This page needs to be proofread.

TIRADE AND INDUSTRY.

n 1

the Church of England lost 1*31 per cent., the Church of Eome gained 0-64 per cent. Similarly, the Church of Scotland lost 0"66 per cent.; the Free Church of Scotland, 0-21 per cent.; the Jews, 0.15 per cent. ; while the Independents gained 0'35 per cent. ; the Baptists, 0*02 per cent. ; the Wesleyans, 0.38 per cent. ; and all other denominations, - 96 per cent.

The state of Education among the population was as follows

at the census of 1870 : —

Per cent. Persons able to read and write ..... 56 - 32 Persons able to read only . . . . • .1404 Persons not able to read 29 - 64

At the date of the previous census, in 18G1, it was found that only 42-62 percent, could read and write; that 14-60 per cent, could read only ; and that 31 '7 5 per cent, were totally uneducated.

The population of Tasmania shows little tendency to increase through immigration. In the year 18G8 there arrived 5,043 persons, and there departed 4,320 ; while in 1869 the arrivals were 6,521, and the departures 7,159 — a decrease of 638 by emigration.

Trade and Industry.

The trade of Tasmania has been decreasing of late years. The total imports from all countries amounted to 1,328,612/. in 1858, and had fallen to 982,940/. in 1863, to 942,107/. in 1867, and to 845,152/. in 1868. The total exports, which were of the value of 1,151,609/. in 1858, had fallen to 999,511/. in 1863, and to 834,606/. in 1867, but rose again to 920,820/. in 1868.

The total value of the exports from Tasmania to Great Britain, and of the imports of British produce and manufactures into Tasmania, in each of the five years 1865 to 1869, was as follows: —

Years

Exports from Tasmania to Great Britain

Imports of

British Home Produce

into Tasmania

1865 1866 1867 1868 1869

& 403,559 400,980 406,430 373,911 313,883

& 231,436 245,669 216,850 190,322 250,023

The staple article of exports from Tasmania to the United King- dom is wool. The value amounted to 422,969/. in 1»64, to 348,628/. in 1867, to 300,492/., representing 4,871,591 pounds of wool, in 1868, and to 242,917/., representing 4,298,129 poundsofwool, in 1869.