NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11510, 17 February 1903, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Before leaving Dunedin on Sunday on his way to Melbourne, Sir Joseph Ward replied through the medium of an interview to the criticisms of "The Press" and the "Otago .Daily Times'' regarding certain slupmenta of New Zealand produce to South Africa. It may be remembered that ws drew attention, amongst other matters, to a piece of bungling which, according to a Durban correspondent, occurred in connection witb the discharging of a large consignment of' New Zealand potatoes despatched by the Government to Soutb Africa for the Repatriation Department. The potatoes, it was etated, were piled up on the water-front at Durban, and owing to the delay in railing them inland, quantities of them rotted in the open-«ir, until eventually the military authorities were compelled to throw four thousand case* into toe sea. There was no suggestion whatever that the Government w«e in any way to blame in this mattei*, for the produce arrived in excellent condition. But Sir Joseph Word i» evidently anxious that publicity should be given to j his version of the affair, in justice to the graders who inspected the potatoes before j they were shipped. There were, it appears, 28,000 coses in all, and the Department of Industries and Commerce received advice that the whole shipment arrived in good order at Durban. The steamer, however, was unable' to obtain a berth for twenty days, and, ; as the Minister says, " anyone with experience in handling pota"toes will know-the result of a shipment "of 2*8,000 cases of potatoes lying in a " ship's hold for that time in a se_u« " tropical climate in the month of Novem"ber." The fact that in the circumstances not more than 4000 cases had to be jettisoned id regarded by Sir Joseph Ward as a convincing tribute to. the quality of the shipment. He states that special precautions were taken in making up the conaiignment. The order came for the potatoes to be shipped in bags, but on the advice ,of the Department casts were substituted, and "men were "specially sent to see that the potatoes " were picked before .being cased, and "it is a fact that the potato shippers "complained very bitterly indeed that the "care exercised in the matter of picking " was on the over-cautious side." We agree with the 'Minister-that the damage subsequently suffered by the shipment could not be attributed to carelessness or mismanagement at this end,; but it is most unfortunate, as he himself will surely admit, that New Zealand.produce ahould reach its destination to he treated in such a manner. It is right that every shipment should be carefully graded and inspected before it leaves the colony, but of what'use are these elaborate precautions if the produce is to be damaged, perhaps ruined, through mismanagement at the other end? In the fsase of this particular consignment, it was apparently only so' much labour thrown away. Nor is this\the only instance where .produce from New Zealand has 'suffered badly when being unloaded in South Africa. There was the case of the steamer Kent, one' of the subsidised fleet, which proved to be of too deep a draught to enter the harbour at Durban. The cargo had to be landed by means of lighters,.and not only did shippers have to pay 7a 6d a ton extra to get their goods ashore, but the produce was very roughly handled in the process, and suffered a good- deal of [damage. Unless oeiter provision is made i for .the landing and distribution of cargoes it is difficult to see how a profitable trade can he built up. Damaged consignments will not improve the reputation of New ■Zealand produce in South' Africa, nor can shippers be expected to show much, eagerness to cater for that market unless there is some reasonable guarantee that their efforts will not be nulUfied through mismanagement and bungling at the port of discharge.