ause it reveals, approximately,
at any rate, both the contribution and the actual repayment, which is
based on a calculation of the amount saved to the State by the
transference of certain departments to the Federal Government, set off
by a _per capita_ charge for new Federal expenditure, as, for example,
for Old Age Pensions (see Table on p. 297).

The great bulk of the tax revenue shown comes, as I have said, from
Customs and Excise, and it is unnecessary to set out the respective
figures of revenue derived from these duties.[144] It will be seen,
after deducting repayments from contributions, that even the poorest
States make a substantial net contribution to Federal purposes. On the
other hand, the relative proportion of revenue contributed by Western
Australia and Tasmania is diminishing. In Western Australia it was 12-49
per cent. of the whole in 1905, 8-13 per cent. of the whole in 1909. In
the same period, not only relatively, but actually, the gross
contribution of Western Australia has diminished from L1,431,624 in 1905
to L1,166,126 in 1909, while the repayment to her has also diminished
from L1,031,223 in 1905 to L627,933. Tasmania's repayment is also
diminishing, though her gross contribution has increased. These
circumstances suggest a slight resemblance to the growing disproportion
between the resources of Ireland and Great Britain, but they do not
assist us towards a solution of the Irish problem. Each Australian
State, while contributing the whole of its Customs and Excise to the
Federal Government, receives back at least half, and in some cases
two-thirds,[146] and adds that sum to its own independent revenue for
the maintenance of the State Government. The sum refunded amounts on
the average to a little below a quarter of the total State revenue--to
be accurate, 23.01 per cent. Of the remaining 76.99 per cent., only 10
per cent, on the average is derived from direct taxation; 10.10 per cent
from public lands, 4.15 per cent, from miscellaneous services, and no
less than 52.55 per cent, from Public Works--railways, tramways,
harbours, etc.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF, AND REPAYMENTS TO, THE STATES OF THE AUSTRALIAN
COMMONWEALTH, 1908-09.[145]

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Contributions to Repayments from
Revenue. Commonwealth.
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L