THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1744, 31 May 1888, Page 2

THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

The Colonial Treasurer, the Hon. Sir Harry Atkinson, delivered bis Financial Statement in Committee of Wajys and Means on Tuesday evening. After stating that the shortness of the recess, and the amount of work imposed on the Government, had prevented the delivery of the statement before, be went on When the Government took office in October last the financial position and prospects of the colony were such as to require the immediate and earnest attention of the Government and of Parliament. So far as time permitted important changes were introduced doting the session, aO.I others promised or foreshadowed. The Government undertook to largely reduce 'he loan expenditure upon public works. This bad been done, and still further reductions are now both possible and desirable. Government also undertook to make large reductions of the expenditure charged against the Consolidated Fund, and, although the sum reduced was not so Urge as expected, they hoped to be able to aatisty the Committee that the reductions they ha 1 made, and ware making, were substantial in amount, and of a good and permanent character. They bad also, according to prom'se, charged against the ordinary revenue certain works and services, the funds for which hui hitherto been provided from loan. These salutary changes had not only been immediately and directly beneficial, but had also been indirsctly of great advantage in their effect outside the colony. It was much to be regretted that the colony's credit in London and elsswhere had been, and still is, greatly injured by hosti'e and unfair criticism. It had bean said that New Zealand colonists were heavily taxed. Let them without stopping to consider the qualifying facts assume this to be true, and then look at it from the other side. Here is a community of some 600,000 people, who, notwithstanding a time of long continued and almost unexampled commercial depression, with some of their main staples very low in market value, yet had raised a public revenue of, say, £3,500,009 a yean, chiefly out of their earnings, and yet in the whole world

there wa« not a country whsre the material conditions of life were more favorable or possessed by the people in greater abundance. In the second place it was not less necessary to bear in mind the important and salutary financial changes already referred to, which were not only important in themselves, as involving large and immediate economies in the administration of public works, but still more so as showing emphatically that that they meant to live within their means, and had approved and adopted the steps necessary to ensure this most .desirable result. The misrepresentations be bad spoken of were to be greatly regretted)for their offset on our credit in London, and because they tended most materially ito turn from our shores men with; soma capital who could make profitable p«<3 of our waste lands, whether agricultural, pastoral, or mineral. He would state briefly at starting what, in the opinion of Government, is the chief financial work which requires to be done this session : Firstly, to see that ordinary expenditure is reduced to the lowest practicable! point, and, this being done, secondly to'devise means to raise sufficient revenue te prevent the recurrence of a deficit, and in doing this they must, as far as can be done without loss to the community at large, assist local industries and | manufactures; and lastly, they had to reduce the expenditure of borrowed money on public works to a much greater 'extent than was proposed last session, ' M

REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE, 1887-81. , The receipts of the year, the ordinary revenue and land fund accounts conjoined, fell short of ihe actual expenditure of the year by £382,047, as against £312,653 anticipated, being £69,394 in exce»s of the estimated deficit for 1887-88, or, deducting £22,104 paid for compensation for loas of office, the excess was £47,290, Before explaining bow the, estimated deficit came to be exceeded, it might be veil to state what it actually was at SlstjMdrcbt last. The expenditure exceeded the receipts of tho year by £382,047, jbut if they added the deficit'Jeft over'from the preceding year, £146*656, 1 they I got a total of £528,603 for the two gears’." The liabilities outstanding at the close of the year in respect of the ordinary' 1 revenue account were £126,184, and of the land; fund account £18,772, miking together £144.956, being; about £60,500 less than they were at the 31st March, 1887; He would as briefly as possible explain to the Committee how the actual deficit [at the 31st M ireh last exceeded his anticipations, lu the first place the revenue at a whole did not realise the amount estimated by £103,336. The railway receipts did not reach the estimate by £68,174, not the land sales by £29,503. The revenue* derived by depasturing license's, rants, and other source* aim fell short -by £7239,‘ but Customs duties and Stamps were both slightly in excess of the estimate. He was informed' by Ihe railway authorities that the falling short of the estimated railway receipts is in some measure due to tho late harvest, and also to the low price of wheat, which .caused farmers to delay threshing and delivering their grain in the hope that a rise might soon take place. The expenditure as a whole .was,,less . than, the , eatinaate by £33,942, or excluding compensation paid tor loss of office (£22,104), it was£46,o43i leia than estimated, which surmdodac.ted from the revenue short received £103,336, : gives a deficit of £47,290 for the'; year. He should,, however, mferm the Committee that, in cl tiding interest and sinking fund and other charges under; permanency Acts, which are not so directly under the control of Ministers and alao compensation for losa of office not paid under the Civil Service Act, the amount expended last' year was within the' votes of ■ Parliament by £36,688. included in the sum was' £19.882, the unexpended balance of amount voted for the General Post Office, Wellington. The total expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund under' the Appropriation Act, including services not provided for, was £2,168,714, for the year 1887-88, including the whole ch(arga for defence services, as against £2,241,513 fpr 1886-7, with £12,606 added for j defence services charged to loan, being a reduction of £84,300 in favor of last year. He had stated to the Committee that tke transactions for I the year of the ordinary' revenue and land fund amounts conjoined resulted in a deficit of <£382,047. Separately, the thus— Ordinary revenne account, £302,060; Land Fund account, £79,087. To these sums they had, to add the deficit , with! which the year began, made j up , ,of £92,293, ordinary revenue account; arid £54,293 Land Fund account. I There was, therefore, for the two years, a deficiency ef £295,253 in the one aecount, and £133,359 in the other, making a total of £528,603. But Parliament having last session, in anticipation of a large deficit at the close of the year 1887-88 made provision for £400,000, he had to’ suggest only a mean* of meeting the much smaller, sum of £128,603. j THE PUBLIC DEBT. 1 J ' '}'

