OUR EXPORTS,

Otago Witness, Issue 1920, 4 December 1890, Page 30

OUR EXPORTS,

The exporb returns for the September . quarter again show a large increase on those of the corresponding quarter of last year. The figures are as follow : — September quarter, 1890 ... £1,528,574 » „ 1889 ... 1,298,289 Increase ... ... £330,285 The specie movements were very slight — only £7900 in 1890, and £6829 in 1889— and therefore only affect the surplus by a few ! hundreds. The chief items of increase are as follow : —

The gold export is encouraging, particularly as the increase in the September quarter follows an increase of £85,000 in tbe June quarter, and the indications therefore are of something like a permanent recovery, and not of a mere spurt. There is now a better water supply on most of the goldfields, and if this continues through the summer it will make a considerable difference to the yields. The Reefton mines are also giving better returns, and several Otago mines promise well. The dredges bave not so far fulfilled expectations, the difficulty being to save the gold ; but there is no reason to suppose that they will all fail in getting returns when the rivers fall. The wheat export is somewhat exceptional, and is due to the necessity for relieving the market of surplus stocks, with very little hope of a profitable return to the farmers — the value set down in the returns is rather over 3s a bushel. Wool and meat show steady increases. On the other hand the decreases are mainly as follow : —

The export of coal was affected by the strikes on the West Coast, and should now assume its ordinary dimensions, with, it is to be hoped, a steady increase. The difficulties whichjattend the profitable export of butter have caused much disappointment, and the problem has yet to be solved of producing a quality which will take the English market, and of so packing it that it can be safely sent Home in cool chambers. If the difficulties could be overcome a very large export would spring up. The market for oats, affected as it is by the heavy duties in Victoria, is very low, with little prospect of improvement. If the farmers could only get Is 6d a bushel, large areas could be profitably grown, but at present the outlook is far from favourable, and we fear the farmers will have to look more to grass and turnips for profit than to cereals. In the flax market something like a collapse has taken place, and though the M'Kinley Tariff Bill has removed the American duty of £4 a ton, and there is a considerable demand in the States, prices are low in London, and it is only the more cheaply-worked mills that will be able to keep going, and these at greatly reduced profits. It will be seen that the variety of our productions is considerable, and we have by no means got all our eggs in one basket. Our timber export is considerable — £44,501 for the quarter, which is almost the same as for the corresponding , quarter of last year, and may be expected to increase if the demand from Australia keeps up. The chief exporb is in kauri from Auckland, and ordinary descriptions of pine from Southland, in which latter district the cost of production is very low, the selling price of rough timber being something like 3s 6d per 100 superficial feet. Our imports do not respond to the exports, the returns for the September quarter being £1,763,799 against £1,901,651 for the corresponding quarter last year. Still the Customs revenue keeps up well, which seems to show that goods are going freely into consumption.

Joal ... lutter ... ... larley ... >ats •hormium lanufactures 1890. ... £11,449 5,703 17,631 ... 14.186 ... 64,117 ... 46,419 ... 15,877 1889. £17,721 18,510 40,130 20,684 72,331 97,027 21,658 Deorease. £ 6,272 13.8U7 23,509 6,493 8,104 60,608 5,881

Sold ... Wheat ... Wool ... Frozen Meat Dheese ... Babbitakins Fallow ... Potatoes Leather... Kauri Gum 1880. 1889. Increase ... £196,753 £128,771 £ 67,982 199,343 49,238 150,105 217.678 183,539 34,139 ... 226,520 191.791 34,729 19,027 9,333 9,694 47,245 36,076 11,169 33,615 28,372 5,243 49,497 40,215 9,252 20,810 14,720 6.090 76,570 70,065 6,505