THE REVENUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9715, 18 April 1893, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE REVENUE

March 31 closed the financial year, and the figures so far available must be extremely gratifying to the Premier-Treasurer. The surplus will be considerably more tnan Mr Ballance anticipated in his Financial Statement. The customs revenue shows a surplus over estimates of £65,700 ; laud and income tax, £15,000 (the estimate was £350,000. the amount realised £365,000); stamps, £35,000. This surplus, though substantially approximate to the amount of the Toiletnache duty, is not attributable to that, as that was accounted for iv the estimate, but is attributed to an unusual number of deaths amongst propertied persoDP. Railways show a surplus of revenue amounting to £30,000, against which there will be an excess of expenditure to go into the " unauthorised" account of flood nnd slip damage, which will reduce the net surplus to about £17,000. Other figures are not at present available. In the Justice and Native department expenditurts is under the estimate, and the land revenue is expected to slightly exceed the estimate. The surplus of £330,000, estimated in the Financial Statement, will bo, therefore, very considerably exceeded. Of that surplus £200,000, as foreshadowed iv the Statement, has been transferred to the public works account, the Supplementary Estimate' absorbiug all but £50.000 of the balance which was carried forward. The customs revenue for March amounted to £139,073, to which has to be added the returns from New Plymouth and Patea, probibly about £800 The contributions of the i-hief ports were : _ Auckland, £32,429 ; Wellington, £27,771; Christchurch, £23,419 ; Duuediu, £29,645. The total for the year was £1,640,704, exceeding the estimates by £65,704. The beer duty brought in £5467 11s, and there should yet be some £60 from New Plymouth. The total for ths year was £59,314, making a surplus of £1314 over estimate.