SYDNEY'S ISLAND TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 34, 9 August 1921, Page 11

SYDNEY'S ISLAND TRADE

1 COMMERCIAL MEN ANXIOUS,,

(PROM OtR,OWN CORKESPONBENT.)

SYDNEY, 2nd August.

Considerable attention is being devoted by the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, which is now in the^midst of its annual sessions, to' the safeguarding of the Island trade. One of the delegates, Mr. William Reed, declared that . the loss of the Island trade was a serious matter to Sydney, and concerned every one of them. A deputation from the Island Trade Sectional Committee of the matter to Sydney, and concerned every Harbour Trust Commissioners on four occasions, and had asked for the removal of the war-time, restrictions placed upon the handling of copra, but they had been unsuccessful. .The copra \yas not allowed to be taken into the sheds in the process of discharge, and. there was, consequently, no protection against the rain, while it had to be removed forthwith from the wharves. They desired permission to put the copra in the sheds during discharging and unloading. The copra was going to other countries, and Sydney was losing the trade. Copra was the Island currency. They had no money there. They sent the' copra to pay for the goods which were sent to the Islands. In one shipment from Sydney to the Islands there had been £5000 worth of goods which had been paid for with copra. It had been proved that copra fires in the past had been due to incendiarism, the act of enemy agents.

Mr. JBoxshall, a member of the Samarai Chamber of Commerce, Papua; remarked that there were Island interests to be considered as \vell"as_ those of Sydney. Were they justified in asking, the' Islands to send goods half-way round the world again to the place of manufacture, in order to allow the people of Sydney to collect dues arid, exchange the goods for goods of their own? The president, Mr. J. Mainland Paxton, stated that it was quite true that the regulations of the Sydney' Harbour Trust had practically driven the copra • trade ■ out of Sydney. What was happening' was causing serious disquiet in certain .official quarters, and the, matter was under review there.