The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1914. THE STEAMER SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 261, 2 April 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1914. THE STEAMER SERVICE.

The other day we had occasion to comment upon the weakness and apathy displayed by the commercial people of the town in regard to the shipping service inflicted upon them by the Union Company. Bui if the spirit of the meeting on Monday evening can be taken as an index to the feeling of the traders of the community we may have to considerably alter or modify our views. The opinion at the mooting in question was unanimous that, the present service was as unsatisfactory as it could be, that the district was being severely penalised as a result, and that the time had arrived when, unless i decided improvement were effected step* should be taken to form a local shipping company. This awakened interest and protest on the part of the commercial community is as refreshing as it is surprising. Hitherto the traders ha ve meekly submitted to whatever service the shipping company cared to grovids, and no doubt felt duly grateful. But things have gone from bad to worse, and now there are very few who are not directly inconvenienced by the running of the vessels. Ia a large measure, the community is to blame for this state of affairs. Any other community would long ago have protested, and made the protests felt. There is one solution, as we have pointed out before. It lies in starting a local shipping company, with the special aim of developing the trade of the port. Even with thu indifferent services of the past, the trade is steadily increasing, but as soon as the port is open to direct liners, as it will be shortly, it must go ahead by leaps and bounds. But it will require fostering. Could this not be done more effectually by a locally-own-ed company than by a concern with no particular interest in the welfare of the place? If t!:*- Union Company desired to develop tl'.e trade of the port would it make the port's interests subservient to thoso of tin- West Coast and elsewhere? WueM it not give us a more frequent and regular service? It has had a monopoly for many years of a big and profitable trade, and one would have thought in its own interests it would have taken care to foster and not retard it, a- is now the case. We cannot afford l>. be placed in this position. The shipping trade is of vital importanme to us all. Neither the port nor !!•" town will ever

mo ahead ;i the shipping nr. rangements are defective. If things are allowed to go on as they have been, we ;e:eht just as well stop the harbor improvement work, and use the money for other purposes. We are at the mei'CA of a 'lipping monopoly, and we arc afraid that until such time as we place ou'-v-dves in a position of independence we will never get justice or satisfaction. This can be attained by starting a company of our own, like Nelson, Wanganai. i'. tea and Waitara. It could, we are eel.'.in, be successfully established, for there are people throughout Taranalii ready to take up the neceis.iv/ shares. That it would prove ii successful vc:-.tn# - e from its in ■■ "p ii on there can be no doubt. We only hope that the outcome of the attention being devoted to the importance of and necessity for a regular, frequent and efficient service will be the initvtion of a local shipping company.