Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/649

 SHIPPING AND NAVIGATION— COMMUNICATIONS 301

the United Kingdom, from and to South Australia in the last five years, the values being shown from the Board of Trade returns : —

_

1893

1894

189^3

1896

1897

Imports into U. K.

from S. Australia :

£

£

£

£

£ !

Wool.

1,340,492

1,417,933

1,472,145

1,454,188

1,060,475

Wheat & flour.

240,015

567,506

453,144

Nil

Nil

Copper and

copper ore.

160,207

119,973

35,739

60,029

33,028 '

1

Exports from U. K.

to S. Australia :

Iron

201,154

206,481

197,917

293,479

304,026

Apparel, &c. .

173,465

195,041

187,325

225,395

194,299

Cottons.

184,420

241,416

243,303

292,780

224,037

Woollens

141,137

182,341

154,003

193,550

153,689

Machinery

41,124

32,723

38,479

46,795

66,255

Shipping and Navigation.

The registered shipping in 1897 consisted of 109 sailing vessels of 30,641 tons, and 217 steamers of 22,229 tons ; total, 326 vessels of 52,870 tons.

In 1897, 1,178 vessels of 1,774,476 tons entered, and 1,191 vessels of 1,785,673 tons cleared the ports of the colony.

Communications.

The colony possesses 5,014 miles of made roads. It had 1,870 miles of rail way open for traffic in December 1897 (1,724 miles in South Australia and 146 in the Northern territory). The railways pay about 3 per cent, profit to the Government.

There were 5,862 miles of telegraph and telephone in operation at the end of 1897, with 14,447 miles of wire. Inclusive of the total is an overland line running from Adelaide to Port Darwin, a distance of 2,000 miles in connection with the British Australian cable. The receipts exceed the cost of the department after paying interest on moneys borrowed for construction. Attached to the telegraph department are a number of telephone exchanges.

In 1897 there were 681 post offices in the colony ; and during 1897 there passed through them 19,128,982 letters, 2,039,686 packets, and 9,421,986 newspapers.

Banks.

There are 8 banking associations. In 1897 their total liabilities were 6,919,882^., and assets 7,473,670^. The average note circulation was 380,802/. and deposits 6,466,994/.

The Savings Bank is managed by a board of trustees appointed by the Government, and has 132 branches. On June 30, 1898, there were 96,401 depositors, with a total balance of 3,069,762/.

Agent'Oencralof South Australia in London. — Hon. J. A. Cockburn, M. D Secretary and Registrar of Stocks. — T. F. Wicksteed.