493 on Stewart, Chatham, and Kermadec islands. Including 39,854 Maoris and 3,711 Chinese, the total population on April 12, 1896, was 743,214. Of the Maoris, 21,673 were males and 18,181 females. The total includes the half-castes living in the tribes, numbering 3,503, and 229 Maori wives of European husbands.

The population of Fiji consisted of 67,410 males and 54,388 females. The Europeans numbered 3,401, of whom 2,116 were males and 1,285 females; East Indians, 12,025, of whom 8,143 were males and 3,882 females; Fijians, 99,773, of whom 53,208 were males and 46,565 females; Rotumans, Polynesians, half-castes, and others, 6,599, of whom 3,943 were males and 2,656 females.

The movement of population in the several colonies for 1897 was as follows:

The revenue of New South Wales is the gross revenue. Of this, £2,570,489 are obtained by taxation, the estimated yield of customs being £1,256,097; excise, £291,343; stamps, £348,558; land tax, £371,870; income tax, £180,103; licenses, £122,518; the land revenue is £2,023,071; receipts from services, £4,633,196; from miscellaneous sources, £255,379. Of the gross expenditures, £1,855,387 were for the railway and tramway services, £702,361 for posts and telegraphs, £2,271,833 for interest on the public debt, £722,308 for education, and £3,839,123 for other public works and services. The average rate of interest on the public debt is 3.71 per cent. The net return from railroads, tramways, telegraphs, waterworks, and sewerage, on which 81 per cent. of the debt has been expended, is 3.68 per cent. a year. The total revenue for 1899 was £9,754,185, railroad receipts having increased £200,000 and customs £73,000. Expenditure for 1899 was more than covered by income.

The revenue of Victoria derived from taxation was £2,645,187, of which £1,759,380 was received from customs, £294.746 from excise, £115,524 from the land tax, £86.906 from duties on estates of deceased persons, £19,128 from a duty on bank notes, £153,500 from stamps, £17,099 from business licenses, £19,603 from tonnage dues, etc., and £179,301 from the income

tax. The receipts from railways were £2,597,255; from posts and telegraphs, £522,741; from Crown lands, £413,551; from other sources, £451,483. Of the total expenditures, £1,892,092 were for interest and expenses of the debt, £1,476,696 for working expenses of railroads, £251,552 for expenses of other public works, £580,507 for posts and telegraphs, £135,928 for Crown lands, £568,357 for public instruction, £263,723 for charitable institutions, £156,137 for judicial and legal expenses, £299,235 for police and jails, £93,211 for customhouses and harbors, £53,316 for mines, £181,649 for defense, and £616,529 for other expenses. revenue for 1899 was estimated at £6,907,439; expenditure, £6,873,529. The actual receipts were £7,378,842. Of the total Victorian debt, £36,700,944 were borrowed for railway construction, £7,321,850 for waterworks, £1,105,557 for public-school buildings, and £1,800,970 for other public works. The average rate of interest on the debt is 3.88 per cent.

The

Of the revenue of Queensland £1,207,849 came from customs, £123,396 from excise and export duties, £110,207 from stamps, £56,598 from licenses, £61,596 from the duty on dividends, £346,249 from rent of pastoral lands, £214,427 from other rents and sales, £1,158,657 from railways, and £258,940 from posts and telegraphs. The principal expenditures were £1,324,333 for interest on the public debt, £684,566 for operating railways, £313,610 for posts and telegraphs, £247,473 for public instruction, £167,385 for the Colonial Treasurer's department, £84,014 for the Department of Public Lands, £37,280 for the Department of Agriculture, and £63,010 for endowments to municipalities and divisions. The expenditure out of loans amounted for the year to £937,066, of which £626,974 were spent on railways, £36,101 on telegraphs, £11,717 on rivers and harbors, £3,875 on defense, £7,598 on water supply, £12,274 on buildings, £70,016 for loans to sugar planters, and £116,877 for loans to public bodies. The revenue for 1899 was estimated at £3,882,360; expenditures, £3,866,507. The actual receipts amounted to £4,174,000, and expenditures to £4,024,000.

