TRADE WITH FIJI

Southland Times, Issue 20010, 26 October 1926, Page 2

TRADE WITH FIJI

PROPOSED AGREEMENT. DOMINION TRANSPORTATION CHARGES. The question of trade with Fiji was under consideration at a recent meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, at which a letter was received from the president of the Suva Chamber of Commerce in regard to the conditions of the proposed trade agreement between New Zealand and Fiji, specially pointing out that the New Zealand Government should be asked, as one of the conditions of the agreement, for Fijian products to be carried on the railways at the same rates as goods of New Zealand origin (states the Evening Star). The communication was finally referred to the executive to. deal with. The letter from the president of the Suva Chamber of Commerce stated that the proposal for a trade agreement between New Zealand and Fiji had arisen because the adverse trade balance against New Zealand and in favour of Fiji had been brought under notice. If sugar were omitted from their calculations the value of goods exported -by Fiji to New Zealand during 1925 was £158,227, which consisted principally of bananas and other fresh fruits or vegetables. During the same year, according to their records, the imports from New Zealand to Fiji were valued at £117,413. As compared with these figures, their exports of merchandise to Australia in 1925 amounted to £29,486, while their imports from the Commonwealth were £574,611. Two of their principal imports from Australia were flour and coal, which could not be bought in New Zealand, and the figures were further swollen by the fact that their imports from India and the East usually passed through Australia, and sometimes those from the United Kingdom. Still, the position remained that Fiji bought far more from Australia than it sold to her, and sold more to New Zealand than it bought from her. “Already Fiji gives a substantial preference to British goods generally, but. the idea now is to grant a further preference to selected New Zealand goods in the hope that thereby our purchases in the dominion will be substantially increased, the desire being to retain a free market for our perishable products in New Zealand,” continued the writer.

He said that their Government would be approaching the Government of New Zealand officially in the near future, and the chamber’s object in writing was to interest the Dunedin Chamber and other New Zealand chambers in the scheme in the hope that it would have the support of the. business community. The suggestion was that the New Zealand Government should appoint a small committee to confer with the committee representing Fijh The writer referred to the agitation from both Christchurch and Dunedin for a direct steamer service to convey bananas from Fiji to those cities. One trial trip was made, but the result was not very encouraging. Their suggestion was that the New Zealand Government should be asked as one of the conditions of the trade agreement to give the products of Fiji transportation on the railways at the same rates as were charged for goods of domestic origin, Fiji at present paying double rates.

The secretary of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce wrote slating that the letter from the Suva Chamber of Commerce was considered at a combined meeting of the Importers and Exporters’ Committee of the Canterbury Chamber, when it was decided to support generally the request of the Suva Chamber. It asked for the Dunedin Chamber’s decision on the proposal. The chairman commented that from the letter it appeared that the main desire was to get the New Zealand Government to charge the same railway transportation rate on imported fruit as locally-grown fruit. The request of the Suva Chamber seemed reasonable, and he stressed the fact that the public could do with more fruit than it had been able to get reasonably during the past few years. Mr F. M. Shortt expressed the opinion that the chamber would get the best guid ance on the matter from the Fruitgrowers’ Federation. From the correspondence it appeared to him that the old (rouble would arise that all the imports would be made through Auckland, which would be opposed to their interests in the south. He suggested that the matter be left in the hands of the executive to deal with after replies had been received from interested bodies written to for their opinions on the subject. The chairman: Fiji competes with our own island (the Cook Island) in the fruit trade, but I supose we can do with both supplies.

Mr Shortt’s suggestion was adopted, with a recommendation that the Suva Chamber’s proposal be favourably considered, the executive also being empowered to write to the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce concerning the decision arrived at.