DOMINION TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 228, 26 September 1929, Page 9

DOMINION TRADE.

THE ANNUAL TURNOVER. ORIGIN OF OUR IMPORTS. WHERE THE EXPORTS GO. (By DIOGENES.) When one say? the Dominion exports amounted in the year 1028 to-fifty-five and a-half millions sterling, and the imports to forty-three and a-half millions sterling, nothing beyond the plain fact is conveyed to the electors. To obtain an intelligent grasp of the figures they must be analysed in detail; only in this way can the arguments for or against the proposed imposition of extra primage duty be understood. It has been alleged by opponents of the tax that the cost of living will be increased, because the tax will be passed 011. The first point that occurs to the student of the following figures is: What goods have little or no relation to the cost of living'/ The items which may be regarded as luxuries suggest themselves at once. The item of petrol and motor spirits, lubricating and Diesel oils and kerosene, motor cars, motor cycles, motor parts, and rubber tyres accounts for nearly £7,000,000. The tax 011 these articles might be passed on, but the working man would not be seriously affected. The tax would fall on those best able to bear it. This is only one example, but one has only to follow the list b?low, and it will not be difficult to differentiate between a luxury and a necessity. As to many of the articles, it will be seen how impossible it would be for the retailer to pass 011 a tax of 2 per cent. There are cases where the first distributor in bulk may be enabled to pass it on, but as the goods are divided and subdivided on their way to the user the difficulty of passing on becomes accentuated, as'the amount involved is infinitesimal. Therefore the assertion that the amount involved in the tax mulcts the user in 2 per cent on forty three and a-half millions of imports is fallacious.

£ Pefrol and motor spirits, lubricating and Diesel oils and kerosene 2 548 ">"i Motor cars and motor cvcles'ajd motor parts 3.162.75S Rubber tyres 904 775 Cigarettes and tobacco 1 478681 Whisky '40783°. "" in es lllU,™ Tea 853547 S08?r - 1.1-2n:444 Confectionery 269.090 Perfumery 166*273 Piece goods and yarns—clothing", millinery, hosiery .7,861.176 Boots and shoes 1,040408 Cameras , cinematographs, and photo material 335 307 Sporting goods 134!840 Clocks, watches, jewellery, fancy goods, plate and plated ware 656.316 Gramophones and records 324 636 Pianos 87".44S Floor coverings 574 042 Earthenware, chinaware, glass- _ w , ar « '.. 606,429 Books, paper, stationery 1,84.7,878 Leather and leatherettes 442 855 Brushes and Brushware 101^537 Ammunition °tl'°74 P h ™ p . s •• 337.767 Medicines and disinfectants .. 464 906 Surgical and dental instruments 116i47" Sulphur, phosphates, and manures 760 Of r, Wire and wire-netting 440 960 Meters 102|8b4 Iron, steel, machinery, tools. tinware 5 3-3 c\Coal 342 4" I Paints and varnishes 380 SO." P'sh IS2'OCO Cocoa butter i:;n or■■■ Fruits, fresh and dried 597*470 Wheat and flour SS^'si Salt 103,04? Seeds 200,37 • Wool packs, sacks and hessian.. 505,54? Timber 750,062 Asphalt 132.14 4 Other items 6,119,09:.' Origin of Our Imports. It is interesting to know the source <■■: our imports. The following list givthe chief countries from which they came:— £ ' United Kingdom ~. 20 57° 70? F' S i A -.. 7.703,023 Australia 3.691 46 ! Canada .. .• 2!771!2: ,: > Dutch East Indies 1 °o°B 57', Ceylon '962'.3f .J Germany 881,35! France 830,44:, •Japan 573,99* Belgium 43s °1° Italy 21s!lR" Hawaii 5.79;. Other Countries 3,190i52ii Exports for 1928. Tlie list below sets out the value of exports for 1928, and the countries to which they go. The figures which stand ou£ prominently are those dealing with, our trade with the United States. Approximately New Zealand buys four million pounds' worth more * from the United States than that country buys from us. Following is the table of exports: — Wool £15.545.569 Meat 0.743,111 Meat by-products '... 4.571.156 Butter 11.31.5,716 Cheese 6,360,766 Other dairy products 457.907 Fruit 496.570 Honev 04,529 Eggs 8,764 Where our exports go to is shown in the following table: — £ United Kingdom 40.267,966 Australia 4,010,527 U.S.A 3.555.57S Canada 2,117.006 France 1.859.561 Germany 1.454,701 India 300.499 Italy 213.539 .la pa 11 503.50S Hawaii 141.248