OUR IMPORTS FOR 1876.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4870, 26 September 1877, Page 6

OUR IMPORTS FOR 1876.

Having now received the details of imports lor las*t year, we are enabled to give, as we liave done for two years previously, a summary, snd sn analysis of "the principal variation J, as compared with 1674 aad 1875, under several different general heads. We "Will first compare totals, aud deduct the pnblic woilu plant. TOTALS. 1874. 1575. . . IS7G. Total impoits if »!I kinds .. ..£5.121,512 £8.029,172 £6,005,171 Deduct publicworl's ' ...: . plant .. .. 815,763 457.079 331,871 £7,806.044 £7,512,093 £6.573,800 Thepublic works plant includes railway and bridge materials and telegraph materials in. each case. Por the four years, 1573 6,. the total imports under this head have amounted to £1,914,570; and as they are entirely exceptional, and do not affect in any direct manner our commercial position, we lave eliminated them for purposes of comparison. The result shows a diminution of lather less than a million, or 13 per cent., on the general imports, as compared with 1875, the exact reduction being £903,293. We will now proceed to enumerate, as we did before, the principal items by which thia difference is accounted for j and first we give— SOFT GOODS AND CLOTHING OF ALL KINDS. *•■ ' ' 1874. '.' '1875. 1870 Drapery .. ..£1,157,193 £1,050,220 £;93,£6.> Apparel and slops • 27-1.979 ZilifilO 181.978 Cottons .. .. 130,477 120,414 54.201 wooltens and blankets .. 184,418 • 216.05S 137.7G0 Linens ~ .. 17,014 10,91:1 12,702 Haberdashery .. 105.J65 . 122.957 Sa 031 MiUinery-.. ..." 22,354 ' 31.236 " 39.599 Horiery .. .. 27,116 33.973 30 &JS Silks.. .. .. 4^,625 27,3:9 29135 H»ts and cap.) .. 47,243 53 4 0 51533 Boots and shoes .. 215,238 . 150,490 135,491" £3,220,710 £2,127,740 £1,507,002 Hero we hare at once a diminution in every item, and a total falling off, as compared with 1575, of £560,74 t-^-more than one-half of tho total deficiency in the imports of 1876. The per centage of decrease en the figures of 1875, is no kss than 26 per cent. ; There are three items whicli are affected by the extension of our local manufactures, apparel and slops, woollens, and boots and shoes, and under each of these heads there -is a large reduction in all imports. The falling eff in 1876 in apparel and slop 3is £104,662 or 36£ per cent, in woollens and blankets it is £78 319 or 36 per cent., and in boots and shoes £24,005 or 15 per cent., and this latter item showed a still greater falling ©ff in the [previous year, tbe figures in 1574 laving been £215,236, and in 1576 £135,491. Allowing for some reduction in Home prices, the figures still indicate a large increase in onr local manufactories ; as we cannot suppose that with our increased population the consumption of euch necessary articles ha? fallen off. The reductions in all the other articles do, wo think, show, a falling off in the demand, or a determination to reduce stocks. As all the goods under this heading are subject to ad valorem duties, we may , reckon that the revenue has suffered by the. ffeduced imports to the exfeut of about ■£60,000 on the year. 'Now, let;.us';-tako another class cf imports' under the heads— FOODS ASD DOMESTIC ARTICES. „ 1874. 1575. . 1876. Sugar.. .. .. £422,246 ..£3(4,612 ..£137,312 Tea „■■•,' .... :..•■.. 155:547 195,815 *'our 67,209 49,247 55,392 Biwr... ;.;• ... 42,373- .'.40.033'•'-"••. 38.890 Oiltaen stores .. 84,582 04,685 65,545 Jams and jellies., .. ...31.589 42,328 35 761 Dried fruits .• - ".. 80,495 43 760 521SL Green fruits . .. 35.140 37 533 32 261 .Butter.. .. .. i 3 .155 543 .Indies. .. 83,000 82,075 55.717 JHaohes and vestas 22, VST 24,?45 29,131 £1,014,132 £1,034;695 £1,031^853 There is a remarkable sameness in the totals of the three years under the heading, although there are considerable differences inthe respective items. For instance, sugar is a good deal in excess of the former years, and tea as much in arrear, while in the previous year it was the other way. The imports of butter have at laat nearly entirely' : disappeared, and it is indeed : about time we ■were at least independent of outside supplies of this article. Now, we come to a heading that is the abomination. of Mr Fox and, his friends. "viz..:— - LIQUORS. -> 1874. 1575. 1876. SfV" •"■ ■• £125,856 £88,231 £80,579 Spirits .. .. 259,049 245,816 281,872 Wine.. .... 117,000 '04.071' ...'98,830 £501,890 £428,118 £461,337; Which Bhows for 1876 an increase of £33,219,----or ,8 per cent, on 1875. but not a return to the high figures uf 1874. We will now look at a class of articles representing not so much consumption as investment, beinc for the ', moat part ° ' MATERIALS OP A PERMANENT CHAKACTEit. ' „T''P'gg' .1874.... 1575 .3876.. .1 Galvanized iron .. £So.Sil £1-22,876 £09 756 < JFenangwire.. ... sooll 144,643 56.811 '■'. Timber ... .. 97,036 160,441 79 781 ! Hardware and iron- ■■'•..' mongery'..;.... ..■ 200,523 251.333 204 882 ' machinery, ogrical- I ( -r.tnr?l '~ ••-'•' :'••■•• "52.164 .95,283 55 633 . 80, other kinds .. 82,500 118,017 138 551 j Cement .. .. 1-4,700 .jo.ogs 60*730 t Furniture .. .. 63,033 64 693 69,100 •'•'"' £791,158 £1,027.554 £795 249 ( Here there is a falling off of £232,305, or ' -about 22£ per cent, on 1875, but that year showed . some exceptionally high . figures under several of the heads, timber, 0 galvanised iron, and fencing wire being then -wanted for publii works purposes. #esul<:s -« the fill in the value of iron duiiag.the past J Wo years has been very greac. andthis tills fl largely on the import values. The increasing demand for cement revives the question -whether nothing cau be done to use our own i available material for its manufacture. } Qoaely allied to the above heading is that of c •'[ 7. MATERIALS POR MANUFACTURES. S t . , . 1874. 1575 " 1?76. C Iron-bar rod, pa',&c... £73.171 £1.'6,M6 £120 855 r Xeadan* leidware .. , 1>,6i3 30,233 19,679 '■ tieather aud lcatherware 30 96C 52 703" 58 '•>!& " I*** ," - •• ..11.030 181979 .23,709 S wfB 3 ■'■•'■'• •'-- .'"•• •• 27,983 : 23.993 27,276 ~ Malt •• — ••29.048"; 16.C74 15 390 f £!84,541 £255.493 £265,084 f Showing a satisfactory advance under nearly t every head, and a specially noticeable one in v the leather trad p. Iron shows a slight de- '* Cieaee in amount, but the decrease in cott I 1 Ming taken into account, the quantity must 1( be much larger i;i 1576 than in 1875. The f decrease in malt ia only what would be ex- cj pectcd from the extension of our Colonial s malting operations.. Hops remain about stationary as compared with 1874, though tl there is an increase of about 14 per cent, on the imports of 18751 ; P , : COAL, il 1874 - 1875 • " 3576 o TOVII iniporia .. £211,05 l £243,530 £241,168 I The quantity fir 1875 was 147,-750 tons, and for 1876 157,558 tons. •' . PUBLIC WORKS PLANT. ; ■» -, ...■■■■■■ !874. .1875. ' 1876. " .Bailwaymateml .. £740.900 £4n,659 £3,1.122 d Bridge material .. • 52.G55, 40,022 1655 t. Telegraph material.. 22,210 , 9 ,37r : lS^i o TV i-''-ii '*. £515,768 £457,079 £331.371 '!i _We snail not weary our rexdera with a t, great many more details, but refer to two n more head* of some importance, viz., specie, Ii and a few articles of luxury:— n specik. c kw'ti' , 18n; 187'^ 1876.-' t Gold, sUver, and copper £152,701 £205,237 £100,412 c LUXUP.IEB. - - • .' S t, ""'■."'■' ' !874.- 1375. . ;iß7fi. f Fancy goods .. .. £09,218 £86 855 £83,346 t Jewellery..- .. 45.091 .9,503 73 603 1: Tobacco and cigara .. 05,072 110,926 .100,429 q 'fei.'"-''V' £212,981 5e.284 £2T7^i f WHich shows a well-sustained purchasing power— the figures for 1876 being nearly J equal to thr s• of 1875, and ereatly in exce/s c of those of 1574-. It is ia articles such a- r theso that bad times display themselves c quickly, as they are thiugs that for the most v part can be done without. 1 ..Now, in order to arrive at some special h iesults, let u3 mike a summary cf the above r totals by way of comparison of 1876 with c JB77:— o -«8--'«-'«««>»' , Incrse. D.-cse. I Sfftgoodfl ... £560744 ' Foods and doniostic articles .. 2 542 il q.u0-8, •; £33,219 ' s Materia sof perm.in 3> t character.. 232 305 0 Materiila for munu/ucture■'.. .. 9 691 ' + Coil ■~,:.: .... .. .... ' 5 3"8 Public, wo-fa plant, (already de- .••'■'■ ducted aoove) .. .... t |P £e!e. .■.;-:• .. 1588?5 - auxurtos .. .... .. 8850 5 t £42 810 £963 949 s It \lv iese %arcs very nearly account for the: n -falling off of nearly a million, a number of h smaller items n aking up the difference. Tl;c 1 smaller requirements of-matsiials more or * ,less connected with our public works account 1} for.the deficiency ; a great dirainutioa in the l value 01 all -rou goods for another portion • c and the less import of specie is a mere mat- a ■.ter; of banking,. The real gr^at sJid reducjtion is in the anfb goods trade, which had been overdone ia 1575! Comparing totals \- ' for 1876 with those of 1873. which may be >S idajeribed.as the average years of "thy period • B

