NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE AND THE LONDON MARKETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE AND THE LONDON MARKETS.

By Dh W. A- Chafple.

New Zealand climatic and telluric conditions have produced the finest race of savages that the world has known.\ They are producing the finest type of AngloSaxon. The same environment is operating upon our domestic animate «nd plants. The purity of our ozonic air, the fertility of our soil, the abundance of our sunshine, the freedom from disease are all conditions that favour growth, development, and quality iv our stock. Our food products connected with stock correspond in quality. 'Mutton, beef, cheese, butter, honey, poultry — all possess a quality surpassing that to be found in any other country. The London market is the Mecca of quality. Quality alone commands 'the highest price and market. Two problems, therefore, we have to solve. ISie first is to ensure that the quality of our food products in New Zealand is unimpaired when it reaches Lopdon. ' The next is to see that the consumer gets these products, and knows it. There is still much to be done in the direction of cheapening freight, lessening the time in transit, diminishing the hand- • ling, and detaching parasitic handlers of our goods. The shortest, quickest, cheapest route between the producer and the consumer is the ideal for an agricultural country such as ours. But I willnot dilate on this at present. I prefer to hurry on to the consideration of the London market in relation to our food products. The evils that - have to be remedied are — first, that too many middlemen handle our .goods ; second, that speculators and " fakers " have sandwiched themselves in between the London consignee and the consumer; third, that the consumer is decehed: • He eats New Zealand mutton, and thinks it English. He eals New Zealand lamb and thinks it Canterbury (in England). He asks for New Zealand butter and gets "colonial," which is "faked." He "strikes" New Zealand" " fishy " butter, and talks louder and longer about this discovery than all the others who have regaled themselves upon our best qualities. Attempts are made to depreciate quality by' consignees and others who wish to get our products cheaper. All these and many other " tricks of ti'ade '* prejudice us in the London market. Our prices and our producets consequently suffer. No improvement can take place until we concentrate all our attention, and energies upon the London market for our goods. We must advertise effectively and correct false impressions, . whether arising fron? ignorance or the false reports of interested parties. The question is how is this to be done?

The late Mr Seddon suggested that we should establish shops throughout England. Ridicule TFas- heaped on this, and the scheme was never attempted. To my mind Mr Seddon's mistake- lay in his r.jwi'bore. If one retail mart were established in a central retail: market position, stacked with New Zealand "products only, and manned and officered by New Zealanders thoroughly conversant with New Zealand conditions, we would have a demonstrating, .advertising centre which would be a corrective of . all .adulteration, ''faking," deception, and unfair retail trade. Such a mart would become a "standard of quality and value, and socalled New Zealand or " colonial " butter

