Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/443

 PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY

821

The amount raised by taxation (exclusive of taxes collected by Common- wealth) as shown in the above table, viz. 1,456,800^., was equivalent to a proportion of U. 25. 3rf. per head of population.

Victoria has a debt, incurred in the construction of public works, which amounted, on June 30, 1911, to 57,933,764^. (exclusive of temporary treasury bills). Of this sum, 42,486,708/. was borrowed for the construction of rail- ways, 8,744,402Z. for waterworks, 1,219,903/. for State school buildings, &c., and 5,482,751/. for other public works and purposes. The nominal rate of interest on the public debt varies from 3 to 4 per cent,, and averages 3 "54 per cent. The total debt on 30 June, 1912, was 60,737,216/.

The net local ordinary revenue and expenditure (Municipalities, Harbour Trust, Metropolitan Board of Works, and Fire Brigade Boards) for 1911 were respectively 2,583,968/. and 2,581,350/. The net local debt (exclusive of amounts borrowed first by Government) amounted to about 15,754,591/. on June 30, 1911.

The estimated total value of the rateable property of the State in 1911 amounted to about 275,078,517/., and the annual value was 14,774,660/.

Production and Industry. I. Agriculture.

Of the total area of Victoria about 29,758,022 acres are either alienated or in process of alienation. Of the remainder about 6,018,574 acres are at present suitable for agriculture ; 8,657,959 acres for pastoral purposes ; 597,300 acres are held under perpetual lease ; State forests, timber, water, and other reserves, 4,997,520 acres ; auriferous land, 788,789 acres; roads, 1,702,843 acres ; unsold land in towns, &c., 2,133,253 acres ; and unclassud land, 1,591,500 acres.

The total number of holdings in 1911-12 was 66,849.

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

Tears

ended

March

31

Total Area Cul- tivated

Wheat

Oats

Barley

Potatoes

Hay

1908 1909 1910 1911 1912

1,000 Acres

4,127 4,490 4,834 5,386 5,110

1,000 Acres

1,847 1,780 2,097 2,398 2,164

1,000 Bushels

12,101 23,346 28,780 34,813 20,892

1,000 Acres 399 420 384 393 302

1,000 Bushels

5,201 11,125 7,913 9,699 4.585

1,000

Acres

63

65 59 53 54

1,000 Bushels

1,059 1,511 1,023 1,340 1,025

1,000 Acres

54 48 62 63 48

1,000 Tons

135 153 175 163 119 ,

1,000 Acres

682 956 864 833 860

1,000 Tons 682 1,416 1,187 1,292 1,032

The produce per acre of the principal crops has been :-

year ended March 31

1908 1909 1910 1911 1912

Wheat

Bushels

6 13 13 14

•56 •12 •72 •52 •65

Oats

Bushels 13-04 26-50 20-60 24^70 15-17

Barley Malting Other

Bushels 17-82 23-63 16-98 26-30 19-75

Bushels 14-76 22-87 18-41 24-25 17-79

Potatoes

Tons

•50 •19 -80 -60 -50

Hay

Tons 1-00 1-48 1-37 1-55 1-20