PRODUCE TRADE WITH HAWAII

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1076, 15 March 1911, Page 10

PRODUCE TRADE WITH HAWAII

ITS PROSPECTS DISCUSSED. The' decision of the United States Government to strongly fortify the Hawaiian group, mako one of its harbours a largo naval base, arid station troops there has caused Hawaiian business men to inquire- afield about foodstuffs. The manager of the Hawaiian Meat Co., Ltd., Mr. G. J. Waller, has been in Nuw Zealand for several weeks, inquiring into the possibilities of arranging for supplies of New Zealand meat and butter. Any butter' sent, however, must be free of boracio acid. There is an import duty of six cents per lb. on butter, and one and a half cents per lb. on meat, but, according to Mr. Waller, there is a chance of the duty being removed at an early date., A Wellington man concerned in meat exporting was interviewed on this subject. He said that as to the actual possibilities of trailing with Hawaii he could only talk vaguely. There were difficulties to be overcome first of all if a trade was to bo commenced, and before anyone sunk money in such, a venture they would need to be satisfied that the chance of gain was in proportion to the risk of loss. Of course, things might be so arranged that the attempt to build up a business could be made without risk, but in his opinion it would be necessary to be on a good footing regarding the shipping facilities before a thoroughly sound basis could bq had. Before he would say any more'as : to the Hawaiian prospects, he would like a few more facts to think about. ...He added, -however, that we could do with new -markets. New Zealand was not likely to profit .by .relying on the.-British; market only. The production in. the. next ten years would certainly, increase at a greater rate than the consumption. So' it would be a good thing to have new markets i opened'. even if New -Zealand herself could not use them.

HOW BUTTER STANDS. The chances of trade in butter seem to rest on several things, the chief of which is the Canadian supply. That is the opinion of a "Wellington merchant who-is closely in touch with this matter. When the subject"was mentioned to him, the first thing he. did was to refer to the heavy duty. •• The duty is threepence a pound. "That is practically prohibitive,",he said. "When you consider that a halfpenny a pound is looked upon as the retail profit, a farthing as the wholesale profit, and a half per cent, as the British trade margin, you will see that a duty of six cents a pound looks prohibitive." With Mr. Waller's suggestion that tho duty ' might be removed he did not" agree. '' Ho. -'did' not even think that if there came' a Canadian shortage and- consequent high prices the duty would bo" lifted." What would happen in such a ease, he said, would he that the big figure would enable New Zealand butter' to be sold at a profit after paying the duty. The. markets of the Pacific provided an interesting study.- Owing to: tha peculiarities of the Canadian season little or no butter was made during five months of tho year. Consequently storing for that length of time.was necessary anrUsome of the butter used -in Hawaii and.Vancouver was five months old when tabled. The' best Canadian butter was scarcely up to the quality of tho best New both were fresh, and when sbmV"6i'the five-months-okl make was tabled at Vancouver it was not in >%. state which would be regarded as saleable in Now Zealand. Still, the people of Vancouver wero not aware of that. _ They wero not used to butter of as high a quality as we got here. New Zealand could put butter on the Vancouver market that was only four or five weeks, old. and therefore in a thoroughly fresh and eatable state, but the merchantmen there did not seem to grasp the fact. At times of the year the Canadian' make was necessarily months old, aiid during those months fresh butter could be got from here. "

i Talking of transit facilities ho said that it did'not seem absolutely clear yet what tho Union Company proposed doing regarding refrigerating space, but ho understood that the New Zealand shippers were to have a prior claim upon it—prior to Australians. Whether or r.ot the space arrangements would I'e framed with the object of preventing combines he could not say. The Maitai snd tho Aorangi (the vessels at present on the route) had ample space for all the butter which was sent at tho present time, but the freight fates wero considerable. For oho of'the recent shipments the charge was made one penny a pound not. which meant that the ten pounds for the box was not ■ reckoned. On that vessel about 3000 boxes of hutter wore sent away. The company refused to maintain the charge at that rate.

Getting down to figures the merchant raid that he thought that butler could b? landed on tho wharves in tho Hawaiian group at a cost to the buyers of 15J to .16 pence per lb.. Butter had been reported as selling .for Is, Bd. over that way, but the.shop price should not much concern New Zealand. New Zealand's business was: "How much dan we get for it?" ' . 'j'..