PORT OF OREGON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17016, 14 April 1923, Page 8

PORT OF OREGON.

TRADING TERMINUS FOR NEW ZEALAND.

AMERICAN VISITOR’S MISSION.

I never dreamed that Christchurch was any such place as this. I could hardly believe my eyes when I got here ... I thought that I had come to the wrong place. It’s curious how one gets preconceived ideas of a place. Thus Mr George T. Webster, Australian, New Zealand and Straits representative of the Traffic Department of the Port of Portland and Commission of Public Docks, who is in Christchurch on a business visit, spoke of the pleasure of being in Christchurch. Mr Webster is an enthusiastic admirer of Christchurch. in common with all the New Zealand towns he has so far visited. This is his maiden visit to New Zealand and Australia, though he is well acquainted with the Federated Malay States. Straits Settlements, Siam and Burma h. “ Our people.” be said. ”do not know nearly as much about this country as they should. 1 am free to admit that I was to be numbered with that

bunch. But from now I am going to spread the good news from the West Coast to the Fast.” Mr Websl-r stated that he had conic to New Zealand in the interests of the Traffic Department of the Port of Portland and Commission of Public Docks. The Port of Portland. with its population of 300,G00, owned, besides low boats, two dry docks, one being of a sectional character of 15,000 tons capacity and the other of J. 0.000 tons capacity. The principal (lock ,vns supplied with rail communication with the lour transcontinental roads entering the city ami the freight traffic for transhipment to the Port of Portland was handled by the Port’s own locomotives through the Traffic .Department.. ” The mission of my visit is to increase the tonnage of the Port of Portland, which we hope to do by placing yonr buyers in direct- touch w ith our people producing such commodities as are exported to both New Zealand and Australia:' and. on the other hand, putting our - buyers into direct touch with the producers here.” s3-id Mr Webster. “1 find that in New Zealand you cannot do business with the wool grower due to the way in which wool handled. So 1 placed the account of the Oregon Worsted Mills in the hands of Mr Denny, of Swift ami Go.. Dunedin. We do not, of course, want to change anyone’s method of doing business. We are modifying our methods a little to meet the conditions of the people in the foreign countries.” He added that with the idea of inspiring the best business* relationships, the Chamber of Commerce’, the State Department and the Government of the Port of Oregon were barring persons who were not trustworthy from doing export business. The prospects of developing better trade relations were very encouraging Mr Webster said. So far as bis reception in New Zealand was concerned lie was very enthusiastic about the cordiality extended to him. Harbour and port officials, he said, had gone out of their way to make themselves companionable and useful. As to the growth of the Port of Oregon, it was a remarkable story of progress. When Mr H. L. Hudson, the present traffic manager, took charge of the traffic bureau there were six steamer lines making regular calls at the Port of Portland. To-day there

were twenty-four lines making regular calls to nearly all parts of the world. That was due to Air Hudson’s ideas of keeping in personal touch with the various interests. 44 You people have at Portland a wonderful Council Agent-—John Hull,” said Mr Webster. “He is an ex-New Zealander anti never misses an opportunity of saying a good word for both the North and the South Island. He is universally liked.” Mr Webster added at the conclusion that he had nothing to sell and nothing to buy. His mission was bo place wholesale merchants in close touch with the big producers in the Port of Portland. He instanced tiles and canned goods, saying that in tile maufacture • the port bad the most modern factory j in tlie world. < During hi? stay in Christchurch Air V\ ebstef will be r.t the United Service I Hotel. On leaving New Zealand he ’ will make a business trip through . Dutch East Indies.