Births 28·87
Deaths 9·95
Marriages 6·62

8. Public Revenue Account.

( Year ended 31st March, 1895.)
Credit Balance from previous year £290,238
Revenue, 1894–5 £4,288,716
Expenditure, 1894–5 4,398,930 *
Deficiency 110,214
Credit Balance carried forward £180,024

* See latter portion of foot note (†) to No. 10.

10. Public Expenditure, 1894–5.

General Administration
Civil List £24,412
Legislature 17,398
Civil Establishment 110,703
Judicial and Legal 124,204
Police 94,210
Defences 62,156
Not specified (under special acts) 189,891
Total £622,974
Lands
Crown Lands, Administration and Survey £165,043
Agriculture 42,530
Mining 15,602
Total £223,175
Intellectual Culture and Charities
Public Instruction £396,234
Charitable Institutions 54,414
Total £450,648
Public Works
Railways £725,256
Post Office and Telegraphs 298,766
General Public Works 367,517 *
Interest, &c., Public Debt 1,599,089
Total £2,990,628
Commerce
Customs and Excise £65,675
Harbour Endowments 33,508
Total £99,183
Miscellaneous
Department of Labour £3,437
Other 8,885
Total £12,322
Grand Total £4,398,930

* Including endowment to local bodies, £67,343; and £250,000 transferred to Public Works Fund.

Debt largely raised for the construction of public works. Exclusive of charges for sinking fund, met by Debentures raised for the purpose, viz., £117,800.

11. Public Debt, 1894–5.

Note.—Affairs connected with the New Zealand Bank are not embodied here; being inchoate. At page 385 in this volume the hasty manner in which in 1894 the New Zealand ministry contracted an obligation of Two Millions Sterling has been recorded. Their confidence in themselves and their proposals was speedily exposed to a rude shock. In 1895, they made another hurried application for help for the institution to which they had linked themselves; and their Parliamentary opponents magnanimously aided in devising measures of relief. Statistics are sometimes sneered at as deceptive; but they do not fail to teach that a community led by men who flout at wisdom and deride experience will have to pay for its own experiments. “The injuries which wilful men procure must be their schoolmasters.”

( a)

Purposes for which Contracted

.
1. Reproductive Works
Railways £14,655,026
Telegraphs 679,793
Water Supply 587,041
Harbours, &c. 906,958∗
Total Revenue Yield £16,828,818
2. Other Works
Roads and Bridges £3,855,455
Defence Works 429,719
Other Public Works 2,266,873
Total £6,552,047
3. Miscellaneous
Immigration £2,146,552
Land Purchases (chiefly from Maoris) 1,297,517
Rates on Native Lands 61,072
Revenue Deficiencies 218,500
Charges and Expenses of Raising Loans 1,026,828
Unapportioned 11,695,081 *
Total £16,445,550
Total Debt, 31st March, 1894 £39,826,415
Total Debt, 31st March, 1895 £40,386,964

Note.—The above figures represent the net expenditure out of the “Public Works Fund” since 1870, as there is no other existing record of the loans’ expenditure. This fund, however, includes, besides loan moneys, receipts in aid from stamp duties, &c. The balance unaccounted for, set down above as “Unapportioned,” includes the old provincial loans, loans not accounted for, and unexpended balances. Treasury Bills, amounting to £810,000—of which £334,000 were in aid of revenue, and £476,000 to redeem guaranteed debentures—are not included. As a set-off against the public debt there was an Accrued Sinking Fund amounting to £951,924 on 31st March, 1894, and £751,932 on 31st March, 1895.

( b) Rates of Interest.
Rate. Amounts Outstanding.
7 £15,000
6 ¼ 35,000
6 176,900
5 1,137,300
4 ½ 2,388,400
Rate. Amounts Outstanding
4 £31,167,702
3 ½ 5,466,351
Nil (overdue) 311
Total, 31st March, 1895 £40,386,964
( c) Annual Charge for Debt, on 31st March, 1895.
Amount. Average Rate.
Annual Interest £1,616,225 3·30%
Sinking Fund 40,746 £10%
Total £1,656,971 4·40%
( d) When Repayable.
Year. Amount.
1895 {£311 *
£136,408
1896 491,200
1897 305,890
1898 1,540,200
1899 279,302
1900 50,000
1905 102,600
1907 1,000,000
1908 184,000
1909 40,000
1910 183,025
1913 £506,500
1914 367,100
1915 3,800
1916 12,200
1929 (Inscribed Stock London) 29,150,302
1940 (Inscribed Stock London) 5,308,326
Annual drawings 725,800
Total, Mar. 31, 1895 £40,386,964

* Portion of expenditure on Defences included under Harbours, &c., and portion under “Unapportioned.”

* Overdue.

