NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1643, 9 January 1906, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE

TAPPING NORTH-E tSTERN DISTRICTS London, Dec. 2. A year or moro ago I sent particu'ars of soluo iutorertng developments ioita'ed by the North-Eastern Railway Company. These plans have now entered upon a now s'agf, which promises to have very important results as re;a"ds tbo Notv Zealand produce tale, provided only that New Zealand ia prepaed to do her ehrre in tbo work of dovelopmant. A new poet bar been specially created on the NorthEastern railway, that of 11 commercial agent,” to which posit : on Mr EO. Geddos has just been appointed. Among tbo duties attached to Mr Geddes 1 office, one of tbo principal is the collection of commercial informa'ion ia regard to the development of industries, BBpecia'ly in relation to British trade with the Antipodean colonies. In view of previous communications a desire was expreEssd by the deputy general manager that Mr Geddes should have an early interview with mo. Mr Geddts informed me that none of the colonial produce, of which so large a quantity went toward the supply of the ten millions of population served by tho railway, come direct to the locality, all being convoyed to dislaot English ports, transhipped and forwarded on either by land or sea at considerably enhanced cost of carriage. At present the moat importation to wbat may be termed the 11 NorthEastern Territory,” i. 0., that populous area comprised between Newcastle and Shields in the north, Doncaetsr in the south, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Middlesborougb, and Hull in the east, and Leeds and Bradford ia tbo west, was entirely from Canada, and the Argentine—beef from the former, mutton from the latter ; while tho da’ry produce came nominally from Denmark, but in reality largely from Siberia, being first conveyed to Denmark, there blended with Danish .butter, and finally sent on to England ai pure Danish. Now, in these circumstances, Mr Geddes proceeded, it had occurred to the NorthEastern railway authorities that they might very well with great advantage, alike to colonial producers and Home consumers, initiate, if po: siblc, a niw trade as rrgarded colonial produce, l’t oy saw no reason why the north-eastern ter-

ritory should be left out in the cold with respect to this very important matter. It was understood that tho New Zealand mut'OQ was the tort frozen meat to be cb'ainod anywhere,and it would commend a large consumption in the manufacturing pa ts of Yorkshire, Durham Bnd Northumber’and, if only it could bo conveyed direct thither without being subject to the drawbacks of what was virtua ly a fresh shipment from London. The same consideration applied to dairy produce, acd also, though possibly in a 1e33 degree, lo wool. New Zealand wool shipped from the colony to Hud fur B adford would cost 2s ptr ton lees in sea carriage thon if sent by the present way, via London. For, Mr Geddos wont on to explain, it waß hoped that arrangements would bo definitely organised at the various roitheastern erntres for leading firms to act as regular consignees of tho produce, and as agents for its distribution. I i short,tfco 'c appeared every reason to believe that if once a di cet trade in frozen niiat could bo starled between New Zealand and Hull, this would speedily take caio of its If. and become po manen*, with a very prosperous future.—Now Zn-land Herald.