"BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 7

"BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."

THE TARANAKI TRADE. AUCKLAND - FEARS. WELLINGTON'S V/ ;,':, COMPETITION. ■ ; '(By'Tolejrapn.-Spccial Correspondent.) . ; ■;';. •-' - ' ; Auckland; July 30. <: Auckland 'mprchants,,see some .danger to their interests in tho curtailed steamer services.on;the West Coast. .Their .trade with Taranaki 1 is •apparently jeopardised to tho advantage •of Wellington; At this afternoon's ■meeting''of''tho Auckland Chamber of trip..follo-iviiig ' petition was presontedlby several prominent merchants:— .; "Within- the last I fortnight the .-steamer communication between Onehunga and .New, Plymouth-has been-reduced> to two trips per w6ek; ■:and .we;.are■'■ given,' to understand by. tho.companies jointly catering for. this trado (tho Northern Steamship Company: and the Union Steam Ship". Company)- that this arrangement will oontinuo for,tho wiritor. It. is'perfectly certain that such communication is inadequate for tho normal requirements of the Auckland-Tarauaki trade. Owing to Various circumstances, there may occasionally be a temporary slackness in tho business between the two ports,- but this wo submit is' not sufficient for jeopardising the entire future of -the trado, as the' present cutting down "of steamer communication is calculated to do. The competition 1 between Auckland and Wellington merchants is now so very :. keen'.. in: .Taranaki that frequent. and quick delivery- of orders has become the deitermining -'factor in tho question of which centre shall have the trade of the province, pis, therefore; "of vital importance to the commercial community here, and to the city as 1 a whole; that-nothing should bo done which willSplace us at a disadvantage in catering for tho needs of our Taranaki -clients,. This-jmattor.is, to our minds, of such immediate importance that we desire to bring iti under -the notice of your chamber as minently possible, and wo earnestly; desire i'that ; steps : will bo taken to remedy the position 1 before it.is too late.. Wo ,might sug-

