AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE (INTERIM REPORT OF).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1880 Session I, I-08

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1880. NEW ZEALAND.

AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE (INTERIM REPORT OF).

Brought up l&tJi August, 1880, and ordered to he printed.

IMPORT DUTY ON MAIZE. The Committee having considered this question and taken evidence thereon, I am directed to report, That, in the opinion of the Committee, it would be inexpedient to impose a duty on maize imported from' Fiji, inasmuch as this might tend to injure a trade which at present promises to go on increasing. The same argument, however, does not apply to the importation of maize from New South Wales and California. The Committee is therefore of opinion that the same rate of import duty as is levied on other cereals might be beneficially imposed on such importations. "William Aechibald Mueeat, 18th August, 1880. Chairman.

APPENDIX. Return of the Value and Description of Exports from Auckland to Fiji during the Year ended 31st December, 1879.

"William Seed, Customs Department, Secretary and Inspector of Customs. "Wellington, 12th August, 1880.

Articles. Apparel Ammunition — Blasting-powder Fuse Beer Biscuits, plain ... Biscuits, fancy ... Books Boats Bran Butter Cheese Cordage Carriage Candles Canvas Copper —rod, &c. Copper nails Cement ... , Cottons Drapery Doors Hour Furniture Fish, potted Fruit—bottled Fruit —raisins ... Grain —rice Hay Hardware Haberdashery ... Hosiery Jams and jellies Live stock Machinery Machinery, sewing Miscellaneous ... Declared Value. £ s. d. 117 0 0 12 0 0 15 0 0 ... 169 0 0 669 0 0 4 0 0 3 0 0 465 0 0 38 0 0 40 0 0 95 0 0 4 0 0 20 0 0 10 0 12 0 0 5 0 0 40 0 0 2 0 0 530 0 0 296 0 0 110 0 0 ... 112 0 0 84 0 0 36 0 0 20 0 10 0 15 0 0 7 0 0 48 0 0 14 0 0 29 0 0 15 0 0 ... 705 0 0 48 0 0 8 0 0 ... 137 0 0 Articles. Brought forward Oars Oatmeal Onions Oil, kerosene Oil, linseed Oilmen's stores Paints Potatoes Pipes, tobacco ... Provisions — Preserved meats Beef, salt Bacon Pork Other kinds ... Pumps Sashes Sauces Soap Ship chandlery ... Stationery Spirits Sugar Stationery Timber Tea Tobacco Cigars Tools Twine Vegetables "Wine Woollens Woollen blankets Watches aud clocks Declared Value. £ a. d. ... 3,908 0 0 15 0 0 9 0 0 61 0 0 ... 383 0 0 12 0 0 9 0 0 9 0 0 564 0 0 2 0 0 50 0 0 357 0 0 ... 274 0 0 10 0 0 46 0 0 7 0 0 121 0 0 16 0 0 785 0 0 4 0 0 215 0 0 ... 300 0 0 7 0 0 215 0 0 ... 1,774 0 0 32 0 0 40 0 0 25 0 0 14 0 0 7 0 0 18 0 0 14 0 0 28 0 0 6 0 0 10 0 , Total ...£9,338 0 0 Carried forward ...£3,908 0 0

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Return of the Number of Vessels recently Built or Building in Auckland for the Fiji Trade, the Tonnage and Value of Commerce between Auckland and Fiji, and the Number of Vessels and Persons engaged in the same, from the 1st July, 1879, to the 11th August, 1880.

Value of imports, £25,210; value of exports, £11,863. Departures. —2o vessels, 2,320 tonnage, 151 men. Arrivals. —23 vessels, 2,301 tonnage, 168 men. "William Seed, Customs Department, Secretary and Inspector of Customs. Wellington, 12th August, 1880.

Return of the Quantity and Value of Maize and Maizena Imported into New Zealand during the Year ended 31st December, 1879, showing the Quantity Imported from Fiji.

"William Seed, Customs Department, Secretary and Inspector of Customs. Wellington, 12th August, 1880.

By Authority : George Diesbtjry, G-overnment Printer, Wellington. —1880. Price 3d.]

2

Vessels Built. Tonnage. Vessels now Building. 293 None.

Article and whence Imported. Quantity. Declared Value. Maize — New South Wales Victoria Fiji South Sea Islands United States of America ... Bushels. £ s. a. 66,370»1,238 47,6211 2,800 11,091* 10,524 0 0 210 0 0 8,917 0 0 496 0 0 1,489 0 0 Total 129,1214 21,(536 0 0 Maizena — United Kingdom New South Wales Victoria United States of America ... Fiji Cwt. cases, plrgs. 2,147* 0 155 61 0 G 198f 10 11 3,247 0 260 4,152 152 597 2,689 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 5,6541 10 432 7,590 0 0