COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17472, 5 June 1922, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

CUSTOMS REVENUE. LAST YEAR'S FIGURES. RETTJENS FROM THE POETS. Soni>- detailed information concerning the Customs revenue for the financial year ended on March 31st last ha 9 been issued by tho Customs Department. The total amounts of Customs •luty collected at the various ports during the year were as follows: — £ Auckland ... ... 1,5(55,780 Wellington ... ... 1,495,260 Lyttelton ... ... 755,081 Dunedin ... ... 563,332 Napier ... ... 130,327 Jnvercargill ... ... 107,332 Wanganui ... ... 103,939 New P.ymouth ... 6(5,155 Gisborne ... ~ ... 64,000 Timaru ... ... 51,999 Grevmouth ... ... 40,027 Nelson ... ... 33,864 Patea ... ... 19,413 Wairau and Picton ... 14,757 Westport ... ... 9,741 Oamaru ... ... 8,812 Hokitika ... ... 4,169 Tauranga ... ... 1,350 Kaipara ... ... 297 The excise duties collected during the financial year were as follows: —Auckland, £112,430; Wellington, £76,647; Lyttelton, £73,234; Dunedin, £148,7'J2: other ports, £107,335. The grand totals for the year were: Customs duties, £5,035,451; excise duties, £516,468.

CUSTOMS DUTIES. AMENDMENTS COME INTO OPERATION. Cc-rtain reductions of Customs duties made by the amending Customs Act of Inst year were suspended until the end of May, 1922, in order that traders might have time to dispose of goods in hand. These reductions came into operation oil Thursday last, and since then fairly large clearances have been itoade of goods that in the ordinary oourse of events have entered in May (says Saturday's "Dominion"). 1 'Die following list shows the goods affected and the changes with respect to ; the British preferential and the general scald of duties: — Textile piece goods, _ composed of 6ilk, imitation or artificial silk of combination? thereof with another or any other materials except wool or hair (not being worked, sewn, or otherwise similarly worked) are reduced from 20 to 10 par cent, preferential, and from 30 to 15 per cent, foreign. Shafting is reduced from 20 to 10 per cent, foreign. Sparking plugs for oil engines, which have been subject to 10 per cent, preferential, are now free under that heading. Cerfcaiu classes of machinery or appliances peculiar to the generation of electricity, etc., are now subject to 10 per cent, foreign, but are admitted free under;, the preferential heading. Eleotrio appliances for cooking, neating, ctoy now carry 20 per cent, preferential and 35 per-cent, foreign. Morjcbiraes u£ed in aerating liquids ore admitted free preferential and are charged 10 per cent, foreign. Ventilating blowers and fans are free preferential, and carry 10 per cent, foreign. Grinding mills ana eimilnr ran-, chines,- which were subject to 20 per oent. preferential, are now free, while the duty under, the foreign auty is reduced from SO to 10 per oent. Anns and fittings, which previously paid a duty of 20 per cent, preferential, are now admitted fifee under that head, whife the duty on importations from fateum countries is reduced from in) to SO. per cent. Screws for wood and castors for furniture, hitherto paying 20 per cent, preferential, are now fige, ; while the rate under the foreign btaqing is reduced from 30 to 10 per utilb.

. ABIERICAN AGRICULTURE, JAPANESE OUSTING WHITES. Xdj C«W®—Preaa Association—Oapyrtglht.) a&d N.Z. Cable Association.) ' >-•' ' NEW YORK, June 2. The Western States Agricultural Conference at Sacramento proposed that 'the Directors and Commissioners of Agriculture from 11 States should send • memorial to. Congress, asking for an aUrnqtion of the conditions under which Japanese farmers in the West are rapidly gaining a stranglehold on the agricultural industry, and, by reason of their lower standards of living, underselling American farmers. A correspondent of the "New York Time*" at Mexico City reports that a group of. Japanese capitalists from Los Angeles has arrived, after a trip - through the northern part of Mexico in the interests of a Japanese company whioh is planning the immigration of Japanese farmers from California into Mexico, and also the development of < nines, the establishment of cotton mills, and the working of lumber tracts, etc. The company is negotiating for the of national lands. CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRY EXCELLENT PBOSFEOTS. A member of a firm of stock and ftption agents in Wellington, who> has made a business tour through the Wair&rapa, Manawatu, and Taranaki districts is inclined to take a very optimixtio view (says the Tb» autumn has been an exceptionally fine one, there is a flush of grass everywhere, and the stock enter the wißter.season in the best condition possible. The mortality amongst sheep during the winter should be very small, and the lpmbmg should be one of the best for years, so that the farmers have, something to look forward to. Ntet'season's wool dip should sell at prices to yield a fair profit, mutton and.lamb should sell well because there is . bound to be a shortage of this class of meats aa the flocks have contracted in. numbers. Beef, of course, ia not likely to show much improvement, but New Zealand does not at present prodooe the right class of beef to meet ' British reouirenxfats. It is thought, a,. however, that local butchers might do something towards treating the prolan flUeer - and the consumer with some B&l s vWbrnasß. The producer is receiving a ■SIL'&iSSr -.'small price for his beef, while is paying a relatively wipe. The Wellington business "> fully convinced that the outgenerally had im-