CO129-340 - Governor Nathan Acting Governor May - 1907 [4-6]

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(a)-GENERAL REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE,

The following is a brief abstract of Revenue and Expenditure for the years 1905 and 1906:--

Revenue.

(b.)-ASSETS AND LIABILITIES.

At the end of the year 1906, the assets of the Colony amounted to $1,665,328.59, or including arrears of revenue $1,808,589.24. The total liabilities were $1,013,092.48 so that the surplus of assets over liabilities amounted to $795,496.76.

1905 1906 Increase Decrease $ $ C. 2,004.70

(c.)-PUBLIC DEBT.

There is an ordinary public debt of £341,799 15s. 1d. outstanding. The original debt was incurred in connection with the Praya Reclamation, the Central Market, and Water, Drainage and Sewerage Works. Interest at 3.3 per cent. is payable on the loan, which is being paid off by a Sinking Fund now amounting to £42,298 1s. 10d.

Towards the close of 1905 the Government lent to the Viceroy of Wuchang a sum of £1,100,000 bearing interest at 4.4% for purposes connected with the Canton-Hankow Railway. To meet this expenditure a loan was raised in London in February, 1906, at an average price of £99 18s. 9d. per cent., bearing interest at the rate of 3.3%, the total cost, including expenses of issue, being £1,143,933 1s. 4d. A sum of £110,000 has been repaid by the Viceroy, and has been credited to a fund provided to defray the cost of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, now in course of construction.

1905 1906 Increase Decrease $ $ $ $ $ C. Light Dues,... 71,233.45 77,722.01 8,498.50 Licences and Internal Revenue unt other-wise specified, 4,725,006.25 4,765,227.78 39,321.53 Fees of Court, &c., 417,417.37 470,151.63 82,734.16 Post Office,........ 414,838.19 420,454.04 5,615.85 Reut of Government Property, 672,161.82 826,609.20 154,587.38 Interest, Miscellaneous, 121,491.63 53,747.24 67,744.41 Water Account, Land Sules, 392,239.76 315,733.21 76,526.55 Amount transferred from Praya Reclama-tion Fund, 90,022.24 90,022.24 Total,. 6,918,408.95 7,095,011.78 352,905.83 Deduct Decrease,.. 236,297.90 Nett Increase, 116,607.99

Expenditure.

1905 1906 Increase Decrease $ $ $ $ C. Non-effective Charges, 365,108.59 333,823.31 31,285.29 General Administration, 1,226,584.57 1,404,287.42 177,702.85 Law and Order, 846,275.69 832,919.87 13,355.82 Public Health, 653,420.65 659,413.66 5,993.01 Public Instruction, 162,277.58 162,978.32 695.74 Pablic Works... 2,276,646.79 2,086,651.96 189,990.83 Defence,..... 1,420,961.39 1,852,537.14 68,424.25 Total,... 6,951,275.26 6,832,610.68 184,391.60 Dedact Increase,-. 184,391.60 Nett Decrease, $119,664.58

II-TRADE AND SHIPPING, INDUSTRIES, FISHERIES, AGRICULTURE AND LAND.

(a.) TRADE AND SHIPPING.

The total Tonnage entering and clearing at Ports of the Colony during the year 1906 amounted to 32,747,268 tons, being a decrease, compared with 1905, of 1,437,823 tons. This decrease is more than accounted for by the falling off in local and foreign junk trade and in local launch and river steamer trade, due mainly to the total loss or temporary disablement of a large number of small sized vessels in the typhoon of the 18th September.

A comparison between the years 1905 and 1906 is given in the following Table :—

1905 1906 Increase Decrease Ships. Tonnage Ships. Tonnage Ships. Tonnage Ships. Tonnage British Ocean-going 3,995 | 7,672,324 3,607 | 7,189,471 388 | 482,853 Foreign Ocean-going 3,845 | 7,488,785 4,287 | 7,003,495 442 | 1,272,710 Foreign River Steamers 975 | 659,597 1,071 | 667,017 96 | 8,420 British River Steamers 1,800 | 31,146 920 | 256,029 880 | 1,281,000 S'ships under 60 tons (Foreign Trade) 5,822 | 1,181,569 4,353 | 917,778 1,469 | 263,791 Junks in Foreign Trade 11,651 | 810,508 12,718 | 854 1,067 | 44,346 Junks in Local Trade 38,475 | 2,875,440 28,132 | 2,610,411 10,343 | 265,029 Stenin launches plying in the Colony 337,913 | 169,312 333,860 | 251,536 4,053 | 82,224 Grand Total 153,758 | 34,185,091 426,725 | 32,747,208 23,207 | 2,382,163

The following Table shows the total revenue and expenditure for the five years 1902-1906:--

Revenue Expenditure Surplus Deficit 1902 $4,901,078.70 $5,238,857.88 $337,779.18 1903 $5,396,669.48 $6,376,235.80 $979,566.32 1904 $6,809,047.99 $5,909,548.51 $899,499.48 1905 $6,918,403.85 $6,951,276.26 $32,871.41 1906 $7,085,011.78 $6,832,610.68 $202,401.10

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