HULL TO NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15855, 29 August 1913, Page 2

HULL TO NEW ZEALAND.

TRADE OPENINGS. Mil MACKENZIE'S INVESTIGATIONS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 12. Tlie High Commissioner has been spending the last few days inspecting the facilities ut the port of hull, lie is accompanied by Mr Alexander Crab be, the Government Veterinarian in London: Among thoso present at the private luncheon to welcome Mr Mackenzie to Hull were several directors of the North-Eastern Railway and the Hull and Barnsley Railway, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, and others, including Mr Austin Wilson, the commercial representative of the Hull and Barnsley Railway. After a drive round the docks, Mr Mackenzie was received at the Town Hall by the Mayor and aldermen.

Replying to the Mayor's welcome, Mr Mackenzie said he was quite sure from what he had seen that Hull was making the most of its magnificent waterway. His tour had been a revelation as to the capacity of tho port. The suitability of Hull as a centre of trade was undoubted, in view of the increase of competition and the necessity for closer touch between tho producer and consumer the present roundabout and tortuous process of reaching the markets could not continue. There must be a lessening of intermediate costs- and a reaching of the 6pot, if he might use the phrase, as soon as possible. At present _ there were considerable intermediate costs in bringing goods to the great industrial centres. THE PACIFIC -CLUB. At a luncheon at the Pacific Club, at which Mr Mackenzie was entertained by the president of the Chamber of Commerce, the latter expressed regret that New Zealand did not do as much trade with Hull as Australia did. Mr Mackenzie would see that facilities ■ had been provided with no niggard hand, and 1 they had the greatest expectations that Hull would become the Liverpool of tho East Coast. They were ndt jealous of the other ports on tho Humber—there was room for all,—but with the facilities and advantages which Hull offered they claimed the premier position, and they would tseo that they, held it Mr Mackenzie said he was ranch impressed with tho confidence tho peop.o of Hull seemed to havo of their port the greet highway to tho interior population. It appeared to him that Hull ;md New Zealand wcro so circumstanced that they could do sonrfething for each ether. Tlio question of distribution was one of the greatest importance. New Zealand found it unwise to confino her trade to one cirriire. At the present time tho total distribution of her produce was almost confined to London, and in his opinion, in these days of keen competition, it was undesirable for the whole of the produce to go to one centre. We wanted to minimise the cost of distribution and to lessen tho deterioration that was caused by tho handling of tho goods. Hull was the natural port for a population o f over 11,000,000. If the produce were shipped to Hull there was no reason why tho present liigh rates of insurance should continue, for thcro would be little or no damago on arrival, and it would be handled with great care. These considerations and savings seemed to leavo a margin of from 5 to 7 per cent, to work upon if the stuff were landed at Hull as against London. He .wondered if the people served from Hull would pay higher prices for tho undoubtedly higher quality of food. He wondered whether there wero people in Hull who VYould pay tho same price for New Zealand mutton, lamb, butter, and cheeso as it now obtained in London, where it occupied the highest position. Tho higher quality was not so, eagerly sought for by the mill operatives, but there wore the miners who would bo prepared to pay a reasonable price. Tho link that was required waa tho shipping connection—(Applause.) It was a fair assumption that the benefit —from 5 to 7 per cent.—would be shared equally by tho producer and tho consumer. He understood that Australia contributed £800 per trip to the vessels that came to Hull. In his opinion that was not an excessive charge. And they had to set against it the share in the economy he-had mentioned. He was prepared to go into the question of shipping when he had an opportunity to lay the whole case before the Ministry in New Zealand for its final decision. Ho Tegretted that New Zealand was only represented in the trade of Hull by one and three-quarter million pounds of wool as oompared with 33,000,000 coming from Australia. When one thought of the cost of bringing the wool through London, as oompared with bringing it tq Hull, £125,000 per. annum, those ccsts should be non-existent. It should be possible lor the wool which they ueo in the manufactories of the West Riding to be brought through this highway into tho manufacturing district beyond.—(Applause.) Speaking roughly, goods that were landed in London cost from 25s to 40s per ton to bring to Hull. "So far as meat is concerned, it means more than that, because in my opinion, the deterioration that occurs through handling between London and Hull will in many instances equal |d per lb, whioh is an additional loss." Mr Mackenzie quoted tho following figures to illustrate his remarks:— CEAEGES ON FBOzEN MEAT, Per ton. s. d. Ex ship London docta to rails ... 5 0 Rail carriage to Hull, about .... 25 0 This is the cheapest cost of handling at picsent. If meat goes into stores in London, and is afterwards railed in Hull,' the charges arc: — Port of London charges 22 6 Rail to Hull, about 25 0 This meat may be 6oM to; say, Leeds, after boing stored hero, in which case the charges would b© as follows:— Port of London charges 22 6 Hail rate to Hull, ea.y 25 0 Hull storage charges and delivery to rails ... 12 0 Rail rates to Leeds ... 20 0

79 6 This is the usual method of handling-meat from Now Zealand. CHARGES ON WCOt. Freight to London or Hull from New Zealand is the same. If landed in London on through transit to Bradford the roil rate is 31a per ton; from Hull the rail rate is 15s por ton, £huß saving 16s. If sent to London sales and thence to Bradford the dhargea are:— Per ton. a. d. London storage and selling charges. •5s per bale, which equals about 30 0 Bail to Bradford 31 0 Total ...' 61 0 If sent to Hull and sold to Bradford the charges woirld be about ■ 3s per' bale, which equals about 18. 0 Rail to Bradford » 15 .0 Total 33 0