INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE DEPARTMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12069, 12 September 1902, Page 6

INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE DEPARTMENT.

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT,

THE MEAT EXPORT.

TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

[by TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL COSBESPOXDKXT.]

Wellington-, Thursday. ! THE first annual report of the Department ■< of Industries and Commerce, compiled by ! Mr. T. E. Donne, secretary, was presented to the House to-day. Mr. Donne saya there seems to be a desire on the part of the commercial community of the colony to take advantage of the assistance of this Department to obtain information referring i to matters of trade and commerce, both inI side and outside of the colony, the number ; of inquiries received from outside the colony on matters referring to the possibilities of trade and the different colonial industries having been very numerous. Notwithstanding that the Department is quite in iti infancy, the work done during the past year has been.very considerable, and the efforts of its small staff have been severely taxed. * "In my opinion," remarks the secretary, : when dealing with the. frozen meat trade, ' " the number of ports of discharge should be | materially increased and the number of ! consignees reduced. At the present time the New Zealand frozen meat industry is responsible for tho existence in London of quite a number of meat merchants, brokers, and salesmen, who compete against one another in the disposal of meat from this colony, with the result that prices are often unnecessarily depressed, besides which the expense of salaries and commissions, directly and indirectly borne by the producer, must bo considerable. In my opinion, steps should bo taken to secure the discharge of frozen meat at Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, and Glasgow, and also at South African ports. This would relieve the pressure in London, open tip other extensive markets, and to some extent do away with the enormous number of London brokers and salesmen, who, by their competitive efforts, are prejudicing the values that should obtain. Making London the one port of discharge is no doubt a great advantage to the steamboat companies who freight the meat, yet freight? on this product are no lower relatively from New Zealand to London than from those countries _ which have tho opportunity of shipping their meat to other ports. Unless . some combination is effected regarding the disposal of New Zealand meat the Government should, in my opinion, for the benefit of producers, consider the situation with a view to bringing about better conditions, both as regards the disposal and regulation of supplies. Any increase in the number of ports of delivery of frozen meat would carry the fame advantages to our exports of butter, cheese, - frozen rabbits, flax, and other produce." In the course of a report upon the sa-"n industry, Mr. F". T. Moore says: " The results of my" investigations of the meat export trade in the district of Wellington, as set out in this and the interim report of the 15th inst., justify the following conclusions:— is imperatively necessary that a complete reformation of the industry from beginning to end should take- place. In the first place the farmers who produce the meat are dissatisfied with the treatment they receive from the freezing companies who run the industry in the interests of the few shareholders who; own the freezing works. The farmers and tho Government should co-operate to establish the industry upon quite new lines. The meat product is tho property of the farmers, who should take upon their own shoulders the burien of marketing the commodity. To this curt it appears to me that ways and mea is can best be provided by farmers _ submitting to tho levying of a special rate upon their lands as _ security for the capital required. By this means the necessary money can be raised at minimum rates oTinterestf and provided that the industry 1° properly managed it never should benecUarf to collect a penny of the rate which would secure the capital loaned for the purchase of existing works or the erection of new premises, etc. In the second place, the ™al conduct, of the industry is so very unsatisfactory that changes must be made, . otherwise the inferior product of the Argon- | tine will, owing to capable management, place our commodity in the secondary in- ; stead of the premier position on the Home market. Thirdly and finally, the industry is languishing for the want of the benefits that . Government ' grading' and supervision in j all directions can secure. The financial sta- , bility of the colony is dependent upon the j successful running and development cl her i exporting industries, and as the meat trade J is the second largest of these, its mainten- I ance upon satisfactory lines is of paramount ] importance. The matter contained in my j report specially applies to tho Wellington district, but as the conduct of the meat trade | is very similar in the Hawke a Bay, lara- j naki, and Auckland districts, the report can [ be taken na entirely applicable to the INortii j Island. Tn the South Island tanners are more fully alive to their own interests, and take care to secure a greater measure of the value in their fat stock than is the ease with North Island farmers. Consequently much of the matter reported will not apply to the industry in the South. However, Canterbury farmers are moving for the purpose of placing the industry under one controlling company or board. They realise that too many agents sell the colony's meat at Home, with the result that such agents lire competing against each other, which competition is destructive of the realisation of good prices." Mr. J. Graham Gow, the colony's trade representative, adds a comprehensive report upon the possibility of developing a trade with South Africa. ""I am,'' he says, "satisfied that in South Africa there are all the potentialities of a fine market for New Zealand produce. Our big firms or combinations of firms must send representatives to this country to push their wares. Other countries (America, Canada, Australia, and. of course the United Kingdom) do it, and we must do it too, unless we are to lag hopelessly in the rear. Energy and enterprise in making known to South African consumers what New Zealand can supply them with will be amply rewarded. At present this is a matter on which South Africans are not well posted. I have done my best through the different Chambers of Commerce and by coming in contact with the loading merchants in the principal commercial centres to pave the way for a more profitable state of things, but it rests with the private individual or corporation rather than with the Government to still further advertise Now Zealand produce. The Government might assist by the generous distribution amongst South African Chambers of Commerce and public libraries of New Zealand literature. In this connection I would mention that commercial travellers operating in this country would, owing to tho high price of living, require nearly double the salary they would be paid in New Zealand. Roughly speaking, a sovereign only goes as tar as lis in New Zealand. Then I would again lay stress on the imperative necessity of improving the etoamship service. A direct line of steamers seems to me to be absolutely essential bo .successful development of the trade relationships between the two countries,"