TRADE WITH NIUE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 16, 19 July 1923, Page 3

TRADE WITH NIUE

••' • » —..■ „ COMMENT ON NEW SERVICE. (81 TELEGHAPB.—SPECIAL TO THE POST.) AUCKLAND, ThisTDay. " The news from Wellington that the Government has arranged. with a Wellington firm to jiut a steamer into the trade between Auckland and Niuehas aroused' some interesting, comment in> local shipping and mercantile, circles. Those acquainted with the trade and it? prospects of .development do not consider that, a steamer large.enough to perform the run comfortably has much hope of returning a profit to its owners. It is : pointed out that, prior -to 'seventeen :. years ago, the whole of the Nine trade came to Auckland by Auckland-owned vessels without subsidy; then £8000 was spent to provide an-auxiliary yes- ! sel 10 compete against the' ' privately ; owned traders. , This vessel, .the'Coun : tes s of Kanfurly, lost heavily, and ■was sold, and later destroyed by fire. Private enterprise then continued to carry on.the trade with the barquentine Ysabel, till she. was 'taken off, and thereafter for many years thV-only service for the Niue people was.By a much smaller craft, which w M .subsidised at the rate of about £100 a voyage Then came a call for tenders/about two year« ago and the Ysaßel. returned • to the trade. . .. . . ... . -Captain Ross, in. discussing" the-latest j development, said he could-.not.see how it would . be, - possible for a -steamer to \ TT f UI, nm between'-Niue and | Auckland The trade was so small and the island so circumscribed in its capacity for development, that, however | small, the steamer, it would not, in'hi? i opinion, be profitable without a very heavy subsidy. - *