"An Unfair Deal ”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 243, 18 October 1921, Page 2

"An Unfair Deal ”

MARKETING OF NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE. VIEWS OF RETURNED NEW ZEALANDER. “What impressed me most during my travels,” remarked Mr. W. Stuart Wilson to a “Dominion’’ reporter yesterday on his arrival home by tho R.M.S. Marama, “was the very unfair daal that the New Zealand farmer is receiving in England.” New Zealand produce, said Mr. Wilson, is being sold and not marketed. Every prominent New Zealander that I met in London assured me that reform would have to come from the New Zealand end, as it was impossible to scientifically market New Zealand goods without millions of pounds being available, in order to carry this out effectively. New Zealand produce is easily first amongst that grown in any part of the world. New Zealand butter is better than Danish utter. There is nothing to compare with the splendid honey produced—and butter, too, for that matter—is going into the blending stores for reconditioning very inferior products. “If the New Zealand farmers only realised the very poor deal that they are receiving at the hands of the millionaire merchants and others they would not rest till legislation was passed which would insist that every farmer and business man in New Zealand contributed to the funds of an agricultural bank, which should have a minimum capital of at least 25 millions sterling. It is my intention io immediately petition Parliament in t he matter, as it is the most vital matter affecting the Dominion at tho present time.” POR OF MANCHESTER. NEW’ .ZEALAND’S GATEWAY, TO THE HEART OF ENGLAND. Mr. Charles A. Harrison, represntative of a. group of, industrial service interests connected with the Port of Manchester. is in New eZaland. His mission is to sho\z producers and importers why the Port of Manchester should receive their particular attention. In speaking to a representative of the “Post,” Mr. Harrison said there was an old tradition: that everything must go to London, everything came from there. Traditions were solemn things. As they took a longtime in the making, so they took a long time dying. But it was time both the exporters and importers of New Zealand realised certain geographical and transportation facts that were manifestly to their advantage in using the Port of Manchester. Mr. Harrison referred primarily to meat and dairy produce, next to wool, and, thirdly to imports. “The popultation of London is 8,000,000,” he said. “Including it in the neighbouring territory for 50 miles arounw you have a population of 11. millions to be served. .Manchester serves a population of 20,000,000 in its environs of 50 miles.

But that is not the only point for thf New Zealand prooucer to consider There is the important matter of inland transport and other charges. It cos** the sam eto send goods to Manchester as to London, so far as ocean freight hates are concernel; but if the ex. partcr of, say, frozen meat or dairy produce wishes to reach any of the groat consuming cities of the Alidlands through London, then the goods have to carrv much heavier handicaps in the form of charges than if distributed from the ship’s side at the Port of Manchester. A ton of frozen meat for, say, Bolton, shipped through London, carries 131/10 charges, including x port rates, wharfage, porterage, rail. etc. From Manchester to Bolton the charges would be 31/3 per ton; from London to Birmingham, 81/G per ton, from Manchester to Birmingham, 74/-; from London to Sheffield 99'8 per ton; from Manchester to Sheffield. 51/1; but less per ton in each instance on two or more ton loads. Another point for the Now Zealand producer — Cold storage charges in Manchester are 30/-ipcr ton ner month, as compared with 50/- in London. WOOL FOR BRADFORD. “Wool from New Zealand has eventually to go to Yorkshire. But if it passes through London to, say, Bradlord, it will incur rail and other charges of 80/2; through Liverppol, 52/10; through Manchester 43/2. The same principle applies to all cargo exported from New eZaland. The producer may reason that once the goods are sold in Now Zealand or in London, the charges incurred in moving them to their final destination aro the buyers’ concern. But are they? Not at all. Buyers take fully into account all these charges. They do not, they cannot, pay them. The producer would certainly receive more if tho goods passed through fewer hands on their way from himself to the consumer. London is a long way from tho great markets of Birmingham, Leeds. Drby, Sheffield, Bolton, Loicester, and tho Potteries, all of which are in close touch with the Port of .Manchester by rail and inland waterway. “Take imports. 'Hie groat manufacturing centres of Manchester, Blackburn Bolton, "Warrington, Bradford, Huddersfield, Leicester, Nottingham, Halifax, Longport, arc all cheaper for New Zealand to import from via tho Port of Manchester than through London. Hero again the ocean freights are the same. The charges from any one of the above fauufacturing centres to New Zealand are much lower per ton t hrough Manchester than through London. Here aro some comparisons: —Cotton piece goods, in bales, from Dalton to ship’s side, perton—From London G3/9, from Liverpool 27/4, from Manchester 21/2. Woollens, from Bradford—From London 74/3, Liverpool 45/2. Manchester 35/6, Machinery from Halifax—From London 68/9. from Loverpool 42/6, grom Manchester 36/8.” INDUSTRI A L EVOLUTION. Other illustrations,all showing the advantages of shipping from the Port of Manchester, could be given in detail; but the above, quite typical examples, should servo. Then Mr. Harrison described the remarkable evolution of Trafford Park, the estate of Sir Humphrey do Trafford, from beautiful park lands and pleasure grounds into a great manufacturing city—all within a- lew years and since the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal. In (this groat centre are new chemical, oil. motor, electric, and oilier works, including a plant turning out 100 motor cars a day. There are at Trafford Prak the Port of Manchester warehouses, with covered store accommodation for 600,000 cubic tons of menchandise, also cold stores with 2,000.000 cubic feet, holding stocks of meat but ter, cheese, game, eggs, and fruit’, and cool storage capacity of 50,000 boxes of bacon m