WELLINGTON ITEMS,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5567, 16 May 1896, Page 6

WELLINGTON ITEMS,

[From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, Mat 15. BANK RATES OF INTEREST. • The Trade Review gives the bank rates as. follows:—Australian banks 3 per cent for twelve months, 1£ per cent for six; Bank of New Zealand 3J per cent for twelve months, 2& per cent for six months; la per cent for three months; National Bank, 3£ per cent for twelve months, 2J per cent for six months and V, per cent for three months. The Review says:-"It is understood that the fact that the Post Office Savings Bank is giving 3-J p£r cent on deposits at call (not exceeding .£200) operates as a deterrent to further reductions by the Bank of New Zealand." This rate the Review upholds on the ground that thrift ought to" be encouraged; but it objects to the right given to u deposifciS2oo at the highest rate in the name, of each" member of a family.; Building companies here, it adds, have reduced their maximum^ rate for deposits to 4 per cent. --'"■:' THE TEAR'S REVENUE.'". "' " You will remember that the Premier was reported to have spoken at Petone on the Customs revenue for the year as having reached the amount of .£1,700,000. There was evidently an erroi' somewhere, and when the Post challenged the figures the morning journal explained that an.important reference made by the Premier at Petone had been omitted from its report of the speech: The Trade Review suggests that the said reference was to excise. It therefore makes a reasonable guess at the last quarter's beer duty, adds that to the published results in the three previous quarters and tacks that total on to the -total given , in 'the report on the Premier's speech. The result is a total of .£X,649,143. This the Review treats by estimates for the minor ports and by using the published returns at the four principal ports which are 80 per cent on the whole. The increase shown is about .£82,000. on last year. Naturally "we defer comment until in possession of fuller details." My own impression is that the Review is not very far wrong. The imports are given for the year ending March 31 (the financial year) as ,£6,182,228, exclusive of specie; which is an increase of ■5336,643. The increase is 5-8 per cent;" Compare' that with the customs increase, as above estimated, of 5-2 and you have the fact that the whole of the increase is not due to the new tariff at all. The exports as given by the Review for the financial year are pleasant reading. They reach .£9,285,229, the figures for the three previous years being .£9,048,780 and '^89,171,214. The increase is due, of course; to wool and gold. Among the chief items of export are —Wool ,£4,299,407; frozen- meats .£1,318,317, butter«<£23l,647, cheese .£132,033; gold <£1,196,059. The figures under these heads in the previous year are—.£4,198,348, .£1,295,850, .£263,246, .£160,583 and .£889,613. You will see that there has been a. serious falling-off in butter and cheese. A COMPARISON. A comparative return of exports for the two islands in the last four years is interesting-. Here it is: — I |

You will see that the two islands are getting pretty near to each other, though four years ago your island was nearly a million and a quarter ahead; THE SURPLUS. You'will have noted that the Premier at Petone put the siirplus at near 50,000. It is, I still think, over .£IBO,OOO but no information is obtainable. ;THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER. The town is full of rumours as to the new Government printer, all running to a selection from outside. I have inquired of some of those named, and they say that they have no knowledge in the matter. THE CHINESE QUESTION. Our people are cooling rh their effort to wrest the gardening trade from the Chinamen. While meetings are held, committees appointed and many things said, I know that the few Europeans who have taken to the business of distribution have not made much headway. One case I know, in which a householder gave a European hawker 50 per cent advance on the price he asked for his vegetables, but was unable to get him to be regular in his attendance," and had to go back to the Chinaman. MINISTERIAL SPEECHES. The political campaign goes merrily on. When the Treasurer and Minister of Lands' get back here on Sunday the Premier will start for Napier, and throw a network of speeches over the intervening districts. Mr Carroll, who left this morning, will do the same for the country to the north of Hawke's Bay.

North. South. £ £ 1892-93 ... 3,971,413 5,195,607 1893-94 ... 4,093,265 4,950,463 1894-95 ... 4,203,003 4,580,071 1895-96 ... 4;627,298 4,650,865