THE CUSTOMS REVENUE.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 9, 10 July 1885, Page 2

THE CUSTOMS REVENUE.

The Customs revenue for the first quarter of the present financial year has not quite justified the expectations of the Colonial Treasurer. It amounted to which is J61750 below the proper proportion for the period according to the estimate. A falling off is also notioeable in the beer duty, which for the quarter realised or £ ( Jti7 below the proportion estimated. For the last month of the quarter (June) the Customs yielded .£157,460, as oomparedwith .£103,127 in the corresponding month of the previous year. The principal ports contributed as follows -.—Auckland, J846,261 ; Wellington, i£24,422 ; Lyttelton, .£21,361 ; and Dunedin, £42,227. The most marked inorease was at Auokland, where it amounted to over .820,000 both above the preoeding month and the corresponding month lost year. The beer duty for June was as against J23628 in June, 1884. The ohief towns contributed as follows :— Auckland, .£938; Wellington, Jt'362 ; Christohuroh, -8757 ; Dunedin, £762.

The member for South Wellington is aoting very properly in questioning the Government regarding the acceptance of Hospital tenders, but it is very doubtful whether the whole of the faots can be properly arrived at by a formal question and answer. The Government may be able to give a very straight and reasonable answer to the question as it is framed. We h&vo reason to believe that they oan do so if they deem it desirable, but the rules under which questions are asked and answered in Parliament will not admit of many matters having a most important hearing on the subieot being introduced or referred to. The Colonial Secretary oan easily justify tbe aotion he took, but enquiry is essential as to how such action became neoessary. The Minister of Education has not yet deoided when he will deliver his Education Statement. The order of business has been somewhat upset by recent events, and it is thought desirable to push on some of the bills on the Order Paper, so as to keep the Legislative Counoil going. The Native Minister has received a large number of communications from leading natives in the North Island respecting the Native Lands Disposition Bill. The proposals contained therein are, we are assured, tavonrably received by the Maoris. It will probably be some timo yet before the Bill is brought under discussion, as it is proposed to settle financial matters before dealing with native affairs. The Waste Landß Committee has reported on Mr. J. C. Crawford's petition re title to lands in Blind and Massacre Bays. The hind was purchased from the natives in 1839 by Mr. Crawford, who has never received a title, and he wisheß Parliament to enquire into his olaim. The Waste Lands Committee, to whom the matter was referred, have now reported that as the transaction took place 46 years ago it would be impossible, even if expedient, to investigate the olaim.

The following is a list of the contents of the Supplement which will appear with tomorrow's issue of the Evening Post: — Charlie's Dilemma, Fatal Horseplay at King's College, Singular Termination to a Charge of Bigamy, Colonel Haultain's Speech to the New couth Wales Contingent, Lord B. Churohill on the Russian Question, Items for the Ladies, News in Brief, Wit and Humour, Curing the Minister's Dyspepsia, The Greatest City in the World, Enfants Terribles, Miscellaneous, Modern Clnbs, Why Contagious Diseases Attack but Once, A Tragedian's Ruse, Tipporary Rifles, Painful Inoident in the House of Lords, The Way to Look at It, A Gallant Exploit, A Doctor's Sweets, British Battles in Eleven Yean, What to Teach Girls, Beturn of tho

Contingent, Qualifications of Commercial Travellers, Temperance Column', Exciting Scene in a Circus, A Mad Englishman, Sporting, &c. , < Although bananas are not specially mentioned in the Customs Dulies Consolidation Act, 1882, they have ooen made\sb<k Bnbjeot of a decision by the Hon. tho CorSZhßßioner of Customs iinder that Act, and in tho official list of duti&blo articles appears the item, " Bananas, dried, per lb 2d." The statement that Sir George Whitmore was about to appoint an ex-Imperial officer to be his Private Secretary is entirely without foundation. There is no staff appointment whatever connected with Sir George Whitmore's office*, and we are requested to say so, in order to prevent further applications for employment in that capacity. It was intended to have a trial of the Hotchkiss gnn at Kaiwarra to-morrow, but as the weather