DISTRICT RETURNS

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 October 1937, Page 12

DISTRICT RETURNS

CUSTOMS COLLECTIONS. Collections at the Customhouse, Greymouth, during the quarter endued yesterday, amounted to £36,095 15/9. as compared with £33,106 9/3, in the third, or corresponding three months of last year, an increase of £2,989 6/6. The collections for the. past three-quarters of this year, show an increase of £6,396 2/10, on the corresponding figures for last year. Customs revenue during the past quarter amounted to £13,179 4/1, as against £11,377 3/7, an increase of £1,802 0/6, while sales tax collections during the quarter showed tin increase of £63 1/5, the respective totals being: £7,518 3/- in the last quarter, and £7.455 1/7 in 1936. Collections for the month of September ended yesterday, with the corresponding figures for September, last year, in parentheses, were: Total collections £12,620 0/11 (£10,974 10/-), including Customs revenue £4335 7/7 (£3,864 4/1), and sales tax £2590 18/11 (£2579 1/5). VITAL STATISTICS. The vital statistics for Greymouth for the quarter ended yesterday, show decreases in the numbers of marriages, and births, as compared with the corresponding figures of 1936. The comparative figures, with those for the corresponding quarter of 1936 in parentheses, were as follow: Births 77 (87); deaths 38 (36); marriage notices issued 20 (37); marriages by Registrar 3 (4). During the past nine months, births have totalled 229, as compared’ with 198 in the corresponding period of last year, an increase of 31, and deaths have increased by 16 from 83 to 99. The statistics for the. month of September with those for the corresponding month in 1936 shown in parentheses arc: Births 32 (27); deaths 12 (12); marriage notices issued 10 (11); marriages by Registrar nil (1).

RAINFALL FIGURES. Rain fell on 52 days in Greymouth during the three months ended yesterday, for a total fall of 16.94 inches, as compared with 31.63 inches on 64 days in the corresponding quarter of last year, making the total for tne nine months to date 82.98 inches, on 162 days, as against 75.23 inches, on 148 days, in the similar period of last year. During the month of September rain fell on 17 days for a total fall of 6.32 inches, the highest fall on any one day being 1.15 inches on September 13. In September, .1936, the rainfall was 8.82 inches on 24 days. SHIPPING FIGURES Eighty-seven vessels, aggregating 38,079 tons entered the port of Greymouth during the three months ended September 30, as compared with 90 vessels (39,280 tons), in the corresponding quarter of 1936. There were 77 departures (37,527 tons) during the quarter, as against 87 departures from the port (35,965 tons) in the corresponding three months of 1936. Last month, there were 28 arrivals (aggregating 11,819 tons), and 27 departures (12,168 tons). In September, 1936, 23 vessels (12,873 tons) entered the port, and 21 vessels (11,865 tons) departed. CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, September 30. The revenue collected by the Customs Department in Christchurch last month exceeded that of September of last year by more than £35,000, according to the returns issued yesterday by the Department. To-day marked the end of the first six months of the current financial year, and the returns show that for this period the receipts were £1,099,805. For the same period last year the revenue was £894,103, the increase this year being therefore £205,702. The most substantial increase in revenue during the last six months is shown under the headings of Customs. From this source £650,686 was received, compared with £525.284 in the corresponding period of last year. Under the same heading there was an increase of nearly £26,000 in the receipts for last month by comparison with September, 1936. Under two headings only, were there decreases in revenue last month by comparison with the corresponding month of last year—excise on beer and miscellaneous. Beer excise dropped about £1,300 and miscellaneous receipts were £2l less than those of September, 1936. The improvement in purchasing power is shown in the revenue collected from the sales tax. From this source £38,112 was collected last month compared with £33.916 in September last. year, and for the last six months the receipts were £238,349, compared with £191,277 in the corresponding period of the preceding financial year.

DUNEDIN. DUNEDIN. September 30. Customs duty collected at Dunedin during September came very near the record for the port of £86,602, which was established in October, 1923. The total for September was £83,653, which represents an increase of £19,000 on the figure recorded for the corresponding month last year. The figures for September (shillings and pence omitted) were as follow (comparative figures with respect to September, 1936, also being given): —

WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, September 30. The remarkable buoyancy of Customs revenue collected in Wellington was once more demonstrated to-day, when the September figures were announced by. the Customs Department. Substantial increases are shown under all heads. The net Customs revenue for the third month in succession was easily a record, and the sales tax was also a record. At £385,369 the net Customs revenue exceeded the previous record set in August by £25,428, and

is mom than £60,000 In excess of the best month- ever recorded before the depression. Collections from all sources last month totalled £555,735. compared with £422,802 in September. 1936, an increase of £132,933. The following figures show the- revenue for last, month, the figures for September, 1936, being given in parentheses; — Customs revenue £385,369 (£283.601); nine months this year £2.810.884 (£2.400,836). Duty on motor spirit £41.232 at Gd a gallon (£37.277); £29.493 at 4d a gallon (£24.857), a total of £70.725 (£62.134). For nine months the figures are £622.927 (£608,666). Tyre tax £3,100 (£1.073); for nine months £19,898 (£15,859). Sales tax £119,705 (a record) (£95.100): for nine months £978.510 (£776,944). Beer and excise duty £6.329 (£5.751); nine months £53,153 (£43,782). AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, September 30. Customs duties collected at Auckland in September totalled £354.683. the highest figure recorded since the period before 1930. The total for September, 1936, was £261.290. The highest monthly figures in the intervening period were December £302.075. and April, £308,608. The total collect ion of Customs, motor spirit, and tyre duties in September was £423,100 compared with £317,976 in September 1936. and £380.768 in August, 1937. Excise on beer produced £14,756, compared with £16.837 a year ago. The sales tax return was £89,802, compared with £76,445. The highest monthly figure for this tax in Auckland to date is £92,296, collected last April. For the first nine months of this year, Customs duty amounted to £2,592,382 compared with £2.299.536 for the same period of 1936. Including motor spirit duty at 6d a gallon and tyre duty, the respective totals were £3,192.060 and £2,863.943. Other comparative figures are excise on beer £134,769 and £118,410, and sales tax £749,454 and £614,389.

1937. £ 1936 . £ Customs . S3,653 64,655 Beer duty . 25.111 22.067 Salos tax . 24,945 23,684 Petrol tax at fid a gallon . 15,699 12,357 Tyre duty 777 477 Gold export duty 1,574 933 The half-yearly totals for the period from April to September. inclusive, for 1937 and 1936, were as follow: — 1937. 1936. £ £ Customs 424,649 353,204 Beer duty 139,540 125,655 Sales tax 157,572 140,439 Petrol tax (Gd a gallon) 87,531 77,343 Tyre duty 5,816 4,094 Gold export duty 11,378 10,984