The grass public, debt at 31st March, 1889, as stated in detail in table No. 3, appended to the Financial Statement of November last, ■ was £35,|714,653. Daring the year tbe debt paid off amounted <o £342,400, and the new debt incurred t» £1,259.184. The total gross debt at tbe 31st Marche 1888, was £36,758,437. Deducting the •inking funds , accrued, £1,222,056, the net public debt at that data was, therefore, £35,356,381, as against £34,314,454 at Slat JMUrch, 1887. It would be db*t served from tbe t ible of the debt appended to this Statement that the following loans, fall due within the current financial year, > viz.; £600,000 on the Slat July, , temporarily borrowed under the North Island Main '.Trunk Railway Loan Acjt, 1882; £250,000 on the Ist November under the Colonial inscribed Stock Act, 1882 ; and £49,500 on the 15th December under the General Purposes Loan Act, 1873. It would be necessary to obtain the authority of Parliament to renew the two latter loans. Public Works Fund. In consequence of the earmarking of ibe North Island Main Trunks Railway loan, the loan authorised in 1886,. « specific purposes, it became necessary to establish three distinct accounts ia .the Public Works Fund, No. 1 being an account of the balance of tlie loans raised before 1886 ; ! No. 2 the account of the North Island Main Trunk Railway loan ; and No. 3 the account of the loan authorised in 1881. No. 1 account—The balance at credit, of No, 1 account on the Slat, Match, 1887, was £491,245, of which there was expended during the year £440,854, ‘leaving a balance of £50,391

During the year it became necessary, in consequence of the earmarking already referred to, to oreats debentures, under the Loan Act, 1887, for £300,000, which were taken up out of fends at credit of No. 3 account. £150,009 was carried te credit of No. 1 account. This sum, together with the £50,391 already mentioned as the balance of the old loans, made £300,301, the amount which steed at the credit of No. 1 account on the list March, 1887, The liabilities outstanding at that date chargeabis upon this account wsre £205,323. . No. 2 account—Up to the 81st MaiCb, 1887| there had been expended in anticipation, of raising ' the North Island Main Trunk Railway Loan of £1,009,000, £326,6«5, Daring the past year i fqrther sunref i £153,315, had been expended, making in a11.|£479,000, and leaving a-balance of £622,000 unexpended; Ihe llebilities outetanding et the end of the year amounted to £76,994. No. 3 account—-The balance. BtOcrtdlt of No, .3'account on the- Slit' March, 1889, was' £646,244, subject yto liebilitiea amounting to £190,467. •’ ’

;,suioiA*t.-■ ■■ The actual' balance *at credit ef tho Public Work* Fund as a whole on the tlst March, 1887, was £786,294 Is ?d, subject to. a deduction ef : £242,800' for district rail way, debentures sold with the loan of 1886, but not forming, part of the Public Works Fund. The balance at tbt beginning of'the year fer Public Worka expenditure was therefore’only.£643,494l3s Id. During the year they received the balance of the loanof 1886-£39l,3oo—and aa advance of £500,000 borrdyred';by the late Government upon, the North' island Main Trunk loan. These sums made* together £1,434,794 13a 91, of. which there was expended during the year £966,15912s 6d leaving anunaipended balance' at 31st March, l*Bß, of £468,635 .!*» 3d. The balance oh hand at the 31st' March last, and the loans outborised but* unralsed, made together £1,968,635 Is 3d, subicot to liabilities on 31st March last of £471,695 6s 3d. ' GOVERNMENT LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES. Up to 31st March; 1887, there bad been borrowed, under the provisions of “ The Government Loans to Local Radies Act, 1886,” for.tho,purpose of making loana to local authorities, the sum of £50,000, and there, iliad bean lent £16,270, lesving £34,730 in hand. last: year there was borrowed a further sum ;of £76,000, and lent £93,671, so that the total amount borrowed to 31st March, 1888, was £125,000, of which there has been handed over to local authorities £108,841, leaving a balance of £16,159 'unissued. At the same data the liabilities outstanding amounted .to £29,234,. and applications had been made for £78,830L Tha scheme for repayment was 26 annual payments of i per cent. As it .had been found that the Government had to pay 5 per cent, for the money, it vis probable that in future leans; the amount payable by local bodies would have to briocreased.

