EXTENSION OF MARKETS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20316, 15 August 1931, Page 9

EXTENSION OF MARKETS.

HIGH COMMISSIONER AT BRISTOL. ! i ~ [ PURCHASE OF NEW ZEALAND; PRODUCE URGED. j utrom ovx O'.v:," cOßaESPOEuss'i'-J | LONDON, July 2. j It vrils New Zealand day at Bristol j on Wednesday, Juno 24th, "Crhen the j High Commissioner, Sir Thomas Wilford. j paid an official visit to tbat ancient eit-y j as the guest of the Lord Mayor and t-ho Port of Bristol Authority. Sir Thomas's visit in the interests of increased trade between Bristol and th<j populous area the port supplies and New Zealand. Already tho Dominion finds an oxcellent market there, but there arc possibilities of expansion. In the morning the High Commia- ( sioner was motored to the Avonmoutb Docks. Accompanying him were the London managers of the New Zealand Meat, Dairy, and Honey Producers' Boards (Messrs li. S. Forsyth, 11. Ti. Davis, and H.'W. Castle), and Mr F. J. Nathan, of Palmerston i orth. The morning was spent in a tour of the port, which is one of tho best equipped in Great Britain. Alderman E. M. Dyer, chairman of the Port Authority, had eharge of the party, and was supported by the General Manager (Mr B. H. .Tones), the Docks' Engineer (Mr W. P. Wardsworth), Aldermen of the City, and members of the Port Authority. Just prior to the visit the s.s. Middlesex had unloaded a general cargo from j New Zealand including 6000 cases of > apples. The whole consignment of j apples had been sold, but the stores ' had not been cleared. There had been much tho samo experience with other ! sections of the cargo—cheese, butter, j and lamb—and tho authorities v/ere thus [ ablo to show the High Commissioner ! our produce actually being handled in the sheds and cold stores. An exceedingly interesting morning was spent by .Sir Thomas in seeing the up-to-date appointments, including those relating to the unloading of bananas and wheat. Bristol handles more bahanas than any other port of Great Britain. Lying in tho docks, also, was a former German raider, Mawe, now the Changuinola, of the Elder Fife line, engaged in the baa- ( ana trade. j Luncheon was provided in ttie Port I Authority's promises. In proposing the High Commissioner's Health, Alderman j Dyer said that speeches would be re- j served for the Mayoral banquet in the i evening, but lie nevertheless desired to j express the great pleasure it gavo i them to have tho High Commissioner.j for Now Zealand with them. (Applause.) Sir Thomas, in thanking the chairman of the Port Authority, said that as one who had been associated with harbour construction and development at Wellington for some years as a member of the Harbour Board and for two years as chairman, ho had been immensely interested in all he had seen that morning. A motor drive through the Mendip Hills country followed, with a call at the famous Cheddar Caves. The return journey was by way of Weston-Super-Mare. Mayoral Banquet. .In tho evening the Lord Mayor (Alderman F. F. Clothier), a trim picturesque figure in the Mayoral uniform of the ancient city of Bristol, received tho High Commissioner at the Mansion House. There was a largo company Invited to meet Sir Thomas (who had with him the representatives of the New Zea--1 land Produce Boards), including Aldermen and other Civic and Port Author--1 ities, the president and membors of the ' Chamber of Commerce, the president of 1 the New Zealand Produce Association. ! (Sir Thomas Allen), the piesident of the 1 Bristol Provision Trade Association, the president Of the Bristol Corn Trade As* sociation, and representatives of leading provision firms in Bristol and of London. Sir Halford Mackinder, P. 0., 1 chairman of the Imperial Shipping Com- : mittee was also present. The famous Bristol plate was displayed for tho occasion. Proposing "The Dominion of Now Zealand," Alderman Dyer said that ' the City of Bristol and the Port Authority appreciated very much the visit of Sir Thomas Wilford. Ho, personally, had particularly appreciated tho keen and practical intorest their guest had shown in everything ho had I seen at the docks. Ho quoted facts and figures relating to the trade of tho Port, and expressed tho opinion that New Zealand could with advantage send more produce there. He also pointed out » ways in which the Bristol merchants " and shopkeepers could encourage a , - greater sale of New Zealand products, . and thus induce the Dominion to two the port to a greater extent. High Commissioner's Speech. The High Commissioner had a very 3 cordial reception on rising to respond. | It was nineteen years, he said, since t ho had visited Bristol and its. port. It was not necessary for him to speak of., the progress that had been made in r that period. He expressed warm thanks ' for the reception that had been ac- ? corded hini as New Zealand's represenj tative, and for the general atmosphere . of good fellowship which, indeed, one always foumi radiating in England to--1 wards New Zealanders. (Applause.) "If I may describe New Zealand,?' proceeded Sir Thomas, "I would do so in t these words: 'Wo are British products Empire grown, with the Homo flavour.' (Applause.) That is talking to business men in their own vernacular—just as 3 the 'Lord Mayor greeted me a few minutes ago in tlio Maori tr"2;ue.'' (Laughter and applause.) After all, what waO the difference between tho Englishman I and the New Zealander? Only the miles that separated us! drank e King's toast with Englishmen. Referring to tho interest which the Prince , of Wales had shown in the development of. British tr»de abroad, Sir I Thomas said that tho Prince's sugges--1

