(5UIANA, BRITISH
277
Revenue and
expenditure
for 5 years : —
—
1907-08 1908-09
548,293 ' 540,054 520,046 539,197
1909-10
1910-11
1911-12
Revenue .... Expenditure
£ 540,269 546,711
£ 563,101 542,758
£
593,499
588,626
Chief items of revenue (1911-12) : customs, 369, 037^. ; Excise, 111,366Z. Expenditure on general administration, 72,644/. ; law and justice, 94,460^. ; grace and charity, 106,975Z. ; education, 41,233^.; public vrorks, 63.337Z. ; Post Oriice, 22,284Z. ; Science and Agriculture, 10,848/:. Public debt, March 31, 1912, 885,815Z. Post-office savings bank, 25,815 depositors (December 31, 1911), credited with 244,714Z.
Under cultivation, about 145,000 acres, including (1911-12) 68,744 acres in sugar canes (40 sugar factories) and 36,000 acres under rice. Live stock (1911-12) estimated at: cattle, 81,500 ; horses, 2,650 ; sheep, 19,150 ; goats, 11,170; swine, 17,000; donkeys, 5,400. British Guiana is rich in gold. Mining commenced in 1886, and from 1886 to 1910-11 the output is valued at 8,010,555^.; in 1911-12, 50,274 oz. valued at 183,290L In the 10 years 1901-2 to 1910-11 the diamonds exported amounted to 65,017 carats, valued at 113,466^; in 1911-12, 6,976 carats valued at 11,772Z.
1907-08
1908-09
1909-10 1910-11
1911-12
Imports^ .
Exports' .
£ 1,765,358 1,711,543
£ 1.838.947 2,104,176
£ £ 1,774,457 1,749,766 1,985,337 1,726,103
£
1,786,574 2,172,766
1 Including transit trade, amounting to 97,998/. in lOKi-ll, and 80,259/. in 1911-12.
Value of imports subject to duty (1911-12), 1,342.312^.; duty free 355, 003^.; and goods transhipped, 89,259Z.
Chief imports (1911-12): Flour (176,319 barrels), 181,801Z.; tissues, 275,152Z. ; tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, 21,1111.; machinery, 67,423Z. '; manures, 136,053Z. ; fish, 66,849Z. ; coal, 31,995Z. ; hardware, cutlery an(l tools, 42,900Z. ; oils, 57,091Z. ; beef and pork (pickled or salted), 59,352Z. ; lumber, 23,225Z. ; beer and malt, 33,028Z. ; brandy and whisky, 13,632Z. ; boots and shoes, 21,960Z. ; butter and substitutes, 27,127Z. ; oats, 21,865Z. • potatoes, 25,935Z. Chief domestic exports (1911-12): Sugar, 1,380,542Z. '; molasses, 5,763Z. ; molascuit, 11,693Z. ; rum, 115,820Z. ; balata, 140,281/.; charcoal, 8,200Z. ; timber and Avoods, 15,566Z. ; rice, 40,163Z. ; raw cold' 190,733Z. ; diamonds (rough), 11, 772Z. ' " '
The value of imports and exports is in general determined by declarations subject to scrutiny, but for exports of sugar, rum, and molasses the average prices for the year are taken as obtained from the secretary of the Planters' Association in the Colonj'. The values are accurate so far as they relate to imports subject to ad valorem duty ; in other cases they are not so reliable. Quantities arc ascertained by the Customs officers. The countries recorded as those of origin or destination are those disclosed by declarations or shipping documents, and may not be the prime origin of imports or ultimate destinntion of exports.
Imports from Great Britain (1911-12), 866,322Z. ; from British possessions, 229,957Z. Exports to Great Britain, 713,395Z. ; to British possessions, 935,67lZ.'
In 1911-12 the total tonnage entered and cleared was 988,663. The registered vessels in 1911 were 15 steamers of 1,349 tons, and 43 sailino- vessels of 1,963 tons ; total 58 vessels of 3,312 tons.
