N. Caledonia

Trade

Driven From Australia Possibilities of Developing N.Z.

Market

BLOCKED out of Australia by recent developments and by a tariff wall, New Caledonia is looking to New Zealand to see if there are possibilities for trade in the Dominion, according to Miss D. Miller, of the Auckland University College, who has just returned from a holiday there.

The island must have flour, butter, sugar and cheese, and New Zealand could supply at least two of these commodities. Hitherto, New Caledonia had dealt with the Commonwealth, said Miss Miller, in a newspaper interview, but they were being blocked by a hostile tariff and by the depression in Australia.

When Miss Miller went to New Caledonia she changed her Australian money for francs and in return for £1 she received 109 francs. That was in December. When she came away just recently the rate had fallen to 93 francs per £1.

The island was rich in minerals of many kinds and produced fruit of descriptions. Recently, its market for the latter in Australia was blocked, owing to the stipulation from the Commonwealth that each fruit must bear a stem and two leaves.

In France, Miss Miller said, New Caledonian coffee was supposed to be the best obtainable.

The difficulty at present was to obtain finance to develop the island. Under the French colonial system all officials were appointed from France.

Consequently, they did not look upon the island as their home and spent as little money there as possible. The result was obvious.

Members of the New Caledonia House of Representatives had asked Miss Miller whether it was possible for better trade relations to exist between New Zealand and New Caledonia. On their part, they were very anxious that it 'Should be so, as it might mean their salvation. They were struggling hard against overwhelming odds and were prepared to do anything which might ameliorate the position.

They would send a boat to New Zealand via Norfolk Island, with produce from New Caledonia, if given any prospects of being able to dispose of

their produce.