THE PACIFIC TRADE

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13752, 27 April 1918, Page 4

THE PACIFIC TRADE

AUSTRALIAN COMMISSIONS REPORT. (United Press Association.) Received April 26. 7.30 p.m. MELBOURNE, April 26. The Interstate Commission's report to Parliament on British and Australian trade in the South Pacific says that the present control of the islands by the British Crown lacks cohesion and systenv and suggests that the , u is ripe for settlement as to whether son.e federated control should not be devised at an early date. An authority might be established with but slight change, if any, in the respective Governments of several tracts of the Pacific, but with powers of supervision and co-ordination not at present possessed. Such authoritv would not be subject in any way to the Commonwealth Government, but the High Commissioncrship of Pacific could be held or not held in conjunction with the office of Governor-General of Australia. This would be a suitable kernel from which some representative from a Pacific federation might naturally grow. Federated control should preferably have as its central seat the natural lendezvous of most of the Pacific trade and shipping—viz., Sydney. Fiji was not central for administrative and commercial purposes. The Commission suggests that in order to ensure a timely settlement of the question a Government conjoint inquiry by representatives of the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand should be undertaken. The report directs attention to the necessity of a better international agreement regarding the New Hebrides, and the importance of solving the question of an efficient supplv of lalwur for developing the trade of the islands. The Commission is satisfied that without considerable subsidies it will lie impossible to develop future* inter-island trade or that with Australia and other parts of the Empire. If Australia could consume a substantial proportion of the output of copra she would have no difficulty in controlling the island trade. The Commonwealth could with considerable commercial advantage, afford to allow nearly all the productions of the islands to be admitted free. Hie report advises that the attention of the Imperial Government be directed to the serious necessitv of Australia retaining the British rights in the island of Nauru, whether by 'ts transference to the British flag or guarantees against any violation of its commercial s-tatus before the war. The report generally indicates the scope for developing cattle raising, and coffee, cocoa, tapioca, vanilla and every tropical production in the islands.