Articles of Import. The values of the principal imports and exports are shown in the following table: Clothing, and materials for.... £1,982,896 £1,935,009 Iron & steel goods, machinery, Wool.. £4,443,144 £4,645,804 etc... 1,406,111 1,502,794 Gold.. 980,204 1,080,691 Sugar. 373,407 425,270 Grain, pulse, flour. Tea.. 178,350 183,717 Frozen meat.. 1,566,286 1,698,750 Spirits, wines, and beer.... Kauri gum. Tobacco and cigars.. Tallow. Paper, printed books, and sta tionery Live stock.. Coal... Preserved meats. Grass seed.. 46,947 78,519 Other imports, excluding spe cie... Specie.... 2,886,762 2,722,979 Phormium (N. Z. hemp).... British and foreign produce... In 1899 some of the principal exports were: Wool. £4,325,000; frozen meat, £2,089,000; gold, £1,513,000; kauri gum, £608,000; grain, £625,000; butter, £572,000. The increase of the exports in wool, frozen meat, kauri gum, butter, and cheese is shown as fol The following table shows the value of trade with the principal countries: Countries. United Kingdom... Australian Colonies ...... Pacific Islands India and Ceylon..... China.... Mauritius.. United States.. Other places -Imports from- 1895. 1895. 1898. £3,992,359 £4,714,476 £5,392,738 £5,148,833 £7,045,646 £7,541,981 £8,168,123 £8,256,499 1,261,125 1,090,374 1,001,003 1,158,865 1,035,753 1,287,001 1,323,784 1,475,157 In 1898, the registered vessels of the colony engaged in both foreign and coasting trade were 317 sailing vessels, of 39,793 tons, and 201 steamers, of 86,320 tons; total, 518 vessels, of 126,113 tons. The following statistics show the shipping inward and outward for four years: There were in the year 1898 five banks of issue doing business in New Zealand. Two of these were wholly New Zealand institutions, having a paid-up capital amounting to £1,250,000 (besides which the Bank of New Zealand had £2,000,000 of 4 per cent. guaranteed stock). The total average liabilities for the last quarter of the year of all five banks in respect of New Zealand transactions were £15,018,519, and the average assets £17,367,471. The average amount on deposit was £13,859,354. The value of the notes in circulation of these banks was £1,074,143. The progress of the post-office and private savings-bank business is shown for the years named: Railroads, Post-Office, Telegraphs, Weights and Measures. (See Index.) NORTH AMERICA. CANADA. Area and Population. In 1800, the population of Canada was estimated at 240,000, and it has increased as follows: 1825. 581,000 1851. 1,842,265; 1861, 3,090,561; 1871, 3,635,024; 1881, 4,324,810; 1891, 4,833,239. To the above area should be added 140,736 square miles for lakes, rivers, etc., giving a total area of 3,456,383 square miles. Fiscal Affairs. The financial accounts of the Dominion of Canada are made up under three different headingsnamely, first, "Consolidated Fund," comprising the general sources of revenue and branches of expenditure; secondly, "Loans " in revenue, and "Redemption " with "Premiums and Discounts" in expenditure; and thirdly, "Open Accounts." The headings "Loans" and "Redemption" include the deposits in and withdrawals from the Post-Office and Government savings-banks, the amount on deposit forming part of the floating or unfunded debt of the country. Under the head of "Open Accounts" are included investments, trust funds, province accounts, and expenditure on capital account on public works. CONSOLIDATED FUND. The total actual receipts and expenditure under these three divisions were as follows in the financial year ending June 30, 1899: The actual sources of revenue and branches of expenditure comprised under the division called Consolidated Fund were as follows in the financial year ending June 30, 1899: PUBLIC DEBT. The public debt of the Dominion, incurred chiefly on account of public works, and the interest of which forms the largest branch of the expenditure, was as follows on July 1, 1899: debts: 1890. 1895. 1896. There are assets which make the net debt $266,274,538. The following shows the gross and net Year. Gross. Net. Year. 253,074,927 1898.. 325,717,537 258,497,433 1899. Gross. Net. $261,538,596 263,956,399 266,274,538 Agriculture. In 1891, there were 28,537,243 acres of improved land. Out of 60,287,730 acres of occupied land, 19,904,826 acres were under crop in 1891, or 4,792,542 more than in 1881. The pasture acreage was 15,284,788, an increase of 8,899,226 since 1881. The wheat acreage was 2,723,861, or greater by 381,506 than in 1881. The principal crops of the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba were as follows, in thousands of On July 1, 1899, there were in Ontario 615,524 horses, 2,318,355 cattle, 1,772,604 sheep, and 1,971,070 hogs. VALUE OF FARM PROPERTY.