£4 Millions Waiting in Australia.

Sir Alexander Roberts mentioned that the annual value of Australia's importations of jute woolpacks, bags and sacks had averaged £4 millions during recent years—a favourable market for the superior New Zealand manufactures. In this vision of big business across the Tasman Sea, Mr. R. Semple, M.P., was encouragingly optimistic. He said that he had had three interviews with Sir Walter Massy Greene (Assistant Federal Treasurer of Australia) and his private secretary (Mr. Carter), who knew Australian industries from A to Z. After they had been shown the New Zealand wool-packs, they both said they were satisfied that if New Zealand could put these packs on the Australian market at a reasonable price—even if it was a little higher than the price of jute— it would have a monopoly of the supply of wool-packs to the Commonwealth. Within two years New Zealand could capture the Australian market.