THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8095, 26 September 1904, Page 2

THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE.

Tlie annual report of the abore Department is to hand. It contains 35 pages, 20 of which are taken up by Mr Kinsella's report on "A Visit to the Argentine Republic." It is descriptive, historical, and discursive, of a country which is a trade rival of this colony, and one which we can have no, hope of supplying with produce. Information about the Argentine and its possibilities no doubt was secured in order that we might have first hand ■ome definite and official knowledge of the conditions of the rival New Zealand has to fight. Sir J. G. Ward, in submitting the report, says," inter alia : "The head office is still being used to a great extent by comnercial people visiting the colony, who are supplied with information which enable- them to do their business with the least possible loss of time, and in many cases .the information supplied leads to business of a satisfactory nature, and of considerable value to the colony. The Department itself does not undertake trade of any nature, for or on behalf of anyone ; it acts as a medium to obtain and distribute information, and to assist, traders and producers in finding fresh markets, and, if possible, to further develop existing ones." For reasons contained in the above it is impossible to express in figures the direct gain to the colony by the operations of the Department. The departmental expenses are given as follows: "The expenses incurred in carrying on the head office for the year ending March 31, 1904, amount to £1240 7s Bd, made up as follows — Salaries, head office -Wlo ss, South African agency £40 — £460; Produce Commissioner of London, £400. The other expenses for the three centres respectively, in the order above given, are as follows: — Clerical assistance, £296 Bs, £36 10s. and £191 Bs 7d ; reift of offices, £137 10s, £21 18s 6d, in London nil; traveling expenses and allowances. £4 19s, £499 10s lid, and £658 6s 3d; contingencies, £85 5s Bd, £36 6s, and £4 5s lid. It is remarked that "travelling expenses and allowances" are unusoally heavy in London, "as they include the cost of Mr H. C. Cameron's visit to the colony to give evidence before J>h» Parliamentary Committee appointed to report on the frozen meat trade." We mo not think the public will be inclined to examine too closely into the cost of Mr Cameron's services, as, of all the officers employed, perhaps that gentleman's name baa neen niost in evidence fpr eneigy, determination, and discrimination in other than Government and Departmental reports, as well as in these reports. But it was a little disconcerting to learn the other day that the experiment of bringing out Mr Cameron was turned to his own personal advantage by giving him an opportunity to negotiate for business which had it been secured would have led to his resignation from the Government service. Apparently the Department spends money freely in educating and informing its officers, and then is unable to afford to make their positions attractive to them. There is- a weakness in the system here. There are reports on S.wth Africa, both from Mr Gow and Mr Kinsella, and as there is at present a gentleman in New Zealand, a merchant of Durban dealing with New Zealand produce, who has come over lo try and remedy things not satisfactory, we shall take a further opportunity of dealing with the South African markets in the light obtained from both quarters. Part of Mr Cameron's work in Britain has been in connection with the newlystarted steam service on the West Coast of Encland. of which the report says: — "The initiation of the steam service to and fnom th© West Coast ports of the itoited Kingdom has opened new markets pi Cardiff. Bristol, Liverpool, and Glasgow, which the colony has for years lipped jfco obtain, and it is to he congratulated upon having at last accomplished. The possibilities in these markets, especially if tfr« sorjt jof Manchester is added, are very mwcJTgrwter than is generally thought, and once having established the steam service, it should be followed up vigprously with such steps as are considered necessary lo obtain the fullest benefits from the additional markets with which the colony is now placed in touch," So far, practical men all tell us that the advantage of the West of, England service is problematical, but the colony will look forward with interest to learn what is now intended in order to develop the markets with which we are but now "in touch." It is. however, said by Mr G. S. N. Munro, Acting Secretary of the Department, that "The present service is witncit doubt answering tho purpose effectively of opening up new .markets for New Zealand produce. AlbhouplT answ^rim? effectively, Sir J. O. Ward evidently thinks we are not Retting .Vtjhe Mle&t -benefits." Mr Munro further gu£/a we- have a complete justification of >iie service, nnd we hope to have oorrotttratioa of ## vfew.