THE DOMINION FINANCES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9131, 28 April 1908, Page 4

THE DOMINION FINANCES.

Press Association. v Wellington, April 27. Sir Joseph Ward, in the course of • a speech to-night, said the financial position of the Dominion was highly satisfactory. The revenue of the year ended March 31st showed a record revenue of £9,055,946; other receipts that could not be called ■ ordinary revenue amounted to £8,043 making the total’ receipts for the ' year £9,063,989. At the beginning of the year they had brought for- ! ward £717,825. The expenditure for i the year amounted to £8,213,965, leaving an excess of receipts over expenditure of £850,024. Thus the Government had a total ways and . means for last year amounting to £15,670,849. They had transferred from the consolidated fund to the | public works fund £BOO,OOO, so that left a balance at the end of the year of £767,849 to commence the new ] year with. The . x-evenue for the year just closed exceeded that of the - previous year by £656,871. There were increases in all sources of revenue but two. Customs revenue *1 showed an increase of £162,525. There had been an increase of £185,207 in the Post and Telegraph' receipts, and an advance of £90,504 ‘ in|the land tax received. The effect . of the increased taxation on estates of over £50,000 was not very much felt in this year’s revenue. Income tax showed an increase of £27,038, * beer duty increased £6,391, railways ' £143,999. Registration, etc., £9,722,'. marine £1,326, cash land sales and pastoral rents £30,985. Miscel-* laueous revenue showed a fall of | £8,543. Comparing the total revenue 1 with that of two years ago it had risen by £1,471,587. (Applause.) There had been no booming. ~ It was simply that the people of the Dominion were making steady growth and expansion .in their trades, and there was a spirit of confidence widespread and diffused.