THE CUSTOMS REVENUE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 319, 1 May 1877, Page 2

THE CUSTOMS REVENUE.

o Tu.vr the Orjlonlnl Treasurer was by far too sanguine in his estimate of Customs revenue has now lvcn pretty clearly proved. St. far as the financial year lias gone, there seems every likelihood (if the

amount, of revenue accruing from Customs duties falling short of the Treasurer's estimate by over L4.V)O(). The amount which (ho Treasurer anticipated receiving under this head was Li ,2-10.000. The iv-

turns for the three first quarters of the veav have now been received, the amounts for each being as follows : —September quarter, L 000,480 ; December quarter, L 204.128 ; March quarter, L2()8,080 making a total so far of LB'h">,o~o. Jt will thus bo seen that, iu order to bring

the amount up to the Treasurer's estimate the sum of L 844,408 requires to be received. That the coming quarter's revenue from Customs duties will not rench this sum no one will question. Allowing that the amount received will reach the

average sum fur the three previous quarters, which we think may fairly he set down as the largest amount likely to ho forth-

coming, there will he a deficiency of nearly L4<),000. The return for the last quarter, like its predecessors, shows a considerable falling oil" as compared with the same quarter of last year, the deficiency for the quarter being L19 ; 70o ; the amount received in the March quarter last year having been L 317,744. The principal decreases occurred at Duuedin, Auckland, Kelson, Timaru, and Wanganui ; while the most noticeable increases have taken place at Wellington, Hokitika, Lyttelton, and Greyrnouth. h\ order to

give onr readers a plain statement of the contributions from the diiferent places, we have compiled the following information as to the amounts received daring the quarter, together with the amount received during the corresponding period of 1876,

showing the amount of increase or decrease, as the case might be :

De1876. 1877. crease crease £ £ £ £ Auckland 54,17349,119 — 5,054 Thames 2,110 1,540 — 270 Eusssll... 377 2S9 — 68 Mongonui 171 140 — 31 Hokianga 423 516 93 — Tauranga 393 217 — 176 Poverty Bay ... 2,006 2,182 17C — New Plymouth 1,902 1,976 74 — Wanganui 6,427 5,405 — 1,022 Wellington 41,141 44, SS6 3,745 — Napier... . 9,700 10,035 329 — Wairau 1,321 1,491 170 — Picton ... 245 251 t — Havelock 162 179 17 — Kaikoura 225 340 IK — Nelson... 11.957 8,802 — 3,155 Westport 3,260 2,811 — 260 Hokitika 6,431 8,15S 1,727 — G reymouth 8,022 9 263 1,241 — Lyttelton 48,257 49,579 1,322 — Akaroa... Nil. 132 132 — Tiinaru 6,790 5,063 — 1,727 Oamaru 2,924 2.7S3 •— 141 Dunediii 99,SIS 84,600 — 15,218 Invercargill ... 8,226 7,256 — 970 liivcrton 1,276 1,026 — 250