NORFOLK ISLAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 38, 14 August 1939, Page 6

NORFOLK ISLAND

ECONOMIC DIFFICULTY

SHIPPING SERVICE NEEDED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) i AUCKLAND, August 13. The urgent desire of Norfolk Islanders to have a regular two-way' steamer connection with New Zea- ' land was expressed by members of a party of 12 islanders, who arrived at Auckland by the Maetsuycker. Some of the party are on holiday, and others intend to take up living in New Zealand. Declaring that the lack of two-way services with the Dominion was resulting in economic stagnation for the island, Mr. H. Christian, descendant of the mutineers of the Bounty who settled on Pitcairn Island, said that the Norfolk Island Administration was not relaxing its efforts to obtair the resumption of the service, which was discontinued when New Zealand placed an embargo on Australian fruit. The present Administrator, MajorGeneral Sir Charles Rosenthal, would be visiting New Zealand for the Centennial celebrations, joining the Australian contingent of returned soldiers, and it was his intention to see what he could do towards re-establish-ing the necessary service. The Maetsuycker and other ships of the South Pacific Line could not provide the two-way service wanted by the islanders. They could only call at Norfolk on the way to New Zealand and were not able to do so on the return passage to the Netherlands East Indies. As it was, the islanders had to guarantee £100 in freight or passengers before ships of the line could call. New Zealand was looked to by the islanders as their main hope for prosperity. Little could be gained by shipping oranges to Australia, for the Commonwealth already grew its requirements, but it had been shown in the past that a two-way steamer service with New Zealand opened a i good market for the island's produce. In addition, said Mr. Christian, it was felt by Norfolk Islanders that resumption of the service would provide New Zealanders with an attractive tourist resort. Norfolk Island was less than 40 hours' steaming from Auckland, and its climate and beauty were such that islanders believed a popular tourist service could be opened up. As it was, the one-way service and the closing of the New Zealand market meant only one thing for Norfolk Island. The islanders left, and most of them did not go back. There were still about 1000 people on the island, and economically they considered themselves an integral part, not of the Commonwealth, by which they were administered, but of New Zealand. Mr. Christian said that 600 cases of oranges were ready for shipment by the Maetsuycker when it called at Cascade Bay. Unfortunately, the weather on Friday was such that on the exposed anchorage only 300 cases could be shipped. These were consigned to the Internal Marketing Department, and, for the first time, had been packed and graded under Government supervision.