SOUTH SEA TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 623, 28 September 1909, Page 6

SOUTH SEA TRADE.

vV;;v ABQTIT;;: A'"BECENT, AB.TTCr.Ti: • '.;/ ; ; - \ ';, v;-; ■'.' 'ccentiyi an article appealed in these columns : •■: ed on , the mission to the Islands 'of 'Mr. - J". , who has been sent for a further TCOoli'a, tour"; through the-South Sea Islands ,in ; 6oarch"..of trade.'; New Zealand ; merchanta of ,'longj standing\whd know-the Island:' trade, 'which in'the-past. has...been:conserved ■.' for Auckland, taithink' that .Mr. 3ow .could.reach.' the ''Auckland', merchanta anything about ..the'South'Sea Islands as an avenue for trade'. , -Whit- the' WelliHgtori . merchants '-nay ; have -looked '[in the■ past'.; they .'•' are .rapidly acguiijihg. now xthat ;we.-have at. least pne service to two qi.the'groups out in the Pacific. ■' ':' 'In '■'■Wβ'.. recent article 6ome. f ideas on -the Island ■ service}' gathered fioin; local fruit merchants/ wero'iincluded, which, rather throw cold-water, on ,the ; new Wellington-Karotonga-iTahiti service.:;; The opinion;'was quoted- of 'delegates to the recent fruit-brokers' conference to the effect that thore.was nothing much for merchants south of Auckland ■ in the Island trade. On digging deeper into .the subject it, was:ascertained that;the opinions expressed by some of the merchants .were not by any means those of all. : Indeed, , : there ; is a serious difference:in the aspect from which the new Island ■ service is regarded .locally.' 'Some of the. fruit Hmerchanta... of Wellington 'have' considerable dealings with an Auckland firm:;which, . has "'■ / established agents -on alUthe and /commands a (food deal of, tne,fruit.trade. It is through this firm that eome'.local .merchants got their supplies pi fruit,-and.^they, , it is contended, being associated,with' the 'Auckland firm, argue as' Auckland argues—that; the new-service out •• of Wetlington'is wasteful, and: ridiculous ;oicess. ■ ■ 'It' is -(contended, on the: other -. hand, '■ that this is not. 60. Ono i local merchant has already stated' that- the value of .the, trade out of . Wellington to ; the Cook 'Group already exceeds the value pf the fruit cargoes from thoso islands,: and is growing'.steadily. What about Tahiti?; BOmo-will say. 'Even in the case.of Tahiti, from which island ;we draw : no fruit, there as, a growing jtrade with Wellington; in general' on the authority of a;'prpminentv'Wellington -.merchant. , ■ -. , •.' fX:S '■:'-SUBSIDISED'fOR^MAIIi;^-; , .. v'.; -■■:"In anyJcase, tho argument runs, it should pe : borne steidily.'iii'mind that the new island Service'! was not subsidised as a frnit service, though the-obtaining of fresher . supplies of fruit than ~ those . came (by. the; roundabout Auckland route, and the superior claims of .Wellington as a .distributing , centre, -.' were considerations. -It. was subsidised as'a mail fervice,! to'augment the present connection with England,, by way of America. V ;-:nop Auckland: hints have, comethat as tho rubsidy for the semco is only for one year. Parliament might decide to discontinue it at the termination of the first year. This it is submitted locally, is not likely, when it is considered that New Zealand is worse off in regard to its oversea mail services than It was years ago.