BUOYANT REVENUE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 83, 2 January 1935, Page 10

BUOYANT REVENUE

Higher Customs Yield FIGURES FOR 1934 f' ; • Further Sales Tax Record The steady increase in imports and in business generally is reflected in the customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington for 1934, which is well over £400,000 up on 1933. For fifteen months now the net revenue in every case has exceeded the figures for the corresponding month of the previous year. A further very substantial increase. is shown in the customs figures for December which show an increase of over £42,000 on December 1933. The sales tax total, which is perhaps an even better guide to business activity, is again a record one for the fifth successive month. The yields from net customs and sales tax only, for the past three months, total £913,986,*' which represents the more than substantial increase of £203,969 over the corresponding months of last year. The net customs revenue collected at Wellingtim last month totalled £209,003; compared with £160,962 for December, 1933, an increase of £42.041. For the twelve months of 1934 the net customs revenue is £2,357,117 compared with £1,949,068 for 1933, anrincrease of £408,049. A detailed comparison for each of the twelve months is given in the following table:—

Motor Spirit and Tires. The duty collected on motor-spirit last month totalled £40,995 at 6d. a gallon and £27,330 at 4d. a gallon, a total of £68,325, compared with £43,232 at 6d. a gallon and £28,821 at 4d. a gallon, a total of £72.053 for December, 1933, a decrease of £3728. The amounts collected at 4<L a gallon, are already included in the net customs, revenue given above, being paid into the consolidated fund, as distinct ftom those at 6d. a gallon; which go to the main highways fund. The petrol fig- I ures for 1934 are £702,771 against £700,731 for 1933, an increase of £2040.

Collections of tire tax last month totalled £2033, compared with ’£962 for December, 1933, an increase of £lO7l. For 1934 there is an increase of £6021. the figures being £22,249 against £1*6,228 for 1933.

Sales Tax and Beer Duty. Collections of sales tax in Decernher totalled £74,256, a new record for the fifth successive month, compared with £57,613 in December, 1933, an increase of £16,643. In November last year the figure was £73,509, in October £70.214 and in September £62.508. The total for 1934 is £724,988, compared with £459,939 in 1933. This tax came into force on February 10, 1933, and the total so far collected at Wellington is £1,184, 925. I Beer excise collections for December totalled £7823 compared with £6444 for December, 1933, an increase of £1379. For 1934 there is an increase of £2223, the figures being £56,361 for 1934 against £54,138 for 1933. RETURNS FROM ELSEWHERE By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland.— Customs duties collected at Auckland during 1934 show a substantial all-round increase, continuing the steady upward movement noted two years ago. Ordinary Customs revenue has increased by 13.4 per cent, ffom' £2,256,623 to £2,608,010. There was an increase of 14.6 per cent, in 1933, and of 18.4 per cent, in the preceding year. The combined receipts from petrol ami tire duties have increased from £502,217 to £558.666, and in tire duties alone the falling-off in 1933 iof £4761 has been converted into an increase of £5864. Motor-spirit duties yielded £532,466, as against £481.881 in 1933. an increase of £50,585. or 10.4 per cent. There was an increase of 4.3 per cent, in 1933, overtaking the decline of 7.4 per cent, in the preceding year. The total under the three heads was £3.166,676. which shows an increase of £407,836, or approximately 11 per cent. The increases tn 1933 and 1932 were 12.2 per cent, and 13 per cent, respectively, so that the general movement has been remarkably steady. Ordinary Customs revenue for 1934 exceeded the corresponding figure for 1933 "In every month of the year. In the last three months the amounts collected established a recon' for several years past, the record monthly total, and incidentally one of the largest for some time, being £243,361 collected in November. Only in February was the figure for petrol and tire duties lower than that for the corresponding month.of 1932. Excise duty on beer showed ar ■ inerea'se, but not tc the same extent. During the two previous years the duty yielded £132.266 Last year-there was an increase of £2BlO. or approximately 2.2 per cent. There was an increase of 11 2 per cent, in 1933. and of 11 per eent. two years ago. For its first full calendar year of its operation the sales tax brought in £625,347. In 1933, during less than ten months, the yield was £421,865. Dunedin.— Customs returns tor Dunedin for the month of December are as follow, figures for December, 1933, beinggiven in parentheses:—Customs. £51,897 14/7 '(£51.613/2/11) : beer tax. £28,110 10/7 (£24.120/5/-); sales tax. £21,723 2/5 (£19,603/11/6) ; petrol tax, £16,722 18/6 (£18.166/18/-) ; tire tax. £591/1/11 (£571/12/-). Figures for 1934 are as follow, 1933 figures being given in parentheses. Customs. £662.059/17/6 (£586, 281/6/1; beer tax. £233.786/19/6 (£226,617/5/7) ; sales tax, £231,646 15/9 (£158,758/1/8) ; petrol tax, £157.245/16/10 (£157.219/11/3: tire tax. £7186/10/6 (£6547/3/-).

1934 £ 1933. £ January .. .. 194,707 182.059 February . .. 153,697 151,625 March .. 179,703 149,167 April .. 182,126 136,913 May .. 196,056 157,551 June .. 154,052 148,706 July .. 211,351 152,248 August .. 220,440 .. 168,978 182,869 September... 144,557 October ..241,527 190,166 November .. 245,477 186.245 December .. 209,003 166,962 Totals ... . 2,357,117 1,