✨ Provincial Government Report
OTAGO
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT GAZETTE.
Published by Authority.
Vol. XVII. Dunedin: Wednesday, May 7, 1873. No. 847.
ADDRESS OF HIS HONOR THE SUPERINTENDENT,
ON OPENING THE THIRTY-FIRST SESSION OF THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF THE PROVINCE OF OTAGO, MAY 6, 1873.
Mr Speaker and Gentlemen of the Provincial Council,
In opening the 31st Session of the Provincial Council, it may be well briefly to epitomise the leading features which indicate the progress of the Province since I last addressed you.
The declared value of the imports during the past financial year has been £1,884,998, while Imports, Customs’ Revenue the import duty has amounted to £262,000, or equal to about one-third of the customs revenue of the Colony. Unfortunately, however, of this sum none has found its way into the Provincial treasury.
The gold exported during the year has been 169,212 ounces as against Gold Export 166,872 ounces during the previous year.
The total value of Provincial produce exported, inclusive of gold, amounts to Provincial produce exported £2,279,863, as against £1,190,000 for the year before. This is equal to £70 per head for each statute adult in the Province, an amount which I venture say is unequalled in any other part of the world.
The revenue received from gold duty, miners’ rights, and business licenses on gold fields Revenue has been £39,790 13s 2d, as against £41,816 in the previous year. Although this shows a slight decrease of revenue for the year, it will be seen that the gold exported exhibits a small increase, the difference is to be attributed partly to the reduction of the gold duty by 6d per ounce.
The total receipts from all sources into the Provincial treasury during the year has been Total Provincial Revenue £338,000 as against £289,000 during the previous year.
Last year, as you are aware, we began with a bank over-draft amounting to Bank over-draft £40,497, this bank over-draft year we commence with a balance in our favor of £16,693.
The expenditure during the past year, including payment of the over-draft, has amounted to Expenditure £279,522; of this sum, after providing for Education, Police, Jails, Hospitals, Lunatic Asylum, Harbors, Interest on Loans, and other permanent departmental charges, there have been expended on roads, bridges, and other public works £82,874.
The immigration from the United Kingdom for the year amounted to 1,525, while there have Population been born in the Province 3,000 souls.
The number of deaths for the year was 720; the number of marriages for the same period Deaths was 492.
During the year 12 additional schools have been established, making the total of public Schools schools throughout the Province 127, with a teaching staff of 190.
There have been sold 203,138 acres of rural land, distributed among 401 different purchasers; Land sold of town allotments there have been sold 761 acres, to 401 different purchasers; of agricultural leases on gold fields there have been granted 136, covering an area of 10,389 acres.
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Otago Provincial Gazette 1873, No 847
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
🏘️ Address by Superintendent on Opening of Provincial Council
🏘️ Provincial & Local Government6 May 1873
Provincial Council, Economic Report, Gold Export, Immigration, Education, Land Sales
- His Honor the Superintendent