Our Letter Box.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7846, 12 June 1905, Page 2

Our Letter Box.

—'» ! (We uie mil'responsible for opinions J Ii expressed by correspondents.) NEW MARKETS FORJ)AIRY ...PRODUCE. (To the Editor.) , j Sir,—My attention has been directled to a loca, in your paper of recent I ditc. reviewing a notice which ap- , I pearel in the liyticlton Times, dealing with my proposal for the exteriIsjon of our dairy produce trade and the exploitation of new markets. Lest theie should bo nny misapprehension with regard to tho proposals wh ch I have submitted in various) centre* of population throughout the length and breadth of this colony, I wou'M respectifuKy• beg to pc»in.t ouu that I did not make any recommendation for the complete alteration' of our oblong boxes, which is the standard package in which New Zealand butter is exported, and sonic confusion hns nrisin thrnutrh the various

sion has nns:n through tne various c summarised reports of my many a spe.chcs on this questlo*. I In illustrating the advantages that would ac.rue to the colony and to ( the butler and cheese inn kern of New j Zealand, I pointed out that in Now-castle-on-Tync, which 1 had the hon- j our of visiting as Trade Commissioner for New Zealund, I found that the t largo wholesale and retail importers* , hud long been used to importation of | butter in kegs and firkins, and all t the trade had been built up for years with these packages. I mentioned; ] that so long an such lurgc consuming, , centres as Newcastle insisted upon) their butter 'tying puckod in kega and firkins, and we retained our box- | cs, it must bo evitfent that we would lose their trade and they loso oun ; butter. I furthermore added that it we were not prepared to cater for the requirements of the market we should at least endeavour to down tho "prejudices which exist against Maxes,. by employing qualified Trade Commissioners who could speak upon the potentialities of this country, the productiveness of its lands, the attraction of the climate, itM foondorful resources, and last.s, tout nott least, the excellent qualities of N«w Zealand butter and cheese, and at the conclusion of each address in thai large halls of Great Brits. Bj that a. half-pound pat of butter might with advantage be presented to every person present at these lectures. I also ventured to prophecy that the proposal being a unique one, would attract thousands of people <to theae various lectures, which, in the hands of competent and capable commercial repßesenlative*, Would bo given with great advantage to this country, and would in time remove the difficulties which we are now meeting in extending our trade tin the directions named. Indeed, I am persuaded that if such, , a proposal were systematically carried out by competent men under the control and with the authority; of the Government, our general exports, in wool, grain, hemp, fro/on meat, kauri gum and dairy produce [ would receive such nn impetus that '_ it is impossible now to calculate tho ' enormous advantages that would uc- ' crue from such a, plan. I From my personal experience in , visiting the largo consuming centres of England, Scotland, and Wales, I ' believe thero are many thousands, of people who would, under the proj posul which I have submitted, become cash purchasers for New Zear land butter and cheese- and thereby increaso the value of our exports from this country, both in volumo I and price. It mav interest vmir

■i anu price, jx may interest your [• readers to know that the Canadian Government has placed qualified coms mercial*men in the principal towns of Great Britain, solely with the oils' ject of establishing better trade for the producers- in that great Dominion. 2 Thu enterprise which they havo already displayed is worthy of our eonf sideration, and the great success attending the administration of affairs in that country is due in a large measure to tho enterprise displayed in the appointment of such trade commissioners, who are constantly canvassing for new customers in the interests of tho producers of that' ) vast territory. • i You will have noticed that within B the last few months the price of our New Kealantl hemp has fullen £4 to B £5 a ton, with a diminished demand therefor. This represents on our totul export of 25,000 tons a loss of £IOO,OOO, which would handsomely " pay a largo number of Commlssfon3. ers to investigate this market alonoV apart from uny other advantages '_ their senvicos would 'bo to the colony as a whole.—l am, etc., JOHN HOLMES. i Hunter Street, Wellington. \ I