EXPORT TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 405, 14 January 1909, Page 2

EXPORT TRADE.

THE DECEMBER FIGURES. The New Zealand-Produce Exports-; Leaflet, just issued from the Department of Industries' 7 '>: and 'Commerce, shows that,the folloiving were .- the principal December exports '■ ■ Xa?t -■ ■- Deo., 1908. Dec., 1907; 9 months; Butter, cwt. ... 41,071 44,715 , 129,523 X Cheese, cwt. ... 41,146. > 20,757.; 138,558 • • Beef,' cwt "',713 10, Sit i 254,512 Mutton, carcasses " 101,155 \■<'-•40,980 1,198,331 : M'ton, .pes., owt. • :653 .'- 638 " - 28-716 . Lambs, .... 44,631"■ J-17,975 v ; :1,868;3071' 1 V: Wheat, bushels../' 103 108 - -' 1,089 Oats, bushels ... . 55.747". 259 - 891,99s . ; Other grain, b'ls . 24,957 9541;: 187,-280 - Potatoes, tons ... 12 - 13 169' ■ Hemp, tons ... . 1,05(5 ■; 2,150. .v, 10,808 • Rabbits, owt. ... 3,022 ' 11,272 ' 71,093 Hides : "13,564 ; 10.930" -"131-757 ■' Skins 1,457,153 1,300,174": 10,127,871 • " Tallow, tons ... > . 714. ... ...,728 , .,i/ 12,279 Timber, ft. ... 6,805,402... 7,158,480 . 65,799,993. -Wool, lb. ' ... .19,612,963^17,184,505"7i,849,348 •void, oz. . ... 39,566. .45,839 '. 273,338 ' The chief feature in -the' figures.; are the -' - evidence .that the holders of oatsapparently ' realised ■ the prospect of a surplus when' 'the » present harvest is counted up,"and have-'been " exporting "extensively.-:.: The clearing: began ; earnest between July and September/w&& - 332;850 bushels were- .sent , away.', and ; con- - tinued with 413,957 bushels in' the nest thr& •: 'months.'--The-'year's. total will exceed >tW mil-.: ' Hon bushels-, for the first -time in : the lajst 1 four' years. It jvill.be a slight"approach {o. i,the * old / days "■ when- the! exported., 'oats'' amounted tV'2J million'bushels (to -March.' '- 1905), 5; millions (1004),- 5J millions (1903), : " B|"millio'n's" (1902), ; and 6 l'-stJi millions' (1901). The mo nth's; chee'se;4l-,-146 tons, is .valued; at"'£115,473, , while, the December tjhicse 0f'1907, • "'hieh was less: -than" half; 'the'.'quantity. '. (20,70<cwt.) wa6 valued:-ait nearly" , as : much -money, £109,244. ; A gratifying feature*" to ■ r cheese , men .will be the fact that tho cheese ' exported weighed, more than the butter,'"'al- '- though it was essentially a butter month. The -great, increase "of tho exported cattle, sheep;' ■ '' »' and lamb carcasses over the numbers of-'tM " ■ previous December—they, were 'more ' thatf' '. . - dtfuble-r-testifies-eloquently to 1 the• luxuriance■ of the pasture's.- --Tho hemp business: in the;-' "■■■•>: month (and similarity in tho nine • was only _S0 .-.per -cent, of the, volume of the business done, in the corresponding periods of • ."i. « : 1907. In /the Qua-ntity.;cxpdrtod was less than' one-third of that of December, 1907, and .> :' the. value ,was : scarcely l more .fhan one : sixth. In hides, ana SKir\s there-has beon-Ecarcely'-any- increase of" exports, so that it .would - appear that .thereiiriast. be (-large quantities: - v o.n hana.. The. decrease in . the export-of-timber is _almost.imperceptible. of • w'ool exported-showed ran,-increase • ; : or abotit.l4 per,-cent;,.-and this is fairly .pro- >■ 'V portionato .to the ..anticipated increase.'of the total clip. : ' . '