A YEAR'S PROGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 122, 15 February 1908, Page 6

A YEAR'S PROGRESS.

1-. ■ : . ft '. . NEW ZEALAND AND WELLINGTON. REPORT OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. ' EXPORTS SHOW SUBSTANTIAL ' INCREASE IN VALUE. Tho roport of tho Council of tho Wellington Chambor of Commerce,.-to :be presented at the annual meeting on February 18, states • that tho exports'.of Now Zealand - again exhibit a substantial increase in valuo. tho - total for t tho year- ending with September 30, 1907,' having', exceeded that of tho, preceding twelvemonth' by £2,249,474, and that .of 1904,-5 by no'less than £4,310,136. Tho following, isfa condensation of . tables in the repoit:— , Total Total . * '-' v 'v-v-./r-- ; exports. , : -imports.-:,' £. £. ' 1907 19,984,272 16,897,932 1900 17,734,798 14,312,252 1905 15,074,136 12,596,736 , 1901 ... • 14,581,036 13,399,698 THE EXPORTS. • - Tho export-, figures show an . increase , in quantity, moro ■- or less substantial, m tho majority of hrjes/kaun gum,: wheat, ; and oats, being tho only exceptions. In the case of. kauri. gum the • decrease in quantity is /more; than : compensated.',by higher" prices; but in that of tho' cereals—wheat and'oats—the exports have fallen off to quite insignificant proportions.'/ The increase in value in , the , latest year's exports is not traceable to wool alone, but is contributed to by several of tho • moro Jimportarit. lines- of -produce, including • wool (with.-sheepskins), £883,000; frozen ■ meat, nearly . £600,000; butter and cheese, . over- £390,000 j ,-tallow, • £120,000; ; hemp, £120,000. Against' these there are somo in-, . Btance's .of fallirig-off, notably. ; in: the.: case'.of • grain and grain-stuffs,-which show an aggregate decrease of over £114,000 in.the latest : year. Fully itwo-thirds .of the. net increase for-the year is due to enlarged output. Tho average-valuations' of the exports -of \ wool . ' exhibit- in the .last six years ' : .i,nonprogressive f expansion, shown by. -the followirig figures, . -equal to an increase,in five years of 124.59 ijcr cant. :— •-/:■:■ l/i'-v- : : 1901-2 4.84 d. por lb. 1902-3 ... 6 Old. per lb. 1903-4 .-r! ... 7.37 d. per lb. -1904-5 . ... ; * ... 9.05 d. per ,1b; .. . 1905-6 10 45d. per lb. 1905-7 . i..... 10.87 d. per lb. Tho value-of.the imports shows an mcreaso oven greater;than| that displayed' in: the 'ex-: ports, but ■as'comparcd'inth-earlier years tho' v rate of expansion .is-; less. .heavy. .Nearly. ,1 three-fourths of I the, increase occurred in. the North Island. • TRADE OF WELLINGTON. . The values of tho chief exports from Wel- . lington compare as follow:— '-' . ' '. /.I " . v--; ,-:ii-. -. . ISOC-7. • 1903-6 J904-5 ■•"Wool and sheepskinsl,Bo2,l39 1,G24,0ii 1,350,245, ■ Frozen meat 652,718 002,839 - 583,521 . Butter?and. cheese. 506,603 '-4-15,416 '' 433,370 : .Tallow- v 1;-.. ...' :'.'..'.::154,019 v ; 127,0-15 ,104,389' :.. Hemp,. ; y.l : v .'. -[3iG,605 ' 326,940 •...295,381 Other N.Z. produce... 219,531 211,905 187,796 .: . Total N.Z: prbiluco..: 3,711,681 3,338,762; 2,954,702' Ee-exports,, '146,637?: 38,34-1 ,31,544 .Total' ... : 3,858,318 . 3,377,106 2,986,246 ■In; this table every line shows increase, : , that oif; the/;total'-'aniouiit being £-181.212 or a, fraction - over 14 per cent. • As c'oiri'pared - - \yith the figures.;;for , 1903-4 : the 'iiicrea.se is :£1,041,520 or practically: 37 -per cent, in three : years. •• t'i'j Tables showing the exports;' -imports)and. customs revenue ,6f -the,'four-chief..ports for triennial:- periods, /show; a greater rato of ;5 expansion since. ',1899-1901 ; ibi% .Wellington -.than.for..