THE OTAGO DAILT TIMES SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1907. INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13996, 31 August 1907, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILT TIMES SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1907. INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE.

The Secretary of trie Now Zealand Department of Industries and Commerce lias been able to find materia! of a sufficiently interesting nature from which to ovolvo his annual report, though the year's record has evidently not been marked by events of exceptional importance. It 13 probably moro satisfactory, however, to read of a srtoady progress and advance in trado than cf the leap that suggests a forced and unstable growth, and wliilo both the colony's imports eu»i Wfiprte mwwsri

considerably last year ifc is very gratifying to (earn that nearly tho whole of our principal export lines have greatly wlv,both in volume and in prices realised 011 British and foreign markets. Mr. Donne is disposed to believe that the ready market whioh the colony's increased output nas mob indicates o!?ar!y that British niorchanta ana conEuraera havfl ii duo appreciation of tho nigu iitandard v/liich tho product:! of jJovt Zealand have attained. There is, however, or.o shadov on the otherwise inir pro3poct of on? export trade, and ita embodiment lies in the fact that a largo proportion oi; tho culonyo produets finds its way to tho consumer under brands ttud designations which liayo 110 connection with its aource of origin. Mr Donno ia apparently enable to give ns any good news suoli as would oxist in the abatement of thin oTil, for he cays: "This is a matter to no regarded with great seriousness. It J

is only too well known that much of our best' produce, in being sold «s of English, Scotch, or irish origin in order to obtain the advanced retail pncos which goods from these sources command, and articles from foreign sources of inferior quality to our own nro being palmocl off on to the consumers ns of Isew Zealand origit,. I'o what extent such fraudulent practices operate nyainsfc tho country's trade is easily conceived. * On the olio hand, we uro being robbed of the credit which should attach to the excellent quality of our produce, and on tho other hand our goociV nro discredited by being replaced by inferior articles. 1' or tho future v/olfaro of our trado 1 am of opinion that every effort should be advanced in the direction of restricting such practices on the part of British traders; but obviously the .question must bo fought oat »nd adjusted in London," Of course, this is not entirely a ; now story, but it is not a whit tho . more pleasant on that account. The New Zealand Government lias not been oblivions of tho extent to which tho State is interested in the marketing of our produce to ths best advantage, and clearly enough it cannot nfforcl to ignoro tho existence of circumstances which operate directly against the achievement 1 of , one of its principal aims. Tho importance 'of the JinglWi market to Now Zealand- as compared with what other markots the colony may have for its produce niuliea it only the more desirable that tho matter should be dealt with us effectively as possible. It is true that tho colony has a, Produce Commissioner in London, but :that one such'official, however energetic ami capable, should be able to accomplish all that 13 desired in tiio direction of cheeking tho fraudulent praotices of traders in regard to Now Zealand produce on tho Homo market is not to bo expected. Tho Commissioner in his report is: most emphatic as to tho harm done tho New Zealand meat- trade by these practice.?, 'He points out that under 'present conditions it is impossible! to adTwMt© Now Zealand meat advantageously, tor any money spent with this object in view would only benefit the whole frozen moat trade at the colony's expense. Mr Cameron's opinion is that tho remedy lies in the general branding of New Zealand meat by means of "a small, neat-, indotiblo brand by which tho meat would bo-, guaranteed to consumers and advertisement rendered possible." Mr yonno, for his part, emphasises tho desirability that tho colony's commercial staff m London should be strengthened in order that, tho improvement aimed at may be achieved, and he adds: "Tf Npif Zealand products aro successfully to withstand their competitors the connjirnor must bo educated up to tho value of tho article, and this can only be d°no by seoing that lie now gets Now Zealand produce knowing that it is New Zealanfl'c, and ilot Argentine mutton &s Npw Zealand's, Now Zealand lamb as English, and New Zealand butter of ever/ brand and designation under the fun almost excopt Now Zealand's.'' The Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce sokbs to think New Zealand if) neglecting a valuable opportunity of developing a trade with the East in not subsidising a lino of steamers with that end in viow, and wgaes from Australia's. attitude *sid experience in this; connection.- Tho figure.? quoted aro rather, imposing, hut we' aro not at all sanguine ttyit Now Zealand is in a- position to emulate or competo wit-lr Australia ia this dirootion. A snmowhat striking feature in connection with the trade relations between the Commonwealth and New Zealand during the pnsi yep-r i.i found in the fart that Now 3oalund'f! exports to the Australian States weeodod in value her imports therefrom by over three-quarters of a million, pounds sterling, whereas in the previous year this country's imports from the Commonwealth exceeded in Value its exports thereto by nearly half n million pound?.