New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-15

The public debt of Canada is in round figures
| S110000,000, and it is represented by vast
| public works throughout the Dominion. The
| revenue of the Dominion is mainly derived
| from customs and excise duties, which at
present produce about $l7,0OO,OOO per annum,
| Customs duties are imposed in Canada simply
| for revenue purposes. All articles contribut-
ing largely to the daily necessities and COM
fort of the peOple-al ship-bulding materials.
all raw materials, and nearly all articles re-
auired for manufacturing purpOses-are ad-
mitted free of duty. Manufactured goods pay
a uniform duty of 10 per cent I'D udlOrem
and very heavy duties are levied on spirits,
wines, tobacco, sugars, and such articles of
luxury. From tea and coffee large portion
OF the revenue was formerly levied, but the
abolition of the duty on these articles by the
United States compelled the Provinces to
follow suit In the fiscal year ended June 80
1873 the total imports of the British North
American Provinces amounted to $13S9G1, 2Sl,
of which over $60,O000OO went IN free of
duty. On the remainder duties were levied
averaging as near as possible eighteen per
cent. The excise duties yield annually about
81 900 900 from tobacco in its various forms /;
about S3,000,O0O from spirits; about 100000
from Illuminating oils, and $4,000 or $4,000
from other sources.
There were built in the Dominion in the
fiscal year 1928 forty-hv steamboats, and 81
sailing vessels. Sixty steamers and 4f6 sailing
vessels were registered during the year, with
a total tonnage of ,226 tons. The mercan-
tile marine of the Dominion is already very
large, and her ships are found in all sections
of the glObe but from the fact that a portion
only are registered at Lloyd's and another
portion bear French registers. it is difficult to
arrive at the precise tonnage owned and sailed
by Canadians. The ownership of Ocean-gong
ships has been for some years very profit
able business and in the maritime provinces
large numbers of people are investing their
surplus earnings in the building and sailing
of ocean clippers. The profitable character of
the carrying trade controlled by the mer-
chants of the Dominion may be gathered from
q very few facts. In the year 1928, no fewer
than 1,0S9 sea-gong ships. with tonnage of
3,O32 TAG tons, arrived at Canadian ocean ports,
and 1850 lake and river vessels, with a ton.
mage Of 1894 tons, arrived at Canadian in
land ports Of course the outward fleets
respectively were nearly of the same tonnage
The aggregate number of vessels of all kinds
that passed through the Canadian canals
in the year ended June 30, 1872, was BOOT,
of which 5,757 were American and 2432O
Canadian. The total bulk of merchandise
carried in these vessels was 1854 tons, and
the total amount of tolls levied was S419,94i
The cost of salaries and repairs during the
year was 1886, 1880 that our neighbors do
not appear to be able to make any better
| financial exhibit in respect to canal manage
ment than we do.
1t is alleged that the manufacture of sawed
lumber in Ontario and Quebec employs over
1900 mills, many of them having cost from
$4,000 to $4,000 each, and some as high as
100000. The tonnage in this trade is enOr-
nous, and the freights are very profitable
| There arc over $1,000 lumberers regularly en-
ployed in the woods during Winter and on
their farms in Summer The mills also fur.
nish work for nearly 10000 men, and the num-
Der of men regularly employed in shipping for
market and on the boats, RATS, canals, and
inland and ocean ships in the timber trade il
| estimated at $4,000 more. Besides supplying
the large demands of her own agricultural.
manufacturing and building industries, Can
] sda last year exported lumber " the vast