New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1875.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4324, 29 January 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1875.

The Ncio Zealand Gazette, of the 28th instant,, contains the official statement of the revenue and expenditure of the colony, for the December quarter, 1874. The total receipts for the quarter, irrespective of recoveries, treasury bills, and advances, were £3G6 810. This total represented the Consolidated revenue. The treasury bills renewed amounted to £IBO,OOO ; and the advances, Immigration and Public Works Loan account, footed up £IOO,OOO. The other day we gave a detailed statement of the Customs revenue ; to-day we propose to go further, as the returns enable us, and give. a general view of the Consolidated revenue for the last quarter of 1874. Thus : Receipts : & s. d. Auckland 68,330 11 5 Taranaki.. .. .. .. 2,954 9 0 Wellington 47,29(1 12 S Hawke’s Bay .. .. .. 13,508 20 11 Nelson .. .. .. 25,035 7 0 Marlborough 3,100 14 C Canterbury .. .. .. 00,098 19 8 Westland 17,440 5 G Otago 120,852 17 0 These figures are highly significant, especially if we consider the population of the colony. It is altogether unparalleled in the history of new countries for a community something like 300,000, men, women, and children, to raise a yearly revenue, apart from local taxation, of a million and a half sterling, for that is what the figures above quoted mean. If anything were wanting to show the wealth and capability of the country, the publication of these figures would be sufficient for the purpose.

But it is when wo come to examine these returns in detail, that the inequalities of the fiscal system of the colony become apparent. One would be apt to think, running his eye down' the formidable array of figures disclosing the revenue of New Zealand, that there was a uniform fiscal system for the colony, and that wherever a man may chance to land in it—a united colony—the burden of taxation would bo equal. Never was -there a greater mistake than such a supposition. In one half of the colony the inhabitants are permitted to sell the Crown lands, and apply the proceeds in aid of local taxation ; in the other half of the colony, the colonists are not permitted to sell an acre for that purpose, but are compelled to tax themselves, or do without schools, roads, bridges, and other local improvements. This system of inocxuality is called interprovincial reciprocity, and two members of the Government, Messrs. Reynolds and Bowen, have pledged themselves to maintain it or resign their seats. There cannot bo any mistake about that, whatever there may bo about Mr. O’Robice’s charge of personal dishonesty against one member of the Executive, because the speeches of these gentlemen are on record.

But leaving this point, which is certain to crop up again, and coming to the returns before us, wo have a most suggestive table in the “statement of account “under the Payments to Provinces Act, “ 1872, &c., for the quarter ended 2Gth

“ Dec. 1874.” It will be remembered that the provinces contributed £366,810 10s. lOd. during the, period under review ; the payments to the provinces, after satisfying the General Government, and meeting the interest and sinking fund of the provincial debt, and the Immigration and Public Works Act, for the same period, was £10,949 14s. 2d.; —rather a beggarly balance, and a sufficient reason for abolishing the provinces, no doubt. But, (for there is a “but,”) and it must not be lost sight of ;—while the Northern provinces were stripped of their Consolidated revenue, and forced to tax themselves for local purposes, the Southern provinces were enabled to sell the Crown land, and save themselves from taxation. The following figures, quoted from the return, will explain our meaning. We refer to the Consolidated Revenue payable to the provinces for the December quarter, 1874, and the Territorial Revenue for the same period. Thus :

Our readers will be able to understand the distinction we have drawn between the two divisions of the colony, in point of revenue, after perusing the foregoing figures. They require no interpreter beyond this, that “the Compact of “ 1856.” provides that the Territorial revenue in the North Island shall be local revenue as it is in the South Island, whereas by the colonial legislation, dating from 1862, this “compact” is broken, and the North Island has been legally spoiled of its beneficial interest in “ the Compact of 1856.” It is likely we shall have something more to say on this topic in view of the constitutional amendment and abolition resolutions of last session. We may say, however, that we religiously adhere to the resolutions.

CONSOLIDATED TERRITORIAL £ s. d. £ S. d. Auckland .. 2,341 16 4 . 3,764 7 2 Taranaki 409 12 6 62 10 0 ■Wellington .. 1,834 4 4 . 30,076 7 0 Hawke’s Bar 3X4 5 « . 2,400 12 11 Nelson .. .. 2.014 6 6 . 6,075 17 9 Marlborough 697 0 10 374 12 3 Canterbury 759 10 0 . 76,125 11 8 Westland .. 1,678 12 0 . 4,320 11 8 Otago .. 84,780 12 6 Total £10,949 14 2 £203,803 1 3