is at present so unfavourable tho trial has beon postponed till Monday afternoon. One buoy has been stationed as a targot at 1500 yards from the shore, and another at 3000. It is expected that there will be a large attendance of members of both branches of the Legislature and of the general public to witness the trial. The Gazette contains the appointment of Major Walter Edward Gudgeon to be ActingCommissioner of tbe Armed Constabulary during the absonoe, on sick leave, of Lieut*Colonel Reader. Mr. R. J. Gell, Under-Socretary of the Nbtiye Land Purchase Department, hasboen appointed a Judge ef the Native Lands Court. Mr. Alexander Mackay is gazetted a Ranger of Crown Landß for the Wellington and Havrkes Bay districts. Wellington will be quite enfdte during the period tho Exhibition is open; in faot, everything points to the time being one continued festiVal— what with the visits of the various Garrison Bands from other parts of the colony, concerts, draniatio shows, and electric lights. Of these latter illuminators,, we shall havo two in the open air, in addition to the electric lights within the Exhibition. Me3srs, Fletcher A Co., electrical engineers, o£ Dunedin, are under contraat to erect a 100 feet mast for a light in proximity to tho Exhibition Building, and the Harbour Board have decided to accept the offer of the same firm to erect v 60 feet mast, with a 3000 candle powar light, ma convenient spot on the Queen's Wharf, providing the City Corporation supply the water power free of coßt. Mr. E. Pearce, the Chairman of the Harbour Board, at a meeting of that corporation held yesterday, expressed himself strongly in favour of having the wharf well lighted at night, not only in order that a pleasant promenade might be afforded the citizens, but that a stop might be put to improprieties, whioh he heard were of nightly ocourrence there. He hinted that if the light was onoe fixed, the Board would not oare to part with it when the Exhibition was dosed. Mr. Pearce mentioned that he was very muoh struck with the advantage of the eleotrio light on a wharf when visiting Lyttelton recently after nightfall. The light at that port rendered every object as distinct as if tho sun was up. Some partioularß have reached us of two dastardly insults offered to women lost night. Early in the evening— about a quarter to 7 our informant says— a lady was passing down Vivian-street and had nearly reached the corner of Cambridge-terrace when she was suddonly laid hold of by some ruffian whoattemptodtotakounwarrantableliberties with her. On meeting with determined resistance the fellow slunk off, but not before the lady had obtained a good look at him. Later on a somewhat similar outrage was perpetrated on a lady in the neighbourhood of Tattersalls Hotel in Cambridge-terrace, and it jb strongly suspected that the same misoreant was the offender in both cases. It is disgraceful that women oannot pass along such frequented thoroughfares in our city without being molested^ in this manner, and we recommend tho snbjeot to the attention of the police. It is not generally known that, under the Employment 'of Females Act, it is necessary that all employers of yonng persons under 18 yeara of ago, and of any females, require to have a notioe posted up in a conspicuous place in each workroom, specifying the hours of work from morning to luncheon hour, and the afternoon hours of 3abonr. These notices must bo signed by tho employer or firm, and one true copy of it requires to bo sent to the Resident Magistrate, and one to the chief officer of police in the distriot. It is also stipulated that none of the employe's coming within the meaning of the Aot shall be allowed to remain in the workrooms during luncheon hour. The penalty for an infringement of the Aot is any fine not exceeding .£SO. W. and J. Staples, boot manufacturers, St. Hill-street, and Allen Skene, butcher, Taranaki-street, have joined the Telephone Exchange. The Gear Meat Company are busy preparing 6000 sheep for the steamer Rimutafca. . When the IKanawatu pasaad Gape Farowell Spit yesterday, the brigaritine Helena, which was abandoned off there on Sunday, was 'lying as if at anohor, and apparently uninjured. If an enquiry is held into the Hospital scandal about tenders, it is. stated that some singular foots will probably be, elicited regarding the supposed curative properties of lnveroargill beer in bulk. The tendor of Messrs. Robertson and Co., of the Phoenix Foundry, for building and completely finishing the Bcrew steel steamer for the Defonoe