THE ISLAND TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 341, 30 October 1908, Page 8

THE ISLAND TRADE.

. AUCKLAND'S INTERESTS. (BT TSI.ICEArn.— SI'KCUL CntIItF.SPONtIEK'T.I

T *'_ ';•••' : Auckland, October 29. _ In. the course ,of an address last night, Mr. Ohver_Nicholson, who is opposing the- Hon. Geo. Fowlds in the Grey .Lynn electorate, referred to the fact that in the closing hours of the session a, subsidy) of £7000 had been passed, for a 'direct "service from "Wellington to the. Islands. By such an arrangement, said Mr.. .Nicholson, Auckland interests had been considerably prejudiced, and a large amount of trade had been diverted. Raratonga was, some 600 miles nearer Auckland than Wellington, and Papeete was 800 miles further-away. Now that the brains and capital of Auckland merchants had developed the trade, the Government stepped in to take it away.' The position.should-not have been countenanced for a moment. Where were' the Auckland members? (A voice: "Asleep.") Where'was the member for Grey Lynn? (A voice; "Asleep, too.") Where was his "potent .voice? " To what extent was he afac- ?° r ; £, diverting "the trade' from Auckland to Wellington, and 'prejudicing Auckland's interests'? ..

. The/matter also came up at Mr. Lawrv's meeting at Parnell last night. One of the questions, put to Mr. Lawry had reference to the .subsidy. for the- Wellington-Tahiti l mail service; '."I- would rather it should come to Auckland,"/ sad . the candidate, "but I do ,hot flunk lb willi offtect'the Auckland trade' at all.'-'Auckland'is'th© natural port' for tho fruit from-the.lslands, and I shall make it m y business. to see that Auckland 1 does not suffer, if I can help it." .

A LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER. (BI ASSOCIATION.')'

i, • • - Auckland, October 29. uThe secretary;'df"the Auckland Chamber of a letter to Sir Joseph' Ward' on the subject of the Welling-ton-Tahiti _ mail service. He says that as Auckland'is the natural, port for Raratonga and. Tahiti, the action of, tho Government is subversive" of all :true commercial principles; and ought not to have been entered into. Ine Island trade has-been gradually built up over, many years- bythis. city at great sacrifice and' sdrioUs "cost, 1 and whilst this chamber can have no"6bjection to Wellington establishing- a line of 'direct steamers of its own, tho serious pofcft' is that this line of steamers should be subsidised by the'Governinent to the detriment' and injury of Auckland, the only natural'port for both the Cook N and Society Islands owing to its geographical position. It has been stated by the Government that • the arrangement entered into is only experimental, 'and will . be tried for twelve .months, 1 but he points out.that a.s.-a fundamental principle of commerce lias been '\V the :• Government by subsidising this, line of steamers, to continue the experiment for twelve months is only to aggravate the situation; arid perpetuate the great wrong that is being done to. merchants in this'city and Island produce traders as a whole, Concluding, he hopes that the Government subsidy, so unfairly entered into, will cease at the earliest'possible, 1 dite.