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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5260, 1 February 1878, Page 2

The Customs returns for the year 1877, which were published in a Gazette on on January 17th, must be regarded as highly satisfactory. It is generally recognised that the Custom House is one of the best tests of the prosperity of a country, for by it we are enabled to estimate the purchasing powers of tho people. Gauged by this standard Now Zealand is in a prosperous condition, for the returns show an increase on the previous year. It is true that the increase is not large; but it is nevertheless highly satisfactory, as there were croakers who wore never tired of predicting a groat falling off in the re ven no returns. For the first three quarters of last year tho Customs revenue showed no increase on the same period of 1876. Tiie excess on 1877 accrued in the last quarter. The .following are the returns, under tho different heads of revenue, for the quarter ended 31st December, 1877, and tho corresponding quartet’ of the previous year ;

Tt is-mutter for congratulation that the West Coast of the Middlelsland appears to be emerging from the depression’which has- prevailed , there during previous, years. That part of the colony should bo particularly interesting to the people of this city. The resources.in minerals are yet in an infant,stage of. development, and in the not distant future the West Coast will have a large population. Melbourne now almost entirely monopolises the trade of Greymontb, Hokitika,. and ■Westport, especially the two former, but this cannot continue, for many years longer. Port Nicholson as a 1 harbor is superior to Port Phillip, and the Melbourne merchants will be considerably handicapped in competing with the merchants of this port for the West Coast trade, Wellington, roughly speaking, being some nine hundred miles nearer the .West Coast ports than Melbourne. The goldfields of New Zealand have been a greater factor in urir progress than many people give them, credit for. For some years the gold mining industry has not been in a flourishing state,' but let us trust that the year 1877 marks a turning point in this highly important branch of colonial industry. The total yield of ,our goldfields for 1876 was 322,0160z5., representing a value of £1,284,328. In 1877 the yield , was 509,0120z5., representing a value of ■ £1,484 r ,574, showing an increase in value, in round numbers, to the extent of £200,000. Annexed is the return bf.the quantity and value of gold entered for-exportation from Now Zealand for the years ended 31st December, 1876 and 1877

It will be seen that there has been a slight falling off at the ports of Nelson, Westport, and Dunedin, but that Auckland and the West Coast, ports show a large iincrease. The total quantity of gold exported from this colony from the Ist April, 1857;. to 31st December last, amounts to the enormous sum of £33,753,088. Of this total, Auckland contribnted £1,178,403; Picton, £179,850; Nelson, £0,414,002 ; West Coast, £8,450,095 ; Otago and Southland, £14,531,098; Wellington’s contribution is exceedingly small, being only some thirty ounces, of the value of £l2O. It will be seen from the above that the yield of the Nelson goldfields and Westland was about equal to that from all other parts of the South Island.

The returns of the Customs revenue at the several ports of .New Zealand; during' the year ended 31st December last are published in the New Zealand Gazette, of January 17th. Prom these it appears that the revenue at the undermentioned ports was us follows;

The total Customs revenue of the colony for the year 1877 is sec down at £1,213,479, and for 1876 £1,200,791. The New Zealand Gazette of January 17 contains the Kegistrar-General'.s report on the vital statistics of the boroughs of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch. Dunedin, and Hokitika. The returns are as follows:

The deaths of persons not residents of the boroughs, occurring at hospitals, have been excluded in all cases.’ The estimates of the population are calculated on the number of inhabited houses in each borough, as shown in returns Supplied by the municipal authorities. The births were 51 fewer than in November. The deaths were 23 more in number than the deaths in November.' Of the deaths, males contributed 67 ; females, 62 ; 76 of the deaths were of*children under 5 years of age, being 58'91 per cent, of the whole number.; 59 ot these were of children under T year of age. There wpre 6 deaths of persona of ,65 years of age and over : 2 of these persons’were males and 4 females ; 2 females of 77 and 88 died at Auckland ; 1 male of 70 at the Thames ; 1