Department, has boon accepted. The prioe is The sootions of tho steamer are at present in Dunedin, but arc to bo brought up to Wellington. The following new patents have been applied for : — An invention for treating diseases of the nervous system, &c, by a course of speoial medioines termed " Eeouperine," by John Charles Cadmon, of Auckland, drug and wine manufacturer ; Walker's patented New Zealand tea-mixer, by Robert Walker, of Christohuroh, tea merohant and blender ; an invention for furnishing an efficient and rapid means of drilling rook, entitled " The California rook-drill," by Charles O. Barlow and George T. Emery, of San Franoisoo, Joseph W. Sprague, of Nevada oity, and Richard H. Lane, of New York city. We have received a letter from Mr. Christien Evenson, of the Hutt, who was the plaintiff in a recont trespass case, whioh he states he won, but in regard to whioh ho complains he is now called upon to pay the dafendant's costs. The matter is not one of public interest, nor oan any good be done by ventilating it through our columns. If Mr. Evenson considers that he is boing illegally oalled on to pay costs contrary to the verdict given in the case, he should consult a lawyer, who will no doubt adopt whatever remedy may be possible. Some time ago the Committee of the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals decided to give two prizes— one of £3 and another of £2— for the two best essays by pupil teachers in the Wellington Provincial Distriot on the subject of kindness to dumb animals. A notification to that effeot was circulated amongst the various teaohers in the servioe of the Board of Education, and in due course seven essays were sent in to the office of the Sooiety. The essays wore relegated to a snb-committee consisting of Messrs. J. C. Harris and Kb. Baker to deoide as to the merits of each, and at the meeting of the Committee of Management yesterday afternoon, a report on the subject was reoeived from those gentlemen. In their report, Mosßrs. Harris and Baker, stated that all tho essays contained more or less marked imperfections. The paper Bigned "Clare" was, in their opinion, the most superior, that with the norn de plume of "Humanity" being the next best. They accordingly considered tho prises should be awarded to the writers of these essays. The report having been adopted, the sealed envelopes forwarded with eaoh paper were opened, and it was found that the winner of the first and saoond prizes are Miss Clara Franois, Clareville, Wairarapa, and Miss F. M. Garratt, Taranaki-street, respectively. A correspondent sends ua the following •.— An interesting and, I. believe, somewhat unique case has occurred at Napier Hospital. A patient admitted with a large cancer tumour in the neck became by the internal growth and pressure on the throat in immediate danger of death from starvation and thirst. In this extremity the Resident Surgeon (Dr. Keyworth, who used to be at the Wellington Hospital) deoided to form an artificial opening into the stomach. This was done, and ever Bince the patient has been fed from time to timo through tho new aperture. He is relieved from all suffering, and however hopeless his case may ultimately be, he has at any rate the prospeot before him of a painless euthanasia. A meeting of creditors in the estate of Charles Mainwaring, a boot proser, was to have been heard this morning. A quorum of oreditors was not present at the appointed hour, and the proceedings lapsed. The liabilities amount to .£SB 10s. the principal oreditorß being the New Zealand Leather Co., £23, and Miller, Booth, '& Co., JE27. The debt owing to the Leather Co. is on account of calls due on shares whioh he was induced to take up. Messrs. Deacon & Co. report the result of the oleaning-up of the United Alpine for the month of June ob 791 ounces retorted gold from 828 tons. Gentlemen who wish to ioin tho new amateur rowing club are invited to attend the adjourned meeting of promoters, which is to be held at the Royal Oak Hotel at 8 o'clock to-night. In spite of the weather, there was a very fair attendance of members at the Wesleyan Mntual Improvement Society's meeting last night. The journal whioh was presented was stated to have been one of the best ever produced by the clasß. Next Thursday evening the subject will be the " Poets of Victoria's Reign," introduced by Mr. J. Goll, jun., and illustrated by tha Rev. Mr. Isitt, and Messrs. S. B. Clark, F. W. Haybittle, H. C. Haselden, J. H. Helliwell, and C. O. Rosenberg. The meeting will bo freely open to the public.

