The Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1894. FOR MANCHESTER DIRECT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXX, Issue 39, 15 February 1894, Page 2

The Marlborough Express. Published Every Evening. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1894. FOR MANCHESTER DIRECT.

♦ "Manchester mbn," for so the business people of the famous Lancashire city like to style themselves, m contradistinction to "Liverpool gentlemen," a phrase very popular m the oity on the Mersey, are well known to be the most enterprising of Engj lishmen, and they are evidently deiermined not to leave a stone unturned m the fulfilment of the Buooess whioh should, they consider, and that rightly enough, reward their plucky initiation of that great work, tbe Manchester Ship Canal. That a large proportion of the import cotton trade, whioh now goes through Liverpool, will, m the future, go direct to Manchester, is a foregone conclusion, for the difference m the oharge of 12a 6d a ton m favor of shipment direot to Manoheßter mutt infallibly result m the majority of the raw material used m the manufacturing dißtriot round Cottonopolis being taken direot to that famous industrial oentre, instead of, as heretofore, passing through the Liverpool Dooks, and being conveyed by rail to its final destination. This being the case it iB not unnatural that a Manchester firm shoald bt seriously thinking of establishing a direot line of steamers to trade between the newly made pert and these ooloniea. Of oourse Australia will not send ootton, but she has other raw material whioh is largely used for manufaoturing purposes m and around Manchester. The firm, however, no doubt look forward to intercepting a large portion of the trade m colonial meat and dairy produoe, which now goes to London — and to London alone. The scheme is not altogether novel, a similar scheme having been mooted two years ago,— but with speoisl regard to Liverpool. The conditions at the present time are, however, entirely different. Instead of tbe frozen meat and other produoe being shipped to Liverpool and thenoe distributed by rail, at a considerable cost to Manchester and to the duster of large towns m its immediate neighborhood, it would now go by water, without transhipment, right into the heart of Manchester, whenoe the cost of distribution would be very much below that of diitribution from Liverpool. Within a radius of not more than 20 miles from Manchester there is a population of not lesa than seven millions, the majority of whom are of the working classes, to whom oheap meat, batter, and oheese is a matter of very great importance. At present this distriot is supplied only through London by the whole sale dealers m meat and dairy produoe, and the oost of distribution is so great that the consumption of our produoe is very muoh less than it ought to be. With the establishment of the proposed new line of steamers, this vaßt number of meat consumers would be reaohed and supplied at a great reduotion m expenses, and we fully believe that the result would be that a very distinot impetus would be given both to the frozen meat trade and to tbe dairy produoe trade. The firm alluded to, aßk, bo it is stated -in the cablegram, that the colonial Governments " will 00-operate m supporting the line." This means, 'no doubt, that a subsidy is asked for. Whether suoh a subsidy is neoeßaary, and whether, if necessary, it would be granted, are matters whioh will depend to a large extent upon the information supplied by the firm m support of their request, and upon the position of the colonial finances. We might express an opinion that subsidies have been given m the past to much less deserving enterprises, but we are inclined to think that m any cue the line will be started even if no subsidy ,be forthcoming. As to the beneficial reresults of the establishment of auok a line we have no doubt whatever. It would open up an almost entirely new market for our produoe, and be productive of great benefit both to the Lancashire maaufuotareri and the New Zealand producers, <