The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 616, 24 April 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1878.

The Customs duties collected in tho Colony during the quarter which ended on the 31st March last show a very remarkable increase over the amount for the corresponding quarter of last year. The total revenue received daring th<three months from this source was L 350.023, as against L 298.039, .showing an increase of LGO.9S4. This increase.. to some extent, may be accounted for by the fact that during the greater portion of the financial year there was a considerable falling off in Customs duties, in consequence of merchants having imported to excess and overstocked the markets. This had a very perceptible effect upon the revenue derivable from this source, which fell far short of the estimate of the then Colonial Treasurer, Major Atkinson. This year, however, merchants, having previously reduced their . stocks, have been enabled to import more freely, and, as a natural sequence, the Colonial exchequer has benefited to an ', appreciable extent. But while we are willing to make a very great allowance : for the increased revenue derived from Customs duties as compared with the • previous year's results, we cannot but look upon it as tolerably conclusive evi- , dence of the continued prosperity of the Colony, and as an undeniable proof that the spending power of the people remains unimpaired despite the oft-repeated cries ■ of hard times. One thing that strongly forces this view of the matter upon us is the fact that there has been during the quarter a decided increase in the Customs ■ duties at nearly every port in the Colony, and that, with the exception of New Zealand distilled spirits and opium, every item in the return before us shows an improvement. The falling off in the duty ' of colonially-distilled spirits is, however, due to the closing of the distilleries, and does not arise from any diminution of the drinking capabilities of colonists. On the contrary, the evil would appear to be largely on the increase, for the amount of spirits, wine, and beer imported from abroad shows a very large increase. We find that during the first three months of this year Customs duties were collected in the Colony upon no less than 151,565 gallons of spirits, 47,930 gallons of wine, j and 128,088 gallons of beer. Bun it is not our present purpose to enter upon any comments with refeience to the drinking proclivities of the people of the Colony : we have merely quoted the figures to show that, despite the efforts of J the Good Templars and other temperatiC:' bodies, there does not appear to be any noticeable improvement in the habits of the stimulant-loving portion of our colonists. The importation of tobacco and also cigars and snuff appears to be on the increase. If we add the amount paid for doty on opium to those paid on spirits, wines, beer, tobacco, cigars, and snuff, we find that nearly onehalf of the total Customs revenue for the past quarter was derived from the •• vices"—if we may be allowed to use the expression—of the inhabitants of the Colony, the total sum received from the articles mentioned having been 1*171,995. It is, however, satisfactory to glean from a perusal of the tabulated statement published in the Gazette that a very large increase has taken place in the importation of what may be termed the necessaries of life, such, for instance, as tea, coffee, sugar, and articles on which ad valorem duties are charged (drapery, clothing, &c.) Taken altogether, the table before us contains much food for calm reflection, not the least important: portion of which is that whieh shows the increasing prosperity of the yarious portions of the Colony. For the purpose of demonstrating this we publish the follow- j ing table, showing the amount of Customs ] duty collected at the chief ports of the j Colony during the March quarter of this ! year, and for the corresponding period of last year:— IS7S. 1.877. Auckland ... £60,09S ...£49,119 Thames ... 2.25S ... 1.54U Xew Plymouth 2,618 ... 1.976 WiiKfiamii ... 6.463 ... 5.405 Wellington ... 52,751 ... 44,886 Napier 10,678 ... 10.035 Nelson 10.654 ... S.SO2 Westport ... '2,717 ... 2.811 Grevmonth ... 9.47S ... i), 263 Hokitika ... 6,754 ... S,ISS f.vttelton ... 65,54R ... 49.570 Tin:aru 5,120 ... 5.063 Oamaru ... 3,990 ... 2,873 Dunedin ... 101,789 ... S-1.600 Invercargill ... .10,421 ... 7,256 It will be seen that the comparison is in favour of Dunedin, but it must be lorne ; in mind that there was a very great falling off there 2s«t year as compared with the previous year ; and the same may be said with regard to Auckland, which also shows a very large increase during the March quarter of this year .as compared witii that of 1877. Bearing these facts in mind, we must come to the conclusion thai Chrisrehurch (as shown by the large inereata of duties collected at Lyttelton) and Wellington are the most progressive of the large .commercial cities of the ] Colony. Of all the ports in the Colony, {

Hokitika is the only one that shows an appreciable falling off in the amount of Customs revenue, and this is rendered the more noticeable owing to the fact that the other portions of the We»t Coast remain almost at a standstill.