“WESTGARTH’S CIRCULAR” AND NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5003, 6 April 1877, Page 3

“WESTGARTH’S CIRCULAR” AND NEW ZEALAND.

We have been favored with the following for publication:— “Wellington, March 27, 1877. *' Sib, —By my letter No. 9, of January 12th, I directed your attention to the statistics published in “Westgarth’s Circular” under the head “ Australasian Colonies,” and I requested that you would point out to Mr. Westgarth the injustice he was, no doubt unintentionally, doing to New Zealand by publishing as the colonial revenue for 1876 the figures representing only the revenue of the General Government for the financial year 1873-4. “2. Westgarth’s Circular,” dated January, 1877, has been now received. “3. A table therein states the revenue of , New Zealand for 1875 as £1,677,626, and that of Victoria as £4,236,423. I quote the latter because by the mail which brought the circular I received a copy of the “ Statistical Register of the Colony of Victoria” for 1875 ; and I am thus enabled to show what the figures for New Zealand should have been as against those given for Victoria. “4. I append a statement in which the sources of revenue and the amounts set down in the first column have been copied from the Register of Victoria above referred to, whilst the second column shows the revenue of this colony from the same sources, as given in the volume of “Statistics of New Zealand” for the same year, the result being that the receipts in New Zealand during 1875 amounted to £2,841,953 (instead of only £1,677,626) as compared with the £4,236,423 received in Victoria. “5. It is true that there is appended to the table in “Westgarth’s Circular” a note stating—‘The New Zealand revenue is ex provincialrevennes. Adding these, which include the land revenue, the total is £2,813,928.” This is still nearly £39,000 less than the fact, and the error is no doubt due to the compiler not being aware that the amounts of certain ‘ special funds,’ such as sales of confiscated lands, and sales of lands set apart as security for North Otago and Westland loans, are strictly colonial revenue. You will be able to explain this to Mr. Westgarth better than can be done in writing. "6. You should, I think, request that the figures in the tabulated statement may be corrected, because an explanation in a note is very likely to be overlooked, and because there has never been justification for separating •provincial from General Government revenue when the purpose has been to compare the revenue of New Zealand with that of other colonies. It would he well, too, if you informed Mr. Westgarth that the statistics of the colony, and all other printed official documents relating to its progress, are promptly received at your office ; and that as they are freely at his service it is not necessary he should seek information as to New Zealand from any resident in New South Wales. —I have, &c., H. A. Atkinson. Sir J. Vogel, K.C.M.G., Agent-General for New Zealand, London. Victoria, New Zealand, 1874-5. 1875. & s. d. & s. d. Customs .. .. 1,628,234 17 5 1,274,400 12 C Excise .. .. 32,474 15 S 102,670 18 6 Ports and Ha bors.. 19,935 7 6 18,007 11 2 Licenses (business).. 10,714 4 9 48,801 15 10 Unties on Estates of Deceased Persons 32,526 1 1 7,670 6 0 Land Sales (includincluding Kents counting towards Purchase Money) 707,030 9 6 486,278 9 0 Eenta of Crown Lands (not counting towards Purchase Money) .. 174,193 17 8 112,172 10 1 Hail ways 921,713 14 6 289,369 5 4 Water Supply .. 88,556 8 0 Public Works (exclusive of Hallways & Water Supply) .. 6,834 6 7 Post and Telegraphs 198,325 17 7 133,091 8 9 Pines, Fees, and Forfeitures .. .. 116,831 15 6 199,257 17 1 Eents (ordinary) .. 748 19 0 3,738 9 8 Reimbursements in Aid 36,845 5 2 5,542 1 5 Interest & Exchange 75,024 10 0 95,641 13 2 Miscellaneous Receipts .. .. 126,432 15 11 64,590 2 3 4,236,423 5 10 2,841,953 0 0