THE PACIFIC SLOPE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1732, 24 April 1913, Page 4

THE PACIFIC SLOPE.

ITS CALL TO US. CAN WE REACH ITS MARKETS? Some interesting facts about the Pacific Const of the United States and possibilities of building lip a New Zealand export trade to that region were supplied to a Dominion reporter yesterday by Mr. C. J:\ Cameron, who is in. New Zealand nn behalf of a big commission house in him Krancisco. Mr. Cameron is a New '; o;l ~ lander, horn and bred in Auckland, but lie has transferred his' permanent re.>i-„ denco to California.

New Zealand too Modest. The tirst subject upon which J' l ; Cameron touched was that of tourist traffic. "A thing that has surprised nie," lie remarked, "is that Zealand is not known very much in America. Bad it not been for the visit of the All Black team years ago, many Americans would scarcely have been aware ot New Zealand. In many of the New Zealand hotels pictures of California are hanilsomelv displayed,'oncl it would l;e a goon tiling to get the Culiforman hotels to <usplav in the same way pictures of sonic ot the' magnificent scenery ot . New Zealand. Wealthy Americans visit the laciiic blope in greater numbers than arp to be seen at the most favoured Mediterranean resorts, and if New Zealand pictures were displayed in the leading Calilonnan hotels many Americans would bo induced to visit New Zealand who now do not think of it. Booklets and descriptive literature should be sent abroad in the some way. You have the stuff here but it is not distributed abroad in sufficient quantiU "One thing that I. have noted about vour tourist booklets here, added Jli. Cameron, "is that hotel tariffs are stated correctly. In America tho hotels adveitiso accommodation from 10s. a day upwards, but when you: get tbero tho 10s. room is always occupied." Victoria, Mr. Cameron mentioned, has established an office in San Francisco, iuid is actively circulating mfornifitioii with ti-view to. attracting immigrants. New South Wales and Jsew Zealand had agents in California, hut had not yet done much in tho way of attracting immigrants. . . Kan Francisco is already making, preparations for a great exposition to bo lield in 1915. Building are to be commenced at the end of this year, and and shrubberies are being'laid down, so that they will bo in good, condition when the exposition opens. - It was reported, Mr. Cameron mentioned, that a special commissioner was to be sent to New' Zealand to secure exhibits. Our Fruit Notions and America's. Mr. Cameron came 'to Now Zealand intent' on securing shipments of onions and apples. Ho states that lie found a difficulty in securing sufficiently largo quantities, and found that the growers required to be . notified of orders a long way in advance, lie considers that local fruit-growers can learn a great deal from what lis ■ being ' done .:in tho AVest of America. In Oregon and Washington the growers havo formed, co-operatuc associations which pack apples on a uniform standard, and supply them for export in quantities as large as can be desired. Tho business is conducted very much on tho same lines as co-operative dairying in this countrv. Provision is made for Government inspection of the fruit, and certificates aro supplied that tho fruit is free of disease, r.itd comes from a district free of disease. - ' Disease is practically unknown, Mr. Cameron stated, 111 tho well-conducted orchards of-the Pacific Slope. Weeds, too, liftve been practically blotted out of existencn in (lie extensive areas given over to fruit cultivation. The Californian thistle is not by any means such a troublesome Ms!: In its homeland as it is in New 2*alar>ii. Another matter in which. New Zealand might profitably copy 'the example of Western America, -Mr. Cameron remarked,, was in providing improved means of transport/ lu California light electric lines serve a-j feeders to tho railways. An orchardist a truck from the railway over the electric line, loads it up, arid returns it to the railway to bo picked up by a 'train next morning.In Oregon tho fruit farms average about fifty acres in area'. In SMtliern California the holdings aro larger. App.es are* not grown t-o any extent in the south, tho fruits most, in favour beinp oranges, pears, peaches, and others which thrive in' a warm climate. Mr. Cameron considers that some New Zealand apples coiijd !>e placed in California during tho off-season.

Anticipated ci'iact of Panama Canal. Tho opening of, tho Panama Canal, Mr. Cameron remarked, would confer a material benefit y ur<m New Zealand. Apart from -tho 1 fact that the canal woiild open up Eastern American markets tu this country, tho opening of tho Canal would attract many peoplo from Eastern America and elsewhere to tho Pacific slope, to embark in. fruit- . Blowing. A. feature of fruit-growing in tho States is that it is highly specialised. J[f -a man linds' that his land is suitable for growing a particular kind of apple or other fruit, ho will grow, that variety and nothing else. There will thus, Mr. Cameron considers, be an increasing population, 'on tho Pacific Slope, of peoplo who will not produce their own food, and will have to import it. The Pacific slopo should thus become an increasingly good market for Now Zealand meat, butter, cheese,.'and other products. .Alterations in the-United Slates Customs'tariff will also, Mr. Cameron thinks, operate to an important degree in favour of Kew Zealand, and ho looks to an increasing trade between, the extensive regions on the Paoilic sldpo. and New Zealand.

.California, Mr. Cameron states, is. a very cosmopolitan country, its population including people from all tho principal European countries. People of British birth are numerous. Southern California, bv reason of its mild climate, attracts "many well-to-do immigrants. It is in the north, notably in ' Oregon, that the man -v;ith small capital finds his opportunity. Numerous truit-farnis in this State'aro taken up by city men who intend later oil to bc-como settlers. These men employ residents in the fruit-grow-ing districts to break in their holdings, and themselves take their vacations during the,picking season so that they may j'oili in tho activities of that period.