OVERSEAS TRADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19257, 22 August 1924, Page 11

OVERSEAS TRADE.

MELBOURNE-BLUFF SEE VICE. MR JAMES HORN ACTIVE. Reports from Australia indicate that Mr James Horn, M.P., a member of the Now Zealand parliamentary delegation to South Africa, was active in bringing under the notice of th© Federal and the Victorian State Governments (he desirability of reintroducing the Melbourne-Bluff steamer service that was a weekly feature of tho overseas trade movement of the dominion. Mr Horn .stressed the poor communication bet ween Australia and New Zealand, which was, he sa-'d, reacting to the disadvantage of such Stales as Western Australia and South Australia. Prior to 1914 they had a weekly boat both to and from Australia. During the w. r the service had been affected, and Lst year they secured n monthly boat to Blutt. Now New Zealand was completely isolated from Tasmania, and if they wanted fruit, it would probably bo in a poor, if not unsaleable, condition when it reached Bluff. Tho boat left Sydney. _ omitting Melbourne, for Wellington, and it was proving too costly to send goods from Melbourne lo Svdney, transport them to Wellington, and then tranship for Christchurch, Dunedin, and Bluff; in fact, the charges were prohibitive. It would be seen, therefore, that the previous existing trade between Western Australia, South Australia, and Victoria had been lost to Now Zealand and also to tho States mentioned. Ho was pushing the Postmaster-general in an endeavour to arrange for a weekly boat again when Ihe mail contracts were being decided '.[he South Island was now practically cut right o from Melbourne, Adelaide. and Perth.

New Zealand at one time imported a, lot of Australian fruit, but they could not get it now, with the result that although California was many thousand miles distant, it was ousting Ihe nearer Australian product, tho only remedy was to reinstate the boat service as running prior to 1914. Melbourne was a hip trading centre for goods coming from Calcutta, Bengal, and other parts of the East, but they could not get those goods now. This w-as a matter which might well receive the attention of the Australian States.

In a private letter to Mr P. A. rle la Pcrelle. M.P., Mr Horn states that lie interviewed all the Premiers from Melbourne to Perth, as well as the Prime Minister of the commonwealth, on the subject of n weehly boat from Melbourne to Bluff and Dunedin. Mr Horn added that his proposals were well received, and he hoped for something tangible to result in the near future.