South Australia obtains its revenue mainly from customs duties, inland revenue, posts and telegraphs, railroads, and public lands. The customs revenue for 1899 is estimated at £584,386 out of a total revenue of £2,649,899, the estimate of expenditures being £2,619,220. The actual receipts from all sources were £2,665,500.

The yield of customs duties in Western Australia in 1897 was £1,076,330. The rest of the revenue is derived mainly from railways, the postal service, and rent from public lands. The annual charge of the debt is £303,153. The revenue collected during the year 1898 was £2,605,000, having grown from £400,000 in 1890, the year when responsible government was introduced, population having increased from 40,000 to 168,000.

The

Of the Tasmanian revenue £351,848 was derived from customs. The part derived from land sales is expended for redemption of loans. revenue for 1898 was estimated at £913,275, and the expenditure at £803,527. Of the total debt, 48.24 per cent. was raised for railroad construction, 1.59 per cent. for telegraphs, 28.82 per cent. for roads, bridges, and jetties, 9.08 per cent. for public buildings, 1.58 per cent. for defenses, 1.34 per cent. for loans to public bodies, and 2.57 per cent. for various public works and services.

Of the revenue of New Zealand £1,935,252 were obtained from customs, £780,232 from the

post office, telegraphs, and stamps, £1,370,572 from railroads, £267,286 from the land tax, and £115.210 from the income tax. Sales of land brought in £109,521. The chief expenditures were £1,741,413 for the public debt, £849,928 for railways, £466,925 for education, £362,993 for posts and telegraphs, and £195,602 for constabulary and defense. The land tax is not assessed on improvements, and the mortgagee pays the tax for the value of his mortgage. The rate for 1897 was ld. in the pound, besides which a graduated tax is collected on large properties ranging from d. on values between £5,000 and £10,000 up to 2d. on values exceeding £210,000. The income tax is collected on incomes above £300, 6d. in the pound on the first £1,000 and 18. on every addi-. tional £1,000 of income.

Of the revenue of Fiji £32,994 came from customs, £4,254 from navigation dues, £7,298 from licenses and internal revenue, £6,847 from law courts, £2,686 from postal and revenue stamps, and £19,217 from native taxes, the last being paid in native produce delivered by the natives and sold by the Government by annual contract. Of the expenditures, £37,726 were paid in salaries and £35,506 for other expenses.

Commerce. The value of the foreign trade of the several colonies in 1897 is given in the following table:

The trade of New South Wales with other Australasian colonies amounted to £9,602,277 of imports and £8,174,666 of exports. The overland trade was £3,931,292 for imports and £4,498,619 for exports. Other British possessions furnished £856,576 of imports and took £602,449 of exports. The imports from Great Britain were £7,557,069, and the exports to Great Britain £8,728,828. Imports from the United States amounted to £1,887,877, and exports to the United States were £2,462,319 in value. With all other foreign countries the import trade was £1,840,551 and the export trade £3,782,810. Of the total exports, £17,057,543 were products of the colony. The export of wool was 285,797,725 pounds, valued at £8,920,285. The export of tallow was valued at £504,227; frozen and preserved meat, £545,133; hides and skins, £772,584; leather, £304,179; coal, £952,054; gold coin, £4,346,647. The coal output for 1898 was 4,736,000 tons, valued at £1,304,000.

The imports of Victoria comprised wool for £1,964,731, woolen goods for £604,895, cotton goods for £919,661, sugar for £785,717, tea for £273,338, live stock for £528,787, timber for £251,451, iron and steel manufactures for £535,666, coal for £228,647, and other articles of the value of £9,361,589. The export of wool was 123,572,693 pounds, valued at £3,999,813, nearly half of it being the produce of other colonies. The export of gold, mostly specie, was £6,472,318; export of live stock, £329,860; wheat exported, £225,957; other breadstuffs, £51,509; reexport of tea, £155,896; export of sugar, mostly refined in the colony, £160,554; export of leather and leather manufactures, £370,495; export of clothing, £164,285; export of tallow, £162,585;

