Decrease in Exports.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 272, 21 November 1904, Page 4

Decrease in Exports.

MEAT AND WOOL. SOME EXPLANATIONS. WELLINGTON, Nov, IG. Inquiries have been uuulo amongst commercial men here by Times representatives as to the reason for the decrease in the exports the colony shown by recent returns. "The decrease in the incat exports," said Mr Nicholas Iteid, of W, and G, Turnbull a*l Co-, "may be attributed to the low prices of meat in London and the higfi prices of fieozing stock. The price of freezing wethers is so high just now that you cannot ' purchase l'or export. &ov wethers, 22s and 23s is asked now, a very high liguve as compared with that of previous years. The price of ewes is 21s and I remember the time whon it was possible to buy them for lis. The reason for those high prices is to be found in the shortage of fat I stock. The season has been a : backward one, ami stock are not cumi ing forward fast. It must be remembered that Uie stock exported from the North Island during the last four ■ years, s'hows a rapid increase in boll) quantity and value.'' In reference to the wool experts. Mr Biutfiisrter, of the Jirm of Murray, Itoberts and Co., said the sltipment of wool in 1902 —1903 was an abnormal one, and it was only to be expected that a considerable drop would take place in the succeeding : twelve months. •"Farmers," lie continued, "hekl to their clips /or a couple of years, and sent them to the London market. In 1903, in one cuse our linn shipped three years wool for one grower. In 1901 the export of wool was normal. Then you have to iake into account the decrease in the ilocUs o£ the colony, losses by storms in the South, and sundry other contributory causes."

Air Uaibin, manager of the wool dul>artnicnt for Levin and Co., had no doubt ajbout the cause of the d<*creasv. Over-exportat ion of sheep had resulted in a great decrease in tile colony's fleeces, tl nd u corresponding diminution in the annual clip." "There is nothing to be pessimistic about," declared Mr S. Carroll, secretary ol the Wellington Chamber o) Commerce. "Tho in the exports need cause no ulurm whatevei when we realise that the values ol produce exported lor the year ending September last show u-n incix>ase of nearly a million and a-haM wlieJ) comlurid with the values for the twelve months uuling September, 190L>, The fact is that last year was a boom year, and our export trade was swelled enormously by our shipments to South Africa."