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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2670, 17 January 1916, Page 5

An imputation has been made on sot- j oral occasions that Auckland merchants j havo not taken advantage of the favour- ; able opportunity to develop trade con- ; nections in Samoa (states the "New ; Zealand Herald"). The . position was , oxplafned by a merchant to be tbat ; wtile openings are being eagerly sought, commercial activities are seriously Jian- ; dicappod by lack of shipping facilities. ; Practically the only produce of the ; Islands whicli is available as a medium j of exchange is copra and cocoa beaiis. i liie demand from London for copra is ; particularly strong, but fhcro is great i difficulty in obtaining space for the j shipment- of the produce to Auckland or from New Zealand to England:' As a consequence a largo quantity is being j secured by the United a. num- ; bor of old sailing vessels having been ■ cbartered for the express purpose of j carrying copra. Tlio char£cring of a i vessel to carry a cargo of copra from i Samoa to London would probably-prove ! a prolitable enterprise, since the freight ; is at present i' 6 a ton, but the demand for bottoms is now so keen that there : are few suitable vessels to bo. fouiul . in Southern rcatara,