DEDUCTIONS MTCTBD INJPDBIIO ElfEN- ' , 1 BITURI., . -JW The actual saving so fli made is £233,097, or £28,903 .<•»■ than they hid hoped to accomplish. ~ The Governmeat proposed to classify the whole of tka Civil Servic«, and strictly.limit the num* her pt :each clafg k/ -.•deviation would be allowed without the approval of Parliament. 1 ‘They - also pro* posed ; to amalgamate the Native Depart* mint with. that of the Cplooial SecreUrj, making it a branch... bf'lthje' Depiftmant, andbeforo the end. of [the year to abolish the Publid H Jfprks Department They proposed to continue the construction of such,of the ,rail ways ss are? to be pro* ceaded with v dnder the staffer the coo* struoledfrailwsya/.aqditp'hffid over tha whole of the road works. tQ. the Survey Department, which is,. falresdy charged with a Urge .part of that work, employing local f bodies where, possible, in carrying them oat. : ) ,■ TUTUBIMNSIONS A$D, RBTIItINa AtLO WANCB3, I , j, {J Government i. : propped vAP/1 bring in a separate Bill supplemeptaryjo the Civil Service,. providing {prepayment for all futurVpeflsiOM^'and rhtiriHg allowance! to Civil Servants not co to a ratir* iog allowance out of a fund which will be keptruJTbymohtblj contributione from all the members 1 of the ScrVice which are 'notnbw entilled' to'tha J privileges of the Civil Service Acts at pr treat. ia force, with perhaps, a;j small; ,ooii< ribution from the State! .

’ BBTIMATED EIPBirDITCTRi ; POl-TBBI-89. 'Ordinary revenue 0 /account. The ordinary ! estimated ° 'exbinditure is 1 £3,953,593. '/The of interest which I 'will ji bb l! paid s 'd|uring the yearia £1,838,639,'beitm £72,873 more than tlie interest paid !; dttfiiif the year 1887-88. ! ’. t. against the Land .Fhhd,ir£|.o7i24s, made tip of £IB,BOO for pkyments to local bodies under pemanent'-A’cts; £2400 votes bn Grown’ ahd £86,045 for -Grown lands and surveys.. Last year the total expenditure was £158,474- . TOTAL ESTIMATED BIPEEND*ITWEB. The' total estimated expenditure is, therefore, £4,060/838, being £3,954,690 against ordinary ‘rtVenue, t aad £107,245 against’the Land Fund, but no provision is made in these estimates for schools or other ; public buildings, , subsidies to local .bodies, sT ESTIMATE* RBTENUB 808 TEAR 1888-89. The estimated ordinary revenue for the year 1888-89, ! on J the' basis of the present taxation,] includiqgof £263,200 to be received as proceeds" of the sale of what are known as thd sinking fund debentures, is" £3,897,400. /The estimated land is £n§|i@ EMIMAMCD RESULT Of TEAR 1838-8%

Our'total!estimated srevenue is, therefore, from all sources, £4,016,400, and the estimated expenditure,"s4,o6o,B3B, leaves-a -ideheit, of on the whole : rdveniie i; vbut riBSSf )the Land Fund ia estimated to givej a,, small sur 'plus ofr£lliv7ss, > and :as wei (Jo not now use any surplus laud fuodjie ordinary revenue, we have; toi :a sum of £56,192 to; pake our ordinary expenditure, and revenue balance, in addition to the imOuOt required; and other public buildings and for subsidies to local bodies,' i thebraouniiyyhich Government estimate will be required for expenditure on public buildipgs/tfrom raycpue for the year is £60,000, being £30,000 for school buildings/ £l7,ooo;for;<the.; General Post Office, and JK13,000 for.other buildings. This added to tbe estimated deficit oa tbe ordinary revenue, and: including £30,00# subsidies to local bodies, to be referred to presently, make a total .amount to be iprovided £146,10341 aolurther reductions

