EXPORT TRADE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 19 February 1913, Page 4

EXPORT TRADE.

IT is always interesting to observe conditions in regai'd to the export . trade, for upon it New Zealand depends for its prosperity. We are a people of producers, and we are dependent upon foreign markets to receive the monetary value of our wool, frozen meat, dairy, and other produce. A large export trade with good market conditions means a good flow of money b.aek into the Dominion to keep the country goinsr. Unfortunately New Zealand ers as a people are sending rather too much, of this Trioney away again to pay for imports. More economy in this di- ■ rection would' mean more money in circulation in New Zealand, and eveiybody knows how necessary, especially in a country such as this, is a good supply of money. It is never very (satisfactory to review the exports for. calen- ' ddr year periods, for changes in the seasons, such as a delay in shearing operations, may affect the wool totals year by year verv considerably, and a late or early spring may affect the yearly totals of frozen meat and other produce. It is generally considered that September is the best time to review the export tradfe, for the whole of the preceding season's products can then be taken into account. But figures given in the Trad© Review for the Calendar year are well worth studying. The total value of exports for 1912 is given at £21,272,497, which is about £2,500,000 more than the total of 1911, but still does not equal the record yea r of 1910, when the exports reached the value of £21,939,452. • The various industries conhected wtith sheep still stand at the .top of the list, and cause this animal to be of the greatest importance to New Zealand. Wool accounts for a third of the total exports, while frozen mutton and lamb, sheepskins and mutton tallow biinjj the exports of sheep products up to more than half the total exports of all classes. The cow ranks next to the sheep, and there is a big future before the dairying industry. Last year the value was over three and threequarter millions, an increase of just a million on the previous year. In however, the value was just over three millions. Fair progress was maintained in frozen meat, which increased 11 per cent in weight and Hi per cent in value on the previous year.. Gold and silver exports fell off very considerably. Potiitoee hist

year accoxinted for 110 less than £i50,303 as against a few thousands previously. But the best .re-sults nncL follow until the proportion of exports against imports grows also. New Zealand, the figures show, is doing very well indeed, with a growing income, but the expenditure is increasing annost proportionately, and last year impoits amounted almost to twenty-one millions. A little more economy in the latter direction would do a great deal of good.