WAR AND FINANCE FIGURES FOR LAST ELEVEN MONTHS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 56, 8 March 1915, Page 3

WAR AND FINANCE FIGURES FOR LAST ELEVEN MONTHS

' (81 TELEQMPH— PRBSS ASSOCIATION.) DUNEDIN, 7th March. On Saturday morning the Hon. J. Allen, Minister for Finance, received from Wellington a statement of tho revenue for the eleven months ended 28th February, 1915, as compared with the eleven months ended 28th February, 1914, as follows :— Eleven Eleven months months ended 28£h ended 28tli Feb., 1915. Feb., 1914.

Totals ... 10,719,284 10,681,955 The statement shows the following increases and decreases : — INCREASES. £ Postal and telegraph . ... 52,381 Land tax .... ..... ".... ... 20,020 Income tax ..... -. 4,794 Beer tax ..- " 2,647 Railways 90,716 Registration and other fees ... 630 Miscellaneous ... ... ... 44,655 Territorial w 49,320 National Endowment Fund .^, 6,368 DECREASES. Customs ... |. ... "... 210,766 Stamps ... J.. ...• .. 30,667 Marine ..., .... .... ... 2,240 Other receipt* •...• „■■ . ... 538 Total increases ... ».. ►•« 281,541 Total decreases 244,212 This leaves an excess of £37,329 over the amount received for the eleven months ended February, 1914. THE MINISTER'S COMMENTS. - Commenting on the returns to a pressman, the Minister said: — "The decrease in the Customs has been brought about by the y?ar. Nearly the whole of it lias happened in th© last two months— £100,000 in January and £74,000 in February — and I think there will also be a decrease in March, the last month of the financial year. As for the falling off in stamps, I think we are likely to make up some of it this month. Railways certainly show an increase of £90,716 for the eleven months' period, but we had anticipated a considerably larger increase. The war has also affected this 'branch of revenue. During Feb« xuary the decrease was £41,169 as compared with February of last year. The impoTts are less, and consequently there is not so much distribution trade. There is also the fact, which I , have noticed myself, that fewer people are travelling, and that many who have to travel now patronise second-class instead of firstclass. The railway revenue may recover to some extent, however, in March. The increase in the eleven months as compared with the eleven 'months ended February, 1914, is £37,329, .but it Would have been a much larger amount if there had not been the drop in the Customs and the falling off in the returns' looked for from the railways. "

Customs 2,857,710 Stamps 1,074,556 Postal and telegraph '. 1,044,974 . Land tax ..." 781,178 Income tax . ... 514,954 Beer tax ... 114,735 Railways 3,566,900 Registration, etc. 82,110 Marine 44,573 Miscellaneous ... 352,492 Territorial ... 201,584 National Endowment ITund ... 78,770 Other receipt* ... 4,758 3,068,476 1,105,223 992,593 751,158 510,160 112,088 3,476,184 81,470 46,813 307,827 152,264 72,402 5,297