CHRISTCHURCH POINT OF VIEW.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 205, 30 August 1910, Page 7

CHRISTCHURCH POINT OF VIEW.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent) CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. The new San Francisco service was discussed at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce to-day. Mr. A. H. Turnbull said that, although it was not the service which he would have liked to see, via Vancouver, still any extension of the steamer service which, would tend to develop the commerce of this Dominion, and which could t>e controlled from this end, was likely to be of great benefit. He thought it would 'be fitting that the Chamber should espTess its appreciation of the Prime Minister's action in reorganising the service through the Islands, at the same time expressing the hope that the Vancouver route would not be lost sight of, and he would move to that effect. The motion was earned unanimously. After the meeting was concluded, Mr. F. C. Jones (the new president of the Chamber) said that there was no doubt that any mail service which would tend to increase facilities foT the export of the Dominion's produce would be a distinct benefit. He would have preferred, however, to see the service direct to Vancouver rather than to Ban Francisco. He felt that the weekly mail service by Brindisi had been on the whole fairly satisfactory. Mr. H. J. Marriner (who retired to-day from the position of acting-president) said that the step ivould be in the right direction if New Zealand could get its goods into the United. States, but there was a prohibitive tariff against it on the Pacific Coast. In 1898 New Zealand imported from the Pacific Coast nearly £100,000 worth, of goods, and in 1907 £154,000 worth. In 1898' it exported to the Coast £280,000' worth, and in 1907 £11,000 worth. If the- new line -was for the purpose of a mail service he was afraid that it wonld not be mnch good to the Southern part of New Zealand, which was far ibetter_ served with the Suez direct line. The - steamers for the new service were only thirteen knot vessels, and were very old. If they intended to open up fresh 'business with tQie United States he did not see that New Zealand would benefit greatly on account of the high prohibitive tariff.