BUOYANT FINANCES.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 408, 6 May 1902, Page 3

BUOYANT FINANCES.

SURPLUS OF £270,489.

By Telegraph—Press Association.

Wellington, last night.

Sir J. G. Ward, in opening the now railway station at Masterton, referred to ' the finances of the colony for the past year, stating that they showed a surplus of 11270,4?9. The receipts were ,£6,185,400 and the expenditure £5,914,000. Included in tho latter was £19,000 paid off debentures. The actual revenue exceeded the estimate by £24,000, while the expenditure was about £3OOO below tbo estimate.

In actual receipts the Customs showed an increase of £20,254, railways £148,847, stamps £4736, land tax £18,251, incorno I tax £5588, beer duty £5062, registration fees £8954, marine £1902, miscellaneous £7349. A singular briskness in trade had, ho said, brought about tho increases. The territorial revenue had decreased £20,584. Referring to tho Wellington-Manawatu railway, he said the Government proposals were rejected on April 7th, and the com- | pany was then asked straight out whether it was prepared to sell its assets under the Act of last session, but it was not until May Ist, when the Act had expired, that the company specially mentioned tho conditions under which it was prepared to place it before the shareholders. Fair means would be used to bring grist to the Government lino, and tho means to bo employed would do no harm to farmers.