The Ashburton Guardian. Magna et Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1. 1889. OUR EXPORTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2269, 1 November 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna et Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1. 1889. OUR EXPORTS.

An interesting return is to be found among the Parliamentary papers which have been forwarded to us by the Government printer showing tho prices at which the principal items of New Zealand exports have been valued m the annual statements for tho past ten years. The items dealt with are wool, tallow, meat (frozen and preserved), wheat, oats, barley, and timber. The return shows that as regards wool there was a steady fall during tbo first eight years of tiie decade — tbe figures being, per lb, 1879, Is Old ; 1880, llfd ; 1881, UM ; 1882, lHd ; 1883, 10f_ ; 1884, 9gd ; 1885, 8&d ; 188G, B£d— while m tbe last two years there was a slight recovery, the price quoted for each year (1887 and 1888) being an average of 9d per lb. As between 1879 and 1888 the value for the last-named year shows a depreciation of 28 per cent., a slate of things which has, however, during tho past few months undergone a very satisfactory improvement. The quotations for tallow show a much more marked downward range ; the depreciation m 1888 as compared with tbe values of 1879 being over 43 per cent, the highest figures being that of 1883, which was 83s ld per [cwt. The following are the figures given for each year of the period under notice, viz —1879, 31s 5d ; 1880, 28s lid ■ 1881, 29s -, 1882, 80s 6d ; 1883, 33a ld ; 1884, 31s 2d ; 1885, 25s 6d ; 1886 18b 5d ; 1887, 19s ; 1888, 18s 4d. The figures for frozen meat begin with the year 1882, from which its appearance among our exports dates, and show a fluctuation ranging between 27s 2d per cwt, m 1884 (the highest quotation of the decade), and 22s Bd, the lowest quotation, that for 1887, the figures for the other five years being respectively : — 1882 25s 4d ; 1883, 26s lid ; 1885, 25s 2d ; 1886, 24s 8d ; 1888, 22s 9d ; the last being as will be seen within a penny per cwt ofthe quotation for 1887. The figure for 1889 will again show a very satisfactory improvement. For preserved meats the values range between 52s 7d per cwt (m 1879), down to 37s 9d (m 1887), the year 1888 showing a slight recovery, the quotation for that year being 89s 3d. The prices for wheat \ stands as follows :— 1879, 4s 2d ; 1880, i 8s ld; 1881, 4s Od; 1882, 4s 7d ; I 1883, 4s 4d ; 1884, 3b 3d ; 1885, 2s 8d; *• iBBb, 8 3 o- ; 1887, 3s 5d ; 1888, 3s Bd. For 'oats illS values given are .—1879, 2b 8d ; 1880, la st\ 5 1881, la lid ; i 1882, 2s lOd ; 1883, '2s id • 1884, 2e 2d ; 1885, ls lOd ; 1886, 2s Od ; ; 1887, Is 9d ; 1888. 2s Od. For barley 1 we have— lß79, 5s 1 ; 1880, 3s 7d ; ; 1881, 8s 3d ; 1882. 4a 4d ; 1883, 4s 2d : 1884, 3s lid ; 1885, 3s Od ; 1886, 2s i lid ; 1887,3s 6d ; 1888, 3s 9d ; and for timber per 100 ft. super, the values 1 range between lis 6d (m 1882; the \ highest quotation, and 8s 2d (m 1887 r and 1888) the lowest quotation for th( . period.