The Fielding Star, OROUA & KIWITEA COUNTIES GAZETTE. Published Daily. MONDAY, JAN. 28, 1895. "OUT OF EVIL COMETH GOOD."

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 178, 28 January 1895, Page 2

The Fielding Star, OROUA & KIWITEA COUNTIES GAZETTE. Published Daily. MONDAY, JAN. 28, 1895. "OUT OF EVIL COMETH GOOD."

The conclusion arrived at from the figures published anent the revenue for the past nine months that there was a deficit in the revenue of the colony, although perhaps hasty, was perfectly justified at the time, notwithstanding anything that may be said to the contrary. Since then a more careful examination of the revenue returns has been made, and in a speed i made at a social — not a banquet this time — a few nights ago in Dunedin, the Colonial Treasurer said that so far from there being any truth in the statement made to the effect that there would be a deficit of a quarter of a million in the colony, he had a careful analysis made of the position of the finances, and this disclosed that though there would be a deficit in the customs and railways, which he had forecasted, the surpluses in other departments mentioned, and after discounting the receipts for the regaining quarter of of the year, there would be an excess of £20,700, and thus, instead of a gross surplus of £341,900 as estimated in the Financial Statement, there would be a surplus of over £350,000. Now, had not the newspaper press of the colony drawn attention to the deficit as shown by the returns h'r-t published, tiie public would not )mve had the advantage of this more encouraging speech of the Colonial Treasurer. Half confidences are always dangerous, and in future, no doubt, when interim statements of revenue are made for the information of the public, more trouble will be taken to test their accuracy in order to avoid possible unpleasant complications.