Trade with Japan.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1837, 28 May 1886, Page 2

Trade with Japan.

♦ At the request of Sir Julias Vogel Dr Hector recently communicated with Professor Singetaka Shiga, the naturalist on board the Japanese man-of-war Tsukuba, on the subject of opening a market for wool in Japan. The result was an interview between Dr Hector and Professor Shigetaku Shiga, of the effect of which Dr Hector made a memorandum. The Japanese naturalist regretted that he would not have time to visit the woollen mills in the South Island. Ha explained that the climate of Japan was unsuitable for the best breeds of sheep. In the northern part of the empire the winters are too severe, and in the southern part the fertile land is so fully occupied and subdivided as to leave no room for large flocks of sheep. Up to! 7 years ago the people wore cotton and silk, bn: Is'ely a giva* demand for wooden goods has '•pi,tog up. About six yeai.s ago a woollen ho'Mrv was established hr the Government and tills at present is the only one in Japan. The opinion is general that clothes ui liuropean form and materials should be adopted. Labor is cheap, water power and cod me plentiful, and the duty ou wool is light. The beat way of testing the market would be to forward samples of about 501 hs of wool n each to the Imperial factory, at fciliouzu. The chief exports from Japan suitable for New Zealand, are tea and rice, besides lacquerware, brousseware, Ac. Animal food is little used in Japan, and there is no opening for fror ni meat.