SPECIAL INTERVIEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10969, 25 January 1899, Page 3

SPECIAL INTERVIEWS.

A CHAT WITH MR. JOHN HOLMES

(OF WELLINGTON).

Hearing that Air. John Holmes had arrived from. Wellington by the s.s. Elingamite, a Herald representative interviewed him at the Grand Hotel, where he was staying. Mr. Holmes was courteous and frank, and afforded all the information in his power. " You have recently returned from your peregrinations throughout Australia, South Africa, Europe, America, Canada, and British Columbia, Mr. Holmes," said our representative; "will you tell me something of your extensive tour as Special Commissioner for this colony?" " Yes, I shall be happy to give you a brief summary of that work. To give you anything like a complete resume of my mission would occupy more space than 1 could reasonably expect from a leading daily paper. 1 was appointed by Government, at the request of the hemp-millers, who were confirmed in their selection by the Industrial Associations and the Chambers of Commerce, with other institutions throughout the colony. AUSTRALIA. "Leaving Wellington on July 22, 1897, I sailed for Sydney, where I visited the rope and twine makers, produce importers, and at the kind invitation of the Hon. the Minister for Agriculture I called at Hawkesbury College to inspect the experiments there conducted in fibre-growing. This I found to be of a very limited nature, and of little or no commercial value. The superintendent and Professor Musson were very kind, and the latter secured for me a few plants of rhea fibre, which I sent to (he Agricultural Department at Wellington. I also visited the ropemakers in Victoria and South Australia, all of whom agreed ith the Sydney manufacturers in urging the adoption of a compulsory grading system for our hemp. The carelessness and waste displayed in the handling of New Zealand grain and produce in Sydney was positively astounding to me. SOUTH AFRICA. " Learning that South Africa offered a fresh outlet for New Zealand produce, I altered my plans and took my passage for London via Natal and Capetown. At this latter port I found that potatoes were selling at £20 a ton, c.i.f., and frozen meat, together with butter and cheese, were largely imported from Victoria. 1 waited upon the importers of frozen meat and dairy produce, anu also upon the Government, urging upon them the claims of New Zealand as the best producer of the very articles they were daily consuming. The largest importers of frozen meat assured me that they were buying mutton landed at 3d per lb, but that they thought that New Zealand mutton would bring a higher price owing to its being of better quality. The tariff regulations, however, lc.-tricted the operations, and the then shipments arriving from Victoria were being sold in the Transvaal, where the duty was only 7J, per cent, ad valorem, as against 2d per lb in Capetown. They, however, promised to give New Zealand a share of tile trade if we would guarantee icgular shipments to them. Purchasers of butter and cheese are also unanimous in their opinion that a large and profitable market could be found in Soutu Africa for our dairy produce. 1 also waited upon the importers of binder twine, and exhibited samples made from the New Zealand hemp. On comparison of prices with similar material imported from America and England, they had to admit that New Zealand could successfully compete in supplying their wants. I thereupon gave them the names of the rope and twinemakers in this colony. It is instructive to note at this point that notwithstanding the requirements of the several importers of the articles above referred to, not one of them seemed to consider the question of turning their addition li' Niw Zealand as a producing country. I made public, through the medium of the press, the fullest information concerning our exports, and I have reason to believe that business has resulted therefrom. GREAT 11HITAIN. " Reaching London on August 28, 1897, 1 immediately set to work to investigate the hemp and kauri gum industries, the result of these investigations confirmed me in the opinions expressed by the Australian ropemakers, that an increasing trade could be relied on if a compulsory grading system was adopted in New Zealand. The largest ropcm iker-f au:l librcbrokcrs in London, as well as in Scotland and Ireland, were unanimous in this verdict. With reference to the kauri gum. I am indebted to Messrs. John If addon and Co., Lewis and Peat, and other brokers in the trade. With the principal of the last-named firm I personally visited the warehouses in the London docks, and there saw the system adopted in the weighing, examination, and tareing of the crises of kauri gum. I was surprised to find that a system had grown up which I cindered to'be unfair to the shipper from this colony, and 1 found out what I con* cidered to be the imperfections of the system and which I firmly believe can be easily remedied by a joint representation by various Chambers of Commerce, either to the brokers directly interested m the trade in London, or through the Government. to be dealt with directiy by the Hon. W. P. Reeves, the present Agent-Genera in London, to whom I am personally indebted for considerable assistance in this and other matters during my stay in London. I also visited Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Dundee. Aberdeen. Walsall, Exeter, -Worcester, Belfast, Dublin, Cork, and other cities of the United Kingdom, in all of which I proclaimed the many advantages possessed by New Zealand. I had special opportunity of doing good work in the city of Manchester, where, at the invitation of His Lordship the Mayor, I addressed the leading financial, shipping, insurance, and commercial men of that great city, who were invited to a public lunch to meet me in the Town Hall. I explained the importance of New Zealand as a place for the safe investment of British capital, and pointed to its increasing export trade, and I also pointed out that in our £8,000,000 of imports,.something like 75 per cent, belonged to British manufacturers. This statement was received with acclamation. Among the many suggestions made at that meeting, not the least important was that made by the chairman of the Canal Company, that New Zealand should contribute something towards subsidising a line of steamers that would establish a direct trade with Manchester. 1 leplied to tin-, that on the principle that the greatest good must fall to the greatest number, it would be obvious to them that the proposed expenditure in the manner indicated by Mr. Bythell must necessarily be first initiated by the Manchester people. I went on to say that no lack of sympathy would be wanting by the Government of ■New Zealand, when any definite proposition came before them; as I pointed out, the Premier, as a Lancashire man, would be tor ever anxious to bring about closer relations between Manchester and the land of Bis adoption. THE UNITED STATES, ETC. "Leaving Great Britain I visited New York, Washington, and Boston -m the United States. •• In all of these cities i in- 1

