REVENUE RETURNS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 227, 8 June 1866, Page 3

REVENUE RETURNS.

Thslfew Zealand Gazette of the 7th ~3&&s~ eontaius the revenue returns for the „s«sk®r ended March 31st. "We fin i that -j-iss io&al revenue for the quarter -xsx £SGS,7O4, against £167,690 in the quarter of 1865. The ingszs&se in thus shown to be £41,104. C^ssi'K.dering that in the first quarter of &esi year this colony was in the ■zsx&ci of a severe commercial crisis, and t&si rke "West Coast gold-fields have been -i^fKred since, there is little to boast of on ■i^a?.^<;eount. Still, it is better to note -as. 32£erease than a decrease. It is a sign ,SC -.■pssgress to some extent, and as the ?53srssse cannot ia. any way be attributed sse £2sitary -expenditure, there is all the tsszre reason for satisfaction. Let us, iiKJsrerer, see how this revenue is made up. '^he largest sum paid on any article in -iSsß ' .seheduie is upon spirits. This is a cxfs&s?osrfchy fact, and one we commend to jScjs T-erious consideration of the friends -aft* £&c <: Temperance cause." Spirits £5G,412, or more than one-third of #s5!-£stal Customs revenue for the quarter. iSbe^iuty on spirits, in the March quarter iSE£££s, was £67,072. This increase does ms& sieeessarily represent an increased ■3S3>ssssption of spirits. In fact, it repreJ3EESS £he additional duty imposed in the ..-fflssssa t*£ 1564. Although there is little cikssij-i that the consumption of spirits has assessed, it is to be regretted that the jsssssme has not derived a corresponding Sfsssdit. If, therefore, the Temperance l 3&aekzbieß all over the country would Preventive Societies, and put a .^gp^saailicit distillation and tr.iine, the zzehibers of these societies would do the SSsfts so me service, and diminish crime. 'Sic.-other principal heads of revenue .-sEse — tobacco, £20,275 ; wine, £11,805 ; S*s«;k-d.r<.le and beer, &c, £13,11-1 ; tea, .;;£&& ,3§l: 5r.£ar,£19.630; goods (measureaEgEti, £29,026. There is one feature in ssspsct of the duty levied off beer in bulk, ssLss* -Tvhereas it shows a decrease, being txdfy ,-£3 ,855 against £4,202 in 1565, the .#s&v paid on bottled beer increased in Mh^&t the same ratio. This proves that ses&Eial brew is driving the English bulk -s£b sad porter out of the market. "We uKvs glad to note this fact ; and we trust •iss2i ■feir:bre many years have passed, sfflsSa-nrii! spirits will, to a s^reat extent, sEEse^ssde foreign spirits ih INfew Zealand. jßefernng to the detailed return, we f-rarej that the revenue collected at the Tjsayt.sf Auckland on the March quarter -sFSfS. £37,089 as compared with £47.570 Es .1565. The falling-off on the quarter vs. z^i& over £10,000. New Plymouth stussfZ a slight increase, the revenue mshzg £3,151, contrasted with £3,030. Waaganui returns £5,044 as against jg^L^&S iv the first quarter of 1565 ; ■asxJ. Wellington returns for the March vjE&fcrcer of the present year £18,432, *ssv*L£ffire<l with £12,398 on the :UsS£gjb period of the previous year. 3k£i££er likewise shows an increase : &BBS, £-6,230; 1565, £4,585. ]STolson| isk-g-ghivly enough, has fallen off, the Esssnue being £5,799 in the past quart2sr, dnd £9,GSG in ISSS. The ports of z Jssxgsock aud Picton have fallen off, S32L& Waimi has slightly increased, but lilbe .tsatals aro not worth quoting. IL^ESi-ion »7id Chrisfcchurch show a slight •sss2s£2se. Por the March quarter this the revenue was £27,626, against in the corresponding period of MSBS- The "West Coast, however, stands •35tbS1 in the returns. The revenue eoljicissd in the period under review this ■zpss.l- —^for in the March quarter of 1565 iik/s West Coast ports were not opened — vsfcJldutika was £25,274, and at GreysscjstSs, £15,292. Taking these sums tojgeiksE, they as nearly as may be makeup ■-t&as total increase on the quarter, noted -S£:Ah.e beginning of oui" article. Akaroa js^j£ Tiraaru are aln^ost stationary; but C ? E£52.-ru, a new port in Otago, show .■■££.£ sB on the March quarter, compared wiil> £886 in the same period of 1865. OLE. Saet, the Customs revenue at Oamaru £g «3^_ual to the entire revenue collected at ■&ke three ports of Picton, iiavelock, and l^Tiiirsu. The Dunedin trade seems to be 2£\£e, if anything improved, £148,411 &£a^ -collected up to the end of March, xs2& £-13019 up to March 31, ISGS. In33TK:cargilI returns £7,288 this quarter, £(j,'304 on the same period last year. JUt'TiTiH be seen by these figures that the ;'greri:est faliing-oii' has been in Auckland, •:!s: ; 2SE>quent on the withdrawal of the sSKK-sp 3 - 2^e other provinces appear to Hss.2s.akmg little progress.