Things We Might Produce.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1786, 25 January 1886, Page 2

Things We Might Produce.

A report Las recently been prepared for tbc Government, showing the nature auu vaiuo of imported articles in 1834, which could be produced iu the colony in abundance, not merely for local consumption, but also lor export. The value of alimentary products imported to this colony from the United Kingdom and other countries during 1884 was L 1011,533, while the exports from the Colony of the same articles during the same year amounted to L 1,577,525. Thus the colony exports nearly four times as much of alimentary articles as it imports. It can be gathered from the detailed figures of the report that after the United Kingdom, which tikes L9Ol 016 of our alimentary exports, Ne.v ISi.uth Wales is our next best customer, taking exports of the kind mentioned to the T ihie of L 455.123. That colony has proved a most valuable market for our draught horses, oats, brau, butter, cheese aud potatoes, and to a less extent wheat—these seven articles having brought us L2BOOOO in that market alone. The principal articles imported from the United Kingdom were grass and c over seed, linseed and olive oil, preserved il>h and preserved milk ; whilst the chief articles exported were wheat, meat, (frozen and preserved) flour, grass seed, butter, cheese, beans aud peas. There was imported from New South Wales—Fresh fruit, stud horses, cattle and sheep ; exported to that market cats, potatoes, butt-.-r, bran, and sharps, hoises, wheat, tli-vo, bicon, hams and malt. Imported from Victoria—Flour, fresh fiuit, stud sheep, confectionery, candles and chaff ; exported—Oats, grass and clover seed, butter, cheese, and barley. South Australia ; Imports—Flour and jam ; Exports—Oats, barley, and malt. It is also to be noted that we import from Tasmania fresh fruit to the enormous extent of L 25.000 in value, aud jams and jellies to that of L 10,552. These figures are suggestive, and afford material for much thought. The people of New Zealand pay the colony of Tasmania L 35.000 a year for fresh fruit and jame and jellies, when they could profitably grow the one and make the other, and thus keep the money in the country with which to pay our own jpeople for their labor. We cau surely i grow all the fruit we want, and ought to be able to do so at a price to compete with the imported article. Then we import a large quantity of preserved milk -an article which b« munfutared in the colony with nu*u.

profit and advantage in connection with our dairy factories. Here are some suggestive figures. New Zealand duiing 1881 imported candles to the value of L 74,059 ; fish, L 51,083 ; fruit, L7J,528 ; preserved milk, L 12,823 ; ora total of L 215,948. We have excluded jams, as those have already been mentioned. In a memorandum to Mr Bah lance, Mr McEerrow, the head of the department in which this report was compiled, remarks :—“ In tbs matter of candles it does seem curious that L 75.000 should have been sent out of the colony in their purchase, when tallow, one of the principal products of the colony, is almost unsaleable. It is worth while considering if the importation of candles made from mineral oils should not be discouraged.'’ We have directed special attention to this report in order that the colonists may learn .from it bow much more has still to be done in the way of producing articles in the [colony instead of importing them at large cost. The question naturally arises, How is it that with a splendid climate and fertile soil, the people of New Zealand do not grow or make some of the articles to which reference has already been made ? Let us take a few of those articles as illustrations of what we mean. For instance, why should not preserved milk be made in this colony ? New Zealand prodaces in abundance the finest milk in the world. At certain seasons of the year in some districts of the colony the dairy farmers hardly know what to do with the surplus milk. It is true that butter and cheese factories take a considerable quantity of the milk, and then there is besides the demand for fresh milk for local requirements. But in some districts there are no batter and cheese factories, so that this outlet for selling the milk is wanting. It would he well, therefore, to try the experiment of making preserved milk. The apparatus and machinery for making preserved milk is not costly, and the business could be carried on with a moderate amount of capital. About a year ago we published in this journal a full summary of the report of the Government Inspector of dairy factories in this colony, and noted his suggestions as to the manufacture of preserved milk. We gathered from these suggestions that the business of manufacturing preserved milk could best be carried on by butter and cheese factories as an adjunct to their existing operations. As to the question of frnit growing, we never could understand why the people of this colony cannot grow all the fruit which is required for their own consumption. We have been through gardens and orchards in various parts of the colony in which the fruit was allowed to rot on the trees and bushes, simply because nobody took the trouble to gather it and eat it, or make it into jams and jellies. Yet we pay Tasmania L 35.000 a year for fresh fruit and jams and jellies. Verily, the thing is astonishing. Now that we have placed the foregoing facts before out readers relative to importing many things which could easily be produced in the colony, perhaps some of them will consider the whole question in a practical way, and offer ns some suggestions as to how the existing anomalous condition of affairs is to be got rid of.