PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 42

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Statistics of New Zealand for 1803.

Bather a dry beading, isn't it? But in glancing through the volume just issued I saw ranch that must prove instructive to those taking an interest in the welfare of our Britain of the South. And nothing but a perusal of such a work will tell us how to make laws that will, especially from a commercial point of view, be of benefit to the colony. Besides, a study of the commercial figures of a nation will give us more clearly that any other way I know of a proper conception of the relative progress of one colony or State in comparison with all others. CONSULS. I daresay it will surprise many to know that there are in New Zealand over 50 consuls, under various titles, representing countries outside the British Empire. Little Denmark is represented by five, though the amount of imports returned as coming from her is represented by the small sum of £157. Italy has seven representatives, with a total import and export trade of only a little over £7000. Chili has three consuls, and our imports from there last year totted up to only £2. Franoe has four watching her interests, but then she sent us £12,000 worth. Germany, her bitter rival, has six consuls for the £69,000 we get from her. Ie must be remembered, however, that a great deal of what we import from Europe comes via Melbourne, Sydney, and the direot lines of steamers, for most of the trade of tbe world goQs in well'deflaed trade, routes, and we do not lie within the traok of any of them. It is possible in the dim future that New Zealand will be to the water hemisphere what Britain is to the land hemisphere} then trade routes will radiate from her like the spokes of a wheel from the nave, but that is far ahead yet. iMfOItTS Afct) E#PdßtfS» Statistics referring to population, marriage, birth, and death rates, particulars as to diseases, &c, I shall pass by ; but those relating to imports and exports ought to ba of value to us as giving an indication of how and where trade can be opened up to advantage. The United Kingdom, of course, comes in for tbe lion's share, sending us four and a-half millions of the seven millions we import, and taking over seven millions of the nine millions we export.

Of the Australian colonies, Queensland seems to' be the most profitable one for us to t rade with, for we send to it over three times as much as we get from it, and as it isn't interest on money we've borrowed. the difference must b8 gain. Victoria and New South Wales pretty well balance, but as a great part of what they send us is only transhipments from the Home and Asiatic lines of steamers, their direct trade may also be of considerable advantage.

The imports from A*ia are very large and the exports very small, and ie seems to me there is room for a largely increased export trade in dairy and other produce in this direction. Bengal send us £210,000, Oaylon £55,000— by the bye, I read somewhere that

Ceylon is exporting 15,000 tons of tea this year — Hongkorjg £26.000, and Singapore £10,000 ; Bombay, Madra«, and Burmah are nowhere. Seeing we got so muoh from Asia, why not- do as Victoria is doing, and send a commissioner to the south-east of that continent ? The figures I have given only indirectly give tbe value of our imports from there. At present we must be getting much through middlemen. Why shouldn't the Union or some other company institute a more frequent direct ' service 1 It could extend its operations up the Chinese ooast, which sent us £1 1,000; to Japan, which figures as £14.000; and to the Philippines, with its £4000. All are markets ready for our products.

I was rather surprised to see that our trade with Canada is represented by less than £1000. But here again there must be something wrong, for the lobster and salmon and farm implements — suoh as reapers and binders — must largely exoeed that amount. I shall be very glad if we can lessen our trade with the United States and increase it with Canada in most of the same classes of goods — petroleum, tinned fruits, &<?. Why not? It would help to bring about federation, and I do not think the transfer would be disadvantageous to us. At present, however, the trade with the United States seems a profitable one to us, for our imports are less than £400.000, while our exports— mainly kauri gum and flax— amount to £500,000. Year after year it is becoming more apparent that Wellington is becoming the depot for New Zsaland. It seems to be destined to be the port for ccean-going steamers, tbe coastal fleet being the distributing adjunct, and perhaps rightly so, for it is certainly central, and its harbour is accessible and capacious. And next to Wellington we must put in the future — at least this is my opinion — the City of Auckland, which will monopolise the trade of the South Sea Islands. We import from these islands over £200,000 worth, and export to them nearly £150,000 worth, and of this amount Auckland is credited with over £160,000 imports and nearly £130,000 exports. Here again, though the figures are valuable, they are not as accurate a guide to trade as they might be, for I think that the first ports of arrival and departure are given the benefit of tbe cargo totals. But apart from that an analysis of the figures — I cannot give them in full here — shows the importance of the South Sea Island trade to Auckland. Though I'll not give the figures in detail, some of tbe totals will be interesting to many watching, the development of our trade in that direction. From the Fijls £143,000 to £52,000; New Caledonia, £560 and £2385 ; Now Hebrides to £30; Friendly Inlands, £11,000 and £40,000 ; Savage Islands, £448 and £1059 ; Navigators, £1512 and £20,977 ; Cook Islands, £13,962 and £9736 ; Chesterfield, £6510 and £1209; Society Islands, £8858 and £9402; Phoenix, from £030; Maiden, £12.0G5 and £51 ; Sandwich Islands, £16 and £4715; Rocky Island, from £1598; Loyalty, from £360"; Norfolk Island, £802 and £2509.

