FIJI AND NEW ZEALAND

Evening Star, Issue 16627, 9 January 1918, Page 6

FIJI AND NEW ZEALAND

STORY OF A TRADING ADVENTURE. As the New Zealand Government are again being approached with the view of closer political and commercial relations being established between this country and Fiji, the following account of an early . trading venture between the two colonies, contributed by Mr Coleman Phillips to the ' Wairarapa Standard,' is interesting : . . " But island work soon claimed me. The directors of the Bank of New Zealand wanted the steam link with Levuka. It somehow appeared my duty to take the matter in hand, and duty is our hardest master. "The only steamer then available, I found upon inquiry, was the Star of the South—about 400 tons, price £lo,ooo—so I prepared a list, submitted it to the Auckland merchants, obtained a few names, and steadily canvassed Queen street. As soon as I had half the money subscribed I took it to Mr Russell, who said; ' Well, see what Dr Campbell will do.' " I had seen Dr Campbell (the late Sir John Logan Campbell, of Auckland), who was the owner, but he didn't intend moving until he saw what the Auckland people would do. When I showed him the fairly long list of subscribers he said : ' Very well, you can have her, and I will allow the rest to remain upon mortgage.' "So I got my steamer, formed the Auckland and Fiji Trading Company, and then proceeded to fill her up in the good old way of asking each merchant to venture something. One gave me -20 tons of flour, another 100 cases, of kerosene, another so many tons of biscuit or rope. When I wasn't getting on very well I went to the farmers, and got 150 sheep and 30 head of young cattle, until at last I had a full ship. Whereupon the directors asked me to take her down to Levuka and open the line. I could do as I liked when I got to Levuka, but I was to dd the thing properly. "We went down under open hatches, as the little hooker couldn't carry anything on deck. Tho sheep and cattle had to be put below. It was my first job among stock, and a nice thing I found it, going round with a bucket of thick oatmeal water and a lemonade bottle, feeding the sheep twice a day. " I think I got 30s for the sheep and £l2 for the steers, then considered very good prices. Sold all my flour, biscuits, rope, ana 1 othel* goods, putting it to the Levuka traders-that it was up to them to support the new venture, which they did."