Customs and Excise.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7818, 10 May 1905, Page 2

Customs and Excise.

Speech By Hoi. C. & fills.

(Per Press Association.) BLENHEIM, May 9, The Hon. 0. H. Mills, Minister at Trade and Customs, addressed a well attended meeting of his constituents in Blenheim to-night, and was well received. Referring to the DoparttncnU <mJer his control, he said that last year tho Customs revenue amounted to £2,081,980, which exceeded tfaa« of tho previous year by fc.10.6M. The principal items on which the Customs revenue had increased wet* luxuries, such as spirits, tobacco, cigarettes, etc. The excit* doty on beer decreased last year by £5lO, the revenue from that source being £96,210, The cost per cent. of collecting the New Zealand Customs revenue was by tar the lowest in Australia, being only £1 4s M per cent. He estimated the auuwat of loss of revenue on items on which* the duty hud been reduced by the IB9S and t9OO tariffs, from Oct* ber. 1895, to December, 1904, at £1,091,362. The principal Ileum on which these remissions hod beva, made were tea, kerosene, fencing wire, currants, ruisins, rice, machinery, patent medicines. wool pucks, unci candles. Lust year'* Imports amounted to £18,291,890, and the exports to £14,748,548,

He showed how beneficial the local iodic* and the community generally, the establishment of the Government Valuation Department had > been as compared with tho system jn vogue up to 1884. Before the dovernment changed that system, the authorit.es had to make their own* valuations, and to bear <hc whole of the cost. Formerly liuiwovements were luxed ; now they wero Sg*•Notwithstanding the fiet Uwc 440,090 separate valuations had hoen made throughout tho colour the Department had received very few complaint*. Since 1900 lha Jta, ., V K al , ue °' tho Und » »» the colony, with improvement*, had incrnaah by over £214,000,000. The Ai£ vanees lo settlers Board had u» To date advanced whlet iLrZ h Z «*w»t» settlement the Hoard had .■occntly decided to mZ ■ft* per cent, advances on theaofresi, | n «tead of. as formerly, on •inproveiiioiit. only. They had also leemVd to relieve their client, ot payments for risks under the Workers? Compensation for Accidents Act. Mr Mills denied the accuracy of •he remarks of tho Lender o/the Oik position on the Cook and other Pacific Islunds administration. As e> matter of fact the total expenditure by the colony on account of those _j islands was only £4200 for three J years, instead of thousands per mini, as had been stated ; and the übiount quoted £l2(H> was «tB permanent public works. The lowance charged on the trip to the Islands was whnt iiuthorised by statute, and was ihout one-third or that drawn day in the old Conservative when Ministers travelled on lusiness to Australia and Country. Referring to local tnal^^^^H Mills said that the aOaJij^^^^^^^H Flaxbourno Estate, tho^^^^^^^^H [ho South Main Tnn^^^^^^^^^H northern end, a^^^^^^^^^^^H wha^^^^^^^^^^^^H Picton.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H harbourje^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H the pros^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H mert^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l i hoarty fa^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H u*r Mills cstiflod tf^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H lin and So 74^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| >uy & I^^^^^^^^^^^^^^M lee a mfl^^^^^^^^^^^H