TASMANIA LINKED

Evening Star, Issue 21822, 11 September 1934, Page 12

TASMANIA LINKED

THREE GALLS BY MAHENO RECIPROCAL TRADE ALSO ARRANGED AMBASSADOB’S MISSION SUCCESS!; uL. Three calls to Hobart by the passenger SLoamer xuaheno, eu route to meioourne irom cue bouth isuina, ana reciprocal trading ueiAvceu gw and Tasmania are results widen nave nappiiy consummated tlio visit of the rasinaniau “ aninassador,” Mr John ivlurdocii Fisher, on his visit to the dominion. A pleased and happy man, Mr Fisher, whose efforts for three or four years have been directed at trade revival, announced the success of his campaign to-day in an interview with the ‘ Evening Star,’ stating that on the trips from Bluff, commencing on October 31, November 26, and February 11, the Maheno would call at Hobart with passengers and a cargo steamer would load there for South Island main ports, direct, at the end of October, if trade warranted, the cargo service would be made more regular than at three-monthly intervals. “We have been very desirous of having the steamer connection again re-established between Tasmania and New Zealand,” said our Fisher, who is acting as trade representative for Tasmania and is the accredited agent of the Tasmanian Government and secretary of the New Zealand Trade Revival Committee, of which the Lord Mayor of Hobart is chairman. “ With this object in view, 1 have in the last three or four years made several trips to the dominion—once on a cargo vessel. Until recently, owing to the Commonwealth federation laws, the coastal clauses of the Navigation Act did not permit of a vessel, leaving New Zealand for Australia and carrying passengers, to call at Tasmania en route. We in Tasmania, in conjunction with the people of the South Island of New Zealand, have been persistently working for relief from this clause, and quite recently wo achieved the desired object. No obstruction to the lifting of the coastal clause will be put up by the Federal Government. When it was recently announced that the Union Steam Ship Company was about to place the Maheno on the run from Bluff to Melbourne during the Melbourne Centenary celebrations, the people of Tasmania were tremendously disappointed and upset that Hobart was not to be included as a port of call en route. In order to obtain Hobart’s inclusion, a very strong committee, known as the New Zealand Trade Revival Committee, was formed in Hobart, consisting of influential people, and backed by the Tasmanian Government. When we found it was impossible from our negotiations to get Hobart linked up, 1 was despatched to the doiqinion by the committee, and as the accredited agent ot the Government to work for Hobart’s inclusion.” He was very pleased to announce that, as a result of his negotiations since his arrival in New Zealand, the Onion Company had decided that Hobart was to be included as a port ot call by the Maheno for, three trips, starting from Bluff on October 31, November 26. and February 11. If it were found that the support warranted it. further extensions of calls would most likely be made. On the first trip no cargo would be carried, owing to the want of time, but it was possible that on the later trips some cargo space would be available. As he had been so actively engaged in this work for some years, he was, naturally, a very happy and pleased man that the issue had been brought to such a successful conclusion, and he had received congratulatory cablegrams from his principals and those interested in Tasmania MAHENO’S SUITABILITY. In some parts of New Zealand strong exception, it had been noticed in Tasmama, liad been titken to a vgssbl o* the Maheno’s type being placed on the run, said. Mr Fisher. Me had been given the opportunity of personally inspecting the Maheno, and he to immensely surprised to sec the class ot passenger vessel she was. She was being put into first-class order at Fort Chalmers, no expense being spared. In his opinion the Maheno, when sue took up her run, would be eminently suitably and especially comfortable to travel on, quite as good as the trade could expect. avenues of trade opened. While prosecuting the campaign for the re-establishment of the passenger service, Mr Fisher has also been engaged in the development of trade-in finding out what- goods could be traded between the two countries. He said he had obtained most encouraging results. He had been able to buy from the dominion, general lines of seeds, fertilisers, blood and bone manures, and white pine for butter boxes and eases, and he was negotiating for the purchase of the coarser grades ot wool, which Tasmania could take, and to sell to the dominion, hard wood timbers, wattle bark tor tanning, carbide and racquets. New Zealand had been originally built out of Van Dieman’s Land hardwood. Originally, there was a very big trade in wattle bark, but latterly South Africa had come largely into the picture, by cheap production by black labour, the seeds from Tasmania having been planted in the Union. Carbide was produced in very large quantities in Tasmania, while the sports racquets were a very fine article, and were coming into wide prominence. By working in this way, said Mr Fisher, an extension of trade relations would be possible. As would he readilv understood, there could not lie a continuous steamer service unless the trade warranted, and it remained with the peoples of 'Tasmania and New Zealand to support the service. Negotiations had been completed for a much improved cargo service. A direct steamer would load at Hobart at the end of October for the South Island main ports and, if trade were offering, the service could be extended to the North Island main ports. If sufficient trade came, the steamer would leave at more frequent -.intervals even than three months. He had had the privilege of being granted interviews with the New Zealand Government to discuss tho matter of trade barriers, with a view to reciprocity of trade between the Commonwealth and the dominion, Tasmania being a part of tho Commonwealth. “ And I am hopeful that, from these negotiations, good results will be shown before long,” said Mr Fisher. A very great improvement in the timber trade with Tasmania was already noted. Up to the present, some very large orders line! been actually placed from New Zealand, and others were progressing. BUMPER SEASON EXPECTED. Since the lifting of the coastal clause of tile Navigation Act. it was possible for tho )’ and 0. and overseas liners to carry passengers from Sydney to Hobart. Last Summer, iho influx of visitors was ti'emeudous, and gratify-

ing. The visitors showed a very large increase over the numbers which Tasmania had had for many years. In many cases the visitors went right through the island from Hobart to Launceston, taking the ferry from there to Melbourne. The prosperous season for tourists would be repeated in even greater measure this summer. A bumper season was anticipated. Special arrangements were being made by the Tasmanian Government Tourist Department to give all visitors arriving by the Maheno a hearty welcome, and to provide for their tours and transport. The Government was particularly interested, as it desired to bring the two peoples into closer and better intercourse. The, tourist and commercial trade meant much to Tasmania, “ The garden State of the Commonwealth.” Hobart’s harbour was equal to anything in the world, and the climate was unsurpassed. To further advance his campaign for reciprocal trade, Mr Fisher, who arrived last night from Wellington, where he met the Union Company’s officials, will visit Invercargill tomorrow.