A HUGE PROVISION HOUSE AND NEW ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1981, 11 February 1892, Page 8

A HUGE PROVISION HOUSE AND NEW ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE.

(Fnoir Our Travelling Rkpheskntativkj

There has been a good deal of talk in Lancashire newspapers of late on the subject of a direct steamship service between New Zealand and Liverpool, and as a consequence of these rumours a good many importers of fruit and of dairy produce are turning their attention in the direction of your colony. It was reported some months back that the Now Zealand Shipping Company had resolved to put on a special line of steamers between New Zealand and Liverpool, but the rumour was soon found to have no foundation in fact.

The London manager of the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, however, a short time ago, informed mo that his company would be quite willing to provide and despatch to Liverpool a specially equipped steamer for every shipload of dairy produce that should be guaranteed to them by farmers in your colony. But, as I wrote in the English newspapers at the time, though they are prepared to do this, they cannot be expected to provide special accommodation and a new line of steamers to convey every small consignment of butter and cheese that farmers may desire to despatch to the Mersey. The fitting out of 6teamers with cooling chambers is an expensive matter, and if fanners in your colony wish to open up direct steamship communication with Liverpool they must first be quite sure that they could fill the vessels which they desire should be placed at their disposal ; for obviously it would pay \w company to provide steamers that could not command a full cargo. The point is, cm your farmers guarantee to provide shiploads of dairy produce and fruit for direct despatch to Lancashire and its adjacent counties ? If they can, then they have but to notify the circumstance to the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, and I have no doubt that these gentlemen will fulfil their promise. But producers of butter and cheese must move themselves in the matter. They must not depend on the spasmodic influenco of the colonial press and a few English importers to effect the end in view. Suggestions and advice emanating from these quarters will be ignored by and lost upon the shipping companies. Farmers must co-operate and guarantee to provide in collective consignments butter and cheese and fruit sufficient to fill any steamer supplied ; or, better still, let them and their friends in Lancashire, the importers, unite themselves into a corporate body and charter their own steamers. They may be sure of getting substantial support in Manchester and Liverpool, and I speak with some authority, for I happen to know intimately the senior members and partners of the largest and most influential firms in Lancashire. Be it understood, of course, that I do not mean to say that all Lancashire provision merchants will lend support to such an undertaking; for I am well aware that many do so well with America and other countries nearer home that they can afford to look upon a trade with New Zealand— as indeed some actually do— with supreme indifference There are, however, exceptions to any rule, as in the case of Fowler Bros., Limited. This company, although they do a very large business indeed with America and Ireland and Denmark, are nevertheless prepared to open up a trade with your colony. So far from ignoring New Zealand, Mr W. H. Challiner (the manager and a director) has, he tells me, long thought of cultivating a trade with the colony. This is one of the largest concerns of the kind in England. The company was formed for the purpose of acquiring and carrying on in combination the businesses of the undermentioned concerns— viz. (1) Fowler Bros., Limited, Liverpool; (2) Fowler Bros., New York; (3) The Anderson Fowler Company, New York ; (4) the Anglo-American Refrigerating Car Company, Indiana ; (5) the Anglo-American Provision Company, Chicago, including that company's interest in the Omaha Packing Company, of Omaha, in the State of Nebraska. The trade of the above concerns was that of curing, packing, and distributing American provisions. Though hitherto conducted as separate undertakings, they were worked in intimate association and substantially in one common interest. All the businesses, except that of the Anderson Fowler Company, had been formerly owned and carried on by the firm of Fowler Bros., established in Manchester over 30 years ago, and afterwards extended to America.. Some of the members of the old firm of Fowler Bros, having dice l , the Liverpool business was in the year 1885 converted into a private limited liability company. Another member of the old firm died since that time. These deaths involved some rearrangement of capital, and for this and other family reasons it 'was decided to amalgamate the business and form the whole into one huge company. The combined businesses cover every department of trade from the stock yards of the Western States to the supply of the wholesale dealers in the United States, Canada, England, and throughout the Continent of Europe. There are upwards of 3000 customers ou the books of the Liverpool house alone. The purchasing of the animals, and the curing and preparation of the hams, bacon, lard, and other hog products is carried on at the works in Chicago, which is the principal centre of the trade in America, and further west at Omaha, in the midst of the best hog-raising lands in America. The works at both jjlaces are fitted up with the most complete modern machinery and appliances. This has enabled the Anglo-American Provision Company and the Omaha Packing Company to deliver goods from their packing houses uniformly of such quality and in such condition that they have secured as high a reputation as any in the trade. Their brands are well known and highly esteemed, and command the highest price in the market. All the brands and trade marks belonging to the above-mentioned companies and firms were acquired by the head company— Fowler Bros., Limited— and amongst the most noted of these may be mentioned the " James Wright Crown" brand. To secure the preservation of the goods m the best condition during transit to the seaboard for shipment, and to other parts of America for consumption, the pn d C 3 of the factories is conveyed to the port or other destinations in the refrigerator cars specially con-

structed and formerly owned by the AngloAmerican Refrigerator Car Company. The greater portion of the goods is distributed by the house in Liverpool. The American provision trade is a continually growing one, and is of enormous proportions, the value of the annual production of hog products exceeding the value of the crop of cotton. The number of hogs in the country is returned at over 50,000,000, being more than 12 times the number existing in Great Britain and Ireland. Messrs R. D. Fowler and Anderson Fowler, who are the sole remaining members of the old firm of Fowler Brothers, and are both directors of the new company, arc substantially the owners of the entire business taken over by the present company. Mr William H. Challiner, another director of the new company, had also an interest in the old Liverpool business.

I may with perfect confidence recommend Fowler Brothers, Limited, to New Zealand farmers, and feel sure that no firm in England will treat them more honourably and straightforwardly. They have facilities for the disposal of your cheese and butter throughout the United Kingdom which are not enjoyed by olhi'i* liuns. Their Liverpool business, which is purely in commissions, is carried on in offices and warehouses in "Victoria street, Liverpool, and Buchall street, Kinsdale. The new company was started with a capital of L 751,000. The annual profits amount, I believe, to between L 70.000 and LIOO.OOO. It may be mentioned that as the company have a very largo staff of travellers, who are scattered all over the United Kingdom, they have exceptional opportunities for "placing" New Zealand dairy produce. I hope to hear in a year [hence that Fowler Brothers, Limited, of Liverpool, have turned over many thousand pounds' worth of your butter and cheese.