ISLAND DEPENDENCIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3882, 7 August 1928, Page 27

ISLAND DEPENDENCIES.

TRADE WITH NEW ZEALAND. WELLINGTON, August 1. In the House of Representatives to-day there was considerable discussion about the Cook and other Pacific Islands and the fruit and other trade with New Zealand Outlining the negotiations which led up to the purchase of the Maui Pomare, the Prime Minister (Mr J G. Coates) said that the Government was prepared .to assist any company which wished to conduct a service between the Islands and--. New Zealand, but no request had' been made. It had since been stated that the Government had not made an offer, but that was not correct A definite offer was made but nobody • came forward, and it was finally de cidsd' to use one of the Government’s ships for part of the Island service until the purchase of the Maui Pomare. The trade, owing to the trouble in Samoa, had not come up to expectations, but nevertheless the Government thought that even if a loss were shown the service would be north whr’e. Arrangements had been made to land shipments of fruit at Dunedin and Lyttelton alternatively. Mr E. J. Howard (Christchurch South): It costs £3OO a trip. The Prime Minister: Yes, but we thought if we could establish a service between the Islands and the South Island Zealand so much the better We believe w e have a little ship that is delivering the goods in a very satisfac tor v manner The reports, anyhow. to that effect.

There was also, said Mr Coates, the trade from New Zealand to the Islands and the shipment of a certain amount of Co Pf a trom Samoa to New Zealand. The Leader of th e Opposition (Mr. H. ; Holland) said that with the exercise of a little commonsense he felt sure an arrangement could be made with the disaffected Samoans in the direction of making the Maui Pomare help to pay for her cost and maintenance. It would not be the correct attitude to adopt the big stick ” method, and the Govern ment should not nersevere in its attitude to save General Richardson’s face. The correct attitude was obviously to wipe out the past_ and make a fresh start on the principles of equality and jusce - WCU ’ < I I'ke the Minister to tell them what effect the Maui Pomare was having m the shipment of fruit from Rarotonga. The fruit was wanted in New Zealand .and h e would like to see it on the table of Bellamy’s for every meal instead of only once a week as they now saw it, and only very little of it