DOMINION FINANCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 634, 14 January 1914, Page 5

DOMINION FINANCE.

INCREASE IN REVENUE,

SATISFACTORY INCREASE,

The Minister for Finance, the Hon. James Allen, informed a Dunedin reporter that the approximate revenue returns for the nine months ended De cember 31st, were very satisfactory. "There has been a considerable improvement in the revenue in the last few weeks," the Minister added. "I have no doubt that now that the Customs figures will exceed the estimate for tne year, and as far as I can see, there ia every likelihood that the income tax will dlbo exceed the estimate for the year, as for the nine months ended December the figures are a good deal higher than for the corresponding periods in the previous year. The post and telegraph revenue has improved slightly in the last month, or the quarter ended December. For the opening months of the year the returns indicated a falling off, but things have picked up again, and now show an advance. Land tax has reached £47,000 more, while the beer duty is ahout the same The revenue from the railways has not, so far, come up to the estimate, registration and other fees are higher, marine returns are about the same, and the miscellaneous section is £IB.OOO more than for the former period. Territorial revenue shows a decrease of £52,000, but that is explainable, because the present Government pays revenue derived from land sales into the lands for settlement account. National endowments revenue Bhows an increase of about £13,000 "Altogether the increase of revenue for the nine months is about £152,000, not including the territorial revenue from land sales. If that revenue were included, the total increase would be about £200,000." Mr Allen added that details of the expenditure had not reached him yet, but he expects them in the course of a few days.