TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 118, 20 May 1903, Page 2

TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

HEW ZKALAND PRIDES TOO HIGH. FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. Wellington, May 19. | Mr Go*, Government Trade Com- ' mitsioner in South Africa, writing to 1 h j Department f om Durban on April 10th s iya: —" New Zealand ought to bs able to do a fair trade in potatoes, but;, owing to-the experiences of lasts-ason, merchants are disinclined to ord.r from either New Zealaud or Australia, became tbey cm buy from English ard French growers with a guarantee of

corfiiti. n ">n arrival. Frenoh early rose eeed is bd;ig biught at 0) per ca c e of 661 bs net c.i.f. New Zealand stout feed oats hold a b'g preference on the marked the military authorities hiving bought and distribui c d them so largely. 0 fling, however, to troops having been removed, the military are offering for pdvate 8 lie many thousands of bigs, but, says the Commissioner, there will atill be a good deal of buying done. The prices at which NewZeiland merchants offer to-day are 6s 3d end 6s 9d per lOOlbs c.iif., whereas o\'s can b« bought from South America at 5s 9i to 6'. New Zealand bran is fiirly well liked, but merohan's do no' consider it as good ae Australian, Vtctoiiin especially, and apart from the New Zisland prices which kill; business, Argentine bran can be bought | at 4s 6d per lOOlbs, but New Zealand prices run from 6s 6J ti 6j 9d. luregard to butter, the Commissioner says very good shipmen's have lately arrived from New Z.aland, and feeling towards it is a great deal batter than a few months back. Victorian butter • is, however, preferred, as it doss not seem to contain so much water as. the New Zealand, and the colour is better." Mr Goiv makes the following remarks on frozen mutton and beef:—-"As you know, dealers are at the mercy of the cM storage companies here, but the only reason why I i the latter have not bought more largely i from New Zealand is that prices have : j been too heavy. They have nothiDg to ,'complain of ts regards quility, except | that the mutton is too fit, It will be ,'very difficult to get within the ring •jwhich is being form d amongst the .different cM storage companies, each of them hiving large interests in ■J Argentine. Besides shipping frozen i f b'ef and mutton'they by every i steamer, bringing large quantities of ; live 6tock for s'aughter. The price a' i I which New Zealand could interest these ; companies is 41 per lb ci.f., but at i prfsert the New Zetland pries ranges • Jrom 44d to 5J and even more."