DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 68, 20 July 1915, Page 7

DOMINION NEWS.

SUSPICIOUS SHIPPING FIRM. Per. Press Associatfon. Wellington, July 19. The Prime Minister has lecoived the following cablegram from the High Commissioner:—‘‘l have been 1 informed by the New Zealand Ship- j ping Company that the East Asiatic i Company at Copenhagen are approaching firms in New Zealand asking them to act as agents for a steamer service from the Continent to New Zealand. This company has in tho past held close working hr- 1 rangements with German lines, and | it is suspected that the object of the proposed line is to protect the po.si-! tion of Germans later on. Any en-1 couragement of this line might, in my opinion, indirectly assist German trade and shipping.” BELGIAN IMMIGRATION. Wellington, July 19. In reply to a letter forwarded by the New Zealand Government, in April laet, to the Belgian Minister in Ixmdon regarding the immigration of Belgians to the dominion, the following cable message was received to-day:—“With reference to your letter of April 7, the Belgian Minister states that owing to the heavy loss in population sustained during the war the Belgian Government much regret they are unable to ( consider the 'suggestion for the encouragement of immigration of Belgian women. They wish to express thanks for the kind proposal of the New Zealand GovernlUient.

DOMINION EXPORTS. Gisborne, July 10. An interesting statistical return was presented at the annual meeting of the Harbor Board to-day,showing the value of exports per head of population at the principal ports in New Zealand, as follows: Gisborne district (population 21,585), exports for year £1,500,842, value per head of population £G9 11s; Napier (population 48,546), exports

£1,949,288, value per head £4O 3s; New Plymouth (population 51,569), £1,855,879, £35 I9s; Wellington (population 199,094), £5,323.808, £26 14s; Lyttelton (population; 173,185), £4,397,805, £25 7s; Auckland (population 244,520), £4,024,140, £l6 9s; Otago (population 191,130), £2,884,796, £ls Is. In 1913 the total value! of the exports of New Zealand was' £22,577,890, which gives an average of £2l 2s 7d per head of population.! At the port of Cishorno for the year 1914 the value of imports show a decrease of £28,367, as compared with 1913. For the same period the value of exports increased £390,488, in spite of the war. Seventy-four thousand, four hundred and forty tons were landed direct at the wharves without paying lightage. The number of vessels arriving shows a slight increase, representing an extra tonnage of 102,593 tons compared with 1913,