TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 81, 30 December 1907, Page 9

TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

.VELIiIiNWi'ON'S CONTINUED PROS- ' '.VERITY. ■_ l"his district .lias shared with other parts of -tho Dominion the efforts of the general wave of prosperity. Trade has been brisk throughout tho year,' and local industries have,, been busy. ' ■ > , Tho, exports of Now Zealand produce from the port of" Wellington for tho year ending Soptember 30 last were valued at £3,711,681 showing an increase', of somo - £373,000, ' or a. little over 11 por cent, as compared with the. previous year., Of this increase nearly £178,000 was. seen in. wool and sheepskins, £50,000 in frozen meat, over £60,000 in dairy, produce, and £20,000. in hemp. It must bo admitted, however, that more rapid rates of ineroaso were shown in tho exports from Auckland (£3,516,731, exceeding those of the previous year by 21 por cent.), and the smallor North Island ports, which, taken together, record an increase of 27} per cent; Wellington's imports during the samo period wero valued at £4,649,870, an increase of moro than £655,000 over the preceding .year. The Customs revenuo collected at this'port during the year ending Septem-ber-30 was £820,701.

,'t'lio now Customs tariff has been quietly accepted by all concerned. It has given a stimulus to some of the loonl industries. The year has not boon without its special anxieties. , Now Zealand was affected by the world shortage of whoat, which, in conjunction with tho operations : of: speculators, caused remarkablo ■ rises in tho prices of wheat, flour, bread and other foodstuffs. Tho situation'is now somewhat easier. Among tho remedial'" measures that .wcro proposed for the . benefit of ,tho consumor, ono hag taken shape in legislation, as described in our article reviewing the political developments; of the year.. Anothor cause of' anxiety, has been':tho fallen wool, which is regarded as duo in great measure to the untoward happenings:in financial centres overseas. ' Local industries' have been busily employed throughout the year. .Tho engineering works- andiron foundries have had plenty.of orders, and the year.has been for them'ono of expansion. Tho railway workshops, both of. the Government and tho xUanawatu- Railway Company, have been; actively engaged- in turning out the material to provide for an increased and increasing traffic." . Tho i woollen mills havo been busy with a growing' output,notwithstanding tho '.difhculty in obtaining suitable labour. ' The. local boat-building yards have been, hustling . throughout .the year, and have beon assisted by the newly-imposed 20 per cont. duty on tlje imported articlo. Tile extension of the municipal wator supply promoted the strenuous life ■ among plumbers and brass-founders. Furniture-makers, manufac-turing-jewollers, electricians and other manufacturers have had, an active and prosperous year: .Nevertheless, all thq local industries havo been complaining of 'the scarcity ' of labour, and especially, of boy labour. A year ago a-.commitice of the Wellington' Provincial Indutrial Association stated:' "In every department of -trade and business the cry-is the same, 'Cannot'get boys,'": 'At the,end of 1907-,.tho cry/is still the same. .- Thoro aro about 750 retail shops in Wellington;and they; have had a-good averago year.. Population has -increased, but the number of shop 3 has/increased with it,-.and,f as a consequence,- the onha'need demand for commodities has not greatly enriched the individual trader, i-Also • tho.ro havo been shadows ,in the picture. Tho soft ; goodspeoplo were hit by .the lateness of the spring. Thoir trade, moro than some others, , wasdisorganised by tho changes in tho Customs tariff. Tho removal of the duty,on cotton, goods put .them into a 'great hurry to dispose of-all th% stock of that description.. Retailers''in somo lines state that their margin of profit- is smaller, and that they havo observed a -.slight).tendency on the part of their customers towards cheaper articles. This has been lraticeablo in presents, !and throughout: the, j;ear : in fancy goods. -It is attributed ! to tho increased cost .of living, especially tho high rents and tho •high prices of foodstuffs.