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Trade Representatives or Commercial Secretaries attached to the various British Embassies have, from time to time, provided a channel of communication which is much appreciated by the Department. The Department believes that in certain directions our overseas trade organization could be developed with advantageous results from the point of view of our export trade to countries other than the United Kingdom. In London, of course, the Department has the continuous assistance of the High Commissioner's officers, who are, on very many matters, assisting in the work of developing our export business both with the United Kingdom and with Europe. CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE. The Department is represented on the executive of the chambers of commerce in each of the four chief centres, and continues to keep in close touch with commercial activities and problems. This close relation has proved to be a great advantage, especially in the interchange of views on matters relating to the development of trade and in regard to questions which directly affect State Departments. The annual conference of the associated chambers was held in Christchurch in November last, and from the point of view of the attendance of delegates and the business discussed was one of the most important held in the Dominion. The Department was represented by the Secretary and local officer-in-charge at Christchurch. Commerce Train. A suggestion made to the Railway Department and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce that a special train should be provided to enable sixty members of the chamber to study the resources of the Auckland Province was favourably received. Arrangements have now been made to provide a special train for a tour covering about nine days at the end of October this year. An interesting itinerary has been tentatively agreed to, which will enable the leading business men of Auckland to visit Hamilton and inspect the Railway housing-factory, the Ruakura Farm, and the leading factories dealing with milk, butter, cheese, casein, and milk-powder. It is proposed that the train shall enable calls to be made at Arapuni, Tauranga, and Whakatane. At Arapuni visits of inspection will be made to the hydro-electric works, and at Tauranga the harbour facilities will be studied and visits made to the citrus-fruit areas of the Bay of Plenty. The development that has taken place in this area in transport by railways and roads will also be inspected. A visit to the Waihi gold-mines is also contemplated. The train will subsequently travel to points of interest in the North of Auckland, including the Dargaville, Hokianga, Bay of Islands, and Whangarei districts. The train will comprise four sleeping-cars and a parlour-car. Special facilities will be provided for the convenience of passengers by way of telephone and radio, and telegrams will also receive prompt dispatch. Light refreshments will be served on the train twice daily, but the main meals will be provided in each of the towns visited en route. This tour, the first of its kind in New Zealand, will be made for the definite purpose of educating the commercial men of Auckland as to the resources of their province, and with the aid of bulletins which will be issued each day and distributed on the train information relative to the areas visited will be afforded to those making the trip. In addition, agricultural, forestry, and other experts will accompany the train for the purpose of explaining features of interest throughout the tour. It is further expected that the visitors will have special facilities provided by the local bodies, Harbour Boards, and Chambers of Commerce in each locality. Should the experiment prove a success, the Railway Department has promised to co-operate with the Department in future tours of the kind in the various provinces of New Zealand, and thus assist to remove the reproach that many business men lack a practical knowledge of their own country. The Railway Department, which has already done splendid work by means of their farmers' trains, are to be complimented upon their readiness to place such splendid facilities for transport at the disposal of the Auckland Chamber. Present indications point to the fact that the response from the members will fully justify the proposals. It should be recorded that the cost of transport and provision of facilities enumerated is most reasonable —i.e., £10 per passenger for the whole tour. BRITISH MOTOR-TRADE DELEGATION. During the winter of last year a visit to the Dominion was made by Sir Archibald BoydCarpenter, Lieut.-Colonel A. Hacking, and Mr. A. R. Fenn, representatives of the British motormanufacturers. The delegates first visited Australia and then came on to New Zealand. The fact will be recalled that at the Empire Conference in 1926 considerable stress was laid by our own Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth on the need for more active investigation and development of the market for British motor-vehicles in the Commonwealth and Dominion. Attention was drawn at the Conference to the very large number and value of cars other than British

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