all other exports, £4,646,398. Of the total value of imports, £6,004,798 came from Great Britain, to which £9,559,249 of exports were sent; Australasian colonies produced £6,813,772 of the imports and took £4,969,120 of the exports; India furnished £282,090 of imports and received £325,261 of exports; Ceylon furnished £143,030 and received £59,812; Canada furnished £11,682, but took only £424; and other British possessions furnished £335,341 and received £162,583; making the total value imported from British countries £13,590,713 and the total exports to them £15,076,449. The imports from non-British countries were £1,863,769, of which £590,744 came from the United States, £546,589 from Germany, £157,615 from Java and the Philippine Islands, £142,924 from France, £142,915 from Belgium, £104,761 from Sweden and Norway, £48,446 from China, and £129,775 from other countries; exports to foreign countries amounted to £1,663,221, of which the value of £740,638 went to France, £480,840 to Germany, £198,525 to Belgium, £185,344 to the United States, £12,949 to Java and the Philippines, and £44,925 to other countries.

The largest imports of Queensland were textile goods and clothing for £1,030,296 and metals and metal manufactures for £680,606. The chief exports were gold for £2,568,702, wool for £2,509,342, sugar for £681,038, frozen meat for £662,994, hides and skins for £437,658, preserved and salted meat for £274,698, tallow for £272,528, pearl shell for £126,492, meat extract for £92,255, fruit for £87,450, silver for £62,801, and tin for £36,670. Of the total imports, £2,501,952 came from Great Britain, £2,323,035 from Australasian colonies, £265,766 from the United States, £157,342 from British possessions, and £181,096 from other countries. Of the exports, £3,322,703 went to Great Britain, £5,645,626 to Australasian colonies, £79,615 to various British possessions, £1,765 to the United States, and £41,848 to other countries. The yield of sugar in 1899 was 164,000 tons from 82,000 acres, compared with 98,000 tons from 65,000 acres in 1898. The total value of imports in 1898 was £5,880,000; exports, £10,079,000, showing large increases in sugar, wool, gold, and meat.

Great

The South Australian exports of wool in 1897 were valued at £995,393; of wheat flour, £225,387; of wheat, £2,473; of copper, £238,277. The quantity of breadstuffs was 18,119 tons. Of the total imports, £2,054,267 came from Britain, £3,846,508 from Australasian colonies, £304,666 from the United States, £240,513 from various British possessions, and £677,431 from other countries. Of the exports, the value of £2,182,946 went to Great Britain, £2,961,212 to Australasian colonies, £909,553 to other British possessions, £1,900 to the United States, and £872,804 to other countries.

The gold exported from Western Australia in 1897 was 674,989 ounces, £2,564,977 in value. Other exports were wool of the value of £295,646; timber, £192,451; sandalwood, £49,480; pearl shell, £40,253; skins, £28,021; pearls, £20,000. Of the total value of the imports, £2,624,086 came from Great Britain, £3,277,300 from Australasian colonies, £210,100 from other British possessions, £160,055 from the United States, and £147,024 from other countries. Of the total for exports, £1.736,205 went to the United Kingdom, £1,980,218 to Australasian colonies, £158.457 to other British possessions, £120 to the United States, and £65,098 to other countries. In 1898 the gold export was 1,050,183 ounces, valued at £3,991,000.

