OUR IMPORTS IN 1879.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5938, 19 February 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR IMPORTS IN 1879.

■ In accordance with our usual custom we have attempted an analysis of the returns supplied us by the Government Printer of the imports for 1879, The well-known blue velume of some 260 pages, entitled "Statistics of the Colony of New Zealand for 1879," did not reach us until last month, and pressure on our space has prevented our publishing our usual analysis earlier. The figures, as we have before frequently complained, are comparatively out of date, and are therefore^ only interesting from what we may call the historical point of view.

Tha total declared value of the import 3 for the year amounted to L 8,374,585, of which the United Kingdom contributed L 5,302,823; Victoria, L 1,152,411: New South Wales, L 567.319; United Statea, L 438,399 ; Tasmania, L 138,825; China and Mauritius, L 233.498; the remainder being from miscellaneous sources, Buch as India, France, and South Australia. Perhaps our meaning will be clearer if we say that 63 per cent, came from the United Kingdom, and 26 per cent, from the Australian Colonies, leaving only 11 per cent, to be contributed by other places. We summarise the chief imports under a few general heads, and give also the figures for the two preceding heads for the purpose of comparison: 1877. 1878. 1579. Total imports ot all kinds f. .. £6,973,418£8,755,667 £8,374,585 Deduct Public Works plant .. .. 164,851 205,350 419,331 ;■'. i £6,808,567 £8,550,317 £7,955,254 The decrease in 1879 thus appears to be L 595,063; and considering what universal com- , plaints were heard about the slackness of trade, it is extraordinary that the diminution was not far greater. The totals for 1880, however, show -i

an immense decrease, the totals for the year, ' including Public Works plant, of which no ■'■'■' doubt*there was very little, having only reached c L6,162,011—a decline o! more than 25 per cent. > on the gross total for the preceding year. Stocks surely must now be much reduced, and there ought to be piping times at hand for mer- ... chants and importers generally. ''.'.'.'■ ',; We now give details under several principal '..' heads:— \ ■ PUBLIC WORKS PLAMT. ■■■■--■■ -'■•'■ 1877. 1878. 1879. • Kails and railway plant .. £153,404 £196,811 £393,442 ... Bridge material .. 1,344 30 3,341 ■ Telegraph material .. 9,603 8,509 22,548 ':■>■::.■'.-...: : £164,851 £205,350 £419,331 ■■■■■•■:. We next come to the most important clasß; in point of value of all our imports, viz,:— • . — SOFT GOODS AND OLOTHIKG, ■ And under this head the figures for the : three years are as follow: — :■■;■ v ■:■'-. . 1877. 1878. 1879. .Drapery ... .. £858,378 £1,223,947 £1,179,115 Apparel and slops .. 177,099 253,201 293,858 Cottons.. .. 83,033 142,058 115,329 Woollens and blankets 107,594 137,207. 173,813 . linens .. .. 12,752 10,405 13,403 ■ -Haberdashery ... 78,962 73,719 75,239 Millinery.. .. 24,127 23,057 23,654 -Hosiery..- ..29,054; 32,299 35,015 :•■■ Silks .. . :.-. 34,987 32,541 21,861 - Hats and caps .. 58,576 68,094 52,116 Boots and shoes .. 181,385 231,044 171,689 ••■---■.'■/ £1,645,947 £2,236,599 £2,155,092 These figures are enormous, and will make the average reader smile when he reflects that nearly every draper has been of late in a chronic ■. state of " selling off." If the " alarming sacrifices" of which we read are anything more than the symptoms of a sort of hysterical affection to which drapers are liable, the public only pay about L6O for every LIOO worth of stock imported—which is something to be thankful for, ■ ' ■ We will now give a heading that serves as a very fair index of the persons " marrying and ■ settling down," viz.:— - HOUSEHOLD FUBNISHINGS. . ■ : ■ •.•-■•• , 1877. 1878. 1879. Carpetlngs .. .. £29,684 £43,553 £37,719 Oilcloth .. .. 10,312 17,430 19,484 Paperhaogings and scrim 24,878 32,351 25,125 Earthenware.. • .. 40,491 37,963 43,361 China and glass (all kinds) 73,668 73,353 65,199 Lamps .. ■•-..■ 10,980 10,117 6,449 Jlusical instruments ■.. 50,640 63,632 53,747

