THE GERMANY-NEW ZEALAND TRADE

Evening Star, Issue 15514, 9 June 1914, Page 7

THE GERMANY-NEW ZEALAND TRADE

NEW SEBVWE DECIDED UPON. The announcement made a few days ago that a new regular direct line of German steamers to New Zealand was about to be inaugurated covers one of the most interesting move in the shipping world, as far as the Dominion is concerned, for many years, and will mean a big thing for New Zealand. German steamers of from 10,000 to 12,000, and'probably 14,000 tons, calling regularly at the four principal ports will mean increased port dues for harbor boards and probable, opening up of trade with a country that is now competing for mastery of the world's commerce. Very little detail has been received by the Wellington agents of the Norddeutscher Lloyd Line (Messrs Castendyk and Focke), regarding the now service from this Continental quarter to New Zealand ports. The first vessel is announced to leave the Continent towards the middle of next month. The outward route of the steamers will be via Cape Town and Hobart, thence to Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, and, in some, cases, Bluff. The homeward route is not yet announced, but it is anticinatcd that vessels will go via South America, .allowing space to pick up" frozen meat from the Argentina. The service is to be maintained by steamers of the German-Australian and Norddeutscher Lloyd Lines monthly, so that there will be two steamers, one loading and the other discharging in New Zealand waters, during each month. The class of cargo which is to be brought from the Continent is as yet a matter of conjecture, but in shipping and commercial circles it is anticipated that this new move, backed up by the German trade combine, means that the German manufacturers intend to push the new trade in the Dominion. Homeward, the cargo will be principally of frozen meat, mutton predominating. Germany now has an extensive trad* with the Argentine in frozen beef, so that the importation prodiwcfc to the Continent will not be so extensive as that of frozen mutton and lamb. The German-Australian steamer Linden is already on her way to New Zealand from Hamburg, with a -cargo of manures, bound for Bluff, Port Chalmers, and Lyttelton. It was thought that this vessel was the first of the new line, but Mr Focke stated to a pressman that she has nothing to do with it. A cargo of phosphates happened to be offering, and there was nothing to show that this was the beginning of the new service. In any case the new line would not be started from the Continent until July.