INDIAN MARKETS FOR NEW ZEALAND FROZEN MEAT, ETC. (CORRESPONDENCE RESPECTING).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1885 Session I, H-43

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1885. NEW ZEALAND.

INDIAN MARKETS FOR NEW ZEALAND FROZEN MEAT, ETC. (CORRESPONDENCE RESPECTING).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. The Acting Undee-Seceetaey, Bombay, to the Hon. the Colonial Tbeasubeb. Sie, — General Department, Bombay Castle, 4th December, 1884. In continuation of my letter No. 4178,* dated the 14th ultimo, I am directed by His Excellency the Governor in Council to forward herewith copy of a letter from the CommissaryGeneral, Bombay, No. 41-33/8045, dated the 28th idem. I have, &c, W. P. Symonds, Acting Under-Secretary to Government. Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., Colonial Treasurer of New Zealand.

Enclosure. The Commissaby-Genebal, Bombay, to the Seceetaey to Govebnment, Bombay. Sie,— 28th November, 1884. With reference to General Department, Government Eesolution 3597, dated the 2nd ultimo, I have the honour to furnish the following particulars for the information of His Excellency the Governor in Council:— 2. The annual consumption of meat at Bombay and Poona is as under— Bombay. Poona. Total. Beef ... ... 186,6601b. ... 426,8551b. ... 613,5151b. Mutton .... ... 75,8001b. ... 185,7301b. ... 261,5301b. Total ... ... ... ... ... 875,0451b. 3. The average departmental rates for the past year, as furnished by the Examiner of Commissariat Accounts, are as under:— Bombay. Poona. b. a. p. B. A. p. Beef ... ... ... ... 0 2 5 ... 0 1 8 per lb. Mutton ... ... ... ... 0 3 2 ... 0 2 7 per lb. 4. The General Traffic Manager, Great Indian Peninsula Eailway Company, has intimated that the company is prepared to carry the frozen meat at the third-class goods rate by passonger train at 14 rupees 5 annas and 6 pies per ton from Bombay to Kirkee, and 14 rupees 10 annas per ton from Bombay to Poona, which gives an average of 1J pie per lb. as the transit charges of the meat to Poona. 5. If the cost of the New Zealand frozen meat be 4d. per lb. deliverable in the Commissariat godowns at Bombay, its cost at the current year's rate of exchange (Is. 7-J-d. per rupee) would be 3 annas 3J pies per lb., which appears high compared with the departmental rates. 6. There is no accommodation either at Bombay or Baudora for the storage of raw meat, even if consignments are received monthly, 7. As regards the woollen fabrics, I beg to state that in absence of samples it is not possible to say which of them couli be utilized by this department. I have, &c, H. Heythuysen, Colonel, The Secretary to Government, Acting Commissary-General. General Department, Commissary-General's Office, Bombay.

No. 2. Mr. A. J. Willis to the Acting Undeb-Seceetaey, Bombay. Sib,— Government Offices, Wellington, 4th February, 1885. I have been directed by the Hon. Sir Julius Vogel to acknowledge the receipt, with thanks, of your letter No. 4457, of the 4th December last, enclosing copy of a letter from the CommissaryGeneral, under .date 28th November, containing particulars of the consumption of meat at Bombay and Poona. I have, &c, The Acting Under-Secretary" to Government, Alex. Willis. • General Department, Bombay Castle.

* Vide Appendices to Journals, House of Representatives, H.-15a, 1885, p. 15,

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No. 3. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington, to the Secretary to Government, Bombay. Sir,— Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 18th April, 1885. This Government would esteem it a great favour if you could procure it any information as to the market for dairy produce, more especially cheese and butter, in Bombay. Many dairies have been recently started in New Zealand on the American factory principle, and the Government is anxious to obtain trustworthy intelligence as to the best outlets for their produce. The average prices that butter and cheese fetch in Bombay and other large and easily accessible towns in your presidency, as well as an estimate of the quantities that could be disposed of at those prices, would be particularly valuable. I have, &c, The Secretary to the Government, Bombay. P. A. Buckley.

No. 4. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington, to the Secretary to Government, Calcutta. Sir, — Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 18th April, 1885. This Government would esteem it a great favour if you could procure it any information as to the market for dairy produce, more especially cheese and butter, in Bengal. Many dairies have recently been started in New Zealand on the American factory system, and the Government is anxious to obtain trustworthy intelligence as to the best outlets for their produce. The average prices that butter and cheese fetch in Calcutta and other large and easily accessible towns in your presidency, as well as an estimate of the quantities that could be disposed of at those prices, would be particularly valuable. I have, &c, The Secretary to the Government of India, Calcutta. P. A. Buckley.

No. 5. E. C. Buck, Esq., C.S., Secretary to the Government of India, to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington, New Zealand. Sib,— Simla, 9th July, 1885. I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 85, 1003, dated the 18th April last, in which you, on behalf of the Government of New Zealand, ask for information as to the market for dairy produce, more especially cheese and butter in Bengal. 2. The demand in India for foreign cheese and butter is very small, and the import of either article takes place solely to supply the wants of the European population. The quantity of each of these articles imported from 1877-78 to 1881-82^8 as follows : — Cheese : — 1877-78 ... 443,1671b. 1880-81 ... ... 498,3781b. 1878-79 ... 506,9861b. 1881-82 470,7981b. 1879-80 ... 477,0021b. Butter: — 1877-78 ... 111,9661b. 1880-81 ... ... 170,7831b. 1878-79 ... 116,7571b. 1881-82 ... ... 156,2651b. 1879-80 ... 132,3571b. The smallness of the European population renders it obvious, therefore, that the Indian market affords no satisfactory opening for colonial dairy produce, unless the latter can be provided in a form acceptable to the natives of the country. The only form in which dairy produce is consumed to any extent by natives is that of ghi or clarified butter, which is considered by all classes to be one of the most nutritious elements in their food, and is used in large quantities by all who can afford to do so. The possibility of supplying the demand for ghi to some extent from Australia has more than once been under consideration; and lam to enclose, for your information, a copy of a collection of papers on the subject, from which it will be seen that an experiment in this direction has recently been made by the Government of South Australia with the co- operation of the Government of India. Financially the experiment was, owing probably to the small scale on which it was conducted, not successful; but its results sufficed to show very clearly the possibility of producing ghi in South Australia of a kind likely to find favour with the natives of this country. There is, so far as the Government of India is aware, no reason to doubt that similar experiments in New Zealand or any other Australian Colony, if undertaken earnestly, and on a sufficiently-large scale, would result in a trade which would eventually benefit both the exporting colony and India in a very material degree. 3. The matter is one in which the Government of India takes much interest, and in respect to which it will always be glad to furnish your Government with any information and assistance in its power. I have, &c, E. C. Buck, Secretary to the Government of India. N.B.—The enclosures to this letter have not been received.—G. S. Cooper. [Approximate cost of Paper.— Preparation, Nil; printing (1,225) copies, £1 23. 6d.]

By Authority : George Didsbury, Government Printer, Wellington.—l3Bs.