female of 67 at Kelson ; 1 male of 83, and 1 female of 63, at Christchurch. Of zymotic diseases, the deaths were 45 ; constitutional, 23 ; local 44 ; developmental, 15 ; violent, 1 ; unspecified, 1 ; total, 129. At Wellington there were 41 deaths of persons under 5 years of age, and 18 of persons over 5, of whom under 5 years of age 25 died of zymotic disease, 4 constitutional, 2 loci!, 9 developmental, 1 violent ; and of those ovei 5 years of age, 3 zymotic, 2 constitutional, and 13 local. The death rates for December were higher at Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, and Christchurch than for November, but at the Thames and Dunedin they were, lower. There were no deaths at Hokitika. The increased mortality at Wellington for December, which is remarkable, is chiefly owing to the prevalence of whooping cough, dysentery, and diarrhoea, and to the large number (15) of deaths of children, from inanition, mesenteric disease, premature b rth, teething, and debility. There were also, at the same town, 3 deaths from alcoholism, and 1 violent death. The number of deaths from zymotic diseases in the boroughs was 45, and bore the large proportion to the total mortality of 34’88 per cent. Of a total of 16 deaths from whooping cough, 15 occurred at Wellington and lat Dunedin. The 19 deaths' from .dysentery and diarrhoea were distributed as follows:—Auckland, 4 ; Wellington, 7 ; Nelson, 1 ; Christchurch, 7. Croup caused 2 deaths at Nelson. The death from scarlatina was at Auckland, this complaint causing no deaths at Dunedin, which is satisfactory to notice, as it proved more or less fatal during each of the preceding 18 months at that town.

— 1877. 1870. Spirits A 91,981 A 89.105 ,, , New Zealand. 1,013 4.773 4.727 311,533 30,390 Sbeepwasli 04 11,189 11,0 U Ale, beer, &c., in bottle ... . *• 5,859 5,10.1 ,, iu wood 058 853 Tea 23.425 21,140 Coffee, cocoa, &c 2,084 ’ Itoasted 34,537 720 Sugar and molasses 36,049 083 Goods by weight .. .. ■■ IS.049 Ad valorem, 10 per cent C2.19G GD,iM'2 utber duties .. • • • •. • * Totals 302,792 291,128

' - 1877. 1370. 0 Z5. £ Ozs. £/ Auckland .. 07,010 304.421 70.075 277,707 Plcton ! 874 3,197 450 1,796 .Nelson, 5,303 21,182 0,812 20.337 Westport .. 18,950 75,841 21,774 87,175 Greymouth.. 80.240 320,097 03,041 275.705 Hokitika .. 53.401 2X3,595 35,487 141,947 Dunedin 105,082 422,857 103,053 435,278 Invercargill 8,037 32,482 9,524 38,213 .Totals 309,012 £1,484,574 322,010 £1,284,328

1870. 1877. Auckland .. .. £100.242 .. £200,401 Napier 40.207 .. 30.812 New Plymouth 7825 8500 Wanganui .. 21.500 .. . 24,703 Wellington .. 170,939 101,900 Nelson 32,817 80.301 Hokitika 33,808 31.004 Lyttelton ., 200.«57 180,300 Dunedin ' 352,223 .. 351,090 Invercargill 33,036 33,031

CE ti- — mated Proportion Boroughs. popu Total Total of Deaths to ■Births. Deaths. the 1000 of Jan. Population. 1877. Auckland . - 12,024 44 18 1*50 Thames ‘ .. 4.400 . 10 3-.. ■ ‘07 Wellington.. 10,130 -oo 50 " ' 5 '00 Nelson j 6,55* 21 9 1-02 Christchurch 12,81:’* 34 23 ; 179 Dunedin .. 20,305 50 17 73 Hokitika . 2,905 7 ” /.Total .. - 247 129 -