ISLAND FRUIT TRADE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1983, 13 February 1914, Page 10

ISLAND FRUIT TRADE.

NEW STEAMED SERVICE, LOCAL FRUIT BKOKERS CONCERNED. In a letter to the ■ Vcllinßtoh Chamber of. Commerce the'Ciiibn Steam Ship Company announces new' arrangements .for steamer, service 'betwon AVellineton and.the. klands-tlw Fiji, Navigator, and ,]<nendly Groups. Under the new conditions the . s.s. , JJnvua ' will leave Wellington every twenty-cight daWf-or Auekland,t hence to Suva (and I-evuka if required); Nukualofa, Haapai. Vavim, and Apia. From Apia, due returns direct. W Suva and thence to Auckland and Wellington. This arrangement will place .Wellington in direct monthly communication with the three groups' of islands, named, ■ instead of, as formerly, tranhsipment of' passengers and cargo being involved -at Auckland. "It is hoped," adds the manager (Mr. W. A. Kennedy) in his letter, "that Wellington merchants,' who'have previously pressed upon us the advisablity of direct communication, will take advantage of the opportunity to cultivate extended business relations with the importers resident in the Islands." What Lqtia! Brokers mink, Tho letter' was referred to the Wellington '_ Frujtb-rokers 5 Association, as parties'immediately concerned in the Island, trade, and the whole question was. fully .discussed 1 -.yesterday." The' secre-lary-of the- association" (Mr. F. ■ W. Haybittie)'. in • replying to the letter'of the. Chamber o f Commerce,'. forwards, te'unaninious'ommpn'of members of tie association'in'reference to the matter un're'r review, 'which' is as follows;— ; ' '■■ •"'.'We note'thai;'the Friendly Mantis seem'- to. be , the ijroup most 'acutely ■interested .'in rconneetio-n- with-tho proposed'alteration. in ;tlie ;service, 1 and, as faras'the fruit trade the Frieiwllies."Wellington,, and the South' Island of' New Zealand is concerned, 'we feol cqnfident that at an'V-trme'■ Tonga will not "prove a'factor of any-importance - in""seri6,usly 'affecting fruit requirements for. the'-DorriiniOiiv for these reasons.:. The markets'of "We-Mmgtort, Canterbury;; OtagOr'and Southland ■ arfi more.', than amply supplied during' each month from Fiji and Rajotoijo;a—in ; fnc't, on present supplies, a glut is often apparent and'sbldom a'shortage. ■ '" . Plea for Southern Ports. "In our opinion Tonga bananas nevqr. did compare, iri quality, .siae, and;, appearance with the product of, the I'i'ji and Cook Groups. .In'.'regard, to the other important export or the Friendly.: Islands, .namely, oranges, we feel confident that-the New Zealand Govern-] irifent would be' toath to remove tho■ re-, striction against tho variety of' fruit, owing to tne 1 continued, presence in. the group or thedreaded Mediterranean or ■Queensland'fruit-fty".. Rarotonga is able at'all times' to-more than supply complete requirements for the Dominion., It appears to "us tljat the service now being inaugurated between Welling- '. ton and the. South Island and Tonga'ls somewhat improved; the time occupied : in-delivering, cargo remains about' the"sarnQ, but, transhipment at Auckland, is ; avoided.' Tlu'.s, ; however, applies .onjiy.-'to, , i ■Wellington,'-and' not to/ southern ports, ' transhipment to which is still unannd* but' takes place in Wellington in lieu of Auckland!. We. are a-frSid 'that very little export business to Tonga from Wellington can t'akfe place, and if. in the past .'Auckland with a i'ouMay direct service caiinot successfully compete with Sydney with <■?■ thirteen*fourteen day trip to tfe Friendly-Islands,'-then wo feol that tho Sydney market must oiler distinct , advantages to the Island merchants and traders, which arc not.possessed.by Now Zealand. First Call at -Wellington. ■■■. "We venture to make a suggestion which would be in the best interests'ofthe whole Dominion, and has Ig-rig bewi advocated by public men and merchants of the South Island. The present'itiner- J ary is as follows:—The monthly steamer leaves iWellingtow, 'Auckland, Fiji, Tonga, fyamoa,- and returns in the same order, leaving Fiji ports'with full cargoes of friiit, principally- bananas, 'for. Auckland an# Wellington, where.tran-' shipment to south tabes place. Instead of making Auckland, the first pgrt of call, it must be apparent- to any- person with the slightest geographical knowlodge, of the Dominion that Wellington should be the. first port touched at,' for "by this means the interests of the South Island would oHaiii Song-neglected recognition, and CJsristctitircharid- D-im-cdin receive their shipments of perish- I able goods in about swen. days from | time of shipment, as against qn average of nearly eleven days. Auckland would bo. served in'■about-seven days,-in-lieu of five as at present. If the directors of. the Union' Stsam Ship-'.Company , , Ltd., could see their -way to make this alteration iu the itinerary, there, is no doubt that the -present--service Would appeal most favourably to tbe Dominion as a whole, in being a real effort to study the respective markets' in a fair and equitable manner."