DIRECT SHIPPING TO JAPAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22713, 28 October 1935, Page 5

DIRECT SHIPPING TO JAPAN

DEVELOPING TRADE EARLY INAUGURATION OF SERVICE. The extension of trade between New Zealand and Japan to the advantage of both countries is viewed optimistically by Mr T. S. Gordon, H.L.C. (New South Wales), managing director of Birt and Co., Ltd. Sydney, Australian and New Zealand agents for the Osaka Shosen Kaisha, and Mr K. Oshima, direct representative of the line, who visited Christchurch last Thursday. Mr Gordon and Mr Oshima spent the day conferring with representatives of the firms which will act as South Island representatives of the Osaka Shosen Kaisha for its direct shipping service from Japan to New Zealand. The first steamer of the new direct shipping sendee will sail from Japan in May of next year, and thereafter a monthly sen-ice would be maintained. Meanwhile the present service linking the company’s service to Australia with the North Island would be extended to the South Island, with no increase in freight rates. Japan realised that New Zealand as a primary producing country would sell more to Japan than it would buy of Japanese goods. An exactly balanced trade was not possible. Yot there were undoubted opportunities for development both ways in the trade of the two countries. The one need had been a direct shipping service, as had been constantly remarked by merchants and Government officials. It was now up to the New Zealand traders to make the necessary contacts in Japan so that the flow of trade would increase and justify the establishment of the service EXAMPLE OF AUSTRALIA. Australia gave the best example of the growth of trade with Japan through shipping facilities. Evidence of this was given by the fact that the Sydney Maru, one of the company’s vessels, was now loading 21,000 bales of wool at Sydney. That was a record from one port in Australia. Australia had been most active in opening a market for her goods in Japan, and there was excellent feeling between the two countries, particularly through the visit to Japan of Sir John Latham’s mission, and the recent return visit of Mr Y. Debuchi. New Zealand would also find that the effort to develop this trade was worth while. The Osaka Shosen Kaisha, said Mr Gordon, was one of the largest shipping companies in the world, with a fleet of 229 vessels with a tonnage of 68(5,381. The ports of call on the outward voyage would he Hongkong, Manila, Rahaul, Noumea, Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, and on the return voyage Cebu, Manila, Hongkong, Shanghai, Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama. The ports of Java and Singapore as ports of call on the homeward voyage were under consideration. The first three ships in the service would he the Sydney Maru, the Brisbane Maru. and the Melbourne Mam, all modern vessels of 7000 tons and a speed of 1(! knots. They were all equipped with refrigerating space. In Christchurch and Lyttelton Messrs Kinsey and Co. will act as agents for the line, in Dunedin Messrs Neill and Co., Ltd., and in Invercargill J. G. Ward and Co.