TRADE RIVALRY ON THE MAIN TRUNK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 552, 6 July 1909, Page 7

TRADE RIVALRY ON THE MAIN TRUNK.

DOES WELLINGTON HOLD ITS OWN?

(By Teloaratfh.-Speeial Oorreßpondcnt.) 'Auckland, July 6. Inquiries made by a reporterVas : to' tho effect of the opening of Trunk' railway on Auckland trade revealed a consideraule divergence of opinion.: The majority of merehants say that the opening of the lino has not made much difference so far, but an exception was found in a merchant who said; that the' opening of the Main Trunk had been a godsend to Auckland traders. He stated that ten ' times 'more trade was- doing along tho line since it was opened up, and a roor« certain class of trade was growing up, beoauso, with an Inoreaslag number of settlers having a stake .in tho oountrj', storekeepers .were net incurring oo many bad debts. Auckland merchants had • practically "'a-' monopoly of tho trade aa far'seuth almost as Tainape, in which, town trado was split up with tho Wellinßton merchants. Tho, extra freight made it ,ak most impossible for Wellington merohauts to compote witli. Auckland north.of Taibapo, or for Auckland merchants to,send, goods south of it. This applied to general mer-, chandiso, but/with proprietary linesj it :waa different. Auckland manufacturers had now a.ohanc©, such as they never had before, ;of getting these lines into the southern poriion of; tho island, and. .were. making tho most of it. . The; speaker's own firm had found, trade along the Main Trunk lino so 'good that'it had. put extra, travellers on the I road. . :.---,.-;..

Hardly, so comfortable was the utterance of a second -merchant, "Trade ha^'gone to the dogs since the line was opened," ; he said, probably not because of the line." He added that the opening 'of tho Main Trunk had not increased the volumo of business to any extent. Things had been very slack along tho lino since the co-opera--tive-workers went off, and. tbo first thing which would bring'about a revival in trade would bo a boom in sawmillmg, which W'as dead at present., In a number of the towns there was nothing at all doing.. Horopito was, an example; Formerly ,it_was quite a brisk' township, but now'; it had slumped. The ; best' thing that the line bad done for, the north was to create ankoutlet for Huntly coal, which was-now being used as far south as Palmerston North. Auckland merchants had nothing, to fear from Wellington compotition this sido of Ohakune, bo long as there : . was ■no discrimination ■ made in the railway charges in their favour. Trado wa3 h&mpored. tEs merohant added, by the fact that tho line had not yet got into thorough working orderi, and there' were sometimes vexatious delays in the handling of- goods. I A member of a house dcahng; m ironmongery said that, the trado would doubt-: loss increase as settlement progressed.' At present a very promising hold was to bo found, in the Ohura Valley and, when the Stratfofd-OngarUe line was finished, a good deii' of. the trade .in'; tho country which it traversed would oome to Auckland. There was not much doing south of Eaurimu at :present; ; ':' :: ;: : ;'' : -.' ' ":; ■'