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Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 471, 29 October 1879, Page 2

One consideration that influenced Major Atkinson in his gloomy estimate of the revenue for the present year, was that the first quarter had not realised the late Treasurer’s expectations by a very serious amount. In a young and growing country, where thousands of immigrants are introduced every year, it is naturally expected that the revenue shall at least hold its own, and it is a very dark prospect indeed when instead of an advance there is a decided decline. We are well aware that the first quarter of a year is proverbally a bad criterion from which to judge of the whole year, but when it is far below the estimate it is very difficult to hope the succeeding quarters will be far above the estimate. To show how general the fall off in the quarter’s revenue is, as compared with the corresponding quarter of 1878, wo need only refer to the chief ports of the colony. In Wellington the decline is from ,£57,000 to £49,000, in Auckland from £59,000 to £55,000, in Lyttelton from £52,000 to £47,000, and in Dunedin from £105,800 to £92,000. The smaller ports tell the same tale: thus Napier falls off £3,000, Nelson £1,300, Grey mouth £2,000, Hokitika £I,BOO, Timaru £1,600, Invercargill £2,000, and Wanganui £1,600. In no place of any importance is there an increase, except in New Plymouth, where the rise is from £2,305 to £2,974. Turning to the heads of revenue we get another view of the matter. The decline on ‘ spirits ’ is about £7,000, on ‘cigars and snuff’ £I,OOO, on ‘wine’ £2,000, on ‘tea’ £6,000, on ‘sugar ami molasses’ £14,000, on ‘goods by weight’ £6,000, and on ad valorem £17,000. The totals of the revenue for the two quarters are—£365,494 for the September quarter 1878, and £308,850 for the September quarter 1879.