Dutch East Indies.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1922, Page 4

Dutch East Indies.

GOOD MARKET FOR N.Z. PRODUCTS. AUCKLAND, July 7. There arrived in Auckland. from Sydney yesterday, Air P. 11. Teppema, Consul-General of the Netherlands for Australia and New Zealand. Mr Teppema* lias come on a mission to promote closer trade relations between the Dutch East Indies and the ’Dominion, and has brought with hiip the material for an exhibition of the products and industries of that widely scattered possession of the Netherlands, so that the people of this country will be better able to appreciate what we can obtain from the Dutch Indies in return for our own products. “We have worked up a very considerable trade with Australia,” ho said, “and now take from them from three to three and n-lialf million pounds worth of products like flour, butter, ' condensed milk, biscuits, jams, leather, 1 chemical goods, coal and other articles. In return they take from us sugar, 1 mineral oils, tea, kapok, coffee, sisal, rubber gums, spices, timber and rattans, cocoa beans, tohaeeo, and other raw products to the value of about eight millions sterling. There has been a very pronounced development , in the last seven or eight years and-as | the Australian manufacturing industries are being rapidly developed and we supply only raw materials, the future promises an increasing demand for our products.

So far as New Zealand is concerned, our trade at present is almost negligible. The articles we have exported here have been mainly mineral oils, kapok and tea, together with small items like a few cocoa beans and spices while your exports to us are practically nil. 1\ e feel, of course that unless we buy largely from New Zealand, we cannot hope to establish a permanent export trade with you. but there is

no reason in the world wily a big reciprocal trade should not he developed between us. Your dairy products, butter and choose are of higher standard generally than the Australian article

and the whole palliation of Java, which is considerable, want a good article. In the export of high-class dairy products, New Zealand would certainly have little difficulty in gaining a footing. There is also a growing demand for canned meats and bacon and hams and, generally speaking T am confident that the Dominion has a very profitable market lo he exploited in the Dutch East Indies almost at her doors. What we cannot linde'sl.aiul is that New Zealand has never investigated the possibility of an export trade of your exporting outerprise seems to he directed to the Homo Country, yet here is a country ready to consume considerable exports from New Zealand within a few days' steam of your shores.

“While in New Zealand," added Mr teppemn-, “l am going to arrange for Dutch Last Indies exhibit ions in each of the centres beginning with on<> in Auckland, the materials for which I have brought with me.”