SAMPLES DESTROYED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 75, 30 March 1939, Page 11

SAMPLES DESTROYED

JEWISH REFUGEE'S

LOSS

PRODUCTS FROM PALESTINE

One unfortunate loser in the Victoria Street fire was Mr. E. Hirschfeld, a Jewish refugee from Vienna, who arrived here about seven weeks ago. He had with him about £1000 worth of samples of goods and products from the Jewish community in Palestine with whom he hid spent some years. His intention in bringing these samples was to open up trade with Palestine, there being quite a number of things produced by the Jews there which should find a ready market in New Zealand. In exchange the Jews in Palestine would purchase New Zealand produce, such as butter and fruit. The samples which Mr. Hirschfeld had in Victoria House represented the products of no fewer than 160 Jewish firms in Palestine, but nothing of them now remains, and they were uninsured.

Mr. Hirschfeld had already interested Government officials in the possibility of > opening up trade with Palestine, and he informed a "Post" representative today that the destruction of his samples might be a serious setback. In fringing them to .New Zealand he had been acting out of kindness to his fellow-countrymen and not in his own business interests, for he had come to New Zealand with a permit with a view to following a totally different calling to that of a manufacturers' representative.