Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/612

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THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — NEW SOUTH WALES

spent on the construction of railways, tramways, telegi-aphs and water supply, and sewerage controlled by Boards. The net return from these services was equal to 3 '68 per cent, of the cost of construction ; or 3*00 per cent, of the existing Public Debt, exclusive of treasury bills. In June, 1897, the amount still to be raised on which the authority had not been withdrawn was 13,462,067/.

The expenditure of loans, exclusive of redemptions, up to June 30, 1897, has been : Railways and tramways, 40,273,799Z. ; telegraphs and telephones, 935, 396/. ; harbours and river navigation, 2,260,220/. ; wharfs, 1,479,766/. ; docks, 319,951/. ; roads and bridges, 989,573/. ; immigration, 194,430/.; water supply and sewerage, 7,786,584/. ; fortifications and war-like stores, 1,242,006/. ; public buildings, 2,609,774/. ; public school buildings, 403,820/. ; works in Queensland prior to separation, 49,855/.; total, 58,545,174/.

The financial statistics of the incorporated boroughs and municipal dis- tricts are as follows for the municipal year 1897-98: —

—

Fair Averaj>e

AnnualRentalof

all Property in

Municipalities

Estimated

Capital Value of

all Property in

Municipalities

Revenue exclusive of Loans

Expendi- ture

Loans Out- standing

City of Sydney. Suburbs.

Metropolis Country.

Total.

£ 2,081,880 2,533,100

£ 43,465,200 44,925,600

£ 179,252 239,215

£ 280,237

248,442

1,335,000 i 717,440

4,614,980 2,229,540

88,390,800 34,322,600

418,467 287,822

528,679

288,745

2,052,440 565,601

6,844,520

122,713,400

706,289

817,424

2,618,041

The estimated wealth of the colony at the census of 1891, and at the close of the year 1892, when the latest estimate was made, was as follows : —

At census of

At close of

i

1891

1892.

£

£

Revenue-yielding railways, waterworks, «&c. . Works and buildings not directly revenue yielding Amount due to lands purchased from the State Public lands leased but not sold. ...

Municipal property

Total public wealth

44,958,000 20,313,000 13,224,000 94,400,000

46,752,900 23,493,400 13,671,200 98,008,000

181,925,500 7,213,000

172,895,000 6,400,000

179,295,000

189,138,500

Land

Houses and improvements

Other forms of wealth

173,352,000 129,800,000 104,253,000

179,043,000

126,896,000

96,209,000

Total private wealth

407,405,000

404,148,000

Total wealth

586,700,000

593,286,500

Defence.

In 1897 the military force of the colony comprised 7,186 men, of whom 591 formed the regular force, and 6,595 volunteers, the great majority of whom are partially paid. There were also in the colony civilian rifle clubs, with