THE COMMONWEALTH SYDNEY, September 29.

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 30

THE COMMONWEALTH SYDNEY, September 29.

The Budget was delivered to-night. The Government proposed to find £1,315,000 ■for various railway loan works. The accumulated surplus on June 13- last amounted to £637,678. Compared with ithe previous year, the total revenue decreased by £335,000. The Government lad redeemed loans during the year to ithe extent of £3,240,000, and that amount, if added to the amount spent on public ,works, made a grand total of £6,284,000. .The estimated cost of invalid pensions for jtli« current year is £95,000, which is (£20,000 in excess of last year. The estimated revenue for the year jgt ,£13,622,000, and .the expenditure

£13.162.000. After making provision for the Public Works Fund and the Closer Settlement Fund, the estimated surplus is £407,000. The Government- requires three millions for public works during the year. PERTH, September 30. . The Treasurer's (Mr F. Wilson) Budget estimate of revenue for the current year is £3.426,000, and the expenditure £3.387,000. The season, he &aid, had been the best for 10 years. He expected a 12-busbel harvest, and that 3,000,000 bushels would be available for export. Since its start the Agricultural Bank had advanced over p million pounds to farmer*. The construction of agricultural and other railways would be continued -wherever justifiable, and land settlement pushed forward. BRISBANE, October 2. A record vote is expected to be polled

at the general election to-day, and both sides are confident. October 3. The election returns are incomplete. The Ministry carried the metropolitan area. The Blairites, or Independent Opposition party, is wiped out, Labour, at its expense chiefly, having gained five seats. Mr Kidston, who headed the poll at last election, had to be content with second place, while Mr Philp, at Townsville, had a great struggle to get second place. Labour so far has headed the poll. The latest returns chow the state of parties to be as folkTws : — Labour, 28 ; Ministerialists, 10 ; Independent's, 4. Though many returns are still incomplete, and some may be altered, the latest returns show : — Ministerialists - .... 40 Labour 28 Independent 4 Mr Jackson (Minister of Mines) lost the Kennedy seat to Mr O'Sullivan (Labour), but all the other Ministers have either been returned ot are considered safe. Mr Philp, at Townsville, squeezed in between two Labourites. Mr Peter Airey, an exMinister, who figured as an Independent, was defeated for South Brisbane.