284 Journal of Agriculture^ \icioria. [10 May.. 1912. 



commissions at 3 per cent., say, 3s. per cwt., making altogether 8s. per cwt., 

 without reckoning insurance and other expenses, which will probably bring 

 the cost up to I OS. per cwt. If a northern wholesaler buys from London, 

 the rail transit will cost at least 2s. per cwt. His profit and cost of retail 

 distribution will be about 5s. per cwt., making altogether 17s. per cwt. 

 Danish butter can be delivered from Copenhagen via Hull to Leeds for 

 2S. per cwt. against 17s. for Australian butter, and the producer must 

 bear this difference. If the butter for northern towns was sent to Hull 

 for distribution, about 6s. per cwt. would be saved which is now needlessly 

 paid awav. There is a large and densely populated area served by the 

 port of Hull which is at present being neglected by Australia, and we con- 

 sider it is worthy of consideration. 



In regard to meat sent to London, it is well known to many that the 

 svstem of handling there is far from perfect. The meat is landed to quay 

 and harrowed round to lighters which convey it to cold stores. These cold 

 stores are 20 miles from the Royal Albert and Victoria Docks, and 

 27 miles from Tilbury, and when the meat arrives at the cold stores it is 

 frozen up again. If sold to a northern buyer it is carted through the 

 London streets to a railway station, loaded into insulated cars and for- 

 warded to its destination where it is usually carted to a cold store before 

 being distributed to retail shops. This means that the meat is handled 

 excessively and usually frozen twice before reaching the northern retailer, 

 besides incurring unnecessary charges. In Hull steamers can berth along- 

 side the cold stores and sling the meat direct from their holds to the stores. 

 Insulated cars load alongside and convey the meat quickly, cheaply, and 

 what is extremely important, with a minimum of handling to the towns in 

 the area which are served by Hull. Another most important point is that 

 although Australian produce ranks amongst the finest in the world, it very 

 largely loses its identity before reaching the British consumer. The time 

 has surely come when Australian produce should make a name for itself. 

 The quality is all right and the price, but the method of marketing at 

 present does not give it a fair show. 



Most of the emigrants come from provincial centres in Great Britain. 

 They leave friends and relations behind who receive letters regularly, 

 describing the splendid quality of the produce, and it is only reasonable 

 to presume that there is a good chance of building up a large and growing 

 trade amongst these people if they are catered for. It is claimed justly 

 that people at home have vague ideas respecting the extent and general 

 features of Australia, but I think the people in the pro\'inces may legiti- 

 mately claim that Australians have so' far looked upon London as England 

 so to speak in the marketing of produce. 



There are 30,000,000 people outside the London distributing area who 

 can be reached through the out ports at a lower cost than via London, and 

 Hull being the third po{|: in importance in Great Britain .serves a larger 

 population than any other out port. So long as it is endeavoured to serve 

 this area via London the cost of this expensive and roundabout method of 

 distribution must come out of the growers' pockets. Competitors from 

 Canada, North and South America, Russia, Denmark are sending their 

 produce to the British consumers through the cheapest channels. Australia 

 is already sufficiently handicapped by its distance from Great Britain 

 and European markets, without still further handicapping itself by un- 

 necessary transport and handling charges. At the rate the country is 

 progressing it will be more and more dependent on the oversea markets 

 each year, and if the progression continues on present lines the London 

 markets will be glutted more and more frequently. In its own interests 



