Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/431

 JUSTICE AND CRIME — FINANCE

309

Justice and Crime.

There are Courts of Magistrates, of Quarter Sessions, and the Supreme Court, with a chief justice and six puisne judges. Prisoners charged with offences bearing sentences of more than six months' imprisonment are tried by a jury of twelve persons, either at Quarter Sessions, or before the Supreme Court, Prisoners charged with capital crimes must be tried before the Supreme Court. There is a special Court to deal with children.

In the Sydney metropolitan, Newcastle, and Broken Hill districts police courts are presided over by stipendiary magistrates ; in other districts, police magistrates and honorary justices of the peace adjudicate. The licensinor of houses for the sale of spirituous and fermented liquors is transacted by magistrates specially appointed for that purpose.

In 1910 there were 63,671 convictions before magistrates ; and 546 dis- tinct persons were convicted at Quarter Sessions and at Central Criminal and Circuit Courts.

There are in all 30 gaols. On December 31, 1910, there were 1,238 prisoners in confinement.

Finance.

The following are statistics of net revenue for. years ended Juno 30 : —

From Taxation

From

From Mis-

Year

Land Revenue

Business

cellaneons

Total

Undertakings

Sources i

Net Revenue

£

£

£

£

£

1907-8

1,077,534

1,781,062

6,853,315

4,248,852

13,960,763

1908-0

907,240

1,778,002

6,998,180

3,941,640

13,625,071

1009-10

1,223,521

1,719,920

7,567,205

4,029,361

14,540,073

1010-11

1,027,510

1,836,300

8,378,448

2,506,776

13,839,139

1011-12

1,S85,G53

1,609,248

9,123,449

3,098,466

15,776,816

1 Including balance of revenue collected witliin the State by the Federal Government.

Under the heading ' Business Undertakings' is included revenue from railways, tramways, water supply and sewerage, and Sydney Harbour Trust.

The control of the customs and excise having passed to the Common- wealth Government on January 1, 1901, the taxation is obtained from stamp duties, land tax, income tax, and licences.

The following table shows the net expenditure exclusive of expenditure from loans : —

Year

ended

30th

June

1907-8

1903-9

1909-10

1910-11

1911-12

Interest on i Railways Public Debt ' and (Funded

■Tramways and

i Unfunded)

£

3,503,905 4,145,383 4,292,070 4,814,990 5,428,086

£

2,986,844 3,116,057 3,117,472 3,227.316 3.430,096

Public Debt Redemp- tions

£

406,145 478,791 421,034 409,349 436,921

Instruc- tion Primary >

\ Total 1 Other i Net Services 1 Expendi- ture

£ £

966,253 4,236,490 1,001,026, 4,141,350 1,059,379 4,152,490 1,110,237 4,236,646 1,284.0601 4,606,038

£ 1 2,090,(543 12,882.607 13,042.445 13,807.538 15,277,001

1 The expenditure shown for the years 1907-8 to 1911-12 is excln.'^ive of transfers from Revenue to the Public Works Fund and the Closer Settlement Fund, the resiiective amounts being as follows:— To Public Works Fund, 1907-8, 1,404 079/. ; 1908-9 809 561/ • 1909-10, 911,177/. ; 1910-11. 636:i53/. : 1911-12, 638,729/ ; to Clo.^er Settlement Fund' 1907-8, 200,000/. ; 1908-9, l,000,nuO/. ; 1909-10, 235,000/. ; 1910-11, nil ; 1911-12. nil.

The estimated revenue in 1912-13 16,149,636Z.

is 16,471,013/., and expenditure,