TOPICS OF THE MONTH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5027, 4 May 1877, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE MONTH.

The Customs revenue of the, colony for the quarter ended 31st March last was £298,039, as against £317,744 collected during the corresponding quarter of 1876. The results of a comparison in respect of the four principal ports between the first, quarter of 1867 arid that of the present year are as follows : 1876. 1877. Inc. Dec. Auckland £64,173 - , £49,119 —r- £4,954 Wellington 41,141 " 44,886 £3,735 Lyttelton 48,257 49,579 1,322 Dunedin 99,818 84,600 15,218 The total decrease shown on the quarter is £19,705. In a New Zealand Gazette to hand on the 13th there is published a return of the quantity and value of gold entered for duty for exportation from New Zealand, from Ist April, 1857; to 3lßt March, 1877, the totals being shown as follows:—Produce of the goldfields in the different provincial districts. During the quarter ended the 31st March, 82,241 ozs., value,: £331,167 ; entered for exportation previous to the 31st December, 1876;, 8,277;311 ozs.; value, £32,269,114. Total amount entered :for exportation from New Zealand to 31st March, 1877, 8,359,552 ozsj ;-lvalue; £32,599,281. Otago, of course, stands at the head of the list, the total amount entered for exportation there up.- to,the 31st March being 3,617,159 ozs.; value; £14;209,608 ; and Wellington, which is not blessed with a goldfield in its boundary, contributes the, least of gold duty.

The Registrar- General's, report.on.the, vital statistics of the borough's of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hokitika during the month of March has' been published. There were 302 births and 125 deaths. The highest, proportion, of deaths, to i the 1000'of population was in Auckland, being I'9l ; and the lowest at the Thames, being 'BS. The births were 24 more than in February. The deaths were 5 more in number than the deaths in February. Of. the deaths, 1 males contributed 78'; females, 47 : 65 of the deaths were of children under, 5 years of age, being 52'00 per cent, of the "whole number ; 44 of these were of children under 1 • year-of age. There were 5 deaths of persons of 65 years of age and over: 3 of these persons were males and 2 iemales : of these, 1 male aged 76, and 1 female aged 87, died at Auckland ; 1 male of 68 atiWellingtbri ; and 1 riiale' of 77, with 1 female of 76, at Dunedin. Out of the- total number of deaths in seven boroughs, 50, or 40 per. cent., ; w'ere the result of zymotic diseases. The most fatal of these complaints was scarlatina, which caused 20 - deaths—lo' at Dunedin; and 1 ' lO'afc' Hokitika.;' t the death rate for the latter town is on this account extraordinarily high, being C'2o deaths per 1000 persons living. In February there were only 6 deaths from scarlatina : 1 at Christchurch, 3 at Dunedin, and 2 at Hokitika. The mortality from diarrhoea, coming next in importance, is considerably lower than in .February ; -the total number- tofdeaths being'ls against 25. Of these 15 deaths jin March, 3 occurred at Auckland, 4 at Wellington, 2 at Nelson,, 5 at Dunedin, arid 1 at Hokitika. The decrease at Wellington during two months is very considerable ; January showing 20 from bowel complaints, arid J February 8, against 4 above-mentioned in last month. Deaths from croup, whooping cough, and fever were the same iri number as in February. Out of 4 cases of; typhoid fever, 2 were at Wellington. There were 13 deaths in March from bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, asthma, and congestion of the lungs,/against 7 from bronchitis and lung disease in February. Of the 13 in March, 14 occurred at Wellington. There were \ ncj violent deaths in the boroughs in I March, j The total number of deaths in the | boroughs during last month amounted to 42 less than the number in Mareh, 1876. There were 5Q deaths from zymotic diseases last month, the number from similar causes in March, 1876, having been 78. Scarlatina was mor,p prevalent-in-March (last; but deaths from croup, dysentery, diarrhoea, and fevers were more numerous in March of the previous

year. Developmental diseases, including premature births, deaths from malformations, old age, and debility in children, caused 8 deaths, against 20 in March, 1876.

