TRADEDS WITH ISLANDS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12082, 19 June 1920, Page 5

TRADEDS WITH ISLANDS.

COMPLAINTS BY BUSINESS MBN

Far Press Association. AUCKLAND, Yesterday

Complaints' made by business men in Fiji regarding the attitude of New Zealand towards trade with the Islands, as reported in the "Herald" vesterday, was the subject of an interview with Mr Robert Burns, o£ Auckland. Mr Burns said that although the Government of the Dominion nrofessed to assist the Island trade, and had advised merchants in Auckland on various occasions to develop this trade with a view to taking the place of the Germans who controlled this business before the war, it seemingly was doing nothing to facilitate trading relations between the Islands and New Zealand. "If they would only leave it alone," said Mr Burns, "firms who do Island business would be able to divert to the Dominion a larger proportion of their business than has been the case in the past." The Government had restricted business -by prohibiting exports to some oP the islands. At present business men were not allowed to ship susar, flour or cement to Fiji, Tonga or" the Society Groups. They were, i MJ .-. permitted to export certain nu;.,M'--< of these • goods to the Samou.n and Cook Groups. This had caused very bitter feeling among certain of the merchants in the Islands, and for the sake of the future of the trade to these Islands these anomalies

should be removed. If it was necessary to regulate the export of the roods he had mentioned, it was only fair to distribute the quantities exported equitably among the different "•roups. Another matter which had been and still was, detrimental lO fade with the Islands, was the lack oi an adequate steamer service a lie Union Company practically controlled the present steamer service. So tar as steamer accommodation between Australia and Fiji was concerned, the Union Company had commissioned some of its best steamers ■ lor this trade, the reason being that it had competition. Being without competition in the New Zealand-Islands trade the company ran steamers which were not of such large tonnage nor so well equipped as those in the Australian run. Another thing urgently required .to assist New Zealand merchants in connection with their Island business, said Mr Burns, was an extension of banking arrangements to the Tongan Group. The New Zealand banks had been asked on several occasions to establish, branches there, but so far they had not done so. It was only a matter of time if they did hot when the Australian bankers would step in and" assist in diverting trade -to the Commonwealth. At present, for various reasons, feeling in the Islands was strong against New Zealand, it was felt that matters had not been handled there as well as might have been. Especially was this the case with regard to Samoa. Our Government would' be well advised to treat the Islands more generously, and thus try to dispel the idea that New Zealand was taking advantage of them when opportunity offered.