Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/637

 AUEA AND POPULATION

289

John

Secretary for AgricicUure and Minis/cr for Public Lands, — Hon. J. Y, Chataway.

Home Secretary. — Hon. J. F. C. Foxton.

Postmaster-General and Minister for Just ice. — Hon. W. H. Wilson.

Treasurer and Secretary for Mines. — Hon. Robt. Philp.

Secretary for Public Instruction. — Hon. D. H. Dalvymple.

Secretary for Railways and Secretary for Public Works. — Hon. Murray.

IVithout Portfolio.— The Hon. A. H. Barlow and Hon. George Wilki*; Gray.

Each of the ministers who liolds a portfolio has a salary of 1,000Z. pei annum. The Vice-President of the Executive Council receives 300/. per an- num in addition. They are jointly and individually responsible for their acts.

Provision is made for Local Government by the subdivision of the Colony into areas denominated respectively municipal boroughs, municipal shires, and divisions. These are under the management of aldermen, councillors, and members, who are elected by the ratepayers and are charged with the control of all matters of a parochial nature, more especially the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges within their allotted areas.

The principal towns of the Colony are formed into boroughs. Shires mostly comprise adjoining suburban areas, whilst the divisions for the most part consist of purely rural districts.

The number and area of these subdivisions, together with the receipts and expenditure for the year 1897, were: —

No.

30

6

117

153

Area square mile.

Receipts

Expenditure

—

Boroughs Shires. Divisions

Totals

374A 57i 667,8201^

£ 225,896 19,191 179,171

205,511

17,722

175,749

668,252

424,258

398,982

The revenue is mainly derived from rates supplemented by a pro rata endowment paid by the central government from the consolidated revenue. The rates are levied on the assessed value of the land only exclusive of improvements.

Area and Population.

Queensland comprises the whole north-eastern portion of the Australian continent, including the adjacent islands in the Pacitic Ocean and in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The territory is of an estimated area of 668,497 English square miles, with a seaboard of 2,250 miles. In 1825 a branch penal settle- ment was made at Moreton Bay; in 1842 free settlers were admitted to the country and during the next twenty years great progress was apparent.

The increase in the population at different periods since 1846 has been as follows: —

Tears

Population

Increase per | years cent, per annum

Population

Increase per cent, per annum

1846 1856 1861 1871

2,257

18,544

34,367

125,146

.— 1 1881 72-16 1886 17'06 1891 26-41 1 1898

213,525

322,853 393,718 493,704

7-06

10-23

4-39