Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1361

 FINANCE — PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY

1005

Finance.

The following table shows the ordinary revenue and expenditure for the last 6 years, exclusive of advances made and refunded, and deposits made and Avithdrawn : —

Revenue. Expenditure

1892

£ 1,255,829 1,188,765

1893

1894

1895

1,702,684 1,302,054

£ £

2,247,728 3,539,955 1,734,728 2,079,095

1896

£ 4,807,513 4,671,393

1897

£ 4,480,218 4,394,066

In 1897 the chief sources of revenue were: imi)ort duties, 1,276,319Z. ; Netherlands railway, 737,366?. ; prospecting licences, 427,230?. ; explosives, 300,000?. ; stamps," 258,396?. ; posts and telegraphs, 215,320?. The chief hranches of exi)enditure were public works, 1,012,866?. ; salaries, 996,960?. ; war department, 396,384?. ; purchase of explosives, 271,435?, Of the Mining Commissions department, Johannesburg, the receipts in 1897 amounted to 896,044?., and expenditure to 101,369?. ; credit balance, 794,675?.

The public debt on Septcm])er 9, 1897, was 2,673,690?., including direct lia])ilities to the British Crown 146,690?., and Rothschild loan, 2,500,000?. The State lands were valued in 1884 at 400,000?., but may now be valued at some millions, as the goldficlds at Barberton are on Government lands. The debt due to Great Britain bears interest at 3^ per cent., and is to be extinguished by a sinking fund of 3?. Os. ^d. per cent, in twenty-five years.

Defence.

The Republic has no standing army, with the exception of a small force of horse artillery of 32 officers, 79 non-commissioned officers, and 289 men, all able-bodied citizens being called out in case of war. There are 3 foot and 6 mounted volunteer corps, numbering about 2,000 men, subsidised by Government. The number of men liable to service iu 1894 was \ 26,299.

Production and Industry.

The South African Republic is specially favourable for agriculture as well as stock-rearing, though its capacities in this respect are not yet developed. It is estimated that 50,000 acres arc under cultivation. The agricul- tural produce, however, is not sufficient for the wants of the population. There are about 12,245 farms, of which 3,636 belong to Government, 1,612 to outside owners and companies, and the rest to resident owners and companies.

Gold-mining is carried on to a great extent in the various goldtields, principally Barberton and AVitwatersrand.

The total value of gold production from the year 1884 has been : —

Year

1884

1885.

1886

1887

1888.

1889

1890.

1891.

£

Year

£

10,096

1892.

. 4,541,071

6,010

1893.

. 5,480,498

34,710

1894

. 7,667,152

169,401

1895.

. 8,569,555

967,416

1896.

. 8,603,821

1,490,568

1897.

. 11,476,260

1,869,645

2,924,305

Total.

. 53,810,508