GATEWAY OF PROVINCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 120, 23 May 1928, Page 8

GATEWAY OF PROVINCE.

PORT OF AUCKLAND.

A YEAH OF PROGRESS.

INCREASE IN" EXPORTS.

The Auckland Harbour Board's year ended September 30 last, though not a record one in any way, has been one of steady progress. The board's finances are in a healthy condition, there being a net profit of £13,766 in the revenue account for the 12 monthly period, and a surplus of assets over liabilities of £2,217,438 is shown.

The total quantity of goods, inwards, outwards, and transhipments, handled at Auckland and Manukau, amounted to close on 2,000,000 tons. Compared with last year, imports at Auckland show a decrease of 25,633 tons, transhipments a decrease of 1181 tons, and exports an increase of 4588 tons. At Manukau there was an increase of 1421 tons in imports, but a decrease of 1432 tons in exports. The return of value of imports and exports shows that the total value of goods imported at Auckland was £15,690,921, and of cargo exported £12,007,158, of which by far the greater part came from and went to the United Kingdom and other British possessions. Compared with the previous year the totals show a decrease in the imports of £1,389,396, and an increase in the exports of £388,446. It is gratifying to note that the-return indicates that the over-importation which had taken place during the previous two years has ceased, and that the balance of trade has turned in favour of the Dominion.

Arrivals at the port consisted of 295 vessels, with an aggregate of 174,706 gross tons, and 76,936 net tons. Compared with the figures for the corresponding period last year, this shows a decrease of 47 vessels, and 10,897 tons and 4477 tons respectively. There was also a decrease in the departures from the port. Shipments to Home Markets. The return of exports to overseas markets discloses that 90,515 tons of Auckland cargo were shipped to Great Britain, 16,676 tons to Canada and the United States," and 24,257 tons to Australia. Transhipments consisted of over 6000 tons. The year under review reveals large increases in exports to the principal markets; butter, frozen meat, wool and sheepskins being the most outstanding items. Shipments of Auckland cargo to the Home market increased by 10,213 tons, but transhipments declined over 1500 tons, due principally to a continued decline in copra from the Pacific Islands. Pastoral products were more by the large amount of 11,184 tons, the year's figure of 83,472 tons being 92.3 per cent of the total Auckland shipments. In the dairy group, butter and cheese continue to improve, while milk powders recovered by over 1700 tons, the falling away noted in last report. All classes of frozen meat contributed to the great recovery of 3446 tons to the year's total, 8646 tons, the highest since 1921, when the last big shipments, mostly beef, were made to the Imperial Government under the war-time commandeer. A further increase in lamb of 41,224 carcases, brings the record for the item to well over a quarter of a million, and more than double the 1921 quantity. Pork was more by 6908 carcases, while the market decline of recent ypars in beef and mutton was shown to be arrested; the latter at 55,568 carcases, being up by 17,273 carcases, and the former by 7559 in quarters and 23,858 in bags. The definite advance made in sheep-fanning in the Auckland province was reflected in part of the frozen meat tonnage, and the considerable increases in wool, sheepskins and pelts, the figures for which were 1814 tons, 708 tons, and 247 tons respectively. Tallow, hides, etc., bring the increase in this group to 3677 tons. Though the forest products total was only 110 tons more, kauri gum declined 304 tons, while kauri timber increased by 400 tons. Among the miscellaneous goods fresh fruit failed to sustain the considerable figure at which it first appeared last year, dropping by 1340 tons to 204 tons, while the honey exports declined comparatively heavily by 239 tons to the small total of 108 tons. Record Cargoes for AmericaAuckland exports to the American market constitute a record, the total of 18,869 tons being more by over 5800 tons, Auckland cargo increasing 4560 tons and transhipments 1261 tons. In the dairy group an increase of 1924 tons, or 77 per cent in butter, was offset somewhat by a decline in cheese and milk powders totalling 460 tons. Frozen and preserved meats were more by 760 tons, the former being nearly double, and the latter four times the 1925-26 figures. As with Great Britain, all classes of meat were represented in the result, lamb and mutton being the outstanding items. America and Canada took less wool by 448 tons, but more sheepskins and hides by nearly 800 tons. The downward trend of kauri gum shipments continued, 368 tons being the decline last 'year. In the general cargo, an increase of nearly 2000 tons was accounted for in the return of benzine and fuel oil drums to San Francisco and Los Angeles. A large transhipment figure was due to the items of pelts and casings, the former increasing from 227 tons to 890 tons, and the latter from 218 tons to 623 tons. The favourable recovery in trade with Australia was due largely to the favourable market existing there for dairy products, all items of which increased during the 1926-27 year. In Auckland cargo of a total increase of 7983 tons, or 49 per cent to 24,257 tons milk products accounted for over 3300 tons. Butter, which in 1925-26 totalled 878 tons, was 3306 tons last year, an increase of 2423 tons, while milk powders were more by 470 tons. In the general increase in other pastoral products, exports of hides and skins were the largest, being 470 tons over the previous figures. In other items of trade there was no noteworthy change in quantities shipped.