Consisting of £34,616,653 Inscribed Stock issued in London, £1,888,308 Stock in the Colony, and £3,882,003 Debentures.

13. Land Tax.

Land Tax is at the rate of 1d. in £1 on the value of land, less improvements and mortgages, after deducting an exemption of £500 on estates of an unimproved value of £1500 or under, and a gradually diminishing exemption up to £2500, when the exemption vanishes. (Mortgagees are taxed as if holders of land.)

Graduated Land Tax, in addition, on estates of an unimproved value (including mortgages) of £5000 or upwards. Rate of tax is graduated, commencing with ⅛ penny, and gradually increasing by eighths to a maximum of 2d. on properties valued at £210,000 or upwards. (Absentees pay 20 per cent. additional.)

( a) Land Owners in New Zealand
Percentage.
Paying tax 12,360 13 ½
Exempt from tax 79,141 86 ½
Total 91,501 * 100
( b) Value of Private Land
Without improvements— Acres. Percentage.
Taxed 48,480,000 53
Exempt 5,947,175 6
54,427,175 59
Improvements 37,943,991 41
Total 92,371,166 100

( c) Land Tax Payable 1893–4—

Ordinary £202,000
Graduated 83,000
Total £285,000

( d) Cost of Collection (average)—
Per £100 revenue from Land and Income Taxes £4 18 6
( e) Occupations of Taxpayers, 1892–3.
Ordinary Land Tax. Graduated Land Tax. Income Tax.
Designation. No. of Payers. Amount. No. of Payers. Amount. No. of Payers. Amount.
£ £ £
Professional — clergymen, lawyers, doctors, authors, editors, engineers, surveyors, and architects 449 6,612 42 755 652 6,153
Civil servants, officers of local bodies, teachers, &c. 173 773 5 10 391 1,498
Retired professional men, merchants, and others 154 6,610 45 1,660 89 692
Merchants, importers, warehousemen, contractors, &c.—firms 92 2,603 22 243 111 8,383
Merchants, importers, warehousemen, contractors, &c.—persons 300 5,770 56 1,306 127 2,010
Tradesmen, wholesale and retail shopkeepers, storekeepers, carriers, &c. 1,251 6,182 41 204 558 5,592
Working storemen, mechanics, labourers, shepherds, miners, sailors, &c. 220 474 2 7 29 62
Manufacturers, brewers, millers, founders, sawmillers, shipbuilders, &c. 170 1,697 19 175 139 2,280
Graziers, sheepfarmers, farmers, dairymen, &c. 4,760 60,203 766 28,015 97 1,123
Land, commission, or general agents, auctioneers, accountants, brokers, commercial and other managers, clerks, bookkeepers, master mariners 397 4,220 35 323 914 6,112
Widows, wives’ trustees, spinsters 1,837 13,574 57 689 58 483
Other trust estates and estates of deceased persons
1,522 33,455 210 6,738 26 362
Absentees 784 21,053 114 4,109 20 139
Companies—
Banks 6 4,596 6 2,512 4 3,076
Life insurance 6 6,771 6 446 8 4,573
Loan 30 26,567 14 2,700 15 1,656
Land 19 16,579 13 15,232 3 396
Mercantile 36 4,850 9 492 84 10,960
Manufacturing 23 1,832 8 463 44 5,254
Manufacturing and mercantile 15 1,495 5 791 21 3,336
Mining (coal) 6 92 2 8 7 1,325
Mining (gold) 23 2,735
Fire and marine insurance 9 2,631 3 221 28 5,427
Building societies 37 1,968 1 19
Church property—
Corporation and trusts 64 1,974 10 762
Totals 12,360 232,581 1,491 67,880 3,448 73,627

* Equivalent to 53 per cent. of adult male population.

16. Occupied Holdings 1891 (over 1 acre).

Acreage (000′s omitted).
Size of Holdings. No. of Holdings. Freehold. Leasehold, &c.∗ Total.
Acres.
1- 11,116 28, 24, 52,
10- 8,899 149, 106, 255,
50- 5,613 277, 158, 435,
100- 6,851 655, 374, 1,029,
200- 3,916 610, 403, 1,013,
320- 3,802 1,058, 660, 1,718,
640- 1,321 662, 396, 1,058,
1,000- 1,675 2,144, 1,281, 3,425,
5,000- 247 1,209, 560, 1,769,
10,000- 189 1,911, 788, 2,699,
20,000- 117 2,508, 833, 3,341,
50,000- 24 802, 723, 1,525,
Upwards of 100,000 7 397, 681, 1,078,
Total 43,777 12,410, 6,987, 19,397,

