NEW ZEALAND TRADE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 8733, 6 February 1907, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TRADE.

{Per Press Association),

Wellington, February <3

Tire annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce is being held to-day. The president, G> Sirirtciiffe, said the question of preferential trade with the Empire was still in tliy> air, tlrougn little or no actual progress appeared to hare been made. The total import and export trade of tiro colony for 1005 amounted to L‘28,000,000, of which 70 per cant was done vvth Great Britain, 19A per cent with other British possessions, 74 percent witir the Dinted Slates, leaving only 3 per cent of tiro total to other foreign nations. Ho expressed the opinion that it would bo to the advantage of the colony to offer Britain a reasonable measure of genuine preference irrespective of any return the Imperial authorities might or might not be able to make. Eegar ding our exports ihe fact should not be lost sight ct that the increase was largely a price ",ri not a iacreiisc, and that so far as could be judged the continuance of good time's iu tire colour during the next few years depended to a very groat extent upon the maintenance or values rather than on any substantial increase in the volume of exports that might be expected. Traders should bear in mind that present abnormally high prices for our produce could not be expected to continue, and should there be anything like a severe slump the reaction would he severely felt. Prospects for the current year appeared to be excellent, and everything pointed to the colony being iu a highly prosperous condition. The only danger ahead that one could foresee was that Mich good times might lead to an extravagant standard of jiving. Overspeculation ou the p.tri of traders and other-, the effects of which would be disastrous. Eeferring to the trade of Wellington he said that during the last four years it had increased by 15 per cent. Lyttelton by 21, Auckland by 19 and Dunedin by 15.