THE FAR EAST

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11735, 24 January 1924, Page 5

THE FAR EAST

i OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADE | JAPAN’S MILLIONS TAKING TO WOOLLEN WEAR. MR WILFORD INTERVIEWED. “The opportunities for the development of a great New Zealand trade with the East are certainly alluring,” stated Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P. (Leader of the Opposition), in the course of an interesting interview with a “Times” representative yesterday. “Mv letters of introduction from the president of the Chamber of Commerce here (Mr John Myers) to the Chambers of Commerce in Japan enabled me to talk with those who realise thoroughly the possibilities of 6ucb a trade; and my conclusions are based upon personal investigation, personal contact with interested men of commercial prominence, and a better understanding of the wonderful change in Japanese public opinion towards Western ideas. To-day, Japan, with her population of 60 millions, is entering upon a definite and positive course of doing away with the Japanese dress, especially in the case of the young folk, and wearing woollen garments. Dr Toda (Professor of Hygiene at the Kyoto University) is leading the movement, and already it is bearing fruit. KIMONO DISCARDED. “In the Normal School at Nara, where I delivered a short lecturette on New Zealand to 600 girl students, I found them all dressed in a kind of woollen jumper and skirts, they having discarded the kimono, as it restricted their movements in physical exercises and all sporting games, which are very largely indulged in in Japan tq-day. Dr Toda told me that he considered the old form of dress unhygienic, and he would never rest until the change was brought about. In the crowded streets of Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto, I noticed, with few exceptions, hundreds of little children with woollen caps and woollen dresses; while in the hotels we found the hotel attendants and managers dressed in European style during the day, throwing off that dress for the kimono only in the evenings. The change is coming there. The climate of Japan is so largely like that of New Zealand that our dress must eventually be generally used. TAKEN TO SPORT. “The youth of Japan have taken to sport naturally. Men like Shimidzu, a world’s champion tennis-player, who was at the Olympian Games, have made tennis a game of Japan; while football, principally Association, and baseball are played everywhere. The Japanese are looking forward to challenging America at her national game, and they will do it. The effect of this, to my mind, is that Japan, with her 60 millions of population, will every year require more and more wool. Speaking to a Professor of Agriculture, who brought Lincoln rams from Sydney to Kobe in the steamer with us, he agreed with Dr Toda that, unless somehow or other they can get flocks of their own, a huge portion of the earnings of Japan would have to be sent to foreign countries for the purchase of wool. Walk down the main street of any Japanese town at night and you will see, even in the evening, hundreds of Japanese dressed in European style. Now, would it not be wise for our country to look on Japan, not only as a possible market in the future, but as one well worth cultivating right away? I would advise the wool-growers of this country to get together and send accredited agents to Japan, for the Japanese like New Zealanders, and are most friendly disposed to trade. That is my opinion after meeting members of the Chambers of Commerce in that country. MILK AND BUTTER.

“The East is. and will be for all time, a great market for dried milk, condensed milk, and butter. I saw no New Zealand brands of condensed milk, either in Java, Singapore, China, or Japan, though I saw many other brands. There is an immense field and a huge population m the East, wanting good articles in all these lines. Singapore is a free port, no Customs duties whatever being levied there: and there are also no port dues on shipping. The effect of this -an be seen in the German penetration of Singapore, and also the penetration effected by Natal. Most people in Singapore and the Malay States generally, who have any income, possess a thermos flask. The Germans began their competition at Singapore by flooding the market with thermos flasks; and to-day they ore sold in the stores there at one dollar (Mexican), or 2s 4d apieoe. When you think that they have to pay fie'igho from Germany there and the merchant seller has to get his rake-off, the cost of production must be pretty low. GET INTO TOUCH. “Let New Zealand immediately get into touch with the principal merchants of Singapore, or the Chamber of Commerce, in regard to dried milk, condensed milk, and butter; and in regard to butter let mo say this that huge quantities of butter are being exported from this country to Australia, and then tinned in one-pound tins and sent to Singapore as Australian butter. Why cannot our butter bo tinned here and sent directs to the free port of Singapore without loss of timeP MARKET FOR COAL, “Speaking to the port authorities of Singapore, I ascertained that a few years ago the coal used at Singapore was principally supplied by the Japanese from Moji, and partly from Australia. But oh account of the constant interruption of the supply from Australia and the desire of tho Singapore people to deal with the British, Natal has captured that trade, and, in tho words of a high port authority, which I wrote down in my notebook at the time —‘Three months ago you could find 400,000 tons of Japanese and Australian coal in Singapore, and to-day you could not find 50 tons of Australian coal and no Japanese. In fact (ho said), the Japanese coal trade with Singapore is practically ended, the Natal coal being apparently satisfactory.’ Is there any opening there for New Zealand coal? I leave it to the coal experts of this country to say. “RIPE FOR EXPLOITATION.” “Oa’ne, again, to tho Dutch East Indies. Java, with' its population, of roughly speaking, 33 millions, and the Dutch East Indies with their population of 57 millions altogether, are ripe for exploitation with dried milk, condensed milk, butter, and thin rugs. Is it _ not possible, therefore, for something to be done in these directions to help our country’s trade. Personally, to sum up my remarks, I believe that it would pay to have a commercial agont in the East; and if the butter people, the milk people, and thewoollen people could see what I have seen, they would, I am sure, take care

that no time elapsed before this move was made. Living is expensive, a man must have standing there to le an agent, and must be well paid and allowed also a reasonable entertainment allowance. I make these suggestions, shortly and crudely put, perhaps, as an incentive to those whoso aims and interests—namely, the progress and advancement of our coun-try—-are identical with mine.