German Trade with New Zealand.

Otago Witness, Issue 1622, 23 December 1882, Page 30

German Trade with New Zealand.

A " German man of business," who is settled in New Zealand, writing thence to the Nord Deutsche Zeitung, of Berlin, reveals the efforts of the German manufacturers to open up pro fitable trading relations with that British Colony. He states that each mail on an average brings him a dozen letters from German "manufacturers, begging him to secure agents for the sale of their respective productions. He shows every disposition to agree with the requests thus put forward, but states that he is rarely able to do as requested, for the simple reason that "most of the houses are more or less dependent on English traders, who do not like to see German wares introduced." This is a somewhat ingenuous assertion, and is not quite borne out by ascertained facts, seemg -that we have, on more than one former occasion, called attention to the growing sale of German goods in New Zealand as well as in the Australian Colonies. This fact, which has been reported by more than one of our corre spondents, alone proves that there is no active prejudice against the manufactures of the iTatherland, as such ; indeed, it is a matter of common knowledge that our colonists, however much they would prefer British goods, do not allow sentiment to interfere with business, but purchase to the best advantage, irrespective of the nationality of those from whom they buy. If German goods are equal in quality to English or American, at tho same or lowerprices, they will certainly meet with a fair share of 1 patronage. The correspondent in question holds that it will be impossible to establish payingtrade relations between Germany and New Zealand so long as there is not a large German firm in the Colony, which is capable of being interpreted as a confession that there are no " large German firms " there, and that the trade now doing is not remunerative. .These are points which our competitors in the Empire of Kaiser Wilhelm may be left to consider. For ourselves it is sufficient to direct the attention of British manufacturers to the efforts and aspirations of their Teutonic rivals, whose attempts to secure a portion of Australasian trade should be met with a proportionate augmentation of energy at Home. — Ironmonger, October 21st.