FINANCE
1083
Branches of Expenditure.
Average.
1897-98
Military departments {continued) :
iET
- £T
Gendarmerie . , . . ,
1,254,174
1,013,944
Marine ......
653,170
546,209
Artillery .....
552,122
462,177
Civil departments :
Grand Vizierate, State Council,
Interior ....
901,853
989,322
Finance .....
583,939
668,011
Justice
450,541
461,441
Other departments
Total ....
1,892,137
1,707,269
19,796,182
18,429,411
The estimates for the year 1897-98 thus show a surplus of £T81,912. The estimated expenditure presupposes retrenchment, esjiecially in the military department. No provision is made for extraordinary expenditure. On the other hand, revenues to be derived from monopolies and the increase of customs re- ceipts consequent on new commercial treaties have not been taken into account.
The Report on Turkish finance presented to the Sultan by Sir Edgar Vin- cent in December, 1896, (leaving out of account the revenues assigned to the Debt Administration and the corresponding expenditure) puts the revenue under the control of the Ministry of Finance in the year 1306 (1890-91) at £T14,368,700 and the ordinary expenditure at £T14,137,940, showing a sur- plus of £T230,760 on the ordinary budget. In that year, however, the extra- ordinary expenditure, chielly for military pur})0ses, amounted to £T779,000, so that on the whole there was a deficit of £T548,200. For succeeding years up to 1311 (1895-96) the annual deficit is put at £T1, 000,000 which was met by loans less, however, in amount than the sums which went towards the sinking fund. On the basis of these results, the normal revenue for future years at the disposal of the Ministry of Finance is estimated at £T13,961,700, and the corresponding expenditure at £T15,354,000, the prob- able deficit being £T1,392,300, a deficit which by administrative and financial reforms may, it is stated, be easily avoided. The customs revenue for 1894-95 amounted to £T2,123,580 ; for 1895-96, £T1, 876,416.
The following table shows the course of Turkish indebtedness : —
Year of
Original
Converted
Year of
Original
Inter-
Purpose
Issue
Amount
into
Issue
Amount
est
£
£
Pr. cent
1854
5,000,000
1S94. 3Jl 1..C.
1885
930,000
7
Railway
1SJ5
5,000,000
1886
5,909,080
5
Bank Payni.
1858
5,000,000
1881. A.
1888
1,500,000
5
18G0
2,037,220
— B.
1890
7,827,240
4
Convei'sion
1862
8,000,000
— A.
1890
4,545,000
4
Consolid.
1803^
6,000,000
— B.
1891
0,316,920
4
Conversion
1865
6,000,000
— C.
1894
900,000
4
Tunibeki Co.
1865
87,200,0001
— D.
1894
8,212,340
H
Conversion
1869
2,480,000
1894
1,600,000
4
liailway
1869
22,177,220
1S81. C.
1896
2,975,200
Financial
1871
5,700,000
1894. 3i l-.c.
1870-72
32,000,0001
1881. D.
1872
11,126,200
— B.
1873
27,777,780
- C
1877 ■
5,000,000
1891. 4 1I.C.
1878
7,427,260
1890. 4i).c.
1 Approximate.