The proportion who could not read increased slowly with each succeeding quinquennial period of age, until at 50-55 years it stood at 4.04 per cent.

At 75 to 80 years the proportion was 7.05, and at 80 and upwards it advanced to 8.07.
Similarly, the proportion of persons who could read only increased from 0.65 at 10-15 years to 3.66 at the period 50-55 years, and again to 9.74 and upwards.

The better education of the people at the earlier stages is thus exhibited." Further evidences of improved education will be found in the portion of his work relating to marriages, where it is shown that the proportion of persons in every thousand married, who signed by mark, has fallen very greatly since 1881.

The figures for the sexes in the year 1881 were 32.04 males, and 57.04 females, against 6.19 males and 7.02 females in 1895.
For the position of teacher in a public school in New Zealand, at a salary of L60 a year, there were 14 female applicants, 10 of whom held the degree of M.A., and the other four that of B.A.
The number of children, 5-15 years of age, in New Zealand, was estimated as on 31st December, 1902, at 178,875.

The number of children, 7-13 years of age (compulsory school age), was estimated as on 31st December, 1902, at 124,986.