EXPANDING IMPORTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 October 1924, Page 9

EXPANDING IMPORTS.

EIGHT MONTHS FIGURES. The imports into New Zealand for the eight months to August 31 totalled £31,454,944, exclusive "of specie, and this compares with figures for the corresponding periods of previous years as under: 1924 £31.454,944 1923 £2B/207; 725 1922 £21,631,606 1921 £32,582,023 The import figures for the current year are about £1,000,000 less than in the boom year of 1921, and are larger than those for the corresponding term of last year by £3,247,219. The values of the different groups of imports compare as under .- 1924 1923 £ £ Soft goods 5,903,156 6,621,997 Hardware 4,287,995 3,507,764 Foodstuffs 2.731,841 1,557,390 Beverages ...... 1,279,644 1,236,655 Miscellaneous 10,352,696 8,597,687 Other goods ... 6,899,612. 6,686,232 31,454,944 28,207,725 Soft goods show a decrease of £718,841, or about 11 per cent. There is an increase of £780,231 in hardware and metal goods, electrical machinery accounting for most of the increase. There is a comparatively large increase in foodstuffs, the increase being £1,174,451. Heavy importations of wheat and of sugar account very largely for this. Beverages increased by £43,000, but in the miscellaneous section there was the heavy increase of £1,755,009, of which motor vehicles accounted for £805,493, petrol £415,000. coal £312,000. timber £284,000, and t.o_ bacVo £130,G00. The value of the motor vehicles ‘ imported during the eight months was £2-,305,704. as compared with £1.503,211 last year and £385,701 in 1922. On an average during the first eight months of this year £9462 was spent each day. Sundays included, on motor vehicles;