STATISTICS AND RETURNS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 143, 18 June 1891, Page 5

STATISTICS AND RETURNS.

With reference to the report published throughout tho colony of extensive sales of farm land in Southland this year, aggregating 6,927 acres at 25s to B.w an acre, amount)ing to about £20,000, it ie stated that the sales of farm lands in the district, exclusive of Crown land and runs, since Ist January amount to 12,863 acres at £2 to £30 per acre, the total value being £80,935.

The Customs returns for the colony last month total £115,164 — Auckland contributing £23,096 ; Wellington, £24,943 ; Chrisfcchurch, £16,356 ; Dunedin, £29,644. The previous month's total was £132,836, and that of May, 1890, was £127,165. Tho beer duty total for the colony last month was £4,034, the returns of the principal centres being: Auckland, £978; Wellington, £452 ; Christchurch, £706 ; Dunadin, £882. For the previous month thoro was a total of £4,998, and for May, 1890, £4,409, shillings and pence omitted.

In the report on the trade and commerce and shipping of the colony of Fiji for the year 1890, the Receiver-General of Fiji cays :—The total trade, imports., and exports, in 1890. exceeds that of 1889 by £17,615, that of 1888 by £11,090, and that of 1887 by £102,138. The total exports in 1890 exceed the total imports by £157,776. The total imports for 1890 are £18,685 more than in 1887, £23,535 more than in 1888, and £17,364 more than in 1889. The total exports on the other hand, although £12,445 less than in 1888, exceed those for 1839 by £251, and those of 1887 by £83,453.

The annual report of the Railway Commissioners shows thafc the not profit for the year was £420,998, which amounts to a return of £2 18s lid per cent, on the capital cost, and is the largest neo profit yet realised, while the cost of working the traffic has been lower than in any previous year. Both passenger and live stock travKc have increased, the latter very largely. The Commissioners complain that their past recommendations as to expenditure upon permanent plant, etc., have not received attention, and say that for the present year the least provision that should bo made to meet liabilities and pressing wants js £40,000. They estimate the not revenue for the current financial year at £414,000 o nly.

The agricultural statistics for the colony reveal a startling falling off in the grain yield. The Registrar-General thinks the loss to the colony cannot be less than half a million. The following is a summary : — Total holdings, 38,085 ; land in fallow, 210,509 acres ; wheat, 30,460 acres, yielding 5,723,610 bushels, as against 8,448,506 last year; oats for fodder, 203,694 acree; oats for grain, 346 224 acres, yielding 9,947,036 bushels, as? against 13.673,584 in 1890 ; barley, 52,740 acres, yielding 758,833 bushels, as aga'ipst 1,342,823 last year ; potatoes, 32,691 acres, yielding ; 178,121 tons, as against 153.,729 last year ; turnips or rape, 402,184 acres ; other crops. 35,775 acres; total under crop, 1,354,768. In hay, 44,045 acres, yielding 63,059 tons, a3 against 65/476 tons last year; grass land after ploughing, 3,250,543 acres ; grass land not ploughed, 3,715,675 acres; gardens, 9,810 acres; and in orchards, 17,046 acres.

The following is the railway revenue and expenditure for the lour weeks ending 25bh of April:—

Passengers showed a decrease of 55,062 compared with the samo period of 1890, bub in the live stock and goods, except wool and grain, there was an increase. Eight hundred and forty-one fewer bales wool were carried, and 12,562 fewer tons of grain.

Mr W. G. Foster, of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company's Wellington branch, has prepared the following table of the outputs and capacities of the various Freezing Companies in the colony :—

1,676,400 2,165,000 3,665,000 The Egmonfc, Wanganui, and Longburn Companies are all recent additions to the lisb, while the capacities of the Meat Export and Timaru Companies have been largely increased.

NORTH ISLAND. Receipts. Expenditure. p;c. of £. s. d. £■ 8. d. rev. Kawakawa 83 0 0 ., 201 0 0 71-02 Whangarei 2% 0 0 .. 207 0 0 84-12 Auckland . 8.187 0 0 ... 4,993 0 0 61'05 NaDier 12.701 0 0.. 7,818 0 0 61-77 Wellington 5,832 0 0 ... 53"58 Total £27,254 0 0 ..£16,369 0 0 60-06 MIDDLE ISLAND. Blu™ 56.431 0 0.. 31,275 0 0 S5-<12 Rroymonth 1.772 0 0 ... 1,196 0 0 67-52 WeSport - 2,459 0 0.. 997 0 0 W54 Ncson Z 925 0 0.. 552 0 0 59-65 Picton .. 797 0 0 .. 552 0 0 69'23 Total £62,385 0 0 £34,573 0 0 55'42 Grand Ttl. £89,640 0 0 £80,342 0 0 56"83

pco O Auckland — Freezing and Storage Co. .. Napier—Nelson Bros. JSapior — North British Co Wa it ara — Mount Egmont Co. .. Wanganui—W a nganui Co Palmerston -Longbum Co Wellington — Meat Export Co: .. Wellington — Gear Meat Co Canterbury — Belfast Works Canterbury — Islington Canterbury— Timaru Otago—Oamaru and Burnside Southland—Invercargill .. Marlborough .Freezing Hulk 16.000 290,000 ' 88,400 284,600 144,300 242,300 145,600 86,000 222,300 56,900 350.000 130,000 60,000 75,000 • 100,000 230,000 200,000 230,000 230,000 200,000 195,000 75,000 • . 10,000 100,000 700.0CO 130,000 65,000 150,000 200.000 350.000 360,000 443,000 448,000 275,000 300,000 114,000