CO885-(6-7) — Page 13

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STB,

Circular.

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APPENDIX A.

Downing Street, December 4, 1882. ́ A question has arisen in one of the Colonies as to the proper method of valuing imports and exports for statistical purposes.

The matter is one of much interest and importance, and I am desirous of collecting information on the subject from all parts of the Empire. I shall therefore be glad to learn what the practice is in the Colony under your Government—

I. As regards the amount taken to be the value of the imports and exports: whether, for instance, the value of imports at the port of shipment, without extra charges, is taken; or whether freight and shipping charges are added, or some other addition made or other mode.of valuation followed, with the view of taking the value of the goods as they lie in the port of entry; and whether allowance is made for the rate of exchange between the port of entry and the port of shipment.

II. As regards the means of ascertaining the value: whether it is calculated by Government officials, and, if so, upon what basis; or whether the declaration of the master of the ship, or merchant, is taken, and, if so, what, if any, means are used to ensure the correctness of such declaration.

I shall be happy to receive any further information on the subject that you may be able to obtain, or any observations or suggestions that may occur to you or to the officers of your Government.

The Officer Administering the

Government of

I have, &c. (Signed)

KIMBERLEY.

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"The desirability of entering, where practicable, the number, quantity, or weight of articles imported and exported, in preference to the number of packages, was a point on which much stress was laid by the Conference. The superiority of such a mode of entry is so evident that comment upon the subject is unnecessary.

"The distinction between bullion and specie recommended to be maintained in the import and export returns is already made in those of Victoria as well as those of several of the other Colonies. The Victorian returns also specify whether the specie exported is the produce of Victoria or of some other country.

"In order to give an accurate estimate of the external trade of each Colony, it was thought by the Conference desirable that, in addition to the tables of imports and exports, a table similar to that now given in the Victorian returns, but not in those of any other Colony, of the goods entered for transshipment should be given in the statistics of all the Colonies; also, that such goods should not be included in the returns of imports and exporta."

Class.

APPENDIX C.

CLASSIFICATION of IMPORTS and EXPORTS in VICTORIA.

Order.

Clan.

Order.

PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

11C.O. 885

6

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

APPENDIX B.

EXTRACT from a LETTER from the GOVERNMENT STATIST of VICTORIA, dated 1st May 1875, covering the REPORT of the CONFERENCE of GOVERNMENT STATISTS held in TASMANIA in January 1875.

"The classification of customs entries, as shown in Appendix A,* is submitted as an improve- ment upon the time-honoured alphabetical arrangement at present in use. The form is based upon that employed in the tabulation of the Victorian census return of occupations,' and the classification therefore affords means of making calculations in respect to the number of persons in the Colony working at the various trades in connexion with which articles are manufactured similar to those imported to and exported from the Colony. But the grouping will chiefly be found of service from the circumstance that, as similar articles will be placed together, all articles of the same character will be at once distinguished. For example, under the present system hides' are found under the letter 'H'in one part of the returns, skins' in another part under the letter '8,' leather in another part under the letter 'L' Under the proposed system the three articles will appear near each other under the head 'animal substances, where will also be placed other cognate matters such as bones, gluepieces, grease, hair, horns, hoofs, tallow, &c. The alphabetical index attached to this Appendix, which it is proposed shall accompany the customs statistics on each occasion of their issue, will prevent confusion in regard to the place in which any item is to be found. Further, under the present alphabetical arrangement perplexity is experienced in comparing the returns of articles in one Colony with the same articles in another owing to the difficulty of finding the required articles under the varying names they receive in the respective Colonies. Thus, 'jams' in one Colony are found under the letter 'J,' in another under the letter

F,' 88

'fruits, preserved'; oysters' in one Colony are found under the letter 'O,' in another under the letter S,' as 'shell fish'; and such instances might be multiplied.

"The nomenclature of customs entries (Appendix A) is also a point which engaged the attention of the Conference, although this was considered of less importance than the classification. Should the nomenclature submitted be universally adopted, it would no doubt for a time remedy some of the evils I have .referred to, as the same names to articles would be used in all the Colonies; but as fresh articles come to be imported and exported, and names differing as they most probably sometimes would from those submitted are introduced into Acta for imposing or changing duties in the various Colonies, it is not to be supposed that any fixed nomenclature would be rigidly adhered to. Hence the necessity of placing articles under different classes.

* Aprendi C.

{

I. Art and Mechanic

Productions.

1. Books, &c.

2. Musicat instruments.

3. Prints, pictures, &c.

4. Carving, figures, &c.

II. Textile Fabrics and

Dress.

19. Dress.

20. Manufactures of fibrous

material.

III. Food, Drinks, &c. | 21. Animal food.

5. Tackle for sports and

gamer.

IV. Animal and Vege-

table Substances.

6. Watches, philosophical

instruments, &c.

7. Surgical instruments.

8. Arma, ammunition, &c.

9. Machines, tools, and im-

plements.

10. Carriages, harness, &c.

11. Ships and boats' and connected

matters

therewith.

12. Building materials.

13. Furniture.

14. Chemicals.

15. Wool and worsted manu-

factures.

16. Silk, manufactures of, 17. Cotton and flax, manu-

factures of.

18. Drapery and haberdash-

ery.

22. Vegetable food.

23. Drinks and stimulanta, 24. Animal substancen.

25. Vegetable substancer. 26 Oils.

V. Minerals and Metals 27. Articles connected with

mining.

28. Coal, de

29. Stone, clay, earthenware,

and glam.

30. Water.

31. Gold, silver, spesie, and

precious stomen.

32. Metals other than guld

and silver

VI. Live Animals and | 33. Animals and birda.

Plants,

VII. Miscellaneous

Matters.

34. Planta.

35. Miscellaneous articles of

trade.

36. Indefinite articles.

U 66076.

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