5(5.811 79.731

55 633 118,551 60,730 69,100

of public work?, ancl looking at the popult- I tion in each of these years, we find that there I has beeu an increase of general imports, apart from public works plant, from £6,181,335 ta £(5,573,810, or 6£ por cent ; wliile there has been aa increase of the European population from 29.1,946 on 31st December, *1573, to 399,275 on 31st December 1376, or 35 per cent. , Making liberal 'allowance, then, for ths increase of local manufactures, and the decrease of the pass two years in the co?t of mauy goods at Home, • there ;s here evidence of much caution on the part of importers, and good ground to expect a considerable recovery iv busiucss, especially iv th-^ soft goods trado, during the remaining mcutha ; of the present year. The increase in the imports of spitituous litpior.'', coupled with the presumptive increase m the Colonial brew of beer—of which evidence" is afforded by the increased import of hops and the reduced import of British, beer-leads to the: belief Ihat the l; quor traffic keeps pace with the population in a greater degree than aiiy other branch of trade. Taking spirits alone, we are < onsiderably in exctss in 1876 of the exceptionally high figure's of .1874. It is sad, but true, tliat; G,;.<xi •Templarism ..has .as yet sliown no appreciable effect in checking tae demand for whisky. We again reiterate that those figures would have been of much more valuo if the Government officials would let us have them earlier in the year— sa/ not later than 31st March.