N.Z. IMPORTS

Grey River Argus, 1 December 1938, Page 3

N.Z. IMPORTS

Industrial Expansion WELLINGTON, November 29. “industrial expansion in New Zealand need, not be to the disadvantage of the United Kingdom,” said tne Minister of Industries and Commerce, (the Hon. .D~. G. Sullivan), at the opening of the conference of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation to-day. “We still have to take payment for our exports in imports, and shall always have to do so unless, of course, we leave the proceeds lying in Great Britain as capital, as we did to some extent.during the depression.. “Expansion in manufacturing activity in New Zealand during recent years was accoippanied by substantial increases in our exports, from the Motherland. In fact, imports increased at a much greater pact. For example, ■ manufacturing production reached its lowest level in 1932-33, at £17,700,000. Imports from the United Kingdom similarly touched their low point at £11,200,000 in those years. By 1936-37, imports had grown to £26,700,000 and factory production to £25,200,000. That is imports had increased by 125 per cent., whereas factory production had advanced by 50 per cent. only. . / “Even if we allow for the rising population, imports went up by 119.2 per cent., and • factory production by close study reveals a very different position from what one would gather from the cursory’look at the total figures for importations for, say, 1935, 1936, and 1937. Importations in 1935 were £36,317,000, in 1936 £44,259,000, and in 1937 £56,161,000.”

RAW MATERIALS. An analysis of imports showed an interesting situation, the Minister said. In 1936 the total importations were 144,259,000. Of this £14,520,000, or 3.28 per cent, was for materials used in the production of goods manufactured in New Zealand—really raw materials used by manufacturers and others. A sum of £2,490,000, or 5.6 per cent., were not produced in New Zealand, and £4,515,000, or 10.2 per cent, was for equipment used by producers, such, as certain dairy machinery, tractors for farm work, printing machinery, sewing machines, typewriters, and other machines.. Again, £6,131,000, of 13.9 per cent., was for transport equipment, such as motor- , vehicles, railway and tramway equipment, road-making implements, and so on. Finished consumer-goods amounted to £11,466,000, or 25.9 per cent, of the total, and unclassified miscellaneous items amounted to £5,132,000 or 11.6 per cent. In .1937, the total • imports were £56,161,000, and the classification was: Vi ‘ Value Per ' £ cent. Producers’ materials 17,773,000 31.6 Fuels' & lubricants 2,822,000 5 Producers’ equipment 6,029,000 10.7

Transport equipment 8,026,000 14.3 Finished consumergoods . 14,591,000 26 Unclassified items 6,920,000 12.3 The Minister said that actually at present there was a slight decrease in importations. Importations for the nine months ended September 30, 1937, were i£41',982,600, ’and for the same period’in 1938, £41,604,000. He realised that there were higher imports in the last quarter of the year. “Nor is there any necessity for expansion in factory production to be at the expense of increasing farm production,” Mr Sullivan said. “What we

want _ in New Zealand is more farm preductioh, more exports, more imports, and more factory production-— more production of all the. things we need, so there „can be more to consume for evqpyone.., This increased production .must not be haphazard, but planned . and orderly.. Only thus can the standard of living for everyone be raised.”