The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1872.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 909, 4 January 1872, Page 2

The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1872.

The returns just compiled of Customs revenue and export duty on gold collected at Westport for the year ended December 31, IS7I, exhibit an appreciable decrease in the customs revenue, and in the gold export duty the falling off is yet more marked over the previous year. Annexed pre the respective sums collected during the years 1870 and 1871: For tho year 1871. Customs duties .£18405 4 l Gold duty ... 5980 15 6 Other receipts 245 o 4 £24,630 19 11 For tho year 1870. Customs duties £20121 17 f, Gold duty 8452 8 8 Other receipts 339 0 8 £28,913 6 10 The decrease in revonue collected amounts to £4282 6s lid, and £24*71 18s 2d of this sum represents the falling off in the gold export duty, or, in other words, a decline in the productiveness of our goldfiolds of 19,773 ounces. On comparing the returns for the quarters ended respectively December 31st, 1870 and 1871, wo find the decrease even relatively greater:— Quarter ended December 31, 1871. ' Customs duties £5285 16 4 Gold duty ~ 2145 15 0 Other receipts 30 6 8 £7461 18 0 ] Quarter ended December 31, 1870. 1 Customs duties £6ou-2 13 1 j Gold duty iSG3 1 2 Other receipts 40 12 0 1 JE8606 6 3 t

For the quarter the decrease this year, as compared "with, that of last year, is —Customs duties, £716 Gs 9d ; gold duty, £417 6s 2 : with a small fallingoff in miscellaneous receipts, giving a total decline in the revenue for the quarter just ended of £1144 8s 3d. Ou amounts collected during tho months of December, 1871 and 1870, we still find tho balance against this year. December, 1871. Customs duties ... ... ,£2330 18 0 Gold duty 101 l 11 9 Other receipts 13 6 0 JE33.->5 15 9 December, 1870. Customs duties ... ... ,£2307 15 10 Gold duty 1300 3 5 Other receipts ... ... 12 19 1 3620 18 4 The Customs duties for December, 1871, show a trifling excess over the corresponding month of 1870, but the gold duty gives a decrease of £2BB lis Bd. The total decrease for the month is £2GS 2s 9d. In considering the returns for the two months it should be noted that the Bank of New South Wales shipped no gold this year during the month of December, and although this circumstance may not appreciably affect the returns for the year, it will no doubt have bad the effect of materially increasing the adverso balance in the gold duty receipts for tho month just ended.

The cause that has mainly contributed to this decline is the large number of miners attracted to the Inangahua district during the past twelve months by the discovery of rich and extensive reefs, and a portion of the falling off must also be attributed to the scarcity of water supply, and the gradual exhaustion of the richer goldbearing deposits. During the ensuing twelvemonths this aspect of things is more than likely to be altogether changed. "We have no longer to deal with probabilities in estimating tho value of the Inaugahua workings, the reefs having been already so far tested as to give abundant evidence of their lasting productiveness; and from the activity now prevailing in that district we may reasonably anticipate some of the claimholders commencing crushing operations iu the course of a few weeks. Tho immediate effect of the machinery now in course of erection, and shortly to be erected will be to materially swell the gold export returns from this port, while the impetus thereby given to our inland trade and traffic will tend also to greatly increase the customs duties.

"Wo regret that in the returns periodically compiled by the Customs Department no data are gathered, which would enable even an approximate estimate to be formed of the gold yield of the various districts. In view of the possibly large expenditure which may shortly be incurred in connection with the G-oldfields Water Supply scheme, it becomes essentially necessary that the Public "Works Minister should be placed in possession of returns whereby a competent opinion might be formed of the productiveness of any district upon which J t was proposed to contruct large water supply works. To the Emigration Department such information would be especially valuable as enabling them to show to intending emigrants the average earnings of the mining population in various localities. To the miners themselves reliable data in respect to gold mining would necessarily prove of the greatest interest ; while to persons engaged in business such information would be invaluable. By the returns compiled above we know that during the year a given quantity of gold has been shipped at the port of Westport; but we are entirely In the dark in respect to the proportions contributed by the various districts to that total. Where the purchase of gold is limited to the variour banking establishments there should be no difficulty in easily compiling the desired information. By an Act of the Assembly it would bo an easy matter to require these institutions to furnish to the customs returns of the gold purchased in various dk. tricts stating whether obtained from alluvial or quartz workings. There can be no question that such returns are in the highest degree necessary, and that the want of them will become more urgently felt as our goldfields are developed.

Dr Giles proceeded to Reefton yesterday morning to hold the monthly courts in the Inangahua district. Tenders are invited for the erection of a schoolhouso.. Plans arc en view- at the Provincial Engineer's office. Tlio monthly meeting of the Westport District Hospital Committee will be held at the Court House this evening. Tho schooner Maid of Erin Hailed for Melbourne at three a.m. in tow of tho steamer Murray. There was no land breeze, or she would have sailed out, the bar being perfectly smooth. We regret to state that the body of tho deceased William. M'Elwee has not yet been recovered. Dr Hector was expected to leave Nelson on Monday last for the Inangahua overland, where he will visit and report upon the reefs in that locality. He is expected to reach Westport early next week, and will explore tho Mount Rochfort coalfield previous to the coal line route being decided upon. The following aro the returns of births and deaths for the Buller District during the year ended December 31. 1871, as recorded by the Registrar:—Births, males, 26; females, 34. Deaths, males, 9 ; females, 3 ; infants, 8. Five of the deaths anion? the male population proceeded from natural causes, and four were caused by violence. Of the latter two were by drowning, one by a fall of earth, and one by the fall of a tree. The cause of one death among the females is given as alcoholic poisoning. The improvement of the North Beach continues. A sand deposit now protects the properties recently threatened, extending a distance of one hundred to two hundred yards beyond what was high water mark a few weeks ago.