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New Zealand Mail, Issue 770, 3 December 1886, Page 16

The report of the Town Hall Committee of the City Council will command general approval so far. as its main purport is concerned. For years past the want of a Town Hall has been badLy felt in this city. It is discreditable to so important a town as Wellington that there should not be one single hall suitable for concerts, large public meetings, balls, or other occasions where a considerable number of people are collected. Hitherto the rage has always been to erect theatres, or buildings that can be used as theatres, and the need of a really good hall has been wholly ignored. We have little doubt that a Town Hall would be in a large measure self-supporting as well as most useful, and we heartily hope that the Finance Committee will be able to devise ways and means for obtaining one.

The Customs returns for all ports in New Zealand, with the exception of Kaipara, for the month of November show that the total amount collected during that period reached L 99,380 4s Bd, as against L 100,609 12s 2d for the corresponding month of 1885. For the past month the collections at the four principal ports were :—Dunedin, L 23.191 7s 5d ; Auckland, L 21,842 13s Od ; Lyttelton and Christchurch, L 17,916 0s 9d ; Wellington, L 17,596 17s 7d. For the eight months of the financial year that have gone by the collections amount to L 851,952 5s 3d, and the Treasurer’s estimate for. that period is L 940,000.

The complete Beer Duty collections for November amounted to L 4813 6s lid as against L 4878 3s lid collected for the same month of last year. Toward last month’s total LIOB7 19s 2d was collected at Dunedin, L 1056 18s 7d at Auckland, L 909 3s 2d at Christchurch, and L 448 10s lid at Wellington. The collections for the eight-monthly period are L 31,897 48 sd, showing a deficit of L 4769 8s lid in the Treasurer’s estimate.