A JAPANESE VISITOR

Otago Witness, Issue 3348, 15 May 1918, Page 25

A JAPANESE VISITOR

CONSUL-GENERAL FOR AUSTRALASIA.

The Hon. Seiyaburo Shimiyu, his Imperial Japanese Majesty's Consul-general for Australasia and the South Sea Islands, arrived in Dunedin on Saturday night from Christchurch. Mr Shimizu has been for over 20 years in the consular service of Japan. During that time he has been stationed .in the United States, Canada, Hawaii, and Hongkong, and now his headquarters are in Sydney. Ho has been resident there "for four and a-half years, but this is his first visit to New Zealand. His visit has been undertaken, primarily, for the purpose of paying his respects to the Oovernor-general, the Ministry, and the various public bodies of the large cities. The cultivation of trade relationship between Japan and New Zealand, of course, is another reason. An honorary consul so far has represented Japan in New Zealand, but in the opinion of M. Shimizu, the growth of trade between the two countries necessitates the appointment of a salaried consul.

Speaking as to the trade increase of recent years, the visitor remarked that his country's exports to New Zealand had vastly increased since the war. He had not the figures for 1913, but they were insignificant. In 1914 Now Zealand bought £232,364 -worth of Japanese goods. Last year our imports from Japan were valued at £693,808, so that the amount had trebled in three years. In the same way, Japanese imports from New Zealand were commencing very decidedly to climb before war conditions intervened. Wool was by far the largest item, but in 1913 the quantity which New Zealand exported to Japan was very small. In 1914 it was £59,222 worth. In 1915, he figures had jumped up to £137,064. Then came the export restrictions of war time, and in 1916 Japan received only £105,617 worth .of our wool. Last year export to Japan was barred absolutely. Especially since '.he war, the Japanese woollen industry had grown apace, and their mills were to-day turning out almost the same products as our own mills., Ha sees a much-increased demand for New Zealand raw wool when the export restrictions are lifted, and confidently expects that the day is not very far distant when Japan will be one of our chief customers for the clip. Japan used our hemp in the manufacture of ropes, and kauri gum for paints and varnishes. There is, however, a further reason for the Consul-general's visit. Complaints have reached his office, ho says, of dissatisfaction with Japanese goods in New Zealand. Ho h;is come over to investigate complaints, and to try to effect some improvement.

Mr Shimtssu explained that the Japanese industrial system was such that in many cases it was not directly tho manufacturers who supplied the overseas markets. Many of the "smaller manufacturers _ were not in a position to maintain special staffs for foreign correspondence." This opened a field for small exporting firms —so;no Japanese and some foreign. These, acted as a go-between (or tho manufacturer and the overseas customer. Amongst those exporting firms were some small and irresponsible concerns with no very strict code of

commercial morality. Theso went where the most profit was. When overseas orders came to them, they quoted low prices, and had to supply a poorer quality of article. Tho manufacturers turned out these pooror articles quite legitimately for the cheaper markets —China, India, Straits Settlements, and tho. Philippines. Many of them wore 3'oung manufacturers, and had not properly realised that Europe, America, and Australasia demanded a better quality, at a slightly higher price. The exporting agents did not enlighten the manufacturers, for the simple reason that thero was a greater margin of profit in tho handling of tho cheap line for export. "My advice to importers,"' said tho Consul-general, " is to make connection with tho well-established and most reliable Japanese exporters. It is not hard to find who thoso are. My offico will gladly supply the inf oxmati on."