A GREAT ENTREPOT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 70, 6 March 1923, Page 3

A GREAT ENTREPOT.

THE PORT OF LIVERPOOL. | ADVANTAGES FOR DOMINION SHIPPERS. COLONEL HAWKINS'S ADDRESS. Colonel T. H. Hawkins, C.M.G., assistant general manager of the Mei - [ i*ey Docks ami Harbour Board, Liver- | pool, who was entertained at luncheon ‘ by the Hastings Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon, delivered an extremely interesting and instructive address on the claims of the port of Liverpool upon New Zealand producers, as the most economical jxirt for the distribution of the Dominion’s exports through the northern ami Midland districts ot England. ’ Mr. W. C. Whitlock, president of . the Chamber of Commerce, introduced tlie speaker by saying that Liverpool was his (Mr. Whitlock’s) home town and it gave him great pleasure to welcome Colonel Hawkins to Hastings, the town of his adoption. ; Colonel Hawkins thanked the gathering for the kindness and courtesy he had received as their guest. Since he had been in New Zealand he had received nothing but the greatest kindness, and nowhere more than in Hawke’s Bay. “We at Home.” said Colonel Hawkins, “take a great interest in the development of our British stock overseas, and after what 1 have witnessed regarding the delelopment of the race in New Zealand 1 praise God for what I have seen ” GATEWAY OF LANCASHIRE.

Dealing with his subject he said ; that the two great ports of London’ and Liverpool dealt with 60 per cent, of Britain’s total foreign trade. Liverpool was the gateway for that part of the country wherein lay the three great industries of Britain—cotton, wool and iron. Liverpool was the port of industrial Lancashire and it was only 70 miles from Huddersfield, Bradford and the wool consuming centres, whilst it was also in closer touch with Birmingham, Wolverhampton and other manufacturing centres. Drawing a line across England, equidistant from London and Liverpool • would show that there was a population of twenty millions on Liverpool s side, as compared with 17i millions on London’s side. Out in New Zealand the possibilities of Liverpool did not seem to be known to any great extent, ajid he desired to point out that Liverpool’s trade had exceeded * London’s in some years, in 1920 lor instance, although he did not claim that it often did so. A port required two conditions to be of service to overseas producers—it must have ptoper port facilities and the power of economical distribution. THE WORLD’S FINEST DOCKS. Liverpool had the finest docks in the world and eight ocean ships and 21 coastal vessels left the port daily. He was not there to quote big figures, nor to decry London or any other port, because they all wanted to see British trade flourish, but he only desired to point out that the Liverpool docks were built to meet the needs of shipowners and trade in the enormous traffic of the port. There was. available for the shipowner 37 miles of quays and 28 miles of sheds, treble, double and single storeyed, and there was now in course of construction the Gladstone Dock, which would accommodate a vessel 1070 feet in length. Another advantage was the system of moving cranes capable of lifting 200 tons, whilst the 22 dry docks, including the Gladstone, were capable of taking any ships afloat. Coal was pumped in while the ships were unloading cargo, go that no time was lost, as great stress was laid on dis- _ patch and the keeping of the shipping on the seas, so as to get a reduction ■ in the freights. With this object, ships were got away again within seven days. Every new mechanical device calculated to lie of use was tested and if found good was adopted, whilst the docks were electrified throughout. THE WAREHOUSES. Speaking of the warehouse accommo dation he said that the great Ho ware street Warehouse was probably the finest and best equipped of its kind ii the country. In this warehouse 150, 000 bales of wool; dead storage, could bo stored and 90,000 could be stored after allowing for showing facilities whilst a new warehouse had been pro vided with a capacity for 85,000 bales, dead storage, or 15,000 bales could be shown and 25,000 worked and held a 1 the same time. In addition to the Board’s accommodation, there were warehouses belonging to railway com* panies and public and private warehouse owners, which could accommodate large quantities of wool. The Board did not compete witn these com panies, but rather encouraged private enterprise, as the more private people were interested the better. The Board had one tobacco bond, a 12 storey warehouse that alone occupied 36 acres and paid 35 millions in duty. DISTRIBUTING FACILITIES. The distributing services were splendid. They had railways—the L. and N.W., Midland, Lancashire, and Yorkshire, besides the Cheshire line, and a daily express took meat from Liverpool to Newcastle. The L. and N.W. and Midland Companies specialising in the conveyance of meat in refrigerated can and fruit in special insulated vans. Then the Great Western Group connected with Birmingham and right down to Cornwall. There was a daily coastal steamer service to Ireland, Scotland and along the English coast-, and they had a. i motor transport road service, which made the railways buck up. Then there ’were canals to Leeds, Birmingham and the pottery districts, as well as to other places, all of which distributing services kept the port of Liverpool clear. THE FORT CONTROL. The Mersey docks had belonged to the Coporation, which made n great deal of money, which caused the traders to complain, as they held that the money should be used for the benefit of the traders, and in 1858 the docks wcro handed over to a board of trustees, elected by the shipowners and traders making use of the port. The Board was not allowed to make any profits, any excess of revenue over expenditure having to be used either in the reduction of the port charges or expended on the betterment of the estate. Hie members of the Board were unpaid, and their duty was to administer the port at the lowest cost to those making use of it, and indirectly to every one concerned in overseas supplies. They would see by this then that in coming to New -Zealand, he had no axe to grind, but was only here to get more trade, because the more trade the cheaper tne port became. His Board merely eon- ' sidered itself the custodian of the great gateway through which passed supplies

