TRADE WITH SAMOA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 246, 15 October 1917, Page 3

TRADE WITH SAMOA.

THE COPRA MARKETS. SHIPPINTt DIFFICL_TTES. A big retrograde movement has beeri noticed in the facilities existing for the interchange of commerce between Xew Zealand and the Islands, and the substance of a writing which has passed from the Admiustrator of Samoa, Col. Logan, to the Government was the basis of a report to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce by its Export and Produce Committee. The report set out several causes tending to curtail trade with Samoa. They were: — (al The difficulties in connection with the importation of supplies, and consequent, limitation of local stocks, and the scarcity of men to handle the business. (b) The impossibility of shipping copra to the Homo markets. There are large accumulations of copra here and also in Samoa, but Imperial regulations prevent its being shipped from the. Dominion, though we understand certain, space is allocated by the Australian Overseas Shipping Committee for copra (ci As the purchasing power of Samoa; r is dependent on the sale of its produce, these conditions have tended to reduce the amount of business done with -\ew Zealand, a? trade goes to the country which can take up the products. In this" connection it was mentioned that formerly a through freight could be ol Lamed from the Islands to the Home market, whicn competition between the overseas shipping companies kept at a reasonable rate. This, of course, is now out of the question. (d) Certain restrictions imposed by the Government have also had some effect on trade, as, for instance, the limitation of the amount of flour which may be shipped, and the regulation which forbids hides from the Islands being submitted to auction, resulting, it is said, in the bulk of them going to> Sydney. (el In pre-war times flour could be bought here from Southern mills at o, through freight to the Islands, which meant a considerable reduction on the coastal freight whicli has now to be paid in addition to transhipment charges. This had tended to reduce the Auckland trade in flour with Samoa. New Zealand trade was also heavily handicapped by the present unsatisfao tory shipping service to Samoa. Formerly a steamer was run from Auckland to Samoa, thence to Sydney, and back to Samoa and Auckland, which was % satisfactory service, creating a fair competition between Sydney and Xew Zealand. The report concluded:—" Under present conditions there appears little prospect of improvement in trade between New Zealand and Samoa, but after the war, when conditions return to normal, if the Dominion is to maintain the position which it is entitled to, it will be absolutely essential that the Government insist on the re-establish-ment of a satisfactory steamer service." The general opinion held by the Chamber was that Sydney had an immense advantage over Auckland in its trading facilities with the Islands, though it was recognised that nothing could.,be done to get a regular, up-to-date steam-* ship service between the Dominion anrl such islands as Samoa till after the war. The report was adopted with a reso/lution that a copy be sent to Sir -James Allen.