EXPORTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 93, 21 April 1909, Page 10

EXPORTS.

THE POSITION SURVEYED. INCREASES AND DECREASES. The returns of exports irom New Zealand for the year ended 31st March, as furnished by the Department of Industries and Commerce, make interesting reading. They do not, however, represent a full statement of the exporting position, inasmuch as many products sent into the world's market are omitted from the returns, and some of these run into six figures. Only fcuch* staples as butter, cheese, meat, fibre, kauri gum, wool, and gold are given. Then, too, there are by-products from meat works, which do not appear, and the item of sausage casings alone for 1907 amounted to an exported value of nearly £70,000, and leather to the value of £57,500. Exported coaJ for that year is set down at £114,737, and salver a-t £170,000, so that, it will be seen that there are other item/ of export which are of great value in the aggregate, apart from those which we regard a-s staple products. ' The figures for 1907 are taken from the official Year Book, and they vary from those given by the Industries and Commerce Department for that year. For example, the former authority sets down the quantity and value of butAer exported for 1907 at 308,330 cwt, oi" a total value of £1,522,113 ; but the Yea! Book puts the quantity at 328,441 cwt, valued at £1,540,275, and thera'-iare other differences. But taking the" exports of the country's principal products on the basis of the Industries,, and Commerce Department's figures, ,'it ib seen that there is a deficiency in 'value of exports for the past year of nearly £900,000. -The unmentioned articles of export may, however, make up the difference, for they are both numeroub and valuable. The total value of the exports of such staples as wool, gold, butter, cheese, kauri gum, hemp, and meat was for : t t 1908-9 £15,710,567 1907-8 £16,604,287 The returns for 1909 are taken from interim Customs returns, and are ■ subject to alteration ; but those for the previous year are given a^ "corrected figures taken from the Customs quarterly returns." • THE DAIRY EXPORTS. Taking some of th« main lines in the returns, ib *>Ul be seen that the value of dairy pwxiuce .SWiPltsd iast year was £2,287,75y. J 1908M9 ■ __ £2,287,759 • 1907-3 ... „; showing ait Increase el £167,048. Meat, too, shows »n ift«*eased value of £188,550. ANIMAL PRODUCTS. Putting hides, skins, and tallow in with the meat, it is found that the total value of these combined animal products was for ; 1908-9 ..„ ... £4,576,300 1907-8 £4,604,986 showing a total decline of meat and other slaughtering products of £28,686,' but the values of hides, skins, and tallow for last year were less by £215,236 than those for the previous year. The decline in the total value of animal products is in some measure explained by the dull condition of the meat market and reducec 1 export of skins and hides. ' CEREALS. Cereals (wheat and oats) show an increased value of £123,252 ; as a matter of fact the value of oats exported this year was £127,637, while last year it was but £4,618, and . the,' wheat was worth but £585, and ■in the previous year it was set down at a value of but £352. Next year wheat should show better if the supposed surplus of from two to three million bushels be exported on a basis of 4s 2d a bushel. Grains other than wheat and oats, and for convenience, including potatoes, show a drop in total value from £49,285 in 1908 to £36,011 for /this year, or a deficiency of £13,274. KAURI GUM AND RABBITS. Kauri gum, too, is on the down grade. The value of expoits for this year being £444,309 or £66,654 less than last year. The pestilent bunny shows to some advantage in the list of exports, but he

i& deciining also, for while the 1909 returns put an export value on him of £51417, he is worth -less by- £16,203 than the*exported rabbits of 1908, which are put down as representing £67,320. FIBRE AND HOPS In hemp and tow, as was to be expected? there is -a. serious drop in values, and, unfortunately, the market is still much, depressed. Taking hemp and tow together there is a decrease in the value of exports of £408,851 ; the figures for 1909 being £330,038 as against £738.895 for the prev.ous twelve months. The healthful hop-growing industry hate received, a severe blow, .and values offexports are much reduced. The acreage under cultivation is believed to 'be less in the Nelson district, where fruit is usurping the bine. The export value off hops for 1908 was £11,209, for this $ear the value is £5,351j a" decrease of £5,858. THE GOLDEN FLEECE. Wool should show much better m i values in next year's returns than this — for the slump set in in',Tuly last, btit the recovery took place at the end " of November, and the market remains firm at the present, and all with promise of good prices at the coming May sales in London. The Value exported was :—: — 1908-9 £5,544,638 1907-8 6,063,436 or a decrease for the past year ■of £518,798. AURIFEROUS WEALTH. The value of gold exported this year was less also, the total being £1,942,968, but the decrease was but £39,119 for the year as compared with the value of the export for 1908. A SHRINKAGE. So far, then, there appears to be a decline in exports and their values for the year ended 31st 'March last when compared with the previous twelve months ; but it may be again necessary to point out that all returns are not in. At the same time,, it is clear that a population of under a million, and that distributed over two islands whose total area is under that of the United Kingdom, and with comparatively limited communications, ■ has done remarkably well in the matter of productivity, to say nothing of supplying domestic needs. The prospect of next year being more fruitful appears to be assured. The acreage under wheat is now more than last year, and with the fancy prices now prevailing may be increased. The output of the meat season is certainly very considerable .already ; and wool-growing is likely to be more profitable next year than this, contingent, as it is, on the' state of trade at Home, and that state showing unmistakable signs of improvement. In mining parlance the activity in the wheat market of the world . has been a bonanza for i\ew Zealand with her huge crop. Providing growers do not hold until the market collapses, as collapse it will, the value of exports of that staple should add half a million sterling to the wealth of the country obtained from the stranger. There will be other things too, no doubt, to swell the total. After all, the wealth comes out of the land, and well-worn as the truism may be, it should not be forgotten by those for whom manufacturing I possess a glamour as palpable as the smoke clouds of its chimneys and furnace , 'but excellent as the manufactures of the country may be, they figure small in the list of exported goods when compared with the wool, butter, cheese, 6kins and cereals. There is yet to be a big fruit export trade, and some sanguine persons predict a considerable export trade in the wine of the country That day seems a long way off, however, for the total value of New Zealand wine exported in 1907 was £45, while in the same year foreign wines to the value of £23,930 -were imported. But this is by the way. » Enough has been .said to show the wonderful productive capacity of the country, and that under conditions that compared with some other countries may be described as leisurely as they are enlightened. So far as getting the best out of the soil is concerned, it cannot be said that the people of New Zealand have reason to look for "mene mene tekel" on the walls. But if much is done, much more can bo and will yet be done.

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