MW theught "The [Government after careful consideration have‘ borne to ...the conclusion .lliat ,l ( he payment of aubsi- : dies must be continued or the w|rl of local bodies will be pructically paralysed, causing, serious inconveiDiedc^ ' districts','" But'*they"think tbit the'colony should clearly-understand that continued payment means additional taxation'. ': Government' proposed that the t'.x on tea ahouldbe increased by 2d per >'i with the p9pula,tipn, and that one half of At whole, duty received from tea be eet ' asidranddevoted td the payment of these subsidies: > Through speoulatif eclearsnces and two months of the year havingalready ~ passed, the estimated produce of. the* tax for thia. jeaV, with, the additional duty Ptied, will only be £114,000. One half of this would Jbe.,fi57,000. This amount will not te enough, to, pay W subsidy of 5s !| ! in* the pound for, the current yeaf. -| Government would, therefore, ask authority ; | u tO, pTovide tha aifiount, if deficient, .from geoeral revenue for tbe year 1888-89, but next yepr. and s afterwards, when there p „woald ba no r disturbing oapse in j tho J cpllactipn of the, tik„ they propose that one-half thotcaduty,should bp set apart forsubsidies, and:that that amount, whatever it may be and whether more or less ■ ' than the proportional payment now made ' of 6s in the pound, ! lhpnld bo all the aid ... tbit: will be *given from the general revenue—that is by the colony at large—in* to the Ideal bodies. FROTERTV TAX. It was not proposed to makp any rlteratipn.in the rate of. the property tax this PWlr;' but * Government would ask the ’’House 1 lo agrte to' remission to a certain amount ou some classes of machinery. The Ipsstotherevenue, iftheso remissions ' agreed -ho, will probably be about £4OOO, . -, t; THETARIFF. He now came to the question as to bow the £146,103 which he hadEhdwn to be wanting.icould beat be raised. After much Jearefni delilberatibb. the Government bad determined tol ask authority to I raise the •mount required by an increase in the Customs duties, as being on the whole the beat course in the general interests of the community. But there arose the farther important question whether the increase ■honld be general over a large number of articles included in the tariff, or whether the amount required should be raised from the twof articles, tea 'and sugar t With regard to Ihe first of these, be bad j : % already, expressed the opinion of Government that to furnish the! subsidies to local bodiea an additional'duty of2dper pound : ahould be pul upon tea; which;is as much at they thought it ahould be. There re- • mained the question of additional duty on sugar, and the Government were fully ", . alive to all that could' be said in favor of nhs’tbia. / Nevertheless the Government did not propose: to pdt.apy additional duty on sugar. The reasons which'led : them to , this i; [determination are' briefly these : i Sugar may fairly be called a necessary aitmle of food ; the. more widely* and largely used of any food imported. It, , , wasexteneivolyused in our manufactures,!; J and it would always be available If at' acme future time "and upon some unforsteu contingency a need : for some additioual revenue should arise. The very: numerous •‘suggestions ; received from' maonfactorers, and the many conflicting! •interests concerned of both producers and* [.Consumers, had received careful considera- ,* tion. The Government had endeavored; " vin theij duties proposed to adjust fairly butweap tbeae conflicting interests the butdena to be borne, recognising the fact •. -.that a freetrade tariff and a prohibitive •re equally incompatible with tbs amooet which we must raise; and admitting what must bo admitted, that the I imposition of heavy Customs duties affects ;-; <tbe obtuse of trade and indns'ry. They " 'had endeayored while making revenue the frat bbieot, so to* adjust the proposed duties aa to assist local manufactures Without any more pressure on tbs consumer than is inevitable if we are to raise by Customs duties a yearly •dm of not leas than £1,450,000 for the , purposes 'of ordinary reveuue. It ' ,jwaa proposed to raise a large number of ■;/ article* from 15 per cent to 20 pec cent * ad vaibiem, and some to 36 per cent, and to iderease specific duties in manyEsses proportionally, due rsgard being given in both olaasea to the requirements of the colony, and the: conflicting interests involved. Some articles had been added to the free' lists and some removed. The total-amount which these:duties will raise is eaUmated at £173,000. He pointed out that £25,000 of this taxation would not l be net«aeary if Parliameut aaw fit to raise v 'ihe scbeol age at which capitation is payable to six years instead of five, as at pre--sent, and; to abolish the Education Boards. ,V ; o ... UHBAISSD [LOANS.; ..The arrangements made by the Qoyerij- • meat to raise funds for public works, readeted necessary by the fanit in tbs Load .. Act ;bfUa«tl session; [ were ;—Firstly, an • ’agreement with the Colonial Bank of New :j - . Zealand for an advance of £400,000, at ~5 per cent, for three years, upon the eeicu- : ' city of the £400,000,0f 4 per cent, fdehen-* ■ tores issued under the Public Ha venues Act (No. 3) of last session, to cover the estimated deficit: ■ Of this sum £BOO,OOO was paid into our public account in ! liondon, and £IOO,OOO was taken in the form - of a draft, at 90 days’sight, also payable in London. No commissioa ‘of any kind •"*/ Of exehangei was paid. Secondly, the,, advance obtained by the late Government ■ from the-Bank of New Zealand of 1 '\6t the North Island Trunk Loan ■shortj 1 dated -debentures* which fell due in April last, was renewed till the 31st July next, ,»t the same rste ot interest as was charged on the Original advance, namely, 4 per rent, for £400,000 »nd 6 per cent.’ for £IOO,OOO, They had received! no other advances except advances obtained , c by the Agent-General on the Imperial guarantee debentuies* and the usual ones' , upon deficiency bills in anticipation of The only large payments they -r‘ h»d to meet :in: London shortly are £200,000 repayment of deficiency bills duo in July and the £500,000 short-dated debeutares of the North Island Trunk Loan, due on the 31st July next. He explained his reasons for bringing in the amended Loan Bill before the Financial Statement, was. delivered. Government - thought that no further contracts should bo let on the North Island Trank Railway, . - and very little, if any, work . be done {on . the other lines named in the schedule cf tha Loan Acte for the preaent. year. They were now aboiiLtb go upon the, London market for thsJ*st time for three, yerrsj at . east. " ! >■.

