NO GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1029, 21 July 1930, Page 11

NO GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY

NORFOLK ISLAND TRADE HIKURANGI’S TRIAL TRIP Tho refusal of the Government to subsidise the steamer Hikurangi for trading with Norfolk Island may lead to the loss of an export trade valued in 1927-28 at £15,000, and last year at almost double that figure. Tho subsidy asked for by the owners was £l5O a trip, or under £1,500 a year. New Zealand exports four times as much to Norfolk Island as she imports and, since tho island is a dependency of Australia, this helps materially to reduce her unfavourable trade balance. The Dominion sends more than half as much as does Australia. New Zealand imports a considerable quantity of vegetables and early fruits from Norfolk Island, and every year a largo number of tourists leaves Auckland for a visit to this warmer climate. When the Maui Pomare was running a regular service, the average cargo was about 100 tons, but, owing to short notice, the l-likurangi tpok only 80 tons of merchandise on a trial run, which ended last evening. The trip occupied nine days. The re.turn cargo was 600 cases of oranges and a small quantity of potatoes, but much more would have been available were a regular service run. The round trip takes a littlo more than a week, but, owing to the small trade offering, only one trip can bo made every five or six weeks, and the ship must be laid up between times. There is no passenger accommodation on the Hikurangi, and consequently the agents consider the subsidy of £l5O a trip the minimum which would bo needed to make this a profitable venture. Should the Government refuse to change its decision, the trade with New Zealand is not expected to be continued. ' Norfolk Island is only 600 miles from Auckland, and is 960 miles from Sydney, and the additional cost of trans-shipment and extra freight would be prohibitive.