The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1887. TRADE WITH FIJI.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1499, 5 March 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 1887. TRADE WITH FIJI.

There is, we think, little reason to doubt that m the near future commercial relations between Fiji and New Zealand will be much more intimate than they have hitherto been, and that the volume of business transacted between the two countries will be largely increased. Fiji can supply us with numerous tropical productions, including fruits of various kinds, sugar, and not improbably tea, m exchange for our wheat, flour, and woollen and other manufactures, and the comparative shortness of the voyage between New Zealand and Fijian ports ought, if we are prompt to turn this advantage to its proper account, to secure for us the lion's share of botb the import and export tiade. A distance of only four day.s steam separates the two countries, and as well m Fiji as m New Zealand this fact is beginning to be recognised as indicating the natural current oi trade. In the Fiji "Times," ol the ist January last, appears a series ol very interesting notes by a Mr W Marshall Moore, m which the writei recommends New Zealand to those oi his fellow-colonists needing a temporary change of sceneand climateasthe nearest and cheapest place to visit for thai purpose, and as regards trade ana 1 commerce between tile two countries asks—" how is it that our merchants m Fiji import the greater portion ol their goods from Sydney and Melbourne while importing comparatively little from New Zealand?" The same writer goes on to say — " I have heard it said m Fiji that the reasons are the difference m the duty, the prices and selection, but the merchants jn New Zealand say that this is an error and does not apply to New Zealand; that they are as able to supply goods m bond here as cheap as they can be purchased m Sydney, and there are many lines they say that they are selling from necessity under English cost prices. Take for example the firm of VV. McArthur and Co. Their firm m Auckland is as large as their firm m Sydney, with as varied a selection of goods to chose how. If that is so would not New Zealand on acccunt of her proximity to Fiji be the cheapest market?" There may be some doubt as regards articles of general merchandise, but m dietetic products such as potatoes, butler, cheese, bacon, fish, fruits, etc., there can be no question but that New Zeais our best market, the wonder is we have not more of such daily necessaries m Fiji, and the reason is I think, that our merchant's pay too dearly for same. For instance, bacon and hams are sold m Auckland at $ z 4d to 7^d per lb., while at Taviuni we had to pay is 3d to is 7a 1 per lb, and so with everything else. On the other hand why does not New Zealand consume more of our Fiji products ? As with our imports so with our exports ; Sydney and Melbourne consume the greater portion while to New Zealand we export comparatively little. By ali means let us continue to export to Sydney and Melbourne, but why not also to New Zealand. There is practically no limit to the extent of the tropical products which we can and will export from Fiji. There is m New Zealand a market fora certain quantity of our sugar at a better price than can be obtained m anyother of the colonies; for this reason, that to very large centres of population like Sydney and Melbourne, large ships and steamers can carry large cargoes, at a low freight, and when such large cargoes are placed upon the MelDourne and Sydney markets the same can be sold, but m New Zealand so large a quantity could not be regularly sold ; consequently these very low freights do not prevail to New Zealand to the same extent, and if the sugar landed at Melbourne is transhipped at Melbourne it means per ton more freight. Therefore for us m Fiji the New Zealand market may be said to be at least a ton better for a certain quantity ; the only question is how to regulate that quantity." Mr Moore then, referring to the trade m tropical fruits, indicates the desirableness of proper arrangements being made m New Zealand for the reception, storage and distribution of consignments, and advocates the formation m Fiji of a South Pacific co operative Agency, having a paid Manager or sub-agent m Auckland, by which means he is confident a reliable market for Fijian produce .could be secured with more .satisfactory results to Fijian shippers than are now obtained. /Phe 6ubject is one of great interest to New Zealand as well as to Fiji, and Mr Moore's suggestion is worthy of attention,