His Worship the Mayor and several of the City Councillors paid a visit of inspection to the Island Bay road this afternoon for the purpose of ascertaining whether the compl»ints as to its condition were well founded. It is understood that they found the road very muoh in need of repair, and are quite agreed as to the necessity for expending a sum of money in putting it in good oondition. The adjourned meeting of the Committee ef the Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals waa held yesterday afternoon in the Athenoeum Buildings. Mr. G. B. Davy was in the chair, and the other gentlemen present were the Reva. W. H. Weßt and H. Van Staveren, and Messrs. Wharton, Bulkley. Harris, Eb. Baker, F. Brady, J. E. Baker (Hon. Secretary), and G. Blookmore (Hon. Inppector). borne discussion took place relative to the report on the deformed sheep mentioned so frequently in these columns, and it was resolved, on the motion of Mr. Harris, that as the animal in now deolared healthy, no further action should be taken in tho matter. Mr. Blackmore. who has been acting as colleotor, in addition to performing the duties of Hon. Inspeotor, mode a statement relative to the subscriptions he had collected. It was decided that at the next meeting the Treasurer (Mr. Davy) should present a report showing the actual finanoial position of the society. The report of the Bub-cpmmittee appointed to deoido upon the merits of the essays on the subject of kindness to animals was read and adopted. Mr. R. C. Kirk was appointed an honorary solicitor to the society, and Mr. H. Damant was elected a member of the committee. Mr. Wharton presented the committee with a number of the Royal Society's publications, and a vote of thanks was passed to him for his gift. The Secretary reported that the society's credit balance was about .£6O. The meeting then adjourned until Monday afternoon. Mr. Gairdner Blaokmore has been engaged during the past four weeks in obtaining subscribers to the Sooiety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and dnrinjr that time he has succeeded in inducing 165 porsons to contribute annually to the fundß of the organisation. The subscriptions range from 5s to £1 Is. The man Patrick Doyle, who sustained such severe injuries through the point of a pi ok penetrating his lungs at the outtdng on Clyde-quay yesterday, is progressing more satisfactorily than it was imagined he would. Dr. Fell, who is attending him, considers that, with proper nursing and absolute quiet, he will yet recover. Doyle entirely exonerates M'Neil, who dropped the piok, from all blame. The half-yearly meeting of the Heretaunga Light Horse will be held at the Railway Hotel, Lower Hutt, to-morrow evening. A lady engaged in oity mission work in Auokland had occasion a few days ago to visit some of the dens in tho baok slums in the course of duty. On entering one such place, the whole family were found on the floor in a state of drunkenness. The explanation of the phenomenon given to the lady by the polioo was rather laconio, " penBion day !" An Auckland matrimonial agent, says the Star of the 26th ult., hearing so muoh of the virtue of ereoting happy families, has sent a petition to Sir G. M. O'Rorke for presentation to Parliament praying the House to substantially recognise his important labours in bringing together 115 couples, Enropeans and natives, through his matrimonial agenoy. The newly-constituted Palmerston Borough Counoil are anxious to secure the lands at the sources of the Tiritea for a water supply for the town. At a meeting last Tuesday it was reßolved.to write to Mr. Maoarthur, M.H.R., on the subject, asking him to keep the matter before the Government, and also to request' tho directors of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company— to whom the property belongs — to retain the land till the Council has an opportunity of ascertaining what will be required. The Hawera Star of tho 7th calls attention to the fact that although the shareholders of the Patea Meat Preserving Company, at a meeting in May last, passed resolutions that a balanoe sheet should be published and another meeting be oalled before the 14th June, yet notwithstanding that date has long passed, neither balanoe sheet nor meeting has been heard of. It points out that if some action is not taken to resuscitate the company, the Waitara branoh of the Auokland Freezing Company will absorb all the fat stock that the diatriot can supply. The history of the South Australian Woollen Factory Company (cays an exchange) shows that, without the assistance of a heavy protective duty, the faotory can turn out good tweed and make a profit. During the last half-year it has made 27,592 yards, and, what is still more satisfactory, sold the bulk of it, having only J9O worth on hand. The profit for the half-year had been .