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ISLAND TRADE.

i • •' MR. GOW'S APPOINTMENT. . , WHAT CAN HE DEVELOP? The latest mission of Mr. J. Graham Gor, Trade Commissioner, who loft .WoUin.rton by tho Hauroto yesterday for Barotonga and Tahiti to inquire into the possibilities of trade.in view of the establishment of the Government subsidised steamer service between this, port and tho Islands, calls attention to tho. present state and prospect of tho East Pacifio trade. It also suggests,questions in regard .to tho exact nature'of;Mr. Crowds position in relation to the Government 6crTico. During' the last few years': Mr. Gow, as Trade Commissioner, has gono on successive missions to South Africa, the Far East, and Canada, with, the object of opening up new avenues of trade. It is alleged that not one of, these; missions resulted in any benefit, except perhaps to Mr. Gow's health. Some weeks ago it was stated in The Dominion, upon sound authority, that Mr. Gow was being retired under tho Government's retrenchment scheme, and a few days later his name was mentioned by other papers as ono of Boveral officers whoso services wcro being dispensed with on that account lo neither of- these statements did Mr. wt or his Departmout- offer any denial, and it is understood the Department does not now deny that, a few weeks ago, Mr. Gow was undor notice of retirement. ■ A new task has, however, been found for tho ra-Trado Commissioner, and it is interesting'to consider, what it represents. The direct steamer sdrvico between Wellington and the Islands has been running now .for several months, and though the initial tnp was not very productivoi increasing shipment ot trail, chiefly oranges and bananas, have been brought since then to this port; Dut the shipments are still limited to fruit, except for a small amount of copra,/ which is brought hero for transhipment to„ London. -Except as regards the one island of Earotonga,' tho trade done by. Wellington with the l'acific groups insignificant as compared, with tho Auckland trade,, which has "been built-up-during many years. Wellineton merchants have had the opportunity to send their agents to the Islands and expand this trade,' but, so far as wo can learn, jot ono agent has .been scut,, and the trade with this port is still restricted to the fruit.supphes which come,.to Wellington. ; .', - •' Only Room for Auckland. It looks',as if not much was hoped from tho development of business with tho Islands. One local merchant put the. matter ratnor differently to .a;.Dominion^ representative w ho made inquiries. ; He stated tnat the contract for,the steamer, been-entered into bv tho Government only for twelve months, and merchants were chary,of taking, any. stem to oxtend their operations'until thoy know-if it was going to-be continued. ' A good deal would depend' on what was done in the next session ofparliament..*But another merchant,: who quoted tho>-opinion of .delegates, who assembled ffonv'lall'parts of the Dominion to the , recent■•fruiMreokcrs , .■conference, .in sunport of his'view, stated that the.lsland; trado Sid not offer, sufficient inducement ,for merchants south of Auckland-for them, to trcat.it very seriouslyi,.;.Arfew; Auckland sunk large-sums'of 1 Money in;the trade, ihey sent to the; islands .clothing, tinned'goods, and other articles of commerce, and from an. ex-, berience-of; niany-''years' they knew exaotly .what to send.; .The imports from ■that were received.'-at Auckknd comprised fruit, a' few casks n of : limejuice, and .from Tahiti -• a ! very ■. small amount, of. coffeepot much busings: could be done with the French islands, 1 and at the.conference of New.Zealand .fruit-brokers' it .was generally recognised: that, the opportunities of. tho island trade were eo limited, and the ■'.trade itself subject to; so. many risk Si - that; it. would not.be worth the while of,-Wellington and South Island.nrms, to enter into.:competition, with Auckland..■ ... .. :i - |T : Aft Uo.sattsfactory.Service. ..' ..:,;. : It was pointed^.9ut-:by. : 'thb .Auckland deleKates; horceycri and agreed by the ' rest, thift Eh« present-double service of .steamers from Auckland and Wellington was' far- from satisfactory. .Usually: the..' two.,.boate .from'..the islands' arrive at-'Auckland. and:;Welhngton rej spectively within "about three day's of each other, i Both shiploads of fruit-are , placed, onthe market-.at:nearly,itbtf saino"time, result, that' the price-.falls so low. that it is contended , there-is noncaftonsbloi prout.in Jhe; business for anyone. '-It:>as agreed, that it would be much 1 better .for-.all'parties if the. boats an interval.of.;about seventeen days between ■them.both calling ;first : at Auckland,-, and bringing ;on consignments . of, their fruit to. the. three, eouthern pork ;in ; turn,.;in-; stead of the present '.'System of .transhipping, which leads to long'del ays and- loss. The Auck- 1 land brokers' had worked out in detail how such-n 1 service/should,be run, and their plan iwas, fully endorsed, by. ,(Southern: delegates..'. *•"'.-■■•:'-:;.;• Mr.: Gow's: Prospects., ■-;■■;;.{: Asked whether- it .was probable that Mr. Graham Gow would be likely 'to' develop tjio island , trade,-, this: merchant and answered:—"He' ivilldo about as much in this cose as'ho did by,-hiß visits to! the East, South 'Africa,; and Canada." Nothing had come of those visits, he:declared,- and'the present mission' was an absurd wesfce. of. money, which would ; havo:.no,;3the'r; advantag».;than a pleas;, ant trip for Mr; Gow. The trade,was not sufficient to extend rbeyond : the Auckland'inrms, who had built".it'up-.years ago,, and they had their agents who 'vjsited'tho • islands *and knew, more',: the. position-.than Mr. Graham' Gbiv;. ;It ..shonld T» 'stated '[ that the other lnerchanCseon, who,thought : thero might be some trade 'to develop, scarcely - thought that Mr. Gow,,was: reallyi being 6ent to. develop it. ' : .He,;'.thpught■ that: Mr.'.Gow was ?robably belhg'sent-to the islands, to enforce umigafion! for , tile • destruction of' the .fruit fly, which in Earotonga:was fairly prevalent. Tho effect .of i'th'a't. be :to benefit tho shippersrnoro.than ,, ;anybody else., c, .' i,:, ,;

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19090918.2.6

Bibliographic details

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 3

Word Count
921

ISLAND TRADE. Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 3

ISLAND TRADE. Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 3

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