The chief imports of Tasmania were textile goods and clothing for £410,768, mechanical and art products for £334,539, and articles of food and drink for £282,782. The wool export was valued at £264,630; gold, £230,282; silver and silver ore, £216,893; green and preserved fruit, £195,073; tin, £150,586; timber and bark, £62,085; hops, £18,373. Of the total value of imports, £612,980 came from Victoria, £197,667 from New South Wales, £125,522 from other British colonies, £397,510 from Great Britain, and £33,929 from foreign countries. Of the total exports, Victoria took £807,433; New South Wales, £583,273; other colonies, £68,331; Great Britain, £274,497; and foreign countries, £10,927. The imports of New Zealand in 1897 included textiles and clothing for £1,982,896, iron and steel goods and machinery for £1,406,111, sugar for £373,407, books, paper, and stationery for £337,336, spirits, wines, and beer for £268,160, fruit for £183,133, tea for £178,350, tobacco and cigars for £164,889, oils for £163,793, bags and sacks for £104,401, fancy goods for £100,824, coal for £98,139, other merchandise for £2,686,762, and specie for £61,022. The exports were wool for £4,443,144, frozen meat for £1,566,286, gold for £980,204, butter and cheese for £553,122, Kauri gum for £398,010, hides, skins, and leather for £343,769, grain and pulse for £339,643, preserved meats for £78,235, grass seed for £46,947, phormium or New Zealand hemp for £30,674, bacon and hams for £13,560, animals for £11,974, other domestic produce for £530,735, British and foreign merchandise for £144,955, and specie for £275,771. The export of wool was 135,835,117 pounds; of frozen meat, 1,407,921 hundredweight; of Kauri gum, 6,641 tons; of butter, 99,002 hundredweight; of cheese, 77,683 hundredweight. Of the total value of the imports, £5,392,738 came from Great Britain, £1,001,003 from Australia, £628,044 from the United States, £303,624 from India and Ceylon, £283,593 from Pacific islands, £43,390 from China, £25,564 from Mauritius, and £377,267 from other countries. Of the exports, £8,168,123 went to Great Britain, £1,323,784 to Australia, £375,096 to the United States, £117,365 to Pacific islands, £6,773 to China, £3,258 to Mauritius, £2,810 to India and Ceylon, and £19,784 to other countries. The total value of imports for 1898 was £8,230,529; of exports, £10,523,290.

The chief imports of Fiji were textile goods for £49,254, breadstuffs for £23,085, coal for £14.274, rice for £11,205, machinery for £12,036, hardware for £12,807, meat for £9,234, and bags for £6,862. The export of sugar was 26,991 tons, of the value of £323,830. Of copra 7,757 tons were exported, valued at £70,182; of distilled spirits, 15,041 gallons, valued at £1,880; of peanuts, 185 tons, valued at £2,636; of tobacco, 9 tons, valued at £2,052; of cotton, 34 tons, valued at £1,615; of bananas, the value of £16,514.

In the early part of 1899 rains fell in many parts of Australia that have suffered from almost continual drought for three or four years past. Among the other drawbacks to the prosperity of these colonies, which, in spite of precarious seasons, are the most productive communities in the world in proportion to population, is the phylloxera, which has appeared among the vineyards of Victoria. The increase of the wine duty in England is regarded as a serious blow to viticulture in Australia, which is just reaching a practical commercial footing after half a century of struggles. The early samples exhibited at the world's fair of 1851 were so promising that the

planting of vineyards in Victoria became a huge speculation. Ignorant and careless methods destroyed the reputation of Australian wines until practical wine growers from France and Germany introduced the true system. Young Australians went to those countries to learn the European processes. The wines shown at the Indian and Colonial Exhibition of 1886 revived the interest of the British public in this colonial product. The old and discarded vineyards were restocked and fresh lands were planted. In 1891 the Victorian Government offered bonuses for the planting of vineyards, and sent round instructors in wine making. In 1895 the Government of South Australia opened bonded stores in London, where wines already approved by the officials in the colony are treated and matured under the supervision of an expert, with the result that the exports from that colony have increased fivefold." The long voyage, the heavy freights, and the cost of importing casks are serious handicaps to the trade in competition with European countries, and hence the wine growers of Australia hoped that the new duty would be remitted in their case. The imports of Australian wines into Great Britain have increased from 56,000 gallons in 1884 to 710,000 gallons in 1898.

The imposition of a stamp duty on colonial securities is also resented as an invidious action of the British Government. One of the most troublesome pests in the pastoral regions is the cattle tick, which is spreading into new districts constantly. Government agents have been sent to Europe to seek new ways of promoting the export commerce of the colonies. A fraudulent trader of Adelaide, whose practices might cause alarm concerning the integrity of Australian commercial men, was sentenced by South Australian justice to two years of penal servitude.

