TRADE OF KAWHIA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 156, 2 July 1907, Page 2

TRADE OF KAWHIA.

A GHEE2J-EYED GLANCE.

WHAT WELLCSTgTON HOPES FOE.

(Br Telegraph-Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day. The "New Zealand Times" has a leading article to-day following up the suggesta on that Wellington merchants should take advantage of the wreck of the Ka Ora to open up trade with Kawhia, An interview with a Kawhia resident is also published, in which it is stated that the railway charges between Auckland and Onehunga are at present a considerable barrier to trade Another obstacle is having two bar harbours instead of one, if Wellington were the terminal port. The Northern Com- ? an ys f reight, according to this article, is 1//6 per ton ordinary goods between Onehunga and Kawhia, whereas the charge between Onehunga and Waitara is 10/ per ton, notwithstanding that Kawhia Harbour would permit a much larger boat entering than is possible at Waitara. At present Southern houses which are endeavouring to establish business in the district are obliged —adds the resident—to send goods through Auckland..

By a charge of 10/ per ton from Onehunga to Waitara, Auckland merchants are able to put goods into Stratford and Eltham at no greater cost in freight than at present from Wellington, in the latter instance using New Plymouth or Patea as the distributing ports. This, in the opinion of the gentleman interviewed, is unfair competition, and it is claimed that it militates against the development of Kawhia and Raglan, as those two places are paying the difference in freight to Waitara. Commenting on the interview, the '■'New Zealand Times" says: "It is perfectly clear that it is to Wellington that the trade naturally belongs, and that Wellington can. do the Ka-whia trade more cheaply and safely than Auckland can, and that the residents of Kawhia ■would be very considerable gainers if Wellington entered the field. These are some of the reasons which make it desirable that Wellington boats should engage in the Kawhia trade, and that it ■would be to the advantage of Wellington merchants and very much to the acSvantag-e of Kawhia residents, who ■would get their inward goods on more reasonable terms, and would have better opportunities for exporting produce to the district.

Replying to a resolution of fhe Shipowners'- Federation, the Zealand Times " quotes a paragraph which it' published last March, suggesting that Kfl-whia was being neglected from the trade point of view, and that it wanted Borne of Wellington's surplus energy to " shake things up."