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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 66

Trade with Different Countries

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Trade with Different Countries.

A comparison of the total value of imports in 1883 and 1884 according to the countries whence they were received, gives the following results :—
United Kingdom, decrease £307,354 or 5.9 per cent.
Australian Colonies, increase 59,579 or 3.8 per cent.
Other British Possessions, decrease 97,806 or 18.0 per cent.
United States, decrease 70,693 or 16.9 per cent.
Other countries, increase 105,914 or 53.0 percent.
A similar comparison as regards the exports for 1883 and 1884 results as follows :—
United Kingdom, decrease £188,815 or 3.5 per cent.
Australian Colonies, increase 481,711 or 43.4 percent.
Other British Possessions, decrease 24,819 or 25.8 per cent.
United States, decrease 216,620 or 50.3 per cent.
Other countries 55,798 or 49.7 per cent.

It will be observed that the exports to the Australian Colonies show a considerable increase. The principal shares in this increase fell to New South Wales with £207,751, and Victoria with £268,337. Gold was exported in 1884 to New South Wales to the value of £138,674, and to Victoria of £560,390.

The very slight increase in the imports from the Australian Colonies is accounted for by a falling-off of £124,302 in the imports from Victoria, and of £26,931 in the imports from Tasmania. The imports from New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia, page 76 however, show an increase of £173,591, £22,382, and £12,558 respectively, which more than counterbalances the deficiency.

The large increase of 53 per cent, in the imports from "Other Countries" is more than accounted for by the fact that, in 1884, £138,899 worth of merchandize, principally raw sugar for the Auckland Refinery, was imported from Java, the imports from that country in 1883 having been nil.

A new export, which has taken a very high place since its commencement four years ago, is that of frozen meat, principally mutton. In the first year of the trade, 1882, 15,244cwt., valued at £19,339, were sent to London; in 1883, 87,975cwt., valued at £118,328, and in 1884, 254,069cwt., valued at £345,090. The following extracts from an interesting address delivered by Mr. J. S. M. Thompson, Chairman of Directors, at the annual meeting of the Gear Meat Freezing and Preserving Company (Limited), of Wellington, afford some valuable information with regard to the frozen meat trade. For the year ending the 31st October, 1883, the export of tallow amounted to 22,093 casks; for 1884 to 22,022 casks, and in 1885 to 18,870 casks; the decrease showing that boiling down was being superseded by freezing. The quantity of frozen sheep shipped during the three years ended on the 31st October, 1885, was : 1883, 126,365 carcases; 1884, 408,346 carcases; 1885, 489,554 carcases. The low prices realized lately in the London market have been somewhat discouraging, but quite recently the price has advanced to 5½d. per lb. Mr. Thompson stated that the prices per lb. for New Zealand frozen mutton in London had been as follow for six months in each of the three years :—
Year. June. July. August. September. October. November.
New Zealand Mutton.
1883 7¼d. 6¼d. 6d. 6d. 5¾d. 5¼d.
1884 5d. 4¾d. 4½d. 5d. 6¼d. 5½d.
1885 5¼d. 4¾d. 4¼d. 4¼d. 41/8d. 4d.
English Mutton.
1885 7½d. 6½d. 6½d. 5¾d. 5¼d. 5¼d.

In June, 1885, the difference in price between English and New Zealand mutton was 2d., whilst in November there was only a difference of lid. per lb.

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