New Zealand Official Year - Book, 1902. (Eyre and Spottis- woode.)—This volume
is full of interesting facts ; specially interesting because in more than one important matter New Zealand has taken the lead. The population in 1901 was 787,657, showing an increase in fifteen years of 198,271; the MmHg number 43,193, showing an increase of more than 3,000 in five years, and being almost the same as in 1878. The figures indicate a difficulty in counting, but it is clear that the race is not diminishing. The Public Debt is £52,966,417. The Income-tax produces £179,000; as it stands at sixpence in the pound, one penny produces only £30,000. Incomes of £300 and under are exempt, and all incomes are liable to this deduction. On the other band, incomes above £1,000 pay one shilling in the pound. But these figures, regard being had to the amount of the Debt, are scarcely satisfactory. The Revenue is £5,582,503; not quite a third of this comes from railways. The cost of the railways was £18,170,722, and the net income, after paying working expenses, £022,349, or £3 8s. 6d. per cent.
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