WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 August 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

A HALF-YEAR'S IMPORTS. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, August 9. For the first half of this year the imports into the Dominion reached their lowest level for several years. Exclud-

ing specie the total was £20,902,526, against £22,200,70! in the corresponding term of last year, £21,715,080 in 1926 and £25,015,285 in 1925. Compared with 1925 there is a decrease of £1,112,759, which is rather substantial all the more so when it is remembered that in the interval of three years the population has increased by about 80,000. It is evident that in 1925 there was over-importation, and this year’s figures may be accepted as normal. The imports are not likely to go lower, on the contrary there is every probability that the imports will now begin to increase.

The imports of soft goods for the half-year amounted to £4,262,752, as compared with £4,355,238 in the corresponding period of last year, a decrease of £92,487, or about 2 per cent. There was a slight increase in apparel, but boots and shoes were substantially larger, the figures being £462,192 against £416,927. Hosiery was another line that exhibited an increase, the figures being £223,351 against £215,785; cotton piece goods were higher, but silk piece goods and woollen piece goods were lower. Very little linen piece goods are imported now, the value of the imports for the half-year being £15,601, while the value of the cotton piece goods imported was £807.111. woollen piece goods £427,620

and silk piece goods £367,158. There is a shrinkage in the imports of furs

and fur trimmings, the total being only £18,685, which does not indicate that tliore is extravagance. The total of the hardware imports during the half-

year was £2,776,029 against £3.181,489, a decrease of £705,820, or 20 per cent 1 ; most of this shrinkage is in electric machinery, and this is not surprising for in the past three years the imports under this head have been very heavy, the hydro-electric ""ik calling for the most of this machinery, and as these are now nearing completion there is no need for so much machinery.

The total value of the electrical machinery imported was £871,542 against £1,123.862. There was a decline also in agricultural machinery from £72,445 to £59,370. All other classes of machinery exhibited increases, especially dairy machinery, the figures for which were £85,561 against £43,507. There was a big shrinkage in railway and tramway plant, the half-year’s figures being £95,161 against £141,732. There was a jlrop in tools and implements from £155,751 to £151,658, nails from £40,974 to £26,443, bolts and nuts from £42.080 to £36,121, and galvanized sheet iron from £331,400 to £140,637. These are practically the raw materials of inclustrv and the shrinkages tell their own tale of depression. The farming industry is obviously reviving for in addition to the increase in dairy' machine] y fencing wire has increased from £53,321 to £71,075 and barbed wire from £23,881 to £27,353. . . Foodstuffs declined by £104,148 or about 6 per

cent, the principal decline being in wheat and flour. The grain imports amounted to £172,229 against £219,513 and flour £73,533 against £139,793. It is probable there will be a furthci decline in these imports owing to a bountiful harvest in the South Island. The imports of confectionery are pretty heavy, amounting to £153,479. The imports of dried fruits are substantial, the value for the half-year being £196,320, which is only a few pounds less than last year but very much less than in 1928 when the amount was £245,237. Tliore has b-en a good increaso in fresh fruits, the figures being £155,990 against £147,827 last rear, and £120.918 in 1926. Hoverages show the slight increase of £29,182, tea, coffee, and cocoa being largely responsible for this. The te.i imported was valued at £494,961 against £399,545, and cocoa, coffee, etc., £47,164 against £38,844. Minsky shows a continuous drop, the figure beino £217,859, against £287,399 last year and £316,236 in 1926, a drop of nearly £100.090, a drop of £IOO,OOO in two years. Other spirits declined from £70,654 to £52,395. In the miscellaneous section the halfyear’s figures show a decline of £694,232, due" mainly to tlie shrinkage in motor vehicles and motor spirits. In the first six months of this year the number of motor vehicles imported was 6,313 against 6,857 last year and 13,499 in 1926, so that in two years there has been a drop of over 50 per cent. The values were £984,944 against £1,071,817 last year and £2,188,181 in 1923. There was an increase in the quantity of motor spirits imported, the total being 28,345,341 gallons against 23,485,051 gallons, and the value £860,874 against £1,143,510. Motor and push bicycles disclosed an increase, the total being £124,128 against £103,931. Coal imports appear to be declining steadily, probably because of the use of electric power. The coal values were £190,794 against. £229,298 last year and £319,984 m 1926. There has been a decline in rubber tyres, the figures being £520,173 against £535,503. Manures show an appreciable increase at £344,601 against £251,517. Although the quantity of tobacco imported was larger, the value showed a decline, the totals being £362,618 against £451,308, and there was also a drop in cigarettes, tho totals being £385,168 against £43i,448. The outstanding feature is that the imports of luxuries are less.