TRADE WITH JAVA.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1924, Page 4

TRADE WITH JAVA.

DCXEDIX, dime 2d A good example „f the truth of the old saving, " I here are two sides to every quest ion.’’ is unfolded by .Mr A. ■\. Paape. who has just returned from a visit to Australia, .lava, and the Malav States.

In the e< ttrse of his jouriioyings Mr Paape acted as the honorary comniistiutter lor the .Vow Zealand and South Seas Exhibition Company. At Batavia he went to call upon .Mr C. Van dor I.iude, genera! manager of the K.P.M. a very big Dutch shipping company, who had undertaken to act as the Exhibition Company's representative in the East. Mr I.iude, through his secretary, scut word that he oouid not see Mr Pa ape owing to pressure of business, and, further, that he regretted he <ould not continue to act as the company's rejirefentative owing to the amount of work entailed.

Acting upon what he had heard in Sydney. Mr Paape questioned the .secretary, from whom lie gathered that there was a good deal of dissatisfaction with the action of the Xew Zealand Government in refusing to Tet the K.P.M. rim a six-weekly direct shipping service to New Zealand, whil* subsidising tin* Fnion S.S. Co. to the extent of C'2-T.0(T() per annum for tjiree hoals a year, which would not call at

Java, but would go on to Singapore

On his return to New Zealand one <>l Mr Paape’s first actions was to make ou.-|uir:es as to the position from the authorities in Wellington. There, of course, lie was given clearly to understand that there was nothing to pre- | vent the Dutch eompany establishing a trade with Xew Zealand, Inn in its negotiations with the Government the eompany had desired certain rebates in the duty on .Java products, to which the Government could not agree. Further, Dutch boats were operated by Chinese and .Malay crews, who were paid about one-seventh of the liritish coastal seamen’s rates. So far its the Union Company was concerned, it had undertaken to run four boats a year, calling at Sourabaya, Samarnng. Batavia, Singapore, and Calcutta, and no subsidy was paid by the Government | for the service.