TRADE. WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 14

TRADE. WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

A MARKET FOR NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE. Mr W. ; Evans, of Dunedin and Timaru,, has, - according to a letter which he has addressed to the Timaru Herald, written to the Premiar fully on the question of opening up trade with South Africa, and his representations may probably have had some effee* on the Government on the decision arrived at, '.as announced by the Hon. Mr Ward at the Bluff, to .invite tenders for a regular steam service between New Zealand ports and at least three ports in South Africa. Mr Evans points out the injustice done to New Zealand and the British taxpayer by the War Office placing the whole of the contracts in London last year. He has no hesitation in saying that the oats so procurect cost. 25 per cent, more than they could have been laid down in South Africa had tenders been called through the New Zealand Government in the first place. When in South. Africa Mr Evans offered prime New Zealand oats to the heads of the Millitary Commissary departments in Durban and Capetown afc 6s 6d a cental c.i.f., invoiced at 7s 9d, but; these , gentlemen would not accept the offer, although they would have liked- to have taken the oats at the pries quoted. "The present population of Capetown, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, East London, and Natal, all coastal towns, is over 250,000, "not taking -into consideration the inland population, which is a very large one. The Boer war has made South Africa, for the next two years at least, a wilderness so fswr as growing crops is concerned, as thousands of the colonists are cleared out of house and home, but the people will have to be fed. America and Australia have poured in many hundreds of tons of produce, but very little, has gone from; New Zealand. Mr Evans is convinced that with regular steamers and freights the same as from Australia, there is a good markefc for New Zealand produce. We have the kind of produce that Africa lequireg — namely,,, wheat, oats, potatoes, flour, bran, pollard, hams, bacon, butter^' potted meats, jams, etc. When_'he was in Durban, scraggy bee/ and mutton were selling, at 10d to Is per lb, and potatoes of poor quality at 22* 6d per , sack. The oat market at the time was glutted, 1 aa holders had taken fright at the large quantity in the hands of the military authorities. But the future of the crop in South Africa, and the presence of such large numbers of horses would soon clear away the glut. With direct and reasonable freights 'the farmers of ,tliia country could supply the oats required! against the world. As regards frozen meat, the manager of the African Supply and Cold Storage Company informed Mr Evans that he could do at any time with 1000 tons of meat, bullocks from 7001b to 7501b, sheep? . from 461b to 581b, and would like to have quotations "* c.i.f., Capetown (insurance against the risks 20001b to the ton). Messrs Sparks and Young, of Durban, "also were anxious to do business in. frozen meat. MrEvans's firm' have sold altogether between 5000 tons and 6000 tons of colonial produce in South Africa since the war commenced-.-but owing to the high rates" of freight and! difficulties to get it placed on the market, there has been almost no profit up to the present; but had other firms taken, up the matter in the same way many thousands of tona of 'produce now lying, in- stores might have been placed on the South African market, After urging farmers and others interested to unite -and demand regular and cheap freight Mr Evans supplies the following statement of the weights of goods imported into Cape Colony in 1899, not including Natal and; Dclagoa Bay, where our produce is in^even >. greater demand : — . Weight or value of certain goods imported into Cape Colony in 1899: — Prom Western Australia— Bran, 40,0Q0lb ; pre-» served meats, 14,4001b. Prom South Australia — Butter, 33601b; bran^ 203,5201b; flour, 1,604,8871b; fresh fruit, £390; preserved meats, 84721b; wheat, 22,097,8511b. From Victoria— Butter, 1,718,5351b; cheese', 61,7271bj bran, 663.5371b; flour, 1,669;123ibii

potatoes, 1,275,6691b ; fresh fruit, £210 ; leajther, 102J6661b; frozen meat, 8,451,9161b; preserved meat, 783,2371b ; salt meat, ' 46371b ; jams, 16,4861b; maize, 163,1371b;' oats, 1,364,9901b; wheat, 50,200,6231b. ' From New 7 South "Walesa-Butter, 368,9971b ; cheese, 10,513lb; bran, 159,4581b; flour, 108,6001b; potatoes, 74,6351b; leather, 31361b; laid, 10401b; -frozen meat, 903,6731b; preserved meat, 168,<i261b'; salt meat; 54891b; jams, 18721b ; beans and peas, 13,9301b ; oats, 71,3561b. From— Tasmania — Potatoes, 31,200lb; fresh fruits, £62 ; jams, 10,2001b. From New "Zealand — Butter, 22241b jOoheese, 22,9231b; bran, 20,0001b; flour, 84801b; lard, 4801b ; frozen meat, 64,5321b ; preserved meat, 78601b; salt meat, 28,5021b; -beans and peas, 23,8001b; oats, 256,2371b; wheat, 9,090,3511b. From , the United States — Cheese, 11,7401b ; "bran, 19,0281b; flour, 12,178,5261b; dried Iruits, 421,8311b; leather, 169,8881b; lard, 1,884,4021b; preserved meats, 3,913,6341b; salt meat, 306,7801b ; jams, 39871b; sweets manufactured, 176,9731b; barley,' 357,0111b; beans and peas, 1,569,1241b ; maize, 11,151,7381b ; oats, 655,2951b ; wheat, 98,361,5241b; samp (broken maize), 22,291,2391b. , From 'Argentina — Bran, 1,433,0651b; flour, 283.7991b; ,maize, 43,676,1821b. From other countries— Butter, 582,7851b; cheese," 2,455,6961b j bran, 134,0801b; flour, 685,4461b; potatoes, 6,246,6231b; dried fruits, 145,0091b; fresh fruits, £14,579; leather,348,5651b;' lard, ' 103,9671b; frozen meat; 135,3371b; preserved meats, 1,075,6571b; salt meat, 2,449,3411b; jams, 944,5661b; sweets, 1,870,8731b; barley, * 189,3481b; beans and peas, 1,760,7721b; maize, 2,826,6021b; oats, 1,074,9731b; wheat, 2,024,7291b ; samp, 16,4321b.