TRADE WITH FIJI

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23042, 20 May 1938, Page 13

TRADE WITH FIJI

REASONS FOR DECLINE DIVERSION TO. AUSTRALIA Reasons for the diversion to Australia of trade with Fiji formerly enjoyed by New Zealand were advanced by Mr. Harvey Turner at a meeting of the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday, when a report on the subject from the Suva Chamber of Commerce was received. Mr. Turner said New Zealand had been building up a considerable trade with Fiji prior to the Ottawa Agreement, when the Dominion lost tariff advantages over Australia. Furthermore, it had been found that the keeping qualities of such products as flour were better when they came from Australia, and consequently practically all the flour going into the islands was Australian. Again, Victorian shippers of potatoes and other goods who formerly had to tranship at considerable expense through Sydney now able to load their products directly on to the Matson liners at Melbourne and could consequently market them in the Islands at a lower rate than formerly.

"I do think the council might pursue this matter further," said Mr. Turner. Definite statements had been made in Fiji that New Zealand merchants did not canvass the islands sufficiently compared with Australian firms, but, except in a few cases, the amount of business did not warrant sending travellers there.

The matter was referred to the Exporters', Importers' and Manufacturers' Committees.