IMPORTS FALL AT PORT

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1930, Page 7

IMPORTS FALL AT PORT

BOARD DISCUSSION ON CAUSES. BIG DECREASE IN USE OF SLAG. One reason for the falling off of imports at. the port of New Plymouth is the drop in fertiliser imports. This year, it w»fi stated at the Harbour Board meeting yesterday, the manure imports were 16,000 tone lower than last year. So far the exports were 2000 tons short but the export trade would recover next month. The general trade had held up well, said the chairman (Mr. C. E. Bellringer). It was impossible to form an accurate estimate of the trade over one month. The figures had to be taken over a period. The drop in manure imports was 12,000 tons in slag and 4000 tons in phosphate. The imports in manures would increase, said Mr. H. C. Taylor. The orders for slag had just been deferred. The farmers would have to get it. The falling off in slag imports affected the whole of the imports, said Mr. W. T. Wells, particularly because the boats that brought slag were general cargo boats. One ship brought 500 tons of slag last October, said the secretary. Since then no more had been imported. The previous year 5000 tons had been brought in, “Our position is better than elsewhere,” said Mr. E. Maxwell. “Two things are causing the decrease —the increased pt‘?e of slag and the smaller buying capacity of the people. In the Waikato and other places the position is more serious altogether. Their payouts are much less than ours and the farmers canned afford to buy manure. Many of them are very shy and hard up,' Our general falling off in trade is not so bad as in other parts of the Dominion.” Coal imports at New Plymouth were down 1000 tons, said Mr. J. H. Holm. He thought the caqse of that was the increased use of electricity. The port used to do a big trade in Australian coal, said the chairman, and used to have sliipo from Newcastle until the strike at the Newcastle mines. The same thing had happened in the petrol trade at the port. Since the pumps had been installed the harbour board received 2s for every 300 gallons of petrol. Previously the board received 3s for every 160 gallons. Harbour imports and dues were continually changing.