The agricultural statistics have just been completed for the Auckland district. The total decrease of land under crop io 2600 acres, but in reality there is an increase. In the previous returns runholders returned the whole of the land in natural grasses as land under crop, but in the present return such land_ is excluded, only■- cultivated grasses- being* in-" eluded. Deducting 35,000 natural grass from last year's return there is an ; actual increase of cultivated land of nearly 37,000 acres. The returns also show a very large increase under the head of land broken up, but not under crop, the principal increase being in the Waikato, Waipa, and Franklyn districts. A summary of the figures for the districts of Mongonui.Bay of Islands, Marsden, Rodney, Waitemata, Eden, Parnell, Newton, Onehunga, Frankin, Waikato, Waipa, Thames, Bast Coast, and Auckland City East and West gives the folluwing totals : —Number of holdings—Freeholds, 3450 ; rented, 546 ; part freehold and part rented, 195 ; total holdings, 4191. Extent of land broken up, but not under crop, 21,179£ acres in wheat ;■ number acres sown for grain only, 1055 J ; estimated gross produce, bushels, 46,904 J. In oats —For green food or hay, 5814 J ; grain, 2200 J ; estimated gross produce ; grain, bushels, 52,047. Barley,acre^—Sown grain only, 207V> estimated gross produce in bushelß, 5424 ; hay, 96915 acres ; estimated gross produce in tons, 11,743|. Grasses, after having been broken up, including such as in hay, 185,341 f acres ; grass sown on lands not previously ploughed, including such as in hay, 159,040. Potatoes—--3938§ acres ; estimated gross produce in tons, 29,843. Other crops, 3181 J. Total number of! acres under crop, including sown grasseß, 359,6702. Quantity of last year's crop remaining on hand when'the form was filled'up —wheat, 16 J bushels; ,oats, 115 bushels; barley, 262 bushels. ',

The following is an amended return of agricultural statistics of the Provincial District of Wellington, in February, in 1877, the collector at Masterton having supplied returns for holdings previously omitted by him in making his collection. The differences between the estimated crops of 1876 and 1877 for the Provincial District areas follows: ' Bushels. 1576. . 1877. Bushels. Wheat .. 27,386.. 55,678..1ncrea5e,25.292, Oats .. ■ ..10(3.831.. 158,002.. Decrease, 8,229 Barley.. .. 4,341.. 6,436..lncrease, 2,095 . Potatoes (tons) 6,038.. B,B34..lncrease, 2,796 lons

There was a native meeting lately at Omahu. That unprejudiced and reliable journal Te Wananga is publishing a report of what took place at the meeting, in bits. Of course a goo'd deal of praise of Sir George Grey and Mr. Sheehan is reported. This praise, however, frequently comes from sources not very creditable to its recipients;" who we may presume would be furious if their loyalty were questioned. Thus we find it reported—" Takaraugi said :.Do not let us be weary. Yesterday we were engaged in concluding the work begun at-Pakowhai.'. The member I will vote for; is Karaitiana, also, I will maintain the newspaper Te Wananga. And I will rely in Mr. Sheehan as my lawyer. I, this man, therefore, have three members to do my work, And as Sir D. McLean is dead, let his policy alsoi expire. And let him and his policy be both buried. I now wish to speak on the matter of Sir J. Vogel, and see what he has accomplished for New Zealand. I wish to see what he has done for me and my Maori rights. The ruana of the Governor and the Queen have ceased to exist. Let the name Governor and Queen be cast off me, there is not any portion of it on me."

A return is published of lands sold, and deposits received, in the provincial district of Wellington, from the Ist to the 31st March of the present year. The following table will be found interesting :

The sections distinguished by the asterisk mark are held or applied for under the much-talked of and frequently abused deferred payment system. ■/_ >■•:■ " '

A. B. P. £ s. d. Sections 387, 388, 389, Hutt 583 0 0 291 10 0 Sections 431, Hutt District .. 92-0 0 57 10 0 „ 423, 73 0 0 45 12 0 „ 393, 216 0 0 108 0 0 ■■;„ 369,373, 874; 377,381, : : ■ * '■ Hutt District , 9S0 0 0 490 0 0 Subsection 478, Featherston.. 18 2 35 228 1 0 56 0 0 171 3 9 Section 24, ParaeKaretu block <■„ 72 379 0 0 189 10 0 „ 95 402 0 0 462 0 0 „ : M 205 0 0 205 0 0 „ i 186, Sandon* , '„ 184' 0' 0 "36-16 0 '■ ">„ 200, . „ . .. . 274 .. 2: 0 274 10 ■ 0. Part of Section 11, Karere 81 3 13 ' 82 , ;0 0 Section 249, Sandon .. 206 0 0 206-0 0 '•"■''„ ; 272, Carnarvon* „ i 277, Carnarvon* 65 10 0 64 0 0 „ i 268, Carnarvon* 72 4 0 ; ■ Totaui .. ; :., felSBWI 2877 6' 3