OUR TRADES AND INDUSTRIES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3784, 5 July 1899, Page 2

OUR TRADES AND INDUSTRIES.

“POUND THE WORLD AS NEW ZEALAND TRADE COMMISSIONER.”

The above was the subject of a lecture delivered by Mr John Holihes, under the auspices of the Wellington Industrial Society, last night. Mr Holmes commenced by congratulating the society on its entrance into its new premises, and for the confidence reposed in him. by its'members, who supported a petition signed by the hemp millers of the colony urging his appointment as Fibre Commissioner. He then went on to Rescribe his visit to the Australian colonies (at the commencement of bis mission in 1897), where he found the cordage and ropemakers only too willing to manipulate the New Zealand flax fibre, provided they could get supplies of approved uniform quality, and convinced himself that in that respect the manufacturers had a great deal to complain about, sonic of the samples -t o n him purporting to be t if the same brand and description, although as different as chalk is from cheese. Mr Holmes was'very much impressed with the endeavours which the various Australian Governments ‘ were making > o get a footing in different markets for their products. In the Culgoa, in which he embarked from Adelaide for London, were quantities of produce for South Africa from Victoria, which arrived at a time when potatoes were £2O a ton c.i.f., and frozen mutton, which was sold under contract from Victoria at 3d a pound, was fetching, retail, Bd, 9d and lOd, subject; of course, to an impost of 2d per pound duty at Capetown, and 7.V per cent, ad valorem at Transvaal. The necessity for the importation of frozen meat into a country which ordinarily grows a great deal of meat of its own,, was the destructive prevalence of the' rinderpest at that time. The Capeto(Vh""iinportors had heard nothing of New Zealand binder twine up to the' tinie, of "Mr Holmes’s visit, but they} spid .it • only r required direct communication, to ;be established with New-Zealand-, and they would be glad to get their, twine • from this, coloily. :Mr Holmes noticed mo disposh tion on the part of the people of the colony to assist" the' Government in establishing trade with South Africa. It was perhaps, he suggested, because they thought that no good could come out of Nazareth. Arriving in London on the 28th August .after ah eventful passage in the Culgoa, Mr Holmes at once placed himself in Touch with the Agent-General’s , office. ■ Armed with information: which he obtained there, he started out to make inquiries amongst the hemp merchants. At first these gentlemen seemed suspicious .of the New Zealand agent’s, intentions, but when at length Mr Holmes persuaded them by his inquiries that he was only seeking information for the general good of the trade, he received the assurance: “If New Zealand will give*, us material that we can depend upon as to. quality and will sell according to London arbitration; larger business and better prices for New Zealand hemp can be relied upon.” Mr Holmes expressed the opinion as to the result of his experience. New Zealand, he said, has no large firm in London to take, as it were, New Zealand under its wing and ' challenge the world to better its product. On the contrary, he found the merchants who were selling .New Zealand’s products also selling those of other countries, and weye in nowise' desirous of making a Ispeeiality of' their antipodean wares. He explained .at'length-the. manner of his inquiries of the anomalies of the, kauri, gum’industry; and Caused some amusement by'announcing, that the result, had" been' lb* earn for him the title of “the new Sheflbck Everywhere he went Mr Holmes fotnid engineers and inventors with appliances' which they were silre. would improve the quality of the colony’s flax flbre, and lie is ConfidenVlhat somebody will presently light • upon a\ process which null'revolutionise l the industry. Mr Holihes'described his ...visit! to -Manchester, where he' lunched., with’the Mayor of the city and-the chairman of the Manchester. Canal Company, on which occasion some very complimentary remarks and valuable suggestions were made on both sides, and promises given of the exertion of influence to bring about mutual trade' relations. Everywhere our Commissioner ; visited, in Eneland, Ireland or Scotland, he found evidence of Canadian enterprise, and that the produce .of “England’s eldest daughter” was being'pushed for all it was worth, and he expressed the opinion that New Zealand nroducers might well take a leaf out of the Canadian book. Mr Holmes concluded an interesting address by describing his visit to tho great American centres, where he .was most hospitably received, and where he; made the best use of his. time in explaining to, the, .public, men and through the newspapers to the American people what a grand country New Zealand is. At. the conclusion of a mpst interesting address,, Mr Holgies displayed by the aid of limelight a number of views illustrative of the places he; had visited in the course of his mission.