DISTRICT RETURNS

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 July 1942, Page 4

DISTRICT RETURNS

RAINFALL AT GREYMOUTH.

The rainfall at Greymouth for the six months ended at 9 a.m., this morning, was comparatively light. The total was 51.76 inches though the number of days over which it fell; 112, was above the average. During the corresponding six months of 1941, rain fell on 100 days for a total of only 47.28 inches, which was considerably less than the 60.09 inches

which fell on 112 days in the first half of 1940. The rainfall of only 37.04 inches on 98 days during the first six months of 1939 was unusually light. In the previous year the, corresponding fall was 60.24 inches on 93 days. The rainfall at Greymouth during the three months ended to-day was 31.46 inches on 53 days, the highest fall since 1938 in that period. Last year the corresponding figures were 24.43 inches on 51 inches, and the corresponding figures for the three previous years were:—l94o, 24.35 inches on 55 days; 1939, 22.89 inches on 53 days; and 1938, 37.35 inches on 40 days. Heavy rain on Monday last brought the total fall for the month of June to 4.09 inches, recorded on 16 days, the' lowest since 1937, when 3.96 inches were recorded on only 12 days. In June, 1941, 9.71 inches fell on 15 days; June, 1940, 10.73 on 21 days; 1939, 10.59 on 23 days; 1938, 6.73 on 17 days; 1937, 3.96 on 12 days; and 1936, 5.32 on 15 days. CUSTOMS REVENUE DECREASE.

Revenue from all sources received at the Customshouse, Greymouth, during the first six months of This year amounted to £149,578/0/3, compared with £157,772/11/1, representing a substantial decrease of £8,143/10/10. The figures which are available under the various headings, with the corresponding figures for last year in parentheses, are as follow: Customs, £22,978/0/9 (£23,599 11/83; sales tax, £17,495/7/7 (£l7, 442/17/5); war expenses sales tax, £17,636/16/2 (£ ); other war expenses, £41,252/3/9 (£43,512 9/11). Total revenue for the first three months of the financial year increased by £2,429/10/4, to £79,974/5/7 from £77,544/15/3' last year. The comparative figures were: Customs, £12,642/4/9 (£16,901/4/5); sales tax £9,206/12/1 (£8,521/11/6); war expenses sales tax £9,252/3/7 (£ ); other war expenses, £22,443/13/8, ( £20,926/9/4). Though the collections for the past three months showed an increase of nearly £2,500, the total for last month, compared with that for June, 1941, showed a decrease of £2,073 19/8, being only £25,166/12/5, compared with £27,240/12/1. The comparative figures are: Customs, £3,266/14/6 (£5,440/1/1); sales tax, £3,169/18/9 (£2,875/5/1); war expenses sales tax, £5,269/0/10 (£ ); othei- war expenses, £6,756/18/- (£9,812/5/6).

INCREASE IN BIRTHS. An increase of 10 in the number of births registered in Greymouth during the past six months, as compared with the corresponding six months of last year is shown in the vital statistics for that period. There were 16 more deaths, and seven more marriage notices issued in the past six months than in the first six months of 1941. The comparative figures were as follow, the number for the first six months of last year being shown in parentheses: Births, 201 (191); deaths, 73 (57); marriage notices issued, 44 (37); marriages by Registrar, 5 (5). The vital statistics for the past three months were as follow: Births 97 (104); deaths, 39 (29); marriage notices issued, 21 (15); marriages by Registrar, 3 (1). The foregoing figures show’ an increase of 10 in the number of deaths, and an increase of six in the number of marriage notices issued, but a decrease of seven in the number of births.

A decrease of eight in the number of births and an increase of four in the number of deaths were the features of the vital statistics for June, 1942, compared with the' figures for June last year. The comparative figures were as follow: Births, 32 (40); deaths, 14 (10); marriage notices issued 8 (9); marriages by Registrar 1 (1).

CHRISTCHURCH A sharp decline in the revenue from \beer tax in the last month, as compared with the revenue in June, 1941, is shown in the monthly returns of the Customs Department at Christchurch. Customs revenue also declined and there was a slight decrease in the revenue from sales tax. Payments into the war expenses account showed another big increase. For the three months of the financial year to date customs and sales tax revenue both show declines, but revenue from beer tax is higher. The figures for June are as follows, the corresponding figures for 1941 being given in parenthesis: Customs £69,889 (£76,675). Beer £11.650 (£16,826). Sales tax £43,591 ( £42,540). War exps. £122,049 ( £50,466).

AUCKLAND The Customs returns for June are, with the corresponding figures for June of last year in parenthesis: Customs, £197,479 (£217,207); beer excise. £28,520 (£25,954); sales tax, £100,255 (£103,658); war expenses account, £274,795 (£117,643). Figures for the first six months of this year, as compared with those of last year, are: Customs, £1,200,984 (£l,390,521); beer excise, £175,450 (£161,278); sales tax, £585.815 (£568,133); war expenses account £875,548 (£658,332). DUNEDIN Following are the customs returns for June and the June quarters, last year’s figures in parenthesis:— June: Customs, £36,822 (£55,003); beer duty, £38,217 (£44,830); sales tax, £32,449 (£33,033); war expenses, £108,365 (£45,717). Quarter —Customs, £118,258 (£154,252); beer duty, £98,181 (£108,369); sales fax, £100,677 (£93,621); war expenses, £219,106 (£126,000).

“The Railways Department’s prewar staff of 25,765 has been reduced by about 8000, made, up of enlistments, deaths and resignations. In all 5779 employees have been released for military duties, and in addition 2143 have been lost through resignations and deaths,” stated Mr G. S. J. Read, assistant locomotive engineer. Railways Department, Dunedin, in the course of a statement made at a sitting of the Southland Manpower Committee in Invercargill, reports the “Southland Times.”

An employer who indicated that he would take strong measures to prevent his employees from attempting to benefit by the fact that an appeal had been lodged by him on their behalf was commended by the 'chairman of the No. 2 Armed Forces Appeal Board, reports the “N.Z. Herald.” The witness said that one employee in respect of whom an appeal had been lodged thought that he could absent himself from work for a day or two. To show him otherwise the employer immediately withdrew the appeal. “He was certainly shown that he would not be allowed to play the fool,” the chairman said.

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