MORE MONEY FOR FARMERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1921, Page 8

MORE MONEY FOR FARMERS.

A MANCHESTER CLAIM. LONDON’S MONOPOLY. AGAINST INTERESTS OF PRODUCERS. “Why do you not ship a great deal of your produce to Manchester?” asked Mr. Charles A. Harrison, who represents Port of Manchester Warehouses, Limited. and other Port of Manchester services connected with the Manchester ship canal. The question was put to a Sydney Morning Herald reporter last week. "It would mean so much more money in the pockets of your producers,” pioceeded Mr. Harrison. ‘ Take wool, for instance. That goes to Bradford. Now, to land wool at London and rail it to Bradford costs 89s 2d per ton; from Liverpool. 52s 10d; from Hull, 48s 6d; and if it were taken to Manchester, through the Manchester ship canal, the cost to Bradford is 43s 2d per ton. As the freight is the same from Australia to any of these ports, the advantage of shipping to Manchester is- obvious. Then as regards wool, there is another advantage—there is ample warehousing accommodation at Manchester, and the city is not more than three hours’ travel from Bradford, so that a wool man in Bradford who may desire to see any wool in Manchester may go and return in the course of an afternoon. “What is against us is the tradition that wool —and, indeed, all other produce —should go first to London. It amounts to more than a tradition, it is a prejudice in favor of London; and that is what we have to fight. London, it is true, within a radius of 12 miles of Charing Cross, has a population.« of 8 000,00. while in Manchester ye have not that population. If you extend that radius from Charing Cross to 50 miles, you have there a population of 10,000,000; whereas in Lancashire we have a population of 12.000.000. and within a radius of 60 miles of Manchester we have half the. population of Great Britain. So you can see what an immense field there is for the consumption of whatever produce you may send us. We want all your butter, your cheese, your meat. -<ll of this goes to London, and the consequence is London is glutted. If decentralisation eould be brought about and what Lancashire wanted could be sent to Manchester —its natural port—the London glut would be prevented; you would get a better price, and your produce would get better recognition. Seventy per cent, of your produce which goes to London is railed to the Midlands and the north. Is that economical?” Mr. Harrison, proceeding, spoke of Australian butter. He said he considered it equal to the Danish article. It was a distinctive butter, he said but it was never known as Australian when it reached the consumer. Why take every care of it here, and when once it leaves your hands take no further interest in it? It was used largely to blend with inferior butters and bring them up to a better standard. The Danes followed their butter right through to the retailer; why should Australians not do the same? By that means he was convinced we could get better prices*-

There is a market for bacon fruit, and wheat at Manchester. All the facilities for handling wheat, both in bulk and in bags, are available.