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Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1548, 4 February 1879, Page 3

Last Year's Customs Returns.—The total increase (says the " Otago Daily Times") in the Customs revenue of last year is £131,465. Of this Auckland has contributed £28.755 ; Wellington, £23,877 ; Chrietchurch, £39,60-1; and Dunedin, £19,131. This won't do at all. It seeniß that Dunedin is being out-distanced in rate of progress by each of the three places above-mentioned. Even Invercargill shows an increase of £11,360, and Oamaru of £5877 ; so that these two ports together figure for almost as much advance in consumption as Dunedin. To think that even Auckland is going faster than we are! This is certainly startling; but Canterbury is " knocking us into a cocked hat." Can it be that our friends the teetotallers are strong here, and making us sober all at once, while the rest of the colony is going on still in its drunkenness ? We fear we cannot lay that flattering unction to our souls; but the why and the wherefore is a thing worth being inquired into by the Chamber of Commerce. We do not see any advantage to be gained by withholding the fact merely because it is distasteful to our pride. To put the thing as unpleasantly as we can, we may state that, while Dunedin has advanced from £352 223 to £371,357, or rather over 5 per cent., Christchureh has advanced from £200,857 to £240,461, or very nearly 20 per cent. At this rate, within three years Christchureh will be abreast of us.