Fruit and Vine Culture.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman, largely interested in the export of Australian wines. He assured me that for certain classes of wine, such as claret and champagne, the North Island should be able to successfully compete against any country in the world.

This information has been confirmed by Mr T. W. Kirk, the Government Biologist, who has, by persistent effort and illustration, shown to many settlers how profitable fruit and vine culture is.

There were 23,956 acres in orchard in 1900, a increase of 1330 acres on the previous year. No record is taken of less than a quarter of an acre, of these there are thousands, 522 acres are Under vine cultivation, and this is yearly increasing. It is confidently expected that within a few years the wine manufactured in New Zealand will form part of our staple exports.

While directing attention to the advantages, nay, even the necessity for new markets I think that in our eagerness to seek fresh fields we are apt to lose sight of the fact that there is yet plenty of work in Britain.

Judging from the various discussions which from time to time have taken place the impression seems to gain ground that because we have long enjoyed the advantages of an excellent direct steam service to London, we have exploited all the markets of Great Britain and must of necessity look to such countries as South Africa, India, China i and Japan, in which to place our increasing exports from this colony.

Having an established direct trade with London, which can with advantage and little expense be further extended to the provinces, I would direct your attention to the fact that the total population of the United Kingdom is in round number 38,000,000. In 1840 the total population was 26½ millions, hence in less than 62 years the population has increased about 11,500,000, or more than the present population of Canada, Australia and New Zealand combined.

Not only the population, but the wealth also is great, and the conditions of the great masses of the people are much improved. To Great Britain, therefore we must look for our permanent market; and anything that can be done by the Government of New Zealand to extend our trade with the English provinces, Scotland and Ireland, should have the support and approval of every producer and merchant in this colony.

While in England in 1898, I took the opportunity of publicly urging the claims of New Zealand and suggested, inter alia, that the guardians of the large Charitable Institutions of Britain might with advantage include New Zealand from meat when calling tenders for meat Supplies. The result of that recommendation was that subsequently a large meat contractor in one of the chief cities of England called upon me, stating that my recommendation had borne fruit, and that tenders were being called by one large institution for meat supplies, in which was included "Canterbury mutton." He asked me, "Is that New Zealand mutton?" (Another illustration of the advantages of establishing a good name). Having replied in the affirmative, I immediately gave him all the information I could, supplying him with the page 5 names of every freezing company and experter in this colony, and also the names of the principal importers at Smithfield. It is very instructive to read his letter dated 9th January, 1899. It runs as [unclear: followers]:—

"You will remember when you visited England I met you at your hotel, I and we had a conversation on the New Zealand mutton trade, I specially mentioned that I had frequently tendered for the supply of Canterbury mutton, but had not been successful, and was just about to tender again to the firm that had previously rejected me. I did so, but was not accepted; another firm got the contract for Canterbury mutton. I was determined to watch their deliveries, and I discovered that the mutton was none other than River Plate. At the expiration of the contract I privately exposed the fraud to the receivers and the result was that when the contract was re-let they debarred this firm from competing. I tendered again, but was unsuccessful, another firm having preference to supply Canterbury mutton at 3¼d per lb. I have also watched this, and I am surprised that the so-called Canterbury is nothing but River Plate, with false labels and wrappers stamped "Canterbury." Of course I am not in a position to prove this, and I appeal to you to put me in the way of discovering the genuine brand and give me some information respecting it. I am sure this cannot fail to interest you, as it will give you some idea to what extent this fraud is carried on in this corner of the globe. You will observe that I have not been idle since we parted, and I hope that before long I shall have the pleasure of supplying some of the consumers of River Plate with the genuine article."

I am of opinion that every effort should be made to bring New Zealand into closer trade relations with such markets as Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast, Edinburgh and Dublin, even to the extent of subsidising a line of steamers that would include these ports of call in their round trip from this colony. You have only to visit the Manchester Ship Canal to see what enterprise is there displayed to secure direct trade. Already over £17,000,000 have been spent on that magnificent waterway, £5,000,000 of which have been provided by the corporation of the city, who recognise the immense page 6 advantage the Ship Canal is to Manchester. During my visit to that city in 1898, the Lord Mayor (Alderman Gibson) and the Chairman of the Ship Canal Company (Mr J. K. Blythel), with several leading citizens assured me that there were nearly 8,000,000 of a population surrounding the Lancashire district who could be best served by direct trade with the Canal, and furthermore added that every facility would be extended to and minimum rates charged upon any steamers trading from New Zealand.

The accomplishment of this is not as difficult as it appears at first sight. Upon further investigation I found the majority of the Bradford Woollen Mills and other importers of New Zealand produce were anxious to secure their New Zealand purchases via the Ship Canal in preference to London.

and bearing in mind that Yorkshire houses are perhaps the largest buyers, I see no reason why with such a nucleus of assured freight, direct trade with Manchester has been so long delayed. It may be contended that the present steamers are too large, but surely this should not be an insurmountable difficulty. The advantages of direct trade with 8,000,000 of consumers cannot be over-estimated, and is worthy of our best consideration.

To insure for this colony the best representation in the British markets, I would respectfully suggest the advisableness of giving extended powers to the AgentGeneral, who has already done signal service for New Zealand, or separating the political from the commercial representation in London, establishing an office in the city under a qualified commercial trade commissioner, with power to appoint agents in the provinces, who could supply general information. This latter plan has been adopted by Canada, while the former has been worked successfully by our Victorian neighbours. The resident commissioner and his staff would, with advantage, arrange periodical conferences with the various boards of trade and chambers of commerce to whom he could supply the fullest and most reliable information as to the names of the shippers, values of produce, rates of freights, also help to overcome the many prejudices that at present exist against New Zealand product and correct wrong impressions as to the conduct of the export business. While disseminating useful information he would also be gathering valuable data for the guidance of the mercantile community in New Zealand which would repay the outlay.

Mr H. C. Cameron, the present Produce Commissioner in London, has done his utmost to place New Zealand produce in the fore front, but the time has arrived when with more assistance and greater freedom he could render better service to the colony. The adoption of the plan I propose would accomplish this. While advocating closer investigation of the British markets, I also think every effort should be made to establish our name as exporters in the other countries referred to.

It must be as gratifying to every character of commerce in this colony as it is to this conference that the Government is taking such active steps to bring us into closer and more direct communication with South Africa, Ever watchful of New Zealand's intersts, the present administration, under the able guidance off the Right Hon. the Premier, has from time to time during the last three years, seized the psychological moment in proclaiming to the world at large that New Zealand is not the least amongst his Majesty's possessions, willing to share the sorrows as well as the joys of the Empire. Who among us can appraise the enormous advantages that such statesmanship, judgement and diplomacy will have upon the commerce of this country in the future page 7 Those of us who have been fortunate entail to travel the outer world can realise how little known New Zealand was, and far isolated seemed our position. Thanks to the Government these difficulty are now removed, and when we shall add another line of steamers, for which tenders are now called, to help us in establishing direct trade with South Africa, we shall become better known, and shall come to look upon the Federal Tariff of the Commonwealth as a great blessing in disguise, for it has undoubtedly accelerated the necessity for the steps now being taken to open up trade with other countries, which in the ordinary course of events we could not have existed for some time to come. If our bolding aloof for the present from Federation has done no other good it has certify been instrumental in directing our attention to the necessity of new markets.