I Post Office Savings Bank. ; During the year £200,000 of the deposits of the Post Office Savings Bank had been invested in Imperial guaranies debentures. The increase of the deposits on credit in the Post Office Savings Bank on the 3lat March, 1888, was £1,861,837, And in the other Savings Banks which are also guaranteed by the colony was £600,967,: making a grand total of £1,460,304, among 99,277 depositors. jiWvisioil for the Deficit op 1887-88. < To meet the £128,000 standing to our debit on the 21st March, the Government proposed that a primage duty of 1 per cent, be levied on all goods imported into the colony, whether free or dutiable, for ,lwo years, and that the proceeds be applied to the payment of the £128,000. This duty it was estimated will yield aboil £58,000 a year, and the small balance; over may be met from the ordinary revenue. ' 1 ■ , THE CROWN AND NATIVE LANES RATING j . AOT, I Phis' Acti' libwas the intention‘of the IGovernmant to ask Parliament to repeal. GENERAL BVMMART. * After the reduction of their ordinary Expenditure by £233,000, the expenditure ■which Government deemed necessary was 'some £7o*ooo for the-year more than our income from our present sources of revenue ; that to provide schools and public buildings from revenue an additional £60,000 is required ; thac to continue the subsidies tolocal bodies and topay them all from revenue, which must be done if they are to be paid at all, another £64,000 is necessary ; and that to pay the balance of last year’s deficit of £128,000 a sura of £58,000, must be provided this year, and the balance in the succeeding. To provide' the sum of £IOO,OOO required this year, Government proposed additional Customs duties estimated to yield £207,000. If the estimate proved correct they would have a 1 surplus of £if ,600, so that the margin allowed was not too much. Last year the Property Tax wass ,increased by £65,000, but no : alterations were made in the Customs duties. He desired to call particular attention to, the faci that of this £128,000 now:proposed to,be;;raised by additional taxation £107,600 is for subsidies, and £15,000 for defences. His endeavor had been to.place early before .the Committee reaUwantsiof the colony are ; fo'pbint out what services arc rendering the‘Mreased.taxation, necessary, and to show how the required funds can, in the opinion of the Government, bo best provided. TabU». Resolved—That in lieu of the duties of Customs now charged on the undermentioned articles : on importation into New Zealand, or on losing cleared from any warehouse for home consumption, the following duties of Customs shall, on and),after May 30, 18S0, be charged thereon, and be paid at. the time of making entry therefor, namely, the articles are— Porter, beer of all sorts, cider, , £ s. d. - and perry in,bulk, per gal ... 1 6 Aerated and mineral waters, per cent ad val ... ... ... 00 0 0 Bitters, cordials, and liquors, perg«l ... ... 15 0 Spirits and . strong waters of every .kind, of any strength ; not exceeding the strength •f fprdof''lby Sykee* hydro-' meter, and so on in proportion for any greater strength than the strength of proof of such hydrometer, provided hpw,ever!lh|t until November 30, 1888, an allowance shall be 'made for any leas strength thin the etrangth of proof as aforesaid ; spirits and strong waleVs, 'miied with any ingredient in any proportion, exceeding 33 per cent of proof spirits, and although thereby . coming under thi designation of- patent medicines or ether designation; spirits end strong waters, sweetened or mixed, so that the degree of strength cannot be ascertained as aforesaid; spirits methylated, - per gal ... 10 0 Spirits in cases shall be charged as follows, on after December, !, 1888, via Two gallons 'and under, as two gallons ; over two gallons and not exceeding three, as three gallons ; over three gallons and not exceeding-. 1 .four; as lour gallons; and so on for any greater quantity contained in any .case, . Dime and lituejuioe, sweetened or aerated, per cent ad val ... 20 0 0 Syrups, per cent ad-val ... 20 0 0 Tea, per lb ... ... 6 Wine, sparkling, per gal ... 8 0 Wine; Australian,' containing not more than 36 per cent of • proof spirit, verified by Sykes* 1 hydrometer, the gallon* or for 6 reputed quart bottles, or for 12 reputed pint bottles ... 5 0 Wine, other than sparkling and Ahstralian, containing less than 40 per cent of proof spirit, verified by Syaea’ hydrometer, per gallon, or,for 6 reputed quart bottles, or for 12 reputed pint bottles ... 6 0 Beef and pork salt# I, pec cent ; ad val... .., ... ... 20 0 0 Biscuits, ships, plain and unsweetened, per cwt ... ... SO

