NATIONAL EXPENDITURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9084, 19 June 1888, Page 5

NATIONAL EXPENDITURE.

Mr. R. J. Duncan, honorary secretary of the Auckland Political Financial Reform Association, sends the following table of comparative costs of national expenditure, prepared by Mr. E. W. Burton, and laid before the Association. It is a comparative table of population, public debts, yearly expenditure, and external trade of NewZealand with the undermentioned countries :—

New ZEAUND.-On 81st March, 1887, there were 1721 miles of railway, of an estimated value of about £14,100,000. There were also telegraph lines valued at £625,000; length not given. Victoria.—There are 2069 miles of railways, of a capital value of about £24,500,000, also <K/94 rallea of telegraph, with a total mileage of wire amounting to 10,111 miles, Sweden.—The loans were spent in the construction of railways, of which the State owns 1432 miles, together with 5400 miles of telegraphs. The railways are not included in the expenditure, but the net profit, 6,000,000 krona, equivalent to £333,600. But the expenditure embraces everything besides railways, including the maintenance of an army of 40,000 men, a navy of 54 steamers, 15 being ironclads and IS sailing vessels, manned by 6000 men, with a naval reserve of 35,000. Norway.—The loans were spent on the construction of railways, of which there are 070 miles open. Tl;e length of telegraphs at work in 1887 was 4810 miles. The expenditure embraces working the railways, the maintenance of an army of 18,000 men, together with a fleet of 44 steamers, four being monitors.

D en mark.—The working expenses of the railways, 120S miles, are not included, but the working cost is given as 10,617,180 kroner, equal to £590,315 sterling, and the gross receipts 12,913,886 kroner, equal to £717,584, and the difference (£127,269) is carried into the revenue account. So that, adding the railway budget, the total expenditure is £3,817,400, or £116s 4d per head. Cost of the army, 42,800 men, exclusive of reserves and navy of 37 steamers, four being ironclads, with 1270 officers and men. Switzerland.—This embraces the army and the railways. ' Canada.—The expenses include costs of and subventions to the railways.

* Or, omitting railway works expenditure, £512s 4d.

External Trade, Interest on Expenditure Rate of Cost of other Total rate of Name of Co'ntry. Population. measured by Public Debt. on other sor-Interest Services, expenditure Expenses Imports and Exports. Annual vices, annual, per he'd per head per head £ £ £ £ £ a. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. m Zealand 600,000 14,800,000 in 1835 38,758,400, 1,838,000 2,222,000 3 13 3 14 1 6 15 4* w in 1883 including for 18S8-9 * 2,000,000 3 just raised gj Victoria 1,300,000 83,600,000 in 1885 33,110,000, 1,471,500, 6,194,363, 1 1 10 3 19 11 5 19 in 1835 in June, 1887 ap'roxmately 1886-1837 Sweden 4,717,189 32,600,000 in 1885 13,650,235 550,000, 4,204,000 0 2 4 0 17 9} 1 0 1} nearly Norway 1,925,000 18,200,000 in 1886 8,888,000 240,000, 2,221,000, 025 157 180 nearly in 1887-83 Denmark 2,100,000 21,000,000 in 1886 10,873,865 400,000, 2,827,000 0 3 Of 1 10 9 1 14 6} ap'roxmately Switzerland 8,000,000 70,700,000 in 1886 1.S08.810 52,000, ■ 2,039,070, 004 0 13 5 0 13 9 ap'roxmately in 1887 Canada §,000,000 39,000,000 in 1886 46,854,000 2,410,000, 5,606,000, 0 10 0 132 118 2 nearly in 1886 nearly