Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-12


and we exported Sssyenty-fve million
pounds weight Of wo6i, valued at over five
million pounds sterling We produced over
sen m ana t bushels from ooo
from 10000 acres; neariy half million
gallons of wine, and last but not least
nearly two and one-half million ounces of
gold Finally. the public debt of the colony
or f9.S per head. -.
Forty Years of Growth.
All but forty years have elapsed since
then, and the figures In every branch of In
dustry have expanded to a marvellous ex-
tent. Wool and wheat still form our staple
products, but other Industries. such as that
of frozen meat, have sprung up, and noun
tains Of gold, copper, tin and iron ore have
been discovered in various parts OF the
continent, some of which only await the
advent of capital. and the larger fields
which federation will give to make Aus
tralia one of the richest countries in the
world. The merest glance at the figures
for 1889, with an advanced proof of winch
L have just been supplied, will show what
an astonishing progress has been maze.
In this first issue of federal statistics by
Mr.. Coghlan the figures for the common
wealth and New Zealand have been sep
arated throughout, and 1t is the FORMER
only which will quote. The population OF
the commonwealth has reached to 3, 16, 40,
or to just under four and one-half MIL
liens. with New Zealand and the Aus
tral1an aboriginals thrown In. The reye-
nue. and expenditure of the commonwealth
now amount to over twentyeight million
sterling, respectively, a little more than
e. los. per head for each the total trade
has swollen to over one hundred and forty
and one-half million sterling, or tSS per
head; while nearly IL 900 vessels, several
Of which exceed 1900 tons, and totaling
over twenty-one and one-quarter million
tons, visit our shores. We now own, not
rxrit hcfn dino
drought, seventyfour million sheep and
nearly ten million cattle, and last year we
exported over five hundred and fifteen mil
lion pounds weight of WOOL valued at nine
teen million sterling. We produced forty
million bushels of wheat from five and one
half million acres. and eight million BUSH
els of maize and oats, respectively toi
which latter. by the way, New Zealand
produces twice as much as the SIX federai
colonies combined), in addition to which we
grew one and one-quarter million tons OF
sugar cane and two and three-quarter mill
lion gallons Of splendid wine. Our mineral
wealth has also enormously increased. Inc
commonwealth produced last year four mil
lion ounces, or fourteen and one-half mill
lion pounds worth of gold, two and one
half million pounds worth of silver, two
million pounds worth Of copper and over
one and one-half million pounds worth of
coal. The total value of our mineral pro-
duction from the start amounts to no less
than five hundred million sterling, of when
half million was for gold, thirty-nine mil
lion for coal, thirty-one million for silver
and copper, respectively, and eighteen anu
one-half million for tin. Finally our pupllc
debt has swollen to the enormous amount
of one hundred and ninety-five million ster-
ling, or f52 per head, most Of which, 1t
should be remembered, has not been incur
red for wars or In preparation for war, as
in other countries. but for the construction
of revenue producing public works, such as
government railways of which 1900 miles
are now open for traffic, as against Ai' IN
1861. In addition to the heavy pubic oeot
there has been a total loan expenditure on
public works to date of one hundred and
twenty-four million sterling, or another
f5O per head, principally on railways ana
tramways, water supply ami sewerage,
telegraphs and telephones. and, similar
works.
Exports and Imports.
1t should be borne in mind that the mar
veous advance in all branches of trade or
late years, as shown by the above figures,
has been achieved In the face of an enor-
nous decline in values and of severe
banking crisis and commercial depression
which affected all classes Of the commu-
nifty. The ordinary reader Will probably
skip the figures given above as intolerably
dull, but the genuine student Will carefuily
study them and will gain thereby more
vivid and certainly a more accurate idea
of the resources of the commonwealth than
from reams of f1owery talk. Several impor-
tant facts may be Cleaned by the most cur
sorry glance at the statistics OF Australia.
In the first place, our total commerce per
head Of the population.is exceeded by no
country in the world except Belgium, half
Of whose trade, as Mr.. Coghlan points out,
consists of goods in transit from one part
Of Europe to another. In the second place,
of the external trade, or combined exports
and imports to and from the common
wealth, which amounted to eighty-three
t., Wv NJ nIrrI,f
million sterling was with the united king
dom direct while that with other countries
Uncludng the remainder Of the British en-
pire) amounted to thirty-two and one-quar-
exports being nearly double the amount of
the imports. An analysis of the figures
also shows that, whereas the total external
trade of Australasia with the united king
sterling since 1885, it has increased by four
teen million sterling with other countries
Including the remainder Of the British en-
pire). Outside of the British empire our
with the United States, Germany, France
and Belgium, with the first two both by
way of import and export, but with the last
two almost wholly by way OF export.
Trade Development.
The able chief justice of New Zealand, Sir
Robert Stout, recently drew attention to
the importance Of our import trade with
the United States and Germany, which rose
in fifteen years from little over one and
one-half million sterling to considerably
over three and one-quarter million sterling
in the case Of the United States, and from
less than a quarter of a million sterling to
over one and one-half million sterling in
the case of Germany, while during the same
period the imports from the British empire
diminished from twenty-eight and three
quarter million sterling to twenty-seven and
one-half million sterling. The establish
ment Of the splendid North German Lloyd
line, whose 10000 and 12,O0O-ton vessels are,
with the White Star liners, among the
sights of the port, has doubtless had some
thing to do with this notable expansion of
the German trade This analysis Of our ex-
ternal commerce is extremely significant,
and shows plainly in what direction the
trade OF the future is tending.
That the Importance Of the American
trade Is recognized in our midst Is evident
from the fact that one of the greatest
demonstrations recently held in the city
town hall was on the eve OF the departure
Of the United States consul Colonel BelD
after a seven years tenure of office. when
representatives of all political and social
parties, and a vast concourse besides, as
'sembed to do honor to the Silver tongued
orator" from the United States.
In Marked Contrast.
Another extremely interesting ANALYSIS is
that Of the figures supplied by OUT inter-
raIotiopo ropnnserc}ol o,a a.L..