TRADE WITH INDIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2617, 20 April 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

TRADE WITH INDIA.

The following letter by Mr. R. S. Walpole recently appeared iu the "Argus," and it will be noted that its remarks are of iuterest to New Zealand producers, as well as to those of Australia :—" Sir,— Having seen in the columns of the' Argus' that the Gomissariat Department of India has ordered some 72,0001b of beef and 150 cases of mutton from the Queensland Meat Export Company, and that the same is intended to be a trial purchase, I have taken the liberty ot asking a small space in your colums >r this important matter, as in the year ISSS I read a paper before the Chamber of Manufacturer* on ludoAustraliau trade, in which, among many products named, this matter of tinned meat was referred to. You also about that time kindly inserted some letters of mine on the subject. The importance of this shipment of meat from the colonies to India cannot be overvalued, and it is to be hoped, for the credit of Australia, every care will be taken that it is without fault, shipments haviug been made from here which have by no means satisfied the commissariat. Quoting from the pamphlet on ludo-Australian trade I stated —' In India, according to Hunter, there are 177,455 Europeans, GO,OOO of whom are British troops.' Then there are the Native troops, which amount to over double that number. All these must be supplied with meat. The troops arc constantly on the march from one part of India to another, and must necessarily iu that hot climate carry large quantities of preserved provisions. There are also the large survey camps, the Christian population of Europeans, Eurasians, and Natives in the moffussil, or so-called up-country districts, where good meat is a godsend. So far the trade has been done with the United States, the reason being, as previously advanced in this letter, that the meat was not pleasing to ' Tommy Atkins,' and another reason, because it could not be obtained in sufficient quantities. This I proved at the time by quoting a letter from the surveyor-general of ordnauce, who says:—'That this department is always glad to avail itself of colonial brands of tinned meat, and, iu fact, give them a preference for more reasons than one, but that lately little has been on offer.—Signed, Colvii.le Nepean, Director of the Army Contracts.' There is no question in my mind that if once the soldier in India takes a fancy to our meats and we can keep up a supply equal to the demand (being always careful that we never lower the standard), an industry istobeopened up withthatcountry, Ceylon and Egypt, which will take all the colonies can produce. While on this subject of preserved provisions, I would like, before concluding, to draw the attention of the public to the fact on referring to my pamphlet again, I note that the imports of butter in 1883-84 were 101,7501b, value of £11,941, which is nearly an average of Is (3d per lb; cheese, 475,925 lb, value £29,344 ; fruit and vegetables, value £80, 5-17. Now, in the above three products great changes in the mode of production have taken place since I read my paper before the Chamber of Manufactors. Yourbuttcr has been successfully shipped to England, also fruit and cheese and, with the enconrngement given to farmers by the Government iu the travelling dairy, placing before them in a practical way the cheapest and best method for producing butter in large quantities, it should not be long before the steamers of that energetic pioneer in the Indian trade, Captain Carrie, have the pleasure of carrying on a trade in these goods with a country which should be one of our.best markets in the early future." 1