THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1860.

West Coast Times, Issue 111, 25 January 1866, Page 2

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1860.

Tub "New 1 Zealand Government Gazette" of tho 18th instant contains the Customs Itoturns of tlio several provinces and ports of tho colony for tho quarter ending tho 30th September, LSGii. Tho period covered «by this return is ono during which tho commercial interests of the West Coast had nob consolidated into any settled form, and indeed had not assumed anything approximating to their present magnitude. In June last Westlandwas in its infancy, and between that date and the 30th 6f-Sep-lember following only realised the conditions of a robust youth. In tlio case of the port ' of Hokitika, only is tho column representing the results of the " corresponding quarter of 1804," left blank. The corresponding quarter of 1804 is prehistoric: antecedent to the date at which tho annals of Hokitika open. We must be content with tho returns so far as they go; as representing the growth of a district the existence of which is for the first time recognised for the September quarter, in tho Customs Statistics of 1865.

Tho Return of tho Customs Eovcnuo at tho sovevul ports of Now Zealand is tho first tabular statement , and wo find tho revenue received nt Ilokitika to havo been 1,1 7,5-10— L3,500 above that of Wellington tho now capital city of tho colony, only L5 x OOO below that of Lyttelton and Christchurch, and greatly moro than a third of that of Auckland (L 43,582) and Dunedin (L 47.660) Tlio table of the value of imports furnishes us with results which show how young was tlicn tho development of the place, as compared with tho other ports of New Zealand. During tlio entire quarter only £100 worth of goods were imported from the United Kingdom, and some £40,000 from Victoria and New South Wales. Of course the groat bulk of the supplies for the district at this time was derived from the adjoining provinces, especially from Nelson and Otugo, and chiefly from the former. Tho goods thus brought in were not cognizable by the Custom* house authorities, being merely transhipped from one part of the colony to unother. No foreign, and indeed very littlo intercolonial, trade had up to that date sprung up with tho infant port cf Ilokitika. Tho table of exports during the period of threo months exhibits very different figuros, Whilst Wellington exported to tho valuo of 1/2201 only; Auckland, r f4M2tf; Pfelsim, JW.l&Oj tyttdlon

iirl Chris: church, L 1797 ; aid Dunolin, L275,02G, the exports from Hokiilci amounted to the laigo sum of L.135 1,009. Tho tot il cxpoits from the

province of Canterbury for tho quarter are set down at a value of L 358,608, to which tho eastern side of the interven-

ing range contributed only tho insignificant sum of L 4797. Of course it

must be borne in mind that the period of tho year to which tho returns refer, do not embraco tho season during which the great wool export from Christohurch takes place. On the othor hand it must be noted that the whole of tho exports from Hokitika come under the one head of " Gold'dust." Beyond

Ihis, tho Province of Canterbury exported only £90 worth qf gum, £404 worth of horns, hoofs, and boms, £80 worth of potatoes, £180 worth of sheepskins, £18 worth of live stock, and £."318 worth of wool. Tho gold ex-

port of Otago amounted, during the quarter to ,-6245,799, and that of Nelson to £13,028. To how small an extent theso returns represent the .actual commerce of this district may bo inferred from the fact

that the tablo showing the number and

tonnage of vessels cleared outwards, gives Hokitika the credit of having despatched four ships only during the

thrco months — viz., one to " British possessions" with cargo, and throe in

ballast. It will bo understood that the shipping trade of Wostland at this time was almost exclusively intorprovincial, and not therefore noted in the Custom

llouso records. The figures wo have cited are of interest, as throwing a cer-

tain light upon the commercial history of the district. But they are necessarily imperfect,' from the causes we have indicated. They arc satisfactory proofs, however, of the very largo oxtent to which the gold discoveries on the West Coast have contributed to the general revenue of the colony, and of the vast stimulus they have given to its trade. The returns for the succeeding quarter will, doubtless, when they are compiled, exhibit results of a somewl at varying character. But of this wo may be certain, that they will continue to indicate an industrial activity, and a commercial life which will sustain the reputation of the district, as one of the most important and wealth-producing districts in the colony, and fully establish its claim to greater consideration than it has yet received at the hands of both the Provincial and the General Governments'. Certainly, more recent statistics will show no indication of a falling off in its gold yield, whilst they will illustrate the rapid and largo extension of its commercial relations with the neighboring colonies.