Although these figures are official it may be wise to use them with reservation. The comparatively high mortality north of the Tropic of Capricorn is fully accounted for by the absence of the comforts of life in that newly settled area. In 1901 the mortality beyond the tropic was, for children under five years, almost the same as in New South Wales and Victoria. So that, so far as young children are concerned, we need not fear that the climate of Tropical Queensland will be found unfavourable to the British race. The death ratio of the population is somewhat higher in the tropics than in the South for each age group mentioned, and consequently of course for persons of all ages; this applies to both the years cited, 1891 and 1901. These years have been selected as, being "Census" years, the numbers at each age can then be definitely determined. The mortality rate for 1901 showed a distinct improvement on that for 1891 in all instances except with persons over five years of age in the South; as regards these the experience for 1901 was fractionally less satisfactory than in 1891. [Illustration: "QUEENSLAND and Territory of PAPUA 1909"] RETURN SHOWING THE POPULATION, NUMBER OF DEATHS, AND THE RATE OF MORTALITY AT CERTAIN AGES FOR THE YEARS 1891 AND 1901. ----------------------------+----------------------------------------++ | 1891. || +--------------+-----------+-------------++ | Census | Number of | Ratio || ------ | Population. | Deaths. | per 1,000 || | | | of the || | | | Population. || ----------------------------+--------------+-----------+-------------++ QUEENSLAND-- | | | || | | | || NORTH OF THE TROPIC OF | | | || CAPRICORN-- | | | || | | | || Under 2 years | 6,426 | 481 | 74.85 || +--------------+-----------+-------------++ Under 5 years | 15,061 | 594 | 39.44 || Over 5 years | 93,925 | 1,088 | 11.58 || +--------------+-----------+-------------++ All ages | 108,986 | 1,682 | 15.43 || |==============|===========|=============|| | | | || SOUTH OF THE TROPIC OF | | | || CAPRICORN-- | | | ||