MR VOGELS ESTIMATES.

Evening Star, Issue 3198, 21 May 1873, Page 3

MR VOGELS ESTIMATES.

[Prom the Press.]

A Netp Zealand Gazette, lately issned, contains a return of the Customs revenue at the several ports pf New Zealand touring the quarter ended March 31. The accounts are still highly encouraging.' The total for the quarter is L 210.467 ; or upwards of L 14,000 in excess of the corresponding quarter of 1872. Looking through the various items which contribute to the revenue, we observe no very remarkable difference as compared with the same period of last year, the excess being arrived at rather by aft aggregate of small improvements than by any great increase in a single item. Tea and sugar are exceptions, the receipts on pcconpt’ of both having increased. ’ In the former, however, the comparative failing in the March quarter of 1872 may be accounted for by the unusually large import in the preceding quarter of that financial year* when duty wav paid on a very much larger quantity than in any other quarter of either year. T he revenue derived from tobacco, and the largest class of measurement goods—those, charged at 5s cubic foot—is much the same in each year. Tfce receipts from New Zealand spirits £ave improved, avowing that the Iqcally ’manufactured article is oomiug into Use, No diminution seems to have been caused in the import, if we compare the two March quarters only ; the return being L 66.900 against L 65.042. But during the three quarters of the current year there has bean a steady decline in the amount of imported spirits ; the number of gallons being, in the September quarter, 119,203, in the December quarter, 113.620, and in the March quarter, 109,953. During the same three quarters the quantity of New Zealand spirits on which duty has been paid are, 11,673, 14,860, and 14,610. At the different ports of New Zealand the revenue, as compared with that of the corresponding quarter of 1872, has improvid in nearly all cases, except on the West Coast; but more particularly e* at Wellington and Lyttelton. Poverty Bay appears for the firsttimeasn port rf entry, with a return of L 943. At the West Coast ports there has been a decline on the whole from L 22,404 to L 18,168 ; a sign of the effect produced by the diminished yield of gold. A similar result appears on com ■ paringthereturns of the three quarters successively i all the principal ports, with the exception of Hokitika, Greymouth, and Westport, having improved or at least maintained ttfeir rethink. At Auckland the customs revenue for the September quarter was L 43,924; for the quarter ended December 31, L 44.024; and for the quarter ended March 31, L 43,001, At Wellington, the revenue for the same three quarter* ww L 17,432, L17,6‘27» wd

L 19,154. At Lyttelton, L 26.242, L 24.835, and L 29.825. At Dunedin, L 52.664, L 59,067, and L 60.557. At the West Coast porta, on the contrary, tho revenue has fallen from L 25,102 to L 18,168. The total receipts for the September quarter we e L 203.277, and for the December quarter, L2lO, c O7; which, added to L 210.467, received during March quarter, gives a total revenue of 1 624,551. If the receipts continue at the same rate for the remaining quarter of the financial year, as there seems no reason to doubt, the entire revenue for tho twelvemonth will be L 832,734. Mr Vogel’s estimate was 1.820,000 ; so that on this, the chief brauch of revenue he will have a surplus of about L 13,000. We notice that no such amount has been received from the Curtoms in any year since 1860, when the present tariff was first imposed; and the incomings for either of the tw<J last quarters have only been twice surpassed since the same year, namely in the Juno aud December quarters of 1859. Tho publication of the Government accounts for three quarters of the financial year enables us to term a tolerably accurate opinion as to the amount of the total revenue of the Colony for the year, and the probability of Mr Vogel’s estimates being realised. The public income of New Zealand — we mean that which forms the Consolidated Fund, apart from the Special, Trust, and Land Funds —is ranged under the following heads ;—( ustoms, including tho receipts from duties, rents, seizures, Ac., bonded stores, and fees under various Acts, principally the Marine and Arms Acts; St 'rap Duties; Portal; Telegraphic ; Judicial Fees and Fines ; Fees on the Registration of Land, Deeds, Births, Deaths, and Marriages, on tho issue of Crown Grants, and Miscellaneous; and Incidental Receipts. The revenue received under the several heads during tho three quarters of the financial year up to tho 31st March is as follows : Customs (receipts of all kinds) ... £617,762 Stamps ... ... ••• 50,746 Postal 36,479 Telegraphic ... ... 28,661 Judicial Fees and Fines ... 21,066 Fees (Registration and Miscellaneous) ... ... 20,259 Incidental ... ... 0,014 Total ... ... £789,987

We have no means of ascertaining what have been the receipts during the current quarter; but in the following table wo have assumed that the returns of the fourth q-rarter will bo equal to the average of the other three. It gives Mr Vogel’s estimate, and adds for comparison’s sake the actual receipts of the year ended 30th June, J872: —

Mr Vogel seems to have slightly over-csti mated tho revenue under every head except telegraphic, where there is an excels of Upwards of L 5,000, A ccording to the above table there will be a deficit of about L 25,0' 0. It is not at all unlikely, however, that the present quarter will be more productive than wo have supposed. On the whole the pobability seems to be that tho Colonial Treasurer’s estimate will be nearly, if not fully, realised.

The result shown in the table as regards the Customs receipts appears to clash with our previous statement that under this head the Colonial Treasurer would have a smallsurplus. The fact is that the accounts differ. The Inspector of Customs reports the returns for the three quarters at L 203,277, L 210.807, and L 210.467 ; making in all 1624,551. For the same three quarters the Colony is credited in the Treasury books with L 202.925, L 181,752, and L 233,085; making in all L617,7f»2. In the first six 'months of the year, while the Inspector certified to L 414,084, the Treasury only acknowledged the receipt of L 384,67/. The latter sums include not only the receipts from duties, but also those from bonded stores, fees. &c. Whether these amounts are also included in the Inspector’s returns is not stated. But anyhow there is a considerable discrepancy; and wo call attention to it, in the hopes that some satisfactory explanation will be afforded.

— Estimated, 1S72-3. Receipts, 1872 3. Actual Receipts, 1871-2. Custom.*!: — 775,183 Duties, Kents, &c. 820,000 808,234 Bonded Stores 4,250 4,063 4,078 Fees under Sundry Acts - 10,000 8,708 9,417 Stamp Duties 80,000 75 661 71,630 Postal - 50,000 48,638 47,054 Telegraphic • 33,000 38,214 28,471 Judicial Fees and Fines • 32,000 28,088 28,519 Registration of Ian' 9,000 6,333 4,539 „ deeds 13,500 12,56;) 14,789 Fees, Crown Grants 8,500 4,866 6,620 „ Miscellaneous 5,750 3,243 12.138 5,505 8,571 Incidental Receipts 10,000 r Total 1,076,0001,050,751 1,007,414