A.—4

28

Butter : New Zealand, £2,891 ; Australia, £49. Cheese : New Zealand, £224 ; United States of America, £91 ; Australia, £62. Fish, potted and preserved : United States of America, £17,104 ; Canada, £1,699; New Zealand, £831 ; Fiji, £493 ; Australia, £209 ; China, £128. Fish, dried, smoked, pickled, and salted : United States of America, £310 ; Australia, £162 ; China, £159 ; Fiji, £100 ; New Zealand, £6. Flour : Australia, £9,915 ; New Zealand, £33 ; United States of America, £2. Australian flour is preferred throughout the Pacific islands owing to its better keeping-quality and greater suitability for breadmaking in the tropics. Chaff : New Zealand, £606 ; Australia, £261. Jg Oats : New Zealand, £329 ; Australia, £222. ty Wheat: New Zealand, £247 ; Australia, £185. Fruits, fresh, dried, and preserved : United States of America, £1,214 ; New Zealand, £135 ; Australia, £118. Jams : Australia, £350 ; New Zealand, £199 ; United States of America, £41. Meats, fresh, £634. The whole of this comes from New Zealand. Meats, preserved : New Zealand, £22,107 ; Australia, £966 ; United States of America, £570 ; Canada, £360 ; other countries, £174. It will be seen that New Zealand practically holds the whole trade of Samoa ; indeed, New Zealand holds the trade in preserved meats right throughout the South Pacific islands. Complaints were made, however, that certain manufacturers refused to deal direct with traders, insisting, instead, on their purchases going through New Zealand merchants. The trader thereby lost the trade discount of 2| per cent. We think this practice should be stopped, for, although it is a small thing in itself, it causes a certain amount of irritation. Milk, preserved: Australia, £520; New Zealand, £419 ; United States of America, £333. As the New Zealand product is favourably spoken of, there seems no reason why more of the business should not be done by New Zealand manufacturers. Onions : New Zealand, £493 ; United States of America, £116 ; Australia, £107. Potatoes : New Zealand, £727 ; United States of America, £152 ; Australia, £92. Bice: Australia, £12,995 ; New Zealand, £420 ; other countries, £120. Kice is re-exported from Australia. Steamers from China, Japan, and the East do not make New Zealand a port of call. Sugar : Australia, £5,166 ; New Zealand, £1,385 ; Fiji, £1,004 ; other countries, £8. Soap : Australia, £3,590 ; New Zealand, £1,920 ; United States of America, £137 ; Fiji, £83. There is not the slightest reason why New Zealand manufacturers should not get considerably more of this trade. Stationery : Australia, £543 ; United States of America, £222 ; New Zealand, £83. Starch: Australia, £252 ; United States of America, £163 ; New Zealand, £55. New Zealand should be in quite as good a position to supply this commodity as other countries. Timber: United States of America, £11,994 ; New Zealand, £1,987 ; Australia, £119. Timber has of recent years been largely brought from America by sailingvessels calling for copra. New Zealand is exceedingly short of this article for home consumption, as her bushes are being rapidly cut out. There seems little likelihood, therefore, of her timber trade extending in the future unless a large scheme of reafforestation is immediately undertaken. Tobacco, cigars, and cigarettes, £5,962, of which New Zealand supplies comparatively little. The greater portion of this trade is done by Australia. Twine : New Zealand, £214 ; Australia, £152. Umbrellas: Australia, £763 ; New Zealand, £314 ; United States of America, £2. It was emphasized by every witness that New Zealand merchants and manufacturers made little effort to capture the Samoan trade; that, taken as a whole, Australian prices were more favourable than New Zealand's ; and that, with the exception of a few articles, the New Zealand prices were too high. There was a time when the island trade was risky, but, almost without exception, every trader in Samoa is now in a sound financial position.