TRADE WITH AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17269, 19 September 1919, Page 8

TRADE WITH AMERICA.

SOUTH ISLAND HANDICAP. BUSINESS MEN COMPLAIN. FLAT FREIGHT RATE WANTED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] • WELLINGTON. Thursday. Business people in the South Island interested in trade with North America have for a long time cherished a grievance regarding the freights charged on the subsidised mail steamers running between Auckland and Vancouver and between "Wellington and San Francisco. A deputation of members of Parliament from the South Island waited on the Prime Minister .to-day to urge that there should be a flat rate of freight fiom all ports of the Dominion to the two American ports-of 'Vancouver and San Francisco. Mr. J. M. Dickson (Chalmers), who spoke for the deputation, said the people of the South paid their share cf the subsidy on these services, and they nhtuld be placed on the same footing as Wellington and Auckland. At present the high weights charged for the carriage of goods from Southern ports to be transWoped into the mail steamers debarred any Scuth Island trade from being done by these services. He explained that he did not wish to prejudice Auckland or Wellington or the Union Company. The request was that exporters in Christ-church or Dunedin f hould be placed in the same position as exporters in Auckland or Wellington. This might hvolve an increase of the subsidy, but that'was a matter between the Government and the Union Company. Mr. R. P. Hudson (Motueka) said he was interested in the matter as a representative of a fruitgrowing, district. They were looking forward *to a trade with North America in fruit, and therefore were interested in the matter. Mr. Massey said he thought he.understood the position. As a matter of fact the term of the contracts had expired in both cases. They had been extended to enable the whole position to be token into consideration next year. This could not be dona in time for the present session. He had hopes of a considerable trade one day between New Zealand and British Columbia, The mail contracts would have to be reconsidered in the near future, and when this was done the points raised by the deputation would be home in mind and taken into account.