Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/444

 392 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — QUEENSLAND

expenditure from loans, mostly on public works, was 4,797,865?., of which the principal item was railways, 2,356,498?.

The estimated value of landed property in 1919 for assessment for Local Government purposes was 63,907,745?. This includes lands leased from the Crown for pastoral purposes, the lessees' interest in which has been capitalised for assessment purposes at 7,662,519?., 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, 1920, to 69,680,764?.

Defence.

For defence, see under Commonwealth of Australia.

Production and Industry.

Of the total area of the State, 16,893,719 acres (1919) have been alienated : in process of alienation, under deferred payment system, are 9,064,089, leav- ing 403,162,192 acres still the property of the Crown, or about 93*95 per cent, of the total area. The receipts from the sale of land up to the end of 1919 amounted to 10,092,068?. Land is made available for selection in the following modes and classes: — 1) Agricultural Selections — i.e., Per- petual Lease Selections ; (2) Grazing Selections — i.e., Grazing Homesteads and Grazing Farms ; and (3) Perpetual Lease Prickly-pear Selections. The * largest area that may be acquired by any one person as a Perpetual Lease Selection is 2,560 acres. The annual rent for the first 15 years of the term is 1£ per cent, of the notified capital value. The greatest area which may be applied for or held as a Grazing Homestead or a Giazing Farm is 60,000 acres. The term may be any number of years not exceeding 28. A Grazing Farm must be continuously occupied during the whole term of the lease by the selectors residing on it personally or by bailiff ; and it must be enclosed with a substantial fence within three years from the issue of the licence to occupy. The area of a Prickly-pear Selection must not exceed 2,560 acres. During the first period of the lease no rent is payable, but the prickly-pear must be regularly eradicated and the land kept clear ; thereafter the rent is 1 \ per cent, of the notified capital value.

A large proportion of the area is leased in squatting runs for pastoral purposes, amounting to 211,030,440 acres in 1919, besides 76,437,422 acres in grazing farms and homesteads, and 36,590,969 acres under occupation licence. The live .stock in 1919 numbered 731,705 horses, 5,940,433 cattle, 17,379,332 sheep, and 99,593 pigs. The total area under cultivation in 1919 was 988,541 acres, and of this 563,762 acres were under crops, besides which 449,019 acres are laid down with permanent artificial pasture. The wool production, expressed as greasv, in 1914, 155,478,740 lbs.; in 1915, 130,788,277 lbs. ; and in 1916, 102,220,125 lbs. ; 1917, 87,425,558 lbs. ; 1918, 113.777,272 lbs.

A considerable area consists of natural forest, eucalypti, pine and cedar he timbers mostly in demand, although a considerable quantity of 'i namental woods arc utilised by cabinet makers. The amount of wood cut in the various -aw mills in 1919, was (in superficial feet): — pine, 100,690.008 ; cedar, 629,485 ; hardwood, 33,793,300 ; other, mostly cabinet timber, 9,276,057 J railway sleepers, Jifo. 402,616. Forest reservations total 3,798,000 acres (1919).

The quantity actually cut for all purposes is nearly double these quantities.