A RECORD YEAR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 908, 30 August 1910, Page 5

A RECORD YEAR.

■•■• .ffEADE-,EESULTSv'itOST GRATIFS- ' \ •.■■■ ~-'< ; ■ - ~:ING.'v .■ ■-..-.■■ ■;.;•■■ '. (ByTeleeWph.-rresj Association.*- , ■'■■ ■ Christchurch, August 29. ; , The annual meeting'of; the' Canterbury Chamber: of, Commerce was held, .to-day.. In tho course of 'his- annual, address the .. ecting-prcsidenL.( Jlr. M. . ; : J, :■:, Jlarriner.) : eaid that :in exports and imports ;the,»re- _. ' suits for. thoj. year.,were the largest and i. most gratifying -for .years, and exceeded . all previous records. The financial strain had passed, and-thero had. been a re- .'-.; markable return to prosperity which few had anticipated. Imports hud decreased .' during-.the: past two years, while ex- : perls, had' increased..'■ This year (ending ■■■' Jiine 30); the excess/of exports over im- , '.ports wa5..<£G,644,D08, beating the next best •■■. record iur 1905 by • vThe South . Island "showed ah increase in the export . of lambV of 24,000,0001b., while, the North ' .Island showed a heavy, decrease -in'"mut.'vton and lamb,, but made up in beef. The ;. imports for the past four years showed a 'large , decrease, not.only in luxuries, but .-".- in all articles of merchandise. Since 1006 tho value of Customs returns had stead- ': ily decreased. ■In regard toNimports, he : considered that the bottom had been touched, and ho predicted that the present year-would show a considerable increase, more especially.as. confidence was . being restored. Stocks held all over NewZealand had been top large. In his previous, annual address he had drawn attention to the necessity of organising the frozen meat trade. The scare had to some .. extent died down, but the menace was . Btill there in the shape of competition 'from America through the Argentine. It might bevworth while of exporters' to carefully. watch tho attitude of .Germany in regard.to-the admittance of frozen meat into that country, and it was almost certain that before long the tariff would be removed to enable people to sietimeat gi a cheaper rate than now. . ... '