VICTORIAN RESOURCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 260, 20 October 1862, Page 6

VICTORIAN RESOURCES

It is peculiarly handy and marvellously plearant to have a neighbor just a-head of you in civilisation—one who is working out, apparently for your especial behoof; the various iitricate problems of commercial and political economy. Victoria may be considered in this light to Otago, and we propose to analyse for our benefit so much of her experience as is recorded in that interesting volume, known as "The Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure." We choose that for the year 1862. :

Victoria rcjo.ces m a prospective revenue of more than £3,000,000, which, as things go, is a tidy little sum to handle. We propose to deal in round numbers, for the figures roll over each other so jilibly, and, moreover, it is not aristocratic to talk of shillings and pence. Now, then, let us see how this sum is realised. The Customs pour nearly X 1,200,000 into the Treasury, of which spirits and idjenus produce £670,000, and tobacco and snuff £194,000. "We con-ess we look more amiably on our whiskey and gin-drinking Britons'when-we think of their becoming a human distillery whence so life-giving a stream flows; and, if we add to this the Publicans' and Spirit Dealers' Licenses, producing some £84,000, we may reckon that "grog and baccy" milk very freely; would that the General Government would not milk us by abstracting five-eighths from the bucket. ,

Next comes the land to pour its tribute into the Treasury, and a pretty little item it is; no less than £735,000 thus ingeniously produced ;—proceeds of sale of lands-, £400,000; occupation for pastoral and other purposes, £33,5,000. And Here we get our first wrinkle, and not a bad one. The rental of the land produces nearly as much as the alienation of it; the total being nearly three quarters of a million. Gold now steps to the front, and from its mines we sluice no less a sum than £2] 2:000, of which the export duty '■/ furnishes £ 137,000 ; miners' rights, £36,000 licenses, £24,000; and auriferous leases, £13,000. Now, though this direct contribution of nearly one quarter of a million is satisfactory, we certainly should have been pleased with a trifle more, but we won't grumble at t'ieindirect expenses. '..'•■'■/

The Postal Department hastens to * drop | £120,000 into the Treasurer's lap, and, hot to ! be behind hand, the Ports and Ii arbours yield ! £140,000, in the shape of tonnage £15,000, and wlmrfage rates and light dues, £125,000. The Courts of Law deliver, in the shape' of fees, no less than £52,000. -The. railway, £380,000 of which, more anon; Electric Telegraphs, £27,000 ; • ..Water Rates, £G0,000; leaving odds and endsio complete the Revenue by a contribution of about £200,000. Now, then, letus tabulate our statement :-- Customs .....;.;.:„.... £1,200,000 ; , Land 735,000 Gold !'. .-.........-.■..; 212,000 Postal '.. ...:,..... 120,000 Harbours ...:..., 140,000 Fees of C0urt5...:..:..,;.... 52,000 ; ; ■ : Railways 380,006; ."■■•■./ Klectrie Telegraphs ...:. 27^000, Odds and Endsv..;..^]..;. 134,000 ' \ ■'.';::• T0ta1......::;.;. £3,660,000 '

The. pleasant part of our duty is iiovr over. We have done with cashing in. Wemust begin to cash out, which experience tells most of^ us is iiot quite so agreeable. / \ :■..]< Railways demand forthwith a disgorgement in the shape of.interest on railway loamsr of no less than £384,000 in addition to interest ort. Railway Debentures of £3,500;, Railway Es-j tablishment, £96,500 "/Railway Cdtitingencies, £14,000; ; Railway ■Workinc-V/Expenses, £109,932; and Maintenimce; of Line, £21;516, making, a total lof say;;!£63o,ooo i agajrist £380,006 of receiptSi" Against: this Ave"~inust chalk off certain /peculiar iadvahtages of free tranmisfions by Government. v ; . -;

Electric Telegraphs on account of salaries, and contingencies, £6,^00. T..atis v i"76,0C0 against receipts £27,000, ? ,As a set ofF we Have to consider the saving by* the transmission/ of Government-messages, v We cannot trace, but we believe there jhas been a considerable initial outlay, for which the main- j tenance and repairs contribution is not an equivalent. Whether there vs any interest payable is not said; be that as it may, the surplus expenditure may be regarded as 'about £50,000, independently x of- some ,£13,000 for extension of electric telegraphs ; but a considerable reduction must be allowed for the benefits derivable from the transmission of Government messages, whereby not -only is postage saved, time gained, but crime checked^ and detected, and the police ftnd 'other esia- I Wishjnents reduced* J rt > *

>-*£Bhs -next *, demaad&Vattention. v Salaries,- £45,774;, contingencies,; £7,000; conveyance of inland mails, £50,000; gratui T) ties, £2,000; steam postal . communication^ £60,000: makingatotal of .£164,000, against receipts £120,000. But we must consider again that the Government letters go partly free, we believe. It must not be forgotten," i also, that in this and the preceding case no debit is made for public buildings, which come under a different department. The Customs, the principal source ot revenue, demand in the shape of salaries £61,000; contingencies, £2,000: making a total of about £63,000, against receipts £1,200,000. There is something in this which rejoices the cockles of the heart, and originates a wish that we had not to remit five-eigh.ths of oar Customs to Auckland. The Land Department asks on account of its triple organization in the shape of sale and • survey of lands an(V roads and bridges, as follows;— Salaries, £27,000; contingencies, £38.000; surveys, £47,009; road works and bridge^ £400,000 •«cemeteries, £5,000^ makinoa total of say £(520,000; against receipts £735,006.; : V ■ '.'."<■:'■■ '/::-:-f;''r:-^.-\ The Harbours demand, for; salaries about £67,000; contingencies, £10,000; dredging, £10,000; jetty aiid Wharf extension, £14.000; making a total of <4>10i,060 ; against £ 140-000 of receipts. -■■■.• ..•" ■~ ... ;. ..^-.,:- : ; -:','"'.'■'■■ \• :, The Gold Department directly asks for salaries £10,000; contingencies, £16,000; waterworks, £25,000; sludge and storm water channels, £10.000; public building?, £4,000; making a total of £65,000, 'against receipts, £212,000;— but here \ we must consider the vast outlay in roads, railways, telegraphs, and public buildmgs-'eaused by the gold field?. We have'iiiw done fbrtfoe^esenr, warned by the fact that figures are exfrferaely indigestible articles of intellectual nourishment. So soon, however, as this meal is thoroughlydigested we will revert to the subject^ and indicate in what way Victoria disposes of her 'surplus, and see whether it affords an example to invite, or a beacon to warn us.