ge'st '.that, failing 'any, better arrangement■ on :the'part of the companies interested, the Rosamund/could call .once a week it New Plvmputh ori : hor, way to Nelson. This would; interpose a/.vory/riecessarybreak in the long interval, Saturday to -.-Thursday, which there, is''under /'the present of .the .stcamers.'Ni// ':,/'. . '■'■■\ : ':///■/>,/-', -. ' ■ : Tho'secretary, of ;the. chamber .'stated : that the reduced steamer .servicer was in excess; of. the trade..'No. action'.-.was taken,-.it'.- being considered ['•tbat-vtho.'.communication should have beenj;sent' to. the steamship 1 .companies concerned.;T'', ■' ;'/; '/;/,.,■ ■;'.',; V/ ",; : -•,,:/ i K >: THE^WAIKATO^TRADE/i^J,:)^^ ''-//JAN* IT?/ .1' (By' TelcerajphrSpecial- Correspondent.) -.-'< ■-.:;.'-■ : ; ,/.'/// '^'fW-r.'•■-. Auckland,' July 30. ".. In■'fcferen'co-'-toi:.tho;\suggestion .that- Wel-■iingtou-:shduld:'catD'r..for::tliO'V/ailsato trade,; a%ritcrin ; the"''Herald'-', say' 3:— /.';,/,!'.;'/■; .-. ■''A'-brilliantodcalbasi.'seizcd a Wellington resident, . The-Waikirto-is only, fifteen hours/ journey from tho Empiro city, therefore, -why not try.'to capturo th'o Waikato'trade from the.city of : tho north'?-'-! ; /././/- A'.'- ; : ' ; ',jli ': Auckland 1 -merchaiitsvsoeiv;.by-.. a ; ' Herald reporter,yesterday'in reference to:the statement \ppoh-ppbhedi;the idea.'-. They stated that'they had nothing to fear-'from ,thq Wellington.people. •'■" Such was the low margin of profit made that thofreighicharges would' r cripple the-: southerners; out;'of- all; competij. , 'tips,':.- ~ : ' l '.-' : :'.•■'■"'''": ' "■', :■'.'■/•.''".•'■.'„■■'-.-: • '■..:. . i'-'I don't, think",it ,at all possibks, that WeU ' ImgtoncanisccufeVa'ny of the Wau;atp trado,'■; remarked jSl'r;:'"Jv: :: C.' Entrican, ■■ a prominent, local .mercHiintefcvln:; the /first: place,;sho ■would be 'handicapped .considerably,-.bytho. freight IhecWailAtp is only within four hours', Irail' of 'Auckland,■,' and something .like fifteen^hourk'lof,, Wellington.; ,'Tho,dis : : •. tance is■ alHiti^urvfavoun:'..Even if the' proatico .would still bo handic^p^M':'the. extra; freight with '.the additiottof.pprt'ChargesA In fact, I don t '■anticipate: that .''.'they ; wilf "even-'bo'-abloVtO; -touch the King Country business though the 'greator part of it is considerably nearer Wellington than "this'city,' owing'-to the-railway freights favouring Auckland.-- Oh.akune is ■' practically the ;half-way house,between, the ■ two cities, and .Wellington may possibly make her' presence felt-as-far .as -there';.-but/eon-', corning the districts north,of Ohakune wo can afford to look at the.threatened conipeti- ' tiori with the utmost equanimity; Tlio Auckland: merchants are wide : awake in-, seeing -that they. 'aro going. to keep the trade of tho Auckland province,'and.are not '.going to. . /take- a back, seat/to Wellington -.or any other .-place',"-;''".-:';.';-',',''."• "■■' ■■■■'■i ' ■ ' ; '' .'■-.-'■''-.-';''-' : V •'.-'--. ,: !Anothei;.p'rominentVgentleman,.'whb.is:.in- [. timately acg'uainted.with the Waikato: trade,; ventured" tho opinion that it; was -impossible '. for 'the Wellhigton' merchants .'either to pan-, ! ture tho'Waikato trade or ev ( en to'seriously ; interfere'■'with-Auckland'.' The. railway. [ freights alone prohibited it.' The Waikato was : 'only.-100,'miles"from Auckland, while it was | spmeiliing 'like. 400, miles from. Wellington.-, , ThoiSoutherners could; not\ ppssiblp ; hope to : compete: with the local merchants, especially r in regard to chaff and agricultural products. | /"Further,", added 'this, gentleman, .'.'look , .at the'facilities .in Auckland for .'storage'as , against tbpsojih Wellington." . . '/■: -.-■ >; ;'; WOOL TRADE: ;! ; ; : ."; '■ * i WELLINGTON'SSPECIAL' FACILITIES.; ; * 7 M/: ; -':'" ; -;'''-,''-/-f' : Auckland,-July 30.- . ':According tb''-Mr..Tv.M. Wilfofd, M.P., . chairman of the Wellington. Harbour Board, j the'Tafaaaki trade.is: not the only.brahch of competition in : which Auckland has: to fear I Wellington. ■ Mr. Wilford, who', is at present - in itbwn;, declared to "a "Herald" ropresenta-tive'.-tb-day'tbat his board,believed that in _a r very'short time'it: will capture the wool trade 3 from' Napier and -Taranaki; and by. the. Main J Trunk''route to witliiii 200, miles; of. Auckt ladd .for-itself. : The question,'arose in the 3 course of conversation; as to the, petition f roin -~ Auckla.ridmerchants to the Chamber of Commerce to-day relative to the'Taranaki : trade. MrV : Wilford : said he had read "the'petition in " questibiji.and that Wellington'.: hilly .•realised •-' the -position'.' It .'was not to;be expected, he went bri; that an irregular water communicai. tioh:;could compete .with a regular, railway t service; -'Morepver,- when:the.port.of delivery » extended •facilities above 'the ordinary, that 'i port must : score.' "In' support :of"his ■ statea merit :that the Wellington' Harbour Board :' .anticipates' capturing the, wool trade, Mr. ■•'. that last.'year, that board proivided/facilities for .wool exhibits so os to.eiiable. buyers to .quickly .classify and earmark , their" purchases. Though Levin and Co., ? ;the,New;. Zealand Loan and. Mercantile-Co., * Dalgety and'-C0.,; and Murray, Roberts and a Co. all held" their,: sales, there was still a 'surplus of over 12,000 bales for exhibition by a the Wellington Harbour Board.: ;..-. i a ...".This year," continued' Mr. Wilford; "aly though ibur'board has lost its ' J.' shed, realising: tho increased amountof'wool that will Yr cbmcWellingtonwards,, it has erected a' teni; ■ ■ porai-y structure with railway sidingsVto* meel P the'cbntingency. '.'lt'fs also, having plans'-of s hiigo'-':-building prepared/to provide for th< : • exhibition of the: wool Which it now, know; '' will como 1 from the directions indicated, .A very large space will he provided so as t< give facility fpr all wool shipped from Wei- ■'. .lingtonto bo stored and exhibited in th< '* most favourable light, in order that foreigr >° buyers may ,be saved the trouble of journeyv ing from plaoe to,place,to fill their.order's 3 " The '■ Wellington Harbour Board consider! )f that, the huge increase in, business betweet r " last year and, this yoa'r warrants the oxpondi *■• ture';. It remains for,us to see in the nea: ] i future'whether or not the' indications -givei 'S to us v of inorcased business aro justified.'.-