WEST AUSTRALIA.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 9

WEST AUSTRALIA.

The Treasurer, in his financial statistics for the year ended 30th June!, stated ■ that when the financial year opened tha State had a' debit balance of £119,900, and it was estimated this would be reduced to £116,386. Instead* however, it has been increased to £208,728. Both revenue and expenditure were over-esti-mated, the former, by £190,859, and tha oxpendjturo by £98,516. The total collected was £3,401,353, and the amount . disbursed £3,490,182, the excess of expenditure being £88,829. The railway revenv? decreased from £1,648,645 to £1,557,221, dividend duty from £137,484 to £116,916, and Commonwealth surplus from £872,991 to £780,166. Land revenue ineroased from £191,503 to £219,279; probate. duty from £15,707 tO£34,308 From a recent case in the magistrate's court at Perth, it would seem that ministerial experience is not a good qualification for tho business of publicans. One G. E. Wheatlcy, an ex-Methodist minister, was fined £5 and coste for having at tho King Edward Hotel sold a quantity of adulterated whisky. •>&. Edwards, cellar-man, who was- recently- employed by Wheatley, said he remembered defendant telling -him"the whisky in the- bar . was. a .bit<- too -strong and could do with some water. Witness stated he personally didn't add water, neither did he break the whisky down himself. Defendant said ho purchased bulk whisky from Fremantle, and not undorstapding. the business, got tho whisky broke' down. Complaints were afterwards made in the bar that tho whisky was too strong, and witness gave instructions to Edwards to add water. Witness did nob know much about whisky. The idea that adding water would mako tho quantity more did not occur to him.