TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

Evening Star, Issue 11890, 19 May 1903, Page 7

TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

[Special to the Stab.]

WELLINGTON, May 19. By a recent mail Mr J. G. Gow, the New Zealand Trade Commissioner in South Africa, has forwarded to the Department of Industries-and Commerce a report furnished by a reliable mercantile house in Durban in reply to inquiries made by Mr Gow concerning certain articles for importation. The report, which is dated April 10, and is interesting to colonial producers and exporters, reads as follows: Potatoes.—l consider .that New Zealand ought to be able to do a fair trade in this article, although up to the present time they have had but a small share of this trade. Last season, unfortunately, merchants here lost thousands of pounds on Australian potatoes, owing probably in . the first place to bad packing, and in the second to your merchants, who, after they had sold to buyers here, sent forward consignments as well, which so glutted this market that they themselves had a very bitter experience as a result of their making such consignments.- In consequence of this, merchants are very disinclined to order either from New Zealand or Australia, because they can buy from English and French growers with a guarantee of condition on arrival, and these potatoes are much preferred to either New Zealand or Australian. It has been suggested to Mr Gow that the department should consign, say, to separate merchants a case of seed and table potatoes gratis, ■ and if the Government grade potatoes as you say they will it will enhance the possibilities of business, and a sample case would help materially. Your approximate value of £7 per ton of 2,2401b, c.i.f.i ■ Durban, is not unreasonable, but French early rose seed are being bought at 6s per case of 661b net, c.i.f. Qualities merchants like best here are early rose, Al, Magnum Bonmn. In all cases, when your merchants are offering, it will be necessary to give the name of the potatoes. Oats.—New Zealand stout feed oats hold a big preference on this market, and the military having bought them so largely thev have been distributed through the country. Owing, however, to troops having been taken out of the country, and the military offering for. private sale, many thousands of bags are still there, and there will bo a good deal of buying done. The price at which your merchants offered to-day is 6s 3d to 6s 6d per 1001b, c.i.f., whereas oats can be bought, from South America at 5s 9d to 6s Again, there has been a fair quantity of oats sold from Canada and Die United States, but your prices compare very favorably, and you can rely, as long as your prices keep within limits, that. New Zealand will get the preference, all things being equal. . Bran.—New Zealand bran is fairly well liked here, but merchants do not consider it as good as Australian, Victorian especially, and apart from this your high prices kill business. To-day we can buy from the Argentine at 4s 6d per 1001b, c.i.f., whereas New Zealand prices are running from 6s 6d to 6s 9d, c.i.f. We could probably manage to pay New Zealand a preference of Is per 1001b, owing to the better quality of yo«r bran, but this is the limit.

Pollard.—There is but very little of this sold here; in fact, there is absolutely no demand. What little has been imported has been used for chicken food, and we do pot think the article worth pressing. Butter.—This is an artide which New Zealand ought to be able to sell here in large quantities. When we first received New Zealand butter we were rather disappointed in it, because of the heavy damage to the cases, the wood used being not more than half the thickness of that shipped from Australia. Since that, however, somi very good shipments have arrived, and thi feeling towards your butter is a great dea' better than it was some months back. Victorian butter is, however, preferred; it does not seem to contain so much water as New Zealand butter, and the color is better. Your prices compare very favorably with Australian, but we would advise your merchants to ship nothing that is not firstrate, unless specially asked for, and they must be prepared to meet very heavy competition. Like a great many of New Zealand, canned goods, the tins are not as attractive as American, and - Australia seems to take-more pains in the production of a tin that would attract the eye. A lithographed enamelled tin is what is required, Frozen Mutton and Beef.—As your representative knows, we are at the mercy of cold storage, companies here, and the only reason why they have not bought more largely .from New Zealand is that your prices have been too heavy. -They have nothing to complain of as regards quality, except in mutton, which is too fat. You will find it very difficult to get within a ring which is being formed amongst the different cold storage companies, each of them having large interests in the Argentine, and having their own agents there. Besides shipping frozen beef and mutton, they are bringing by every steamer large

quantities of live stock for daughter. , The shortage of the sea route gives -South America a big advantage. The price at which New Zealand exporters could interest these companies is at about 4d per 1b,.c.i.f., whereas at the present moment your prices t&nge from to 6d, and even more than this. -•. i. . Timber.—l cannot give yon any information about this at the moment, ate we do not know what qualities you desire-tq, export, and I am just afraid that yon will, not be able to compete with Baltic and' Pacific timber. We will go into the matter when we see your samples.