The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1874.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLII, Issue 4312, 7 December 1874, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1874.

In compiling the annual volume of statistics, the Eegistrar-General appears to have had what, in the colonies, is called ,** • (down M upon Canterbury, In all the death-rate lute this province is carefully put in the most conspicuous plaee, but when we come to trade and interchange, the same rule is not observed, though it appears that we were by far the most prosperops of the provinces during the period covered by the statistics. There may not, of course, be any design in this, but the fact is worthy of note. When it becomes a question of health or un-health, and when the figures go to prove that Canterbury heads the list as the most unhealthy province, Canterbury is found at the head of the list. When it is a question of trade, and it is found that Canterbury is far ahead of most other provinces, she does sot head the list.' It would be as Well, in future, to observe an alphabetic rule in all tabular matters, for by doing this all grounds of complaint would be removed,: The tables which refer to ship|iiig of trade ; anfi the colony. We find that the total shipping inward was 730 vessels repre-j senting 259,207 tons; the outward “beinf'TOtYCisels representing 281,847 tons. In both cases there was a decease—inward, of thirty-six, and ontwais of thirty-nine, in the numhef of vessels—as compared with 1872; The Begistrar-General’s summary is concise enough to be. quoted. He tells Us that “of the total of 730 vessels inwards, 95, of 80,032 tonnage, arrived from the United Kingdom; 536, of 176,769 tonnage, from the Australian Colonies and other British possessions; and 108, of 32,496 tonnage, from foreign countries—including the southern whale fishery. Of the total of 704 vessels outwards, 63, of 51,659 tonnage, cleared , for the United Kingdom; 524 vessels, of possessions; and 117 ' vessels, of 39,167 tonnage, cleared for foreign states —including the southern whale fishery.” It is tot often th|t we meet with a joke in a Blue-book, more especially in one dealing with statistics, and we must therefore congratulate the Eegistrar-Oeneral on having discovered that “ the southern whale fishery” is a “ foreign country ” or a “ foreign State.” He does not seem to have quite made up bis mind between “Country” and “State,”and we regret that we cannot afford him any assistance. It is of Considerable interest to know the number of registered vessels belonging to the several ports in the colony. At the end of 1873 thef recofd stood as follows: of registered vessels was 411, of 30,035 tonnage (viz., 348? sailing vessels, jof 24,790 tonnage, and 63 steam vessels, of 5245 tonnage), against 364 vessels, of 23,963 tonnage, on the Slot December, 1872. Of these 180 sailing vessels and 23 steam vessels belonged to the port of Auckland. Dunedin ranked next, having 47 sailing vessels and 18 steamers. Lyttelton possessed 58 sailing vessels and 7 steamers; Wellington, 29 sailing vessels and 11 steamers; Nelson, 16 sailing vessels aUd 7 steamers; Invercargill, 13 sailing vessels; and Napier, 5 sailing vessels and 2 steamers.” On reading the above, a stranger might be induced to believe that Auckland is the chief shipping port of the colony, and that the bulk of our trade is carried on through that channel. Such, however," is not the case. Auckland nominally owns a larger number of vessels than any other port iu New Zealand, but a reference to the detailed tables will show that this is not the case. Besides, it is clear that although such and such vessels may have been “ registered in Auckland,” they do not necessarily belong to that port or to owners resident in that province. The plain fact is, these shipping statistics are, and always have been, in a state of muddle. If they are of any value at all, and we think they are, it is necessary that they should be more carefully compiled or compiled on a more intelligible principle. Trade and interchange cannot be accurately, or even approximately gauged by such figures as we have given above, and we must therefore turn to the tables of imports and exports in order to find the localities' of trade. The total value of imports in 1873 was £6,464,687 as compared with £6,142,951 in 1872, being an increase of over 26 per cent. In the following, which we have rearranged, the increase or decrease in each province is shown;—

On turning to the tables which relate to exports, we find that Dunedin ranked

first, and W ButtiK^Hndj together, of the class tbaf ought to be designated agricultural and pastoral. W* had no gold, or at . 417 xate-very.. Uttie,„to swell the total, u in the. case of Gtugo find Auckland ; i!0t ; d 6 we ex-pott-iimber. „It «ftdlo,Hß, ..itherefore,. that our tale of in qmte a different way from that of the two other#rorin|ee mentioned. The Bubjomed',.ei(|pt from the Begistrar- General's j bears out these remarks. ' He aiys that the 'expert qf flour afict“ f grf|ia has only asenimed features' of importance since etm : iterbury exported those articles to the value of ithe largest export being in 1870, siheb there has been a progressive reduction to £100,391 in 1873 1 . These exgorto from daring the same period of seven years amounted to £230,385; the largest Veing respectively in 1870, £46,135; 1872, £59,465 ; and 1873, £41,775. ranked next, with exports tlHhe Vplue ef £24,299, daring the sevcii J of which the largest was in 1867; £9265; since then tile fluctuation in thn exports has been considerable. The _eiportß from the qther provinces amounted to comparatively. very little. 4 These figures indicate clearly the Work that Canterbury has done, and the comparison which they suggest thust be considered highly satisfactory.

Canterbury, increase £412.879. or 61-49 per ont. Wellington do 264,902, or 51-28 do Hawke’s Ba f do 52,110, or 5007 do * Marlborong i do 4,673, or 39-40 do Otago do 376,740, or 19-84 do Auckland do 228,177, or 18.66 do Taranaki do 1,378, or 7-82 do Nelson do 25,178, or 7-21 do Westland decrease 44,289, or 12.62 do ,