Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 66

Increase or Decrease

Increase or Decrease.

As much difference of opinion has existed as to whether the numerical decline of the Maori race has not been, at any rate in certain districts, arrested, it may be interesting to compare, so far as they are given, the ages of the Maoris with the ages of the settled and steadily increasing population of England. The results of such inquiries show that there are causes in operation which increase the mortality of the adult Maoris without increasing the mortality of the children, so that the actual proportion of children to the whole population would be thereby much greater, and an appearance of productiveness shown which did not really exist.

page 9

Do such causes exist? Does the fact of the partial adoption by the adult Maori of civilized habits and costume, and the continual reversion to the habits and costume of barbarism, with a system rendered more susceptible to external influences, especially those of a humid and changeable climate, tend to promote the spread of disease, notably of tubercular diseases, and consequent mortality? Docs the spread of drinking habits tend to shorten the life of the adult Maori? These and other similar questions have an important bearing on the subject.