DieTURBANCE OF POPULATION ESTIMATES. 537 



but it averts suffering. Saving, when judiciously effected 

 and kept within modest hniits, represents a lien fou,nded on 

 previous self-restraint by the sick and the old and the unfor- 

 tunate on the healthy, the young, and the successful. It is a 

 good thing, but the relief secured comes out of curreut pro- 

 duction, and represents no increase of wealth. 



5.— DISTURBANCE OF THE POPULATION ESTI- 

 MATES BY DEFECTIVE RECORDS. 



By H. H. HAYTER, C.M.G., Government Statistician of Vic-tona. 



In the decennial period intervening between the censuses o 

 1881 and 1891 the population of Victoria actually increased 

 by 278,059, but the ajiparent increase, or that arrived at by 

 adding the excess of recorded births over recorded deaths to 

 the excess of recorded ari'ivals over recorded departures by 

 the seaboard during the same interval, Avas 345,04(3, or 

 fi6',987 more. In like manner in New South Wales, whilst 

 the census showed an actual increase of 381,033, the apparent 

 increase was 476,517, or as much as 95,484 moi-e ; in 

 Queensland, whilst the actual increase was 180,193, the 

 apparent increase was 212,206, or 32,013 more; and in 

 South Australia (exclusive of the Northeil] Territoi'y), whilst 

 the actual increase was 38,798, the apparent increase was 

 65,071, or 26,273 more. Western Austraha and the 

 Northern Territory having little, if any, land communication 

 with the other colonies, it is not necessary to take into account. 



It is thus apparent that the census returns of 1891 shoAved 

 a considerably smaller population in every one of the colonies 

 treated of than that indicated by the numbers obtained at the 

 previous decennial census added to the excess of births and 

 arrivals over deaths and departures which had been recorded 

 since that census was taken,— the total excess of the apparent 

 over the actual population being 220,757. 



It is evident that if an accurate census of all the colonies 

 named was obtained in 1881 and again in 1891, which there 

 is every reason to beheve there was, and the births, deaths, 

 arrivals, and departures occurring between the dates of those 

 censuses had been recorded correctl}', the apparent or calcu- 

 lated population of the part of Australia referred to would, 

 in 1891, have equalled its actual or census population. This, 

 of course, would only be the case for the colonies combined, 



