SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1901. TRADE WITH GERMANY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14013, 18 September 1909, Page 2

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1901. TRADE WITH GERMANY.

In spite of the opeiution of a preferential tariff in favour ol British goods New Zealand's im- ' ports from Germany continue <o steadily increase. The Trail v Review has gone to the trouhle of compiling statistics, which show that during last year oui imports from that count i.v amounted to £889,581 , a* compared with ±".277,107 in 100 r >, the intervening years each .showing an advance on the last year. These figures do not cover the whole of our impoils of derma n goods, for a considerable quantity tomes in by indirect routes. TIk 1 largest individual item is piano.-., which were imported last year to the value of £48,814, as against * £49,718 in the previous and £51,000 in 1900. This lallfiig-oif was probably due entirely to the depression, and not in any appreciable degree to the preferential duty, because we notice that the I- imports in 15)()G were slightly gr«yter than in 1908, the year before the Preferential and lleei- , procal Trade Act came into foice. Next in importance comes the item fancy goods, of which Germany supplied last year £82,419 j worth, rather less than in the pre- - vious year, but very much more 1 than in 1903, when the total was £25,088, again indicating that preference given -to British goods has not injured German trade. Then we tome to glassware, of which we imported £2G,2C2 worth i from Germany last year, as against £19,201 in the previous - year, and about £15,000 before the preferential rutes were imposed, once more showing the futility of the tariff. The jiu- .. ports of German china and earthenware have also increased in a j marked degree in spite of the i tariff; so, too, have hardware, holloware, and ironmongery. The ; » preferential tariff docs not apply * to German sewing and other ma8 chinery, which are imported in s increasing quantities, but lamps, J lanterns, and wicks come in inf creasing quantities in spite of the , tariff. Bicycles and material were affected by the tariff at first, but * lost year they were imported more ' largely than before the tariff came 1 into force. An item which haß been affected is printing paper, . which used to be largely imported fioiu Germany, but has now dropped to very small figures. In * other papers, however, the Germans appear to have gained prouud in spite of the tariff. In & fact, it is difficult to find where the preferential tariff has very i materially assisted British trade, L though, as we said before, these figures are probably incomplete on account of German goods coming ill by indirect routes, thus '. making it difficult to make accurate comparisons. Our export 1 * t to Germany for last year showed * a falling off, being only £40,191 I as against £60,489 in the previous 1 year. , But these again are incomplete; in fact they arc alto1 gether misleading, for they show only £GSGO worth of wool sent to Germany, whereas it is knov.i >. that lafge quantities of New Ze.»- ) land wool are bo.ight by German \ houses at the London sales. If [ we can manage to induce Germany to buy frozen meat from iv we may expect to see our import* largely increased, and although this would be contrary to the ide;. of preferential trade we do no' think many in New Zealand wovl<? object to exchange frozen meat ' for German manufacture^,