S14
THE BRITISH EMPItlE: — VICTORIA
There are 10 prisons in Victoria, besides police gaols. At the end of 1896 there were confined in these prisons 1,052 males and 172 females.
Finance. The actual revenue and expenditure of the colony in each of the last five years ended June 30 were— the figures for the last year being only approximate: —
Year ended June 30 —
Revenue
Expenditure
£,
£
1894
6,716,814
7,310,246
1895
6,712,152
6,760,439
1896
6,458,682
6,540,182
1897
6,630,217
6,568,932
1898
6,886,664
6,701,100
The following table shows the actual amounts of revenue and expenditure under the principal heads during 1896-97 : —
Heads of Revenue
Amount
Heads of Expenditure
Amount
Taxation : — Customs, duties, &c. . Excise Land tax . Duties on estates of
deceased persons Duty on bank notes . Stamp duty Business licences Tonnage, dues, &c. Income Tax
Total taxation .
Railways .
Post and telegraphs .
Crown lands
Other sources
£
1,759,380 294,746 11.5,524
86,906 19,128 • 153,500 17,099 19,603 179,301
Interest and expenses of debt .
Railways (working ex- penses) .
Other public works
Post and telegraphs .
Crown lands, &c.
Public instruction, science, &c.
Charitable institutions, &c
Judicial and legal
Police and gaols .
Customs, harbours, kc.
Mining
Defences
Other expenditure
£
1,892,092
1,476,696 251,552 580,507 135,928
568,357
263,723 156,137 299,235 93,211 53,316 181,649 616,529
2,645,187
2,597,255 522,741 413,551 451,483
Total .
6,630,217
Total.
6,568,932
The estimated revenue for 1898-99 w^as 6,907,439^., and expenditure 6,873,529Z.
The amount raised by taxation, as shown in the last table, viz. 2,645,187^. was equivalent to a proportion of 21. 5s. Od. per head of population.
Victoria has a debt, incurred in the construction of public works, which amounted, on June 30, 1898, to 47,058,088^. (exclusive of short dated Treasury Bonds 500, 000^.) On June 30, 1897, it was 46,929,321^. (exclusive of tem- porary treasury bills). Of this sum, 36,700,944/. was borrowed for the construction of railways, 7,321,850/. for waterworks, 1,105,557/. for State
