PORT OF HULL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1607, 26 November 1912, Page 3

PORT OF HULL.

AND THE NEW ZEALAND TRADE, A DISTRIBUTING CENTRE. The claims of tho port of Hull to reoeivo New Zealand's produots and to export New Zealand's needs, were enlarged upon by Mr. Austin Wilson, speoial commissioner from -the dock authority at Hull, to a special meeting of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce yesterday. Mr. A. E. Mabin presided. Mr. 'Jfcibin said that, wo out here were rather too prone to think that London was England, perhaps' not mistakenly altogether, for London was a great distributing and'financial centre, but Mr. Wilson had oomo out to tell them that thero wore other distributing oeutres iu England besides London. The Third Port in Importance in England. Mr. Wilson said he had baen sent out by the Railway and Dock Authorities of the Port of Hull, and he was also under the aejis of tho Hull Chamber ox Commerce. At present most New Zealand produce was sent to London, but the people of Hull thought th.it goods from the north of lingland could with advantage be sent to the port of Hull. It was'the third port in importance in England. The docks extended from five to six miles, and a new. clock was bbing constructed, which would l>e the largest in tho world. The coaling facilities were the finest a.vailabl« anywhere, and all classes of cargo, and especially frozon meat, could be handled with great expedition and safety. Ample space was provided for the storage of frozen meat, so that it could bo supplied ready for sale without being subjected to changes of temperature. Hull was helped also with an unrivalled servics via navigable rivers and waterways radiating -'nto the country, and as river craft was permitted to use the docks free of charge, they were in such competition with the railways that the railway rates from Hnll were relatively low. The docks were owned by the railway companies, and it was not. necessary to make the docks pay by themselves; the companies were satisfied so long as the railways were kept busy.

Eight to Ten Million Psopls. The area, served by the Port of Hull was populated by froin eight to ten millions of people, or about eight times the population of New Zealand, so that ,t readj market could bo found there for all New. Zealand produce. It tts-s a much too important market to ignore. In handling frozen meat,' the charge in London for delivery into store was 9s. 3d., and in Hull only 2s. lOd. for the same service. Rail transit was also very much cheaper to the manufacturing centres of Yorkshire and the Midlands than from London. The saving in distributing to these districts would amount to just about a hundred per cent.. It would bo impossible to servo this area satisfactorily from London. And, in England, where New Zealand produce was in competition with the produce of all the world, it was of the greatest importance to have tho goods dispatched to tho place of consumption at the lowest possible rates. Just as much saving was

to be effected in importing from Hull. The difference in the cost of milage from llie.'manufactuviing districts round Hull to the port of Hull, and the cost of railage to London, was equal, it had been calculated, to five per cent; of the value of the goods exported. Yet Hull was fed very largely by foreign nations, and by trading with Hull New Zealand would not only consult her own interests financially, but would help to strengthen the bonds of Empire by cementing trade relations with, this hitherto neglected important port of England. A Question? Mr. Mabin, chairman of the chamber, said that wool and flax, amongst other produce, were frequently ' consigned to Hull, • but they were taken through by the Home steamers at the same price as to London, and if the steamers could not deliver the goods themselves they paid the coastal steamers for the service. How could the present method of doing business be improved?. He admitted that as far as the export trado from Hull was concerned it was not well served by the present trading ships, but he asked Mr. Wilson to suggest some better method. Mr. Wilson, in reply, said that the trade in wool and flax was largely controlled by the receivers in, England, and they insisted upon getting a through delivery price to London or Hull. But the people of Hull thought they should get a sharo of other produce—butter, clieese, and hides —and the only way to get this was by a direct service of steamers from New Zealand to Hull, or by persuading the existing lines trading to extend their service to Hull. It might be possible to start 111 a small way—say, a steamer once in six weeks. The companies would find that tlio trade would increase, that it would-be profit-able ."from the jump," and they would increase th« service. In the first place they would save ss. per ton on coal in their bunkers. The real difficulty in getting New Zealand boats to Hull was that New Zealand had only a season trade.'-- It was a.rush business, and the companies had to get their Iwats away from London very quickly. He added that the tra.de of Hull with every part of the world was growing, with the sole exception of Australia .and New Zealand. Mr. Wilson stated, in reply to Mr. T. Ballineer. that the reduction in rates from Hull would apply to Birmingham, from which town goods could, be shipped at Hull on almost as good terms as from Liverpool. Shipping Point of View. Mr. C. W. Jones, of the Huddart Parker Company, asked what attractions there were to indiico ships to go to Hull. Ships would go anywhere they could make money—everywhere there was water to carry them. There must be somo reason for their avoiding Hull. It was very little use talking to a chamber nf commerce on this subject; it was rather a question for shipowners. Mr. AVilson said ships would save ss. 0 ton in bunker coal, and ships coming to New Zealand took about 2500 tons of coal on board in England. Shipowners in London had said .to him' that it would havei paid them to go to Hull, but that in order, to catch tho/New Zealand trade they had to hurry back to New' Zealand; from Loudon. ' •

Mr. Skddon, Wellington' Meat Export Company, in reply to the chairman, said that the reason -why meat companies did not sent! meat to Hull was becayso there was no demand for .it there. If th'ey -wanted the meat at Hull, and there were ships to take it. the companies would send it.

Mi\ Wilson said there was a frre-afc deal of frozen meat c.oming to Hull, but all of it cnme from the Argentine. Meat could be for better handled in Hull than in any other English port; and it would arrive in the retail stores in much bett?r condition than it could if sent through London. • He thought that if some pressure were brought'to tear on the shipping companies they would consider the question of sending ships to Hull. It would have been a jrreat convenience to the shipping companies to have had an alternative port at the time of the strike at London, but they received all their cargoes from London, and they could work through no other port. Mr. T. Ballinger moved that the question of malting renresentations to the shipping companies for a direct service between New Z n nland and Hull be referred to the council for consideration. Tho motion was seconded by Mr. W. J. Thompson and carried. On the motion of Mr. A. E. Mabin. a vote, of thanks was accorded to Mr. Wilson for his address.- • ■