THE REVENUE RETURNS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8398, 23 January 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE REVENUE RETURNS.

(Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) Wellington, January 2. The New Zealand customs revenue for the mouth of December 188S fell, as was expected considerably short of that for November, which represented large anticipations of the increased duties on case spirits, the latter coming into force on December 1. It is now ostimated by the Customs authorities that.those anticipatory clearances of November amounted to very nearly £60,000. The total customs receipts for December (excluding those for Kaipara.AVairau, and Pic ton, which are not yet reported) were £10G,419. Reckoned on the usual average for those places, their returns when to hand ought to add about £2000 to the total already known, bringing it up to nearly £109,000 in all. This is slightly higher than the results for December 1887 (£105,008), but of course is greatly below the receipts of November 188S (£177,702), which, as already mentioned, were abuormally inllited by the clearances in spirits. If November and December be taken together, they represent a monthly average of about £143,000, which is largely in excess of the estimated monthly average under the new tariff (£126,250). The total New Zealand customs revenue for the lirst nine months of the financial year is £1,931,332, the proportionate estimate lor the three-quarters of the year, allowing fur tee old tariff having been in force for the first two mouths and the new one during the remaiuing seven months, would be £1,092,000. The actual receipts are therefore curiously close to the estimate. If, however, the three ports missing from the December returns tsontribute their expected £2000, the customs revenue will be between £3000 and £4000 to the good. Ifc should be mentioned that the Customs authorities still persist in the eccentric practice of reckoning the new tariff as having been in force all ths year, and according to this mode of reckoning the receipts ate £28,167 short of their estimate; but this is clearly an unsound mode of computation. The plain fact is that the new tariff has up to present date yieldad fully up to the estimate, and a trifle over.

The New Zealand beer duty for the month of December 1888 yielded £5364, not including the returns from Oamaru and Blenheim, which have not yet been received. In December 18S7 the receipts were £0235. There is a considerable

falliug oft', but there is a marked improvement over November ISBB, when the receipts were only £4105. The total beer duty for the nine mouths ended December 31 amounted to £36,470, which is £1749 below the proportionate estimate for that period.

It is understood that the stamp revenue has so Jar fallen somewhat short ot expectations, but

that the property tax has come iv exceedingly well. Railways, as previously mentioned, are heavily to the bad, the shortcoming up to the last return available being at the rate of nearly £100,000 per 12 mouths. This deficiency will probably be lessened, however, by Christmas and New Year holiday traffic, which has been very large this year. The railway returns for the first 36 weeks of the current fiuaucial year are now complete. The revenue for that period amounted to £651,707, as against £661,561 for the corresponding period of 1888, and the working expenses absorbed £444,076 (or 68 per cent.) of the revenue, as against £480,758 (or uesrly 73 per cent.) last year. The gross receipts have therefore fallen off by £10,094, but the expeuses have beeu reduced by no less than £36,652, notwithstanding that 25 more miles were worked, consequently the net profit shows an improvement to the extent of £26,588 over last year. The receiptshave increased slightly on tho Whangarei and Westport lines, but have decreased on all the others. The working expenses have increased ou the Kawakawa, Whaugarei, and Westport Hues, but have decreased ou all the rest. The details of the 36 weeks' traffic show that 1,944,222 passengers travelled, a decrease of 261,404 ; that there was a diminution iv the number of parcels, &c, and live slock carried, but an increase of no loss than 10S,t!S3 tons iv goods trailie. The effects of tho holiday tratlic iit Christinas and Now Year could uot, of course, be. felt in these returns, which extended only to tho Slh December.