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1904. NEW ZEALAND.

INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE REPORT (23rd August, 1904) BY THE MINISTER OF INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE. HON. SIR J.G. WARD, K.C.M.G.

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

Department of Industries and Commerce, Wellington, 16th August, 1904. My Lord, — I have the honour to submit to Your Excellency the report of the Department of Industries and Commerce for the year ending 31st March, 1904. I have the honour to be, Your Lordship's most obedient servant, J. G. Ward, Minister of Industries and Commerce. His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand.

In presenting this my third annual statement I have great pleasure in intimating that the Department is doing good and useful work. The increase of business conducted by it has continued during the past year. A considerable extent of work has been done, both by correspondence and by interview, with firms and persons from oversea countries in connection with the trade and commerce of the colony. The Head Office is still being used to a great extent by commercial people visiting the colony, who are supplied with information which enables them to do their business with the least possible loss of time, and in many cases the information supplied leads to business of a satisfactory nature, and of considerable value to the colony. The Department itself does not undertake trade of any nature for or on behalf of any one; it acts as a medium to obtain and distribute information, and to assist traders and producers in finding fresh markets, and, if possible, to further develop existing ones. Special attention is being paid to obtain the most reliable market reports from the United Kingdom and South Africa, which are circulated throughout the colony weekly for the information of traders and producers. Tho publication in the Board of Trade Journal of the appointment of the Secretary of the Department as Corresponding Secretary in New Zealand to the Commercial Intelligence Branch of the British Board of Trade has led to an immense number of inquiries from all parts of the world as to the possibilities of trading with the colony. Manufacturers of all description of goods are addressing the Department as to the prospects of trade and asking for the names of traders in the colony in the different articles manufactured, and buyers of dairyproduce, frozen meat, wool, &c, are inquiring almost daily as to the sources and extent of supplies and the manner of obtaining same. The Commercial Agent for the colony in South Africa, Mr. J. G. Gow, is now fully established at Durban, from whence he makes periodical visits to the other principal centres in South Africa. The results of the establishment of the agency in South Africa have been of advantage to the colony, but would have been more so if it had not been for the universal depression which is at present prevailing all over that country. The Produce Commissioner (Mr, H. C. Cameron) in London is doing good work, and is kept busy attending to the large shipments of produce which are continually going forward from the colony to London, reporting on same, and keeping the Head Office advised as to the fluctuations of the different markets, which are immediately placed at the disposal of traders and producers. While in South Africa Mr. J. A. Kinsella was reappointed Dairy Commissioner, and instructions on behalf of the Department of Industries and Commerce were cabled to him to proceed to England vid the Argentine and to prepare commercial reports dealing with the position and possible developments of the produce trade of this colony with South Africa, and to report generally on the conditions of the produce trades in the Argentine and the United Kingdom. The initiation of the steam service to and from the west-coast ports of the United Kingdom has opened new markets at Cardiff, Bristol, Liverpool, and Glasgow, which the colony has for years hoped to obtain, and is to be congratulated upon having at last accomplished. The possibilities of trade in these markets--especially if the port of Manchester is added, which is very I—H. 17.