TONGAN AFFAIRS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14885, 27 January 1914, Page 7

TONGAN AFFAIRS.

« UNSATISFACTORY SHIPPING SERVICE. (?RESS ASSOCIATION TEr.FCRAM.I AUCKLAND, January 26. The Tonga n Premier fears that recent alterations in the Island steamer service trill cause serious injury to Tonga's trade. The only New Zealand service to the Islands is carried on by the steamers Mom a and Navua, and as they call at Samoa and Fiji after visiting Toagn, the latter island is thus about twenty days' distant from New Zealand. "If this service continues," said JUr Tuivankauo, "our fruit trade will be ruined. Under the old arrangement wo could ship our bananas as Nukualofa, Haapai, and Vavau and have teem in Now Zealand in good condition in four days. The lons trip to New Zealand via Samoa and Fiji offered us is much too long for bananas to keep, and therefore the crop will be wasted, for Sydney is too far distant to allow us to use that market. ] "I interviewed the manager of the ] Union Company this morning, and placed before" him the whole of the facts, but he says that the company must adhere to it s decision. The idea is, apparently, that the new steamer ser- J vice will give the Tongan people two markets. Australia and New Zealand, but in the rearrangement both markets are made too distant. I know my people will uot ship their bananas to Sydney—it is eight and a half days away, and they will not land in good condition." The Island . Premier explained that the matter was a serious one for New Zealand. The Tongan people wanted to keep up their trade "with the Dominion. New Zealand sent to Tonga each year miscellaneous provisions, such as tinned meats and drapery, to tho value of £SO,OOO or £90,000. The importations from Sydney were not half this value, and tho people of, Tonga would not enter into a trade in Tfhich they woold be handicapped by having their goods spoiled before they reached their destination.