Papua Balances

Budget.

THE depression of 1931 will be remem bered by none more poignantly than the Administrators of the various Pacific territories, who have had a par ticularly difficult time. It has been a period of sheer brutality—of callous re duction of expenditure on the one side, and merciless imposition of taxes on the other. To their credit, be it said, that most of the administrators, so far, have succeeded in balancing their budgets.

The accounts of Papua for the six months ended December last are just to hand, and Sir Hubert Murray has man aged in this fashion:

It represents, on the whole, a very creditable performance. The imposition of a primage tax early in 1931 brought in more than £2,400 of additional rev enue; while an issue of new stamps— that good old stand-by of embarrassed treasurers—excited the world’s philat elists, and helped postal revenue by over £2,000. But all other revenue, ex cept mining fees, visibly shrank. The Government, on the expenditure side, pruned every department. “Salaries” escaped lightly, but the axe has fallen mercilessly upon every “contingency” item in every branch of the public ser vice, These economies, with a drastic cut in public works, effected a total sav ing in the six months of £4,500, which thus took care of the £4,500 net shrink age in revenue.

These may be bad times in Papua; but the Territory has faced the position with grim resolution, in the right way, and it will be, accordingly, among the first to enjoy better conditions, when they come.

6 mos.. 6 mos., 1930. 1931.

Revenue £63,497 £58,575 Expenditure . . . . 64,000 58,758 Some details are as follow;

Receipts:

Customs, excise . . 16,830 19,242 Post Office . . . . 2,516 4,701 Mining receipts . . 185 580 Miscellaneous . . 6,810 5,296

Expenditure :

Public Works . . 9,945 7,497 Govt. Secretary . . 26.696 24,925 Lands Dept 5,633 4,233 Medical . . . . 8,161 7,700