NEW ZEALAND SUPPLIES

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 94, 22 April 1935, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND SUPPLIES

Mr. Spafford (Deputy Director of Agriculture in South Australia) and Mr. C. 1\ Butler, special commissioner writing for the "Sydney Morning Herald," made inquiries as to the source of the products that were used in Panama and the Canal Zone and the possibility of export from Australia. Mr. Butler wrote:—"We were greatly surprised to find that on the 'lonic, T the ship on which we voyaged from New Zealand, it was impossible to get Australian wines. AYe expected that New Zealand meats, butter, and cheese would dominate the menus; but there is no reason why French, Portuguese, and Spanish wines should not be replaced by Australian. There also should be an opportunity of placing Australian oranges and grape fruit on these boats, and perhaps tinned fruits and preserves. This is a matter that well plight claim the attention of the Australian Trade Commissioner in New Zealand. We also noticed that the opportunity for advertising New Zealand meats was taken advantage of on the menu at all meals. 'New Zealand lamb, 'New • Zealand' mutton, and 'New Zealand' beef always showed on the menu when these meats were served. "We have, made a rule during our trip to taste everything once, and in the mntter of meats we tasted during our stay in Panama City, once was quite sufficient. We' learned that the 'import duty on chilled or frozen beef, mutton, or lamb is so prohibitive as to prevent any but the very wealthy indulging in such luxuries, the .price being in the vicinity of 40 cents (Is BdJ a Ib. This prohibitive tariff is, of course, enforced with a view to encouraging the consumption of meat produced in Panama, though most of that which we saw would hardly be used for sausages in Australia."