THE STRIKE AND TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 1, 1 July 1926, Page 10

THE STRIKE AND TRADE

AUCKLAND REPORTS A DECLINE,

(By Telegraph.) (Special to the "Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day.

The net Customs duties collected at Auckland during Juno totalled £163,----282, compared with £199,755 in the same month of last year, a decrease of £36,473. A docrease of £13,066 in the total for May is also shown. The total revenue for the half-year amounts to £1,187,086, an increase of £18,803, compared with the first six months of last year. The beer duty collected during June totalled £10,457, a decrease of £338 compared with Juno of last year.

The substantial drop in revenue during Juno is largely due to the effect of the general strike in England, which i 3 now making itself felt in this part of the world. Vessels which left England during the strike were unable to complete loading, and the influence of this upon the Customs revenue is considerable. Tho month has been a quiet one in tho port, and it is not expected that tho position will be greatly changed during tho next month, as July is always a slack time. of the year for shipping. It is possiblo that some of the cargoes which were left behind during the strike may v be brought out by vessels arriving next month, so that there may be a slight improvement in the next Customs returns. Although the pa3t season has not been so favourable for primary producers as those immediately preceding it, and the exports have not been so heavy, there has as yet been little apparent slackening orf- in tho rate of imports apart from the temporary disturbance caused by the strike. However, it is still too soon to judge what the ultimate result will be. It is regarded as possible that the steady natural growth of t'e Auckland province may be sufficient to counteract the effect of slight depression. In that event there would be little change in the figures for Auckland, out those of southern ports would probably show a noticeable decline during the next few months. -,