56 



AUSTRALASIA. 



onies except Western Australia. The number of 

 arrivals dropped from 1,848 in 1888 to 7 in 1889. 

 In 1892 there were 21 arrivals and 755 depar- 

 tures. The number of marriages in 1892 was 

 8,022; of births. 40.041 : of deaths, 14.441 ; sur- 

 plus of births, 25,031. Kducation is compulsory. 

 There were 2,724 state schools in 1892, of which 

 5 \\ere hi^h schools. 231 superior public schools, 

 and l.O'.l!) primary schools, having -I. 030 teachers 

 and 210.0H enrolled pupils, with 182,250 in aver- 

 age attendance. The University of Sydney re- 

 ceived 18,100 from the state in '1892, about half 

 its total revenue. 



The total revenue of the Government in 1892 

 was 10,501,104, of which 3,449,787 was derived 

 from taxes, 2,214,0(52 was land revenue, and 

 I 1.-V.U, I!)S was earned by the public services, con- 

 sisting of the railroads, tramways, telegraphs, 

 post office, etc. The taxation includes 2,077,- 

 890 from customs, 2*9.00:$ from excise, 349,- 

 794 from stamps, and 132.500 from licenses. 

 The total expenditure in 1892 was 10,536,820, 

 whereof 2,150,220 was for railway and tele- 

 graph services, 759.017 for posts and tele- 

 graphs, 1 J1.!7'.,:>27 for interest and extinction of 

 the debt, 2,333 for immigration, 847,790 for 

 instruction, and 4,798,133 for other public works 

 and services. The public debt on Dec. 31, 1892, 

 was 54,473,433. The expenditure from loans 

 up to that date had been 52,124,865, of which 

 37,417,319 went for railroads and tramways, 

 801,301 for telegraphs, 3,196,164 for harbor 

 and river improvements, 791,309 for roads and 

 bridges, 6.119,840 for water supply and sewer- 

 age, 1,096.530 for fortifications and war mate- 

 rial, and 2,132,472 for other objects. The aver- 

 age rate of interest paid on the debt is 3'8 per 

 cent. The net revenue from public services is 3 

 per cent, of the cost of construction, and when it 

 is deducted the interest of the debt is reduced to 

 less than 1-4 percent. The Government is au- 

 thorized to raise 20,281,362 more to complete 

 the programme of public works construction. 

 The estimated wealth of the colony at the end 

 of 1892 was 593,286,500, of which 181,925,500 

 represents the assets of the Government, consist- 

 ing of revenue-producing railroads, water works, 

 etc., valued at 46,752,900, works and buildings 

 worth 23,493,400 yielding no direct revenue, 

 13,671,200 dun on lands purchased from the 

 state, and public lands leased but still unsold 

 valued at 98,008,000 ; .7,213,000 is the value of 

 municipal property; and 404,148,000 is the 

 valuation of private wealth, of which 179,043,- 

 000 is in land. 126,896,000 in buildings and 

 other improvements, and L'lis. 209,000 in other 

 kinds of property. The Government received 

 47,0:5::,! (Hi from sales of land between 1862and 

 !*::!. The quantity alienated was 46,295,954 

 acres. The quantity held on pastoral leases is 

 i:!0,309,100 acres. The total land area of the col- 

 ony is 195,882,150 acres. Only 1,010,727 acres 

 were under cultivation. The Government has au- 

 thority to sell lots not, exceeding (540 acres in the 

 eastern or 2,500 in the central division, at 1 per 

 acre before survey, also additional lots after the 

 completion of the term of residence and payment 

 by installments; or without the condition of ac- 

 tual residence the maximum area of :!20 acres is 

 open to selection at 2 per acre ; and auction 

 sales are held for Government land in blocks not 



to exceed 640 acres, or, in all, 200,000 acres per an- 

 num, at the upset price of 1 5.. for agricultural 

 land and 8 per acre for town lots. There are 

 97,712 acres of state forests and 5,694,035 acres 

 of timber reserves. The live stock of the colony 

 o.n Jan. 1, 1893. consisted of 58,080,114 sheep, 

 2,147,074 cattle, 481,416 horses, and 249,522 hogs. 

 The value of the gold produced in 1892 was 

 569,178; of copper, 114,559; of tin, 152,- 

 994; of coal, 1,462,388. The silver deposits of 

 the Barrier range district, near the border of 

 South Australia, extending over 2,500 square 

 miles, are the most profitable mines of the coun- 

 try, especially the Broken Hill mines, which are 

 as rich as the Nevada bonanzas. In 1891 silver 

 valued at 56,884 was raised, and silver and lead 

 ores of the value of 2,420,950. Veins of aurif- 

 erous quartz were discovered in February. 1894, 

 at Wyalong, 33 miles southwest of Sydney. 



During 1892 there were 686 vessels, of 675,223 

 tons, entered, and 689, of 656,100 tons, cleared. 

 The shipping of the colony consisted of 814 sail- 

 ing vessels, of 35,234 tons, and 179 steamers, of 

 39.347 tons. The Government railroads of 1893 

 had an aggregate length of 1.886 miles, of which 

 716 miles were in the North Island and 1,170 in 

 the South Island. There were, besides, 150 miles 

 of private lines. The cost of construction of the 

 Government railways was 15,497,783. The re- 

 ceipts for 1892-'93 were 1,181,521, and the ex- 

 penses 732,141. The telegraphs, on Jan. 1, 

 1893, had a total length of 5,479 miles, with 13,- 

 459 miles of wire. The number of messages in 

 1892 was 1,904,143. There are 3,160 miles of 

 telephone belonging to the Government. The 

 post office in 1892 carried 50.610,742 letters, 

 2,571,036 postal cards, 13,283,387 books and par- 

 cels, and 18,557,565 newspapeis. 



The value of imports in 1892 was 20,776,526, 

 and of exports 21.972,247. The customs reve- 

 nue amounted to 13 per cent, of the total value 

 of the imports. The exportation of domestic 

 produce amounted to 17,707,102. The quantity 

 of wool exported was 323,052.014'pounds. valued 

 at 10,540,147. Imports from the United States 

 amounted to 823.522; exports to the United 

 States, 1,529,980. During 1892 there were en- 

 tered 2,960 vessels, of 2,804,549 tons, and cleared 

 3.067 vessels, of 2,842,635 tons ; 60 sailing vessels 

 and 46 steamers (total tonnage, 9,130 tons) con- 

 stitute the commercial navy of the colony. The 

 Government railroads, on June 30, 1893, had an 

 aggregate length of 2,351 miles, besides 419 miles 

 of tramways. There were 81 miles of private 

 railroads. Of wagon roads the Government has 

 built 32,832 miles, of which 10.073 miles are 

 metaled, ballasted, or graveled. The telegraphs 

 in the beginning of 1893 had 26.443 miles of 

 wire. During the previous year 4,046.251 tele- 

 grams were sent. The telegraphs and telephones 

 yielded a net revenue of 185.014. The postal 

 traffic was 76,575,400 letters, 827,360 cards, 45,- 

 520,500 newspapers, and 12,380.200 packets. The 

 income was 447,945: expenditure, 447,726. 



Parliament, which had been prorogued early 

 in December in the midst of a ministerial crisis, 

 assembled in regular session on Jan. 17, 1894. 

 On an amendment to the address censuring the 

 Government for the manner in which Parliament 

 had been prorogued, the ministers were sustained 

 by the close vote of 67 to 66. One of them, Mr. 



