TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 47

TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA

deputation to the premier, the governments intensions. A deputation which represented dairy, exporters waited upon tne Premier on the lUtii with reference to shipments to L.ith Africa. The members of the deS. were M.»rs 3. 15 MeeKwan, Ravid J. Nathan (Defiance Butter factories), James Young (New Zealand Farmers’ Dairy Union), George liua (Wellington Frcsii Food and ice Company) J. J. Reach (Joseph Nathan and Co.) and C. R. Beattie (National Dairy Union). Representatives of other firms in sympathy with tne deputation Mere unable to be present. Air Beattie said the Australian markets wore practically closed to New Zealand exporters of dairy produce, and they therefore looked to the Cape for an outlet. The deputation would like to know whether the Government was making arrangements for the coin eyauce of dairy produce to South Africa, or whether there was any.probability of arrangements in that direction being made.

Sir Mac Ewan said he thought the main object of the exporters that flcrn mn was to draw attention to the fact that they believed there was a splendid opening in the South African market for New Zealand produce, and especially for the lines which they were interested in. As the Premier was aware, they were shut out of the Australian market in consequence of the Commonwealth tariff. They believed the ioss of that trade would be more than made up if they got a regular and satisfactory steamship service to South Africa. The exporters had all their connections made, and they believed that South African buyers were prepared to make contracts either f.o.b. here or c.i.f. South Africa, if a reasonable undertaking could be given to deliver at stated times with a fair degree of certainty. The exporters had been working as best they could individually for two or three years, but their efforts had not been successful. They considered it was one of the functions of a Government to assist in the opening of new markets, especially by means of new services. The quality of New Zealand’s dairy produce was second to none, and it was believed that South African buyers were prepared to take consignments of it, especially of butter. It was necessary, if the trade was to be properly established, that there should be' a fair amount of certainty about the shipping of the produce. To ship via Australian ports meant additional expense. If the Government was not prepared, or if it was not quite ready to subsidise or institute a regular direct service from New Zealand to Soutli African ports, the deputation would like <o know whether it would be prepared, in the meantime, to give a small subsidy to enable exporters to ship from Wellington via Sydney or from the south via Melbourne, .so as to connect at those Australian ports with the regular South African boats. Exporters believed they could ship via Sydney at an increased cost of from )d to gd, if ordinary storage were used as far as Sydney. If cold storage were used to Sydney, it would mean practically id more. That represented a handicap of from )cl to id on New Zealand exporters in their coiiipention with Sydney and Melbourne merchants. They felt there was a splr5 pl r lc hd chance m the South Africa marKCc. and they were prepared to give evc'y assmtance; as individuals or firms, but they believed that the case was one n o n'T ‘ tbey musfc look to the Governmt to see that a service between the „™f l,nt !' ICS ; vaS - «tablishcd on a proper working basis. hanllv t Pr t" Ue D, 111 reply ’ said he was tion P tW f/ ) e to ,nform deputation 1 1 J'* t le course of a day or two lul ln 15 w'f 8 . for theso steamers I monti f PUbllsl,ed - He bopcd within a month from now to be able to nr, nounco that they had secured a direct the CW V,C Tl bctWeen - Ne ' v Zealand and witli Sfffi Vi 0 question had been beset Trade f r J ’ and the Minister of acie and Commerce and himself had ffnlnf SOme^° nSi i erable trouble to obin m nTf T' T lrst tbey had had to The boot to th e c Hss of boat to be ran. trade tl- mUSfc - be suitable the Szv‘* n s into consideration the rica and h! 10 harbo ’ lr s of South Afof di It tbe accommodation and means of dmcharge there. Another matter was V,'" ta 7 e Government wanted to emNotwifW ? Australia in the route. that State New 711 market for some of their r<ew Zealand produce. The next aims There W w Wh i at H lO frci Shts should q be. they should" t°J hc of whethS carriage ofr,f ke arran 6 c ™nts for the fro™ XT f passen gors as well as of mails btT New Zealand to the Cape? Thev an t n h° W fmal,y ? mo to a concluS tl?ol b 0 was only one point on which Ho'hoped tot" 8 f information, required uu, haVe , tb ,° information he the if**™ ra 7 °/ Satur day at ho published „'u S0 ’ tenders would d ay P SI STh° n M ° nday or Tnesto what thn rjJ ° bbo nex .t question, as the monev voted h r> d not devote Purpose the iepefation'Tw"^^

should be devoted to. That would bo equal to the giving of a bonus. The deputation was asking for a bonus on produce exported of |d a pound, leaving it to the shippers to get the produce to South Africa as best they could. That, of course, was not what Parliament intended. Parliament ted the money for ti direct steamship service to South Africa, so he could not devote it to the purpose mentioned by the deputation. He could not very well subsidise butter and cheese. Producers of other articles would then also ask for assistance to get them to market; and they would have ail equally strong claim as the exporters of dairy produce had, because the money voted by Parliament was for t.ho conveyance of all produce, and not any particular kind of produce, to the Cape. Continuing, the Premier said he was only .too glad to be in a position to give the deputation the information which lie had imparted. There was nothing further that ho need add. except that the Governout hoped to get a good line “of steamers, and that the service would be a success. He was pleased to hear from the deputation that there was every probability that the market would prove satisfactory. The Government was in possession of a very able report from its Trade Commissioner, Mr Gov. And he might say that Mr Gow had informed tlm Government, as the deputation had informed him (Mr Seddou), that there was a good market in South Africa for New Zealand produce. The advice that Mr Gow tendered was. the Premier believed, in the best interests of the exporters and producers of this colony. As to the erection of cold stores in South Africa by the New Zealand’Government, Mr Gow did not seem to be in favour .of that step. The Commissioner thought that the established firms in South Africa were now in such a position that such a stop might, militate against New Zealand produce. The Premier added that he was glad to bo able to make the announcement lie had just made. The Government wished to have the service with South Africa made an accomplished fact, because it had felt that the producers of New Zealand had been labouring under a handicap. He was satisfied that if they had had direct communication during the last twelve months or two years a much larger amount of New Zealand produce would have found its way into South Africa. As it was, a good deal of New Zealand produce had gone there from Australian norts. And in that time the middleman had been taking his profits. Mr Nathan, m thanking the Premier foi loceiving the deputation and answering its inquiries, said he thought Mr Seddon had misunderstood part of Mr Mac Ewan’s remarks. The deputation was not asking for a subsidy or bonus on tbe export’of butter or cheese. What they wished to know was whether it would not be possible to subsidise tbe Union Steam Ship Company to enlarge the freezing space in its intercolonial boats so as to enable exporters here to get dairy produce carried in the best possible manner to Sydney or Melbourne for transhipment to South African boats. The deputation was not asking for a bonus on the expert of dairy pro” duce. They suggested that more cold space might, be provided on the Union Company’s intercolonial steamers if that company, which was a New Zealand company, was given a .subsidy in consideration of its meeting the requirements of the dairy produce trade of this colony in the manner indicated. At, present the cold space was limited, and dairy produce had to go as ordinary cargo unless the cold space was secured before it was taken up for fish.