TRADE AND SHIPPING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4177, 10 August 1874, Page 3

TRADE AND SHIPPING.

A return has been laid before Parliament of considerable interest, offering as it does a large amount of information as to the character of the import and export trade of New Zealand during the past year, and also as to the shipping business of the Colony. It is a general summary of the trade returns, and an abstract of the Customs revenue for 1873. From it we find that the undernoted articles, of the values set down, were among the imports ;—Agricultural implements, £21,694 ; apparel and slops, £162,097 ; do., warehoused, £42,339 ; blasting powder; ■ £15,177 ; bags and sacks, £102,149 ; do., warehoused, £13,199 ; bark, £18,372; bottled beer, £26,633; do., warehoused, £31,726; bulk beer, £3866; do., warehoused, £3024; boats £1015; printed books, £67,564; boots and shoes, £216,474; do., warehoused, £37,050; brush ware and brooms, £14,384 ; candles, £44,529; do., warehoused, £27,471; carpeting, £36,169; do., warehoused, £2775; carriages and carts, £11,511 ; cement and plaster of Paris, £23,235 ; do., warehoused, £100; coals, £187,833; cocoa and chocolate, £7268 ; do., warehoused, £2930; coffee, £6524; do., _warehoused, £9330; confectionery, £16,055; do., warehoused, £3123; drapery, £079,660; do., warehoused, £71,636; drugs, £34,290; do., warehoused, £7979; druggists’ wares, £18,579; do., warehoused, £2820; fish, potted and preserved, £24,072 ; do., warehoused, £7793; salted fish, £4491 ; do., warehoused, £368 ; flour, £69,575 ; furniture, £46,205 ; do., warehoused, £2059 ; malt, £46,551 ; do., warehoused, £4280; haberdashery, £48,534; do., warehoused, £10,710; hardware and ironmongery, £225,105; hats and caps, £52,777; do., warehoused, £7821; hops, £20,502; do., warehoused, £8437 ; musical instruments, £37,815; do., warehoused, £751; bar and rod iron, £57,723; fencing- wire, £85,731; galvanised iron, £75,955 ; jewelry, £26,403; do., warehoused, £1205; live stock—asses £6O, horses £14,430, sheep £15,813 ; agricultural machinery, £22,620 ; quartz-crushing machinery, £6562 ; matches and vestas, £41,384; millinery, £10,274; do., warehoused, £1658; nails and screws, £58,559; cocoa nut oil, £2364; kerosene, £28,998; do., warehoused, £26,652 ; oilmen’s store, £89,944; do., warehoused, £16,130 ; paints and colors, £26,097 ; do., warehoused, £965 ; paperhanrings, £20,940 ; do., warehoused, £BSB ; tobacco pipes, £8207 ; do. warehoused, £285; printing materials, £10,289 ; printing paper, £31,871 ; railway materials, £264,858 ; saddlery and harness, £49,430 ; do., warehoused, £5105; salt, £20,155 ; cloth scrim, £9,443 ; do., warehoused, £3461 ; grass seeds, £41,741 ; silks, £20,641 ; do., warehoused, £l4lß ; slate, £5849; gold, £267,050; silver, £13,465 ; brandy, £2494 ; do., warehoused, £104,941 ; geneva, £296 ; do., warehoused, £19,188 ; rum, £205; do., warehoused, £11,283 ; whisky, £301; do., warehoused, £27,979; stationery, £83,696; do., warehoused, £663 ; sugar, £80,990 ; do., warehoused, £291,892; tea, £42,636; do., warehoused, £178,010 ; telegraph materials, £5222 ; sawn timber, £44.266 ; palings, £10,836 ; tobacco, £2962 ; do., warehoused, £73,044 ; cigars, £2469 ; do., warehoused, £19,276 ; toys, £13,377 ; vegetables, £9064 ; wine, £13,085; do., warehoused, £83,712; wool, £6950 ; woollens, £110,740 ; do., warehoused, £35,488 ; and woodware, £12,388. The total value of the imports was £6,464,087. Among the exports were the following : Butter, £2342; cheese, £6025 ; curiosities, £239 ; fungus, £1195 ; fish, dried