THE Kawhia Settler. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1906. OUR COASTAL SHIPPING.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 276, 14 September 1906, Page 2

THE Kawhia Settler. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1906. OUR COASTAL SHIPPING.

; A good Un9 of communication will al* > ways enhance the value and producI tiveness of the country district at the one end and the business centre at the otheE The outlet for produce gives prosperity to the farmer, while the town thrives by the connection. Where there are two competing business centres connected to and depending od The same country district, the one that-offers the best market grows to be a oily whilst the other remains a village. Shipping communication has at lasi come to that large and rich area of Kawhia South and Kiritehere, a i fact that betokens the feeding and development of these lands through the Marokopa River, and also a fact of significant importance to two shipping centres— Kawhia and Waitara—for the settlers naturally will buy and sell in the town that offers them the greatest advantages. Owing to the unequal freights as decreed by the Northern Shipping Company from Ouohunga—l7s 6d per ton to Kawhia and 10a per ton to Waitara—the latter place has an advantage of 7s 6d, and therefore is able to underquote and take a trade that up to the present m >rnent has legitimately flowed into Kawbbi ; thus Waitara can steal the very egg * fr-nn Kawhia’s neat. It behoves us, therefore, to look to our business and progressiva interests, for the Marokopa aud Kiritehere settlers have already placed three ship loads (15 ton-) of stores, fencing wire, etc., with our neighbour. And note the paradox: A quantity of these stores will be shipped from Auckland, via Kawhia, to Waitara; they will come into our harbour, but will not be unloaded there; they will go out over the bar again and be carried 70 miles further on for 7- Od per ton less ; at Waitara they will be again shipped back to Kawhia County into the Marokopx River by tbs local steamer. Can Kawhia stand this ? Will we look on and see another depleating us of our exis'enco ? It is imperative that Kawhii must keep, and if possible ex* end, fa»r trade ; she cannot afford to

allow any shipping company to abus Us monopoly and place a veto on our progress. Shipping freights from Onehunga must be placed on a level with Waitara (10? per ton) if we are to stop this direct injury to our commerce. Tradespeople and settlers alike are naturally using their efforts to connect Kawhia Harbour by rail with rhe Main Trunk Line, and the intention of the community to build up a marine importance and make Kawhia Harbour the wholesale shipping pork for the productive central lands of our island is a righteous and solid ambition that takes first place in the public mind. So we musk not lose the coastal shipping trade, which is the first fruits to our endeavours to build up an important sea pork. Another matter that calls for immediate rectification by the Northern 8.8. Co. is that relative to the payment of freights on goods consigned to Kawhia. For some years past it has been blazoned in large letters in the company’s advertisements in the Auckland papers : “ All freights to Kawhia must be prepaid.” We look upon this as a distinct slur on our district, and causes small parcels which have not been prepaid being hung up indefinitely at the shipping pork awaiting the payment of freight. Thus during the past tree-planting season numerous complaints have reached us from shippers asking what the freight is, and no definite reply can be gent, as the bulk cannot be estimated ; as

far as Kawhia is concerned the Northern 8.8. Company have apparently no fixed scale of charges, except that it is roughly twice whak it is elsewhere. We have in 'our mind’s eye an instance where one parcel (the freight of which was 2s Id) caused £1 4s 6d to be spent in telegrams, innumerable letters and finally a trip to Waitara, where it was ascertained that is had been sent back to New Plymouth and had been there for two months awaiting the payment of freights. Surely the fact that goods cannot leave the shed without payment should be sufficient for any reasonable company, which term can no doubt be applied to the company in question. We trust that for the good of both this district and the N. 8.8. Company the questions referred to will be looked upon In a fair and reasonable light, and it that is done there is no reason why they should not be rectified at once.