sold elsewhere would be compared with the butter sold at this cent-re. So with hon«y, cheese, and meat. There should bo a recognised New Zealand brand for ail New Zealand products. Different factories or districts might have their trade F. - aTks, but everything emanating from Ne;v Zealand should have one distinctive mark indicating its origin in our country. The letters "N. Z." are distinctive, but are frequently absent. " Canterbury " lamb, for instance, is sold by the butcher with a sly suppression of the fact that it is the New Zealand and not the English i Canterbury. Such a produce mart as I \ suggest could easily pay its way if well managed. It would be no cost whatever io the country. It would familiarise the London consumer with New Zealand quality, the variety of New Zealand pro- : ducts, the price at which it could be sold | v and ought to be sold by the retailer, and a New Zealand trade mark and distinctive brand. It fould do all this and show a profit on the business, and would tend to correct the unfair treatment that our products receive at the hands of London dealers. The avowed object should be advertisement, not competition. Stands contaiuir.g New Zealand products like that i in the Write City Exhibition largely fail of their object. The poultry is a bad colour and unattractive. Our goods should ■be fresh and everchanging. It would have another great advactage-^it would stimulate the emigration of farm hands and farmers. I never contemplate New Zealand in comparison with ether nations without realising with a sense of national pride the dauntless heroism of the country settler, the courage and determination with which he attacks the wild, resisting tracts of our bush country; but, while I contemplate his energy and determination with pride, I grieve at the pathetic spectacle of his attempts to accomplish so much with so little labour at his -command. No pioneers in the world have accomplished so much, or are accomplishing so much to-day j , with so few helpers in tlse way of wage • labour as New Zealanders. This pathetic, difficulty must in^ crease, the tension and trials must be greater. With the new land coming into the market, the abundant supply of Native land, large estates being cut up, the difficulties, of settlement must necessarily increase. . , ' New Zealand is suffering to-day from industrial anaemia. Her life-blood is farm labour. This must, be supplied or she must languish and- pine. I can scarcely control my indignation when I contemplate the forces in New Zealand that tend to stop the immigration of f&cm labour. I admit we do not want artisans. We do not want an increased competition in the trades or in the cities, but we. must have I men to till the soil, to help new settlers t to break in their new selections and to become in the future selectors themselves. Every n*w country in the world .is~ recognising this, aud i 6 bidding higher- and higher for the farm labourer of the Old World. Canada is making heroic and successful efforts. At the Royal Agricultural Snow last week she had a magnificent booth displaying her soil products and distributing pamphlets to all and sundry who . visited the «haw. Young farmers were there from all parts oi Britain, America, and the Continent, and nothing could be more effective than the appeal made by a young country to these young farmers. Occasions and centres such as these are New Zealand's opportunities, but full ad- • vantage is not taken of them. What New Zealand wants above all things is not legislation, not a multiplication of dairy and other regulation* — not even capital. What New Zealand wants is farm muscle. She must have farm labour, no matter what country has to supply it, and no matter at what cost. If Britain will not supply it, then Scandinavia or Germany or Switzerland will, find New Zealand . must go where farm labour is to be got. She must «cud her agricultural missionaries there to the village*, and valleys and agricultural centres of Britain and Scandinavia. During the last electoral campaign I advocated the sending of Dr Mason on such a mission. He could go into the agricultural district and more effectively appeal to a dozen young farmers than he »uld to an audience of a thousand in tlve great manufacturing centre?. I have travelled through the farm districts of England and Scotland, and never failed to find not only an acute interest, but n desire on the part of young farmers to emigrate to New Zealand. But the best fanners and /arm hands have attachments to their hind and homes and families. They require some first-hand evidence and somo encouragement before they will sever these attachments or before they will reject the ap-t peak of Canada, Soutii Africa, and Australia, and turn their gaze to New Zealand. A small New Zealand produce mart, such as 1 have suggested, established first in London, and, if it proved self-supporting, the-i in s-everal of the other centres, would be an educative -anti stimulating advertisement to emigrating farmers and farm hands. The provinces and farm districts are the best fields for emigration agents, but demonstratina markets "would lequire to be established in the cities in order that they should pay their way. Australia has established a magnificent exhibition of Australian products in the Strand. Canada has a simiter one in Whitehall. I am of opinion that these aTe not worth the cost. The thousands of people who pass there daily are clerks, commercial and -xity men, and vagrant?. Farmers who can afford to visit the Stiand and Whitehall are unlikely emigrants. The farm hands in the provinces, who would be the life-blood to a young country such as ours, who are toiling on for a miserable wage, with no prospect of becoming farmers or farm-owners themselves, never see these displays. It has been suggested that New Zealand should establish a similar display in the .Strand. Money would be infinitely better spent in sending a few wise, moderate well-in- - formed New Zealanders, imbue*? with a

sense of responsibility and a strong patriotic feeling, amongst the farm hands of Britain and Scandinavia. Such men would come into direct personal contact with the right type of man, could hold small meetings at which 20 or 50 or more would attend, could explain our conditions by personal interviews, and could issue certificates to approved emigrants which would entitle them to a reduced, fare. If the shipping companies were approached I am satisfied that the fare could be still further reduced, and it would "pay New Zealand to make a 6till greater concession. If we could double the farm labour in New Zealand we could double the production of our soil, battet, cheese, frozen meat, and other products ; and to double these would double our exports, diminish our debt, leseen the rates and taxes each new has to bear, double the employment of our city workers, lessen— though it could never abolish — -unemployment, and stimulate every national activity.