Points from the Financial Statement.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7091, 27 August 1901, Page 4

Points from the Financial Statement.

(Pos-i.)

Interest and Sinking Fund payments for the current year are'estimated at £78,609 more than last year. The amount wanted' for interest and Sinking : Fund this year is £1,819,225, against £1,683,776 in 1895-96, an increase in five -years of £183,450. ■ - The; departmental expenditure forthe current year -is estimated at £3,329,884, against an actual expenditure in' 189.5-96 'of £2,297,307.' This shows an increase of nearly a million in five years.; . \ ■ The education .vote for the current year is £512,519y an- increase; of £67,225 over the previous year, tThe railways are expected to yield this year" a revenue of £1^760,000, or £39,369 more iVthan in the previous • year.-;■■•■:■■. ■.■;-' ■ ■,','■. V.-.- ■' '•'■ ■' ':_ ■ The Land Tax for the current year ; is estimated at £.10,416 more thanthe" actual receipts' of the previous year. ; " ;/■.•..','..:?.;, ;';" '■ '.■ The cost of running'the Defence Department this year is placed at £218,250, while the actual expenditure in 1895-96 was only - £68,647. The loan expenditure on railways ■lastv year" was £717,722, against £417,937 in the previous year, and £166;581 in 1894-95. • r ;" . The publio works expenditure last year was £1,807,511, against £389,800 in 1896, and £307,182 in 1895. The total, inscribed:debt, of local bodies-under, the' Loans to Local' Bodies Act is £1,222;234. . y.; The actual profit of the railways for the year ended 31st March last is::, given as:: £599,389,.as against £571,533 in the previous year. '. _'; - The Railway : Department has, authority to spend £500,000 qf borrowed jmoney on rolling-stock,'and this enables the Department to show!: a working profit of over 3 per cent.^;!; : When; the true balance-sheet of the:; railway is furnished the " eloquent ■ testimony of the success of State administration of our railways '.'.will, beopen* to considerable doubt. '■• ";:; .The Colonial Treasurer, says that in view of the ■ large amount no w: paid, it;wilLnot; be.prudent to press for old : age. pensions being univeral, or for any increase in the: scaled ■