The gold production for the whole of Australia in 1898 was estimated at 3,154,000 ounces, an increase of 565,000 ounces over 1897, Western Australia having produced 1,049,000 ounces and Queensland 918,000 ounces, both leading Victoria, which has heretofore headed the list, whose production for this year was 845,000 ounces, and that of New South Wales 342,000 ounces.

The recent advances in the price of wool and meat have greatly benefited the colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand, and the improvement in the economic situation has made itself felt at once in the finances of the colonial governments, which here reflect more truly than in other countries the general situation. In Victoria the recovery in the pastoral industries has made itself manifest in a less degree. In this colony agriculture has made great strides, the value of its products having risen in five years from £5,000,000 to £7,000,000. In New South Wales the extension of cultivation has lately been still more rapid, the area having been doubled in five years. The increase in 1898 under the new land laws was remarkable, and in Queensland land legislation has contributed to produce a like movement. The best butter season in Australia lasts from October till March, and the harvesting of fruits, such as apples, raisins, currants, prunes, and figs, takes place at the opposite season of the year to that of the northern hemisphere, so that the Australian products scarcely come into competition in the markets of the world with those of Europe and America. The dairy industries are making progress in all the colonies. The sugar production on the north coast, notwithstanding the general depression, has increased 50 per cent. in a year.

The fruit of Victoria and Tasmania, both fresh and dried, finds a ready market in England.

Navigation.-There were 3,345 vessels, of 3,331,877 tons, entered during 1897 at the ports of New South Wales, 2,996, of 2,837,143 tons, being British and 349, of 494,734 tons, foreign. The number cleared was 3,120, of 3,412,554 tons, of which 2,775, of 2,913,314 tons, were British and 345, of 499,240 tons, foreign. The shipping registered in the colony comprised 475 sailing vessels, of 54,671 tons, and 496 steamers, of 66,750 tons.

The number of vessels entered at Victorian ports was 1,888, of 2,437,190 tons, of which 359, of 846,250 tons, were British and 1,371, of 1,242,918 tons, were colonial; the number cleared was 1,882, of 2,428,182 tons, of which 357, of 848,547 tons, were British and 1,370, of 1,249,306 tons, were colonial. The shipping registered as belonging to Victoria was 259 sailing vessels, of 40,637 tons, and 149 steamers, of 55,737 tons.

The number of vessels entered in Queensland ports was 642, of 569,610 tons; the number cleared was 654, of 559,290 tons. The shipping of the colony comprised 90 steamers, of 12,884 tons, and 138 sailing vessels, of 9,874 tons.

In South Australian ports 1,178 vessels, of 1,774,476 tons, were entered and 1,191, of 1,785,673 tons, were cleared. The shipping of the colony consisted of 217 steamers, of 22,229 tons, and 109 sailing vessels, of 30,641 tons.

The number of vessels entered in Western Australian ports during 1897 was 721, of 1,196,760 tons; cleared, 707, of 1,181,072. The regis tered shipping comprised 17 steamers, of 3,898 tons, and 135 sailing vessels, of 5,812 tons.

In Tasmania 699 vessels, of 542,049 tons, were entered, of which 38, of 116,719 tons, were English; and 717, of 542,119 tons, were cleared, of which 36, of 115,190 tons, were English. The shipping of the colony comprised 155 sailing vessels, of 8,340 tons, and 44 steamers, of 6,036 tons. The number of vessels entered during 1897 at ports of New Zealand was 600, of 686,899 tons, of which 563, of 648,171 tons, were with cargoes; cleared, 587, of 675,333 tons, of which 548, of 647,121 tons, were with cargoes. Of the vessels entered 133, of 276,020 tons, were British; 395, of 340,793 tons, were colonial; and 72, of 70,086 tons, were foreign. The merchant shipping of the colony comprised 318 sailing vessels, of 40,733 tons, and 188 steamers, of 78,980 tons.

Railroads, Posts, and Telegraphs.-There were 2,691 miles of railway in operation in New South Wales on June 30, 1898, the capital cost of which was £37,719,402. The receipts for the year were £3,026,748 and operating expenses £1,614,605, which was 53.34 per cent. of the gross earnings. The Government owns the railroads and also the tramways, which have a length of 65 miles, built at a cost of £1,478,251, the gross receipts from which were £313,871 and working expenses £259,141.

