COMPARATIVE STATISTICS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4295, 25 December 1874, Page 2

COMPARATIVE STATISTICS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sin, —In your leading' article of to-day’s Tones, referring to Mr. Ilayter’s comparative statistics for 1873, you comment upon what you consider an error in the ollicial returns made by New Zealand. You have made the mistake of considering the figures given by Mr. Ilayter as comprising the total ordinary revenue instead of only that portion to which Mr. Ilayter specially referred. Tho information given to Mr. Hayter in the form asked for by him was as follows; Public Revenue Raised by taxation £1,055,296 Customs & stamps, not raised by taxation 1,721,092 Total.. .. .. 2.776.35 S In a foot-note to tho form forwarded by Mr. ilayter there was the following:—“ In most of the colonics tho figures for this line” (raised by taxation) “ will be made up of the net Customs revenue, added to the revenue derived from stamp duties, railway, postal, and telegraph receipts. Moneys derived from land sales, rents, licenses, &c., should not bo considered as taxation.” As I have not seen Mr. Hayter’s tables I am not prepared to say how he has used tho figures, which were correctly given as desired by him. No information was desired ns to what comprised the “ ordinary revenue/’ or as to the amount thereof. —I have, &c., ■\Vm. R. 33. Brown, Registrar -G eneral. Registrar-General's Office, Dec. 23, 1874. [This explanation is satisfactory, but tho amount raised by taxation in New Zealand is considerably in excess of that slated. However, tho General Government could only furnish an exact return of taxes raised under Acts of the Assembly. — Ed. N.Z.T.]