JAVA'S MILLIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 3526, 11 October 1921, Page 25

JAVA'S MILLIONS

(From Ode Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, September 28. Oho of the objects which it is hoped to promote by constructing a railway from the south to the north of the Australian continent is the development of trade with Java. Within a short, distance of .Australia there is a population of 30.0C0.0C0, and it is stated that there is almost an unlimited field for some of the products of Australia, if they can be conveyed rapidly and marketed attractively. Members of the I’ublio Works Committee who are investigating the proposed routes for the railway crossed over to Java from Darwin, and came back greatly impressed with the prospects. One of them, Senator Newland, said that, great pains were being taken bv foreign competitors—principally German and A merit an • -to capture this growing trade; but with the advantage that Australia has of proximity to the islands, it should be easy for this country to beat competitors in many lutes. It. was disquiet lug, however, to find that, through various causes (including poor class of goods, faulty packing, and general slovenliness in the getting nt) of goods), the name of Australia in many places was anathema; and that. ; Though certain classes of Australian goods were admittedly distinctly superior to the foreign article, yet, on account of the more attractive way in which it was put on the market, the, people in Java paid more for the foreign article. In some cases it. was found that .Australian articles could b,. sold oily if the labelling was so done that no mention of Australia wa.s made on rue package. The committee learned that there was apparently an unlimited mark-, t for apples, pears, and oranges, and for all classes of dried fruits, biscuits, jams, and ■ canned butter; but everything must Ce first-class and attractively presented.