and preserved, £622 ; flour, £12,070 ; gold, £1,987,425 ; barley, £112; malt, £754 ; oats, £7347 ; wheat, £128,619 ; kauri gum, £85,816 ; guano, £4600 ; hides, £34,544 ; hops, £439 ; horns, £96 ; leather, £26,927 ; cattle, £2003 ; horses, £340 ; pigs, £3O; sheep, £1350 ; oaten meal, £2006; preserved meats, £154,049 ; onions, £143 ; plants, £517 ; phormium, £143,799 ; potatoes, £2350 ; bacon and hams, £10,568 ; salted beef, £2328 ; fresh beef, £205 ; salted pork, £626 ; pearl barley, £B6 ; sauces, £316 ; shells, £1231 ; silver, £9850 ; sealskins, £1847 ; sheepskins, £14,387 ; rabbit skins, £1263 ; soap, £BB6 ; specimens of natural history, £lOBl ; specie (gold), £11,400; (silver), £5lO ; tallow, £67,118 ; sawn timber, £27,764 ; logs, £15,248 ; spars, £873 ; whalebone, £212 ; wool, £2,705,351 ; and woollens, £823. The total value of the exports was £5,610,271. The largest portion of our trade was with England, the imports from which amounted to £3,781,130, and the exports to were valued at £3,702,416. The next largest business done was.with Victoria, the imports from that Colony representing £1,603,232, and the exports thereto were £1,349,316 —an amount in which gold to the value of £1,217,062 was included. To New South Wales this Colony sent produce and goods to the value of £175,714, receiving back imports worth £455,026. We imported to the extent of £83,504 from Tasmania, sending thither exports to the extent 0f£1334 only. From South Australia we received importations worth £52,493, sending thither exports valued at no more than £6094. From the Mauritius we drew £198,614 of sugar, sending nothing in', exchange. With South Africa New Zealand did business only to the value of forty shillings. The New Caledonia trade was represented by exports thereto of £4217, imports, £5lO ; from the Sandwich Islands we received in produce £13,269, sending thither £4930 in specie and goods. The trade of the South Sea Islands was worth £60,438 of exports, and £46,136 of imports.- The" southern 1 whale fishery took away goods worth £2762, and brought in others of the value of £l4O only. From China we brought ' articles of consumption or use to the value of £61,003, and sent thither only £5872 in exports. The imports from the United States were valued at £143,273, and the exports thereto amounted to £262,346. _ , The number of vessels entered inwards with cargo was 731, carrying 287,891 tons, and manned by 12,118 ' seamen. Eight ships, of 1406 tons, and carrying 59 men, came in in ballast, Auckland headed the list with 169 vessels of 65,941 tons ; Dunedin came next, with 132 ships of 65,183 tons ; Lyttelton fob lowed with 113 vessels of 42,940; and Web lington with 78 vesselsof 89,124. tong. /The number of British ships- entered in New Zealand ports was 671, of 257,006 tons ; and of foreign vessels 68, of 32,291 tons.' Auckland 'also headed the list in • the 1 coasting trade, 3642 vessels, of 187,052 tons,- having entered there, as compared with 1697 vessels of 90,031 tons at the Thames; 1307 of 134,686 tons at Lyttelton; 963 of . 79,008 tons at Nelson; 7.13 of 123,613 tons at Wellington ; 581 Of 103,150 tons, at Dunedin; ,527 of 90,031 tons at. Russell;"32l of 21,984 at Wanganui; and 297 of 31,725 tons at the Bluff. The lighthouse dues collected during the year amounted to £7379, and pilotage to .£12,744; .Fees winder the Oyster Act only produced nine pounds.. Duty was, paid on 05,920 gallons of spirits distilled in the Colony, and on 1936 gallons (at 6s. per gallon) for mixing with New Zealand distilled spirits, in the course of the year. -