TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4513, 14 November 1901, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

OUR TRADE COMMISSIONER. Letters were received in Wellington yesterday from Mr J. Graham Gow, New Zealand Government Trade Commissioner, who on October 10th, the time of. writing, was at Durban, in Natal, where he was making the Chamber of Commerce his headquarters. Mr Gow had been interviewed by the “Natal Mercury/’ and that paper says: —Mr Gow has interesting samples of bacon and hams, from Stratford, Woodvillo and New Plymouth, and also thq Invercargill Dairy Supply Company. Butter of excellent quality is shown from the celebrated Taranaki district, where there exists a big association ; extract of beef comes from the Woodlands factory, and cheese from the Wyndham factory. Barley and oats are here from all parts ot the colony, and they defy competition. There is cider from the Wanganui dis. trict, and eggs put down under the Ellis (secret) cold sterilising process, which preserves them for, it is said, a year. Mr Gow has some dated April last, and they are, to all appearances, quite fresh. Pumice stone, and soap made from it, are among the novelties. It is the sort of commodity that “won’t trash clothes,” but is very useful in other equally necessary respects. The samples of flax fibre are interesting to local people, and the manufactured ropes are a good indication of the use to which it is put. There are hops of very fine quality from Nelson; honey, jams, limejuice, seeds and strong combing wool; but one ot the most interesting collections is that of woollen fabrics manufactured in the colony, the rugs being a speciality, and of superior texture and finish. They ought to command a ready and profitable sale. The famous kauri gums, the digging of which is one of the staple in. dustries of the colony, are shown; and there are samples of colonial-made paper, which show considerable enterprise. O' interest to architects is the calcined sterilised pumice insulation, which is declared to be one of the best and safest insulators known,’ and invaluable in frozen meat wdtks. Building stogc

is also on exhibition, and timbers of various well-known kinds. The Puriri mineral water is from the natural springs of the colony, and is said to be bcncli* cial in case of rheumatism and other ailments.