TRADE WITH BRISTOL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 123, 2 September 1910, Page 3

TRADE WITH BRISTOL.

THE l-IKilt COMMISSIONER'S VISIT. IMPROVED "SERVICE PROSPECTS. London, July 22. The merchants of Bristol have been looking forward for some time to the promised visit to the port by the High Commissioner for New Zealand. One of the main desires of the enterprising men who have made Bristol once more a modem port by the improvement of Avonmouth is to secure for it as much

as possible of the trade of New Zealand. Sir William Hall-Jones, who was accompanied by Mr. T. E. Donne (Trade Representative) and Mr. F. T. Boys, the new London manager of the Lhristchurch Meat Company, journeyed to Bristol on Wednesday, and the party dined privatelv that evening with the president of the Chamber of Commerce and some of the prominent citizens ot Bristol. On Thursday, when they were the cnieats of the Lord Mayor of Bristol, they paid a visit to Avonmouth, and carefully inspected the new harbor works which have enabled the port to compete once | more for maritime supremacy in the i West of England. They were all verv much impressed by the enterprise and the thoroughness of the Dock Tins;. In the course of an interview with the leading merchants later in the day, ' Sir William Hall-Jones heard complaints rewarding the steamship connection between Bristol and New Zealand ports. The boats, it was said, were ever irregular, sometimes being days, and even weeks, overdue. Tfcrv were also too U'.ow for the lir '•■"■ -"'•■ lt I was sometimes difficult to get space from ; New Zealand to Bristol. I 'Mr. Allan Hughes, of the Federal- ■ j F&tiule;-Shire C'onrp.iny. who was in 1 Bristol attending the conference, was able to replv on behalf of the contractors ■ to the complaints made. To give satisfaction depended entirely, he said, on ■■ what was wanted in Bristol, and what ' the people of Bristol were prepared to do , themselves. Be COUld put on a faster i line 6* vessels, and <h the trip In So" clays, 11 if the people Of Bristol would only , guarantee a certain amount of cargo. At present the quantity for Bristol was i too small to justify them running a ' fast.: - service. As regards the difficulty ; of getting space from New Zealand, this was due to the lateness of the applications.. As a general rule the meat companies and butter exporters had taken all the, space for London weeks before. If the applications came in reasonably early there would be no such difficulty. The irregularity was partly due to the fact that, as there were large .consignments for other ports, the steamers called at them before going to Avonmouth. Sir William Hall-Jones considers it possible that, as a result of the conference, the merchants of Bristol may arrange to guarantee that a regular quantity of space shall be taken in these boats. If that were done he was sure the stopping companies would do their best to make satisfactory arrangements. At present he was told that nine-tenths of the New Zealand imports to Bristol went through London. If they made the arrangements' that were suggested he thwught this soold be considerably altered.