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INTRODUCTION.
The Treasurer (Hon. I*. Glyde) intro
duced his proposals for fresh taxation in
the House of Assembly on Tuesday, Sep
iember 19. Thev are to the followina
effect — first, an annual tax of five pounds
per centum on the yearly value of all
lands and houses -within the province
not included within the limits of cor
porate towns or districts under the District
Councils Act, to be calculated at the
rate of five pounds .per centum per annum
on the actual value of the property taxed;
secondly, a tax of one penny on. every
cheque drawn on any .Bank within +he
province. The first tax is expected to
produce £18,000, and the tax on cheques
£5,000, making a total of £23,000,
which it is Ijelieved will cover the
-proposed expenditure on defences.
Objection has been raised to the
scheme on the ground that it is too
peddling and insignificant, and that the
land tax will be evaded by people forming
District Councils and levying a nominal
rate ho as to obey the law. The Trea
surer did his best to meet these and other
objections, but it appears as if he would
have hard work to carry his proposals.
Mr. Parsons, the Minister of Education,
delivered his Budget Speech on the
Northern Territory on the 19th, and it
proved to be one of the most interesting
statements of the session. The financial
position of the Territory has quite
changed within the past year or two.
The total expenditure last year waa
£39,686, and the receipts, which were
estimated at £44,020, actually amounted
to £79,368. Land sales, which were ex
pected to bring in £7,000, returned no
less a Bum than £24,369 j and the other
-sources of revenue, instead of yielding
only £37,020, produced no less an amount
-nan £54,998. The greatest advance was
-in rents, licences, &c, of Crown lands,
including the Herbert Kiver, from which
£30,870 was obtained. -The Minister
began the year with a cash deficit of
£39,681, and he hopes to close it with a
surplus of £15,992. The general revenue
for 1882-3 is estimated at £46,995, the
? chief falling-off being in rents, licences,
&c, of Crown lands, which it is esti
? mated will bring in £20,000 instead of
£30,870, as realized last year. The pro
posed expenditure for the year is £47,172,
? an advance of about £8,000 upon the out
lay for the previous twelve months. To
this are also added, for the first time,
£19,490, the interest for the year on the
Northern Territory Loan, and £25,021,
being one-fifth of the interest on the loan,
? which has been paid out of the General
Revenue of South Australia. The total
outlay is thus brought up to £91,683.
This will leave the Minister with a credit
balance on June 30, 1883, of £15,992
exclusive of the £41,305, the balance of
the Northern Territory Loan. This
everybody who is interested in the Terri
toiy will admit is a satisfactory state of
things, and justifies the sanguine view
?which the Minister of Education takes in
the future prosperity of the settlement.
? Concerning their policy the Government
- are still agreed as to the desirability of
- constructing a railway from Port Darwin
to the reefs, to form the northernmost
section of the transcontinental line;
but as the survey is not yet completed
they are obliged to defer the introduction
of the Bill till next session. Meanwhile
the land in the Territory has been with
drawn from sale, and the price of land
that has been surveyed but still un
- selected has been advanced from 7s. 6d.
to 12s. 6d. per acre. Concerning the
tariff, it is proposed to adopt that which
is in force at Port Adelaide, with the
exception of half a dozen lines on which
an exceptional impost i3 charged with a
view of making the Chinese contribute
more largely to the revenue than they
would otherwise do. The export duty on
gold is to be reduced from 2s. 6d. to 6d.
per oz., the latter fee being charged foi
the purposes of registration. The great
object tiie Ministry have in view is tc
identify the Territory more thoroughly
with the southern part of the province, sc
that in course of time the two parts shall
form ' one grand united colony.'
The Australasian statistics for the year
1881 have been issued by Mr. H. H.
Hayter, the well-known statist of Vic
toria; and despite the past bad season
or two the record of continued progress
is very remarkable, Since 1871 the
population of the five colonies of Aus
tralia and the two colonies of New
Zealand and Tasmania ha3 advanced from
1,978,748 to 2,836,954, showing an annual
increase of 85,720 souls. Last year the
gain was 103,000, so that it looks as ii
the real decade would witness an aug
mentation of upwards of a million, or, ir
other words, the population of Austral
asia in 1891 will probably be 6ver foui
millions of people. The import and expori
trade of the provinces has expanded
even more marvellously than the popula
tion. Ten years ago— that is in 1871—
the combined exports and imports oJ
Australia and New Zealand and Tasmania
amounted to £64,656,968; in 1876— five
years later— they were £89,599,003; anc
in 1881 — ten years later — they were
£101,097,497. A trade of these dimen
sions cannot be without interest to the
great mercantile countries of the world,
?nd, in fact, we know it is not withoul
interest, for the colonies are now con
stantly being visited by representatives
?from the factories and business firms oi
England and the Continent. The publii
revenue of the seven provinces has
advanced during last year from
£17,069,015 to £20,613,672, showing ai
increase of £3,544,657, while the aggre
gate expenditure has not grown more
than by £38,324. The public debt oi
the colonies on the 31st of December lasi
stood at £95,988,682 ; but when it is
known that as against this there is as
security not only a vast extent of terri
tory not yet occupied, but 5,426 miles ol
railway open for traffic, 49,115 miles oi
telegraph wire open, 7,017,382 acres oi
land under profitable occupation,
74,000,000 sheep, and several million:
of horses, cattle, and pigs- the positior
and stability of Australasia as a borrowei
in the 'English market will hardly be ques
tioned.
The Land Bill ha3 at length passed th«
Assembly, the only amendment made ii
the reprinted measure being in the 7tl
clause, which was altered so as to require
the purchaser, if the surrendering selectoi
were the unsuccessful competitor, to paj
in cash three-fourths instead of one-Sal
value of the improvements. The Billi
now before the Legislative Council.
Mr. E. Cooke, M.P., is to be offer*
the position, of ene- or the- Audit Udmnns--
akmers as soon as. the new Audit Bill has
received Her Majesty's assent, and it is
understood that Mav Cooke- is dis
posed to accept the offer. He is
undoubtedly well- qualified for the
office, for he is particularly skilful at
figures, is very industrious, and has the
faculty of knowing, how to organize a new
department. It has not yet transpired
who is to be the second Commissioner.
Mr. Cooke has not yetrtsigned his seat in
Parliament.
A Select Committee has-beenappointed
to enquire into and report uponthe pro
priety of extending railway communica
tion to 'WlUunga. This has come about
chiefly through the efforts of the Hon. J-.
Colton, who is one of the representatives
nf tlif- fHstrript,- and Who baa biVfin.a deer)
interest in the projected line, which, if
carried, will probably, be connected with,
the Nairne Railway. The latter under
taking, as far as Aldgate Pump Station^ .is.
to be opened for traffic early, in January
next.
The news concerning the crops is .con
flicting. It was feared that two 'Or. three
unusually hot days- recently, had done
them irreparable damage in some parts of
the North, but a cool change, with slight
showers cf rain, has- altered the aspect of
things, or rattier altered, the. views, of.
people.
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