PROGRESS OF THE COLONY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1643, 10 November 1873, Page 2

PROGRESS OF THE COLONY.

A jreport presented a few ? days before the recess, by the ' Secretary H ! and Inspector of Customs, on 'the cost of collecting the Customs revenue, affords some interesting information as to. the progress of New Zealand. We find that' ' ' thirteen years ago the gross receipts were l " L 205,784, of which less than LlOWwas; ? obtained from the duty on gold. The ' costjof collection then exceeded eight per cent]' In 186T the highest amount was received of any one of the thirteen~years from 1861 (inclusive) downwards, the total having been L 944,234, the' export duty; on gold having contributed L 71 ,818. T In that year the cost of collection had • fallen to a little over 'five -per cent/ In the year ending June, 1873, the gross receipts were L 930 ,648 ; ' or/ excluding the n goldlduty, L 883,14 9;; and the percentage ■■■■» had jrecedecL t0,., under,. f0ur. ..... Thus, in. thirteen years, the . ordinary,. Customs revenue had increased bjr : not ; less than f L66^177. N As' compared with : 1872j the"' increase was X83, 326V In the past -year • the post productive source .,of, revenue,-.;; was spirits, the liquors imported yielding L 283.956, and Colonial spirits L 17.423; * gobdp by measurement produced L 147 ,034, ? and .by weight r L53,790 ; ; tobacco ;prodiicea L92,8i3 ; sugar and;, molasses, L9i,640; tea, L 55 ,79 8; wine,' L 34,450; j and ale, L 15,387. Pilotage fees amounted v to Lj.1,909, and lighthouse dues to L 6845. "Oyjster Act" .licenses produced,, but a poor.ten pound note. The 'amount; of the gold : duty was L 47,499 .: ' Diuiedin, ' of course, was the largest contributor to < the :■ ■? revenue, giving L 262,12 8; AjicWarid fol- < lowed with L 192 ,408; .Lyttelto'n'with ''"' LI 13,452 ; Wellington with L 80,029': and" '" Nelson with L 37,033. ... ...:.:, Evidence of the advancing prosperity of the North Island cornea from Wanganui. t In that district we are told that country, land sold lately at prices ranging from L 4 . 15s to L2O per acre, a proof at once of the - , value of the land as an investment for j settlement, the presence of capital and ..j enterprise, and also 'of the advantage' which the railway-policy is to the country. In the flourishing little town of Wanganui, which is blest with "a large and fertile . back country, the same influence 1 i: 'is'feifc/ : ' : ;! as is shown by the fact that quarter-acre town sections were sold at the same sale- ...• at prices from JM up, .. ! to t L395V equtfl f - to. a range of from L 216 to LI6BO per ? acre. ' ■'•■ ■■■. ■ ■■■ ' ■ " ■*"" -