93,415 Natives.

Census Shows Reduced Numbers

In B.S.I.

WITH the problem of depopulation of the Pacific becoming yearly more acute, the 1931 report of the Resi dent Commissioner of the British Solo mon Islands Protectorate does not make pleasant reading.

The British Solomons have been re garded for years as carrying a native population of 150,000, but actual census returns for 1931 show that the popula tion is less than two-thirds that num ber. The actual total is 93,415.

According to the Pacific Islands Year Book for 1932, the population of Malaita was estimated at 60,000, and was the most populous island in the Group. The report shows that Malaita carried only 40,067 in 1931.

The total population of the various districts, as shown in the report, is as follows: N’Gela and Save 5,300 Santa Cruze 5,080 Ysabel and Cape Marsh 5,700 Guadalcanal 14,215 Malaita 40.067 Shortlands 1.301 Gizo 7,173 Clioiseul 4,051 Lord Howe 750 Rennell and Bellona 1,500 Sikiana 235 Unclassified 483 As regards the health of the Group, the year 1931 promised to be a good one but an outbreak of influenza occurred in July and lasted for several months, with the usual disastrous results to the native population. Despite this, there was a marked falling off in the admis sion to the hospital at Tulagi as com pared with previous years. Admissions in 1931 were: European 36, Asiatic 19, Native 468.

This cannot be taken as an indication that the general health of the natives is improving. The report attributes it to lack of transport for patients, as there are fewer vessels operating in the Group since the depression.

Births and deaths are recorded in the Districts of Guadalcanal, Gizo, Eastern Solomons, N’Gela and Savo, and the records are believed to be accurate.

Owing to illiteracy of the natives and to infrequency of communication, complete figures cannot be collected till some time after the end of the year and are not available for inclusion in the report for the year. Vital statistics for 1930:

Only in two districts do the female births outnumber the male. They are E.

Solomons, where there were 104 male and 115 female births and N’Gela, 24 male and 43 female births.

The Fiji Medical and Health Depart ment reports that during 1931, 119 patients were admitted to the Leper Colony on Makogai Island. These in cluded 66 Indians, 31 Fijians, 13 Solo mon Islanders and seven Samoans.

Population. Births. Deaths.

Guadalcanal 14.393 376 678 Gizo 6,475 205 150 N’Gela 3,892 67 65 E. Solomons 7,976 219 287 Savo 748 21 19