(jTER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Sydney, April 1. Heturns attached to the reports fur nished by the Finance Committee of the Federation Convention show that there are sixty-four thousand males of military and one million and sixty seven thousand four hundred and 'six of supporting age m Australasia, ex clusive of Maoris. It is estimated that fche population of Australasia last December was three millions nine hundred thousand. The amount of import duties received was equal to £2 6s 5d per head of population, and the cost of collection of Customs and; excise duties averaged 2.9 per cent. The following estimate of the expendi ture of the Federal Government has been prepared on the basis of the pre sent population :—Civil Government, £639,000 ; collection of revenue, £270,000; defence, £750,000; re couped loss on services, £200,000; interest on works taken over by the Federal Government from the various colonies, £367,000 ; total, £2,122,600, being equal to 11s 5d per head of the population. The imports of Austra lasia during the year 1889 amounted to £69,043,423 while the public ex penditure, including payments to sink ing fund, totalled £28,401,554, being equal to £7 12s 2d per head. The revenue of the Post and Telegraph and Money Order Departments was £1,955,298, and the expenditure £2,090,623, the deficiency being equal to 8d per head. The Australasian loans to the end of 1889, as far as can ba stated, amount to £181,847,271, the interest payable being £7,545,996 at the rate of 4.14 per cent. The ex-1 penditure ©n Defencein 1889 amounted to 3s 9d per head of the population. The Defence force numbered 29,624 men, and the amount of loan money expended on fortifications was equal to 9s 8d per head.
COAL.
