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Southland Times, Issue 1797, 23 September 1873, Page 2

The total receipts of the Colony on the Public Account during the quarter ended 30th June, 1873, are given in the returns just published at £1,748,199. Of this Bum, £691,522 is set down to the account of special funds, and ie therefore not to be credited to revenue account. Of the balance, £471,439 is derived from the laud fund, and £170,079 from the trust and undistributed funds, leaving to legitimate revenue account a sum of £415,158 as the collection, under various headings, of taxes for the quarter. Under the head of Custo^na the amount for the Colony is furnished at £249,053, of which Otago has contributed £82,993 ; Auckland, £55,857 ; Canterbury, £34,264, and Wellington, £27,616. Stamp duties give a total oi £22,669 ; to the account of Otago, £7,461 ; Canterbury, £6,089 ; Auckland, £3,771 ;and Wellington, £2,183. Postal receipts during the quarter amount tc £14.104; being from Otago, £4659; Canterbury, £2,707 ; Auckland, £2,628 ; and Wellington, £1,562. In the telegraphic department, the sum collected being £12,786, gives nearly the same ratio of contribution to tba above-named four Provinces, showing Ota^o £3,350 ; Canterbury, £2,190 ; Auckland, £2,049 ; and Wellington, £1,985. The contribution to the revenue from all sources by each of the above-named Provinces is aa follows, namely, Otago, £116,587 ; Auckland, £67,481; Canterbury, £48,816 ; and Wellington, £38,757 ; Nelson showing next, £23,946, followed by Westland, with a return of £20,121, tbe next upon the list being Hawke's Bay, contributing £12.994. The proportions which the amount contributed by the respective Provinces bear to the total, ia, as to Otago, more than one-fourth, to Auckland nearly one sixth, to Canterbury, 7| of the total, and to Wellington, lOf. The calculations given above, if not decimally correct, as they are not preteuded to be, are yet substantially so, and indisputably show that the claims which Otago has at different times put forward to considera. tion on the ground of the scope of hei business operations, have not been by any means unreasonable. To carry the analysis of the returns further, a reference to the contribution of Otago to the postal department, will more fully establish the reasonableness of this claim, the amount to the credit of the Province being very nearly double that of the contribution of Canterbury, the next highest upon the lisb, In the matter of telegraphs the proportion of Otago is as three to two, when contrasted with tbe amount of Canter bury immediately following. Under the head " Pees " " Arms Act, 1868," Auckland is, as might be expected, in advance of any other Province, being as £248 against Canterbury £91, and Otago £107. Under the same heading " Merchant Shipping Act," Auckland again takes the lead, showing £90 against £42 for Canterbury, and £53 for Ofcago, while for fees under the Marine Act, Otago is returned for £654, Canterbury £336, and Auckland £363. To pursue the enquiry through all the details of the statement is but to produce a repetition of the result. We have not thought it necessary to give tbe figures except in the instances quoted, the amount contributed by all the other provinces, with the exception of Westland, being in the aggregate but small when compared with the retuTns of either of the four provinces selected for illustration.