CUSTOMS REVENUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20519, 21 March 1930, Page 9

CUSTOMS REVENUE.

THE DECEMBER QUARTER.

RETURNS FOR CALENDAR YEAR.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION. ] WELLINGTON, Thursday.

A return of customs duties for the quarter ended December 31, 1929, published in the Gazette this evening, shows that the total revenue amounted to £2,303,894, compared with £2,091,049 for the corresponding quarter of 1928. The grand total for the calendar year ended December 31, 1929, is £8,582,393, compared with £7,648,747 for the year ended December, 1928.

Excise duties for the quarter ended December, 1929, totalled £261,268, compared with £223,554 for the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Excise duties for the year ended December, 1929, totalled £888,582, compared with £810,179 in the previous year. The customs revenue in the December quarter, 1929, was collected as follows, the figures for the corresponding period of the previous year being given in parentheses: —General tariff, £1,339,405 (£1,359,625); British preferential tariff, £730,986 (£622,992); primage, £233,503 (£108,432).

TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA. | PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT. INCREASING TOURIST TRAFFIC. [BY TELEGRAFH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. WELLINGTON, Thursday. An outline of his policy for improving the trade position between New Zealand and Australia was given by Mr. L. J. Schmitt, New Zealand trade representative in Australia, at a farewell gathering to-day. He will leave shortly to establish his office in Sydney. ' " The Government has decided that tH6* reorganisation of New Zealand s repre* sentation in Australia shall include a head office in Sydney," said Mr. Schmitt. "This will not be an additional office, but will replace the present Sydney office. A branch office will be maintained in Melbourne, and it is my intention to consider the appointment as agents of firms who are in private business as tour promoters in all the principal cities and towns in Australia. _ " Development of trade with the East will probably take place through Brisbane, or Sydney. I intend to make inquiries in order to be sure which is the more suitable port. If it is found that Brisbane offers better and cheaper facilities for the transhipment of cargoes to and from the East, this will assist in the development of direct shipping from Queensland, which seems to me to offer a splendid field for tourists and the export of certain New Zealand commodities. With the co-operation of all parties in New Zealand greatly increased numbers of tourists should be encouraged to come to the Dominion." , The balance of trade was greatly in favour of Australia, continued Mr. Schmitt, but she was still New Zealand's best customer for a number of products and second to the United Kingdom in a considerable range of other goods. New Zealand's prosperity was largely bound up with that of Australia. . " To foster trade it would be excellent to extend the practice of inviting business men and public men to visit New Zealand and confer with such organisations as chambers of commerce, manufacturers' associations, tourist and progress leagues," concluded Mr. Schmitt. "Reciprocity in such a course should be possible, as I know it is favoured in Australia."

BORING AT WHANGAMOMONA.

OIL COMPANY'S REPORT.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

NEW PLYMOUTH, Thursday.

A meeting of directors of the Whangamomona Petroleum Prospecting and Development Company was held in New Plymouth. "The drilling contractor reported that the drilling plant had commenced work. The site of the bore is 12 miles from Whahgamomona_township and was selected by Dr. A. R. "Andrew, who made a comprehensive surrey of the company's concessions, which aggregate about 10, OCX) acres. The chairman of directors, Mr. P. E. Stainton, stated that it was intended to drill as rapidly as possible to a depth of 2000 ft. if necessary, although information in the company's possession shows that less drilling footage is necessary to reach the lower formation at Whangamomona than at New Plymouth. In view of this it is hoped to reach structures suitable for retention of oil at considerably less depth than at Moturoa. Anticipations of the likelihood of finding oil at Whangamomona were based on reports made by Professor R. Speight, professor of geology at Canterbury College.

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE. (Received March 20, 9.15 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 20. The following are to-day's quotations on the Sydney produce market:— Wheat.—ln bulk, 4s sd; bagged, 4s 7d. Flour.—£ll. Pollard. —£7 16s. Bran.—£B 10s. Potatoes. —Tasmanian, £8 to £10; Victorian, £7. Onions. —Victorian Globe and Brown Spanish, £5. Oats.—White, 4s 9d; Algerian, 4s 3d. Maize. —6s. Adelaide prices are:— Wheat. —4s Id. Flour.—£lo 15s. Bran. —£6 15s. Pollard. —£7 17s 6d. Oats.—Algerian, 2s 8d to 2s_ lOd.

PROPERTY SALES. Samuel Vaile and Sons. Limited, will nflor at auction at their rooms, 83, Queen Street, ftt 2 p.m. to-day, the following properties Section. 80ft by 230 ft, in Upland Road, Remuera; section, 80ft by about 12Gft, in Manukau Road, near Greenwood's Corner; two sections at the cornet of Upland Road and Dell Avenue, Remuera; sixroomed bungalow at 1, Lucerne Road, Remuera; fivo-roomed house,' and Bl'op and dwelling, on section of 1 acre 3 roods 14.9 poles, at the corner of Titirahgi Road and Morgan Avenue, New Lynn; at the request of the mortgagees, 200-acre farm at Alfriston, near Manurewa, and five-roomed house in Station Road, Avondale. 1 C. P. Bennett, Limited, will offer at auction at their rooms, corner of Queen and Shortland Streets, at noon to-day. the following properties Under instructions from the trustees, 20-roomed brick building (formerly children's home), on freehold section of over half an acre with two road frontages, in Richmond Road, Ponsonby; under conduct of the Registrar of the Supreme Court, five-roomed dwelling and motor garage, on freehold section, 66ft by 165 ft, in Totara Avenue, New Lynn, T. Mandeno Jackson will offer at auction at his rooms, 9, Commerce Street, at 11 a.m. to-day, six-roomed bungalow on freehold section, with 95ft frontage by depth of 259 ft, at 19, Hastings Road, Remuera. Rutherford, Robinson and Austin will offer at auction at their rooms, Lister Building, Victoria Street East, at noon to-day, on behalf of the mortgagee, four-roomed bungalow at 39, Calgftry Street, Dominion Road, Robert C. Carr and Son will offer at auction at their rooms, 20, Swansot Street, at noon to-day, under conduct of the Registrai of the Supreme Court at the request of the mortgagec, four-roomed house at 92, Fowlds Avenue, Edendnle William A. Home. Limited, wilt onei at auction at thti> rooms. Horr.p't Buildings, cornei of Bigt Street ar.c Vu'tc&t Lane, nf 1 p.m to-day, under instructions from the Public Trustee, six-roomed villa and sectior. of 21 perches, at 4, Hlnemoa Road, Grey Lynn.