COAST EXPORT TRADE

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1920, Page 5

COAST EXPORT TRADE

TIMBER ANT) BUTTER. ENHANCED VALUES. THE TIMBER EMBARGO. Although a slight increase is shown there is, comparatively speaking, very little difference in the value of articles exported from Greymouth during the year ended June, 1920, and the previous year. In fact, when the increases which have taken place are considered, the number of goods sent out from the port appears to he about the same. For the twelve months ended June, 1919, the exports were valued at £195,702 and for the following year at £207,837. The position in regard to exports for all Coast ports remains much the same, in a relative sense, wi th the exception of Westport, the exports from which port increased from £39,531 to £53,443. The details of the returns make interesting reading and convey a good deal of important information when the flesh of imagination is put on the apparently “dry hones” of figures. , Tire butter export from the whole of the Const has been reduced considerably during the past year as compared with 1919 the figures for the year ended June last, with those of the corresponding period last year in parenthesis, being: Greymouth £19,558 (£25,834), Westport '£9444 (£18,283), Hokitika £5,983 (£15,960). The decrease is general throughout the country, only about half the amount of butter being exported as compared with the previous year. This would seem to indicate that there is a rather large quantity of butter in store.

A considerable increase in tlie value of cheese exported during’ the year is shown by the fact that whilst 1,137.035 cwt exported in 1919 was valued at £5,501,452, 1.381,549 cwt exported during the twelve mouths ended June last was valued at £G,930,178. The only cheese exported from the Coast was from Hokitika, where 3Tl6cwt was despatched, the value being £18,715 as compared with £20,557 obtained for fiSOcwt more sent out during the preceding year. » The steadily increasing export of hides from Greymouth is indicated by the fact that 24G5 hides valued at £7704 were exported against 2393 valued at £5377 last year. An indication of the increased prices obtained for timber exported from the district and the extent to which export has been curtailed during the latter part of the year ended June are furnished in the returns. The 22,102,304 superficial feet sent from the port of Grey for the previous year was valued at £160,012, whilst the 20,290,886 despatched for the past year was valued at no less a sum than £172,148. Tor the six months ended June, 1920, 12,412,459 super, feet of timber, valued at £107,761, was despatched from Greymouth, whilst for the month of June the figures were 3.423,956 feet, of the value of £29,952. The amount of timber exported from Westport and Hokitika has fallen considerably, the values for the past year being £372 and £2973 respectively as against £755 and £3,131 for the preceding twelve months. - Greymouth accounted for nearly 40 per cent. of. the whole of the timber exported from the Dominion for the past year.