COOK ISLANDS TRADE.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13332, 26 January 1909, Page 8

COOK ISLANDS TRADE.

(PBES- ASSOCIATION TEI.EG__K.Ii

WELLINGTON, January 25. Tlie Manapouri, tho inaugurating steamer of the Cook Islands-Wellington trade, completed her first trip yesterday, the time taken by tho vessel on the run being about the same as her usual time between Auckland and Itaratonga. The cargo included 549_ cases of bananas, some of which are for southern ports, also 21 cases of oranges, 1329 sacks of copra, a quantity of kumaras, and four cases of vanilla, tho rest being sundries. The Manapouri also brought 36 passengers, who came by the Mariposa from San Francisco via Tahiti, also 90 bags of mails, per ex Mariposa, and five ba"3 of Island mails. *°"

Mr Bradley, an Island trader, who was a passenger by the Manapouri, interviewed, said the great advantage of the service would be the avoidance of Auckland transhipments of fruit for southern ports, thus savinc about four days. He recommends the establishment by tbe Government of a tropical school for agriculture at Rarotonga and also urges preferential treatment of Cook Islands fruit as against Tahitian and Fijian fruit. The labour difficulty would, however, be an insuperable difficulty in tbo Cook Group.