WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 June 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON NEWS

1-oL'li MONTHS’ TRADE. (Special to “Guardim”.) WEEI.INGTOX. June 8. As each month’s trade tigures are issued it Ix’comcs abundantly clear that imports are expanding too rapidly for <nmfort. The imports ior the lour mouths ended April :!«. 192-'), amotinl to 217.289.5 t 7, including s|>ecie, as compared with 21 1.921,908 in the corresponding four months. last year, there being an increase of 22..‘!1H,909 or Id per cent. It is a big jump, hut that would not occasion any anxiety were it not for the fact that the increases occur mainly in respect to the motor trade. The increase in the value of motor vehicles imported in the loin months its compared with the corresponding term hist year is 21.11,000, that is over CHH.OIiti per month more was spent on motor vehicles. Ihts in-

crease may lie i!t-1iIi• • i it is means increased expenditure mainly on commercial vehicles, hut 'that of course is not the case. 'lhc increased expenditure on petrol during the four mouths of this year was 1 93.000. on tyres, 9211,0000. The number of motor vehicles imported during the four months of this year was 79(12, or bo lor each of tho 120 days making tip the* lour months. Business in the motor trade has been gradually lacilitatcd by the time-payment system, and certain companies arc readv to finance purchasers for a consideration. Several such contents arc now operating in New Zealand. Ihe quantity of benzine import-

si during the lirst four months ol the voar totalled 10,550, f7O gallons, as compare. I with 7,-170,212 gallons in the corresponding term of last year. During the four months the value ol the tea imported was L’389.293 and of wines, spirits, etc.. 2312.801. The quantity of wheat imported was 133.971 bushels, and the value Cdln.OOii. The amount spent on solt goods was .90. d 1 2.« 29. on hardware 92.072,902. on foodstuffs 21,309.157, on beverages 9729.511, oil miscellaneous goods 90.950.2b7). ’I he

exports for the four limnths wore valued at 929,'20,7)91. as compared with 920.9-12.129 in the corresponding four months of last year, an increase of 92.5M.10b. or about II per cent. Of the total exports for the four months wool accounted for 212.910. Id!. or marly -1-1 par cent, and it i> a question whether this is not an excessive valuation ip view ol the enormous drop in

values. The quantity exported (hiring the four months was 399,-12< bales, and the average value should work out- approximately to 2d,2 Ss per bale, while for the corresponding four nmoths of last year the exports were -Id'.Oil bales, valued at 210,0 I I .SMI, or an average of .22-1 7>s per bale. 1 lie trade figures when critically examined afford a lot of useful information, hut i! would b * unwise to attach undue importance* to the figures of four months, which are affected by seasonal factors. All the same, it is evident, that imports arc on a lavish scale, and it there is no improvement in produce prices and particularly wool, importers may find themselves in trouble. AX r.WViiOTIiY SI'CGKSTIO.V. A correspondent writing to a Wellington paper draws attention to what he describes as "an unworthy suggestion ” made by the advocates of absolute control of the dairy industry. He states that they have attempted to make it appear that shippers and merchants at this end are responsible not only for the cable messages that have in:! *.* from I. union lately indicating that petiole there* arc considerably perturbed over the imn.■tiding advent of absolute control but al-m for the tici emulating stocks c, bo-lei* on hand and tor the dcpicssiou of prices. Alvssis Grounds ami Gnndfcllmv recently delivered addresses in Ihc South Auckland district and in commenting on their efforts a Waikato paper said: "They demons! rated that, some of the opposition was ba.-vd on self-interest and some on misapprehension, and they

salislaeiorilv explained away some u the bugbears, li is not to be expcctoi that those who have hitherto appro printed a large share id the peniui.sile. in the handling ol dairy produce be tween the factory and Ihe consume will be (ament, to calmly conlemplati li • n::>-:ng el il.e business; Iml 1 should b . abundantly iippareui to tin ' n-ii, tivc suppliers that every penny which ;e into the packets of the non eo-oporatito interm.-diary i-, deduelei iri.m id ■> .suppliers’ .‘•visson's cheques, H.v a Mroii.e, conibinat ion .policy !,.■ can, |d I e I '■ n n ’uded. defeat l!m mai hinj iJ'i ms ol tile ' bulls ' and ' bears ’ who I manipulate the market for their own profit.’’ The correspondent thinks tlmi tlii- is o\er-stepjnng the mark ami points out i hat I lie shippers and mer<l.ants have had nothin - wlmlver to do with tile leal's expressed bv the leading li ‘Wsjia | *ei-s eeoeei uiug. l ibe a-.-sumption of com ml I. v the Dairv Boa '‘l- 'I lm-e u ho l hin); that l lie Toolex St real merchants are mu fully scizcd id all the I acts and i auditions ennei.rniug ab-idute control are making a foolish mistake. All the big houses have their own correspondents apart I rem their commercial agents, and they are hilly advised by them, if anyone is in doubt as to wlmt absolute control means he has Imt to read the opinions recently furnished by Sir John Findlay. K.C., ami by .Mr M. Myers, ICC. The Tooloy Street merchants know all that is going on and we may be certain that they are taking all the steps necessary lor their own protection as thev have a right to do. When absolute control i- an aeemnplished fact—it is not so yet and inav never bo—then we shall know what Tooloy Street can do and cannot do. In any ease imputing unworthy motives to London merchants and their New Zealand representatives rather weakens the ease tor control.