NEW ZEALAND’S TRADE WITH LIVERPOOL.

Northland Age, Volume II, Issue 36, 10 September 1930, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND’S TRADE WITH LIVERPOOL.

MORE DIRECT SHIPMENTS URGED TRADE HANDICAPPED BY UNNECESSARY TRANSPORT CHARGES. How can a bigger market for New Zealand produce be secured in the densely-populated areas in the North of England ? Valuable discussions of this question were a feature of the speeches made in connection with the visit to Liverpool on July 10 —12 of a party of about 90 New Zealand farmtrs who are making a tour of Europe and the British Isles.

Stress was laid on the extent to which the present practice of sending goods to London and thence railing them up country to Liverpool, Manchester and other great centres, instead of sending the shipments direct to the ports nearest the huge areas through which they are ultimately to be distributed, adds to the retail prices and thus unnecessarily restricts the demand. This is a matter which has been receiving increasing attention bv the Chambers of Commerce in Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and elsewhere, and there can be no doubt that overseas exporters to Great Britain will be well advised to concentrate on this question of direct shipments. It is of crucial importance to the development of their trade. The ports nearest all these great industrial and commercial centres of North England and Scotland are fully equipped for dealing with all deliveries on advantageous terms terms comparing very favourably with those obtaining in the Port of London. Liverpool, in particular, is second to no port in the world in this respect and is so amply served by regular sailings from all parts of the world that there is no excuse for the expensive diversion ot goods ultimately meant tor the fourteen million people in the area she serves via London instead of being brought in direct. The difference in final costs is remarkable and will well repay the study of all enterprising exporters. Full information may be had on application to the Secretary of the Liverpool Organization, Royal Liver Building, Liverpool.

A very cordial welcome was extended to the New Zealand visitors and an earnest appeal made to increase the trading and social relationships between Liverpool and New Zealand. The New Zealand party comprised of tone ninety members.

The visitors were taken for a cruise on the Dock Board tender, “G ilatea”, to the Gladstone Dock and also visited the great cold store at Alexandra Dock and the Produce, Fruit and Corn Exchanges. At the latter they were received by the respective Presidents, Messrs Collins, Van Gruisen and Slater.

They were the guests of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board during their stay in Liverpool, and were accompanied on their visits to the various exchanges by Colonel T. H. Hawkins, C.M.G. (rrincipal assistant to the General Manager) and Mr. R. Watson Rome (London traffic agent). On board the steam yacht "Galatea” they were received oy Mr. L. A. P. Warner, C.8.E., (General Manager and Secretary). At a luncheon at the Exchange Station Hotel, Mr. T. Hobson, the leader of the New Zealand party, said he wished to express the gratitude of the party for the attention which had been given to them by Colonel Hawkins, Mr.

Watson Rome and Mr. Williams, of the Dock Board. The visit they had paid to the docks that day had been an eye-opener to all of them, and they had been struck by the way in which Liverpool handled New Zealand produce. Colonel H. Hawkens, in responding on behalt of Liverpool, said he could not tell them how glad they were that the New Zealanders were visiting Liverpool and seeing something of their great port. He was particularly glad to be associated with the welcome because he knew New Zealand very well, having visited most of their chief centres. His experience of New Zealand was that it was a country that deserved fine people, and it had got the people it deserved, because the New Zealanders were loyal and full of courage, and were making a great nation overseas in the farthest outpost of the Empire. Liverpool was chiefly a great business community, and they had institutions and organisations of which they were very proud and one of them was the docks.

From a business point of view, they were very anxious to get more New Zealand produce in this part of the country. (Hear, hear) They had never yet succeeded in getting a regular flow of that produce to Liverpool. It was the port of Industrial England and although New Zealand might not be able to provide a great deal of raw marerial for the industries of the North, apart from wool, it could provide food —excellent mutton, lamb, butter and cheese. (Applause) Behind them was a great hinterland where the great manufactures of England were carried on. The difficulty at the present time was that the steamship services were not as regular as they wished, but they were hoping to improve these in course of time.

Supplies were gradually increasing and they would no doubt eventually achieve their object(Applause) Mr. Watson Rome, the London Traffic agent of the Dock Board, also responding, said he had the honour and pleasure of going out to New Zealand last year. Colonel Hawkins had referred to the amount of direct business that they received in Liverpool from New Zealand; this was very small indeed. The visitors would be well advised to pay particular attention to the great Northern market There were densely populated areas which could only be fed through the Port of Liverpool. The one great difficulty in establishing a real sale for New Zealand produce in the north was the irregularity of supplies. As they visited that part of the country they would see densely populated districts which could only be economically fed from Liverpool. It costs V\ d a lb. on meat from London to Liverpool, 1/- a case on apples, and l/6 on I cwt. of butter and cheese, which was a dead tax on the New Zealand producer. Argentine at one time sent all her meat to Liverpool! but had now discovered her mistake ; to-day she sent her London supplies to London and her Liverpool and Glasgow supplies to them respectively, and the New Zealand people should take a leaf out of Argentine’s notebook. At the Produce Exchange, Mr. Alfred Collins, President of the Provision Trade Association, in welcoming the party, said the port of Liverpool served a population of 14,000,000. Its traders had developed vast selling organisations but in view of changing conditions, those responsible for the shipping of New Zealand

products might consider it essential to discard to a (ertain extent those organisations, which had done a great deal to place their products in the front rank, and turn to such agencies as the Empire Marketing Board. There was much conflict of opinion upon that matter. It was natural that New Zeatand producers should interest themselves in the methods of distributing their butter, cheese etc., upon which would depend much of the success cf New Zealand products. The Liverpool Provision Trade Association had done everything possible to encourage shipments of produce to Liverpool by direct steamers. Mr. T. Hobson said he was confident that New Zealand farmers would do their best to extend regular shipments to Liverpool, He mentioned the he had a close personal interest in Merseyside, as his father-in-law (Canon Stethan, of Dunedin, New Zealandwho is eightv-six) was born near Hawthorne Road, Bootle.