THE ISLAND TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 329, 16 October 1908, Page 4

THE ISLAND TRADE.

—4 : SHIPPING ARRANGEMENTS CRITI- , . CISED. ' (BI TELEGKAM—I'KESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, October 15. Ono of the passengers wlio joined in a pleasure trip.to tho South Sea Islands recently, to-day' voiced the complaints of those, .who, desiring to como on to Auckland by, a eomfortablo steamer, found it necessary to go round via Sydney and Brisbane. The passenger said lie was ono of a party of eight who visited the Islands, journeying there by tho s.s. Tofua. When thoy arrived at Suva they gave in their names lor berths on tho next New Zealand steamer, aud wero informed they could not book berths ; till the day' before sailing. When the passengers found thoy wero to be given berths in the. s.s. Manapouri, with four berths iu oacli' cabin, they decided to go on to Sydney and return via Wellington, rather than take tho Auckland boat. Vie had found a unanimous feeling throughout Fiji and Tonga that the New Zealand service was really thrusting tho trade into tho hands of Sydney merchants, . and tho feeling was that the public interest was being sacrificed in order to press the argument for tho Vancouver subsidy. Every :merchant in, Suva declared that tho .trade was being lost to Now Zealand because of the want of proper shipping connection, and tho Tongan trado -was goiug'tho samo way. "No one in the. Islands," continued tho passenger, "and no ono herej as .far as I can make out, can understand why ' a boat cannot bo. at Suva'to meet tho Vancouver mails, and passengers. What is thero to prevent, it? Tho Union Company forms tho last connecting link between here and ' Vancouver, and yet passengers are asked to go round by Sydney and Brisbane to get to Now Zealand by tho quickest route. If the Union Company, or the Government, can arrange to get ." 'mails and passengers to the Vancouver steamer 'at Suva within a day or two, then surely arrangements could bo rnado to have: the incoming mails and passengers mot. The tourist traffic from America to ; New Zealand will all bo diverted to Aiistra- ! Ha unless the Government or tho Union Company make some effort."