THE COOK ISLANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11534, 20 November 1900, Page 5

THE COOK ISLANDS.

TRADE WITH NEW ZEALAND. DEPUTATION TO THE BRITISH RESIDENT. ' - customs TARIFF IN the COOK group; future op THE FRUIT TRADE. A deputation from the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, consisting of Messrs. S. Vaile, Jno. Reid, A. H. Nathan, Jno. Barns, and H. Gonlstone, waited yesterday on Lieuten-ant-Colonel Gudgeon, British Resident in the Cook Islands, to discuss with him matters bearing on the trade between Rarotonga and Auckland. Colonel Gudgeon, who is at present on a visit to Auckland, was seen at the Star Hotel. Mr. Vaile introduced the deputation. Mr. Reid said the Chamber of Commerce desired to further the trade between Rarotonga and Auckland, and to give the inhabitants of the Cook Islands everj facility they possibly could to trade with Auckland. It had been mentioned that Wellington would probably be a better centre than Auckland for the Rarotonga fruit trade. The Chamber wished to know how that came about, so they might, possible, remedy any defects existing in Auckland. The Auckland people did not claim any pre-emptive right to the trade, and they wished to give the people of the Islands every possible facility. The inspection of the fruit was one great difficulty. The Chamber was quite of the opinion that the inspection was overdone, but it was originated at the request of the fruitgrowers of New Zealand, and they were a very powerful body, and if they could show that insects were likely to be introduced they perhaps had a certain right to the inspection. It would be a great help if, now that the Cook Group was practically part of New Zealand, the inspection could be done in the group before the fruit was shipped. Lieutenant-Colonel Gudgeon : A very great help. Mr. Reid said the Chamber wished information on another point, viz., whether the Cook Group was to be considered part of Nev, Zealand, so that the New Zealand tariff would be extended to the group. If that was not to be done it was difficult to see what advantage New Zealand would derive bv talcing the group over. Hawaii had been" taken over by the United States, and immediately the United States laws prevailed there to the exclusion of trade with New Zealand. It would be an advantace to New Zealand if the merchants of New Zealand had a preference in trading with the Cook Group. , Mr. A. H. Nathan stated that for the past 30 years the Cook Islands trade had been fostered from. the port of Auckland by in-ter-communication provided by Auckland firms, resulting in many instances in heavy loss for manv years. The geographical position of the port of Auckland was also more favourable for trade with the Cook Group than any other port in New Zealand, and the merchants of Auckland, from their experience of the trade, were better able to deal with the fruit, and place it in the best markets, than the merchants elsewhere.. In these circumstances the commercial people of Auckland were rather surprised, and perhaps a little bit offended, in seeing from an interview with Colonel Gudgeon, published in the newspapers, that it was proposed to divert the trade to Wellington as being a better market for distribution. He was certain Colonel Gudgeon would admit that the quicker the fruit was got to the market the better. The people of Auckland were accustomed to handling the fruit and getting i it into merchantable condition, and they > could get the fruit down to Wellington in 1 , from 24 to 30 hours by transhipping, which was only equal to the extra time a steamer would take in reaching Wellington from the Islands, as compared with Auckland, then as to conra, large quantities of that were used in Auckland, and transhipment to London or other ports -was as easy here as in Wellington. Auckland was also the best market for limejuice. This oeing the hottest part of New Zealand more limejuice was consumed here than in any other part of the colony, and for years the other colonies had looked to Auckland as the centre ot the limejuice trade. Auckland was fully aWe to the advantages of the Island trade, her merchants knew the trade, and were prepared to foster it, and they were in as good a position, if not in a. better position, than any other part of New Zealand, to continue the trade. ... _ . Mr. John Burns urged that if the Look Islands were to be part of New Zealand the merchants of New -Zealand should get their goods admitted into the Cook Islands on the same terms as into the Chatham Islands. Colonel Gudgeon : Am I to understand that you wish the same tariff in the Cook Islands as in New Zealand ; in other words, that if you have paid duty in New Zealand you should not pay again in the Islands t ' Mr. Nathan : Exactly. . Mr. Burns pointed out that such articles as New Zealand timber and New Zealandmade buggies should be admitted free to the Islands, so that the New Zealand article would have an advantage over the American. He urged, as a general .principle, that for trade purposes the Islands should be considered part of New Zealand. Colonel Gudgeon said that would be a very bad principle for the Islands, as the result would be no revenue at all. Moreover, the argument would cut both ways. Surely there ought not to be inspection of fruit coming from one part of iNew Zealand to another. , Mr Nathan said if there was any insect pest in the South Island of New Zealand the Government might prohibit the carrying of fruit to the North Island. The same with plague. One district might be declared plague infected. Mr. Reid said the people were altogether in the dark about this matter. Would it require an Imperial Act of Parliament to make the Islands actually part of New Zealand with r common tariff I ■ Colonel Gudgeon said it certainly would require Imperial assent. At present the natives had given their consent to the annexation of the Islands to the British Empire. He could not say whether the Islands would be ceded to New Zealand for the purposes of administration or not. Speaking on the fruit question Colonel Gudgeon said no one knew better than the people of the Islands that Auckland was-the natural port for the Island trade. It was the proper port for the Island produce if they could get remunerative prices, even if those prices were small prices. But during the season just closed the prices had not been remunerative. Oranges, were selling at very high prices in Wellington, but the people of Rarotonga did not get those prices. If the Island people could get anything like prices Auckland was their port; otherwise they must look afield for other markets, even if it was only on the off chance of getting better prices. « things did not improve there would not be a fruit trade to argue about. It had come to this, that the people would not send their oranges another season if they found they were not to get remunerative prices. They very much preferred to avoid the responsi bility and labour and the expense of purchasing boxes to taking the chance of a loss. That was the whole question in a nutshell. The Islands were deeply concerned in the matter. Oranges formed one of the largest imports they had, and if they could get moderate prices they would without doubt continue shipping to Auckland. If they could not get prices in Auckland they muso try a shipment to Wellington, and if they could not do better there they must stop the trade altogether. The islanders were poor people, and they could not go on exporting at a loss. Mr. Vaile pointed out that if the fruit was landed in Wellington the bulk of it would have to be sent up to Auckland, which consumed by far the biggest proportion of the Island fruit.

