TRADE WITH PANAMA.

Taihape Daily Times, 29 August 1919, Page 3

TRADE WITH PANAMA.

? LONDON, June 30. a While the Hon. W. H. Triggs was in the Panama zone, he made enquiries as to whether there was any demand there for New Zealand meat, butter, cheese, and fruit. ‘As a consequence of his inquiries he received, on his arrival in England, the following letter from the general manager of the Commissary General at Panama:—- l d “An article recently published in the Panama Star and Herald stated that you had made inquiry as to the possibility of -trade between New Zealand and the isthmus, particularly as regards mutton, lamb, bu-tter ‘and chees.e. You may by: interested to know that the present monthly consumption of the articles mentioned by the Panama railroad eonlnlis‘s'al'y is approximately as follows:——Mutton, 210 carcases; lamb, 90 ca.rca's"es;.butter, 36,0()0lb; cheese,'ls,ooolb. If prices are made sutticiently attractive, we can buy in considerable quantities; therefore I shall be grateful if you will furnish quotations and information as to what transportation arrangements can be made to supply us regularly Whatever amount of products aforementioned are desired. I believe you will also be interested in learning that ‘We are in a, position to furnish frozen beef in large quantities, and should we purchase from New Zealand any of the supplies referred to herein, it.is my opinion that it would be mutually advantageous if arrangements could be made to fill with this frozen beef such storage space as might be available on the steamer. Present prices are as follows: Forequarters 10 cents lb, hind. .guar'tcrs 13 cents lb, plus 25 pol‘ cent.”

The Commissary General is a huge rlr\rm.l'f‘nl(‘llt store similar to the Civil Service Stores, from which the employees of the Council zone are supplied at reasonable prices by the United States Government with everyjthirng klrey yeq..uil'e——clothing, lfurni-1 ‘cure, and particularly food. Mr Triggs suggests that the proposal is well Worthy of consideration. Although the quantity of meat: required for the Panarna zone itself are comparatively small, yet the zone‘is a great distributing centre of int'ormation, and the introduction of products there would be a. useful advei-tisement_ Mr Triggs found that the excellent quality of New Zealand butter in particular was well -known in Panama, and 3 strong desire was expressed that it could be obtained more readily.