The Daily News. SATURDAY, AUG. 28, 1905. TRADE WITH THE WEST OF ENGLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7909, 26 August 1905, Page 2

The Daily News. SATURDAY, AUG. 28, 1905. TRADE WITH THE WEST OF ENGLAND.

It is only a few weeks back that we pointed out the great advantage tha l would accrue to the colony, and tr Taranaki especially, by securing a rapid and direct service with the West of England. The subject Is one thai so largely affects the interests of those engaged in the dairy, meat and wool Industries that even if It had not come under the notice of th< Council of the Chamber of Commerce we should have had no hesitation ir again recurring lo the matter, if only to emphasise our previous remark." with those made by Mr James S McContcMe, who Is now visiting Aus tralasia (or the purpose of aftorilint; full information as to Manchester and its canal. It was a curious c>»:n cidence that our issue of Thursday last, in which was reported a resolution passed by the Council of the New Plymouth Chamber of Commerce to the effect "that the Chamber dir' not see its way at present to express any opinion as to whether it is desirable that steps should be taken tr foster an export trade to Manchester or other West of England ports direct," should also have contained n very interesting and Instructive report of Mr McConechie's views on t!:r subject, as given to a represent.itive of the Sydney Daily Telegraph. Whe titer or not the decision oi the Council Was justified by the facts of 11k case, those interested in tne indus tries mentioned above will best If able lo say, but it would seem as i' the attitude of the Council on all m?t ters dealt with at Wednesday's meeting was based on strictly non-coir-mittal lines. To what extent tliat body is in harmony with the views of Hie large buyers and sellers of butter in Taranaki may be gauged from itriad that at a meeting of members o r the Hawera Produce Exchange he'd recently a resolution was passed re greeting the precipitate action of the Norlh Island Dairy Association in entering into a contract with the Shaw Savill and Now Zealand Shipping Companies, and urging the representatives of factories to use their best endeavours towards obtaining anil supporting a direct service with the West of England ports. Those who were present when this resolution was passed represented producers of between three and four thousand tons jof butter a year, and their views ate certainly entitled to considerable weight on that account, as well as on the ground that they were decidedly common sense views, such as we should naturally expect from the leading men amongst those engaged in producing the staple export of the district. When we last commented on this question of shipment lo Manchester and other West ports direct, we pointed out that there would probably be a saving of £2 8e 6d a ton on the freight, and, roughly speaking, £3 a ton on the present railage from London to Manchester, all of which would go into the pockets of the producers. The only ques tion that might arise is the very pertinent one as to whether our butter would find as good a market at Manchester as in London. Cu this point Mr McConechie speaks in no uncertain way. "There are," he says, "within a radius of twelve miles of the port reached by the steamers over 2,500,000 people, and the population of the area of which Manchester is the nearest port is over 10,000,000. These are for the most part working pcop'e, earning good wages, and fond of good food. The Argentine practically monopolises the meat trade and other foods as well, the United States and Canada, however, competing fn the latter. The mutton that would sell best is that which Australia could supply. The Lancashire man likes plenty of meat, hut he does not like, it fat, and he prefers small joints Merino mutton Is exactly the article he wants." At 'present most of th? butter consumed in the area referred to is Danish, which proves the tnit'i of the statement that the consumers in that district will have the best article they can get. Here, then, is exactly the market that is best adapted for taking the high-class produce of New JYaiand. The Manchester Corporation is providing cold stores and all sorts of conveniences close to the docks, and there Is- no question as to want of accommodation. Moreo\ei, the Manchester people are very anxious to increase their shipping trade through the Canal, and are inclined to extend their favours to im-' porters by that route, so that New &aland products, by being shipped direct to Manchester, would establish itself on a favourable and friendly market, anil probably ouit the Danish

i butter. We do not, «f i :c, mean | to suggest that all our j) u ;-,cc ' hould fce shipped to Manchester, bul i[ we can capture that market and keep U j well supplied there is a good time ol | prosperity ahead for our settlers ami merchants. It is always advisable not to put all the eggs in one basket, and we lake it that to have an extra market where over four pounds a ton extra is to be gained is well we r,h exploiting. This, we are confident, will be the feeling of the majority of those engaged in the butter industry of this district, and they will oc far more likely to further their own Interests by acting on the advice of the Hawvia Exchange, than by, waiting for a lead from the Council of the New Plymouth Chamber ol Commerce.