The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3826, 20 October 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1883.

The prospects of. increased taxation next year are steadily improving. In a recent article tho Timaru Herald said that "about one thing there is no speculation, no uncertainty. That is that another million will bo added to the public debt in the course of the next three or four months, entailing an addition of £40,000 or £50,000 a year to the permanent expenditure. This, together with any deficiency arising from a falling revenue, must be made up either by fresh taxation or by a rcduo ion of the general expenditure. But this Ministry aro resolutely opposed to any reduction of expenditure; and they havo nuide it clearly understood that llioy Will tax to any extent that they may hud necessary or convenient. They have already squeezed tho Customs as much as they dare.'

Stamps aro not to be rashly meddled with. It is easy to see what they will do. AA r o may think ourselves lucky if wo get off with an additional halfpenny in the pound oH property tax next year.'' And this is mado pretty plain in tho AVellington correspondent's letter to the Otago Daily Times:— " The Customs revenue "for September was only £109,040, as against £139,804 for August, and as against £140,089 for September, 1882; but August, ISS3, ancl September, 1882, were two of the best months for Customs ever yet recorded. Indeed no other-September in twenty years has approached the results of September, 1882. Tho falling off for tho month just expired is much about the same at all chief ports. The Customs for the quarter yielded £358,874, as against £345,552 for tho preceding quarter. This is considerably below the proportion of tho estimate, but it is noteworthy that whereas the June quarter was £50,000 below tho estimate, or at tho rate of £200,000 per annum deficit, tho September quarter so far picked up leeway that the half-year's results wero only £55,000 below the estimate—or at the rate of £110,000 for tho year; while tho best half of tho year has yet to come. Tho correct receipts in Customs for tho half-year were £701,4 26. Beer duty is also somewhat deficient, as it always is during the winter months, the reason being, as I havo beforo explained, that so much less beer is consumed in winter than in summer. The receipts under this head for the colony were £3086 for September, and £26,043 for the half-year, the latter being £4956 less than half tho estimate for tho full year. Tho not result, therefore, of these two items is an ostensible deficiency of £00,000 as compared with half of tho estimate for the year." -^