-an yof tho other, ports. 'The position occupied ,in regard to shipping corres- -: ponds 1 with' that in. rcspect- of: exports, and imports,.'and is very, gratifying. • ;, - ■ "WELLINGTON HARBOUR. . The .expansion. ,of tho -trade of this port ' .constantj denjands for .'the increase and. improvement' of'-;the■ harbourfacilities ■ j and accommodation,-and tho-Harbour Board is under , constant . pressure ,in the endeavour, ; to satisfy.'; these 'requirements. ' During, tho year .just; concluded' thel sum" of £64,000 has ' been expended;, on capital account- for. : this purposo, : and - very hoavy , undertakings are in hand-with tho: Same object!-■ The proposed graving-dock,'for which a tender has been let at <£196,260. new; King's- Wliarf, - wliicli . may bo fihished by So'pternbervncxt . within . . tho contract time, ;new. wharf '.near Clyde , , Quay, to be finished in-September, 1909, and , now, Petone , Wharf, , ; to be finished by tho end of the year, aro instanced. ' : .;...; During;last', .session. of; Parliament a" Bill -/ was introduced; to provideVrules for .tho eon-' stitution .■ of■ ■ 'all , Harbour Boards. ' This ' e '' s H roj passod, would havo deprived' th© , V Chambers of Commerce in tho chief centres ■of tho ■ -representation' on the Board' 'which - they now enjoy. Tho Council is at;a .lo'ss, to . .. divine . ujppn ,;what , principle this •: change,' is proposed/, as it! lis, strongly of; opinion that, -r: the nominatioi)' of a mercantile bodv like the Chamber is moro" likely than any- of the .modes 'ofappointment provided by:;the, Bill to,result in t-lie selection of-a representative whoso, experience,.; knowledge' of' the require-' .ments, of 'trade' and perception .ofthe, true / principles for- the management, of a-harbour would' constitute him a useful member of tha Board. RAILWAYS. Tho Council, heartily congratulates mem- ■ .bers upon the approaching'.attainmerit of;two objects for .which theChaimber-has earnestly . :for . many years, and both of which ; ..may' now ,be said to''be " in: sighttheso • aro the completion-of tho North Island Mairi • ? r runk ra '' ft l a y' ■ and tho acquisition of Itho, Manawatu; line' by the Government. I ',The ac- - comphshment. of theso transactions will, tho Council,is convinced, be' of: immenso benefit .. ... to-the settlers of tho North Island and to the . entire' Dominion, and will greatly facilitate arid.promote-the settlement of the land and /-. jncreaso -the iproduction : and trade of tho '/.country. - A'.summary• is given of-.tho pro- : " ; grpss mado with the Main' Trunk" line;' and . :the reMr.t;.states that,- on :tho whole,- the : indications'are: favourable ,'for the establish- / mont of through railway traffic between Welv. lington and, Auckland by thi> end of the present year., , .v./ -' •/•' ' . WELLINGTON-HUTT; SECTION. ' •At tho. annual meeting in. 1905 — , thr€o /years ago—the. Council congratulated -mem- *. bers on the.jfact that steps had at last been taken to carry out tho long-delayed work of ■ imjiroving and doubling- this: short section of / railway.'.' ( Tho extraordinary delay, that.has attended the oxecution of work-has,'how- • eyer, created a strong feeling of disappointment and annoyanco in tho''community. At tho end of throo years the ;wbrk, so-far las the- Council can:judge, does 1 not;seein to be half finished, tho second line; of rails not having yet reached/Ngahaurangai It 'is,! of course, well known that trouble has been ex-.

