TRADE WITH CANADA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 334, 22 October 1908, Page 5

TRADE WITH CANADA.

. FUTURE POSSIBILITIES. OPENINGS FOR NEW ZEALAND c PRODUCE. (DY TKLBGttAI'tI —PItKSS ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, October 21. Captain Home, marine superintendent of the liidra I.ino, who has como to New Zealand for tho . special purpose of reporting on tho" present and future possibilities of trade between Canada and New Zealand, stated -in conversation with a "Press" reporter that.in his opinion the New ZealandCanadian Lino was not being supported in tho .-manner, it should be. The steamers Indravelli. and Den of Ruthven, which arc at present carrying on the service,are subsidised by both the New Zealand and the Canadian Governments. They bring full cargoes froni Canada to New Zealand, but up to the present have been returning practically empty. Owing to the opposition of seasons in New Zealand and Canada, thero is, according to Captain Home, a largo demand in Vancouver for various cereal products such as oats. He found considerable difficulty in getting New Zealand merchants to; recognise the long land distances which have to be; traversed by tho railroads in Canada before produce can be landed in Vancouver .'from the eastern districts. Roughly speaking, Vancouver is about 1200 miles from tho great cereal producing centres, and owingto tho fact that trucks have to 'be hauled over two mountain ranges, the Rockies and the Selkirks, tho transportation must always be expensive, and is likely to be more so in tho future owing to the high cost of .labour in Canada. Freight 1 on all cereal products by the "All-water route" will, always be very much less between New Zealand and! Canada than by the inland rail routes. ' Captain Home stated that there is also an excellent market in Vancouver for frozen, ineat,' butter, poultry, and eggs. It is ■ fully rccogniscd that the New Zealand article .is superior, and the provision of refrigerating accommodation on the New Zea-land-Cahadian line will throw open to New Zealand a market of which it would be difficult to estimate the possibilities. Owing to. the climatic conditions existing in Canada in the winter, it is, according' to Captain- H6me,; difficult to say how far east this produce would bo likely to go, but meanwhile it is-safe to conjeoturo that there would be no great difficulties during the Canadian. winter in transporting this produce as'far east as Winnipeg. Owing to the . lieat experienced on the plains during fhe submer months, the keeping of tho carcasses at "tho necessary freezing temperature, presents some difficulties, but these would doubtless be overcome in time. Captain Home further stated that there is no reason why considerable quantities of frozen lamb and mutton should not bo absorbed by ; ttie adjoining States of Oregon and Washington. There is also a considerable demand '.in the manufacturing districts of Canada for wool and its by-products in. the shape "of-pelts. _ Captain Horne went on to say that there is _in_,,Vancouver a largo demand for good building stone. , Oamaru stone, according to Captain, Horne, lias been entered on tho lists':of ■ stoiie's that will be passed by, tho Government' architects . for use in official buildings. Already to some extent Oamaru stone ihas been utilised in this direction, and it will'.be . interesting to New Zealandcrs to learn:' that tho facings of,, tho new Operii House'''in Vancouver aro of the familiar white .'stone.; In, .conclusion, Captain Horne remarked that it should not bo forgotten by Now Zealand people that a very large proportion of their exportable commodities have been placed on tho Canadian preferential trading list, a fact-which gives them an advantage over several other countries.