Section Gi. 



SOCIAL AND STATISTICAL SCIENCE. 



ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, 

 G. H. KNIBBS, F.S.S., F.R.A.S., Etc. 



Commonwealth Statistician. 



THE PKOBLEMS OF STATISTICS. 



1. Ancient Statistics. 

 :2. Mediaeval Statistics. 

 3. Modern Statistics. 



SYNOPSIS. 



I. — IM'RODUCTIOX. 



4. Univer.^ity Influence. 

 I 5. Matlieniatical Develojunent. 



II, — Evolution ok Statistical Science. 



1. Origin of Official Statistics. 



2. Comparative statistics. 



3. The Human Being as the Basic Unit. 



4. Beginning of the Modern Census. 



5. The Elimination of supposed Non-statis- 



tical Elements. 



6. First Effect of Elimination of Various 



Elements. 



7. Ilhislration of the Evolution of Scientiflc 



Idea of Statistics. 



8. Statistical Prediction. 



9. The Assistance of Mathematics. 



10. The Value of Graphs. 



11. Recent Interest in Statistics. 



12. Characteristic Features of Modern 



Statistics. 



III.— The Ranoe of the Problem of Modern Statistics. 

 1. Classification of Statistics. 



ntal Statistics (A). 



8. Theory of Disease. 



9. Theory of Epidemics. 



10. Economic Aspect of Vital Phenomena. 



11. Hygiene. 

 li. Eugenics. 



13. The Reach of Eugenics. 



2. Population and its Variation. 



3. Oscillatory Character of Population 



Phenomena. 



4. Regression towards Average Values. 



5. Ancestral Inheritance, 

 d. The Mendelian Theory 

 7. Unit Characters. 



Econoinic Statistics (B). 



14. Productive Activities. i 16. Statistics of Distribution. 



15. Political Aspects of Pi-oductive Activity. [ 17. Agents of Production and Distribution. 



IV. — The Present Aspect of Statistical Problems. 

 1. Return to Original Conception of Statistics. i 3. Essentials of a Statistical Review. 

 .2. Scope of Statistical Problems. [ 4. Conclusion. 



1. Ancient Statistics.— To-daj the range of the appHcation of the 

 statistical method is very wide, and the problems being- attacked and 

 leduced are both numerous and significant. Any attempt to indicate 

 the main features of these problems may be more accurately appre- 

 ciated, if primarily we glance for a little while at the history of the 

 subject. And such a review as is suggested will not be without value 

 as regards the problems that must be attacked in Australia in the near 

 future. 



The science of statistics is probably as old as history, and we 

 know at least that from the earliest times the exigencies of adminis- 

 tration involved various statistical inquiries. In Egypt, as far back 

 as 3050 B.C., the systematising of the arrangements for the construc- 

 tion of the pyramids demandetl quite a considerable body of statistics ; 

 in 2200 B.C., maps of the whole country, and statistical data relating 

 thereto, were compiled; in 1400 B.C., a complete cadastre appears to 

 have been made by Ramases II. ; and in 600 B.C., all the heads of the 

 Egyptian families were duly registered by the police. 



