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Grey River Argus, Volume XXI, Issue 2321, 18 January 1876, Page 2

We are indebted to the courtesy of the Collector of Customs for some instructive statistics relating to the trade and interchange of the port of Greymouth, a few remarks upon which may prove interesting. We find that, although the amount of Customs duties for the year 1875 was lower by L 6196 than for the previous year, it was only L 1240 less than in the year 1871. The amount of Customs duty for the several years, 1870-75, was as follows : — 1870 £45,393 1871 38,674 1872 ... 40,896 1873 ... 39,008 1874 ... 43,630 1875 37,434 Making a contribution in six years to the Colonial Treasury in Customs duties alone of no less a sum than L 245,035, or nearly, a quarter of a million sterling. The gold duty for 1875 exceeded that of 1874 by L 1650, was L9OO more than in 1873, and L 497 more than in 1872. The export of gold for the six years, 1870-75, was as follows: — Ozs, 1870 100.590 1871 ... 8G.875 1872 67,298 1873 , 80,092 1874 73,532 1875 89,091 It will thus be seen that more gold was produced in this district in 1875 than in any of the four previous years. During the six yeais under notice the value of the gold exported amounted to the enormous sum of L 1,989,90, 989,908 — or close upon two millions sterling. The value of other exports, chiefly coal and timber we presume, amounted during the Bix years to L 40,533, the year 1875 showing the Ivrgest. We have therefore a total of exports from this district for 1875 of L 366,837, and fox the six years L 2,030,441. Now we will see what we get in ex. '

change for this. In 1875 we imported goods to the value of L 148,318, which was less than in any of the previous five years. The total value of the imports for the six years under notice was Ll,o47,B7l— thus showing for the period an excess of exports over imports of L 982,570.

During the year 1875 the quantity of coal exported was 17,019 tons, of which 3185 tons were shipped to Australia, as against 12,375 tons in the previous year, of which 1722 tons were exported to Australia. This a^brds satisfactory proof that the development of our coal trade, if not very rapid, is at least steadily increasing, and it may be expected that when the railway is completed and the whole of the mines in work, a very large export will soon arise. We cannot give the total export of coal for the six years, as during 1870 and 1871 no record was kept of the coastwise shipments. For the four years 1872-75 the export amounted to 44,539 tons. The immigration and emigration returns, we are sorry to see, do not show favorably, the difference in favor of emigration over immigration in the six years being 866 adults.. For the year 1875, there were 276 arrivals and 460 departures.

During the year 3875 the trade of the port employed 370 vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 52,528 and 5443 men— 366 vessels having entered, and 370 cleared during that period.