NEW ZEALAND- A Leader In World Trade

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29021, 9 October 1959, Page 7 (Supplement)

NEW ZEALANDA Leader In World Trade

N™ u. EALAh !? ‘ S i On , e »° f the ,e<l<,i "9 trading nations in the world. In 1956 it had the second highest value of total trade per head of mean population, according to a United Nations publication on trade

In 1956 our external trade was valued at £250 for each and every man, woman and child and was beaten only by Belgium - Luxemburg, which was only £3 higher at £253. Canada, in third place, recorded £239, and the Netherlands were next with £216.

Australia, our nearest neighbour, had its trade valued at £137 per capita in thirteenth place, and the United Kingdom at £135 was fifteenth. New Zealand’s external trade is synonymous with shipping and the growth and development of our ports has kept pace with our increasing overseas trade. Cargo handling methods are fully up-to-date and are being constantly improved.

The giant development scheme for the Port of Lyttelton will be the adjunct to

TIECAUSE wool is a bulky material, the space it occupies in the ship’s hold is of prime importance in the cost of shipping. To conserve space, the bales are compressed in powerful hydraulic presses to about half their former size, and are fastened in pairs with strong steel bands or wires. In this way two bales can occupy the space of one and the greater density of the dumped wool makes for easier and more efficient stowage in the hold.

There is, however, a limit of 7001 b imposed on dumped bales, and if the combined weight of two dumped bales exceeds this figure, the bales have to be dumped separately. The weight of the bale depends on how much

the growth of Canterbury, the growth of the city of Christchurch, and the expansion of the primary industry. The same applies to the whole of New Zealand.

According to the shipping and cargo section of the Abstract of Statistics, a total of 929 vessels carrying 4,536,000 manifest tons of cargo entered New Zealand ports from overseas during 1958. This was a record number of ships to arrive in New Zealand in any one year, but the total quantity of inwards cargo showed a slight decrease on the 1957 figures. The volume of cargo exported, however, constituted a record in the country’s history, the abstract says.

The total tonnages of cargo, including coastal shipments and transhipments, handled at

wool is put into the wool press on the farm and ai anomaly exists in the regulations governing he handling of wool. A siigle bale may weigh up to 4#ol b for fleece wool, and if to 4501 b for oddments, sut a double dump must mt exceed 7001 b.

While wool pacfc> are a fairly expensive item to the woolgrower tie saving made by makiig heavy bales on the fam can be false economy. Sood lambs’ wool and cntchings do not show yell to the buyer if packed in bales of more that 3001 b.

Single dump bales occupy a greater relative space thaidouble dumped and the proportion of single dfnps in the New Zealand«xported wool is a significmt factor when revisionshre made in overseas slipping freight costs.

all ports last year was 11,104,298 manifest tons and was the second greatest quantity of cargo ever to be handled in one year, being exceeded only by the 11,344,746 tons handled in 1957.

Our Life-Line—

Ships are the life-line which carries our primary produce to its overseas markets. Meat, wool, hides and skins, butter and cheese, seeds and timber, milk powder and fruit swing up from the wharveside waggons to settle the fat sides of ships lower in the water to lap the waves close to the Plimsoll lines.

As this supplement is read, the M.S. Rangitiki is nearing the completion of her long 12,000-mile voyage from New Zealand to the United Kingdom. In her holds is a fine representation of our Dominion’s wealth.

As she loaded at Lyttelton at the end of August the waterside workers stowed sling load after load of frozen lamb and mutton in the refrigerated holds and in the others packed casks of pel** and tallow, bales of wool a‘d skins, tinned meats and snail seeds.

The steady increase 'f our exports brings the n<ed for new and faster ship.' which are being built by «he shipping companies as. our overseas trade builds 4P and extends. New markets bring changes in shipping. For a small country to become a world leader in trade, up to 12,00 f miles from its markets, ip little more than a century A a worthy achievement. To maintain that position will,be a challenge to all concern'd