Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/619

 MONEY AND CREDIT

271

money expeiuUul on railway construction and equipment to June 30, 1898, was 37,719,402/. The gross earnings for 1897-98 amounted to 3,026,748?., working expenses 1,614,605/., and percentage of working expenses to the gross earnings, 53-34. There were also, at the close of 1897,84 m. 34 ch. of private railways, which had a capital expenditure of 561,961/.

The tramways are the property of the Government. There were, on June 30, 1898, 65 miles open for traffic, the capital cost being 1,478,251/. The gross earnings for 1897-98 were 313,871/. ; the working expenses, 259,141/. ; and the percentage of working expenses to revenue 82 "56.

In 1897 there were 1,536 post-offices and 510 receiving-offices ; number of letters carried, 72,939,084 ; post-cards, 1,085,770 ; newspapers. 42,426,394 ; packets and book-parcels, 12,742,704 ; parcels, 539,503 ; money orders issued, 403,779 for 1,421,524/. ; postal notes paid, 377,282/.

At the end of December 1897 there were in operation 12,778 miles of telegraph posts, with 33,073 miles of wire; cost of construction, 932,412/. ; stations, 886; number of telegrams, 2,728,360; receipts, 427,440/. ; and the net revenue, 155,162/.

Money and Credit.

The value of gold, silver, and bronze coin issued at the Royal Branch Mint, Sydney, during five years, was : —

Year

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Total

£

£

£

£

1893

2,969,000

10,025

840

2,979,905

1894

3,067,000

6,300

505

3,073,805

1896

2,758,000

4,750

1,260

2,764,010

1896

2,544,000

10,800

2,880

2,557,680

1897

2,532,000

17,250

1,890

2,551,140

The assets of the banks (13 in 1897) trading in New South Wales, accord- ing to returns relating to operations within the Colony for the last quarter of each of the last five years, were : —

Notes and

Notes and

Balances

Year

1

Coin

Bullion

Landed

Bills dis-

Bills of

due from

Total

Property

counted.

other

other

Assets 1

&c.

Banks

Banks

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

1S93

5,877,891

95,386

1,918,196

40,024,354

578,0872

300,122

48,794,036

1894

7,330,005

100,525

1,936,321

37,378,947

214,503

232,913

47,195,214

189.0

7,364,059

151,619

1,919,017

35,701,125

22S.7592

257,150

45,622,329

1896

6,760,851

187,845

1,914,483

35,116,696

223,4872

324,466

44,527,828

1897

5,766,554

.175,037

1,816,691

35,697,494

227,4272

297,519

43,980,722

2 Inclusive of Legal Tender and Treasury Notes. The liabilities of the banks (exclusive of those to shareholders) were : —