THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 226, 18 June 1920, Page 8

THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

POSSIBILITIES OF TRADE

VIEWS OF THE PRIME MINISTER

'TVe are not doing enough "at our own doors," remarked the Prime Minister (the Eight Hon. W. F. Massey) yesterday at the luncheon tendered' by the New Zealand Association of British Manufacturers and Agents to Mr. It. W. Dalton, H.M. Trade Commissioner for the Dominion.

Mr. Massey was referring to the necessity for developing British trade, and lie said that wo in New Zealand were neglecting to a great extent the possibilities of trade expansion that lay in the small islands of the Pacific. Tho opening of the Panama Canal would mean that the islands would be of the very greatest importance in, the near future. He instanced Fiji, which -was a part of the Empire governed by our fellow-citizens. Tho population of those islands was at least 150,000, including some thousands of Ar.glo-Saxons. Steamers trading to' British Columbia stopped at Fiji and'he would ITEo to 6omo arrangement whereby vessels trading via the Panama Canal , would also call in at Fiji, both coming and going. If people looked into the matter they would see that New Zealand was not~getting her fair share of the Pacific Jrade, talcing the Dominion's position into account. The population and the production of the Pacific islands were growing, and New Zealand would have to look forward to doing more in the way of trade with those islands. The report of the Commission which had been investigating the possibilities of trade with the Islands, although not yet ready for publication, was very interesting, and suggested very great possibilities.