NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIV, Issue 25, 19 April 1912, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

CANADIAN MARKETS. [Press Association.} AUCKLAND, April 16. "I have received information 'by last mail to the effect that New Zealand butter had been selling during the month of February .and the early part of March at Is 7d 'per lb in Ottawa, whereas the price of 'Canadian creamery butter during the same period was Is 8d per lib." This remark was made by Mr Beddoe, Canadian Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, this morning, when waited on for information concerning the prospects of New Zealand's trade with Canada. To reach- Ottawa butter from this Dominion has to travel about 11,000 miles by boat to Vancouver, and then 3500 miles by .rail. Further, it is susceptible to cool storage charges, therefore the fact that our butter is capable of being sold at a lower rate than the local product is somewhat remarkable. "What of the quality?" Mr Beddoe was asked. "Weill," he replied, "the comparison appears to be in favor of the New Zealand article, as my correspondent remarks, 'the butter is beautiful, and we prefer it to our own creamery butter.' " A further fact of interest mentioned by Mr Beddoe was that potatoes have been selling lately in Ottawa for lis 4d per bag on a rising market. The demand had been ~so great that, importations had been made from Ireland. "It is intimated to me," said the Commissioner, "that many thousands of bags could have been sold at a good price had they been available. The position is certainly a remarkable one that Canada, which is such a heavy producer of dairy and agricultural produce, should find it necessary to buy .butter from New Zealand, and potatoes from Ireland." Mir Beddoe said that he was aware that tla.rge quantities of onions aire shipped to Vancouver from here at this time of the year. Asked as to the condition of trade generally between Canada, and New Zealand. Mr Beddoe said that Canada, finds no fault with the expansio-r. of trade in so far as it affects Canadian exports to New Zealand. The returns of the Montreal Canadian subsidised service for the fiscal year, ended March 30, 1911. he said, showed an increase of £20,000 over the previous year, and last year's increase was £BO,OOO over and above the 12 moiithfy.prececling from the Vancouver side. The vessel's on the new CanadianNew• Zealand service had large cargoes from Canada for this Dominion. "A review of the situation," remarked the Commissioner, "discloses the advantages of a.preferential tariff within the Empire. Previous to .reciprocal preferential relations with Canada, the mutual trade of the two countries'was much less than at present." The importance of adequate transportation facilities was a.lso 'emphasised. In reply to further questions, Mr Beddoe said that the boats which came from Montreal to New Zealand •subsidised by the Canadian Government did not return to Canada." This Dominion was thus losing an opportunity of securing valuable addition•al facilities for export. Seme of the boats went to London loaded with New Zealand produce, while others of them went to Australia and loaded produce for the Home market. "The significant feature herein," said Mnßeddoe, "is that Canada pays £2OOO every month for a vessel equipped with refrigerated sjin.ee (which :i P not needed for her own exports) to carry her manufactured products to Xew Zealand from Eastern Canada, and this action is made nugatory from the Zealand standpoint because- this 'Dominion does not take advantage of these boats. Canada, by .paving the subsidy alone," added Mr Beddoe. "provided the character of vessel that you need m your return business. but which we don't actuary need in the snipping of our manufactured articles to New Zealand."