148 AUSTRALIAN BALANCE OF INTERNATIONAL
receipts of British vessels are expended in foreign ports.
Assuming that this figure is approximately correct, it is calcu-
lated that the proportion expended in Australian ports on a
typical voyage during this period amounted to 20 per cent.
This estimate can be confirmed from other sources. Two series
of voyages to Australian ports have been analysed in great
detail by W. G. Rickman.2 The first series comprised 14 sample
voyages in which grain cargoes were lifted in every Australian
port handling wheat. The wheat shifted amounted to 94,607
TasLe XXVIII
Freight Index on Imports from Great Britain
1901 .
1902 .
1903 .
1904 .
19056 .
1906 .
1907 .
1908 .
1909 .
1910 .
911 .
1912 .
1913 .
Year.
Eeonomist.
103-056
86-99
87-26
88-17
38-88
39-37
950-90
78:32
32-02
84-48
06-94
130-95
116-34
Board + Canada
of Trade. (Viner).
95-0
89-5
77-6
71-3
80-6
100-0
100-0
94-0
101-56
103-0
123-9
169-7
95-0
89-5
77-6
71-3
80-6
100-0
100-0
101-9
103-8
105-8
114-9
124-0
133-2
Australia.’
100
76
Composite.
100
94
83
74-3
85-2
93-1
98-0
98-1
101-0
107-0
114-8
122-9
132.5
ship tons, and the payments in connexion therewith amounted
bo £28,346. The average cost per ton was therefore approxi-
mately six shillings. The second series embraced 15 sample
voyages in which general cargoes were moved. The ports covered
were all the principal points of entry in the Commonwealth. In
all 59,425 ship tons were loaded at a total cost of £17 ,430, or an
average cost per ton of 5s. 10d. On the average value of outward
freight this represents a deduction of about 124 per cent. for
port charges and other costs. It is probable, however, that these
disbursements by the shipowners during the period were, since
the Navigation Act was not then in force, more than offset by
the earnings in the interstate trade. The net charge on inward
‘ The Export of Capital, p. 173.
! W. G. Rickman, Shipowners’ Register of Port Charges.
' Angier’s Fifty Years’ Freights.
