SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BUDGET.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 213, 6 September 1907, Page 5

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BUDGET.

STATE'S GENERAL PROGRESS. MINIMITM GOVERNMENT WAGE ADELAIDE, September 5. The Budget speech was delivered tonight by the Treasurer, who estimated to have a credit balance on June 30 next of £48,423. The estimated revenue for the financial year was £3,135,329, and the basis of calculation is a nine-bushel harvest against eleven bushels harvested last year. The prospects of the coming, year were said to be particularly good. The cutting up of large estates for closer settlement had proved exceedingly profitable. The railway revenue had increased by £225,000, compared with the previous year, producing a net income equal to 5.15 per cent, of the capital cost. The Government, it was announced, would reintroduce the progressive land tax. It was intended to spend £100,000 on works out of revenue, and during the year ending June next it was estimated that there would have been paid in the redemption of loans or in constructing works out of revenue the sum of £970,000. A prominent feature of the Budget was the establishment of a minimum wage of 7/ per day for all manual labourers in the employ of the State, the Treasurer expressing the hope that private firms would follow this example. (Received 9.45 ajn.)' ADELAIDE, this day. The Budget showed that the past year ended with a surplus of £299,673. Amongst the prime causes of the surplus is an increase of nearly 6000 in population. The number of marriages was the largest ever recorded. The development of mining and agricultural interests made an important contribution to the prosperity of the country.