MONEY AND CREDIT
271
money expeiuUul on railway construction and equipment to June 30, 1898, was 37,719,402/. The gross earnings for 1897-98 amounted to 3,026,748?., working expenses 1,614,605/., and percentage of working expenses to the gross earnings, 53-34. There were also, at the close of 1897,84 m. 34 ch. of private railways, which had a capital expenditure of 561,961/.
The tramways are the property of the Government. There were, on June 30, 1898, 65 miles open for traffic, the capital cost being 1,478,251/. The gross earnings for 1897-98 were 313,871/. ; the working expenses, 259,141/. ; and the percentage of working expenses to revenue 82 "56.
In 1897 there were 1,536 post-offices and 510 receiving-offices ; number of letters carried, 72,939,084 ; post-cards, 1,085,770 ; newspapers. 42,426,394 ; packets and book-parcels, 12,742,704 ; parcels, 539,503 ; money orders issued, 403,779 for 1,421,524/. ; postal notes paid, 377,282/.
At the end of December 1897 there were in operation 12,778 miles of telegraph posts, with 33,073 miles of wire; cost of construction, 932,412/. ; stations, 886; number of telegrams, 2,728,360; receipts, 427,440/. ; and the net revenue, 155,162/.
Money and Credit.
The value of gold, silver, and bronze coin issued at the Royal Branch Mint, Sydney, during five years, was : —
Year
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
£
£
£
£
1893
2,969,000
10,025
840
2,979,905
1894
3,067,000
6,300
505
3,073,805
1896
2,758,000
4,750
1,260
2,764,010
1896
2,544,000
10,800
2,880
2,557,680
1897
2,532,000
17,250
1,890
2,551,140
The assets of the banks (13 in 1897) trading in New South Wales, accord- ing to returns relating to operations within the Colony for the last quarter of each of the last five years, were : —
Notes and
Notes and
Balances
Year
1
Coin
Bullion
Landed
Bills dis-
Bills of
due from
Total
Property
counted.
other
other
Assets 1
&c.
Banks
Banks
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
1S93
5,877,891
95,386
1,918,196
40,024,354
578,0872
300,122
48,794,036
1894
7,330,005
100,525
1,936,321
37,378,947
214,503
232,913
47,195,214
189.0
7,364,059
151,619
1,919,017
35,701,125
22S.7592
257,150
45,622,329
1896
6,760,851
187,845
1,914,483
35,116,696
223,4872
324,466
44,527,828
1897
5,766,554
.175,037
1,816,691
35,697,494
227,4272
297,519
43,980,722
2 Inclusive of Legal Tender and Treasury Notes. The liabilities of the banks (exclusive of those to shareholders) were : —
