OUR COLONIAL REVENUE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 50, 28 January 1884, Page 2

OUR COLONIAL REVENUE.

The Deficient ItemsThe enormous, deficiency m the Customs revenue of the Current year is tolerably notorious, but. m the absence of the complete detailed returns the falling-off could ' not be definitely allocated to particular itehis.' /Tl;e detailed' report for the last quarter is now available, and from that we glean some iriHeresting information' on this head. , In the lirst place there was a marked decrease m the duties paid on wine, beer, and spirits. That is orio Ve"ry ; distinct fact of which 1 the temperance societies may take notice; aud over whidh they may with some'rertson exult. On the other hand there is alsb a decrease^ m coffee and cocoa, while there is a large increase m ten, sugar; • tobacco, and opium. ' ISIW what drie^ this mean? Have^the New Zealand' colonists taken to drinking tea instead of alcohol ? Are they discarding coffee «nd cocoa as well as wine, beer, and spirits? And does this change lead to increased consumption of tobacco and opium ? Or are these suggestive 15 figures due to mere fortuitous ' coincidence, involving jno defined pmicipTes at u all ? It. would be interesting and instructive to have jy^^onit_antfioritatiyely. ..sotLl^. by further statistics were.|h(>se obtainable. The largest falling off m Customs, bowr ever, is m- the miscellaneous items, respectively classjlied under "goods by wj4git,!!. "ad valorem duties,'' and t'&her - duties not specified. >? All of these exh.ibite.d <x heavy. decrease m proflllftt.ivP.TlfiSS.