to this large portion of Britain, and endeavoured to render it more efficient ror ■ the good of the traders, the shipowners, the producers, the consumers and every one else. THE COOL STORES They dealt in a good deal ot colonial! wool.*but not as much as they could] [ store or forward to the wool using | I centres. The frozen meat industry was one ol the best organised in the matter of selling and distribution. They had cool storage accommodation of nine million cubic feet and the last store just completed—the Alexandria—the . largest and most modern cool storage building in Europe, was served by four railways and was capable of holding a million and a half lamb carcases. The ’ cargo was discharged from the vessel . and was carried in electrically-driven hands to the too of the store and then lowered by one of the 28 electric lifts, to one of the cold chambers, the whole work only occupying five minutes, with a minimum of handling. I the provision trade was very big and up to the present Liverpool had received large quantities of provisions Hom America, but as the population of the United States increased the supplies from that source became less and the demand should be met by New Zealand for the benefit of all concerned. 1 New Zealand provisions were now land-! ed in the south of England and railed to the north, at needless and -largo railway charges. Liverpool was anxi-| ous to secure direct shipments of New : Zealand produce, for which a demand existed. It was being asked why New ! Zealand did not go in for growing pigs. I BIG MARKET FOR FRUIT.

The Liverpool market for fruit was • \ ery big and in 1920. the year ot high ; prices, over 70,000 tons of oranges, : Iiu.UUO tons of apples 26 4 000 tons ot < canned trmt 26.000 tons of currants, 10,000 tons of raisins, as well as large| quantities of plums and prunes went* through the port. Auctions were neui| every other day, and purchasers camo, to buy fruit which was railed from one i end of the country to the other. Lt was a noticeable fact that when the price of beer went up the consumption of fruit increased (laughter). They were surrounded by soap works, with a demand for tallow, and there was ample accommodation for hides aud skins. POPULARITY OF NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

In the .n atter of mutton and lambs, New Zealand suplied half the total imports, 50 per cent of the overseas supplies of cheese and 23 per cent of the total butter supply. The people of Liverpool wanted more of the New Zealand produce, as the , direct shipments were very small. The railing of frozen meat from London to Liverpool and the northern territory] cost 3-8 d per lb. He had been, hearing; in New Zealand “grousing” about the freights, but the present system of distribution from London was only adding to the cost of freight. Liverpool was the centre for Canadian, Danish, Irish, Argentine, Siberian and United States butter and he pointed out that the railage frdm London to Liverpool for butter was 2s 6d per cwt. There was very little New Zealand fruit going to Liverpool, only a few hundred cases. Other parts of the world were sending produce direct to Liverpool, similar to that of New Zealand. It' was a question, then, whether it was wise to send all their supplies to one market. London set the market prices of the world and it was not wise to glut the market which set the prices. He wanted it understood that he did not advocate that London should be starved. London was the most wonderful place in the world. London could market all the produce sent through' it, but it could not consume it in its area and so could not distribute it so economically and was railing the produce afar to places which could be served more economically through Liverpool. He did not want to tell the New Zealand producers their business, but if. on inquiry, they found that their distribution could be made cheaper through Liverpool, the matter was worth their consideration and it j was not only the additional cost that ' resulted owing to the goods being railed from London, but it was the additional handling, which was injurious to shipments. I ESSENTIALS OF DIRECT TRADE. There were three things necessary for the proposed direct trade, viz., a demand in Liverpool, keenness on the part of the New Zealand producers to try, and proper shipping facilities. Liverpool wanted the produce, but regular shipments were necessary to keep up the supply of commodities and in the past New Zealand had suffered by . irregularity. If once regularity of ship- ' ment was established, the demand could be relied upon and they, should consider getting in touch with a market where the demand was enormous. He concluded by again thanking the Chamber for the privilege of addressing them and he resumed his seat amid applause. In reply to questions Colonel I Hawkins said that he was not permitted to- recommend any particular merchants, but if they required information in that respect, they should I write to Mr. L. A. P. Warner, general manager and secretary of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, and he would put them in touch with the secretaries of the various trade associations. I Greater stress was laid by Mr. 'Jessop on the loss on meat due to the handling than to the extra cost of railage. I In moving a vote of thanks to Colonel Hawkins. Mr. E. H. Williams said that the speaker had shown that a tremendous business could be done, the surface of which had not been scratched yet and if that were so a great future lay lief ore' the Empire. He proposed to test the market himself. He trusted Colonel Hawkins would come back again in a few years to interview them regarding a further expansion of New Zealand I trade. Mr. T. Clarkson seconded the motion which was carried by acclamation. | Colonel Hawkins, in reply, thanked them for the reception accorded him and said that he was not the man who should come next. It was the trader who actually wanted to do business with them who should conic. I The gathering then dispersed.