terviewed the largest importers of hemp, and other Now Zealand produce, calling upon the mayors of the various cities. 1 also announced that the Government of New Zealand was offering prizes of £1750 and £250 respectively for the invention of a mechanical, or the discovery of a chemical process for the better treatment of our fibre. This subject was very favourably referred to by all the leading papers, and attracted great attention from engineers, chemists, and inventors, many of whom are to-day experimenting upon New Zealand hemp, with a view of securing the prize. At Washington I had the distinguished privilege of being invited by President McKinley, who generously offered to assist my mission in every possible way, and expressed the hope that the result of my mission wculd lead to extended trade between the two countries. He referred in complimentary terms to the enterprise exhibited by the Government of New Zealand in sending a Commissioner to the outer world on such an important mission. At Boston, the Mayor of that city, Mr. Josiah de Quincey, especially interested himself in announcing the advent of my visit, and the objects thereof, and here I have to express my thanks for his courtesy during my stay. This was my experience in New York, Montreal, Vancouver, and Victoria (British Columbia). In many of these last-named places I spoke to the Board of Trade, and gave information to the importers of various classes of goods into this colony. CANADA. " With reference to Canada, it is instructive to learn that during my travels throughi out England, Ireland, and Scotland, I saw evidence of great enterprise displayed by the Canadian people, whether it was at exhibitions, horse shows, or agricultural societies or associations, or other public organisations. I found that Canada had a representative in every quarter, exhibiting its samples of cereals and other grain products, together with numerous pictorial illustrations of various cities, towns and districts in the Dominion, and almost numberless pamphlets were issued inviting capitalists to take up land and invest their means in that country. Hero let me add that it would well repay New Zealand to engage a qualified commercial representative, making London his headquarters, from which he could make periodical visits through large centres of Great Britain, with occasional trips to til") Continent and America, in all of which countries he ought to be able to do excellent mvice, not only for the producers, but also for the importers of the Old Country," BIiSCLTS OF TUB MISSION. " What are the practical results of your mission?" Briefly stated, they are as follow: (1) Many thousands of pounds have been sent to the colony for the purchase of New Zealand hemp, at very much improved prices. (2) Many capitalists have turned their attention to New Zealand as a place for the invi si mint of their funds. (3) The importers hitherto unknown to colonial shippers aro making daily inquiries for regulating the supply of our produce. (4) Manufacturers and exporters in Great Britain, America, and Canada, who never hitherto traded with the colony, are now opening up business relations with the large houses. As an instance of the favourable impression created in London, I may say that the Law Union ami Ciown Insurance Company, London, has already commenced business in this colony, and Mr. C. A. Stuhbs, of this city, has been appointed local agent. At no distant date this company will probably be investing large sums of money in New Zealand securities, a number of which ] am pleased to say they already hold, and it is only a further evidence of the growing popularity of the Fortunate Isles."