264
THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — NEW SOUTH WALES
spent on the construction of railways, tramways, telegi-aphs and water supply, and sewerage controlled by Boards. The net return from these services was equal to 3 '68 per cent, of the cost of construction ; or 3*00 per cent, of the existing Public Debt, exclusive of treasury bills. In June, 1897, the amount still to be raised on which the authority had not been withdrawn was 13,462,067/.
The expenditure of loans, exclusive of redemptions, up to June 30, 1897, has been : Railways and tramways, 40,273,799Z. ; telegraphs and telephones, 935, 396/. ; harbours and river navigation, 2,260,220/. ; wharfs, 1,479,766/. ; docks, 319,951/. ; roads and bridges, 989,573/. ; immigration, 194,430/.; water supply and sewerage, 7,786,584/. ; fortifications and war-like stores, 1,242,006/. ; public buildings, 2,609,774/. ; public school buildings, 403,820/. ; works in Queensland prior to separation, 49,855/.; total, 58,545,174/.
The financial statistics of the incorporated boroughs and municipal dis- tricts are as follows for the municipal year 1897-98: —
—
Fair Averaj>e
AnnualRentalof
all Property in
Municipalities
Estimated
Capital Value of
all Property in
Municipalities
Revenue exclusive of Loans
Expendi- ture
Loans Out- standing
City of Sydney . Suburbs .
Metropolis Country .
Total .
£ 2,081,880 2,533,100
£ 43,465,200 44,925,600
£ 179,252 239,215
£ 280,237
248,442
1,335,000 i 717,440
4,614,980 2,229,540
88,390,800 34,322,600
418,467 287,822
528,679
288,745
2,052,440 565,601
6,844,520
122,713,400
706,289
817,424
2,618,041
The estimated wealth of the colony at the census of 1891, and at the close of the year 1892, when the latest estimate was made, was as follows : —
At census of
At close of
i
1891
1892.
£
£
Revenue-yielding railways, waterworks, «&c. . Works and buildings not directly revenue yielding Amount due to lands purchased from the State Public lands leased but not sold . ...
Municipal property
Total public wealth
44,958,000 20,313,000 13,224,000 94,400,000
46,752,900 23,493,400 13,671,200 98,008,000
181,925,500 7,213,000
172,895,000 6,400,000
179,295,000
189,138,500
Land
Houses and improvements
Other forms of wealth
173,352,000 129,800,000 104,253,000
179,043,000
126,896,000
96,209,000
Total private wealth
407,405,000
404,148,000
Total wealth
586,700,000
593,286,500
Defence.
In 1897 the military force of the colony comprised 7,186 men, of whom 591 formed the regular force, and 6,595 volunteers, the great majority of whom are partially paid. There were also in the colony civilian rifle clubs, with