Colonel Gudgeon said the only advantage of shipping to Wellington would be a prospective advantage, viz., the hope of getting more for the fruit. Mr. Vaile: And that would only last for a short time. If you divert the trade you are simply going out of the frying pan into the fire.

Colonel Gudgeon: That's exactly how it appears to me. It would only take two

years :to form the same rings there as are formed here.

Mr. Vaile: With this extra disadvantage, that you know the chief consumption is at the north end of the island. .:■'.; ,

Colonel Gudgeon said he knew that more fruit was consumed per head of population in Auckland, but there was a large population south of Auckland.

Mr. Burns pointed out that while the prices during the past season had been deplorable, it was not the fault of the local market, but of the shippers at Rarotonga, who sent unripe fruit. If they had sent the fruit when it was ripe, and packed it carefully, they would have got good prices. He ventured to say there was nothing in thenature of a ring in Auckland ; the fruit went into so many houses. Colonel Gudgeon: Unfortunately I don't think it does. As a rule it is sent to agents, who sell most of it.

Mr. Burns urged the necessity of the fruit being gent at the proper time, and properly packed. ' . Colonel Gudgeon said he knew that a great deal of it was sent green. There was an abnormal crop, and he told the Maoris that.it would pay them to throw half of it into the sea. They could not understand that.

Mr. Nathan urged the necessity of grading the fruit and packing it properly. He did not think it could be found that there was anything of the nature of a ring in Auckland.

Colonel Gudgeon said the merchants of Auckland could do a great deal to help the fruit trade of the Islands. He had just heard that a small shipment of oranges had been condemned, because it was infected by Queensland fly. He was curious to learn whether it was that shipment alone that was infected. If so, he could only laugh at it. If the Queensland fly had got into the Islands there was not a sound orange in the plate. He would like to know how the Queensland fly got to Rarotonga. Was it in Tonga or Fiji? It would certainly be there first, because Rarotonga had no communication with Australia.

Mr. Reid said the Chamber of Commerce might help in that matter, and get the inspection done at the Islands. Colonel Gudgeon said the Chamber could help a great deal. It seemed very funny to him that they had started this inspection on oranges because he considered that any country that could import a new pest into New Zealand should be encouraged, because for blight it was hard to beat New Zealand. (Laughter.) He could do a great deal in the way of getting the fruit graded at the Islands. He certainly thought the oranges should be picked, graded, and cleaned before they were shipped. He had been gathering all sorts of information since He had been in New Zealand from the New Zealand side of the question, and he intended to go back with a very formidable indictment against the Maoris! He intended to ask them to form an association, which •would select the fruit, and get it specially marked as a guarantee. All those who joined would be subject to the rules of the association, and those who refused would have to let their fruit take its chance in tlm market against the selected fruit. The deputation then thanked Colonel Gudgeon and withdrew.