New Zealand O f ficial Year-Book. Prepared by E. J. Von Dordelszen.
(Eyre and Spottiswoode.)—This volume is full, as may be supposed, of interesting information. The popti- lation on December 31st, 1007, was 920,484, showing an increase
over 1906 of 20,758, of which 6,730 wore immigrants, The excess of males was about 56,000. The Maori population was 47,731. Tho revenue for 1908 was £9,063,989, of which rather more than a half came from taxation,, the chief item in " other sources" being £2,765,395 from railways. This gives rather more than XS per head in taxes. The public Debt was £03,521,901, but of this .£21,271,000 was for railways. The Debt of the United Kingdom and Ireland was at the same time £708,975,866, the population being, with allowance for increase on the Census of 1001, about 43,000,000. This works out at about £45 per head. of Debt in New Zealand, and £17 in the United Kingdom ; but the ability to pay is quite another matter. The savings-banks total in Now Zealand is £12,685,063, or about £13 per head; here it is .£209,653,572, or between £4 and £5 per head. The political arrangements, the civil administration, the physical features of the island, its agriculture, mines, &c., are duly noticed, and there is a sketch of its history.
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