VICTORIA IMPROVING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8417, 17 January 1899, Page 4

VICTORIA IMPROVING.

Sir (iKOKcr. TrRNj;K, the Victorian Treasurer, is happy in the knowledge that for the six months of the financial year ending with December there is a marked improvement in almost all the chief items of revenue. The principal windfall is in probate duties, which he estimated at £85,000, butwhich have returned £100,000. This is balanced, however, by the less on selectors' payments, estimated at £145,000 and returning only .075,000. Spirit duties give him a surplus of £13,000, tobacco duties of £8000, sugar duties of £7000, live stock tux of £33,000, and so forth. Then the gold production for the year is 35,0000z ahead of last year's. And the colony has the largest crop on record— not the highest aveiage per acre, but the largest aggregate, the area under cultivation having greatly increased. Consequently there is every prospect of a good half-year coming for the railways. All round things are lifting gradually. One good sign is that the two local hanks — Victoria and the National— that commenced to relei'se their deposits (which were locked up after the crisis of 18!). i) are approaching the conclusion of their task. Consequently the holders of ordinary shares are beginning to look for dividends, and the prices of these shaies are firming pretty rapidly in the market.