CREDIT

387

The total value of the imports and exports of Victoria, excluding inter State trade, in six years, was : —

Tears

1916-M

1016-17

Total Import! (Oversea)

T- m

1917-18 1918-19

1919-50

Total Import* (Oversea)

21.US.688 35,036,811

33,7-

Total Exports (Oversea)

2

SO. 716.68S 28,096,159 4 1, 900,662

The cnstoms duties collected in 1918-19 amounted to 3,989,736*., equal ptf cent, of the total value of oversea imports, chief exports are gold, wool, live-stock, cereals, butter, hides and skins, tallow, and meat frozen or preserved.

All the railways are the property of the State and are under the management of three commissioners appointed by the Government. The following are some railway statistics (for years ending June 30): —

Length of double lines

single ,,

Total length of lines

Coat of construction

Passengers carried .

.rried .

. (miles) > 823 >. 3,825

» -».1»3

. O.OOW.) I 37,908

. (1,000) 118,898

(1.000 tons) 5,830

1917

1918

1919

328

w

330

3, $48

3,915

• 4,245

88 888

38,6)3

i 33.945

111,792

109,608

117.467

5,963

6,n i

j 6,515

M

- m

58.643

143,251

Credit.

A branch of the Roval Mint was opened at Melbourne on June 12, 1872. Up to Dec. 31, 1919, 39,000,346 oz. of gold, valued at 161 , was

received at the mint, and gold coin and bullion issued of the value of lii2.9S6.576i. The minting of silver coin was commenced in January, 1916, and bronze coin in 1919.

On June 30, 1920, the Savings Bank of Victoria (with which have been amalgamated the Post Office Savings Banks) had 134 banks and branches with 339 agencies at post offices in the State. There were (excluding the Common- wealth Savings Bank) 886,344 depositors, with a total balance of 37,737,274/. There is a special branch of the Savings Bank, called the "Advances Depart- ment, " which makes advances to farmers and others at 6 j»er cent, interest, these being repayable by instalments extending over a term not exceeding 31 J years. The requisite funds are raised by the issue of bonds, taken up either by the Commissioners of Savings Banks or by the general public, and repayable by half-yearlv drawings. The amount advanced during 1919-20 was 1,200,505/.;" and" the total balance of loans at June 30, 1920, was 5,237,054/.

During the December quarter of 1919 there were in Victoria 16 banks, possessing 734 branches and agencies, with notes in circulation, 93,621/., deposits 78,518,187/., the total liabilities being 80,028,961/.; gold and silver, coined and in bars, and Australian notes, 14,317,242/. ; property, 1,436,559/. ; advances, ice, 53,249,437/. ; total assets,

70,903,238/. Total paid-up capital, 28,155,048/.