PACIFIC TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 83, 10 April 1922, Page 9

PACIFIC TRADE.

ZEALAND AND HAWAII. A SUCCESSFUL MISSION. FIELD FOR PRODUCE "There is little doubt in my mind that England lost ;i great and wonderful opportunity "hen she lost Hawaii. It Iras originally ours, as we know. It was discovered by Cook, and was formerly known as the Sandwich Islands, named after Lord Sandwich. But, of course, it is now American, and its residents have to be 100 per cent American or else they won't do." remarked Mr. A. Moritzson, a Diuedin merchant, who returned by the Niagara on Friday, after spenrlinjr the past four years inquiring into trade matters in the Pacific. SOLDIERS' SPENDING CAPACITY. Hawaii has a population of 250,000, comprising a considerable number of mixed races. 110.000 of which are Japanese, 30.000 are Chinese, and 30,000 are native Hawaiian?. There are also a number of Filipinos, representatives of various Mediterranean races of Caucasian origin, and about 16,000 Americans |nd Britishers. The population is further increased by 30,000 United States soldiers and sailors, which number is augmented by their dependents, and also American mechanics and labourers. It is estimated, said Mr. Moritzson, that approximately 1.000.000 dollars is spent monthly in "Honolulu by the warriors of Uncle Sam and their retinue. This money, and the ever-increasing tourist traffic, tides Hawaii over the hard times that other countries have experienced owing to the financial depression. Notwithstanding the fact that the sugar market tumbled to pieces, some of the companies were able to pay a monthly dividend. He continued, "Just before I left there was considerable satisfaction over the fact that it was not the intention of the American Government to decrease the army and navy ratings at Honolulu, with respect to the reductions arrived at by the Washington Conference. Hawaii is looked upon as the outpost of the United States in the Pacific. Just consider what the spending nowers of these men. combined with the local population, means to New Zealand with her products."

COOL STORAGE ACCOMMODATION

J£r. Moritzson went to tho Islands some four years ago to investigate trade matters as affecting the Dominion, and has periodically forwarded reports to Mr. Massey on local conditions \ and the field offering for the expansion <} of New Zealand trade. "I did not go ~ to make money," he continued, "'I am t a retired man. What I wanted to do was to make good for my country, New r Zealand—all my interests are here —and J I am pleased to say that I made sue- t cess." When he first visited Honolulu i he found considerable trouble over the c spasmodic and insufficient space accommodation, particularly for cool ( storage for the Hawaiian importer. A contract was in existence under which s the Canadian Government paid a subsidy c of £50,000, and the New Zealand Govern- j ment £25,000. for a thirty days mail and i freight service. Under this contract 1 the Canadian Government had first call on all cool storage space. Fortunately the contract expired two years ago, and as. the result of constant hammering at the Government and the Union Company, a monthly reservation was made for space, under which several hundreds of tons was allotted to Honolulu. Mr. Moritzson notified the Trades an! Industries Department of the New Zealand Government of this fact, and was ■" mainly instrumental in obtaining this t concession. From that moment ttie i Haiwaiian importers availed themsei»es t of the opportunity, particularly as New ] Zealand product** of all descriptions, by < reason of quality, appealed to them. ; With the knowledge that nearly all the j Dominion's produce is manufactured under Government supervision, and exported under its very effective grading system, they were naturally anxious to trade. New Zealand produce had maintained its good reputation. FROZEN" MEAT AND 'BUTTER. "Frozen meat is the chief product consumed," continued Mr. Moritzson. J "This was chiefly imported from Aus- 1 tralia, but now comes from New Zealand. • Butter is also in demand, but under the j new Fordney tariff is taxed to the extent ; of, six cents a pound, which at times i makes it rather prohibitive; but notwith- i standing this tariff, during the Califor- [ nian off season, a large quantity of New Zealand butter is brought in by every steamer, which is appreciated because of its high quality. . The only disturbing iactbr in this trade was the fact that before the New Zealand Government control) a large quantity of bulk butter found its way to San Francisco, and eventually arrived at Honolulu in pats." At that time 3,0001b of this butter, then exempt from control, undersold the New Zealand shipment very considerably. Pressure, howeveT, was later brought to bear and control was re-established, but not before the butter had been disposed of. This Mr. Moritzson considered most unfair, and he reported the matter to the New Zealand Government, but little could be done, as there were no means of checking. OTHER PRODUCE. Very little cheese was consumed: the principal reason being that the Oriental residents were not cheese-eating people. The New Zealand article, however, was superior to the American both in make and texture. Onions have found their way in considerable quantities into Hawaii this year from the Dominion owing to the American shortage. "All that have arrived up to ,now have come ; from the Pukekohe district, and the quality is very superior to what they nave been used to," remarked Mr. Moritzson. "The Honolulu inspectors expressed the opinion that the first shipment was the finest ever received at the port. Victorian Globe and Brown Spanish compared unfavourably, as they arrived in * more or less bad condition." Despite American competition he believed there jfas room for considerable trade in this connection. THE POTATO MARKET. . "Potatoes in season can be brought in from New Zealand, but up to now we cannot compete with Californian, which are landed in Honolulu at 1 doHar 83 cents per 1001b, whereas it costs S dollars 4S cents to land our potatoes. The quality of the Dominion grown compares very favourably, but apparently that does not appeal to the consumer." Some ot the Californian potatoes inspected by Mr. Moritzson were so inferior that he heHeved that such shipments would not have been permitted to leave a New Zea-' land port for export. As the American crop was such a large one' he did not believe that the Dominion would be able to export much this season. The early American varieties would also soori be making their appearance. WOOLLEN GOODS. .Referring to woollen goods, he said ™t the New Zealand article was very much in demand owihir to the absence

ot cotton in its construction, and not«itlitand ßlU g the fact that under "he Fordney tariff New Zealand goods had "W a duty of 35 per cent ad valorem, and an additional duty of 45 cents per* pound, Mr. Moritzson brought in several shipmente, which owing to their superior quality were very successfully disposed

There was also a good trade to be done in poultry and agricultural seeds besides other commodities, and he believed that in time to come a very considerable trade will result with Hawaii if New Zealand exporters grasped the situation. -