The railroads of Victoria, all owned by the Government, had a total length of 3,130 miles, built at a cost of £38,325,517. The receipts for 1897 were £2,615,935; expenses, £1,563,805, being 60 per cent. of the receipts. The net profit was 2.75 per cent. of the capital cost, while on the borrowed capital the mean rate of interest is 3.90 per cent. There were 42,263,638 passengers and 2,383,445 tons of freight carried during the year. The railroads of Queensland had a total length of 2,609 miles at the beginning of 1898. The cost of construction was £18,016,150. The receipts in 1897 were £1,122,637 and expenses £688,033.

The length of railroads in South Australia in December, 1897, was 1,870 miles, of which 146

miles were in the northern territory. The railroads pay a profit to the Government of about 3 per cent.

The length of railroads open to traffic in Western Australia on June 30, 1898, was 1,456 miles, of which 464 miles were private lines. There were 360 miles building.

Tasmanian railroads had a length of 495 miles in the beginning of 1898.

The railroads of New Zealand on March 31, 1898, consisted of 806 miles of Government lines in the North island and 1,249 miles in the Middle island, besides 167 miles of private lines, a total of 2,222 miles. The gross receipts on the Government railroads were £1,376,008, and the operating expenses were £857,191. The cost of construction was £16,872,045. The number of passengers transported was 4,672,264; tons of freight, 2,628,746.

The postal traffic of New South Wales for 1897 was 72,939,084 letters, 1,085,770 postal cards, 42,426,394 newspapers, 12,742,704 packets and book parcels, 539,503 parcels, and 403,779 money orders for the amount of £1,421,524, besides £377,282 paid on postal notes.

The postal revenue of Victoria, including telegraph and telephone receipts, was £529,754 in 1897, and the expenses were £494,257.

The Queensland postal traffic for 1897 amounted to 18,370,937 letters, 11,496,656 newspapers, 4,767,783 packets, and 202,248 parcels. The postal revenue was £167,998.

The post office of South Australia in 1897 carried 19,128,982 letters, 2,039,686 packets, and 9,421,986 newspapers.

In Western Australia the post office carried 12,898,552 ordinary and registered letters and postal cards, 6,744,536 newspapers, and 3,952,025 packets. The receipts from the post office and telegraphs were £261,328.

The post office in Tasmania carried 7,906,506 letters, 2,278,082 packets, 257,878 postal cards, and 5,095,792 newspapers during 1897. The receipts were £58,099, and expenses, including the telegraph service, were £65,268.

The post office in New Zealand during 1897 forwarded 32,272,923 letters, 757,172 letter cards, 1,341,821 postal cards, 14,825,386 books and parcels, 14,261,345 newspapers, and 293,240 money orders. The receipts of the postal and telegraph departments were £371,962; expenses, £364,403.

The telegraph lines of New South Wales had in the beginning of 1898 a length of 12,778 miles, with 33,073 miles of wire. The total cost was £932,412. The number of telegrams sent was 2.728,360 during 1897. The receipts were £427,440; the net revenue was £155,162.

Victoria had 6,947 miles of telegraph lines, with 14,374 miles of wire. The number of dispatches in 1897 was 1,821,634. The telephones had 10,541 miles of wire.

There were 10,090 miles of telegraph lines in Queensland, with 18,472 miles of wire, at the end of 1897. The number of messages sent was 934,326, and the number received from abroad was 121,239, besides 109,569 official dispatches. The receipts were £83.846; expenses of the telegraph and postal services, £313,944.

South Australia had 5,862 miles of telegraph and telephone lines, with 14,447 miles of wire. The overland telegraph from Adelaide to Port Darwin has a length of 2,000 miles. The Government receives a net profit after paying interest on borrowed capital.

The telegraphs of Western Australia on Jan. 1, 1898, had a length of 5,958 miles, besides 965 miles under construction; the length of wire was