TRADE WITH JAVA

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 56, 8 March 1922, Page 8

TRADE WITH JAVA

POSSIBLE MARKET FOR NEW ZEALAND GOODS

Comment has been made by Mr. Byron Brown, of Derbyshire's (N.Z), Ltd., upon a cable message published in The Post as to trade between Australia and Java, and he has expressed the opinion that the Dutch East Indies offer a very profitable market for New Zealand goods, providing satisfactory communications' can be established.

The Dutch East Indies, comprising Java, Sumatra, Celebes Isles, Borneo, and a thousand other islands, forming giant stepping-stones across the Indium Ocean between Australia and Asia, he said, are more or less thickly populated by Malays, with, Europeans directing industries and commerce. There are 40,000.000 people in Java alone, but only 60,000 aro whites, mostly Dutch" and English. The Burns, Philp andi the Dutch K.P.M. Lines run regular steamship services, two or three times a month, from Australia- to Dutch East Indies, with, many ports of call, Batavia being the final port. The boats cany fulli cargoes of Australian floor, oatmeal, pollard, preserved milk, cheese, canned butter, and other milk products.

During lus visit to Java, about twenty months ago, said Mr. Brown, he, had! found that those goods were of poor quality, and he had heard expressions of dissatisfaction from the Dutch andi English merchants, who, having heardi of tho high quality of New Zealand produce, were inquiring for it. The Dutch had been, and were now, importing dairy stock from New Zealand, but the industry was confined to tho mountains, and, as yet, was only in its experimental stage. An enormous trade, in his opinion, could: be done by New Zealand with, the Dutch East Indies, and the Dutch and English would welcome trial shipments. Only once had a Java-owned Dutch, vessel traded' to this country, the K.P.M. Roggerveen, which brought a full cargo of Java sugar to Auckland a few years ago. The Ehitch East Indies could send sugar, tea, coffee, cocoa., spices, kapoc, rattan ware, and many native home-in-dustrial product of artistic value. Java tea was excellent for Wending purposes. The full flavour of Java tea, however, was an acquired, taste, wTiich would; have to be cultivated by New Zealand palates.

At present transhipment at Sydney was the bar to economic trading with. Java, and direct trading was the only remedy.

When in Java, he told the merchants that New Zealand "dairy produce was bringing such high prices that fresh markets would not bo a temptation, but the day would come when tho Dominion wonld be glad to open up trade. "That day has como," said Mr. Brown, "and it behoves New Zealand to exploit this great market of more than fifty million consumers. Shippingl is looking for freights, and trial shipment by enterprising merchants, without seeking any Government help, would he a profitable experiment, and.' would lead to constant trade at good prices for the Dominion's at present languishing products."