THE RAROTONGAN TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1589, 5 November 1912, Page 7

THE RAROTONGAN TRADE.

A CHARGE REEUTED. - With regard., tovthe complaint made by : a' memher.-of.: tfee ifaiamber .of Commerce ..: that .the Wellington steamers which visit' : Rarotonga. en .route to San Francisco, do not stop (there long enough to allo\v the Wellington cargo, to-be discharged, the .. . local manager (Jlr. W. A. Kennedy) has • .written to the Chamber as follows:— ' • .- . ."Since.' the.; receipt of : your: letter the records of the service have been examined, '. and we find that during the past twelve months there haSibean no over-carrying of Rarotonga,cargo owing to lack of timo for .' ' discharging-^purposes,:: thoiigh . it' is true .■ that owiiig to; tho'-'exigehcies of' the-mail service .we , caimot'-.count ■upon a., sfey at Raro tonga .of; .more, thain. three' or four hours, and,-OS, is the'case with every openf v rorfste<wl, there .'is'always the risk of un- . favourable : weather/ interfering' with the work.; . The steamers engaged ■in i the service are required to leave Wellington at 6 2,m. sharp, and the. speed._n!quired un.der.the contract-means their:arrival at Rarotohga alwut 1, p.m'., , and it is necessary- that'they should; leave again. before ': dark,.say. 5.p.m., and under.these circum- - stances I regret .to say. that it is impracticable meantime ;to. make a longer stay, at' the Islands. oil ;the northward, voyage." . ''. Oh l the return'voyage from San Francisco, . . 'however,' a/ longer.': stay .is .possible, at Rarolonga for the convenience of'shippers offruit." : 1 . ..' 'On', the letter being read at yesterday's meeting of the council of the .Chamber of Commerce, Mr. W.' J. Thompson, who raised the matter,, said that 'he had written t<j; the'merchants at Rarotongaji who had complained - personally . .to him, for the da-tes,.on which the'steairiers:wef'e';6aid to have over-carried Wellington cargo, but so far'he had not had time to reiMivo any replies. .The that hothing further could be done until, further information ; was received. • i -

Denmark exports the greater proportion of its butter'to the, United Kingdom.