TRADE WITH THE EAST

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 90, 11 January 1924, Page 8

TRADE WITH THE EAST

PROPOSED NEW SHIPPING LINE NEW ZEALAND-SINGAPORE-JAVA PENAL CUSTOMS DUTIES AN OBSTACLE By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, January 10. For some time past the Auckland Industrial Association has been making investigations with tho object of foster, ing trade between the Dominion and Java, and to-day Mr. van der Linde, representative of the Royal Packet Navigation Co., who has been touring the Dominion, put before tho association the basis of a proposal on which his company would lie prepared to initiate a direct line of steamers to trade between New Zealand, Java, Singapore, and New Zealand ports. Mr. van der Linde explained that the steamers of the proposed line would call at Auckland. Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin. He had come to New Zealand to see if there was any opportunity and sufficient encouragement to justify the venture. He referred to the growth of trade between Java and Australia since the Customs restrictions had been removed, and emphasised that at present the special foreign duty on Dutch goods coming to New Zealand constituted a tariff wall which was an unassailable hurdle in the way of the proposed line. Unless the duty were taken off Java tea, sago, tapioca, and such goods it was certain that the line could not become an established fact It had been stressed bv the Government that this duty applied to refined sugar only, but as the Colonial Sugar Co. was a firm that had ft refining plant in the Dominion, this concession on raw sugar did not matter. The effect of the duty was that it gave a monopoly to the Colonial Sugar Co. He suggested that it was in the interests of the exporters of New Zealand to support his request to the Government to abolish the duties altogether, After some consideration the meeting passed a resolution expressing appreciation of the intention of the company to establish a direct line, and asking the industrial associations and chambers of commerce throughout the Dominion to consider its terms, and if they consider the proposals favourably to make strong representations to the Government. A communication received from the Hon. Downie Stewart, Minister of Industries and Commerce, stated, that he had carefully considered the proposal to arrange for steamers to run direct a siix-weeklv service between Singapore, Java, and New Zealand with a view to establishing reciprocal trade and had noted tho conditions under which the arrangement could Im riven a trial. In view of the proposal involving remissions of duties and expenditure in connection with the provision of cold storage at the Javan chief ports he regretted he was unable to give the association a decision for the Government nrior to the meeting to be held between the association and Mr. van der L-’nde. Mr. Stewart promised to place the proposals before Cabinet at the earliest opportunity.