Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/662

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S14

THE BRITISH EMPItlE: — VICTORIA

There are 10 prisons in Victoria, besides police gaols. At the end of 1896 there were confined in these prisons 1,052 males and 172 females.

Finance. The actual revenue and expenditure of the colony in each of the last five years ended June 30 were— the figures for the last year being only approximate: —

Year ended June 30 —

Revenue

Expenditure

£,

£

1894

6,716,814

7,310,246

1895

6,712,152

6,760,439

1896

6,458,682

6,540,182

1897

6,630,217

6,568,932

1898

6,886,664

6,701,100

The following table shows the actual amounts of revenue and expenditure under the principal heads during 1896-97 : —

Heads of Revenue

Amount

Heads of Expenditure

Amount

Taxation : — Customs, duties, &c. . Excise Land tax . Duties on estates of

deceased persons Duty on bank notes . Stamp duty Business licences Tonnage, dues, &c. Income Tax

Total taxation .

Railways .

Post and telegraphs .

Crown lands

Other sources

£

1,759,380 294,746 11.5,524

86,906 19,128 • 153,500 17,099 19,603 179,301

Interest and expenses of debt .

Railways (working ex- penses) .

Other public works

Post and telegraphs .

Crown lands, &c.

Public instruction, science, &c.

Charitable institutions, &c

Judicial and legal

Police and gaols .

Customs, harbours, kc.

Mining

Defences

Other expenditure

£

1,892,092

1,476,696 251,552 580,507 135,928

568,357

263,723 156,137 299,235 93,211 53,316 181,649 616,529

2,645,187

2,597,255 522,741 413,551 451,483

Total .

6,630,217

Total.

6,568,932

The estimated revenue for 1898-99 w^as 6,907,439^., and expenditure 6,873,529Z.

The amount raised by taxation, as shown in the last table, viz. 2,645,187^. was equivalent to a proportion of 21. 5s. Od. per head of population.

Victoria has a debt, incurred in the construction of public works, which amounted, on June 30, 1898, to 47,058,088^. (exclusive of short dated Treasury Bonds 500, 000^.) On June 30, 1897, it was 46,929,321^. (exclusive of tem- porary treasury bills). Of this sum, 36,700,944/. was borrowed for the construction of railways, 7,321,850/. for waterworks, 1,105,557/. for State