TREND OF TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18706, 12 May 1924, Page 12

TREND OF TRADE.

/\/y ■/:/.;//, "' ,// *' . ■• : ■'■{■■ : J\ POSITION IN AUCKLAND. IMPORTS AND REVENUE. PILLAGING AND SMUGGLING Customs revenue at :' "Auckland v now averages about - £7000 /; a day. : This means that trade, •as measured by the duties on imports/ is steady with a trend toward improvement. : : - •- . Officials report that conditions generally are normal, all 'the trading requirements of the community being met without any marked inflation of imports. These, indeed, are considerably, less as V regards dutiable goods" than the total at this time last year. ; Since and including January the net customs collected at Auckland are over £33,000 less than the total revenue for the corresponding four months in 1923. ' • ' - ; / Present trading conditions do not hold much promise of the financial leeway of the Customs Department being made up quickly, if at all this year, as merchants generally are inclined to keep the measure of their imports within carefully defined limits. There is no "boom" about the movement of merchandise. It goes forward quietly and steadily, with many appreciable features of solid business. Expert observers of Auckland's extensive trade are' satisfied with the position, and do not wish to see a recurrence of the former import fever. ' The maritime trade of Auckland as a whole, however, continues at substantial proportions. Shipping is fairly brisk. There has been no slackness at the waterfront since the ' beginning of the / year, while on several occasions there was congestion and a shortage of berthing space. Immediate prospects are good. Thirteen overseas steamers are scheduled to arrive in the Waitemata before the end of this month,, and. subsequent berthings for inward and outward cargo are fairly heavy. The daily average of sea-borne merchandise at the port of Auckland is '>. about 5000 tons. Last year the total was nearly 1,700,000 tons in round figures, that quantity including well over 1£ million tons of inward cargoes. ' ■ Coal is still the principal importation, the shipments to Auckland last year exceeding 283,000 tons, while the. imports of timber totalled 81,769 tons; benzine, kerosene and other oils V nearly 46,000 i tons, of // which only & little over a fourth . was transhipped from Auckland; artificial .manures almost 100,000 tons; sugar, 69,000.:■ tons, half of which was transhipped ito other districts; fresh fruit, 27,000 tons; ; and potatoes, about 17,000 tons. According , to the measure of! imported oatmeal, Auckland consumes about i three tons of porridge every morning. / The building industry of the progressive province required :Vv-oyer 60,000 tons of , cement. It may be noted that. in the enormous quantity .of other imports, motor-cars and accessories formed and still form a prominent part. /, ...; Representatives of shipping and mercantile firms report that there is still a fair amount of cargo pillaging at-Auck-land, though its extent is very much less ;than.it was a ffiw years ago. The net" of detection has been drawn closer, but occasionally the meshes are wide enough for nimble pilferers. <■ ... • * As regards the \ smuggling.: of X dutiable ■ goods, there are not many complaints at Auckland. Now and again, of course, 'some people contrive to " beat the; customs, C but:this form,of dishonesty is not very prevalent. ' There are no ■; romantic stories at all about the smuggling of opium end other demoralising drugs. The product of the poppy \ does '? get into the Dominion, .as - various prosecutions .of opium ; traders/and/ smokers $ in / different parts of the country show, but generally 6peaking there is practically,. no illicit drug '/.< traffic at the Port; of Auckland. The natural pleasures of the place obviate i the necessity for abnormal stimulants. ■-