IRISH EXPENDITURE.

Let us look a little more closely at Irish expenditure, as disclosed in the Treasury returns.

For purposes of comparison, I set out first the main heads of Civil Expenditure for England, Scotland, and Ireland in the year 1910-11:[119]

Population.England, 36,075,269.Scotland, 4,759,521. Ireland, 4,381,951.
£££
Civil Government Charges, 1910-11:
(a) On Consolidated Fund:
(1) Civil List, Salaries, Pensions, and Miscellaneous Charges340,500148,000138,500
(2) Development and Road Improvement Funds
(3) Payments to Local TaxationAccounts, etc.7,199,500 1,204,500 1,477,500
(b) Voted26,121,500 4,180,500 8,026,000
Total Civil Government Charges33,661,500 5,533,000 9,642,000
Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue 3,157,000464,000298,000
Post Office Services15,798,500 1,930,000 1,404,500
Total Expenditure52,617,000 7,927,000 11,344,500
£ s. d.£ s. d.£ s. d.
Per head of population1 9 21 13 3½2 11 9

The totals, if we consider relative populations, appear startling.

Look at the third, or Irish, column, and set aside the two last items, "Customs, Excise, and Inland Revenue," and "Post-Office Services," which represent the cost of collecting Irish Revenue and maintaining the Irish postal, telegraph, and telephone services. We may note in passing, however, that the Post-Office receipts in Ireland in 1910-11, according to the Treasury estimate, were less than the outgoings by £249,000 (receipts, £1,155,500; outgoings, £1,404,500).

The Civil Government Charges are the most important heads of expense, and these are divided into two main classes: (a) charged on Consolidated Fund; (b) Voted.

Class (a) consists of (1) Salaries, Pensions, etc.; (2) Development and Road Improvement Funds; (3) Payments to Local Taxation Accounts.

In other parts of Return No. 220 will be found the details of expenditure in these various classes: