TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 11

TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA.

"While the New Zealand Government has been fooling the public over a steamer service to' South Africa, the Argentine Government has taken no chances in the matter. The Consul for , the Argentine at Capetown visited Buenos Ayres early in the year in the interests of the Republic, with the result that a monthly service has been arranged ■between that town and the Cape. The Pampa, the flr^t steamer of the service, is a COOO-ton boat, and bhe is fitted with ' pens for 1000 head of cattle. At the same time she can take 3000 tons of general cargo, and has accommodation for 20 first class passengers. The first cargo consisted of various national , products, and as individual shippers | entered iuto the project with great interest it was anticipated the Pampa would leave a full ship. Another steamer was to follow a month after the despatch of the s.s. Pampa. Although the ', service has been inaugurated by the Government, it is set forth that it has no intention of monopolising the carrying trade to South Africa, but will be agreeable to hand over the business to private enterprise as soon as a private corporation is disposed to take it up. Cattle will be wanted in large numbers for restocking the country in South j Africa, and consequently, at the instance ] of Senor Storui, the Argentine Govern-

ment has made a bid to be first in the field. Had our Government shown a grasp of the situation, long ere now a monthly line of steameis would have been plying to South Africa, but because of its procrastination and utter failure to grasp the seriousness of the position the producers of this colony have to fctand idly by, contemplating the divergence of trade, of which we might have had a large share, into other channels. Had the New Zealand Government 'boldly stepped in when an opening offered by giving an adequate subsidy the public of the colony would have stood behind it as certainly as it did when the various contingents were despatched to the seat of war. If ever a. Government deserved severe handling by members of the Legislature for utterly incompetent dealing with a subject of vital importance to the commerce of the country, certainly the sad bungling which has meanwhile lo^t New Zealand an important trade with South Africa affords ample ground for telling criticism.