TRADE WITH THE EAST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21763, 31 March 1934, Page 15

TRADE WITH THE EAST

Sir, —"Trade with the East" 5s one of the topics of the day. As one who lived in Netherland India for more than 17 years, and during that time was constantly in close contact with every class of European, Chinese and Indian population, I think I may say - a few word,? on the subject. The daily necessaries of the people in the East consist of articles which to a great extent are produced and manufactured in New Zealand. Reading letters about trade with the East, one gets the impression that the idea exists that New Zealand has only to show her face in the Eastern countries to make the inhabitants there buy her products in big quantities, that, so to speak, they are waiting for New Zealand goods. I think it advisable to sound a warning against this altogether misplaced optimism and to state some facts which will show that the reality is quite different. To begin with, we have to accept the fact that New Zealand is very little known abroad, even in the East. Many New Zealanders who are working outside their country have experienced this. The different articles which New Zealand can export to the Far East are: —All sorts of meat, fresh as well as tinned, bacon, ham, tinned fish, fruit (fresh and tinned), vegetables in tins, jam, honey, butter, cheese, condensed milk (sweetened and unsweetened), cream, milk powder, ..pickles, flour, cereals, biscuits, fruit essence, cordials, woollens, blankets, flannel, linens, cotton goods, leather* . . But all these products are already imported from many other countries. These countries have been providing the Far East for many, many years; they know the- taste of the different people and their wants; in short, they know all the ins and outs of the field of action. New Zealand as a new competitor will find a host of strong and experienced opponents, old hands who are difficult to conquer. The only way to successfully fight these opponents is to bring first-class goods at a price lower, and, in any case, not higher, than that asked by their opponents. New Zealand has to start from the , bottom, has to find out what the different classes and parts of the population want, their taste (which is different for every group). The New Zealand exporters have• to reckon with many wishes and have to adapt the manufacturing of their export goods accordingly. Then there is another thing tobe taken into consideration; that is. the great majority of the population of the Far East consists of non-Europcars. The depression of to-day has severely affected the spending power of t"!n> part of the population. They rnprnfc afford to buy expensive European goods and therefore make use of the nat'veand Japanese products, which are far cheaper. Only that group ot natives working in European offices arid shops, as officials, teachers, chauffeurs and house servants, aro really consumers of European goods. The rest of the native population has to live as cheaply as possiblo and can easily do so. Although I acknowledge that shipping companies would support and cooperate with exporters, the exporters would have to take the first. steps, to see how the land and take the risk of the start. be & hard fight for a considerable length of time, but the object is worth it. - E. W. F. B. L. Hendricks, • 86 Meadowbank Road, Ramuera* ~