THE FAILURE OF MESSRS GODEFROY AND CO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 398, 25 February 1880, Page 2

THE FAILURE OF MESSRS GODEFROY AND CO.

• Berlin fejegrami announce. the failure, of Meaara Qodefroy and do.-, of.Hamburg-, • ~ _ f.'Thenewi,!^ will be received ■ with regret throughout more than any:other to push _ the groups of Polynesia. • Eor. yegrrthey were knoirn as the Kings oftheyjjmifch , Pacific,' and far away among thffvwast ; known;islandstheir,.agents .were -to be found' quietly fettled among natives, and engaged in the collection of tortoiseshell, cocoanut oil,' and other produce for ... the periodical visit of the vessels employed < in this trade. At one time, indeed, they had but little short of a monopoly, but of the Fijis, they have been exposed to a brisk competition from; Australian and. New Zealand ports. - This, together with unfortunate speculations at. the time of inflation after the war, have sufficed to bring the house down. They certainly held the position of merchants jn princely ~; • fashion,: and at the time of theif prospe-, . rity, snientifio men of .the' greatest eminence were employed by them to explore the features of the different islands with which they traded, and .to get specimens for their tamous collection.. Most valuable information concerning old .native usage has been obtained in this way, and the Godefroy Museum at Hamburg is rich, in all that relates to the South Seas. Possibly there was some hope that the German Government s its anxiety, to extend its commerce would enable' the Godefroys to tide over the period of difficulty by taking up some of their liabilities in the South Pacific. But this has not,been the case, and there can be no doubt their fail will go far to damage the German business in that region.