NORFOLK ISLAND TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20521, 24 March 1930, Page 12

NORFOLK ISLAND TRADE.

Sir,—We are often told that steamers trading between New Zealand and Norfolk Island do not pay running expenses, but i there are many ways in which the trade ! could be improved. The New Zealand ! vessel generally leaves Norfolk Island j within a few days of the time the Makambo leaves for Sydney, and as fruit and produce bring a better price in Sydney than in New Zealand, the growers naturally ship their produce to Sydney. If the New Zealand vessel was timed to call between the Sydney boat's visit they would obtain more freight, as a lot of the fruit ripens between the five weeks' visit of the Sydney boat, and that would be shipped to New Zealand. Occasionally when a couple of thousand cases of , bananas are ripening between steamer 1 calls, the Fiji boat calls, as per arrangement by cable or wireless. The growers of early potatoes, tomatoes, beans, etc., have no certainty that they will be able to market their produce in New Zealand should they plant largely, because for nearly two years they have been told that the steamer would shortly discontinue running, and although these crops pay handsomely, there has been no encouragement to plant them. Many people in New Zealand are desirous ,of visiting Norfolk Island, but hesitate lest they should be stranded for a couple of months, like the teachers and others were last year, when the steamer did not run as advertised. Every trip the steamer has a full complement of passengers—some of whom have to accept shakedowns in the smokeroom, and yet wo are told the vessels do not pay. These last few trips 150 tons of cargo was shipped, and the last load was 200 tons; even this would be exceeded if a regular vessel could be depended onThe Norfolk Island merchants can buy better in New Zealand than in Sydney, but cannot depend on procuring their orders from New Zealand owing to the uncertainty of the shipping service.

Norfolk Island.