Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/666

 318

THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — VICTORIA

The values of the principal articles of import and export have been as follow in the last five years : —

—

1893 £

1894

1895

1896

1897

Imports

£

£

£

£

Coal

418,484

195,415

201,047

194,035

228,647

Cottons.

698,957

879,803

927,269

1,009,150

919,661

Iron and steel.

265,749^

282,063^

346,824^

453,990^

535,666

Live stock

478,422

432,580

361,569

462,554

528,787

Sugar and molasses.

619,830

744,246

647,982

787,309

785,717

Timber.

154,061

149,817

174,146

233,525

251,451

Wool.

2,552,933

2,517,437

2,367,915

2,270,496

1,964,731

Woollens

445,652

456,286

496,920

612,874

604,895

Exports

Gold, mostly specie.

2,851,179

3,718,675

3,750,737

3,298,912

6,472,318

Wheat.

717,087

660,718

403,780

91,605

225,957

Live stock

272,221

282,045

294,886

337,541

329,860

Wool.

5,103,907

4,742,522

5,151,153

4,959,404

3,999,813

1 Exclusive of rails, wire, &o.

The quantity of wool exported in 1897 amounted to 123,572,693 lbs., valued at 3,999,813^., of which, however, little more than half was the produce of Victoria.

Of the total imports those arriving at the port of Melbourne were valued at 13,098,633Z., and of the exports those shipped from Melbourne were valued at 15,539,177^. in 1897.

The commercial intercourse of Victoria \vith the United Kingdom (ex- clusive of gold) is shown in the subjoined table, according to the ' Board of Trade Returns,' for each of the last five years : —

—

1893

1894

1895

1896

1897

Imports into

U.K. from

Victori'a Exports of Brit.

produce to

Victoria

£ 6,078,997

3,354,015

£ 6,559,144

3,775,111

£ 7,236,248

3,939,070

£ 5,429,189

4,833,265

£ 5,590,662

4,622,544

The value of goods for export is the vahie at the port of shipment, as declared by exporters. The recorded quantities are those declared bj^ importers and exporters. Those of imports are nearly all checked and corrected by Custom House officers. The country of origin, or production, of imports is ascertained from the declarations of importers. It is supposed to be that of prime origin, but the " country whence the goods are imported " is that where they are put on board the importing ship. The country of destination of exports is that of the ultimate destination which they will reach by the vessel in which they are exported. It must be admitted, however, that in both cases the information supplied is to a great extent not. to be depended upon. There is no distinction in the Victorian returns between "general" and "special" trade ; but entries equivalent to these appear in part "Inter- change" of the Statistical Register of Victoria" — viz. "Imports on which duty was paid " = Special Imports, and " Exports of Home Products " = Special Exports. The transit trade embraces goods removed from ship to ship, or from ship to railway, without being landed for a longer period than is necessary for such removal. Such goods are excluded from the returns of general exports and imports. The value of the statistical results is somewhat impaired by the unreliability of the declarations of importers and exporters, upon which they are based. The imports are under a closer supervision by the Customs Department than the exports, and are therefore less liable to error.