TRADE WITH NAPIER.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 45, 8 May 1862, Page 3

TRADE WITH NAPIER.

(From the Southern Cross, April 22.) We have alluded, on former occasions, to the possibility of extending our trading operations with Napier; but hitherto the difficulties in the way of regular communication limited the scope of our transactions. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, however, a somewhat profitable trade has sprung up between Auckland and Hawke’s Bay ; and we desire again to point out to our merchants how far their interests he in developing that trade. On the 19th of the next month we may expect a steamer in our harbour, under contract to >lin fortnightly between Auckland and the Bluff. The lime fixed for departure for the South is the 21th of each month ; and the date of arrival in Napier the 2Gth. The steamer will leave Napier for Auckland on the 17th of each month on her trip this city. The length of passage, now so uncertain, will therefore be reduced to two days, which may enable our business men to avail themselves of steam transit to pay a personal visit to Hawke’s Bay, and make such arrangements as they may deem consistent with their own interest. It is quite true that Napier is not a very important place at present, but any person who looks at its position on the map, and reflects that it alone, of all the ports on the New Zealand coast, will have the ma :l steamer casing at it four times each month (as a reference to the fortnightly time table will show) must come to the conclusion that it cnnnotjlong remain in its present backward state. The gold d'seoveries in the South, and the rapid accumulation and dis. ’out-ion of wealth which is now in operation in New Zealand, must also largely influence the future of Hawke’s Bay ; and it becomes the manifest interest of our merchants to anticipate these resuUs by a timely occupation of the field. The population of Napier is considerably over 5c 0 souls. There is also a large pastoral population in tho I’rovince of Hawke’s Bay, and these, as well as the natives, are large consumers of imported articles. This population, from the existing circumstances of the country, must depend upon imports to an unusual extent; but we anticipate, before long, that a change in the land re«nl lions will attract population to that most salubrious province. Tho system of defraying the provinc> 1 expend'turo out of a land revenue, created by government sales of valuable districts at ss. an acre, lias all but cured itsc'f It cannot bo persisted in, for in such an event, in a fewvcars more, tho waste lands of the province would be in the hands of a limited number of run-holders, and the machinery of government would inevitably stop for want of funds. Therefore, tho remaining land, many thousands of acres of which are in tho hands of run-holders, who pay a yearly rent of one farthing per acre, must come into the market in areas suited for small proprietors. By (his means tho now ad. but unoccupied wastes of Hawke’s Bay would become settled, and a customs revenue created by the influx of population. Indeed, we see no other means whereby this province is to bo saved from bankruptcy, should the parent province of Wellington deal harshly with the child in tho matter of tho joint provincial debt, of which the colony has heard so much. There is also a rich agricultural district close to Napier, containing over 70,000 acres, which some day must come into the hands of European occupiers, and possibly the present visit of his excellency may have the effect of hastening that event. With an agricultural population so near the sea-port, and an excellent second-class harbour within two-days of Auckland, the latter being in direct communication with tho Australian and English markets, wc can clearly foresee immense advantage to us by strengthening the tics that blind Napier to Auckland. IV c have it from a reliable source that (he people of Ahuriri are wearying of Wellington ; but hitherto they have had no other market. They were in the hands of the Wcllingto merchants ; and while we do not pretend to say they were badly f rented, it is our positive conviction that we are in a position to do better for them. Already the schooners ‘ Victoria,’ ‘ Bole Star,” and ‘ Dolphin,’ are regular traders between Napier and Auckland and tho ‘ Montezuma,’ brig, plies between Sydney, Auckland, and Napier. Tho link between Wellington and Napier, which tho ‘White Swan’ steamer kept up, is now severed ; and although the steam arrangements entered into for the interprovincial mail service will st : R hind Wellington to Hawke’s Bay, the advantage must be on our side. The ■'eople of Eap’cr are to receive their letters via Auckland, their line of communication will thus be diverted, and they can then choose between Auckland and Wellington. As men of business, wc have no doubt they will prefer the largest market, competition keeps the range of prices somewhat equable: and our interests clearly lie in encouraging that feeling. We should extend the circle of our commerce. The merchants of Auckland, from their position and largo capital, should bo importers for the entire of the Northern island ; and with a net-work of steam stretching round the coast from north to south ; we sec no earthly obstacles in tho way of accomplishing that result, except their own snpincncss; The history of colonial towns prove tho wisdom of our advice. Population is not absolutely fixed as in the lesser towns of the old country, but may be trebled in a year. The chances for the advance of Napier are great. Men must yet take the place of sheep to a large extent; and nothing wTI conduce to this result more than for (he enterprising merchants of Auckland topi -h the sphere of the”’ operations in that directin'

Lord Dnfferin lias declined the offer of Governorship of Bombay. The “New Zealand Court” will ho of great interest. A catalogue of the articles has been published, and shows, amongst other items of native growth or manufacture, buckets made by machinery, candles and soap, dried fruits, flax, mats, rope made from New Zealand flax, furniture of excellent workmanship, furniturewoods of various kinds and great beauty. There are also weighty specimens of Coromandel gold, coal from Drury and from Waikato, coffee and cotton from the South Sea Islands- with which Auckland has establisheda regular trade, copper ores from various localities in the colony, sulphur from White Island, marble from Wangarie, wool, stuffed birds of New Zealand, kauri gum, besides various other articles illustrative of the natural products of New Zealand. The art of the painter, too, has been enlisted in the service, the New Zealand flora has been gracefully illustrated in a water-colour drawing by Mr. Fox ; Mr. Heaphy will add to his established reputation as an artist by his pictures of the White Island Volcano and the boiling springs of te Tarata in the lake district, and, as a man of science, by his geological map of Auckland ; Mr. A. Martin contributes an admirable view of a portion of the Manukau Harbour, and Mr. Crombic furnishes photographs of “ the heads of the people,” the representative men of New Zealand as they appeared in the elective chamber of the General Assembly in the Parliaments of of 18G1 and 1862,