Two or three of these names— Chesterfield, Maiden, and Rocky, for instances — are. less known than the Loyalties and New Hebri-, dcs, yet their trade is more important.

Another table gives the countries we Import from, and the proportion coming toeach of the ports here. It is well worth studying. Then we get a table of the articles we import and the countries they come from, and it gives some rather unexpected figures. Cotton from the South Seas, candles from Germany, coffee and preserved fruits from Singapore (Ceylon sent us 800 tons), oream of ' tartar (about six tons) from Italy, fish from Hongkong, 25,0001b of peanuts from Fiji, hides from Cape Colony ,'and bones and bonedust (640 tones) from Bengal ; nearly 2000 pianos, of which all but a half came from Germany ; nearly all the linseed came from Bengal ; and while Italy Bent us 90001b odd, Hongkong sends us 'about 50001b — made by Chinamen ? — and Japan some 27001b ; , Italy, Germany, and Belgium send us large quantities of wax matches; Germany and 1 Sweden wcoden matohes ; but Japan sent us j 1800 gross too. But perhaps I have gone far enough. A ! complementary table gives the destination of our exports, but, of course, as much of what we send away goes by regular lines of steamers to British ports and is then distributed, we cannot say the exaot amount of New Zealand productions consumed in .any given place. We can easily perceive, however, bow every part of tbe world is depen* dent mora or less on every other part; and how disturbing causes, such as wars, inter' .national, or industrial in the shape of strikes and lockouts, dislooate trade and transfer it from one channel to another. The study o£ statistics such a 8 I have given would, if taken up by unions, show the neoessity of j thinking very seriously about forolog trada ito other oantrae, When the Newcastle minors struck some eixor seven years ago they did not thick that their action was giving; an impulse to ooal-mjnlng in Japan, wnerq women load up auipa with ooal, and fotoect the opening up or the Vanoouvsr mines to supply the west coast of the States. The' highly-organised and Complex system of modern exchange Is exceedingly sensitive td unfavourable influences, so it behoves -us to* think twice before throwing it out of gear.

— Mr Jinks : " I don't know how yOti wil| feel about it, sir, but the fact Is that my wife, your daughter, is a dreadfully, hard woman to live with." Mr Blinks : " I can' sympathise with you, sir. I married her mother." —An Andalusian Threat.— An Anda'nsia'Ti of gigantic stature and colossal strength tfdd one day with a party of friends. A little man amongst them persisted in trying to pick a quarrel with him, which causing him at last to lose patience, tbe large man said to him : " I advise you to be 'silent, for otherwise I will put you between two «Uc°a of brta-1 and swallow you like an anchovy." Epps's Cocoa. — Grateful and Comfoeting. — " By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine properties of well-selected Cocoa, Mr Epps has provided for our breakfast and supper a delicately flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctor's bills." — Civil Service Gazette. — Made simply with boiling water or milk. Sold oulv in £lb packets, by Grocers and Store-keepers, labelled— ", James Epps & C 0.,. Homoeopathic Chemists, London, England,"

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In order to increase the postal facilities the Postmaster-general, by way of experiment, has arranged to have posting boxes fixed to certain cars in Wellington for letters, newspapers, and small packets, but no valuables must be enclosed. An ordinary lamp-post receiviag box ia to be used, painted of a conspicuous colour. If tbe system is a success it will be extended where practicable to other places.

At Invercargill on the 27th Percy St. John, of the Brisbaue Pantomime Company, was fined in the maximum penalty of £1 for holding a " rational " concert in the theatre on Sunday evening. The police remarked that the law was defective, as it offered a premium to persons to break it, and the Bench agreed that the penalty fixed was too light.