REVENUE RETURNS.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 111, 16 February 1872, Page 3

REVENUE RETURNS.

The latest returns of the Customs revenue, although they show an improvement during the last quarter as compared with the similar period of the previous year, show also that for the whole year a falling oif to the extent of £.'14,400 had occurred as compared with the revenue of 1870. The falling off has been a general one all over the colony, and is not attributable to the special depression of business at anj' particular port or ports. The only ports at which the Customs revenue for 1871 exceeded that of 1870 were— Thames, which shows an increase of £0,815; Nelson, £053; Lyttelton, £2,807; and Tiinaru, £1,349. The decrease on the year at the several ports was as follows : —Auckland, £10,204; Russell, £005; Mongonui, £140; Hokianga, £7'J4 ; New Plymouth, £4OB ; Wanganui, £O3O ; Wellington, £1,020 ; Napier, £4,581 ; Wairau, £514; Pieton, £O4; Kaikoura, £lll ; Westport, £1.558; Greymouth, £0,735; Hokitika, £2,517 ; Okarito £232 ; Akaroa, £5Ol ; Clamant, £550 ; Dunedin, £47; Invercargill, £1,372 ; bluff, £5 ; Riverton, £l2B ; Chatham Islands, £SO. The chief decrease appears to have been at Auckland, but as the Thames shows an increase of nearly £7,000, it is fair to assume that the decrease at Auckland may to that extent be attributed to the facilities for bonding goods at the Thames. The falling off at the West Coast goldfields ports is considerable. Greymouth corning next to Auckland in decrease of Customs revenue, and all the ports of Westland showing a deficiency more or less. The smaller ports in the other provinces nearly all show a decrease on the year, particularly Wanganui and Napier, for which we cannot discover any special cause. Wellington has fallen off very slightly, while the revenue at Dunedin has hardly suffered any disturbance. The order in which the principal ports stand m regard to their contributions to the Customs revenue, for the year 1871, is as follows : Dunedin - - - £194,522 Auckland - - - 148,403 Lyttelton - - - 80,741 Wellington - - 5(3,933 Hokitika - - - 42,921 Grevmouth - - 38,(384 Nelson - - - 29,759 Napier - 22,520 Invercargill - - 20,(335 Westport - - - 18,405 Wanganui - - 14,673 Thames - 12,857 Timaru - 12,485 The gold export tables for the year show an actual increase in the quantity of gold produced of 185,1490 z., but this is entirely due to the very large increase in the production of gold at the Thames, the shipments from Auckland for 1870 and 1871 being 85,5340 z., and 33U,32(J0z. respectively. All the other goldliclds show a considerable decrease in production. Taking the whole of the West Coast goldfields, the quantity exported in 1871 was only 243,6700 z., as against 2y2,1170z. in 1870, showing a falling off

in value of £193,764. The Otago goldfields also fell off during the year by about 12,0000 z., the total production for the year being 150,G520z., as against 162,6940 z. in 1870. Wellington Independent.