The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-21
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS METHODS

u RECENT number of the Exporter, Sydney
! publication devoted to the export trade Of the
Australian colonies gives, concerning the fruit
trade with Europe, good deal of information likely
to be not only interesting but instructive Caifor-
mans, since it shows the vigor with which the people
of those far countries striving to compete with
in that line of industry.
From the reports given it appears the Australians
ship to England not only fresh fruit but even fresh
vegetables and the announcement is made that aspar-
agus and green peas arriving in England between No
vember and March to bring good prices. The
chief difficulty to be overcome in the trade in fresh
fruit is that OF preserving during the long voyage
the ocean, though OF course the heavy freight
rates also constitute handicap the enterprise.
Both in Victoria and in New South Wales the fruit
men, aided by their Governments are energetically
ard scientifically striving to master these obstacles
1t is noted by the Exporter that the Victorian Gov
grants bonus fruit exports, and in that
way soffsets the freight charges and stimulates pro-
ducer1 and shippers to devise some means of pre-
serving the fresh fruit to make the shipments
profitable
Several plans have been tried but none seems to be
wholly satisfactory The one most in favor at present
to be what is known as the 'Southerland pro-
cess, which amounts virtually to inclosing the fruit
in waxed paper bags. In the meantime the Govern
has been lending its aid to the work and the
Agricultural Department is experimenting with a
process of preserving fresh fruit by means of ster
zed air. 1t is said that some apricots treated in
that way by the department were kept in good con-
diton for fortythree days, but the bloom had faded
and the fruit would not be attractive in the market
II is worth noting that the British correspondent
OF the Exporter advises fruit and vegetable shippers
to send their goods direct to Manchester instead OF
London or Liverpool, the ground that the markets
OF the two last-named cities the general dumping
ground for the exports of all nations, while Man
chester, with the swarming populations of the
featuring cities around it, is a comparatively over
looked market for such articles.
Another illustration OF the comprehensive manner
with which the Australians are seeking. to increase
the consumption of the products of their industry
found in announcement in the same journal that
the Government of Victoria has induced the railroads
to serve tumbler OF colonial wine with lunch or
dirner at all their eatinghouses without charge
and to furnish it by the bottle at shilling quart
BY that is expected to make the of native
wine common among the people and thus build up
large home market for it.
1t will be seen from these reports, all of which are
given in the ordinary of trade review, that
the Australians, though far from the great markets of
the world, not sitting in idleness waiting for some
to come along and help them Through their
Governments we'll as by individual enterprise they
are working out solution of their difficulties and
bid fair to succeed