NORFOLK ISLAND TRADE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21033, 23 May 1930, Page 7

NORFOLK ISLAND TRADE.

LOSS OF SHIPPING SERVICE. ■ KEEN regret expressed. 1 ■’ ~v ■ (Specia*. xo Daily Times.) i. . n T 1 Slay 22, , Norfplk Island s regret -at the loss of the-shipping service ' .connecting. with Auckland was expressed in a letter received by ; the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce this morning. Norfolk a trade would revert quickly to Australia, the letter stated, and the settlers deplored this fact in view of the efforts Auckland merchants had made to build up a trade with New Zealand during the past three years. Ihose who had established their homes in the hope, of the Maui Pomare’s service being developed were now deprived of direct communication with friends and relatives in the .Dominion. The Govern- : ment’s • had been too drastic, it was submitted. In view of -the probability that a private. service would not yield a profit, the settlers suggested that consideration.. should be given to the question of running alternative trips to Norfolk and ■. Noumea, via' New Caledonia,. '; iv •. •■ •Mr M. Stewart, president of the chambei7 said that - the : Minister of and’ Commerce (MrJ.B.Donald)had given the. chamber no-ebijduragemeht to hope for a Government - subsidy to a privately owned service.. 'lt was hopeless to approach the Government again with that and it must be recognised that the Maui Pomare was fully occupied m her present itinerary to other parts of .the South Pacific. A suggestion that a small subsidv should; be sought was made by a member, but thq chamber took no action.