TRADE OF NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1394, 21 March 1912, Page 10

TRADE OF NEW ZEALAND

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REPORT. From tho report of Uie council to be presented to the members of the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday w; extract the following :—

In its Inst annual report your council was ahle to express i'.s satisfaction at the improved position shown by comparison of the total values' of imports and exports for the year ending September 30, 1910. For the year IW7-1908 the excess of imports was £1,380.281; 1908-1909 showed a balance on the o:her side of £3,784,154, and ISO - 1910 showed further improvement, with a substantial b-il.Tuce of exports over imports of £5,856,978. For tho year 1910-1911 there is a. serious deelin;, the exports exceeding the Impor.s by £1,300,696 only. The exports have dropped two millions, and the imports have increased two and a-hnlf millions. In accordance with the • usuol custom, a comparison of the total values of imports and exports, excluding specie, is given below. September 30 is the date most suitable for comparison purposes, as the Dominion's produce year ends then. Year. Exports. Imports. Excess.

£ £ £ 1906-7 ... 19,891,846 16.071,887 Exports 3,819,959 IPD7-8 ... 16.370.537 17.750.868 Imports 1,380.201 1908-9 ... 18,700,159 14,916.005 Exports 5,784,154 1909-10 ... 21.958,864 16,101,866 Expoivs 5,856.978 1910-11 ... 19,912,656 18,611,960 Exports 1,300,695 The margin of exports tor 1910-1911 will not bo sufficient to meet the obligations of the Dominion for interest payment on loan?. The following figures taken from official Eourccs allow the indebtedness of the Dominion as at March 31. 191!, in respect to the public debt, and to the Local Bodies' Loans (exelusivs of Government Loans), and . the approximate amount of interes!; duo:— Government Loans. London inscribed stock £54,370,404 London debentures 7,851,414 Australian debentures 4,213,985 £66,435,803 New Zealand dobenturos 14,180,153 New Zealand stock 462,166 Total public debt £81,078,122 Interest £2,998,975 Local bodies' loans nt March 31,1911 (not including Go v e r n m ont loans) £15,727.613 . Less sinking funds 1,264,343 £14,462,770 Interest 715,289 Total Interest £3,714,264 Assuming the exports rsalised the declared value?, it is evident that some £2,400,000 will have to be provided to meet interest obligations. EXPORTS COMPARED. Tho comparative weights and values and .ho average valuations psr lb. of wool shipicd from the North and South Islands respectively during the past four years arc:— North Island. Weight. Value. Average Tear. lb. £ value. 1907-8 ... 102,168.607 3,415,551 8.02 d 1908-9 ... 115,872.097 3,319,639 6.88 a 1939-10 ... 118.542,055 4.550.429 0.21 d 1910-11 ... 112,784,679 4,142,367 B.Bd South Island. Weight. Value Average Tear. lb. £ value. 1907-S ... 61,762.115 2.295,376 8.92(1 190R-9 ... 71.747.084 2.595.056 8.68 d 13C9--0 ... 75.930,879 3.4C4.098 10.76(1 19'0-11 ••• 72,069,470 3,010,315 10.C2tl Exports of frozen meat, with comparative weights and values, of '.he two islands luring tV past four years arc given:— North Island. South Island. Weight. Value. Weight Value. Tear. cwt. £ cwt. £ l»-7-8 .. 1,190.225 1.684.824 831,825 1,367.538 938-9 1,526,044 2,020,395 979,400 1,541,483 1909-10 ... 1,486,593 ',941,987 1,272,490 1,987,324 1910-11 ... 