DEDUCTIONS FROM IMPORTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 265, 29 July 1918, Page 6

DEDUCTIONS FROM IMPORTS

Sir,—l have noticed some correspondence concerning whisky importations. If you will allow mo a little space, I would like to let your, readers understand by deduction something more about our import*. First, the imports from Great Britain in 1917 were five millions sterling less in value than in l!)1f>, but our exports lo .tho United Kingdom were only nne and a half millions less, Tho deduction from this i 6, having regard to the increased prices of imports, that the goods were not bein? brought to New Zealand, and that tho" ships coming to this country must have been coining along with, only half cargoes.

I do not desire to bothor with this liquor question, because, for its value to tho country, it occupies loss space on

boats than almost any other commodity! and it pays nearly 11)0 per cent, of its valuo as duty. No other commodity in common uso contributes so much to tha up-kcep of the country's finance. Deduction: Total abstainers dodge this contribution.

Now I come to the five months' imports of this year. Take drapery anil, apparel: We imported just on i'10fl,0(18 worth per month this year. Deduction: We are still clothed and in our right mind.

But that does not take into account hosiery, of which, we imported in thefive months no less a quantity in valtie than J>10!1,553. Deduction: If women work sox for soldiers they cannot bo expouted to work their own!

are a swift-moving race, and it was necessary to import in five months of this year some .£237,241 worth of motors, bikes, etc. (all these figures aro the wholesale or invoice prices) to keep up our movements. We imported some 490,01)0 gallons of whisky in the five, months, but if whislcv came instead of motor-cars we would 'have had 2,500,000 gallons more of whisky! Prohibition deduction: It. is better to import motorcars than whisky.

When I noted drapery, apparel, and hosiery, I ought to have said that those did not include all that a mere inni» calls "drapery." What are known- as textile piece-goods—cottons, linens, canvas, dress goods, silks, woollens, etc.— totalled in value in five months no les3 than .£1,140,968. The deduction from this is: That even to this day in the fourth year of the great war man has still reason for lamentation that live discovered that certain autumn lints suited her style of beauty—that all her daughters have inhoritcd their mother's taste for the pretty things of every seasonwinter, spring, summer, autumn. Still, we would have saved in five months .£1,140,968 if prohibition of \ dress had never been abolished!

Just one ite.ii more: In Iwots and - shoes we imported in five months of this year over fifty thousand dozen pairs— 002,000 pairs of boots and shocs-at an invoiced cost of .1203,682, about 6s. 9d. per pair. Deduction: There is no indication among the people of ■ New Zealand that they are reverting to the' habits and customs of the aborigines. Notwithstanding the wax, the general deduction is, that we are enjoying most of the advantages of a nU'nly-U'iltured. civilisation, irrespective of the ravage? and devastation wrought by the ungodly Hun, who would dominate the , world, and place ns all under his (eet. That wo are enjoying all these things in New Zealand is a tribute to the majesty and supremacy of the British iNavy and the armies of the united Allies. God help our cause.—l am, etc., M.