MANCHESTER’S CIVIC WEEK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19965, 6 December 1926, Page 17

MANCHESTER’S CIVIC WEEK.

THE SHIP CANAL. VISIT BY SIR JAMES PARR. (Feom Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, October 11. The two guests of honour at the dinner given by the Manchester Ship Canal Company on the last day of Manchester’s great Civic Week were Lord Hewart (Lord Chief Justice), and Sir C. J. Parr (High Commissioner for New Zealand). Captain W. C. Bacon (chairman of the company) was in the chair, and the 500 business men present were representatives of all parts of Lancashire, and representative, too, of all the leading industries of the county—iron and steel works, textiles, etc. Lord Hewart proposed the toast. “The City of Man Chester,” to which the Lord Mayor (Mr Miles E. Mitchell) responded, and Sir James Parr proposed the toast, “Our Hosts, The Manchester Ship Canal.” He took the opportunity of speaking on the commercial possibilities and associations of New Zealand with Great Britain, with special reference to the importance of direct trade between New Zealand and the Lancashire ports. i.ooking back over his recollection of the city for something like half a century, Lord Hewart saw that no small factor in its phenomenal success was that great and beneficient undertaking whose directors were their hosts. Where would they find in the history of the world a more remarkable monument at once to the brilliant ingenuity and vision of individuals, and the wise munificence of a corporate body? A quarter of a century ago, he did not think that the success of the Manchester Ship Canal had assumed that particular aspect or phase which was called the payment of a dividend; but anybody who had eyes to see was able to see (bat, what with the erection of buildings, the filling of warehouses, the impetus given in every direction to trade, in the increase and rehabilitation of the activities of the city the Ship Canal was to play an enormous part in the history of Manchester and of Lancashire. Even if, for the time being, it efid not pour money into the pockets of the shareholders, that great work had gone on, under the skilful navigation of the old sea salt, who among his many lessons, had not forgotten how to pour oil upon troubled waters. The work of the Manchester Ship Canal had approached a new and remarkable stage in its wonderful and fertilising career. Sir James Parr was forcibly struck by the fact that here was a great market, with its 12,000,000 people living in a most densely-populated part in an important industrial centre of Great Britain, all within a radius of 30 to 40 miles of Manchester. It was unfortunate—as it would cheapen the cost—that not a single case of New Zealand apples had been sent this last season direct to Manchester or Liverpool. And the same remark aonlied with almost equal force to butter and meat. "Why,” interjected one of the guests, “is this so?” Sir James replied that he feared it was largely the fault of the local people, if blame rested with anyone. He was told by the shipping companies that the port did not otfer sufficient return freights to make it worth while for the refrigerated-equipped vessels to call there. Organisation was required, mostly at the Lancashire end, to cfeate the demand for New Zealand produce. The people of the Dominion were only too anxious to get the local market, but the demand for the goods must first be created. There were many advantages attaching to shipment direct to the ports —saving of carriage, multifarious handling, transhipment, etc. The audience displayed great interest in the High Commissioner’s speech. It j could not have been delivered before a | more influential number of business men i representing, as they did, so many of the . Mother Country’s important manufactures and industries. Captain Bacon, in his response to the toast, said that the canal was more than 30 years old. If they could live for 50 years more those present would see a very different canal. He imagined railways and warehouses nearly all the way down by the waterway, and what would be the j potentialities of Manchester no one could i tell. During this unfortunate coal strike they had brought by the canal more than 600,000 tons of coal, and in one week I they discharged over 15,000 tons. In a reference to the refrigerated cargoes | which they hoped to get to Manchester, he claimed that there was a saving on every article which came up the canal. ; On coal the saving amounted to from , 5s to 10s a ton. I The concluding toast was “Our Guests,” j proposed by Sir William Kay, deputy- ■ chairman of the Ship Canal Company, i and responded to by Sir W. Peter I Hylands.