NEW ZEALAND TRADE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1913, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND TRADE

THROUGH AMERICAN EYES COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS. ' "New Zealand, its resources, industries and trade, with suggestions as to its development as a market for American merchandise,'' is one of the' special consular reports issued by the alert, energetic American Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. This volume of 220 pages was written by Mr. Henry D. Baker (Consul at Hobart), with the aid of Mr. W. A. Prickett, Consul at Auckland. Mr. Baker s\ ent the greater part of. 1911 in making his enquiries, and he produced an excellent handbook on New Zealand. The information, which must j be very helpful to American manufae* • turers, is also of general interest. Here are a few extracts :—: — "There seems to be a strong feeling in New Zealand business circles that the country. needs a vest from experimental legislation and that more harm than good is 'resulting to industry, not so much because tlie present industrial latvs might be unwise as because constant uncertainty as to the possibility of new legislation renders it difficult to make definite calculations for the future." , ' "The preferential taxes favouring I British countries in the Customs/ tariff of New Zealand ire the greatest present obstacle to American export business to ! this Dominion, but in many instances J American goods can compete successfully with British products despite such prefelence. In some instances articles of extensive import from the United States ! are on the tree list or, ,as in the case j of apples, subject to lower duty during | the winter 'season. It would be unfor- i tunate for New Zealand, from a revenue standpoint, if the preferential surtaxes were so high as wholly to exclude goods of other than British production, as alarge part of the jTesent revenue is derived - from these surtaxes on such goods. "' "It will probably be impossible to regain the trade that has been lost, unless in the future, poisibly by a commercial treaty, some cohcessions could be obtained for American trade, neutralising iiie > disadvantages of the preferential duties. A specially severe loss to American trade is that in boots and shoes, imports of which from the United States have declined in value from 524,185 dollars in 1903 to 81,626 dollars in 1910. Imports from the United Kingdom in the meantime have nearly doubled in value— from 575,264 dollars in 1903 to 1,106<384 dollars in 1910." "In a general way it is to be noted that New Zealand, like Australia, has an intelligent, well-to-do population, inj terestcd chiefly in rural pursuits, who require mostly the same kind of goods as are required in prosperous country districts in the United States. "' "The most notable of all recent gains ! in imports from the United States have I been in motors and materials, which j increased from 55,303 dollars in 1909 to 134,768 dollars in 1910, aud in kerosene, which increased from 626,017 dollars'to 879,187 dollars. The trade in motor-cars and in motors, especially for use on the farm for a variety of purposes, bnch as for running milking machinery, lighting plants, sawing wood, and cutting chaff, has lately shown remarkable development, with a jromise of greatly improved uuainess in the future, and the demand for oil fuels has correspondingly increased." "New Zealand, in ptoportion to its smaller population, is probably a better field v thah Australia for American manufacturers or merchants who -Way desire to develop a certain amount of mailorder business, by sending their catalogues and other advertising matter to this Dominon. There is ho Import duty on trade catalogues or price-lists of firms having no established ; business in NewZealand." j "Wellington, on account of being the j capital and also geographically the most central city, and having a good harbour, comes perhaps the nearest of any one town to bring a general distributing centre. In most years the imports at I Wellington exceed those of any other I New' Zealand city, although in 1910 Auckland was slightly ahead of Wellington. Wellington is usually preferred as the headquarters for any- lalge houses engaged in the import trade." "lirthe case of smaller American firms and corporations that perhaps do not feel there would be sufficient possibilities of developing, trade in NeW Zealand to warrant the establishment of direct branch connections, it may in many instances bo wotth while .to send travelling men to tour the Dominion in their interests, or to 'arrange for some leading New Zealand firm to act as their agehts here, usUally on a commission basis. Much trade is worked up in this way. Nev Zealand undoubtedly offers a good mai-. kct • for many novelties which may be well known in the United 'States, but, have' not as yet been brought to the attention of people in this far-oH' Dominion." "The loss of American trade in printing and writing paper (raptured by Canada, mostly) in Now Zealand seems particularly regrettable, for, in proportion * to its population New Zealand i& an unusually heavy consumer of suoh pioducts. There is scarcely any illiteracy heie. piactically all the people habitually spending much of their time lit reading and writing." ;"Jt would be dtljicult to say which kind of phonogiaph record is most preferred—cylinder or disc. Probably more cylinders are sold on account of their cheapness, but there is an excellent sale for both kinds. The phonograph selections finding thn biggest l sa,le would bo classed as popular ' rather than operatic. There would be oilly a moderate market for high-gVade machines.'' "Considerable capital and an effective organisation are apparently necessary for success in the New Zealand agricultural machinery and implement trade, and it is hardly possible for any American manufacturer to expect to get business here Without capable representation throughout the Dominion. It is customary to give credit, and liberal advertising and much personal canvassing arc also required by conditions of local competition." "The New Zealand Government maintains a very good weather-bureau service which often, by its timely warnings of stoims, enables sheep in the mounts im to be driven to sheltered localities, and thus serious losses are avoided." "Tho subject of substitutes for knur! gum is one that has lately been givfft much aeriotiis study and investigation. The k.T'ii'i-gum industry was originnlly built up largely through this gum bring •i. cheap substitute for 'gum nninio' from Zanzibar. . . Now. in turn, the kauvi gum industry of New Zealand is lit rent, cried not only by the scarcity of qualities suitable for making varnish, but also by the increasing use of China wood oil, exported chiefly ftom Hankow, China, and which is extracted from the nuts of a tree called by leading boUnicat authorities Aleiirites Vei'nica." "There is much evidence that Ameri* Can magazines are steadily gaining in popularity among the reading public of both Australia and New Zealand. All booksellers and stationers whom 1 h*\e ijucistiojied say that there is a constantly increasing demand tor the leading Amen*

can periodicals, and that they ale usually sqld _ out of each issue before the next arrives." - "The chief owners of automobiles in New Zealand at the present time ale tho large owners of land, devoted chiefly to sheep raising. As recent wool seasons ' have b&cn very favomablo to" sheep owners, most of them are rfow enjoying a 'prosperity that permits them to' become purchasers of motor-cars, which offer great convenience in travelling from their stations to the leading cities. Some own three or four cars."