Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/656

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THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — TASMANIA

Country

Imports from

Exports to

1S95

1896

1897

1895

1896

1897

£,

&

&

&

&

&

United Kingdom.

315,172

379,930

397,510

202,870

173,867

274,497

Victoria

586,943

572,811

612,980

620,416

671,816

807,433

New South Wales

173,315

187,738

197,667

506,472

598,949

583,273

Other British colonies.

11,279

38,646

125,522

41,517

48,271

68,331

Foreign countries Total.

7,748

13,285

33,929

1,788

3,673

10,927

1,094,457

1,192,410

1,367,608

1,373,063

1,496,576

1,744,461

The recorded values are determined by the invoices and declarations ; the quantities are ascertained rom invoices, weights heins checked by the customs officials. It is diffi- cult to arrive at t'le value of t'le import trade in respect of any particular country, the ci'stom beinij to refer all imports, whether transhipments or re-exports, to the last port of clearance. Owing to the incre.'ising facilities offered by steam communication, direct trade with Tasmaniais falling off in favour of Indirect trade principally through Victoria, which from its geographical position is the nearest port of junction with the great oceanic lines of steamers with Euro])e. It is estimated that the true extent of inter-colonial trade in itself does not greatly exceed 25 per cent, of the whole, the balance being principally trade with England.

The total value of the imports into the United Kingdom from Tasmania and of the exports of British produce to Tasmania direct, for six years, was as follows, accordinfir to the Board of Trade returns : —

—

1892

1893

1894

1895

1896

1897

Imports from Tasmania. Exports of British pro- duce ....

395,356 478,069

253,099 328,312

346,776 305,529

274,441 338,489

315,978 423,784

289,369 412,234

The staple article of import into the United Kingdom from Tasmania is wool. The value was 135,909Z. in 1893, 194,170Z. in 1894, 168,336Z. in 1895, 215,462Z. in 1896, 181,134Z. in 1897. In 1897 fruit was imported to the value of 74,917Z. The principal exports from Great Britain to Tasmania are apparel and haberdashery, of the value of 71,374/. in 1897 ; iron, wrought and un- wrought, 37,562^; cottons, 65,065?.; woollens, 40,863/.

Shipping and Navigation.

The registered shipping in 1897 consisted of 155 sailing vessels of 8,340 tons, and 44 steamers of 6,036 tons ; total, 199 ves.sels of 14,376 tons. In 1897 699 vessels of 542,049 tons entered (38 of 116,719 tons belonging to the United Kingdom), and 717 of 542,119 tons (36 of 115,190 tons belong, ing to the United Kingdom) cleared Tasmanian ports. Of the former 250 of 322,046 tons entered, and of the latter 285 of 826,277 tons cleared Hobart ; the remainder falling to Launceston and sub-ports.

Internal Communications.

At the end of 1897 there were open for traffic 495 miles of railway com- pleted, consisting of a main line connecting the two principal ports, Hobart and Launceston, and a line connecting Launceston and Ulverstone, and other inland branch lines.

Tasmania has a telegraph system, belonging to the Government, througl^ all the settled parts of the colony. At the end of 1897 the number of miles of line in operation was 1,884, and 3,313 and 427 cable miles of wire; the number of stations 225, The number of telegraphic messages sent was