18 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 



of Great Britain, viz. 21*5, and this is lower than those of 

 France, Germany, and other leading European countries : yet we 

 have just seen what great improvement is possible, and if this 

 were effected New South Wales might become one of the 

 healthiest countries in the world ; or to use the words of our 

 Government Statistician " were it not for the pitiable waste of 

 infant life, the death-rate of this colony would not reach more 

 than half the European average" which is 25'63 per thousand ; 

 in fact it should not exceed the normal death-rate for New 

 Zealand, viz., 11.33 per thousand. Evidence to the same 

 effect is given in the " Report of the Mortality Experience of the 

 Australian Mutual Provident Society," which deals of course 

 with lives approved for assurance. This report by the Actuary, 

 Mr. Maurice A. Black, states that " The one broad fact which 

 will be found to stand out boldly throughout the whole of 

 these pages is that the mortality experience of this Society 

 has been more favourable than that of any other Life Assurance 

 Office in any part of the world. This is a pleasing reflection 

 for those colonists who have left, and an encouraging one 

 to others about to leave the old country, presumably only to 

 better their circumstances, to find that in their new home their 

 lease of life will be prolonged — that the average number of years 

 which persons of a specified age taken one with another enjoy is 

 greater in Sunny Australia than in the cold and rainy climate of 

 Great Britain." 



I will not detain you further upon this subject, but I have 

 made special reference to it, for it is one of such vital importance 

 for the future well-being of this country, and it is one in which 

 many Members of the Society may take a personal and active- 

 interest and become public benefactors. I must, however, here 

 acknowledge the effective influence for sanitary reform of the 

 Government Board of Health under the direction of Dr. 

 MacLaurin, also of the Water and Sewerage Board. 



Dr. Oscar Katz is engaged upon important work in his 

 bacteriological researches which are being published by the 

 Linnean Society. 



