AUSTRALIA.
The total genera] revenue in 1900 was £7,722, 397 and the expenditure £7.683.079. The reve nue from taxation amounted to 11,779,305. of which £1,063,397 was collected from customs duties. The revenue from the reproductive pub lic works, principally railways and tramways, was £4.674,375. The largest items of expendi ture were the working expenses of railways and the interest on the public debt. The State's construction of railways and participation in other revenue-yielding schemes have led to a heavy debt, which amounted in 1900 to £53, Victoria is the second most populous of the Australian States, and ranked first prior to 1891. The most rapid growth of population occurred between 1850 and 1860. In 1591 the population was 1.140.405, and in 1901. 1.199.692. In recent years the emigration by sea has been in excess of the immigration by sea. In 1901 there were only 643 aborigines. There is a large urban population. Melbourne, the largest city of Aus tralia. had with its suburbs in 1901 a population of 4113.95(1. The principal other towns are Bal larat. Bendig,o, and Geelong.
There is no State Church, nor State assistance to any religion. The Church of England, the largest denomination, had 432,732 adherents in 1901. The adherents of the other denominations
in the same year numbered as follows: Roman Catholics, 263,712; Presbyterians, 191.471; and \Vesleyans and other Methodists, 180,287.
In 1891 nearly 96 per cent. of the population over 15 years of age could read and write. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 13. The public system is secular and the primary grades are free. In 1900 there were 243,667 pupils enrolled in 1948 State schools. The average attendance was 147.020. Secondary education is in the hands of private and denomi national interests. In 1900 there were 51.S34 scholars in attendance at SS4 private schools. The Roman Catholic schools contained over half of the total private school enrollment. The State encourages attendance at the grammar schools and universities by the awarding of scholarships. The higher educational institutions include IS technical schools. 3 workingmen's colleges, 10 schools of mines, an agricultural and horticul tural school, and 5 schools of art. For a com parison with other Australian States, see Ars TRALIA