THE PREMIER PORT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 775, 26 March 1910, Page 7

THE PREMIER PORT.

the trade of wellington. . still on top. ;';.;'"■■'■ .'Sam© valuable figures appear in the Wmal, report of. the Chamber of ComWrce/on the trade of Wellington, with Interesting comparisons between local .■export ;and import, figures,'and those of !£he other four centres.. ' .-. ' The') values' of "the chief exports from ..tour own'port, says the report,'compare -fas Mow:— .".. ■ ■■>;. 1908-9" 1907-8. 1906-7; i''■■'■' £-■ - , £ •■'-.' ' £ .: liWool and : "'.' sheep- -. ■.. . skins;.;. 1,481,277 1,250,928 1;802,199 frrozenmeat 718,638 '655,766 652,716 - Butter and ,; cheese „° 468,956 330,880 506,608 194,632' 144,779 154,019 Hemp,... 205,041 227,129 346^605 (Other .N.Z." ■ - produce < 303,023-190,734 249,534 fataal-N.Z. ]__ produce 3,371,567 2,800,216 3,711,681 36,304 71,847 146,637 Specie ,■; „,.' 235,000 :, — ' —'[■ , Z Total;;. 3,642,871 2,872,063 3,858,318 It is noticeable that the drop in- Wellington's total in 1907-8 and the recovery in 1908-9 are in both cases'heavier |in proportion than the similar move-

intents.-in: the table for the Dominion. jThe chief reason for this -feature is fthat. the valuations for wool and other 1 'products-were more carefully revised in Wellington than in other centres. ' The import trade of as lshom;in the- above general table, ex- . ihibits a 1 heavier, rate of shrinkage .than 'any-other port in the Dominion. The progress of trade is well deroonBtrated:vby the subjoined tables,' Which , give, the -values,'apart from specie, of *he-exports and imports, -and' the amounts of Customs duties received at Auckland and Wellington during the -. [last -nine years ..closing with . Septem!ber 30, i arranged in triennial periods :— :.■ : -■-' ■■■■■ 'Exports.; Years. ' Wellington.'.Auckland. 1900-1. to 1902-3; 7,011,653. 6,366,544 19034 to 1905-6 9,177,560' 7,979,974 ,1906-7 to 1908-9 : 10,058,252 -9,679,550 Imports. Years. Wellington. Auckland. • 1900-1 to 1902-3 i 8,906,963 8,782,991 .1903-4 to 1&05-6 11,041,981 9,658,118 1906-7 to 1908-9' 13,738,033 13,116,541 ''•'■■- Customs Revenue. '.' ! ' Years. Wellington/Auckland. (1900-1" to 1902-3 1,645,712 1,740,265 ; 1903-4 to 1905-6 2,087,443 2,023,821 ,1906-7 to 1908-9 2,343,424 2,121,872 In spite .of the severe contraction of •.(exports, in 1907-8" and of-imports in 11908-9, .the .totals for the last trien- ■ inium exhibit a fair rate of increase, jand it is gratifying to-see ."that'Welling-. ;ton.niaintains'Uie premier position un- , der-.each x heading. ■".' / '■■J'. Z.v.: Shipping.".'-.,/.;' '-.•'■ The-following-figures-give particulars of the-shipping enteredat the four chief ports. o£ the Dominion' during the years ended -December 31, 1907 'arid 1908 re-' spectively. The totals represent the combined;, figures of tho official, records' of entries -1 "inwards" : and entries "ooasiwise/.', .'The separate particulars m these two classes igi've misleading results .for..,purposes -of» comparison'; be-' cause,.ocean-going" vessels'.arriving in' . New.;/Zealand are .'"-entered -'under;''the heading of "inwards" at the first port of ca11,.: and -"coastwise" -at-all 'subsequent ports;-,- --'i; ..:■■:■'■ : ' r .:\;''' ■./.'.' ■■!:•.-,.>.. '■ ; :.-;'""udj;,; ; ! : ' • r yr ■'. Tefs-el'sTfoni' . Wellington'? A*5j,472''2,687,741 3.471 ■ 2,908,956 Aucklan'j::' ..'.;."'6,821 1,469,203 7,074''1,594,425 liyttellou -'...'. -1,600 1,913,488 1,667-2,079,539 I)uuedic.. '.-:-.....'. 648, 939,027 1710 1,041430

Hero, again, iri the tonnage of shipping using tho. port, Wellington has the pre-eminence.