THE DOMINION'S FINANCES.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13101, 28 April 1908, Page 7

THE DOMINION'S FINANCES.

4STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. A RECORD REVENUE. (PKESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) 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 for tlioyear ended March 31st showed a record sum of £9,055.940. Other receipts that could not be called ordinary revenue amounted to £80-13, making the total receipts for the year £9,063,989. At tho beginning of tho year they had brought forward £717,825. Tho expenditure for the year amounted to £8,213,965, leaving an excess of receipts over expenditure of £850,024. Thus tiie Governiment had a total ways and means for last year amounting to £1,567,349. They had transferred trom the Consolidated Fluid to tho Publio Works Fund £800,000, so that, left a balance at the end of the year of £767,849 to commence the new year with. The revenue for the year just closed exceeded that of tho previous year by £656,871. Thero wero increases in all sources of revenue, among them being:— Customs 162,525 Post and Telegraph ... 185.207 Land Tax 90,504 Income Tax 27,038 Beer duty 6,391 Railways 143,999 Registration fees, etc. 9.722 Marine Department 1,326 Cash land sales ... 7,924 Pastoral rents . ... 30,985 The effect of the increased taxation on estates of over £40,000 was not very much felt in this year's revenue. Miscellaneous revenue showed a fall of £8543. Comparing the total revenue 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 a steady growth and expansion in their tradesj and- there was a spirit of confidence widespread and diffused.