Appendix

Extract from Leading Article, "New Zealand Herald," 15th July, 1899.

It may be remarked that our exports to Australia consist mainly of our own products, not more than 5 per cent, being re-exports. Our imports from Australia, on the other hand, consist to a considerable extent of re-exports of commodities of British or foreign origin. The export trade to Australia seems to be irregular, and is dependent, no doubt, to a very great extent upon the nature of the season there. Thus in potatoes, while in page 19 1896 we sent that article to the amount of £8286, and in 1897 to £18,733, in 1898 we reached the enormous figure of £137,416.

The above figures show plainly that a very large proportion of our imports from Australia consist of articles which have been brought there from foreign countries, Melbourne or Sydney being for us merely the handiest market. Although our export trade to Australia shows an increase on the totals, still it is manifestly irregular in regard to any particular item. Of the machinery supplied, to the value of £24,741, nearly £8500 worth was of our own make. We shipped preserved milk to the value of £9600, nearly all our own production.