TRADE WITH EAST

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 740, 13 August 1929, Page 9

TRADE WITH EAST

DUTCH COMPANY’S DIRECT SERVICE STEAMER TO NEW ZEALAND A Dutch steamship company is building a large cargo and passenger steamer for direct trade between New Zealand and the East. The same company already has two vessels trading directly with Australia, and now it has decided to extend the service (0 New Zealand, calling alternately at Auckland and Wellington. This information was given this morning by Mr. G. Robertson Smith, marine engineer with the Sarawak Steam Ship Company. who arrived by the Marama on a. holiday trip to New Zealand. He stated that there was a big market for New Zealand goods in the East, particularly New Zealand dairy produce. A brand of powdered milk made in the Dominion could be obtained almost anywhere in the Eat and was extremely popular. The advertising of New Zealand-made goods was very well done and the large number of tourists helped to increase the market for them. “The tourist trains from New Zealand and Australia to the East has grown enormously during the past few years.” continued Mr. Robertson Smith. “Many of them come up to escape the winter. Quite 50 per cent. or the passengers on the ship on which I travelled to Australia were tourists returning to their homes after wintering in the East." Trade had increased recently and the various islands were much more prosperous. The rubber market had become stabilised and this had made for better trading in all departments. Mr. Robertson Smith said that he travelled from Sarawak to Sydney on a Dutch steamer and the officers told him of the plans of the K.P.M. Company to open up a direct trade route between New Zealand and the East. They saw the possibilities both of the tourist traflic and eargo. He did not know when the vessel would make its first run but it was being built as quickly as possible. , Sarawak is a British province on the Island of Borneo. and is governed by H. H. Sir Charles Vyner Brooke, who bears the title of Rajah. His grandfather was the first Rajah of Sarawak. He rules over a population of 500,000 and a country 40,000 square miles in extent.