The Guardian (And Evening star,with which is in-Corporate the west coast Times.) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15th. 1923 TRADE WITH CANTERBURY

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening star,with which is inCorporate the west coast Times.) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15th. 1923 TRADE WITH CANTERBURY

It would appear that Wellington is waking up to the fact that the opening of the Midland Railway is going to divert much of the Most Coast trade hitherto enjoyed by Wellington, to Canterbury. This will necessarily be so if the East Coast people are alive to their opportunity. That they are so realising the position is evidenced by the fact that the tours of commercial travellers are now being revised in order to meet the altered conditions of travel, while some Wellington houses are arranging to transfer their West Coast business to their Canterbury branches. In the same way the exports from the Coast are going to go further afield so far as rail transport is concerned on the East Coast. Greymouth is feeling already the overshadowing effect of the tunnel traffic on its shipping trade, and that menace will grow. The feature of railway transport is that such commodities as coal and timber will reach their destination in tile same condition as they leave the mine or the mill. Coal will not deteriorate there by rough handling in being dumped into a ship's bold, and lie rehandled vigorously in the process of unloading. Timber will arrive as it was loaded, unbroken nnd wiibout-seri-ous ullage. Shippers and receivers will lind a benefit in receiving intact what they sent forward or ordered; and there, will be a marked benefit to be derived from the celerity with which the goods are delivered. Shallow bars, bad weather or .shipping bold ups, will not affect rail carriages, the cargo will go forward regularly day by day irrespective of weather conditions. The advantages will enable the timber trains to penetrate much further south than even the comparative advantage between sea borne and rail carried Height charges. The other advantages to be, derived will count economically and will tend always in favour of the railway traffic. What- the East Coast benefits in this way. the West Coast will hope to equalise with its return trade from Canterbury, and oven Otago. The facilities for ready transport of goods bv rail will always ensure a preference to the railway. Again time will be saved, and also money in the stocks it will be necessary to store. Having a ready depot whence to draw supplies quickly, it will not be necessary to st-oek heavily, and a regular trade will thus be maintained all the time. There is no doubt that tlw juxtaposition of Canterbury will give our East Coast neighbors the first and best opportunity of capturing the West Coast trade, but as the Wellington traders will not give up their bold of this toast without a light, the folk here should derive some material benefit from the competition whiL-lt should now he setting in. It is noticeable that the parcels trade between the two Coasts has already grown substantially and this should spur local business people to keep an eye on the position also, and not allow too much of the ready money io pass out of the district. Local traders we can say from experience are predisposed to hide thoi r light under a bushel. They do very little advertising. If they wish to retain the business they have already, they must launch out in the direction indicated. They are not competing with the neighboring store or shop, but with the large houses in Canterbury, and if they realised that fact they should bo busy day by day tolling the renders of the daily newspaper what they have for sale, and the price they can sell it at. The i.ailway is going to have a stimulating effect on business, but it will be the real business man who will derive the benefit.