CO129-426 - Public Offices - 1915 — Page 482

2. Local Government-

(4.) Local taxation and other sources (b) Grants from Treasury, &c...

1. Hokkaido Government-

12

Yen. 2,171,453 118,586

Total

2,290,049

EXPENDITURE.

13

Enclosure 3 in No. 1.

Notes on Emigration from Japan to the Hokkaido and elsewhere.

THE following tables show: (a.) the population of the Hokkaido at successive stages during the past five decades, and (b.) the population as influenced by the volume of immigration during the decade 1903-1912-

(a.) POPULATION of the Hokkaido, 1872-1912.

(a.) Ordinary, administrative expenses, &c.

(b) Special account, forests

564,923

365,182

(c) Extraordinary, development scheme

all other

11

2,880,579

84,629

Total ..

3,845,313

2. Local Government-

(a) Ordinary, including police, sanitation, schools, upkeep of roads, dc, kr. (b.) Extraordinary

1,889,196

1872

400,852

1877

1887

1897

Total

2,290,049

1907

1912

It will be seen that the local taxation practically meets local expenditure. The expenditure under the Development Scheme was only 2,830,000 yen, instead of the 5,000,000 provided by the programme.

Year.

Japanese.

Ainu,

Total.

95,921,

15,275

111.196

166,130

16,940

188,075

304,156

16,962

321,118

769,239

16,972

786,211

1,372,364

17,715

1,720,880

18,219

1,390,079 1,739,099

2. The main items of State revenue in the Hokkaido (1912-13) are as follows:-

(b.) VOLUME of Immigration, 1903--12.

Yeu.

Revenue of Hokkaido Government from lease or sale of forests and other

property, and from all other sources

Year.

Immigrants.*

Net Increase

Net Increase

Emigrants."

1,698,000

thereby.

•

all Causes.

Total Population.

Grosa receipts of railways

8,778,000

National taxation

5,281,022

1903.,

44,912

8,738

36,204

31,449

Salt and other monopolies

6,645,570

1,077,280

1904..

50,111

Communications department

3,720,000

9,027

41,084

57,889

1,124,069

1905..

58,224

10.395

47,829

67,725

1,192,394

All other

1906..

66,793

10.092

I

56,701

96,757

1,289,151

1907..

79,737

19,457

65,280

100,928

1,390.079

Total revenge

Geographical Appendix (with two Maps.)*

27,405,000

1908..

80,578

15,578

65,000

57,889

1,447,968

1900..

68,848

13,799

50,049

80,429

1,537,397

1910..

58,095

18,925

44,980

73,148

1,610,545

1911..

61,577

13,723

47,854

57,048

1,667,593

61,156

13,963

47,193

71,506

1,739,099

The total area of the Hokkaido, excluding the Kurile Islands, is 31,200 square miles, which is about equal to the combined areas of Kiushui, Shikoku, and Formosa, that is, about one-fourth the total area of Japan, or three times the area of Belgium

It lies between latitude 41° north, and 45° north-roughly the latitude of the New England States, to which it approximates in climate. The climate is influenced by two currents, a warm one bathing the southern and western shores, and a cold one from the north-east, which unites with the warm current of the north-eastern shores of the island, and causes very frequent fogs in that region in summer, while bringing down drift ice in winter.

There is a wide range of temperature through the island, the Kamikawa and Tokachi districts showing the greatest extremes of cold and heat. The following figures will give an idea of the range of temperature:-

1912 Temperature (Centigrade).

Average.

Maximum.

Rain and Snowfall.

Minimum.

Metres.

Hakodate

7.9

30.4

-13'4

1.105

Sapporo

11-0

31.2

-21.2

1-167

Nemuro

4.5

26.4

-14-9

.968

Kuabiro

4.1

26.1

-24·1

1.151

Fokachi

4.0

32.4

-30-3

1.205

In some years the minimum temperature is as low as 40° C., but this is unusual for the greater part of the island. The isotherm of Hakodate passes through New York. The larger part of the island is under snow for about four months annually, varying from 3 to 8 feet in depth.

For geographical features, v. small map attached.**

Not reproduced.

1912..

• Including only such immigrants as entered the flokkaido under the officis protection of the Hokkaido Immigration Bureau, and not including independent settlers, of whom, however, the proportion is very small.

These figures are compiled from statistics published by the Hokkaido Government. They break down at once under scrutiny, if checked by control calculations such as the following:

-

Taking for instance the year 1908. The total increase in the population over 1907 was, according to statistics, 57,889. Yet the net increase by the excess of assisted immigrants over emigrants alone was 65,000, and to this must be added not only the number of independent immigrants, but also the increment by excess of births over deaths, which is 28,000 for population on permanent register alone, and 32,000 for the total resident population at the rate assigned to the fiokkaido in vital statistics,

On enquiry it appears that the figures for total population are arrived at by adding together-

1. The population on the permanent register in the Hokkaide; and

2. The difference between the number of persons reporting temporary domicile established and the number reporting temporary domicile relinquished, in the Hokkaido for a given year.

The second of these obviously gives an incorrect figure, since it presumes that all reports are made in the year to which they refer, whereas in practice people often postpone their report for several years, and sometimes neglect to make it altogether. I have attempted to arrive at an estimate of actual resident population, allowing for these factors, but found it impossible.

With the reservation, therefore, that the figures of total population and total increase are, to the above extent, unreliable, for the Hokkaido at least, it is interesting

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