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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 27
Our Imports
Our Imports.
An analysis of the imports of the past two years will be found of interest to the trading community, as showing some of the main items which made up the large increase in 1882. It is impossible without going into wearysome details to make this analysis complete, as there are more than 600 different items in the official returns. There are, however, two trades—the soft-goods and the hardware trade—that can be separated from the other trades of the Colony, as representing large sums, and being conducted for the most part by different individuals from those who import general merchandise. There are also some large items which can be selected as giving a general idea where the other chief increases are to be found. We have compared the year 1881 which may be taken as an average one) with 1882, which certainly represents one of excessive importation.
| 1882. | 1881. | |
|---|---|---|
| Total of all kinds | £8,609,270 | £7,457,045 |
| Less gold and silver specie | 265,320 | 155,029 |
| £8,343,050 | £7,302,016 |
showing an excess for last year of rather more than a million. The following figures account for the greater part of this excess, and show that more than half of it is represented by softgoods and hardware. Let us first take
| 1882. | 1881. | |
|---|---|---|
| Apparel and slops | £288,621 | £236,153 |
| Boots and shoes | 196,140 | 131,780 |
| Carpets and druggeting | 43,679 | 26,586 |
| Cotton piece goods | *218,872 | 153,167 |
| Cotton (sewing) | *24,097 | 6,919 |
| Drapery | 1,011,846 | 1,033.857 |
| Tailors' trimmings | *54,593 | 9,275 |
| Haberdashery | 60,440 | 49,972 |
| Hosiery | 38,953 | 26,049 |
| Millinery | 27,204 | 20,602 |
| Silks | 16.677 | 25,154 |
| Woollens and blankets | 155,314 | 97,245 |
| £2,156,436 | £1,816,759 |
Excess in 1882, £339,677.
| 1882. | 1881. | |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural implements | £35,607 | £19,898 |
| Hardware and ironmongery | 257.650 | 184,256 |
| Axes and spades | 28,942 | 22,796 |
| Agricultural machinery | 77,496 | 63,742 |
| Galvanised iron | 157,175 | 128,455 |
| Fencing wire | 150,223 | 81,687 |
| Nails | 59,279 | 38,752 |
| Tools | 46,930 | 30,335 |
| £807,402 | £569,901 |
Excess in 1882, £237,501.