THE TERM KAURI GUM.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 24 January 1912, Page 3

THE TERM KAURI GUM.

\t the instance of the Minister of Agriculture and of Industries and Commerce the High Commission has made representations to the British Board of Trade with regard to the official use of the word kauri when describing gum produced in New Calftdonia. It is pointed out to the Board that the word kauri is the Maori name of the tree and is that under which the New Zealand product is known on the markets of the world. It is understood that though obtained from a tree of the same genus, the New Caledonia gum is different from and inferior to the New Zealand kauri gum, which, is peculiar to this country, there being no trees of the same species (Agathis auat -ralis) found in other countries. The application of the term kauri to this foreign gum is therefore likely to injure the New Zealand article, and it is desired that in British official publications the Dominion should have the exclusive right to the name kauri. It is suggested that the other article could be designated New Caledonia eu'r.

In acknowledging the receipt of the communication Board of Trade (Commercial Department) states that a copy thereof has been forwarded to the Foreign Office, with the request that attention may be drawn in the proper quarter to the desirability of avoidiug the use of such a description in future reports.