CUSTOMS REVENUE AND PROPERTY TAX.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2468, 4 March 1882, Page 3

CUSTOMS REVENUE AND PROPERTY TAX.

[FROM THB COBBBBrONDBNT OF THB “PBHSB.”]

WELLINGTON, March 3

The February Customs returns for the whole colony are now complete, with the exception of two very small items, which cannot appreciably affect the total. The amount of Customs revenue so far reported as collected in N 'w Zealand during the month of February is £125,743. For the month of January the amount was £129,926. The total amount of Customs revenue received up to the Ist inat, that is to say, for eleven months of the current financial year, is no less than £1,331.011, or within £13,900 of the Colonial Treasurer’s estimate for the whole year, viz., £1,345,000. Judging from what I have been able to ascertain as to the operations of merchants and importers, there seems every reason to believe that the March returns will fully equal those of February. Putting them at that sum, it will bring up the year's Customs to the very large total of £1,456,000, and which will be as much as £106,000 in excess of the estimated yield. This shows the remarkable recovery of trade and the elasticity of our Customs revenue. The property tax, up to the time I am telegraphing, has realised, so far as the returns are in, just about £170,000, which it still £IOO,OOO short of the Treasurer’s estimate (£270,000) j but it should be explained that as it was notified that all posted remittances bearing the postmark of the Ist inst. are accepted as payment made in due time, these continue to pour in by the score, and will materially alter the figures during the next few days. It is still expected that the estimates will be very closely approached, if not quite reached.