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telephone facilities in the remoter country districts, has involved an expenditure of £392,648 out of the appropriation for telegraph-extension, compared with £251,375 during the previous year. The revenue from the exchanges increased from £201,237 to £232,191 during the year. During the year fifty-seven additional slot telephones were installed, bringing the total number of this class of instrument up to ninety-three, from which a revenue of £2,633 was derived. RAILWAYS. Full details respecting the New Zealand railways will be found in the Bailways Statement and in the General Manager's report. These papers, which contain very important proposals, will be laid on the table of the House before the debate on the Budget is commenced. STAMP DEPARTMENT. The revenue of this Department continues to steadily increase in volume, the receipts during the financial year 1913-14 amounted to £1,221,971, which constituted a record, being £221,971 in excess of the estimate and £169,624 more than the amount collected during 1912-13. LAND AND INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT. The net receipts for the past year in this Department exceeded the estimate b y". £ J o1 ' 722 ; of tllls excess £40,000 was last year estimated as the additional yield which would accrue due to the increase of rates for income-tax passed last session, so that the net excess over the estimate should be taken at £61,722. Land-tax. The land-tax receipts for the financial year 1913-14 as compared with those of the year 1912-13 are as follow :— Receipts, 1913-14.. .. .. .. _ # ygy 451 Receipts, 1912-13.. .. .. .. .. 728636 An increase of. . .. .. .. £38 gjjj The following figures show the increases in the net assessed taxable value of and and mortgages, the yield of land-tax, and the number of taxpayers which have taken place during the last five years:— Year. Taxable Value. Tax. Number of £ £ Taxpayers. 191 3-14 .. .. 140,448,406 767,451 40,889 1908 -9-- •• •• 106,198,550 604,900 30,855 Increases.. .. £34,249,856 £162,551 10,034 Graduated Land-tax. The comparison between the number of payers of graduated land-tax and the amounts assessed for 1908-9 and for 1913-14 is as follows :— Amount Number of Year assessed. Payers. £ 1913 - 14 •• •• •• •• 84,185,276 6,148 1008-9 •• ■■• •• •• 58,437,718 4,471 Increases .. .. ..£25,747,558 1,677