NEW MARKETS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22004, 10 January 1935, Page 13

NEW MARKETS

Sir, —With all due respect to the opinion of those who hold that there is but a poor chance for our produce in the East, I must beg to differ, and in the strongest terras possible emphasise the fact that the market is there. I base my opinion on my own personal observation during a couple of years' stay in the East ( Java, Amoy, Shanghai, Chefoo) and on the opinion of friends still resident there. No practical attempt seems to have been made to get a footing out there for our produce. My suggestion is:—Let us charter a suitable steamer, say, a vessel of 10,000 tons, man her with New Zealand officers and crew, and load her up with such samples of our produce as are likely to sell, havo a first-class business man in charge, preferably one who knows the East, treat the whole thing as a floating exhibition of the goods we have to offer, and sell as much as possible at all ports called at, so as to make our goods known. With a publicity campaign well ahead -of our ship and an organisation behind to follow up with regular supplies, there does not seem any reason why we cannot capture a market. The holding of it will then rest with ourselves, by supplying just what our new customers need and seeing that we pack our goods to suit them. As to cost, I am sure there is not a member in the House who would cast his vote against the financing of such an undertaking providing the scheme was properly planned. Dana.