THE WEST COAST TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13480, 3 July 1907, Page 8

THE WEST COAST TRADE.

I WELLINGTON'S BID FOR KAWHIA. jNORTHERN COMPANY'S POSITION j [BY TKLKURAI'H. —OWN CORRESPONDENT, J Wellington, Tuesday, jlx the course of an article oil the Kawhia trade the New Zealand Times stated that it had been informed by a resident of the Kawliia district that Wellington was in a better position than Auckland to supply the wants of the district. The article stated that the present charge for freight from Oneiiunga to Kawliia (17s 6d a ton, with fin addition railage charge of 4s 6d a ton from Auckland to Otiehunga) was greater than it could be done for from Wellington. It was perfectly clear, said the writer, that it was to Wellington that the trade 'naturally , belonged, that Wellington could Jdo the Kawliia, trade more cheaply and safely than Auckland could, and that the residents of Kawliia would bo very considerably the gainers if, Wellington entered into the.,field. These are some of the reasons which made it desirable that Wellington boats should engage in the Kawhia trade: That it would be to the advantage, of the iWellington merchant, and very much to the 'advantage of the Kawliia residents, who ] would get their inward goods on more reasonable terms, and would have better opportunities of exporting the produce of the j district. One of the requirements of Kaiwhia, for instance, was grass seed, and Palmerstun North could do this line for Kawhia lit a lower figure than was possible for Auckland, and with equal despatch. There was one anomaly of which the Northern Steamship Company seemed to owe an explanation to the people of Kawliia. Kawhia had a much more negotiable bar than had Waitara, and was only half the distance from Auckland ; yet the freight to Kawhia whs 17s 6d, whilst- the freight to Waitara, with its added distance and more difficult bar, was very much less. " i - seems t> us," continued the writer, "thai the Kawhia residents have good grounds for asking questions on this point, and for arguing that if it pays a steamship company to land goods at- Waitara for 10s or 12s 6d per ton, Kawhia should, at least, not be charged 17s 6d." A MANAGERIAL STATEMENT. THE QUESTION OF FREIGHTS AND FARES. Some statements having recently appeared in a Wellington paper regarding the Kawhia trade, and the suggestion having been made that an effort should be put forth to capture the trade for Wellington, and that Wellington merchants should take advantage of the wreck of the Ivia Ora to open up trade with Kawhia, a representative of the Herald waited upon the manager of the. Northern Steamship Company (Mr. C. Hanson), yesterday.

On being asked to state the company's position in regard to the trade since the Kiit- Ora was wrecked, Mr. Hanson said the Kawhia and Raglan trade had been in no way inconvenienced, because the Wanganui steamer Muritai had been running a weekly service to Kawhia and Raglan as formerly. The only disconnecting link' was between Kawhia and Waitara, the Muritai being too large to-enter the Waitara. In the meantime, however, the company was making a connection between Kawhia and Waitara by taking the Kawhia trade to Onehunga, and thence on to New Plymouth, or vice versa, at ■tlie rate previously charged. , The,same jvVas being done with the passengers. The service was, therefore, really going on as well as ever. . '

': " We are going to look after the Raglan and Kiiwhia trade as it is; but in the meantime we are in the unfortunate position of having lost a vessel," said Mr. Ranson. " You cannot turn earners out like sausages, with a machine, but we are doing what we can. Within a fortnight the Raglan and Kawhia and Waitara trade will be in full swing." • A QUESTION OF QUANTITY. Regarding'the present unequal charges between Onehunga and Kawhia, 17s 6d per ton, against 10s per ton between Onehunga. and VVaitara, which formed a portion of the Wellington criticism, the statement being made that the charges favoured the Auckland merchants as against those of Wellington, Mr. Hanson admitted the charges were correct. It was all a question of quantity between the two ports. "If we did not have the VVaitara trade there would be no steamer running between Onehunga, Raglan, and Kawhia, because there would not be sufficient trade to pay," said Mr. Hanson. "' The outward cargo for the 12 months from April 1, 1906, to March 31, 1907, from Onehunga. to Kawhia, has been 1181 tons, and from Onehunga to Waitara, 5114 tons. That is the reason for the difference in the charges. The Waitara. trade is of sufficient volume to 'enable us to charge only 10s per ton but! the Kawhia trade is as yet small. As soon as it arrives at anything like the 'amount of the Waitara. trade, we will willingly reduce the rates for Kawhia to the same as those of Waitara. We quitej acknowledge that the Kawhia bar is' good, but if we had only to depend upon j the Kawhia, trade it would not pay. By j having a steamer running in the. Raglan, | Kawhia and Waitara trade, and being; able to run a remunerative weekly service, j

we can make it pay.''

NO CHANCE OF REDUCTION. " At present, then, there is no likelihood of any reduction in the rates between Onehunga and Kawhia?" Mr. Panson was asked. "No;" he replied. "There is no possible chance of reducing the rate until such time as the Kawhia trade increases considerably. ft may come in a few years' time, when the country gets more opened up, and settlement becomes more close and permanent, and the trade larger. " Do you think there is any chance of serious opposition coming from Wellington?" the reporter asked. "I do not," replied Mi". Bauson. "If they tried they would not run long. The suggestion that Wellington boats would displace those from Auckland is unlikely—and impossible. If the Wellington competition came along, and so hit a man when he was down, then" added Mr. Ranson, " I have no doubt the sentiments expressed by the New Zealand Shipowners' Federation (as published in Monday's issue) would find a wide field of support." "It seems to me very extraordinary that these statements should come from Wellington," continued Mr. Ranson, " when I received a letter from the shipowners there' asking me to increase the rate on goods carried on the West Coast by 2s 6d a ton." '"What was their object?" asked the reporter. "The object," replied Mr. Ranson. " was that owing to the labour laws, and everything else, they could not run things as economically as they used to. It therefore comes as a surprise to me to see the Wellington shipowners talking about putting a steamer on that trade after they asked me to raise the rates. Thev want us to raise the charges so that thev can steal our trade."