TRADE LINK WITH THE INDIES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22508, 16 September 1938, Page 17

TRADE LINK WITH THE INDIES

EVENTUAL EXTENSION TO SOUTH ISLAND? v

VISIT BY REPRESENTATIVE ' OF DUTCH COMPANY

There may in the future be a direct shipping service from the South Island to the Netherlands Indies, if the hopes of the Royal Packet Navigation Company—the line which began the Dutch service' to the North Island last year—are realised.- This was indicated in an interview in Christchurch: by Mr A. van Bochove, assistant, manager of the C9mpany in Sydney. vMr van Bochove made it clear, however, that such, an extension was not immediately contemplated, and that at present it went no further than a hope fqr the future. _ Mr van Bochove has been in New Zealand since September 5, when he' arrived in Auckland, and the purpose of his visit is to make personal contacts with the agents and customers of the company. "We are working hard to build up this trade to the East,” he said. "For several years we were urged by New Zealand interests to establish the direct service which we began to North Island ports last year,. : with the Maetsuycker and the Tasman. The quantity of cargo is not tremendous, but I should say that we are getting any that is to be had. The service so far has been very satisfying.” Some of the commodities brought from the Indies to New Zealand, Mr van Bochove,said, were kapoc, pineapples, sugar (to the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Auckland), ■ coconut oil, rice, sisal, coffee, and peanuts. The principal New Zealand products sent in return were tallow ft British Indies ports and tinned milk, mainly for the Straits Settlements. For the transport of sugar the company has chartered the Dutch steamer Ombilin, to bring a cargo of 7000 tons of brown sugar from Java to the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. The sugar is expected to reach the Auckland refineries late in October, and the vessel will return via Australia, taking any cargo that is offering. The schedule of sailings on the South Pacific Line provides for voyages of about a month from Saigon to Auckland and Wellington, with intermediate calls at Singapore, Batavia, Samarang, Sourabaya, Port Moresby, Samarai, Salamaua, Rabaul, Port Vila and Noumea. From Wellington the route proceeds to Sydney and back to Saigon via Port' Moresby, Sourabaya, Samarang, Batavia, and Singapore. Mr van Bochove arrived in Christchurch last Sunday and went to Dunedin, where he was the guest of his brother-in-law, Mr Robert Greenslade, of Macandrew Bay. Returning to Christchurch he visited the South Island agents of the Dutch Shipping Line, Dalgety and Company.