Commercial.

Evening Star, Issue 3644, 27 October 1874, Page 2

Commercial.

The amount of revenue received at the Om tcim-house or cleared for consumption f hia day was L 590 18s lid.

NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY.

J’rom the second half-yearly report of the above company, which has been circulated, we learn that the receipts for the half-year endin'* September 30 were L 29,160 8s 2d, showing a gradual improvement on the previous half-year’s business, from which have to be deducted salaries, advertising, stationery, and cost of management throughout the Colony and foreign agencies, L4j190 16s 3d ; commissions aid reinsurances, L 9.328 2a 3d ; which will leave a surplus balance of L 15,641 9s Bd, less L 215 written off stationery and furniture accounts for depreciation. From the above balance the losses, amounting to L 7.373 19s 4d for the halfyear, have to be deducted, leaving a net balance of L 8.052 10s 4d to be added to the balance that remained over at Profit and Loss Account at 31st March last, making the sum of L 23,056 8s fid now at the credit of Profit and Loss, and which the directors recommend to be applied as follows By setting apart for the formation of a Reserve Fund, LIS,OOO ;by payment of a dividend of 10 per cent, on the paid-up capital, which will absorb, L 2.500; by carrying forward to next half-year the balance of L 5.586. The dividend recommended by the directors, if adopted by the shareholders, will be payable at the company’s offices, in Manse street, and tha several branches and agencies of the company, on and after the 17th November.

THE YIELD OF GOLD. The last published ‘Gazette’ shows that there has been exported from this Colony, up to September 30, 1874, from the Ist of April, 1857, no less than 7,510,493 ounces of gold, worth L 29,222,845. The gold is very generally distributed over the Colony, as the following figures will show:— ToAl Export to September 30,1874. Auckland ... 910,263 oz. ... £3,228648 Wellington ... 30 „ ... 120 Marlborough ... 42.845 „ ... 166,094 Nelson . ... 1,372,248 „ ... 5,443,670 Westland ... 1,872,614 „ ... 7,397,108 Otago 3,312,493 „ ... 12,986,505 7,510,493 oz. ... £29,222,845 Few countries in the world can show resells like these with a population, at the present time, of little over 300,000 persons. But if -we consider how few of the industrial population even were engaged in mining pursuits, the result will appear all the more startling. We think, indeed, that a knowledge of these facts in the United Kingdom would have a marked influence in diverting the stream of voluntary emigration to New Zealand. Coming to the return for the last September quarter, we find a falling off in the gold export, as compared with the corresponding quarter of 1873, amounting to L 96,538. This, however, is attributable in part to the severity of the season,- and to the demand for labor on public works. There is no evidence whatever that the supply of the precious metal is being exhausted. Indeed the export from Otago for the past September quarter is considerably in excess of the export during the corresponding period of 1873, and we may add that the quartz reefs of Otago are now paying hand some dividends to the fortunate propriety. The following was the gold export for the September quarter, 1874:

86,783 oza, ... L 349.494 Now, if we take the September quarter of the present year as an averatre for the twelvemonth, we have an export of gold for the year amounting to L 1,397,976. This is peculiarly because it shows the large “-I® countl T< and its perfect ability to bear the demands upon it in prosecuting the public works and immigration policy.— 4 N. Z. Times.’

Auckland 19,414 ozs. ... L79„8‘?3 Marlborough ... 658 ,, 2,590 Nelson 20,435 „ 81,693 Westland 19,734 „ 78,933 Otago ... 26,542 „ ... 106,453