OUR PRODUCE AT HOME

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13147, 31 August 1914, Page 8

OUR PRODUCE AT HOME

f AN AbVOOATE' lO^ MAJOIt NORTON'S MISSION. , ■ "WELLINGTON, August 29. A visitor, of particular interest to: Now Zealand producers arrived by the. Jlanuka from Sydney in tho person! of Major A, E.' M. Norton, D.5.0., managing director of the Bristol ami Dominion Producers' Association", Ltd,, a' concern formod partly with Dominion and partly,with English capital to develop overseas produce. Major.Norton comes in the interests of' the producers, Speaking to a Dominion reporter,; Major Norton said that in the opinionof his association far too much of the • produce from New Zealand is being centred in London, "Our desire," saicl Major Norton, "is to havo the produce; from the Domiuions taken to the ports, nearest the centre tff consumption. A-; glance at 1 the map of England will sliow the reasonableness of this, At the present time merchants in Bristol and other large centres in the south-west and Midland counties of England are to a certain extent compelled to l)iiy ; their butter and meat through London,; thus causing an unnecessary heavy railage charge, to say nothing of the addi-. tional cost of handling in London, The same thing will apply in regard to smaller merchants in the north of England. ' . ■

A careful investigation has shown that a large amount of money Ims been paid awav ill unnecessary rail and post charges that would not obtain if the produce were available by-the methods mentioned. Continuing, Major Norton said: " I have been able to get into intimate touch with a, very large number of people who are distributing our produce'to the consumers in the United Kingdom. lam not passing my .opinions from a casual visit to a few of Die leading brokers, hut have obtained my information from the most reliable sources possible.

"That the advent of the association i' represent has been warmly welcomed by'(he wholesale and retail provision merchants throughout the Kingdom," continued Major Norton, "is evidenced by the many eulogistic articles that have appeared in the majority of leading trade papers throughout the Kingdom. All things being equal, lam convinced that 'the English trader and the English public, will at all times give preference to goods produced under the British Hag rather than those coming from foreign countries," 'Major Norton will spend about six weeks in the Dominion, and will at the end of that time leave for Australia.