Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/618

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THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — NEW SOUTH WALES

The staple article of import from New South Wales into the United Kingdom is wool, the quantities and values of which were as follows in each of the last five years : —

Year

Quantity

Value

Lbs.

£

1893

150,096,324

5,367,474

1894

173,227,826

6,058,637

1895

186,086,926

6,068,350

1896

163,717,080

5,743,230

1897

165,843,338

5,588,413

Other important articles of import into Great Britain from New South Wales are tallow (1897), 661,202Z. ; fresh beef, 88,145^. ; fresh mutton, 786,140Z. ; preserved meat, 314,467^. ; silver ore, 79,006Z. ; gold ore, 43,192Z. ; copper, 267,103Z. ; copper ore, 16,708^. ; lead, 70,238^. ; lead ore, 46,587^. ; tin, 90,307Z. ; hides, 101,349Z. ; skins and furs, 150,769^. ; leather, 337,313?. ; butter, 112,218Z.; oil nuts, 90,274Z, The chief exports from Great Britain to New South Wales in 1897 were apparel, 742,854Z.; iron, 702,820Z. ; cottons, 850,285Z. ; woollens, 639,400Z. ; linens, 127,187Z. ; hats, 115,465Z. ; machinery, 196,276Z. ; cycles, 48,584Z. ; leather, 181,629/. ; paper, 165,136Z. ; spirits, 182,280Z. ; beer and ale, 167,362Z.

Shipping and Navigation.

The shipping on the registers of the colony at the close of 1897 consisted of 475 sailing vessels of 54,671 tons, and 496 steamers of 66,750 tons ; total 971 vessels of 121, 421 tons, while the shipping registered during the year consisted of 29 sailing vessels of 6,378 tons, and 20 steamers of 8,220 tons ; total 49 vessels of 14,598 tons.

The number and tonnage of British and foreign vessels entered and cleared, with cargoes and in ballast, during three years were : —

Year

British

Foreign

Total

Vessels

2,900 2,881 2,960 2,944 2,996 2,775

Tonnage

Vessels

Tonnage

Vessels

Tonnage

2,929,758 2,930,280 : 3,080,751 1 3,109,009 ' 3,331,877 3,412,554

,qqk/ Entered. ^^^H Cleared. TCQ^/ Entered. l^^nCleared. 1007/ Entered. ^^^'^l Cleared.

2,604,664 2,610,510 2,701,247 2,731,645 2,837,143 2,913,314

221 209 264 264 349 345

325,094 319,770 379,504 377,364 494,734 499,240

3,121 3,090 3,224 3,208 3,345 3,120

Of the total cleared in 1897, 1,425 of 1,916,075 tons were from Sydney, and 1,025 of 1,243,591 tons were from Newcastle.

Internal Communications.

In 1898 there were 10,110 miles of roads metalled, gravelled, ballasted, or corduroyed ; 6,822 formed ; 7,127 cleared and drained ; 8,231 cleared only ; 14,578 of bush roads ; and 1,916 miles not described. The total mileage of roads was 48,784, including 7,988 miles of roads in municipalities.

The following are particulars of the Government railways in the colony on June 30, 1898 :— Lines open for traffic, 2,691^ miles. The total amount of