NEW ZEALAND FINANCES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 105, 6 May 1902, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND FINANCES.

A BU3PLUS OF £270,489. PEE PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, May 5. Sir Joseph Ward, at tbe opening of the dow railway station at Masterto", referted to the finances of the colony for the past year, stating that they showed a surplus of £270,489. The receipts wete £6.185,403 and the expenditure £5,914,000. Included in the latter was £19,000 paid cff debentures. The actual revenue exceeded the fßtimate by £24,000, while the expenditure was about £3OOO below tfce estimate. In actual receipts the Customs shoved an increase of £20,254, railways £148,847, stamps £4.736, land tax £18,251, income tax £5588, beer du'y £5062, registration fees £8954, marine £1902, and miscellaneous £7349. Singular briskoess in trade had, he said, brought about the iocreases. Territorial revenue decreased £20,584. Referring to the Wellington-Mana-watu railway, he B<id the Government proposals were rejected on April 7 h. The company was then asked straight out whether it was prepared to sell i's assets under the Act of last session, but it was not until May Ist, when the Act axpired, that the company specially mentioned the conditions which it was prepared to place to fore its shareholders. Fair means would be used to bring grist to tbe Government line, but the means to be employed would ao no harm to farmers.