The Wealth of the Empire.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 245, 14 November 1903, Page 4

The Wealth of the Empire.

SOME STRIKING FIGURES. Some immensely striking -figures were furnished by Sir Robert G iff en, the eminent statistician, in a paper «m*i' The Wealth of the Empire, and How it Should be Used," which was read before the recent meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He rattled out the aggregate income and the capital or wealth of the British Empire thus simply : AGGREGATE INCOME. United Kingdom ... £1,750,000,000 Canada £270,000,000 Australasia ... £210,000,000 India £600,000,000 South Africa- ... £100,000,000 Remainder of Empire £200,000,000 Income of Empire, £3.130,000,000 per annum. CAPITAL OR WEALTH. United Kingdom ... £15,000,000,000 Canada £1,350,000,000 Australasia ... £1,100,000,000 India £3,000,000,000 South Africa ... £600,000,000 Remainder of Empire £1,200,000,000 Total £22,250,000,000 "It must be admitted," said Sir Robert, " that the figures are enormous, and no such economic force has ever been in the possession of a Single State or Empire. An income of nearly 3200 millions and an accumulated wealth of over 22,000 millions are overwhelming and unimaginable. France and Germany have each probably not more than « third or half of these figures.' The United States alone of all modern States is comparable to the British Empire. Its aggregate income would not be far short of £3,000,000.000, and the capital or weajjth appears to bo officially reckoned at £IB,OOO, 000,000. It has all the additional advantage that, exclusive of recent over-sea additions, it is all in a ring ience. It would not be going too "far to say that the two Anglo Saxon States or Empires more than outweigh in economic force the whole of the, rest of the world." And this is how the United Kingdom spends its 1386 millions per «nnum : Per cent. Amounts of total "Food and Drink £468,000,000 34 Dress £182,000,000 13 Housing £223,000,000 16 National Services (exclusive of sducation) £183,000,4)00 13 Miscellaneous ineluding £30,000,000 a d u cation £25,000,000 c h u r c hj, £30,000,000 pleasure, locomotion, etc. £130,000,000 9 (Cost of distribution £200,000,000 15

Pood prices. Sir Robert pointed out, have gone down since 1880, <While house rent has doubled in 20 *ears. He estimated that the Unit- '** Kingdom spent sixty millions on brAd in 1902, ten millions on tobacco, and eight millions oa tea.