NEW PLYMOUTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 107, 4 May 1903, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

DIRECT TRADE WITH SYDNEY, A meeting of. the committee of the Clumber of Commerce was held on Tuesday evening last. A" we received no notice of the meeting we are unable (o give any report of the proceedings. EVi>m the agent of the Union St»am*lr'p Company we learned that a letter , from his Company was d'seussed, and nn applying to the secretary of the Ohtmber of Commerce he very kindly j pHced the letter at our disposal. We i in d.rstind the letter will c ime up fjr' liscussion at a general meeting of the Ohamber U'er on, In the meantime loac'i.n has baen taken in the mat or, there being no present likelihood •f the 2300 tons of referred to, being forthcoming. The letter, which was handed to ths 'Jhitnbur by the locil agent of the (Ji ion Company, is as follows : G, H. Morgan, Esq., New Plymouth. -Dear Sir,—l duly received yours of 23rd ultimo, and note the public interest that has been aroused in con-1 neiition with diiecfc steamship communication between your port and j Sydney. We have given the matter] very cirefulcinsideiatioo,being anxious to meat the wishes of the New Plymouth exporters and importers if it is it all pitsible to do so. It would appear, however, as if the uewspapers and tho °-e who are taking the keenest interest in ths matter, have not brought their discussion down to a practical level. I have tiken out the exports and imparts at New Plymouth ' to and from Australian por's, and f}ad j the tonnages fjr the year are as follows; - Exports to Sydney 673 tons. „ „ Newcastle 33 „ i „ „ Queensland 10} ~ „ „ Hobart 23 „ , „ „ Melbourne 942 „ „ „ Weat Australia ~, 275 „ tons f Imports from Sydney ... .„ 248 tont , „ „ Hobart ... ... 180 „ 1 „ „ Melbourne 170 „

598 tons from which you will notice that the exportß which go through Sydney, including Newoa-tla and Qie ns'and ports, only amount to 806 toas, whi'e if it were possible to divert the whole of the cargo tint g>es to Australia- to Sydney it would o tly amount to 170 tons a month, The imports from Sydney only run to ab.iut 20 tons a moQtb, and it is most uolikaly tb.it a direc, service with Sydney would saeura the trade of Hobart and Melbourne, but if it did.it would still only rua to 5Q a month. I think thesa figures clearly show that it will be imposs-ib'e for the trade between Naw Plymcuth and Sydney to s ipporfc a steamer of any class. If we wee to run a small vassal of say Upalu i.yp9she wonld co3tat the veiy leas! .£ISOO a mouth, without making provision for depreciation. We do not wish it to b a though' that we are indifferent to the wishes of the New Plymouth business people, and are willing to make an experiment by sending in a s'eamer t>f the Whangapj type when projeeding to Sydney from siuthdrn ports, provided there is a reasonable possibility of securing say 2300 tons. The Whangape, fully loaded, draws abou" 20 f et aft, and it would noi be' possible for her to go alongsiJe in this trim. It is quitei likely, however, that she may ha only j part loaded, and seeing that grain is not heavy dead weight it is possible that she might only draw abont 17 or 18jc aft, and on this draught and ia favourable weather conditions she should be able to work New Plymouth at about half tide. It urns'; be borne ia mind that while ii is pissible for such ve-sds as the Takapuna aod Rotoiti to In alongside with safety with any "range," in is not pissible for steamers with such flat bottoms as all cargo steamers have, to do 89, and in order to prevent disappointment to the shippers and c stof demurrage to us it would be well if arr wgem )nts c uld be made th it iu the event of the weather baing unfavourable for the vessel to go alongside, cargo snou'd ba lightered oft to her. I do not know if there are any vessels suitable for lighters at your port but if the business people are in earnest L have no doubt they will be able to arrange with the Harbour Board to provide them and also provide for towing them off to our fcteamer at expanse of shippers. ' It was assumed by the speakers at the meetings and the deputation to you that tin whole of the cargo sent from New Plymou h to Australia would be kept back for a steamer calling once a month. I think, however, that this is a fallacy, and a monthly direct steamer from New Plymouth to Australia would be just as unfavourable for shipments to, sty, South Africa as the monthly steamer that the South Africa Steamship Company is now sending direct. Expor's from New Plymouth are almost confined to butter, and dealers in this article want a regular supply at shrt intervals ivtber than large lines at long ones, and I feel certain that on red ctionshippers will fi<jd tha'. their : ends are best served by the regukr weekly service they lo.v have from Wellington to Sydney and Melbourne. I notice from i ha newspaper extracts tbat a number of people think 'hat if there was a direct servica there wou'd be lirge quantities of produce and o' her ; ctrgo shipped direct NtW Plymouth to Sydney, but it is improbab'e that ihis would come to anything (specially when it is considered that New Plymouth now imports grain, flour and similar lines from the S)U'h Island. Nor must it be forgotten that the Federal tariff in a normal year is 1 greatly opposed to the New Zealand farmi-.r. Du y on oats is 5i per bushel on po.ato.s 20i a ton and it does no' appear likely that although the South Island has a large crop of the latter that any of it will go to Australia. Tasmania, relying largely on f.he handicap it receivis from the Federal tariff, is producing very large crops. This year it is estimated tht-re will ba 170,000 tons if potatoei to ship, and, although the price to-day is £'S per ton, it is expected before loDg that it will be reduced to .£1 10s, f.o.b. Djvcnport. (I urn mentioning this to show how unlikely it is thit. Taranaki could export potatoes to Sydney.) Ii will be for you to tee the busiiofs people and pu; some of 'he f-icts befor.i tbem. We do nor, with to throw c i!d wat r on the proj ct, but do nit really' Hte that it is likely to tatd to anything satisfactory. "Wnaogape" leaves Ne-w Zetland about 22ud insi. f r Melb mrno and Sydney, and it would cer ainly be tbe end of May befoie i-be will be available on the outwarl voyage to Sydn y; probably before that time, by judicious handling, you will find that it ia no; necessary to send, a v*tsel in, I You will understand that we do Dot

want (i riitor int-i ;i controversy wilh the newspapers or tie busine R people in New Plymouth, would like to agree with them as to the importance of a direct service, but Lope you to be able to show them that in asking for a regular direc l ; service to Sydney they are asking for mora than is warranted » by tin condition of trade. " Whan- a gape's " dimension* are 320 x 44 8 z 1 15.3.-Yours faithfully, h 0. HOLDSWOETH «