PRODUCE MARKETS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21688, 5 July 1932, Page 8

PRODUCE MARKETS

TRADE WITH THE EAST SCOPE FOR EXPANSION. The necessity for the expansion of trade with the Far East was stressed in an address by Captain F. Bauer, Vice-consul in New Zealand for the Netherlands, read at an informal gathering of members of the New Zealand Trade Expansion League in Wellington. In the opinion of Captain Bauer, there is only one way to promote trade with the Far East, and that is tb establish a New Zealand house and trade commissioner in Singapore, the great commercial centre of the trade and key to the Far East, with branches in. Java, in British India, in China, in Siam. “Would it not be wise,” asked Captain F. Bauer, “ to keep in view the importance of seeking new markets for primary products nearer home? ” These markets were within a couple of weeks’ run of New Zealand, and he was convinced from his own personal observation and experience through his long service in the East that there were potential openings for all New Zealand primary products throughout the East. *

“ To give you an idea about possibilities in trade with the East” said Captain F Bauer, “you will be surprised to know that about 5,000,000 people in Java eat butter and cheese, about 3,000.000 people eat ham, and millions use talc. About 20.000,000 use condensed and powdered milk.” The Dutch Indies require currants, fats, fibres, flour, fruit, fresh and canned jams, grain, gums, hides, hams, meat (childecl and frozen) tinned meats, timber, wool, etc. DIRECT COMMUNICATION NECESSARY.

“ The question of direct communication must not be ignored, because it is the only way for New Zealand to link up with the East and the great international trade route. When there is direct communication New Zealanders will be able to travel by sea and air from here to London in about 24 days.” In Dutch East Indies and in Singapore hundreds and hundreds of ships were coming and going full of cargoes to and from different parts of the world, but there were none with a good cargo from New Zealand. Australia was awake to the fact that her future lay in the Far East, but nothing was being done in New Zealand for better trade connections with the East.

Mr P. Lees supplemented the remarks of Captain Bauer, and pointed out that the centre of the trade was moving to the Pacific, and the East was offering enormous possibilities for the New Zealand trade. In fact, every commodity could be well sold in China and the East Indies. It was impossible to expect a trade development without establishing New Zealand offices in the Far East, and the right sort of men should be sent there to build up business.

TREMENDOUS BUYING POWERS. The buyingpporersw r ers of the East were tremendous, and were depending on silver currency. With a marked tendency to appreciate the value of silver shown lately by Great Britain and America, the question of marketing New Zealand produce and goods in the Far East became important. In China and East Indies there was a chance of markets that New, Zealand never tapped. Great Britain had always been considered the goal of New Zealand trade, and now was the time when New Zealanders should be game enough about looking further afield for real business. Mr 6, E. Littlejohn addressed the gathering on the economic exchange centres of the world, as appearing in the light of past centuries, and stressed the point that the East was certainly becoming the new centre of the world’s trade. It was the right time to develop trade with the East and to be ahead of others. A campaign designed to educate the minds of business men must he undertaken bv the Trade Expansion League. As regards goods New Zealand could buy from China, suffice it to say that soya bean cakes alone would bring great benefit to farmers, as, say, £9 spent for a ton of this feed would be transformed into £l4 of dairy produce for export.