VII.—Customs Tariffs, Shipping Charges, &c.

There is at present no regularly constituted Customs Department at Tonga, but Mr. Baker is organising one, and will page 18 have it in operation next year. At present the only tariffs are as under :—

Brandy, Rum, Whisky, and Gin	8s. per gallon
Port, Sherry, and Champagne	4s. per gallon
Ale and Porter	4s. per gallon
Cannons	£2 each
Muskets and Rifles	12s. each
Gunpowder	1s. per lb.
Bullets and Shot	2d. per lb.

Claret, ginger wine, and Australian, French and Rhenish wines are exempt from duty.

The shipping charges at the port of Nukualofa are as follows :—Pilotage (in and out), 2s. per foot; harbour dues, 4s,; for every load carried over the wharf tramway, 1s. There are at present slight charges necessitated through cargo having to be landed by boats, but these will cease when the wharf is extended, as it will be shortly, to deep water. Next year, Mr. Baker, who will assume the office of Minister of Trade and Customs, proposes levying an ad valorem duty of 2½ per cent.; but he informed me that reciprocity will form the basis of his tariff system, and he will, I have no doubt, be glad to make a reciprocity treaty with New Zealand. It is the intention to admit the following goods free :—Flour, sugar, biscuits, doors, iron roofing, anchors, chains, bags, tar, timber, windows, animals, ballast, books, manufacturing machinery, muntz and yellow metal, coal, oars, and plants and products of the South Sea Islands. There are no wharves at the harbours of Vavau and Haapai, so that all goods for these islands must be landed in boats. I am glad to be able to add that Mr. Baker has agreed to remit all pilotage and harbour dues in the case of the Janet Nicoll during the whole time of her subsidised running.