1,226,286 1,793,004 1,077,468 1,795,475 Exports of butter compare as follow:— Ilutlcr. North Island. South Island. Weight. Value. Weight. Value. Tear. cwt. £ cwt. £ 1907-8 211.410 1,054,925 18,254 91.C89 1908-9 .... 264,785 1,360,123 24,172 125,805 1909-10 304,184 1,549,494 . 35,085 174,962 1910-11 301,133 1,520,947 22,866 117,023 Cheese. North Island. South Island. Weight. Value. Weight. Value. Yeiir. cwt. £ cwt. £ 1907-8 186,222 518,367 87,539 247,028 1908-9 241,410 672.430 114,260 321,268 1909-10 331,800 898,147 143,545 364,858 1910-11 272,360 737,475 136,830 350,645 IMPORTS. Whlta the exports show a decrease, the imports to September 30 last are heavier than the previous yea.r by 25 millions. Tho comparative values 1907-8 to 1910-11 are as follow:Ports. 1910-11 1909-10 1908-9 1907-8 North Island £ £ £ £ Auckland 5,441,863 4,528,165 4,251,771 4,680,694 Wel'g\on 4,938,813 4,130,225 4,003,882 5,084,281 Other N.I. ports 1,114,580 874,551 861,641 1,056,701 South Island Lyttolton 2,341,938 2,560,673 2,317,690 2,690,596 Duncdin 2,510,818 2,495,446 2,082,487 2,550,282 Other S.I. ports 1,304,435 1,206,937 1,119,795 1,342,064 Total N.I. 11,495,256 9,552,941 9,117,294 10,821,766 Total S.I. 6,757,191 6,263,056 5,519,972 6,582,942 Specie to all ports 717.373 399.255 710,363 270,55! Parcels post 359,513 305,889 278,737 346,171 Total Dominion 19,329.333 16,501,171 15,626,368 18,021,42< Total apart from , sp:cio 18,611,960 16,101,086 14,916,005 17,750,86! The fisurts rhow heavy increases nl! round, the increase in the North Island be iner £1,962,315, and in the South Island £494,135. TRADE OF WELLINGTON. The values of the chief exports from Wellington are set out in the following, table :-^ 1910-11 1909-10. Goods. £ £ Wool and sh;op«klns 1,871,302 1,998.647 Frozen meat 003.180 762.904 Butter and checso 513.612 590.737 Tallow 155.514 ?16.8-1 Ttemp 250.589 297.594 Other N.Z. produce 405,141 460^5 Total N.Z. produce 4,03933s 4,32«.879 He-exports «■'" •»■»' Specie ».H0 - Total 4,099.315 4,362,413 The onlv item which shows increase is frozen meat, the bsiiiir better than in any year other than 1909-1910 The trade for the four chief ports of the Dominion showing exports, imports, and 0-;to'n« revenue for the pp..-'; nine years cndini; SppU'inbtT 30, arrniicecl in triennial periods, is:— exports. Wellington. Auckland. IWMto 1001-5 8,528,561 7.420.475 10M-6 to 1907-8 10.024,897 9,430,709 1908-9 to 1910-11 11,050,599 '0,424.422 Lyttolton. Duncdin. Tear o . £ £ 1902-3 to 1904-5 ; 7,282,949 4.433.691 1915-6 t0'907-8 7,705.657 4,477,811 1908-9 to 1910-11 8,647,913 4,435,150 Imports. Wellington. Auckland. Years. £ £ •902-3 to 1934-5 10,231,286 9.374,1*3 1915-6 to 1907-8 '3,728,721 12.075.370 1908-9 to 1910-11 13,072,920 14,221,799 Lyttolton. Duuodin. Years. £ £ 1502-3 to '904-5 6,576.595 6.195,978 1905-6 to 1907-8 7,610,279 7,129.089 UOB-9 to 1910-U „.... 7,820,301 7,038.751.,

Customs Revenue. Wellington. Auckland. Years. £ .£ HOW -lo 1904-5 ',933,750 1,958,569 1905-6 to 1907-8 2,374,906 2,182,887 1908-9 to 1910-U 2,272,621 2,123,909 Ly»:clton. Dunediii. Years. £ £ 1902-3 to 1904-5 1,151,763 1,267,281 1905-6 to 19(17-8 1,348,105 1,326,38b 1908-9 to 1910-U 1,314,641 1,253,702 Increases arc shown in the imports to all port? except Wellington, whereas the exports of Wellington compare very favourably with previous periods and with other ports.