The Evening Post. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1865.

Evening Post, Issue 204, 3 October 1865, Page 2

The Evening Post. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1865.

Wnr do the people of Wellington complain of the dulness of the times, the difficulty of effecting sales of merchandise and *f getting in money ? If there be any jreftl cause of complaint, it las at their own •doors. No city in the colony has been more pntronised than Wellington during .the past year or two— no city, moreover, has had better chances of improving its commercial position. It has not, however, .availed itself of them, but remained quies.cent while neighbouring ports of less consequence improved them. As in the .affairs of one man, so in the affairs of a community of men, " there is a tide which if taken at its rise leads on to fortune." Wellington, however, has not done so, but the opportunity is not altogether lost. The city is most centrally situated for an extensive commercial business with the whole of the colony: large steamers are trading to the port almost daily, conveying the latest intelligence, and every facility is at hand for forwarding merchandise to other ! parts of the colony. Almost within a day's sail of Wellington— at Hokit.ka — there is a population of over forty thousand people, whose consumption of stores must be •something .very considerable, yet little or no effort has been made to secure a portion of their trade. Dunedin, Melbourne, and even sleepy Auckland, have stepped in and taken it from us. A large trade might have been carried on with Wargunui had it not been for the slowness of our merchant community in allowing others to divert it elsewhere. Besides, there are other neighbouring ports with which a lucrative and extensive business might be carried on ; but no effort has been made to establish commercial relations with

them. Merchants elsewhere are alive to this, and have sent their travellers even to our doors for orders, and a good trade is being done by them. The Weekly News of tho 23rd ult., speaking of the Auckland export trade, says: — " Shippers of goods and agents appear to have turned their attention to the llokitika, as affording a source of profitable I trade at the present time, no less^ than ten coasting vessels having been laid tin for that destination and the Grey River during the week, four of which have taken their departure with passengers anil cargo." From Canterbury and Otago we have similar reports ; and yet in the face of all Uiis our merchants complain of the dulneso of the times. The power to remedy the evil is still in their own hands ; they have already made Wellington the political capital of the colony, and there is nothing to prevent them from making it the commercuj^Mipital. To accomplish this may be a difficult and slow task, but without labour we cannot bring grist to the mill. Half the battle rests with the Chamber or Commerce. By making suggestions, and to some extent directing the commerce of the port into proper channels, it will serve the legitimate purpose for which it came into existence, and be of great benefit to the community. We are pleased to observe that one or i two of our merchants have taken the initiative in the matter ; and although ships have not been laid on the berth, an export trade has been opened up with other provinces. Let others follow the exainnlc, and soon all cause of complaint will give place to grounds of rejoicing at increased prosperity .