17. Agriculture, 1893–4.

Land Under— Acres. Produce.
Wheat 242,737 4,891,695 bush.
Oats 376,646 12,153,068 bush.
Barley 28,857 724,653 bush.
Maize 5,116 224,539 bush.
Other Cereals 16,494 444,126 bush.
Potatoes 21,121 126,540 tons.
Hay 60,740 86,198 tons.
Green Forage (exclusive of grass) 517,747
Mangolds, Beet, Carrots, &c. 7,021
Hops 778 7,665 cwt.
Tobacco 4 2,290 lb. drd.leaf.
Gardens and Orchards 31,060
Other Crops 5,291
In Fallow 142,342
Total Tillage 1,455,954
Under Permanent Artificial Grass 8,638,157
Produce Per Acre.
Wheat 20·05 bush.
Oats 32·27 bush.
Barley 25·51 bush.
Maize 43·39 bush.
Other Cereals 26·63 bush.
Potatoes 5·59 tons
Hay 1·12 tons

18.—Minerals Obtained up to end of 1893.

Quantity. Value.
Gold 12,600,944 ozs. £49,566,878
Silver 667,762 ozs. 153,887
Coal 5,653,063 tons }
Brown Coal and Lignite 2,843,786 tons 4,502,290
Kauri Gum 6,860,196
Manganese Ore 17,297 tons. 56,107
Antimony Ore, &c. 3,481 tons. 49,507
Chrome Ore 5,666 tons. 37,367
Other Minerals 111,757
Total £61,337,989

19.—Manufactories, Works, &c., Censuses 1881 and 1891.

(Including Gold-quartz and Hydraulic Mining Works, Collieries and Stone Quarries; but exclusive of Government Printing Office and Railway Workshops.)

1881. 1891.
No. of Manufactories, &c. 1,643 2,570
Hands Employed
Males 16,599 26,911
Females 1,399 2,969
Horse Power Employed 13,315 33,392
Wages Paid Annually To
Males £2,106,860
Females £102,999
Total £2,209,859
£ £
Value of Articles Produced *7,436,649 9,422,146
Value of Materials Used Not stated 3,472,000
Value of Machinery and Plant 1,612,141 3,051,699
Value of Lands and Buildings 1,993,141 2,775,277

* Figures for 1886.

19a.—Production and Employment in Chief Manufactories 1891.

Annual Output. Hands Employed.
£
Meat-freezing, Preserving, and Boiling-down Works 1,464,659 1,568
Tanning, Fellmongering, and Wool-scouring Establishments 1,026,349 1,196
Grain Mills 991,812 499
Saw Mills 832,959 3,266
Boot and Shoe Factories 403,736 1,943
Iron and Brass Foundries, Boiler Manufacturers, and Millwrights 403,635 1,787
Printing Establishments 354,559 2,569
Breweries 300,508 476
Collieries 279,777 1,655
Woollen Mills 279,175 1,175
Gold-mining, &c., Works 278,893 1,971
Flax Mills 234,266 3,204
All Others 2,571,818 8,571
Total £9,422,146 29,880

20.—Timber Industry, 1890.

No. of Mills 243
Hands Employed 3,266
Horse Power Employed 4,637
Timber Worked Up during Year
Quantity. Value.
Sawn 162,116,221 feet £566,535
Posts and Rails 56,293
Re-sawing, Planed Flooring, Skirting, &c. 30,451,949 feet 144,095
Moulding 8,436,584 run. feet 25,786
Doors and Sashes 52,275 No. 40,250
Total Value £832,959

22. State Primary Education, 1893.

Schools (No.) 1,355
Teachers (including 160 sewing mistresses) 3,426
Scholars—
Gross Enrolment 163,105
Distinct Children 138,500
Daily Attendance (average) 98,615
Percentage of Enrolments 60·0
Expenditure defrayed by—
State £349,688
Education Reserves Fund 37,170
Local Sources 2,902
Total £389,760
Cost of Instruction per head of Mean Population £0 11 9
Cost of Instruction per head in Average Attendance 3 19 0

Note.—The system of education is secular, compulsory, and free. The compulsory school age is 7 to 13.

24. Public Trust Office.
Estates Remaining at end of 1893.

No. Value.
Wills and Trusts 371 £543,238
Intestate Estates 886 84,436
Unclaimed Realty 117 23,465
Lunatic Estates 271 51,278
Native Reserves 102 348,500
West Coast Settlement Reserves 293 400,000
Total 2,040 £1,450,917

25. Government Advances to Settlers. (Act passed in 1894.)

Amount Authorized £3,000,000
Borrowed in London to 30th June, 1895 £1,500,000
Rate of Interest, Nominal 3%
Proceeds £1,416,600

Applications for Advances to 30th June, 1895—

No. Amount.
Received 2,156 £884,453
Dealt with 1,552 559,855
Approved 965 354,907

Note.—The object of this measure is to reduce the rate of interest payable by producers in the Colony, and it is stated that it has to a certain extent already achieved that object.