75,239 23,654 35,015 21,861

£240,643 £278,399 £251,054 There is no great falling off here. If we add 25 per cent; for tradesmen's profits to the above total of L 251.084, and allow a hundred pounds to each family for the3e '"furnishings," we may we may estimate that about; 3000 households were set up in these necessaries of middle-class housekeeping ; by these imports of 1879. The value of pianos imported was L 37.888, and each of them is a centre from which sweetness and light are diffused in more or le3s perfection. Perhaps the hours devoted to jingles and dances willeventually lead their possessors up to the snbtle harmonies of the compoßeiß interpreted by Mr KettenS Let us now take a list of still more generally - used commodities :— FOOD AMD DOMESTIC ARTICLES. 1877. 1878. 1879. Sugar .. ..£429,262 £524,377 £511,811 Tea .. ... 212,906 303,858 197,997 Flour and wheat .. 119,199 69,776 62,307 Bice .. .. 31,895 44,173 45,224 Oilmen's stores .. 64,608 79,698 62,578 Jama and jellies .. 41,343 44,680 49,490 Dried fruits' .. 61,864 49,646 89,504 Green fruits ..42,449 49,011 67,445 Butter .. .. 129 2,885 8,664 Salt .. .. 12,606 15,345 9,528 Vinegar.. .. 10,345 11,951 8,778 Starch and blue ..' 10,431 10,485 9,390 Fish .. • .. 37,214 47,524 36,002 Cocoa and chocolate 16,597 20,304 15,467 Candles.. -.. 96,412 103,268 61,890 Kerosene .. 71,429 69,592 36,105 Matches and vestas 43,401 34,456 23,010 Totals > ..£1,292,060 £1,471,009 £1,225,790 This list is anything but complete; and the apparent decrease is probably due to a great extent to certain classes of shipments being earlier or later than usual. Let us now leave " necessaries " and turn to "luxuries," first of which, both in cost and consequences, stand BHBITDOUS LIQUOE3. 1877. 1878. 1879. Spirits .. ..£240,588 £247,923 £219,474 Wine .. .. 95,382 103,281 102,384 Beer .. .. 78,332 116,207 117,778 . ■ £U4,302 £466,414 £439,636 Add to these figures the duty and profit, and what a fearful self-imposed tax may we perceive ! The property tax is a mere flea-bite by its side. It is some consolation that the tendency seems once more towards decrease, after a maximum had been attained in 1878 j but the figures as regards beer are not creditable to our local brewers. We will now take a few more harmless LUXURIES. 1877. 1878. 1879. Tobacco and cigars ..£118,523 £134,513 £95,166 Fancy goods .. 79,701 92,073 102,801 Jewellery.. .. 46,037 51,587 67,827 £244,261 £278,173 £265,791 The falling off in tobacco is very striking, and we do not see how to explain it. The next years returns will afford some criterion as to it: permanence. Can there be smuggling going on? Next come a few items indicative of on; - progress in LITERATURE. 1877. 1878. 1879. Printed books ..£118,707 £113,098 £128,14! Printing materials .. 62,869 82,991 79,99: £181,578 £196,089 £208,14 There seems here to be a steady increase in th book trade, and, as. compared with 1877, a larg increase in the newspaper trade. MATERIALS JOS MANUFACTURES.

