Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 2, 4 January 1869, Page 2

The Grey Kiver Argus of the 22nd ult., says: —ln our last we analysed the returns of the imports, exports, and shipping at the two ports of Hokitika and Greymouth for the quarter ended 30th September last, and published in the General Government Gazette. We then Btated that unless the figures had been given on an undoubted authority — for who ever thought of doubting the statistics pf the colony published in the Gazette —we could- not have believed them. It •has since transpired that the .doubts we hinted at had some tangible foundation, and that we, in commoa with the whole of the. colony, have been misled by the official returns published by the Government. Yesterday another Gazette reached us, containing 'a correct return of the value •of"imports at the several ports of New Zealaud during the quarter ended Sep- , tember 30,' from which it appears that the imports of Greymouth during that period were valued at £45,142, iustead of .£97,950, as' given in the returns we formerly quoted. These are the only, figures-in which we were misled, all the others quoted by us being substantially correct, at least so far as the General . Government Gazette can be depended on. That there has.been gross, carelessness displayed in the Government service in; the preparation of these returns is evident from the fact that the case of Greymouth _s not the only one in which errors have been made. In the first ,:. return, Wanganui was credited with no imports,-; now she... is represented as inippjiting to the value, of £10,189; Nelson ;^^ now Westport's returns 7;■7;were*-a;blank,' but now appear as £23,892:7 ■^^iose^eratibns increase the grand total -^^^the^revenuerof .the^colony for the ti^M^ £1,249,670, :-s;^p^ ' -: These; :^^^^oj^P^i^ii%!ifii^o^ :,;tp'; pccurvin * the ||||pi^natipn: of;|the^7v. tal>-;s<atisticß', of the llpfaK&b^ ■? of .neglect * iMppsfi&^^^vex^ whicii •' *S^#_^^*_2^V**;'_V.'. --'.■'.;•*; :* :"■'-•','::'- '■„" ' ■ "■ ••' ,'.-'.'*- * - • : JJ:P/Y. ,■' „:-'■: •■■/•:/ **«MV_"V:. ;!-_". :.■■... .:.■■• .... ■ '.■.."