South Australia

In a recent budget speech Mr. Glyde the Finanoe Minister of South Australia states the population of that province to be 200,000. He describes the total imports of the year as amounting to L4,033,000, being an inerease of 20 per cent. on the preceding year. The exporta were $4,000,050, showing an increase of 25 per cent. Wheat this year would be 50,00( tons less tb an last, but the increased priee partly compeesated for the small quantity. The land sold on cash and credit lasl year was 259,495 acres, making a total oi 4,626,444 acres now sold in the colony. The savings bank had 19,597 depositors, with funds amounting to L743,060. The bonded debt after the lst of July nexf would be L2,284,400, and, added to L100,000 of Treasury bilis, would be equal to $11 per head, being less than the average of any other Australian colony, and not half that of England. Uoucerning the Northern Territory litigation, the treaaurer stated that L72,000 had been paid to land-order holders, and nearly all the orders had been handed over. Upon the ways and means he congratulated the colony on having turned another corner, and he oxpected to bring forward a credit balance of L84,000 at the end of June. Ho did not expect the customs revenue to be so large during the coming year. Por the year ending March they had received L381,000, and he fistiinaled that next year they would receive L350,000. The total revenue was estimated at L7,000 more than last year. L127,000 waa required as interest on the funded debt, and L34,000 toward the payment of principal. The valuo of the exports of South Australia amounts to L23 2s. 17d. per head of the population, and the importsto L19 6a. 4d. the total being greater than in any of these colonies. The agrioultural statistics which have been published show that the quantity of land which has passed into private hands in the colony is 5,358,495 acres, of which about 1,000,000 acres are held on credit. Three-fifths of the aggregate is owned by freeholders, the remainder being in the hands of tenants. The area under cultivaticn is given as 1,225,073 acres, or.an increase of 120,190 acres. The decrease in the number of vines still continúes at an alarmingly rapid rate, but tho vintage for 1872-3 was better than for the preceding year, the quantity of wine returned being 733,478 gallons for the one 12-month, and 657,604 tor the other. There has been an increase of froin 82,215 to 87,455 in horses ; of from 151,662 to 175,381 in horned cattle ; md of from 4,900,687 to 5,617,419 in ïhoep.