BAY OF PLENTY TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 4

BAY OF PLENTY TRADE.

AUCKLAND'S POSITION, ' ; SOUTHERN INVASION RIDICULED. (DI TELEGRAPH —SrECIAT. CORRESPONDENT.! , Auckland, February 20. . Tho statements'mado in Wellington regardiug the proposal which, is now said to be on foot in tho capital for tho working up of a trade between Wellington and Tauranga formed-tho subject of somo enquiries by a "Herald" representative! Tho prospect was regarded by tlioso who-were interviewed in anything but a serious light. Mr. C. Ran son, manager of tho Northern Steamship Company, said that when ho read tho statements in the Press ho had a hearty laugh. Evidently, ho said, tho gentleman who supplied tho information'to tho correspondeuj know very littlo of Tauranga and tho conditions of trado in the district. At present tlio Tauranga peoplo were being well served in regard to tho Auckland connection. They had three regular'boats weokly from Auckland, ono leaving hero every Monday, one on Tuesday or Wodnesday, and ono on Friday. In addition -to theso tho Mangapapa "called in occasionally ' when required. "The peoplo of Tauranga," Mr. Ransonsaid, "aro thus well served, and if tho trade warranted it wo would send a boat every day, as wo do to Whangaroi." As to sending 800 or 900 ton steamers frorii _ "Wellington, tho idea was, ho, said, simply ridiculous. Tho freight from Tauranga itself was not vory great, but a great (leal was collected at that port from a number of outlying smaller port?. Tho cargo from and to these ports was at preseut conveycd by the Northern Company's tenders, of which quite a number wcro employed. Did tho ' promoters of tho Wollington project propose to also adopt this course? If so, they would requiro quito a mosquito fleet in addition to tho 800 ton steamers. "As'for coal for the gasworks nt Tauranga, one vessel would carry .enough coal to last it for, I will not say two years, but certainly a very long time." There was no district in Now Zealand without railway communication that had a better service with tho large centres than Tauranga had with Auckland. As to communication between Tauranga and tho South,; Mr. .R-anson., said..that tho Union Company wero' willing' at any 'time to allow their. boats feKcalt, at Tauraiiga; if;,they;could got a guarahteo .of-20.,'toiis.:.of freight, but this guarantee .was'-iievor; forthcoming. 1 Tho local manager of tho Union Company (Mr. A. 'B.' J.• Irvine), who was' also seen on the subject, confirmed this statement.' *, ■ Tho President of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. (Mr.N.'i Alfred-. Nathan), said.io saw .iio reason. • why tho ..Taiiranga peoplo should bo dissatisfied .with'their present connection with: Auckland. .'' They had their threo'and sometimes four steamers a. week, and ,on : special; otMsions' such as those' of shows and race meetings,, extra steamers were put on if tho ' traffic warranted it. V The tradewith . Tauranga itself was not great, ■ but thero' was a great deal of-transhipping to and from tho smaller neighbouring ports, such'as To Puke,' Matata,. and Mriketn, and this was now done' by the 'small . boats 1 of, tho /Northern '' Company;' .Tho : Auckland merchants, also catered for';..the.'commercial needs:of .Tauranga in every possible way, and everything that i could ho done to foster trado-bet>veen' the .two places was done.- As to tho proposal .to -'seud 1 boats' from Welling-i ton, he could not understand wliy it was being mooted.- . If the boats were going further, south.there might have: been 'an inducement iu the fact that, this would have enabled direct 'shipments of floiir to'havo been made: from southern ports to Tauranga. As far as Wellington was concerned,, he saw no apparent justification for. the. proposal;