WEST COAST TRADE.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1923, Page 1

WEST COAST TRADE.

(Christehuiu h Press.) It is exceedingly good news that loriy-le.ikls of general merchandise have already left ( It: is t.church for Westland. Mr .Mai liner nid not exaggerate when no told the Industrial Association last

night that it was impossible to imagine "lut this trade will grow into in twenty <t thirty years it Christ, hureii . nswers the call that the West Coast is now addressing to it. For as speaker nfrer s|eakcr from Hokitika, and Greymoutli said later, the West toast dc-.-i:es to lade with Christeliurch. It traded with Wellington "lieu it had to when the Alps presented an insuperable barrier to everything bigger tin,n a mail-parrel but now that West Coasters feel themselves “to be living in the suburbs of Christchurch.” their wish, is to buy their waves in their own city. But obviously they can do no more than ask us to seize the

ipot utility which they are holding out

i,; us. It is all excellent start that C'antovhury has already supplied chall at fit’s a ton less than the Wellington price, but it is not enough merely to take the trade in special lines. Wellington has the advantage that business connexions, however artificial, have already been formed, and ii- "ill not do fur Christchurch to assume that these will sever themselves now merely liecause they are artificial. 'I hat is not the way of the world. If "e want, as we do to recover and develop the business that temporary conditions took from us, we must show the same zeal in. bidding IVr what belongs to us as Wellington "ill show in bidding against is. One of the first things to be done

... so far I!' co| lor ti vr action is concerned- is to organise a strong and represonCU-i' r delogal ion to visit the C.i.isl, meet its people, its possibilities, and espceinlly convince Most Ct.-asie; s that we are sensible of l lie advantages the Uiuiiel has given us. It is no doiiht iinnecessary to say Innt it. is advisable also to he strongly represented at the Hokitika Exhibition which opens m Doiembei ; the I luluni l '.-sedation has horn active already in that matter, and may he trusted Im roiitiniie. But it is certainly desirable that Christchurch should make a ..j:.| olfort to lirilly; Westland here (inriiu; Industries Week in September.

i.rnl it would l;e neither courteous nor business-like to leave I he arrangements to chance, it would probably he » rrmal arrangement- it Christchurch sent a business deleft inn to the Coast, justi rime Industries Weak, and invited a return visit for the third week in September. But: those are details. The print i- that the ball is at our loot. um l that the Coast is inviting us to Kick it.