HOW THE TRADE FARED IN ENGLAND LAST YEAR.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 885, 21 February 1907, Page 20

HOW THE TRADE FARED IN ENGLAND LAST YEAR.

Figures are generally dry reading, but the following report from the “Licensed ictuallers’ Gazette” should prove otherwise:— Brewers and distillers have both had a bet.er year. The improvement has not been so great as might have been expected, in view of the enormous increase in our oversea trade, but they have done distinctly better chan in 1905. The total exports of beer and ale have amounted 10 544,43 1 barrels, valued at against 520,990 in 1905, of the value of £1,722, 210, '-..and but for the falling off in our trade with British South Africa and Ceylon the figures wou 1 - more satisfactory than they are. India has not only maintained her position as England’s best customer, but has increased her imports, having taken last year x 33>674 barrels, of the value of 355> as against 127,382 barrels, valued at 1 6,035 in 1905. Australia comes next with 62,771 barrels, as compared with and the United States third with 56,955, as against 50,900. These are satisfactory increases, but the greatest activity has been shown in the trade with Egypt, which has jumped during the past year from 15,674 barrels to 25,214. New Zealand took 7,523 barrels, as against 6,045, and the Straits Settlements 10,887, as compared with 12,194. The West Indian demand has been steadily maintained, the shipments reaching 16,526 barrels, as against 16,646, while “Other Countries” figure for 219,619, as compared with 219,639. The distillers of the United Kingdom have put £130,000 more in their pockets than they did -in the previous year. Altogether the sum total value of the 7,314,648 gallons . exported amounted to 734>, which compares with received for 7,19'1,237 gls. shipped in 1905. Australia continues to be far and away our best customer, having taken in 1906 , no Iqss a quantify than 1,828,527 gallons, valued at as compared with (

1,664,745 gallons,, of the value of 122. Whether this trade will be interfered with by the new legislation passed by the Commonwealth Parliament last year remains ,to be seen. New Zealand, notwithstanding all the talk about prohibition, has also taken more, the shipments to' that colony having increased from 444,657 gallons to 574,108, but, strange to say, next to Australia the United Staes is the largest buyer of British and Irish spirits, and last year took as much as 941,891 gallons, valued at The South African shipments have fallen away to the extent of nearly and the East Indies has also taken less, the decrease in money value being well maintained with 750:408 gallons, while the shipments to Foreign West Africa and British West Africa both show a considerable increase.

What is chiefly remarkable about the import trade in foreign spirits is the marvellous increase in the shipments of rum to ths country, and the decline in the brandy trade. Last year we received 5,137,477 gallons of rum, valued at as compared with 4,216,447, of the value c f £"260,272 in 1905. One is tempted to ask where it all goes to, and who drinks it, in view of the fact that no less a quantity than 4,051,014 gallons were* entered for home consumption, the reshipments having amounted to only 995,795 gallons, valued at The brandy trade, it is well known, has suffered considerably, the shipments to this country last year having amounted to only 1,880,795 gallons, of the value of £958.422, against 2,637,597 gallons in 1905, valued a 1: £1,230 498. The reshipments have also fallen from 92,749 gallons to 67,900, though it is evident that the demand from abroad has been for the finer quality, the money value of the latter being £48,191, as compared with £51,667 for the larger quantity. The to*al of foreign spirits imported last year was 8,013,779 gallons, valued at £1.619,272, ts against 7,630,765 in 1905, of the value of £ 1,821,297. The wine merchants have evidently also had a good year, last year’s imports totalling 13,134,114 gallons, of the vame of £4,218,563, as against 12,731,050 gallons, valued at £4,218,563 in 1905. France, Portugal, and Madeira sent us more, and all the other wine growing countries less. The one great feature about the returns is the enormous increase in the trade in port. Last year we received from Portugal 3,707,377 gallons, of the value of ,£1,099,727, as compared with 2,952,876 gallons, valued at £861,607 in 1905. The shipments from Germany have fallen from 435,388 gallons to 431,921, Spanish red has declined from 1,851,837 to 1,689,049, and white from 1,214,333 to 1,119,702, while Italian wines show a decrease of some 22,000 gallons. The total quantity shipped from France to this country last year was 4,105,302 gallons, valued at £2, 221,423, which compares with 3,860,858 gallons, of the va ue of 2,222,239 in 1905. It will thus be seen that the demand has run on the cheaper kinds. The imports from Australia have fallen from 864,923 ga lons, valued at £136,791, in 1905, to 622,836, of the value of £100,161.