Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/663

 DEFENCE — l»ROt>lTCTlON AND INDUSTRY

B16

school buildings, and 1,800,970/, for other public works. The uoniiual rate of interest on the public debt varies from 3:} to 4^ per cent., and averages 3*88 per cent.

The net local ordinary revenue and expenditure (Municipalities, Harbour Trust, Metropolitan Board of Works, and Fire Brigade Boards) for 1896 were respectively 1,485,455/. and 1,507,991/. The net local debt (exclusive of amounts borrowed first by Government) amounted to about 8,761,499/.

The estimated total value of the rateable proi)erty of the colony in 1896 amounted to about 168,427,700/., and the annual value was 10,393,000/.

Defence.

The land forces of Victoria at the end of 1897 comprised an establishment of 4,969 men of all arms, of whom 379 were permanent, and 2,940 formed the militia, the remainder being volunteers. The naval force consists of a permanent force of 158, and the Naval Brigade, of 152 officers and men.

The Naval flotilla of the colony consists of the coast-defence ironclad Cerberus, and two tirst-class and three second-class torpedo boats. Victoria is a considerable contributor to the support of the Australian auxiliary ships. (See post under "Australian Defence.")

Production and Industry. I. Agriculture.

Of the total area of Victoria about 23,090,664 acres are either alienated or in process of alienation. Of the remainder about 8,300,000 acres are at present suitable for agriculture ; 15,700,000 acres for pastoral purposes ; State forests, timber and water reserves, over 4,800,000 acres ; auriferous land, 1,051,246 acres ; and roads, 1,524,248.

The total number of cultivated holdings in 1897-98 was 34,990.

The following table shows the areas under the principal crops and the produce of each for five years : —

Total

Tears

Area Cul- tivated

Wheat

Oata

Barley

Potatoes

Hay

1,000

1,000

1,000

1,000

1,000

1,000

1,000

1,000

1,000

1,000

1,000

Acres

Acres

Bushels

Acres

Bushels

Acres

Bushels

Acres

Tons

Acres

Tons

1894

3,019

1,469

16,256

.219

4,951

49

1,034

41

145

412

603

1895

2,980

1,374

11,446

266

5,033

97

1,596

56

197

493

622

1896

2,885

1,413

6,669

256

2,880

78

716

44

117

464

391

1897

3,008

1,581

7,091

419

6.817

62

8l6

44

146

417

449

1898

3,260

1,657

10,580

294

4,809

37

758

44

67

580

660

The produce per acre

of the principal crops has been



Year

Wheat

Oats

Barley

Potatoes

1 Hay

Malting

Other

Bushels

Bushels

Bushels

Bushels

Tons

Tons

1894

10-38

22-62

20-08

24-84

3-54

1-22

1895

8-33

21-14

15-65

21-82

3-49

1-26

1896

401

11-28

8-76

13-70

2-67

•84

1897

4-49

16-25

1201

19-45

3-37

1-08

1898.

6-38

16-35

1

19-24

23 09

1-52

1-14

1