tion that Home manufacturers should study the requirements of the countries to which they exported, was applicable also to exports to New Zealand. In the Dominion already British cars had begun to take tho place of American cars, and this was because men had gone out there to see what was wanted. Britain was first in tlie air, on the land, and on the water, but somehow or other the Englishman seemed to have a sort of superiority complex. He eould not speak of what he could do as other countries eould. It was not done. ; Tratfe'vith BriMel. j .yMter speaking" of Great Britain 'b leading place, injjhe world of finance, her possession and traditions, in.~th.le respect which-every nation envied her, .he went on to speak ox the existing: trade of New. Zealand with Bristol. Last 5 year 22 shipa from New Zealand had; docked at "Avonmouth. These ships had earried 360,000 carcases of mutton and lamb. "A\o have the best meat in the world," he declared. (Applause.) "We sold you 9,700,000 carcases last year, and only 120 of them were condemned—chiefly for wrongful thawing." (Applause.) New Zealand differed from Australia in regard to her sheep, because we bred for carcase as well as for wool. It was satisfactory to know that the supply of New Zealand lamb to Bristol was increasing. Of butter last year wo had sent 82,732 boxes, and of clieese > 57,203 crates. At the end of July of this year 16 steamers would have brought, to Bristol from the Dominion 105,841 boxes of butter and 55,220 crates of cheese—an increase oyer the whole of j last year of 28 per cent. in butter, and approximately the same in regard to. five months of . tho year still to go. (Applause.) The ships that brought this produce had to travel 18,000 miles, and they carried, also, general cargoes of wool, pelts, flax, etc., almost tho whole of which bad to go to London to consignees there. Sir Thomas at the same time spoke of the cordial, sympathy of New Zealand with Bristol for more direct shipments and of lier earnest desire to co-operate with the port. The people of Bristol bought our produce and were Our friends. The "black spots" to New Zealand were Lancashire and Yorkshire. There foreign butters were preferred, though the New Zealand product was rich in vitamins and of the highest quality. Of apples New Zealand had sent Bristol by steamers last year 35,538 cases; and thefe had also been 71 tons of casein sent, 119 tons of milk powder, and 07 tons of hemp. He would like to see more honey Sold in Bristol. New Zealand honey came from white olover, and was of the highest quality. The Dominion was contributing one-third or Britain's total imported supplies. Keen Competition. Big competition, continued the High Commissioner, was coming in the world. 1 (Applause.) "Who was going to win— Britain's kith and kin, or the foreigner? (Hear, hear.) Britain had to make up her mi d. (Applause.) ' New Zealand had no two minds on tho subject. The Dominion bought British goods. Every penny Britain spent with New Zealand came back, but every penny spent with the foreigner was a prisoner for life. (Applause.) Sir Thomas went on to speak of the necessity for a bettor knowledge in Britain of Empire geography. Recently a case had conic under his notice of Florida fruit sold as Empire, and the man who had sold it had insisted that Florida was in the British Empire 1 Proceeding, Sir Thomas said he thought that in regard to Empire goods the public were entitled to know what they were buying, and were also entitled to protection from deception. Tlie "country of origin" of any article of produce from the Empire was entitled to the right of building up a goodwill, and tho public were entitled to know what they were paying for. (Apnlause.) Danish Gutter had built up a definite consumers' demand by keeping to the name. "I claim," said Sir Thomas, "that the Empire is entitled to build up a goodwill, and 1 repeat that the public aro entitled to know what they are paying for." (Applause.) So far as an increase in the direct shipment to Bristol was concerned, the matter' was in their own _ hands. The clause in the agreement with tho shipping companies stated that a cargo o£ 350 tons of produce would entitle

them to a ship. The matter was in their own hands. Empire Still Strong. "You have your troubles," concluded Sir Thomas, "we have ours. What mother of a largo family was without them. I see the wrinkled forehead of the business man of tho city to-day, but that is the outward and visible sign of maturity and not of decline. (Laughter and applause.) They say: 'John Bull, you are not the man you were!' I do not believe it. No Now Zealander believes it. No part of the British Empire believes it. Why, in tho midst of her troubles Britain was suggesting the electrification of her railways—a scheme involving millions sterling. (Laughter.) Britain was not done, and with the traditions of the past, and with the help of the Dominions and that co-operation which spelt success in a family, a nation, or an Empire, Britaih could, and would, b6 greater than ever before." (Loud applause.) Other toasts honoured were '"The Oity and Port of Bristol," proposed by Sir Halford Mackinder, P.C.; the "Meat, Dairy, Honey, and Fruit Trades of New Zealand," proposed by Mr 11. R. _ W. Bamberger (president of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce), and responded to by Sir Thomas Allen (general manager of the Co-operative Wholesale Society), Mr C. E. Davis (president of

the Bristol Provision Trade Association), and Mr W. F. Seed (a large importer of New Zealand mutton and lamb).