MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 8 October 1880, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Wellington correspondent of the CliristcJiurch Press say: —In order to ascertain whether the reports of the wholesale exodus of laboring cl>s«es m well founded or no*, tire Government have had re'urns prepared showing the tot.il number of arrirals and departures during 187 » and 1880, up to 31st ult. The return is as fo lows :— During the yeir 1379, 23 957 persons arrived and 5234 left, therefore the balance in frvor of the colony is 18.723 During ISB9, hd to September 10th, 10,029 persons arrived and 4740 left; a balance in ftivor of the colony of 5289. The total number of Government immigrants in 1879 wns 10.311 ; in 1880, to September, only 1918. During the current year 3845 have arrived from the Australian colonies nnd 3765 lert for Australia. This proves the stories about the wholesale emigration of working classes to be mere canards. The Wellington Chronicle stated that 50.000 had left the colon y in a yeflr, and it was also alleged that 700 houses were vacant ; n Wellington, a careful offi-ial inrrstis aation proves that th«»re are only 250 empty buildings fn the whole city, and most of these are of s very inferior class, — I telegraphed recently that the Government were having re'urns prepared with a view of Bsrrr'nining the present posi« tion of the colonial revenues, and whether they were improving or not as compared with last quarter. These returns are now completed, ond I hear that the result is highly satisfactory, showing that the Customs already hare actually realised £24,000 above the estimafe for so much of the financial yeir. Moreover, searching enquiries show that the improvement hears every sign of being permanent in its nature, and not merely a temporary •' spurt." There is good reason to expect still further improvements as the season progresses, and those best qualified to judge anticipate a very satisfactory surplns in the Cv t >ms at the end of the current year. Stamps which were behind hst quar'er have rapidly pulled up and new are ahead of ••■• - • • fora pro* portionate period: All the other revenue?, fliih one exception, have picked up snr* prisinijly, ami in every case have reached 'he estimate, and in most cases hard gone beyond it. The one exception is the railway revenue, and even this is so far satisfactory that the deficiency is very much less than at one time there seemed reason to fear it would he. At the beginning of this quarter there appeared a arave probability of the railway returns being some £200,000 behind, but now there has been such a brisk recovery that it is calculated that the total proceeds for Hie year will not be under ihe mark l>y more than £35 000, if so much, while this will be more than compensated by the extensive savings and reductions now being parried ou*. These reductions are now being pushed on in every department in- the mr>sl sweeping manner, and notice lias been given to a large number of officers to take effect from the Ist pro*. It is not thought desirable to make public the name? of officers to be dispensed with until sach notices shall have reached the persons affected, but I have reason to know that reductions sre under considers ation or in contemplation of far more wie'e spread nature than has hitherto been exnec'ed and deemed practicable. Ministers appear to feel keenly the odium and nnp"pu'»rily necessarily attaching to this painfnl duty, but they seem re* solved to carry it ouf at all risk', deeji* ing it absolutely necessary for the salvation of the colony.