The chief feature of the Board of Trada returns for the month of April was the big increase in exports, particularly in view of the fact that the Easter holidays fell at the beginning of the month and so reduced the number of working days. Another feature is that the increases in' the imports and the exports show less disparity than! has recently been the case.
April's imports were valued at £167,154,308, as compared with £112,085,823 in the corresponding, month of last year an increase of £55,088,486, The exports for the, month reached—£106,251,692, an increase on April last year of £47,769,880.
Three-fifths of the increase in imports fell under the head of raw materials and articles mainly unmanufactured, which showed an advance of £31,691,090. As in previous months the largest increase was in raw cotton and cotton waste, which accounted for no less the sum of £19,431,215, There is a decrease of £2,556,205 in wool, raw: and waste, and woollen rags, and another decrease of £1,106,289 in rubber.
Imports of food, drink, and tobacco rose by £3,718,378, the principal increase being " in' grain and flour, which rose by £6,101,988, On the other hand, meat fell" by £7,390,736, There was an increase, articles wholly or mainly mana-factured, of £9,947,262, oils, fats and resins being responsible for £3,177,370 of this amount.
Much the greater part of the increase in exports fell under the head of articles wholly or mainly manufactured, the increase in connexion with which amounted to £40,421,653. Cotton yarns and manufactures rose by £15,870,393, iron and steel manufactures by £4,540,308, and woollen and worsted yarns and manufactures £4,470,001, Vehicles, inch ding locomotives, shipg and aircraft, accounted for an additional £3,305,898, machinery—£2,115,907 and manufactures of other textile materials £2,074,925.
For the four months of the year the imports totalled £697,167,383, an increase upon last year's period, of £238,505,239, while on the export side the corresponding figures were £401,795,112 and £195,946,077.
Tae Commercial Commissioner in the East for New South Wales has received @ cablegram from the Premier of New South Wales referring to the Press Congress of the World, which was recently fixed to take place at Sydney, in October next. This date has now been altered to March-April of 1921, a9 ill be been seen by the telegram: "Owing to political changes, and other conditions, the Press Congress haa been postponed until March-April, 1921. Government repeats cordially. the invitations for the Congress to meet in Sydney, and promises cordial welcome at later date. Postponement is in interest of all concern-
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