522 PIIESIDENX'S ADDRESS. SECTION Gl. 



(c) Administration expenses; 



(d) Maintenance and general Avorking expenses, including de- 



preciation ; 



(e) Wages; 



(/■) Quantity and cost of raw material;' 

 {g) Quantity and value of output. 



In the occupation of lands, it would require the following, viz. : — 

 Number of persons holding lands arranged according to kind of tenures 

 and areas, and according to values. 



In regard to occupation and wages and salaries, the following is 

 desirable, viz. : — 



(a) Extent to which one is employed during year ; 



(b) Non-employment through incapacitation and througb 



absence of work; 



(c) What emoluments received, arranged according to 



amounts ; 



(d) Cost of housing, and of food and clothing. 



The value of property should be grouped under the following 

 headings, viz.: — (a) Land; (J)) Dwelling-houses; (c) Business Houses 

 for Retail and for Wholesale Trade; (d) Manufacturing Establish- 

 ments; (e) Plant and Machinery; (f) Goods, i.e., commodities. 



With such statistics as have been suggested it would be easy to 

 determine whether the government and general administration of a 

 country's affairs tended to the general material Avell-being or not. It 

 could be seen, for example, whether the aggregate and distribution 

 of efficiency were inc(reasingly satisfactory or otherwise, whether 

 wealth and control of land was concentrating or becoming distributed, 

 whether employment was steady or precarious. — in short, whether the- 

 economic conditions Avere healthy or otherwise. 



16. Statistics of Distribution. — Another important question on 

 the economic side is the relation between production and distribution, 

 since when distributing charges are unduly high production may be 

 non-economic to the producer, and material of value actually pro- 

 duced may have to be destroyed. To secure statistics of this charac- 

 ter, all distributing agencies would require to render complete returns 

 of quantities and value of material handled, amounts paid and re- 

 ceived for same, capital, outlay, administrative and current expenses, 

 losses and depreciation, &c. 



In this connection all equipment for distributing {e.g., carrying 

 agencies, &c.) Avould come under review, and in this connection also 

 State railways. 



17. Agents of Production and Duti-ihution — Among important 

 agents of production and distribution, railways in such a country as 

 Australia hold a high place. In all developing countries too strict an 

 adoption of the commercial principle may be detrimental to the 

 general interest of the community, since for developmental reasons 

 it may be wise to run a railway system at a loss, when estimated 

 from the point of view of a paying concern, and it is easily seen that 

 a community might advance, and be well able to pay taxes generally 

 through the adoption in certain cases of a non-commercial policy in 

 running its railways. A statistical examination, while it could not 

 resolve this matter, would throw light thereon, provided the railway 



