STILL BUOYANT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 127, 1 June 1938, Page 11

STILL BUOYANT.

CUSTOMS RETURNS. —* ! INCREASE IN AUCKLAND. 1 SALES TAX YIELD FALLS. Customs revenue was higher, but sales tax receipts showed a decrease for last month, as compared with May, 1937. The Customs and motor spirit returns for the first five months of the year reveal a substantial increase over the corresponding period a year ago, and sale* taxation is slightly higher for the same period. Customs duty revenue increased from £1,381,145 to £1,444.742. Motor spirits receipts went up from £321,782 to £370,865. Tyre duty fell from £12,425 to £11,253. Excise on beer produced £80,488, against £74,251, and sales tax yielded £412,559, . compared with £407,820. Details ' .of the receipts under the various headings compare with those for

WELLINGTON YIELD.

I CUSTOMS REVENUE LOWER. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. For the first time since last Decernber, and for only the second time in nearly five years, the Customs revenue collected at Wellington shows a decrease compared with the corresponding month of the previous year. There was a decrease of £32,938 in the net Customs figures for last month. Sales tax* also shows a sharp drop of £24,994. The revenue from the petrol tax continues to mount, while the tyre duty and beer excise also show increases. The net Customs revenue collccted last month totalled £291,949, compared with £324,887 in May, 1937. For the five months of the current year the revenue totafa £1,497,007, compared with £1,431.269 for the corresponding period of 1937, an increase of £65,738. Collections last month, with those in May, 1937, in parentheses, were as follows: —Motor spirit duty, £79.637 ( £67,232); tyre tax, £1560 (£1103); sales tax, £104,971 (£129,965); beer excise, £6857 ( £5377).

CHRISTCHURCH FIGURES.

INCREASE OF £11,849 SHOWN.,

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) A CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. S An increase of £11,849 in the revenue jr collected by the Customs Department in j Cliristchurch during May, compared with the revenue for the same month last * year,, is shown ill the* monthly statistics of the Collector of Customs. The iniprovement does not compensate entirely for the decline in revenue during April, and for two months of the financial year Jhe total revenue is £7421 less than in the corresponding period of 1937. Thte principal increases are:—Customs £7220, petrol tax £5644, and beer £2047. There is a decrease in receipts from the sales tax of £4192. The returns are as follows, with those for the corresponding month of last year in parentheses: —Customs, £102,143 (£.94,923); beer, £10,315 (£8268); petrol, £25,104 ( £19,460); tyre tax, £1023 ( £1061); sales tax, £36,538 (£40,730); light dues, £877 (£462). The figures for April and May arc as follows: —Customs, £194,163 ( £203,625); beer, £21,511 (£17,028); petrol, £50.955 (£46,509); tyre tax, £2-107 ' (£1749); sales tax, £72,080 (£80,661); light dues, £1635 (£1171).

| DUNEDIN POSITION.

IMPROVEMENT REVEALED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Tuesday. The total Customs revenue received at Dunedin last month was £63,448, an increase of £2639, compared with May, 1937. For the first two months of the current financial year* however, the collections amounted to £117,359, compared with £126,446 for April and May of 1937. The figures for last month, with those for the corresponding month of last year in parentheses, are as follows: —Customs duty, £63,448 (£60,809); beer duty, £28,809 sales tax, £24,935 ( £26,080); gold tax, £1070 ( £1982); petrol tax, £15,996 ( £15,372); tyre tax, £939 ( £818). The figures for April and May, together with those for the corresponding period of iast year are as follows: — Customs duty, £117,359 (£126,446); beer duty, £53,399 ( £52,594) ; sales tax, £49,987 ( £54,033); gold tax, £2718 ( £3450); petrol tax, £31.568 (£29,837); tyre tax, £1443 (£1397).

May, 1937, as follows:— ' 1938. 1937. € £ Customs 285,276 244,413 Motor spirit, 6d .. 78,000 58.450 Tyre duty 2,929 2,511 Totals 300.805 305,380 Excise on beer .. . 19,413 14.324 Sales tax 81,537 S5.S50 The figures for the first five months have been: — 1938. 1937. £ £ Customs 1,444,742 1,381,145 Motor spirit, 6d .. . 370,865 321,782 Tyre duty 11,253 12,425 Totals 1,826,800 1,715,352 Excise on beer 89,488 74,231 Sales tax 412,559 407,820 Following are comparative monthly totals: — CUSTOMS. x 1938. 1937. i £ £ January 313,304 264,431 < February 274.72S 265,648 | March 312,014 298,04o April 259,420 308,608 \ May 285,276 244,413 1 1,444,742 1,381,145 SALES TAX. 1938. 1937. , £ £ January 95,106 86.757 February 69,255 59.7Jg March 81,990 83,163 , April 84.651 92,290 M ay 81,557 85.836 412,r 9 407,820