FINANCE OF A DECADE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 333, 21 October 1908, Page 10

FINANCE OF A DECADE.

; BRITISH STATISTICS. WHAT WAS SPENT ON THE ARMY AND NAVY. • The British Treasury Return of Public Income and Expenditure, which was issued on August 12, derives interest frpm tho fact that both sides of the national accounts are presented in a new form'consequent pji the change made by Mr. Asquith's Fiiunco Act Prior to tbe financial year 1907-5 tho duties which were assigned by various Acts to local purposes were paid direct to the tocal Taxation Accounts. In 1907-8, under tho provisions of the Finance Act, these duties were paid'into tho Exchequer, and tho equivalent of the proceeds of such duties was charged on tho Consolidated Fund.. -In-the return issued on August 12 the revenue and expenditure figures for the years prior to IDO7-8 have, been adjusted in accordance with tho new systein for purposes of. comparison.. Ob the basis of the present method of keeping the national accounts the income and expenditure for tho decade ended on March 31 last were • as follows

Total ...... £1,307,516,645 £1,450,288,603 It will thus Iw seen that the expenditure ill tJje decade exceeded tha income by the largo sum of £142,771,963. This is due, of course, to the South African war, the excess of expenditure over incorao in the years 1599-19Q0 to 1902-03 being no Jess than £152,545,30?. , • In- the two complete financial year? the present Administration lias been in power— 1906-7 and 1907-B—tbo income has exceeded the expenditure by £10,126,418. The return sots out separately tho surra voted for the Army and Navy as follows:—

Totals 263,004,956 304,767,257 507,772,213 Add Votes of Credit for South African War, etc 217,296,861 Oraud total 785,069,064 Included in the Votes of Credit for Special Service are the sums of £6,460,000 for military operations in China and £2,400,000 for tho' Somaliland Expedition. Theße two items, added to £6,000,000 repaid by the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies, when deducted from the total Votes of Credit, leave a sum of £202,436,851 for the war in South Africa alone,

Income. Expenditure. 1898-99 .. £103,822,551 £103.036,694 1899-1900 114,761.642"" 126 634,144 1900-01 124,513,913 177,721,493 1901-2 136,866,704 189,390,920 1902-3 145,140,133 178,072,148 1903-4 134,910,201 140 325,848 1904-5 136,477,526 135,063,619 1905-6 136,771,764 133,306,144 1906-7 136,945,072 131 546,250 1907-8 137,317,044 132,691 448

Army. Navy Total. & £'■■£■ 189S-99 20,018,453 24,007,121 44.025,574 1890-1900 20,491,924 25,909,649 40,401 573 1900-01 24,402,257 29,420,410 53,822,607 1901-02 • 29,175,030 80,879,614 60,054,544 1902-03 29,227,636 30,835,970 60,063.000 1903-04 30,344,136 34,982,572 65,320,708 1904-05 28,238,476 36,202,213 64,440,089 1905-06 28,041.449 32,284,188 60,325,637 1906-07 26,878,477 30,319,023 57,197,500 1907-08 26,187,115 29,926,697 66,113,715