LIVERPOOL MARKET.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 58, 9 March 1923, Page 5

LIVERPOOL MARKET.

AFTER ATTSTRAtIAN ' TRADES. BID FOR DIRECT SHIPMENTS. LONDON. March 9. The High Commissioner for Australia. Sir Joseph Cook, the Agents-General for Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia, and other representative Australians were the jjuests of the Mersey Dock Company on a two-days' visit to Liverpool, organised with a view to impressing them with the value of the port as a distributing centre for direct shipments of Australian products.

i The president of the Corn Trade Association referred to the heavy cost of loading wheat steamers in Australia, which was very detrimental to her wheat trade. This, fie said, was partly due to the exaction of 10 per cent, of freight by way of income tax. lie also condemned pools, which he did not think had done anything to advance trade. He believed that it would be better for Australian farmers if trade were left untrammelled. Costs had also much increased through bag shipment instead of bulk. The trade in Britain also did not,, approve of the new class of Australian wheat sent by the New South Wales' Agricultural College, which was darker in colour. The market preferred the old type of wheat.

gir Joseph Cook, in reply, said that though he desired to hear criticisms, he would point out that now no Government pools, whatever existed. The poole ■were on the part of private persons, who thought, quite rightly, that the Government should go out of the business as private erowers were better able to conduct their own affairs. Bulk, handling was going ahead as fast as possible. Later the visitors conferred with the Chamber of Commerce. The president said that Liverpool was the distributing centre lor 10.000.000 people. They desired to develop more direct shipments between Australia and Liverpool. Other speakers ureed the importance of the proper grading of canned and dried fruits in order to meet the demands of the British trade.

Two hundred leading business men attended a banquet given by the Lord Mnvor in honour of the visitors. Sir Max Muspratt, proposing the toast of the Dominions, emphasised the practical common-sense manner in which Australia, by her migration policy, was helping the Motherland to solve her uncmplovment problem. ~y

Sir Joseph Cook, responding, said that Australia looked upon Britain as her tr»dition»l market and was not specially seeking, foreign markets.—(A. and NZ Cable.) —