A NEW ZEALAND SHOP

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 106, 7 May 1934, Page 16

A NEW ZEALAND SHOP

LANCASHIRE CAMPAIGN

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S APPEAL

(From "The Post's" Representative.) ' LONDON, March 13.

Sir James Parr officially opened the jNew Zealand Shop at Liverpool last | week. It is located where two of the main shopping streets converge in the very heart of the town. The outside decorations and the printed signs leave no room for doubt as to its meaning and purpose. "New Zealand" appears in large letters across the top of the show window.. Above this is the legend: "Butter, cheese, honey, lamb," and on the other side: "Sunshine Products for Merscyside." On each side of tlio shop window are the printed words: "New Zealand Exhibition Shop —You are invited to come inside," and "Ask definitely for Now Zealand lamb—the best in the world."

Inside the shop ■ the walls are decorated with painted panoramas of New I Zealand pastoral scenery. There is' a jfeneed-off pen with green grass lawn |and lamb models. An clectricallydriven butter-pat machine is at work.. | Cheese and butter boxes are artistically arranged. The decorations' include New Zealand flags. At the far end of the shop is a refrigerated glass cabinet in which arc to be seen all the joints and cuts of a lamb duly labelled, and above them a line of model carcasses. An inner room used for a meeting place is also tastefully decorated with flags and panorama's. A stage at one end has on one side a scene of the sailing ship Dunedin carrying the first consignment of mutton and lamb in 1882. ■ On the right is an up-to-date liner breasting the seas.

The compartment was well filled with representatives of the trade when the High Commissioner arrived for the opening ceremony. Sir James Parr reminded his audience that Liverpool had a, population of a million, and a quarter—a population the same as that of- New Zealand. . His experience of Lancashire folk, ho said, was that they knew that the best time to buy was when prices were low.

"The goods displayed in this shop," continued Sir James, "arc at a ridiculously low figure. No worker in the Empire lias a harder lot than the New Zealand dairy farmer. The 'cocky,' as we call him, is up in the morning to milk at' 4' o'clock. He is at it till S or 9 at night, with only, six or seven hours' sleep. He always has a mortgage on his farm, and at the end of the month, with present prices, it is a serious' problem to pay the interest on his mortgage. •He is your own kin. He is a Lancashire man very often.

"I ask those in the trade to bring in a little sentiment and to Tcmember those hard-working farmers," said Sir James. "I hope that before long some scheme' of mutual understanding will be devised by which your farmer and our farmer will be able to get a decent living from the soil, a living to which they are entitled. We don't want to sce\ goods slaughtered as they are being slaughtered today with regard to dairy produce. It is serious to us, as it is our main industry. The quality of New Zealand products is secj ond to none in the world. We are i desperately anxious to get our goods Isold so that we may purchase your Igoods. New Zealand is still relatively tho best buyer of English goods. We are loyal, not only in sentiment, |but in. trade, to the Motherland, and j-we ask you to help us."

Another shop . has. been opened at ißirkenhead, and both will remain open ■ for-three weeks. In Liverpool 260 retaiLprovision shops have, entered for the window:dressing competition and arc displaying New Zealand produce and advertising material. In Birkcnhead 100 retailers have entered. At the end of the period the Lord Mayor of Liverpool will present silver cups for first and second-places,respectively in the class for produce stores and fof butchers.