-In 1898, farm land. $556,246,569; buildings, $210,054,396; implements, $52,977,232; live stock, $103,744,223; total, $923,022,420. The timber interests of Canada are very large. The forest area is estimated at 1,248,798 square miles. The forest products of 1891 were valued at $80,071,415, of which $27,207,547 were exported. The census returns show an aggregate of 2,045,073,072 cubic feet as the total cut of the year. Fisheries. The total value of the yield of fisheries in 1898 was $19,667,126, of which Ontario shared $1,433,632; Quebec, $1,761,440; Nova Scotia, $7.226,035; New Brunswick, $3,849,357; British Columbia, $3,713,101; Prince Edward Island, $1,070,206; Manitoba, $613,355. The values of the principal catches in 1898 were: Cod, $2,986,513; salmon, $3,159,306; herring $1,987,454; lobsters, $3,917,939; mackerel, $694,591. The mineral production in 1898 reached a total value of $38,661,010, and $47,275,512 in 1899, of which $21,685,854 were metallic in 1898, and $28,833,717 in 1899; $16,675,156 non-metallic in 1898, and $18,141,795 in 1899. The quantity and value of coal mined were as follows: Some of the chief products in 1899 were: Copper, 15,078,475 lbs., value $2,655,319; gold, $21,049,730; lead, 21,862,436 lbs., value $977,250; nickel, 5,744,000 lbs., value $2,067,840; silver, value $1,834,371; asbestos, 25,285 tons, value $483,299; coke, 100,820 tons, value $350,022; gypsum, 244,566 tons, value $257,329: natural gas, $387,271; petroleum, 808,570 bbls., value $1,202,020; cement, Portland, 255,366 bbls., value, $513,983; building material, value $4,250,000. NOTE.-The tons are of 2,000 pounds. Foreign Commerce. The following statement shows the total imports and exports, with duty collected thereon, for the years named, coin and bullion included: The following table shows the values of the leading imports and exports, years ending June 30: IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF GOLD AND SILVER COIN AND BULLION.* Canada has a system of canal, river, and lake navigation over 2,700 miles in length, and vessels from the lake ports reach the Atlantic without breaking bulk. Up to 1898, the total expenditure on these works by the Government amounted to $72,504,402 on construction alone. The total revenue received sidce Confederation was $12,079,274. In 1897, 30,398 vessels, of 72,504,402 tons, passed through the Canadian canals, carrying 157,680 passengers and 8,560,969 tons of freight, chiefly grain, timber, and coal. For canal traffic and other data, see Index, under "United States Canals." Shipping, Railroads, Post-Office, Telegraph, Weights and Measures. (See Index.) *Excluding United States silver coin. Banking and Money. The Bank Acts of Canada impose stringent conditions as to capital, notes in circulation, limit of dividend, returns to the Dominion Government, and other points in all chartered and incorporated banks. In making payments, every bank is compelled, if required, to pay a certain proportion in Dominion Government notes, and must hold not less than 40 per cent. of its cash reserve in Dominion Government notes. In 1898 there were 37 incorporated banks making returns to the Government, with numerous branches all over the Dominion. The following are some particulars of the banks: Post-office savings-banks under charge of the Government have been in operation in Canada since 1867: there are also Government savings-banks, under the management of the Finance Department, in the Maritime Provinces, Manitoba, and British Columbia. In 1897, there were 779 offices of the former and 28 of the latter. In 1898, the post-office savings-banks had 142,289 depositors and $34,480.938 on deposit. The following statement shows the transactions of the post-office and Government savings-banks: 1893. 1895. 1897. 1898. 1899. Year. Balances $39,529,548 43,036,012 46,799,319 48,934,976 50,111,119 MONEY.-For gold and silver coins, see Index. The coins in circulation in Canada are all struck in England. Canada has no gold coinage of its own, but the English sovereign and the United States gold eagle of $10, with its multiples and halves, are legal. Notes are issued exclusively by the Government for $4, $2, and $1, 50 and 25 cents; no bank being allowed to issue notes for a less sum than $5. MEXICO. Area and Population. The following statement gives the area and census population of 1879 and 1895, with the population per square mile in 1895: In 1874, the population was returned at 9,343,470; in 1882, there were 5,072,054 males and 5,375,930 females. In 1894, the population was estimated at 12,080,725. Of the total population, 19 per cent. are of pure, or nearly pure, white race, 43 per cent. of mixed race, and 38 per cent. of Indian race. The Indians are stated to be rapidly decreasing; forming, it was stated, in 1874, one-half the population, in 1882 they were returned at 3,765,044. Of the mixed and Indian race, only a very small proportion can be regarded as civilized. Fiscal Affairs. The receipts and expenditures of the Government for six years have been as follows: The receipts include (besides ordinary revenue) loans on current account and sums raised for special purposes, e. g., the money obtained by the issue of bonds for payment of railway subventions. * Includes the deposits of the Federal and Provincial Governments. |