New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1876. CUSTOMS RETURNS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 227, 15 January 1876, Page 12

New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1876. CUSTOMS RETURNS.

Through the courtesy of Mr. Seed, Secretary and Inspector of Customs, we are enabled to publish almost complete returns of Customs revenue for the December quarter of 1875. Returns from the following ports have yet to be received, namely, Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Kaikoura, Westport, Greymouth, and Oamaru. Of these, three only would be of any importance in the total receipts for the period under consideration. The following are the revenue returns for the December quarter received by the Customs department up to January 7, 1876 : r For Quarter

We have already given comparative returns of Customs revenue for the past year for the ports of Wellington and Dunedin. On the present occasion we shall select for comparison the chief ports in the foregoing list not already dealt with. It will be remembered that Wellington showed a large increase in the last six° months of 1875, being the first half of the current financial year, as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, whereas Dunedin exhibited a decrease. At the other leading porta the result is as under :

AUCKLAND. Sept. qr., 1875 £03,869 Sept. qr. 1874 £63,040 Dec. qr., 1575 53,235 Dec. qr 1874 48,953 Increase on half-year, £4611. SBIV PLYMOUTH. Sept. qr., 1875 £2,000 Sept. qr. 1874 £1,530 Decor ,1875 1,931 Dec. qr., 1874 2,076 Increase on half-year, £32;>,

T H A. "M K S Sept. qr., 1575 £2,526 Sept. qr., 1874 £2,944 Dec. qr., 1575 2.514 Dec. qr., 1874 1,985 Increase on half-year, £IOB. -wanganui. Sept. qr., 1875 £7,493 Sept. qr., 1874 £5,91» Dec, qr., 1875 6,326 Dec. qr.. 1874 7,053 Increase on half-year, £842. NELSON. Sept. qr., 1875 £10.31S Sept. qr., 1874 £10,850 Dec. qr., 1875 9067 Dec. qr.. 1874 11,294 Decrease on half-year, £2,759. HOKITIKA. Sept. qr., 1875 £7,537 Sept. qr., 1574 £8.643 Dec. qr., 1875 6,693 Dec. qr., 1574 10,712 ■Decrease on half-year, £5,130. LYTTELTON. Sept. qr., 1875 £43,962 Sept. qr., 1574 £43,946 Dec. qr., 3875 43,430 Dec. qr.. 1574 42,0SS> Increase on half-year, £1,357. TIMARU. Sept. qr., 1575 £5,734 Sept. qr 1874 £4.647 Dec. qr., 1575 6,101 Dec. qr., 18/4 6,259 Increase on half-year, £829. INVERCARGILL. Sept. qr., 1875 £5,091 Sept. qr., 1874 £>,•»% Dec. qr., 1875 9,450 Dec. qr., 18*4 10,200 Decrease on half-year, £32. RIVERTON. Sept. qr., 1875 £1,524 Sept. qr., 1874 £l.l<>2 Dec. qr., 1875. 1,803 Dec. qr., 1874 1,266 Increase on half-year, £894. So far, therefore, there has been an increase, more or less important, at the various ports of the colony which influence the revenue returns to any appreciable extent, for the first half of the current financial year, with the exception of Dunedin, Nelson, Hokitika, and Invercargill. When the remaining returns come in we shall be able to complete the comparison. However, the Customs revenue for the year bids fair to show a surplus over the receipts of the year 1874-75. Whether it will realise the Treasurer's estimate is another matter. It is a noteworthy fact that the North Island ports show the largest relative increase, the falling off in receipts being entirely at Middle Island ports. The port of Wellington gives by far the largest increase—a fact which should stimulate its local governing bodies to give the utmost possible facilities for trade despatch. Need we say that we refer more especially to the enormous charges on shipping and merchandise, and the block of traffic on the wharf, which has existed for such a long time without any apparent attempt being made to relieve it. Wellington bids fair to become the leading commercial city in New Zealand, but a great many things require to be altered before it can lay claim to being governed in an enlightened and progressive spirit.

For Month of ended Dec, .1875. Dec. 31, 1875 £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland 15,724 5 9 53,235 3 7 Thames 1,047 10 7 2,514 11 11 Russell 9S 12 5 242 12 S Hokianga New Plymouth 103 13 2 795 17 10 423 18 0 1,931 19 5 Wanganui 2,528 11 10 0,326 IS 10 Wellington .. Wairau 11.723 19 8 495 17 11 39,221 17 2 1,542 10 4 102 17 10 272 11 7 1 lavelock 135 15 10 320 10 10 Nelson 2,452 19 9 9,067 1 0 Hokitika 2,121 IS 9 0.693 6 0 Lyttelton Timaru 15,799 15 11 43,430 16 6 2,408 11 11 0,101 14 0 Dunedin 29,706 7 10 91,730 8 0 Invercargill .. Riverton 3,050 10 9 732 0 4 9,450 10 3 1,808 17 2