WELLINGTON FIGURES

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 51, 1 March 1934, Page 22

WELLINGTON FIGURES

FURTHER IMPROVEMENT

PETROL TAX LESS ,

As has been ■ the case since October | last year, the Customs revenue collected in Wellington during tho past month shows an increase on the figures for the corresponding month a year ago. The increase for February, however, is smaller than has been the case in the four preceding months, when 'very marked . advances' were shown. Although increases have been recorded now for five months in succession, there is still a slight decrease in tho returns for tho eleven months of the financial year, which ends on March 31 next, compared with tho returns for the similar period in'l932-33. Last month tho .net Customs revenue amounted to £153,697, which is an increase of £2072 on the £151,625 received in February, 1933. Last January an increase of £14,648 was shown on' the corresponding month in tho ■ previous year. The following table sets out the figures for tho. eleven months of tho financial year compared with the previous year's.roturns:— 1933-34. 1932-33. £ £ April 136,913 185,301 May , 157,551 147,655 June 148,706 156,940 July 152,248 • 165,807 August 182,869 179,329 September .., 144,557" 163,802 October, 190,166 169,716 November ... 186,245* 178,928 December ... 166,962 155,523 January .... . 194,707 ' 182,059 February ... 153,697 • 151,625 Totals .. £1,814,621 J £1,836,675 From the above, totals it will be seen that the decrease- for the -present financial year is now only £22,054. At the. close of last* January this figure stood at £24,126, so that it can be seen ■ that the deficit is being gradually .diminished. There now seems little likelihood, however, that th"c decrease as compared with last year's total will be turned into an increase before this financial year closes. MOTOR-SPIRIT DUTIES. , The duty collected on motor-spirit last month amounted to £31,999 at 6d a gallon and, £21,341 at 4d a gallon,' a total of £53,340. This, compared with' £41,565 at 6d a gallon, £17,856 at od a gallon,- and £6698 at 2d a'gallon, a total of £66,119 for February, 1933, shows a" decrease of £12,780. ' The petrol figures for the eleven months total £647,771, compared with £554,206 for the corresponding period of the previous financial year. This is an increase of £93,565, which is, however, a decline'on the favourable, margin recorded at the close- of last 'January. At that time' the increase for ten months stood at £106j344 over the corresponding period fox the previous year. Beer excise collections for February totalled '£4138, compared with £3878 for February last year, an increaso of £260. -For the eleven months there is a decrease of '£6269, the figures being £49,609 and. £55,878 respectively. " ■ Collections of tire tax last month •were £1053; as compared - with £836 for February, 1933, an increase of £217. Collections of sales tax for last February amounted to £46,097, compared ■with £2683 for February, 1933. February, 1933, was a broken .month, however, as the -tax did not come into operation until the 10th of that month. Last January the sales tax brought in a revenue of £57,097. The total so far collected at Wellington is £563,132.