10 Mar., 1911-] Maiicliester : A Market for Australian Produce. 169 



loses a \aluable market because the vessel cannot be ordered to proceed 

 to the Canal should the cargo l>e sold to a Manchester importer, but other- 

 wise the vessel may be sent to Runcorn which is half way up the Canal. 



This applies to sailing ships, owing to their difficulty with their high 

 masts, to navigate those parts of the Canal which are spanned by bridges. 

 But when steamers are chartered it would seem that no such reference 

 whatever to Manchester should be made in the charter party as steamers 

 have no difficulty in proceeding to and dischargmg alongside the grain 

 elevator and Manchester is one of the recognised safe ports. 



With respect to tinned meats, the operatives in the Lancashire and 

 Yorkshire Mills are very partial to tinned meats from Australia, and, in fact, 

 in no other district in the country is there a greater demand. This trade is 

 growing rapidly, though the goods find their way to their destination in 

 a roundabout manner — through London or Liverpool. 



What has been written in the foregoing pages about specific products, 

 applies with equal force to other merchancliss, and the difficulty in every 

 respect is the absence of direct transportation facilities. 



While the purpose of this report is to call some attention to the facilities 

 which Manchester offers, no inference should be assumed that produce 

 should be necessarily diverted from London or Liverpool. On the other 

 hand, much still remains to be done to thoroughly exploit, at all events, 

 the London market. It is obvious, however, that if the produce which is 

 actually consumed in >Linchester and the vicinity were shipped direct, the 

 Victorian grower would benefit in no small degree. Such cargo would 

 reach its destination sooner, at less cost, it would be subject to fewer 

 handlings, and I venture to say better all round prices would be secured. 

 Every one interested will admit that direct trade with the West of England 

 for produce which is consumed in the West is more advantageous, both 

 to the buver and the seller, than that the produce should go first to London 

 in the South-east, and then sent on by rail. But it may be contended 

 that at the present time there is an adequate .service to the West through 

 Liverpool. This contention is. however, fallacious, because at present 

 all regular steamers bound for Liverpool call at Londop first, then go on 

 to Liverpool. Such ves.sels carrv London cargo as well, and in many cases 

 the Liverpool goods are actually taken out of the holds at London, exposed 

 on the \vhar\es in a changed atmosphere, returned to the holds after the 

 London cargo is landed, and then taken on to Liverpool. The possible 

 damage to perishable produce consigned to Liverpool under these conditions, 

 is difficult to estimate, but it is certain that .some deterioration must 

 inevitably take place. 



The tendency of other exporting countries is distinctly towards dis- 

 tributing their joroduce among the many British markets. Australian 

 shippers send almost everything to London, whether it is consumed in 

 London and the vicinity or' consumed on the other side of England. 



It has. I h(/iie, been shown that the unexploited markets of the West, 

 which are alrearly favourable t(^ us, are little less important to the rural 

 communitv of Victoria than th.^ markets of London itsi-lf. There can be 

 no question that the facilities for receiving and distributing at ?*Kanchester 

 are incdculablv siip.Tior to those at I-ondon. Vet at the present nme 

 all the steamers, without exception, trading regularly between Great Bruain 

 and Australia, go first to London, and the big majority never call at the 

 Western i)orts. while not one vessel trades regularly from Australia ♦ > 

 Manch(st<r. It is impossible to believe that this anomaly can long exist. 

 2l2:l. *' 