Biscuits, other kinds, per lb ... 2 Chocolate, confectionery, and all preparations of chocolate or cocoa, per lb 3 Capers, catsup, cheese, chutney, percent, ad Val ... ... 20 0 0 Confectionery, not otherwise enumerated, per ib ... ... 2 Curry ponder and paste, per cent ad val 20 0 0 Drained peel, per ib 8 Fish, dried, pickled, or salted, per cwt, ... ... 10 0 , Fish (including sardines), potted or preserved, or reputed package of that weight, hperlb... ... 2 Fruits, preserved, per cent, ad **l ••• 20 0 0 .emit, fresh, including apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricotn, quince, tomatoes, per b (U Fruit-pulp and partially preserved fiuit, per Ib Jams, jellies, marmalade and preserves, per Ib 2 Meats, potted or preserved, milk, preserved, per cent ad val ... ... 20 0 0

£ s. d. Glucose, per lb ... 1 Mustard, per 1b... ... ... 2 Olives, oysters, preserved, per' cent ad val ... 20 0 0 Peas, split, per cwt ... ' ... ' v 2 0 Pepper and pimento, unground, ' per lb ... ... ... ... u 2 Pickles, pints or reputed pints, and in the same proportion for larger or smaller sizes, per dots ... ... .... 2 0 Provisions, preserved, not otherwise enumerated, rasp-

berry vinegar, per cent ad val ... ... ... ... 20 0 0 Rice and rice flour, perlOOlb:.. 6 0 Rice, undressed and dressed in ' ■ bond, per 1001 b ... 0 0 Rios manufactured into starch;

in bond, per 1001 b ... ... 2 0 Salt, except rock, per top ’ ... ‘ I 0 0 Sauces and vegetables," fresh, dried, or preserved, per cent ad val, ~. j ... 20 0 0 Opium,'fEr lb ... ...' ... 20 0 Cigars, cigarettes, and snuff, per 1b... ... ... ... 7 0 Tobacco, unmanufactured, entered to be manufactured in ! 'thfe"Colony, at the time of ; removal from bonded warehouse, or froth any importing ;sbip to any- licensed tobacco • manufactory, for. manufacture ing purpose* only, into tobacco, cigars, cigarettes, or srioff. per lb, from Dec. 31,. 1888,” to Dec. 31,1890 ... 2 6 Blacking and boot gloss, black-

