25

H.—l7

Franco-British Exhibition. After considerable and protracted negotiation with the executive of the Franco-British Exhibition a site for the New Zealand Court was secured in a highly satisfactory position at Shepherd's Bush. The executive undertook to provide a pavilion for the New Zealand exhibits 120 ft. long by 50 ft. wide. I regret, however, that the work undertaken by the executive has not met with that expedition which could have been desired, and which from the promises made by the responsible authorities had been anticipated. Every endeavour has been made to make a representation worthy of the Dominion. A fine and comprehensive collection of exhibits has been got together by the Department of Industries and Commerce, which has been received here in ample time to enable them to be placed in position ready for the opening date. Designs have been prepared, and the whole arrangement of the Court settled. Unfortunately, possession of the building cannot be obtained, it being yet far from completion. It has therefore been necessary to store all the exhibits on arrival. The attention of the Commissioner-General has repeatedly been directed to the slow progress that is being made with the New Zealand Pavilion, and requests have been made to him to take steps to have the work expedited as much as possible. The replies received to these representations, however, have not been so satisfactory as could be wished. It will certainly be a great disappointment if the efforts that have been made to be ready for the opening of the Exhibition are defeated by the dilatoriness of the responsible officers of the Exhibition. The decoration of the Court and the general arrangement of the exhibits has been placed in the hands of Messrs. Sage and Co. (Limited). A most satisfactory agreement has been made with Messrs. L. Sterne and Co. (Limited) for the provision and erection of the cold-air rooms and refrigerating plant required for the display of the frozen-meat exhibit. Special attention is being given to an effective display in the tourist section. The fine specimens of stags' heads and other sporting trophies that have been received will afford an opportunity of making an exhibit worthy of the occasion. Irish International Exhibition. The Irish International Exhibition was held during the past year. At this the New Zealand Section was a leading feature. An excellent site had been secured, and in planning the arrangements the New Zealand exhibits were grouped into divisions of food products, raw materials, semimanufactured products, and manufactured goods. The refrigerating chamber and plant proved of the greatest interest in demonstrating to visitors the manner in which frozen produce was prepared and kept in condition. During their visit to the Exhibition their Majesties the King and Queen visited the New Zealand Section, and both expressed the greatest interest in the colony and in the exhibits shown. The Court was also visited by the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), who was accompanied by the Viceroy, Lord Aberdeen, and the Provost of Trinity College, and by the Hon. W. Hall-Jones. I consider the results obtained from the New Zealand exhibit at Dublin highly satisfactory. Pamphlets giving information concerning the Dominion went freely into circulation. Interest was aroused in the productions aj.d capabilities of the country, and many persons of a good class who had been contemplating emigration were induced to choose New Zealand for their future home. Full reports concerning the Exhibition were supplied to Wellington. I have, &c, H. C. Cameron, The High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. Produce Commissioner.

APPENDIX 111. REPORT OF MR. J. GRAHAM GOW, TRADE REPRESENTATIVE. 6th March, 1908. after my official tour through Canada I have arrived at the conclusion that there are undoubted prospects for the establishment of profitable markets for the following products from the Dominion of New Zealand :— Mutton and Lamb. —A splendid opening exists for this industry in the east and west of Canada. One merchant informed me that he was prepared to purchase 100,000 carcases per year. Owing to the rigorous winter, sheep do not thrive there, and statistics show that the vast region of Ontario contains only 1,300,000 sheep, or an average of thirteen sheep to each farm. It was also shown that there had been a decrease of a hundred thousand per year during the last five years. The Agricultural Department was issuing booklets trying to prove to the farmers that sheep-raising was an industry with great possibilities, and I was informed that this step was taken owing to my having during my tour brought prominently under notice the samples of wool I carried with me, and also to the publicity given in the Press to my letters on New Zealand as a sheep-raising country. Wools. —The various brands of our wools are, I was surprised to find, well known to Canadian brokers, owing to the intimate knowledge of the London markets. During the course of longinterviews with various brokers throughout the Dominion of Canada, I used every effort to impress upon them the advantages of purchasing direct ; but they evidently prefer to do business through their London agents, as their financial arrangements are facilitated through Home brokers, If 4—H. 17.