THE GROWTH OF OUR EXPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8283, 16 June 1890, Page 11

THE GROWTH OF OUR EXPORTS.

Some very interesting statistics showing the growth of our exports during the last ten years, have just been issued by the Re-gistrar-General. In looking over the list there is seen'the rapid advance made in some items, and a steady decrease in others. Some of our exports at one time assumed goodly proportions, such as seal skins and whale oil, but now they have dwindled down to a mere nothing. In other goods there has been a steady advance year after year, while again others have gone ahead wit h extraordinary rapidity. The comparison between the exports of 1880 and ISS'.), shows the great progress the colony lias made in that decennial period. Take coal as the first item. In 1880 the export was 7020 tons; in ISS9, 79.11)0. But in gold there is a falling off, the returns being : ISSO, 303,2150z; 18S9, 197,4920z. Silver has increased, but, slightly, thuslSSo, •20,00307. ; 1889, 24,1050z. Our fisheries have gone up with a rare spurt in the past ten years. The export in 1880 was only ITicwt.andin 1889 10,103c\vt. This year, owing to the large shipments to Australia, these figures will be made larger. The oyster trade too has developed at a rapid rate. In 1880 there was none exported. In 1881 we sent away 900 dozen, and in 1889 1,389/213 dozen. The whale fisheries are getting smaller by degrees and beautifully less. Of whalebone' itself in 1880 we exported 35851b. In 1884 there was a sudden jump t020,4121b, but in 1889 it had fallen to 179'21b. Of whale oil, both sperm and black, our trade is nearly all wiped out. Of the two oils we exported in 1880 '27,830 gallons, but in 1889 all we could muster was a paltry 134 gallons of black, and not a vestige of sperm. Of the products of the forest.first cocoes the great Chinese delicacy, fungus. In 1880 we sent to China 3S22e\vt, and in 1889 9GS4cwt. In kauri gum the export in 1880 wag 4725 tons, and in 1889 7519 tons. Bacon and hams have risen from 67cwt in 1880 to 909-lcwt in 1889 ; salted beef and pork, in the same period, from 109.1 to 21,722cwt; butter from 2717 to 37,955cwr, and cheese from 717 to 20,55Sewt. The destruction of the rabbit pest is progressing, a* seen by the export of skins. In the past ten years the total number of skins exported amounted in round numbers to nearly 100 millions, rising from seven mil lions in 1880 to over eleven millions in 1889. The wool trade has made rapid strides from, in round numbers, 7" million pounds in 1880 to over 102 million pounds in 1881). The flour export in 1880 was 553 and in LSS9 10,183 tons. Oats have nearly doubled, and wheufc has decreased in the same period. Our breweries are earning a better name abroad for the excellence of their wares. We sent away in 1880 1070 gallons of ale and beer, and by 1889 the export had run up to 19,184 gallons. The New Zealand hemp export in 1880 was 894, and in 1889 17,084 tons. In the returns of the value of our exports the following figures show the expansion of our trade : — Total value of exports (colonial and foreign), in 1880, £6,352,092; in 1889, £9,339,205.