£657, and as there are tour months' orders on hand, and as the productive power is considerably increased, tha next half-year's accounts Bhould show a still better result. This, -in face of the tmt that the company have to pay 12 per cent, on all the materials whioh they have to import and use in their faotory, while manufactured woollen goods are admitted at 5 per cent., shows what can be done by industries which are, as it were, indigenous to a country, and which, moreover, have the advantage of being well managed from the outset. The Gisborne correspondent of the Wairoa Guardian thus jooularly refers to a subjeot whioh many people are beginning to think is no laughing matter : — " We have not Btrnok oil yet. When we have you shall know. We have been going to Btrike any day for the last two or three years. Oil has been seen — so it is said — and smelt— so also it is said ; but it has not yet come up through the pipos. There is, however, no mistake about tho calls, which shareholders do not respond te rejoioingly; in tact, very many do not respond at all." The Hawke's Bay Herald publishes the following letter:— "To the Editor.— Sir— The oirontnstanoe of the s.a. lonio touching gronnd somewhere near Pallisor Bay, on her way down to Wellington from Napier, the other day, without being injured, oalls to my mind a similar occurrence that took place te tho s.s. Rangatira at about the same place some eight or nine years sinoe, and on which occasion I was a passenger to Wellington. At the time of first touobing ground I was lying on the settee in the oabin. Suddenly the steamer seemed te dash againßt something of a heavy yielding nature, but ploughed on, heeling over on her side and Bhivering. lat once dashed on deck and found all hands, including the oaptain, looking over the side with blanohec faces. And well they might, for we were just scratching and grating over a ' sand j and shelly bottom as plain to be seen as the palm of one's hand. This went on for s minute or two longer, and then she passec along into deep water as if nothing hac happened. If I remember right a private enquiry was made, and the steamer wai hauled up and examined, showing that nc injury had been sustained, but unmistakeabk proof of the scraping she had got in passing over the shallows. Ths oaptain — I think ii was the one who proceeded Capt. Helander bnt forget his name— had sailed along the coast for many years, and hod kept hie ordinary course, and we seamed at the neva distance from land in coasting. If anything is to be deduced from suoh a similar set oi ciroumstanoes, I think it points to the fool that a particular part of the ocean bed it that quarter is subject to upheaval, one leave further oonjeotnre and elucidation tc others.— l am, &c, W. R. Bi>y.the." We are requested to draw special attentior to a great sale of drapery, previous to altera tion and extension of premises atC. Smith's Cuba-Btreet. Judging by tho low quotations! there will be some very startling bargain! offered. The Bale will commence to-morrow and continue for 14 days. Messrs. Gardner & Co., agents for the Patent Hand Fire Grenades, have forwardec us one of the grenades as a speoimen. Messrs. George Thomas & Co. will sell to morrow, fruit, produce, &o. Messrs. Laery & Campbell will hold theu usual market and horse Bales to-morrow. Messrn. Sidey & Co. will, to-morrow, con tinue the sale of unredeemed pledges inoluding valuable jewellery. Mesßrs. Lowes & lorns will sell to-morrow, at their rooms, Maaterton, land in the Whareama Distriot. We would rospeotfully remind our ladj customers that in addition to the extensive assortment of new choice ooloured dresi fabrics, we have a splendid range of blaol dress material just opened out at Te Arc House. Ws are showing black cashmeres from Hid to 3s 6d per yard; black French merinos from 2s 6d to 4s 6d ; black Panu mattaa from Is 6dto3s6d; black Persian cord from Is to 2s ; black Russel cord from 10id to Is 9d ; blaok lustreß from 6d to 2s ; black nuns' veiling from Is Cd to 2s ; blaot satin cloths, from Is 6d to 2s 9d; blacß brocho ottoman cloths. 7}d to Is 9d ; blocs embroidered costume oloths. Is 4Jd, Is 6sd ; black ottoman silks, Is 6id to 4s 6d ; blaoli grosgrain eilks, 2s lid to 5s Cd ; block broohc eilks, Is lid to 5s lid ; black velveteens, la 3d to 3s 6d per yard ; at Te Aro House. Oni thing we wish particularly noted, that all our stock of dress materials is perfectly new, having been bought and imported since the fire. What was saved in that catastrophe has been Bold long sinoe. Out customers may therefore depend upon getting the latest styles and the best value obtainable in this city, at Te Aro House.— Advt. We understand they are at a loss to find suitable men for jndges of tweed for the Exhibition. Huxlet, the Tailor, sayß that there is not a better judge of tweeds than himself anywhere to be found, or a man more independent of merohanta or manufaoturcrs. — Advt. Thb originator of Woub's Schnapps will live as long as his splendid preparation performs its marvellous cures and is recognised as a standard remedy for the ailments it undertakes to treat.— Advt.