perienced: in obtaining supplies of..' some !of - {he ..material required in tho' work of reclamation, but,tho Council cannot but.think . ;hat tho .delay. is .more than!.can bo'.feasbri-; : ibly accounted for by tho circumstances.! BLENHEIM-WAIPARA RAILWAY, - ' NORTH END.

Formation .work was competed during thp year as . far-as tho Blind River station, and rail-laving to ithis point is to be commenced Immediately. Cohstructioiiof the lino south sf ; tho station' mentioned ; is being -actively carried oil in. tho direction . of tho Flaxbcurno Estate. ,: Thp .Council is informed that tho .number."of■' men .now employed- oh the work is'three .tinies as great as at this timo last year. : .. WELLINGTON RAILWAY STATION.' Now that the acquisition of the. Manawatu lino is decided upon, the Council thinks that tho time' has certainly arrived ..when an adequate -and ,'up-to-date railway , station should take- tho ijlaco of the present inadequate and> unsatisfactory; structure.':. The concentration of tho business'of...the two lines in one station; together with tho additional traffic .that must result from .the opening of tho Main Trunk line, must necessitate an enormous increase in , the. accommodation and facilities of the station, and there seems to tho Council to be every reason.

that this matter should be taken in hand ■at once, the. site, of the new station deoidcd upon, and tho work initiated in time to meet the heavy demands "that.l'will certainly follow ; tho openipg of ;thp'through line. The Counc'l has, during the past'year, vmado representations on this subject 'without success, but tho matter now -bocom'os'ono'of urgcncy. :• v;;'' 7. 1 tariff. ' Hcforring to •the ,; noW Customs tariff, the ■report states: —On- the whole • this measure lightens to some extent tho burden of taxation, and has removed certain anomalies and complexities from the rtariff. It also gives a further measure of preference to the manufacturers of the Mother-Country, although your Council would havo preferred to seo this accomplished by ; a reduction of duties in favour of British ' manufacturers •• instead of by higher duties, against tho foreigner. BANKRUPTCY LAW, ETC'. , With regard, .to 'legislation,. which was postponed . last' spssion;,dealing.- with bankruptcy law, Bccrat commissions, and Bank holidays, tho report -states:—lt -is. desirable that these matters,should receive early and careful conI sidcration by the incoming Council, and that strongi efforts should bo made to induce the other loading; Chamber's of Commerce of the Dominion to; co'-operate/in framing- recom-mendations.-to: tho Government so; that tho action of theso, bodies -should not bo nullified 'by tho' submission; to - Government ■ of. several indepondont sets of . suggestions which may bo inharmonious, arid'even antagonistic, ono to another. ' . '"i '. .-' ;/ - 'MAIL SERVICES. '' Satisfaction- is 'bxpressed at' tho substantial. improvements - effected in the mail vscrvices • of ''the '• Dominion- i.'by iho action f -of. - tho -...Government; .; in securing. - tho '.'dispatch'-, of the. - ; weekly steamer to, 'Sydney'in :..time to connect with the outgoing mail for Europe,: via Suez. 'A regular, and, ;reliabfoweekl7 service for the United Kingdom has thus been obtained at' a not unreasonable cost to'the country. Tho Council -eSpress.ls -its . appreciation of. the cbncessiprisVrecently.vgranted in the postal charges "for. carriage of'.-letters and postcards, the reduction in respect of the latter having been suggested by; the Chamber: /■ CONGRESSES; OF, CH AMBERS OF > • ' COMMERCE. : "At Jhe.,. I Congress.- of,, Britis- Chambers- of Commorce-which was hold in London .in 190G it was decided that the next of these important " functions should take place in the Commonwealth. during, .tho current, year. The /Council has willingly lent its support tbi-a 'suggestion:-,mado by' tho Auckland, Chamber that ,-tho Government should invito tho.,, British present-, on _ this -interesting-.,occasion ;to, extend • their visit i.to New Zealand. -Theproposal- which . emanated from, the, Canterbury • Chamber to, convene a congress of, the Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand- during the currency of; tho,rccent International Exhibition was abandoned.,, ;As no..such .congress has been held sinco , that 1 : which,..met '-'in Wellington early in. 1902, ■ -the Council suggests. that tho question-is wor.th'y.iof consideration,- whether, another such meeting iAight riot,' with advantage,' bo held at'an early date. i j OBITUARY. The Council regrets to have to, record the loss by death- of, three -members during the past i year, namely,' the Hon. Walter W. Johnston and. Messist ..Win. Hume 'and Aloysius Macdonald.- The first named had been a member- of tho Chamber for a great- many years', arid for some time served as. a member, of the Council. . .•'... - 's THE COUNCIL. It will be the-duty: of .the j'nbriibers present !at the annual meeting to. elect a Council for the. ensuing year) , By a rule of tho Chamber three members of tho outgoing Council are each year to--be made ineligible for ono year for re-election'. The members so' ineligible on tho- present , occasion are Messrs. W. Allan, J. B. M'Ewari, and W., L. Meek. : ,