Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/307

 FINANCE, DEFENCE, COMMEECE

Finance, Defence, Commerce.

185

Revenue Expenditure

1907-08

& 581,515 656,870

1908-09

£

588,300 641,430

1909-10

& 719,981 629,950

1910-11

1011-12

£

741,999 638,550

£ 695,710 656,265

Principal sources of revenue 1911-12 : — customs, 256,073^. ; railway, 155,655Z.

The debt of the Colony on June 30, 1911, was: — Government De- benture Inscribed Stock Debt, 1,296,090Z., mainly for public works. Municipal debt of Port Louis 127,314Z. and 74,834 rupees.

Port Louis is fortified. The garrison of Mauritius consists of 2 eomnanies of garrison artillery, 1 company of engineers and ] battalion of infantry ; establishment 1,375 all ranks. The Colonial contribution to the military expenditure is about 32,000?.

Year

1907 1908 1909 1910 1911

Total Imports i

Total Exports i

£

£

2,108,614

2,937,699 «

2,039,157

2,253,855

1,954,253

2,186,809

2,503,018

2,473,945

2,543,274

2,747,975

1 Including bullion and specie, of which the imports in 1911 were 21,8071., and the exports 24,-278Z,

The values of imports and exports are declared by importers and exporters, both being exclusive of charges and of exchange. They are given in rupees at the value of 16d. per rupee. The countries where the goods are shipped are taken as the countries of origin, un- less the goods themselves or the bills of lading and invoices show a different origin, in which case the country so disclosed is declared in the bill of entry.

Imports in 1911 from United Kingdom, 809, 533?.; exports to United Kingdom, 893,161?.

Staple exports, unrefined sugar, 2,575,944?. in 1911 ; aloe fibre, 40,370?.; cocoanut oil, 10,738?.; molasses, 19,531?. The trade is largely with the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, India, and France.

Chief imports into the United Kingdom from Mauritius (Board of Trade Returns) 1911 : unrefined sugar, 649,941?. ; refined sugar, 183,970?. ; hemp, dressed or undressed, 41,202?. British exports to Mauritius: cotton goods, 64,271?.; coal, 13,895?.; machinery, 96,245?.; ironwork, 62,640?.; manures, 84,805?.; carriages and parts, 42,416?.; soap, 19,963?.

The registered shipping January 1, 1912, consisted of 53 sailing vessels of 4,273 tons, and 4 steamers of 2,108 tons ; total, 57 vessels of 6,381 tons. Vessels entered in 1911, 217 of 438,081 tons (157 British of 330,548 tons), and cleared 215 of 439,610 tons (155 British of 332,600 tons).

There are railway lines of 129| miles, 10 miles narrow gauge. Railway receipts in 1911, 173,908?. including work done for Government Depart- ments valued at 13,993?. ; expenditure, not including charge on debt, 108,483?.

Of telegraphs and telephones there ^re (1911) 359 and 110 miles of line respectively ; there is a cable to Zanzibar, cables to Australia Reunion, and to Madagascar. In 1911 the Post Office dealt with 1,329,574 letters, 546,417 postcards, 1,200,878 newspapers, 15,101 parcels, and 255,084 telegrams.