NATIONAL BUSINESS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 138, 9 December 1930, Page 12

NATIONAL BUSINESS

THE TRADE POSITION

& STATISTICAL REVIEW

"EVENING POST," 9th December. The -wool sales held in Wellington yestevday tell their own story, but what coujcerifs traders most is the relatively small Amount of the wool cheque to be received this ." Christmas. There will not be so much to go round as last Christmas, for not only has less wool been sold, but it !has been disposed of at a much reduced price, compared with rates current this time last year. "The tide of national business," remarks the Government Statistician, "appears to have been at a fairly low ebb during October." He refers to the volume of debits placed to individual accounts (excluding' Government accounts) in the banks of issue. In comparison ■with October, 1920, the slackening in business activity is described as "considerable." The record dairy production is noted (it is referred to hereunder). .Building permits, show-very little movement, although a tendency to slight improvement .is> noticed in' the building trade, principally in Christehurch and Auckland. Land ,' transfer and mortgage business has receded, particularly- in town and suburban properties. But this branch of busiuess was particularly active in October, 1929. The cumulative total of exports for the ten months ended 31st October, was £8,500,000 less than that for a similar, period of 1029, and £1,500,000 less than the preceding five-yearly average for the period. Wool exports are' 'down £7,000,----000; cheese less by £41.4,000; hides and skins are short by £732,000, and there were no specie exports during 1930, as against £644,000 for 1029. Values of principal exports'for the ten ' months ended 31st October were as follow: —

The general fall in the -world's commodity prices is reflected in • the above returns. ... Exporting oi! dairy produce and wool •hiring November and December), -will be heavy,' supplemented to a small extent by meat and freezing works by-products, ■which are much heavier, however, in January, February, and March than at the ciid of the calendar year. But the above figures may be taken to roughly indicate the value of ( the export trade for 1930 in comparison -with that of last year. On-the ten months' figures for 1930, however,, the value of all.exports compared with those of 1929 is- down 'by £8,557,444, but there is a set off of this loss of £3,724,100' represented by contraction.' in imports, so that the actual loss by reduced returns from exports for the ten months is £4,833,344.

10 months 10 months ;' 1930'' 1920 £ £ Butter 9.800,000 0/745,00 Cheese 5,103.465 5,517,825 Casein. 137.250 319,738 Dried milk 226,346 225,392 Beef 330,825 510,392 Lamb 6.S19.547 6,601,744 Mutton - 2,1^2;725 1,707,574 p or k 433,904 477,278 Sausage skins 720,221 609,895Preserves and meats 124,343 330,252 Apples 641.355 542.4S3 Wheat 181 35,777 Hides, ox and cal£ 415,699 568,300 Babbit skins .... 1UMS 324,134 Wooled skins 2691143 323,051 Tallow ■'•>■• 623,001: 644,530 Sheep pelts ...C. 1,144,280 1,393,604 Wool • ■ >.*<y. 7,312X144 .. 14,355,645 Flax .....v^v. .185,880 291,743 Grass seed .?M?&> 122,31'2 142,913 Kauri gum -.^v. 171/592 220,978 Coal .:.....;¥?&$.. 158.480 242,915 Gold :.T:R:\.. ' 486,176 448,397 Silver t 40,397 36,644 JHmbei- 271,023- 35S,080