FINANCE-PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY Pauperism. 345 There are three charitable institutions, two situated in Perth and one at Fremantle, supported by public funds, with 436 inmates on December 31, 1902. Twenty-eight Government hospitals, two public hospitals, and two lunatic asylums are supported by public funds, whilst there are fourteen assisted hospitals and numerous private hospitals; two Protestant and three Roman Catholic orphanages are partly supported by private subscriptions and partly out of public money. There are also four native and half-caste institutions, and 7 Industrial Schools supported in a similar manner, and one entirely a Government Institution. During 1902 a total of 1,299 persons in the State received outdoor relief. Finance. The revenue and expenditure of the State in the last five years, ended June 30, were as follows:- Nearly 35 per cent. of the public income is derived from customs and excise duties (1,396,0047. in 1903), nearly 40 per cent. (1,598,0237. in 1903) from railways, and the rest mainly from the Post Office, mining, leases of Crown lands and various forms of taxation. The Customs and Excise, and Postal Revenue, are now collected by the Commonwealth, which retains a portion of these revenue moneys; the actual state revenue of Western Australia for the year ended 30th June, 1903, was 3.630,2381. Western Australia had a public debt of 15,627,2981. on June 30, 1903; the annual charge for which was 692,6921. The amount of accrued sinking fund at same date was 655,0691. For defence, see under Commonwealth of Australia. Production and Industry. In Western Australia, in 1901, there were 35,572 persons engaged in various forms of primary production. Of these, 8,607 were directly engaged in agriculture; 2,179 in pastoral pursuits; 2,177 in forestry, and 19,838 in mining and quarrying. Up to December 31, 1902, of the entire acreage of the State, 3,517,724 acres had been alienated; on that date, 6,338,868 acres were in process of alienation; the area alienated and in process of alienation thus amounting to 9,856,592 acres. At the same date there were in force leases comprising an area of 112,137,932 acres, of which 111,165,639 acres were pastoral, and 889,540 acres were timber, while 75,642 acres were under mining leases. The cultivated area in 1903 was 228,118 acres, on which the chief crops for two years were as follows:- capital of the State, and suburbs is about 165,723; of the Northern Territory, 3,872, of whom 464 are females. The number of aborigines living in settled districts was found to be 3,369, namely, 1,833 males and 1,536 females, at the census of March 26, 1876. In 1891 the number of aborigines was stated to be 3,134; in 1901, 3,888-2,007 males and 1,881 females. Of the population in 1891, 3,848 were Chinese; in 1901, 2,567. The following are the statistics of births, deaths, and marriages for five years The following are statistics of immigrants and emigrants by sea :— The aggregate number of churches and chapels in the State in 1900 was 969. At the census of 1901 the number belonging to the leading denominations were as follows:-Church of England, 106,987; Roman Catholic, 52,193; Methodists, 90,125; Lutherans, 26,140; Baptists, 21,764; Presbyterians, 18,357; Congregationalists, 13,338; Church of Christ, 6,103; Salvation Army, 4,030; other Christians, 5,130; Jews, 786; Mohammedans, 449; Confucians, &c., 3,190; other non-Christian, 184; not stated, 13,828. aid from the State is given for religious purposes. Νο Public instruction is under charge of the Educational Department. Teachers are paid from the general revenue, public lands being set apart for educational purposes. In 1901, of the population of all ages, 17.54 per cent. could neither read nor write, 228 per cent. could only read. Education is secular, free, and compulsory. Government grants exhibitions and scholarships, carrying the holders to higher schools and universities. In 1902 there were 280 public schools and 436 provisional schools; the number of children under instruction during 1902 being 68,859. There is a training college for teachers. The University of Adelaide, incorporated in 1874, is authorised to grant degrees in arts, law, music, medicine, and science. Its endowment amounts to 131,200l. and 50,000 acres of land. There are several denominational secondary schools. There were 227 private schools, with 10,602 pupils, in 1902. Justice and Crime. There is one supreme court, a court of vice-admiralty, a court of insolvency 81 local courts and police magistrates' courts. There are circuit courts held at several places. There were 131 convictions for felonies and misdemeanours in 1896, 134 in 1897, 157 in 1898, 95 in 1899, 82 in 1900, 134 in 1901, and FINANCE-PRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY 339 100 in 1902. The total number of white persons in gaols at the end of 1902 was 249 males and 25 females, and in the labour prison 98 males. For defence, see under Commonwealth of Australia. For the purposes of local de fence a small cruiser, the Protector (920 tons), launched in 1884, is stationed off the chief port of the State, which is defended by two well-armed forts. Finance. The total annual revenue and the total annual expenditure of the State of South Australia for each of the last five years ending June 30 were as follows: 1 Including 239,000l. aid to revenue by Treasury Bills. The revenue for 1903-1904 is estimated at 2,498,2657., and expenditure 2,497,1227.; customs revenue, 1902-1903, 566,2297. The greater part of the revenue of the State is derived from inland revenue, railways, and territorial receipts, while the main portion of the expenditure is on account of public works, railways, and interest on public debt. The total revenue averages 67. 