POPULATION. The population of Australia represents the development of the first century of her history, and compares favorably with the corresponding period in other new countries, e.g. the United States or Argentina. In 1801 the white inhabitants were but 6.500, which number increased during the first half century to about 400,000, the majority of whom were located with in the present limits of New South Wales. The growth from 1861 to 1901 is indicated in the fol lowing table: self-supporting, and in proportion to their deficit the burden of taxation has been increased. The expenditure incurred in the ordinary administra tion of government is the largest single item, constituting about one-third of all. Next to this is the interest on the public debt, about one fourth of the total. In 1900 the revenue raised by taxation amounted to over $50,000,000, or about $13 per inhabitant. A little less than one third of this was collected by direct taxation, which included stamp duties (probate, etc.), land tax, and income or dividend taxes. The in direct taxes were import and excise duties. Prior to the establishment of the Commonwealth, the different States levied import duties on interstate as well as foreign imports. New South Wales alone was inclined to a free-trade policy. The formation of the union brought about the abolition of interstate tariffs and has made it all the more necessary to raise a part of the revenue by duties on foreign imports—a pol icy for which there seems to be no alternative, however distasteful to the mother colony (New South Wales).
The public debt of Australia continues to in crease, and considering that she has been in no wars, it reaches a remarkable if not an alarm ing amount. Prior to 1871 the States were in debted to British capitalists to the extent of £26,500,000 ($130,000,000). By 1899 the debt
was increased by £152,900,000 ($764,500,000). This was equivalent to about $240 per inhabitant, or nearly three-fourths of the net debt of the United States. The foreign indebtedness of the Commonwealth appears still relatively greater when the fact is considered that British capital has been put in private undertakings within the States to the extent of £85,000,000 (about $425, 000,000). It is estimated that the foreign capital invested in the country is more than 14 per cent. of the total wealth. This. however, occasions lit tle alarm among the people of the country, who point to their rapidly increasing trade, the cer tainty of internal development, the high rate of wages, the large proportion of property holders in the population, and the great material benefits secured to the mass of the people by the per manent improvements effected by the Govern ment with the aid of borrowed capital.
The population of Australia has shown a rather premature and excessive tendency to settle in the large cities. This has not been for the best interests of the States, since the industrial system does not call for such a fact. This centralization has not been at the expense of the rural districts, however. It is rather clue to the character of the immigrant population. The following table shows the increase in the principal city of each State; the impulse toward centralization seems to have spent itself: But three other places have a population ex ceeding 40,000, viz.: Newcastle, in New South Wales, 55,000; Ballarat and Bendigo, in Vic toria, with 46.000 and 43.000 respectively.