Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/450

 328 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — QUEENSLAND

The gross income from or expenditure on account of Departments under the control of the Commonwealth are not included.

The following were the chief sources from which revenue was received during 1911-12 : — Net amount from Commonwealth, 757,087Z, Stamp duty, 331,842Z. ; income tax, 372,497^.; licences, 63,673Z. From land- Rent, pastoral occupations, 337,658Z. ; other rents and sale of land, 505,745Z. From railways, 3,032,929Z.

The chief items of expenditure during 1911-12 were as under: — Interest on public debt, 1,724,304Z. ; public instruction, 436,672t. ; treasurer's depart- ment, 249,2642. ; public lands department, 214,787^. ; department of agricul- ture, 71,3942. ; cost of working railways, 1,915,2462. The total expenditure from loans, mostly on public works, was 3,324,2482., of which the principal item was railways, 2,854,5602.

The estimated value of landed property in 1911 for assessment for Local Government purposes was 53,622,4072. This includes lands leased from the Crown for pastoral purposes, the lessees' interest in which has been capitalised for assessment purposes at 8,067,1632., but is exclusive of unoccupied Crown lands, the property of local bodies, reserves for public purposes, and lands upon which are erected buildings for public worship.

The gross public debt of the State amounted, on June 30, 1912, to the sum of 45,442,2862.

Defence.

For defence, see under Commonwealth of Australia. The Government gun-vessels are the Gayundah and Paluma (360 tons), sister vessels, launched in 1884, one of which has been appropriated by the Commonwealth Authorities and stationed away from Queensland ; the Otter and Stingaree, 290 and 450 tons, are twin screw tenders ; the Midge is a steam pinnace, and the Mosquito is a second-class steel torpedo boat.

Production and Industry.

Of the total area of the State, 15,709,186 acres have been alienated : in process of alienation, under deferred payment system, are 9,025,029, leaving 404,385,785 acres still the property of the Crown, or about 94 per cent, of the total area. The receipts from the sale of land up to the end of 1911 amounted to 9,088,1872. Provision is made for both conditional and unconditional selection ; under the latter land can be purchased at prices from 135. 4rf. per acre, payable by twenty annual instalments. Conditional selection is the more general ; homestead farms, agricultural farms, grazing farms, and gi-azing homesteads can be selected. Home- stead farms up to 160 acres, if occupied by selector personally for five years, may be secured in freehold at Is. Qd. per acre, payable in ten annual instalments ; but, if conditions have been performed, the purchase may be completed and a title obtained at the end of five years. Agri- cultural farms can be acquired by a 20 years' lease with right of purchase ; maximum area, 1,280 acres; annual rent one-fortieth of the purchase price, which becomes part of the purchase money. Grazing farms can be secured on a 7, 14, 21, or 28 years' lease ; maximum area, 20,000 acres ; annual rental varying according to quality ; minimum ^d. per acre, subject to reassessment at end of first 7 years and each subsequent 7 years. Grazing homesteads may be leased on similar conditions. In the letting of agricultural and grazing farms and homesteads conditions as to residence are imposed.