17s. 4 d. per head, of which customs and other sources of taxation contribute 27. 12s. 2d. About one-tenth of last year's expenditure is for administrative charges, comprising salaries of judges, &c., civil establishments, defences, police, gaols, and prisons. The public debt of the State, dating from 1852, amounted, on June 30, 1902, to 27,297,5457. Over half of the public debt has been spent on railways, water-works, and telegraphs. The railways show a profit over working expenses of about 37. 10s. per cent. per annum. The real property of the State in 1901 was valued at 56,060,000%., personal property is estimated at 28,056, 2947. Production and Industry. and Of the total area including Northern Territory (578,361,600 acres) 7,533,497 acres were alienated at the end of 1902. The area under forest is 13,655 acres. The freehold and leasehold land amounts to 97,438,611 acres, of which 3,137,175 acres were under cultivation in 1902-1903. In 1902, 84,674 gallons of wine were exported. Fruit culture is extensively carried on in gardens (9,489 acres), and orchards (17,376 acres), both fresh and dried fruit being exported. The chief fruit crops, besides grapes, being currants, apples, apricots, peaches, almonds, oranges, lemons, olives (yielding about 12,000 gallons of oil) The live stock of South Australia in 1902 consisted of 164,625 horses, 213,343 cattle, and 4,880,540 sheep, besides 14,788 horses, 305,820 cattle, and 42,122 sheep in Northern Territory. In 1902, the area of 113,139 square miles was held under 538 pastoral leases. The mineral wealth as yet discovered consists chiefly in copper, silver and gold. The value of the copper ore produced and exported in 1902 was 42,5507., and of copper, 388,1627.; the output of gold amounted to 28,198 ounces, and the total value of all minerals produced and exported including Northern Territory was 498,3251. In 1902 there were 1,275 factories in the State, employing 18,780 people. There were 39 iron and brass furnaces, employing 2,572 people, and 31 manufacturers of agricultural implements, &c., to 283 people. Commerce. The total value of South Australian imports and exports, inclusive of bullion and specie, from and to various countries, in each of the last six years, was as follows: Imports subject to duty (1902), 3,143,3997. imports duty-free, 2,930,3831. The imports into the State consist of articles of general consumption, textile manufactures, and British colonial produce. Imports are 167. 18s. 1 d. per head, and exports 211. 8s. 74d. per head of mean population. The principal exports have been as follows for five years : 170,839 tons of bread stuff were exported in 1902. The distribution of the trade of South Australia in 1901 and 1902 was as follows: Recorded values and quantities are ascertained from invoices produced to the customs, 10 per cent. being added to the invoice value. In the absence of invoices customs officers value the goods. The countries of origin and destination are those obtained from warrants passed by importers and exporters respectively. Shipping and Railways. The registered shipping in 1902 consisted of 221 sailing vessels of 19,775 tons, and 110 steamers of 33,330 tons; total, 331 vessels of 53,105 tons. In 1902, 999 vessels of 1,944,612 tons entered, and 1,039 vessels of 2,014,740 tons cleared the ports of the State. The State possesses 2,684 miles of metalled made roads. It had 1,881 miles of railway open for traffic in December 1902 (1,736 miles in South Australia and 145 in the Northern territory). Of 502 miles the gauge is per cent. 5ft. 3in., and of the remainder 3ft. 6in. The railways pay about profit to the Government. A railway is about to be constructed across the continent to connect Adelaide with Port Darwin. Banks. There are 7 banking associations. In 1902 their total liabilities were 6,334,0077., and assets 6,481,0381. The average note circulation was 361,3721. and deposits 5,926,1147. The Savings Bank is managed by a board of trustees appointed by the Government, and has 155 branches. On June 30, 1903, there were 120,349 depositors, with a total balance of 4,172,7201. Agent-General for South Australia in London.-H. A. Grainger. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Annual Statistical Register. Census of South Australia, taken on March 31, 1901. Adelaide, 1902. Blackmore (E. G.), The Law of the Constitution of South Australia. Adelaide, 1894. Brown (H. Y. L.), A Record of the Mines of South Australia. 3rd ed Adelaide, 1899. Conigrave (J. F.), South Australia: a Sketch of its History and Resources. A Handbook compiled for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London, 1886. Adelaide, 1886. Finniss (B. T.), The Constitutional History of South Australia (1836-1857). London, 1886. Gouger (R.), The Founding of South Australia. Edited by E. Hodder. London, 1898. Harcus (William), South Australia: its History, Resources, Productions, and Statistics. London, 1876. Hodder (Edwin), The History of South Australia. With Maps. 2 vols. 8 London, 1893. Newland (S.), The Far North Country. Adelaide, 1887. Rees (W. L.), Sir George Grey, K.C.B.: His Life and Times. 2nd edition. 2 vols. 8. London, 1892. Woods (J. D.), The Province of South Australia, with a Sketch of the Northern Territory by H. D. Wilson. Adelaide, 1894. |