1877. 1878. 1879. Iron (bar, rod, pig, &o.) £93,457 £107,642 £92,417 Lead and leadware .. 9,760 23,072 22,066 lieatherandleatherware 67,716 74,362 66,611 Bark ... .. 16,952 29,141 15,582 Hops ~ .. 24,295 17,083 11,858 Malt, .. .. 9,635 7,752 10,955 £211,815 £258,962 £219,489 The fact that hops reach us in steadily decreasing quantities either indicates a large increase in New Zealand hops, or the use by brewers of Borne cheap substitute, MATERIALS OF A PERMANENT OHABAOTETt. 1877. 1878. 1879. Galvanised Iron ..£104,161 £193,028 £91,296 Fencing wire .. 70,832 100,598 65,653 Hardware and iron- ' mongery .. 236,440 299,256 260,936 Timber.. .. 78,802 94,365 135,999 Machinery—agricultural .. .. 88,752 -141,205 88,805 Machinery — other kinds .. .. 74,365 125,355 156,099 Cement .. .. 50,203 81,471 52,181 Furniture .. 62,845 86,067 91,817 Watches and clocks 18,475 25,211 31,047 Saddlery and harness.. .. 50,825 73,670 74,634 Paints and paint oil 7C.33S 87,516 32,643 Totals.. ..£906,088 £1,307,748 £933,110 The decrease in galvanised iron is very noticeable, chu fly, no doubt, the result of a decrease in price, which also »fl\cts hardware generally. The increasing import of timber, in the face of our large local tupply at low prices, ia a remarkable phenomenon, The temporary renum 1 duties probably accounts for it. O Alj. 1877. 1878. 1879. Total import for the year .. ..£240,638 £268,436 £221,457 the tonnage being respectively 155,996,174,148, and 158,076. This import we may fairiy expect to decrease from year to year, in spite of the low prices at Newcastle and low freights, as both onr railways and Bteamers are now largely udng New Zea'and coa1. BPEOIE. 1877. 1878. 1879. Gold, Bllver, and copper .. £420,555 £333,140 £351,075 The re-exports in the tame yaars were L 158.245, L.109,550. and L 76.082. The operations for the year 1870 resulted, therefore, in a net addition to our currency and reserves of L 274 993. Ot this, L 7503 was silver, and L 2510 copper, or rather bronae. Our silver currency is beginning to be more respectable in appearance, which ia probably due to large imports in 1880. We believe that our copper coinage is stiil deficient-, as drapers' tokens are pot altogether unknown ia some districts. We will now eliminate specie transactions t*r*m t\nr flthflt tlf|')ftj'ff\'fmH | And BRCW (hf

NET TOTALS FOR THE THREE -SEARS. 1877. 1870. 1879. Total imports, less Public Works .„ ... . c . plant .. £6,808,567 £8,550,317 £7,955,254 Deduct specie .. 426,585 333,140 351,075 £6,351,952 £8,217,177 £7,604,181 There is a considerable decrease here, but, unfortunately, our exports, too, diminished fr0mL5,906,150 in 1878 to L 5,743,126 in 1879, though they have suddenly jumped up again to L 6,352,467 in 1880. In conclusion, we will make a few observations on the relations between our imports and exports. The enormous disparity between imports and exports which has characterised the period of the Public Works policy is rendered possible by the money we have borrowed, and by English capital invested here. It is difficul\to say how long capital will continue to now in. Our production of wool did not for several years increase greatly, as may be seen by tho following table, in which we have taken the returns up to the 30th September of each year, so as to get the value of each clip into one line : —

WOOL EXPORT IN POUNDS WEIGHT. 1875 .. .. •• 49,942,14S 1876 .. .. .. 55,975,177 1877 . .. •• 56,520,278 1878 .. .. .. 62,166,251 1879 .. .. '.. 62,643,497 The figures for the whole year ISSO, however, indicate a sudden change for the better, no doubt owing in large measure to the partial extinction of rabbits on many Southern runs. The export for the year ISBO amounted to 66,860,1501b. Thera are signs that the next year or two will, see very different relations between imports and exports from those of the laat three or four years, the tendency now being for imports to decrease and exports to increase. The increase in the latter will be enormous if the meat and butter export trade is carried out on a large scale by the aid of the freezing process.