CUSTOMS DUTIES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 June 1924, Page 3

CUSTOMS DUTIES.

LARGE INCREASE RECORDED. FIGURES FOR LAST YEAR. Tbs customs revenue of New Zealand for the financial year 1923-24 exceeded the estimate given by the Minister of Finance in his Budget last winter by £277,435. The amount is about equal relatively to the excess revenue for the eleven months of the Australian financial year, which closes at the end of this month, and is due to the same cause that has operated in the Commonwealth, mainly the increase in the importations of apparel, cotton and woollen piece goods, and motor vehicles. A comparison of. the revenue of the years 1923-24 and 1922-23 is interesting. 1923-24 1922-23 Customs revenue 7,277,435 6,070,856 Excise beer 716,387 612,104

Totals 7,993,822 6,682,960 . The estimate of revenue was: Custims £7,000,000, excise £750,000. In the year just closed the operation of the tariff was more even and more general, with the result that, while the estimates of the Minister of Finance was 14 per cent, below the revenue received in 1922-23, his estimate for the 1923-24 year'was only 4 per cent. The excise duty was about the same percentage below the estimate, 4 per cent, in both years. Customs and excise duties collected at the various ports of New Zealand during the year ended March 31, 1924, were:—

Totals— ; £716,387* £612,104 All ports show increases in the Customs revenue received. Timaru and New Plymouth indicate the highest^ proportionate growth during the year. Auckland has a slight lead over Wellington, equivalent to £lO3 8s collected there for every £IOO of revenue collected in the capital city. The four main ports recorded increases in the excise duty, but other ports showed a very slight decrease of 1£ per cent.

1923-24 1922-23 £ £ Auckland . 2,232,507 1,934,682 New Plymouth . ... . 103,485 76,675 Patea 28,705 23,969 Wanganui 132,531 110;505 Wellington . 2,158,300 1.729,386 Napier .. 192,292 151,276 Nelson 46,779 41.693 Westport 13,734 13.206 Greyinouth. 40,752 38,241 Lyttelton . 1,092,385 920,485 Timaru 122,129 65,976 Oamaru 15,087 12,686 Dunedin 835,481 729,944 Invercargill 154,119 129,624 Totals— £7,277,435 £6,070,856 Excise duties were: Auckland 151,535 129,739 Wellington 56,212 Lyttelton .. 111,067 94,495 Dunedin .. 231,376 193.062 Other norts ... .. 136,890 138,596