lead, per cent ad val. ... 20 0 0 Blue, per lb ... ... ... 2 Candles, per lb or reputed package of that weight ... ... 2 Furniture, knife and plate powder and polish, per cent, ad val ... ... *. ... 15 0 6 Gins and files, per ib ... Matches, wooden, in boxes containing 100 matches or fraction thereof, per gross, boxes 10 For every additional 50 matches or fraction thereof, per gross boxes ... ... ... ... 6 yfax, matches, in boxes contain- j [ ing 100 matches or fraction , thereof, per gross boxes ... 20 ; For every addition 50 matches [ or fraction thereof,' pel gross , boxes.., ... 10 Olive oil, in bulk, per gal ... 6, Paints and colors, mixed* ready 1 for use. per. cwt .V'»« 4 0 Paints and colors, ground/iui oil, per cwt .. ... 20! Sausage skins, per cent, ad val 20 0 0: Soap, common, per. cwt ... 5 0; Soap, powder, extract, of soap, ! dry soap, and soft soap, per cent, ad val ... : ... ... 20 0 0 Stanch, per lb ... ... ... 2 Varnish, per gal i, ... ... 16 Stearins', per lb ~.. 1£ Washing'powder, per cent, ad val ... ... !'; ... ... 20 0 0 Wax, paraffin, mineral, vege-; I able, and J span qae, per lb , M I Brooms and brushfs, brushware, not otherwise described, j per cent, ad val ... ... 20 0 0 Bellows, except forge, per cent, ■'ad val,; V ... ";[[ ... 15 0 ; 0 Buckets and tubs of wood,' per ; cent, ad valf}.. 20 O 0 Oabinetware and furniture, per cent, ad val ... 25 0 6 Mantelpieces, ■ p«.^cent,-sd^val/20 0 0 Upholstery, not otherwise , enumerated, per cent, ;a& vali 25 0 0 Wife mattressas and; webbing, per cent ad ra! 20 0 0 Deeks and dressing caße% fancy goods and toys, fireworks, j j magic lanterns and dissolving I new apparatus and slides, per cent ad val ... ... ... 20 0 0 Musicsl instruments, namely, ; organs, harmoniuns, 'and > pianofortes, and parts of either (except action work: not > ' made up), organs, harmoniums, bells and furniture, imported for places of public worship, per cett.ad val.. ... 20, 0 0 Statues, statuettes,' and caste,. bronzes,- walking-sticks, per ... i cent ad val ... 20 0 0 Baskets and Wicker ware, hair , brushes and (Combs, per cent, > 1 ad val ... ... 90 0 0 Oil, perfumed, per cent ad val... 25 0 0 Boots, shoes, alippera, goloshes,. ; clogs; and pattens, net dther-f. , ; wise enumerated, boot and ‘ 1 shoe vamps and uppers, per I cent ad v»l ... ... ... 20.0 0 Harness and saddlery, per cent f , ad val... „. ... ... 20 0 f) Harness oil and composition and leather dressing, per cent ad val ‘ ij. i.. " ’ ..i ... 15 0 0 Leather belting and belt harness, bridle, leggings, and bag leather, per lb ... .« 6 Kip (other than East India kip), Oordovan, buff, split, kangaroo (tanned),Levant, cow, sod horse hides, per lb ... ... 3 Roans, Persian, sheepskins, or Basils, lambskins and goat * skins (dressed), per lb ... ; 2 1 Not otherwise enumerated, including sole loather, per lb ...■ 1 Portmanteaux trsnksand travel-ling-bags, per cent ad val ' 20 o[o Filters, per cent, ad val ... 20 0 0 Fish paste,, per cent, ad val ... 20 0 0 Chaff, per ton ... ... ... 1 0 0 Acetic acid, per lb ... ... 3 Cod liver oil and Glycerine, re- ' fined, per cent, ad val ... 15 0 i 0 Patent and proprietary medicines, and medicinal and other preparations or compounds not otherwise enumerated, recoinmended to the public under any general name or title aa : specified for any disease or , : affection whatever affecting the human or animal bodies, per cent, ad val ... ... 25 0 0 jEarlash, potash, and caustic potash, par cent, ad val ...15 0 0 Sarsaparilla, per cent; ad val... 25 0 0 Soda ash and soda carbonate,

per ewt 10 Ink, writing, pec cent, ad val ... 20 0 0 Paper bags, per o»t 7*6 Paper, wrapping, brown, per owt... 4 | 0 Paper, wrapping, other kinds ... s*o Stationery (msnufacturrd), including account books, billheads, cheques, labels, and other printed and ruled paper, blank and head-line copybooks, drawing hooka, blotting pads, sketch’books, manifold writers, albums, diaries, plain i

! i; £ S. d. and fuiat-lined ruled books,, ■ and .other printed and lithographed stationery, pet cent,. ad val,, ' ... ... 25 0 0 Pictorial 'calendar!*, show cards, and . other pictorial lftbograph|a and,ljm ; prints, on and D,ao. 1,1888, i per cent, ad'.yal ... ... . ... 26 00, - Cordage, Viz, dohf itojpie, per owfc ... ,‘.50 iOordige/riz,• 'white! libea; per dwfc ;10 0 Cordage) nbt otherwise ©hamerated,

’ ,?perjOwtii,l ••• .hi*.::- ... 7 6 ; Twine, for fishing nets, per cent, I• ad val v : 16 0 0, Twine, sailmakars' sesming ahd f ropingi percent, ad yal..,' : ...15 0 0 ; Drainage pipes and tiles, earthen ; flooring, gardening tiles, earthen . ; gas retorts, eartheneware, stonware, brown state, 1 fitabrioks and fireclay goods, per cent ad val... 20 0 0 Ohina and Parian ware; and/por-. i,joelain, per centad yal ... ... 20 0 0 Apparel and r«fdy:m»de dp,thing, and all articles msjde up wholly . or in part from eilk, 1 cotton,'linen, ’ ’ or wool) dr of'Other imixed ma- . . terialsjbonnets, trimmedi ooUtrs i! . ..■ and, cuff*!; drapery,, made . up,,, i,,,, per esnt iaid val ... , .25 0 6 Drapery not otherwiseenWetated,' per cent ad val!;I.. ■ i .). ' ... 20 0 0 Pure,; feather* (including ostrich),, , . haberdashery (not . otherwise specified),hate and caps, percent ad •for ' ! y., ! ... ... 20 0 0 Millinery/viz'., triidnied hats; caps* ' • And bonnets, per cent ad val ;.i. 35 0 0 Millinery not other wise enumerated, per oent ad val ...,. , : t ... 20 0 0 Shirts and tfddseVs, of all kinds, per '‘'cent ad yal / ' ... ... 25 '0 0 Vmbrellas, parasols, and-suhshades,

