TRADE WITH THE EAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19859, 1 February 1928, Page 13

TRADE WITH THE EAST.

NEW ZEALAND'S OPPORTUNITY MARKET FOR PRODUCE. ENTERPRISE OF AUSTRALIA. The opportunity awaiting New Zealand to exploit trade with the East and the growing tendency of Eastern peoples to adopt Western ideas are impressions gained by Mr. Robert Bell, of Christchurch, during a comprehensive world tour, from which he returned by the Marama from Sydney yesterday. During two years' absence from the Dominion he attended the World Press Congress in Geneva as New Zealand's representative and was elected president of that body. Central and Eastern Europe, Spain, Norway, French Northern Africa, the United States, Canada, Japan, China and the East Indies were included in Mr. Bell's itinerary. Most thoroughly has he been impressed by the opportunities for trade with the East, where vast, populations are adopting Western ideas and habits of food and clothing which create a demand for much of what New Zealand could supply. Already, said Mr. Bell, Australia, through the establishment of regular steamship services, had built up a material trade with the awakening East, but New Zealand as yet maintained business touch only through occasional steamers. Beef, mutton, butter, cheese, flour, biscuits, preserves and tinned fruits from Australia were being successfully marketed in the East. "It appears to me," said Mr. Ball, "that if New Zealand had direct communication with Eastern ports, the quality of what goods wo could ship there would ensure a valuable market in spite of Australia's earlier enterprise." Tinned butter and dried milk were, he said, particularly suitable for export to these regions. Already a Christchurch biscuit firm had given a lead by marketing some of its output in this part of the world. The venue of the next important conference of the press congress of the world had been discussed without finality being reached at a meeting of the executive l.ast November, said Mr. Bell. London, Ottawa, Buenos Avrea and New Zealand hati been mentioned, but, the consensus of opinion was that New Zealand was too remote and that relatively few newspaper men would be able to spare the time and money to attend a meeting there, with the result that the atendance would be restricted. Mr. Bell said he had done his best to advance the claim of New Zealand, but in deferenco to the views expressed, he bad not felt justified in presenting continued opposition to the obvious will of the majority. In the most unexpected corners of the world ho had encountered evidence of the enterprise of the New Zealand Publicity | Department. He had been pleased to find the Dominion, a.nd in no lesser degree its I people, held in the highest regard.