CUSTOMS DUTIES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1104, 1 November 1879, Page 2

CUSTOMS DUTIES.

The total amount of revenue collected at the Oamaru Custom-house during the month of October was L9OO 7s, as against L 1419 0s 7d during the same month of last year. This shows a falling off of L5lB 13s 7d in the re ,enue for the month. If any evidence were wanting of the dulness of trade it might be found in the figures given here ; but unfortunately there is no need for any further proof upon the matter, for everyone has already experiencedtheeffectsof the hardness of the times. Of course, the falling off is in some measure attributable to the reduction of the duty on tea and sugar, and other articles, but the difference is not sufficiently great to account for the revenue being so much lower during the month than it was last year. In goods charged by ad valorem, such, for instance, as drapery, hardware, &c., there was a falling off in the amount of duty received of no less than L 125 16s 9d, but a small portion of this is attributable to the fact of boots and shoes being removed from the ad valorem class, and specific charges made upon them. Still, after deducting the amount received for these articles, there remains a very considei'able deficiency. The greatest falling off, however, has taken place in spirits, which during last month returned less revenue by L 395 5s lOd than in October of last year. Tobacco, on the contrary, shows an increase of LBO 7s Cd. The following is a detailed statement of the duties collected during the month : Spirits ... ... ... £512 7 9 New Zealand do. ... ... 6 9 7 Tobacco ... 179 10 0 Wines ... ... ... H 3 5 Sparkling do. ... ... 6 0 0 Tea CO 0 10 Sugar, &c. ... ... ... 15 fi 6 Goods by weight ... ... 12 12 0 Ad valorem ... ... ... 7S 14 2 Other duties... ... ... 17 2 9 £9OO 7 0 At Timaru there has been a falling oft of no less than L 1552 17s.