! per cent ad) val ... 20. 0 0 Blankets, rugs,and shawls, hosiery ' (woollen ana mixed with wool), woollen piece goods and piece ' ' j^oodsbontainiDg'wool, l percent' 1

, ad yal , ... I ...:20 0 0 Cotton,.linen j silk, and othee textile , ~ piece goods not otherwise. enu- ■ ' mefated, percent ad val.*. ',...20 0 0 Cotton counterpanes j cotton, linen, , «ilk, : .apd other taxile fabrics not otherwise enumerated;, holland, '’ taugh : brown, not otherwise ea-' ; limprated, per dent ad yal !' i.. 20 Q 0 « Machinery i for ! Boring, brick and’ tile making)! planing, punching, sawing, shearing) .fcurpk g,, mills, and dooms, steam vessels) wool and hdy pressing, , machinery ; not otherwise enumerated, metal manufactures, including air " goings and ash r panl, barrow’ wheels, bill files, brackets, bolts and nuts of halfinch and over (except blank nuts and bolt ends), blacksmith’s tongs, boat hooks, copper boilers' and furnaces, bolt rings), lifting and bottle jacks, wrought iron braces,'copper and branch pipes, , brazed copper pipes,, oako rolls, camp ovens, and throe-legged' pqti, cast iron of all sorts, moulded (not. otherwise enumerated), castings of steel (not otherwise enumerated), oast iron cylinders, wrought iron cisterns, coal socops and scuttles, * contractors’ forgings, condensers for salt water and steam engines, wire and steel oork drawers, crowbars, blaoklead crucibles, dampers and frames, door-knockers, porters and scrapers, drain grates and frames, drain gratings, dumb-bells, engine castings (not otherwise enumerated) engine forgings (not , otherwise; enumerated), engineers’ forgings (not otherwise enumerated),: fenders, fire-dogs, fire guards, flower-stands, fittings for pumps, engines, 'machinery; (not otherwise enumerated), garden reels, rollers, seats and syringes, grates, gridirons) grindstones fittings) gun-metal, engine . fitting*) quartz and spalling, hammers, hasps and staples, hat stands, holdfasts, hook and eye hinges, horseshoes, hay-rake* and horso -rakes, 1 horsepower gear, hydraubo mains, kitchen ranges and colonial ovens, lamp-posts; leadenware, wrought iron or steel letters and, figures, forged levers, connecting or iplit Jinki, hydraulic lifts, manger, rings, mangles, marine' engine cranks and pillars, maul rings, meat hooks, monkey* for ornamental gratings, ' painted and I brass, Casings for engines, pepper, malt, bean and oat mills, picks, and mattocks, pulley, biooki, quarry; mauls and'picks,'quoits, railway chairs, bolts,; fastenings and rail dogs, connecting rods, roller skates, sack trucks, iron safes and boxes, aawhj weights, bright wrought-iron shafting; iron sluice valves, soldering irons, iron stands, stamped ironware (not otherwise enumerated), stench traps, troughs, wheels, cast-iron wedges, wrought-iron wheelbarrows and wheels, per cent ad ral, £BO. [yVe are obliged to hold Joyer, the’ remainder of this resolution , and a resolution enumerating the* articles on which 'the present Customs dudes shall cease to be paid till our next issue.] Resolved—“ That in the, event of any of the duties hereby imposed not!being* confirmed,,or of reduction* being made in the rates ipecifted abpye, the amounts levied, 'collected and paid in excess of the duties that may be imposed by a Customs Aot based on these resolutions, shall be -refunded to the persons who paid the same.” Resolved—“ That oh all goods, wares, and merchandise imported into’the colony, there shall be levied and paid at the time of making import entry thereof, a primage duty, of one pound per oent' oh the’ fair market value thereof in the country'whence the same Were exported, as such value is,defined in the Customs Laws Consolidation Act, 1882.”

Resolved— ■“ That in lieu of the duties of ,excise now charged, on the undermentioned goods, there shall, on and after Jan. 1, 1889, and until Deo. 31,1890, be charged thereon, and be' paid at the time of making. entry I therefor, the following duty, namely, on all cigars, cigarettes, and snuff, manufactured •within the Colony, Is 6d per lb.” '

In the course of a short debate which followed, the Premier said he did not desire to make the tariff a party question. All the Government wished for was sufficient revenue to meet expenses, with a slight surplus. He was quite prepared to go on with the debate oh Friday if desired. i The amendment tariff resolutions were then put and agreed to, and the House rose at 9,56 p.m.