B. DETAILED STATEMENTS

1. Area.

North Island	44,468 square miles.
Middle Island	58,525 square miles.
Stewart Island	665 square miles.
Other Islands	813 square miles.
Total	104,471 square miles.

Note.—The area is one-fifth larger than Victoria, but one-seventh smaller than the United Kingdom. The length of coast line is 4330 miles.

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.

page 447

4. Electoral Franchise, 1893.

Electors on Roll (exclusive of Maoris)—

Males	193,536
Females	109,461

Electors who recorded their votes in contested districts, 1893—

Proportion to No. on Rolls.

Males	75 per cent.
Females	85 per cent.

Note.—Women were admitted to the franchise in September, 1893.

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

6. Balance of Immigration.

Period.	Total.	State Assisted Immigrants.	Expenditure on Immigration
1853–60	33,483	Not stated
1861–70	113,705^*	Not stated	£2,008,500
1871–80	136,733^†	100,920
1881–90	20,257	14,614	179,200
1891–93	1,760	44	1,533
Total	£2,189,233

^* Of which 73,000 took place in 1861–3.

^† Of which 63,376 took place in 1874–5.

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.

page 448

9. Public Revenue, 1894–5.

	(Exclusive of Loans.).
Taxation—
Customs	£1,569,785
Excise—Beer Duty	59,901
Land Tax	280,207^†
Income Tax	89,892
Succession and other Stamp Duties	297,000∗
Total	£2,296,785
Land Revenue—
Alienation	£131,468
Rents of Pastoral Lands, &c.	184,699
Total	£316,167
Public Works—
Railways	£1,152,748
Post and Money Order Office	254,800^*
Telegraphs and Telephones	86,900^†Including £19 on account of old Property Tax.
Total	£1,494,448
Miscellaneous—
Registration and Other Fees (including fee stamps)	£89,906
Marine	21,514
Other	69,896
Total	£181,316
Grand Total	£4,288,716

^* Approximate only; one kind of stamp being used for all these purposes.

^† Exclusive of value of Government Free Correspondence and Messages, viz.:— Postage, £59,070; Telegrams, £26,080.

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	£223,175page 449
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	£6,552,047page 450
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.

page 451

12. Income Tax.

Levied on all incomes over £300 not derived from land, with an exemption of first £300 and a further exemption up to £50 for Life Assurance Premiums paid, at the following rates for 1893–4:—

First taxable £1000	6d. in £1
Over £1000	1s. in £1

(Note.—No exemption to absentees or companies. Dividends from companies are not included in individual incomes, but are taxed as Companies’ Income. Companies pay the higher rate.)

Revenue, 1893–4	£75,238
Revenue, 1894–5	89,892

Of which the proportion payable by companies is 53 per cent.

No. of taxpayers, 1892–3 (including 237 companies)

3,448

Proportion to adult male population, nearly 2 per cent.

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

page 452

(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.

page 453

14. Chief Exports, 1893.
I. Home Products.

(a) Animal Products—
	Value.
Wool	£3,774,738
Meats—Frozen	1,085,16
Meats—Preserved	46,601
Butter	254,645
Cheese	99,626
Tallow	183,588
Skins—Sheep	172,294
Skins—Rabbit	138,952
Skins—Sausage	29,407
Hides	8,390
Live stock (chiefly horses)	32,639
Other	16,893
Total	£5,842,940

(b) Agricultural Products—
Flour	£13,932
Grain—Wheat	343,626
Grain—Oats	190,094
Grain—Other	49,677
Potatoes	23,308
Seeds—Grass and Clover	57,554
Bran and Sharps	12,075
Oatmeal	11,086
Hops	9,668
Other	5,526
Total	£716,546

(c) Minerals—
	Value.
Gold	£915,921
Coal	72,699
Other	15,561
Total	£1,004,181

(d) Timber, &c.
Timber	£108,275
Kauri-gum	510,775
Other Products	6,724
Total	£625,774

(e) Manufactures.
Phormium (N.Z. Flax)	£219,375
Leather	71,004
Woollen Goods	7,434
Soap	4,427
Other	43,396
Total	£345,636
(f) Fish	£9647
(g) Miscellaneous	£12,719

Total I.—N.Z. Products	£8,557,443
Total II.—Specie	304,519
Total III.—Re-exports	123,402
Grand Total	£8,985,364

15. Public and Private Lands at end of 1893.

Private Land—
Alienated in fee simple—	Acres.
Sold	13,608,838
Granted without purchase	7,093,162^*
In process of alienation under deferred payment system	435,600
	21,137,600page 454
Crown Lands—	Acres.
Under Perpetual Lease with right of purchase	1,100,537
Under Occupation with right of purchase	138,073
Lease in Perpetuity (999 years)	208,785
Under Depasturing Leases^†	11,896,110
Small Grazing Runs^†	893,874
Maori Lands	14,000,000
State Forest Reserves	1,136,467
Remainder of Public Estate	16,350,018
Total Area of Colony	66,861,464

Note.—Of the 31,700,000 acres of unalienated Crown lands (exclusive of Maori lands) nearly 10,000,000 acres are forests; 9,000,000 barren mountain tops, lakes, &c.; and the remainder open fern or grass country. The Maori lands also embrace large forest spaces. The rental of land selected with right of purchase is 5 per cent., and of a lease in perpetuity 4 per cent. of the cash price of the land. Right of purchase can only be exercised in the former case after ten years’ residence.

^* Including grants to Maoris and others under Native Land Acts.

^† The Number and Rental of Depasturing Leases were 1481 and £125,351 respectively; and of small Grazing Runs 477 and £18,892.

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	—page 455
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	£2,209,859page 456
	£	£
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

page 457

21. Government Railways, 1893–4 (Gauge 3ft. 6in.)

Miles Open—
At End of Year	1,948 miles.
Per 1000 Inhabitants	2·20 miles.
Average for Year	1.917 miles.
Capital Cost	£15,137,036
Average per Mile	£7,771
Revenue Account—
Gross Receipts	£1,172,792
Average per train mile	90½d.
Working Expenses	£735,538
Average per train mile	563/4d.
Percentage of Receipts	62·2
Net Receipts	£437,434
Percentage of Mean Capital Cost	2·23
Traffic—
Train Mileage	3,113,231
Per Head of Population	7·71
Passenger Journeys	6,122,340
Average per mile open	3,194
Goods Carried (tons)	2,198,709
Average per mile open	1,110

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.

page 458

23. State Life Insurance, 1893.

	Percentage of Assurances in-all Offices.
Policies in Force	31,709	53
Sums Assured and Bonuses	£9,098,000	54
Annual Income	£362,000
Funds	£2,129,000

Note.—Amongst Policy-holders the most numerous are Farmers, Government Officials, Labourers, Clerks, Railway Employés, Farm Labourers, and Miners.

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.

▼ About this page

Other formats

Connect

▼ Browse collection

History of New Zealand. Vol. III.

B. DETAILED STATEMENTS