FEDERAL BUDGET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 201, 23 August 1905, Page 5

FEDERAL BUDGET.

DECLINE Uf REVENIT-S. STRENGTHENING OP DE3TENCES. MELBOURNE, August 22. The Federal Treasurer (Sir John Forrest) delivered the Budget this afternoon. The revenue for 1904-5 was £11,460.----000. Customs and excise yielded £180.000 more than the estimate", and the post office £70.000 more. The total revenue exceeded the estimate by £72,000. Stimulants and narcotics yielded £4,281,000. The actual Federal expenditure amounted to £4,318,000, being £114,000 below the estimate. The estimated revenue for the current year is £11,387.000. and the expenditure £4,606,000. The cost of federation last year was 1/63 per head, and the estimate" for next year is 1/s*. The revenue returned to the States in 1904-O amounted to £7,141,000, and the estimated return for 1905-6 is £6,783,000. Sir John Forrest announced that it was intended to extend the sugar bonus for another five years, from the end of the present term, on the existing conditions. Excise on sugar also would be extended. In regard to the Braddon clause, un'ess some arrangements were made for a fixed amount to be returned to the States. there would be no other course than continuing the booking system till the end of the Braddon sections, as otherwise tl proposal of the States to borrow onh. through the Federal Government would i lead to interminable trouble. He estimated the nival and military expenditure at £524,000. including £20o!----000 as a full year's contribution to the j navy. The defence forces generally, he j said, were engaging the serious attention of the Government. A very much larger amount was required to place the forcein a thoroughly efficient condition. The Government was fully alive to the position, and proposed to spend £40,000 on new dr.ii halls r~d rifle ranges. By tbe end of next year the land force? would be placed on a complete war footing. He added that when Australia wa? willing to pay she would be given a voice in Imperial defence affairs. (Received 9.28 ajn.) MEL-BOURNE, this day. In his Budget speech Sir John Forrest said he hoped that before long they would bring the negotiations for the transfer of the State debts to the Commonwealth to a successful conclusion-Aus-tralia's trade last year was £14.500,000 j imports, £37.000,000* in exports, or 57 or | 74 per cent, of the total trade done with the United Kingdom and the British posj sessions. The proposed expenditure inI eludes £30.000 on a telephone between | Melbourne and Sydney, and £140.000 for : special defence material. The debate was : adjourned. [The Commonwealth revenue has dei creased each year since federation. In i ±902-3 it was" £1-2.105.378; in 1903-4 it fell to £11.631,056; while for the past | year it will be seen that there is still a ; j falling-off, though on this occasion i i amounting only to £200.000. The expeni diture for 1902-3 was £3,901,759, and for | i 1903-4, £4.252.562.] ■ I ! i