THE COOK ISLANDS TRADE,

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 155, 1 July 1914, Page 4

THE COOK ISLANDS TRADE,

The report of the Postal Department which has just 'been published shows, among other things, that as the Welling-ton-San Francisco mail contract expired at the end of March, 1914, a new contract has been arranged 'for -the ensuing five years. The service is to be improved considerably. t_ two of t'hc steamers now running are to be replaced by larger and faster 'boats. A s this country pays £23,000 a year ior these advantages it certainly deserves some substantial retuna. We have no desire to depreciate the value of this service, though w e have always maintained that the route now chosen is far less satisfactory to the whole Dominion than the old direct route with Auckland as final poTt of call. But we may point out that in one particular at least this country is not getting all that it might reasonably expect from its outlay on this object. The steamers, after passing Tahiti, call at the Cook Islands, and complaints aTe constantly heard that the Rarotongan trade is sacrificed to the convenience -and the interests of the French traders-, in rr-s-ard to cargo space and the time allowed for loading. The new contract, we observe, contains a special provision that vessel on the inward vHayage may stop at Rarotonga for not more than thirty hours, if loading is delayed by bad weather conditions. 'It is evid'eara; thaax a time limiO is ncc_i— ry, but. it is the duty of Gov-emmrnrt that we. get the fullcs't; advantage r,f the Cook Island trade connection; and in our opinion it is a. matter that might very well be brought by one of our members under the notice of Parliament.