Apia Port Dues.

Is N.Z. Flirting With Matson?

From Our Own Correspondent.

THE negotiations to include Apia as a port of call for the Matson line have resulted in the Administration agree ing to a considerable reduction of har bour and pilot fees in case of such calls being arranged.

As the present agreement of the Mat son Line with the U.S.A. Government, which provides for a substantial subsidy to the Line for their calls at the U.S.

Naval Station at Pago Pago expires next April, the matter will be taken up energetically at the proper time by the interested parties.

A call by direct liners at Apia would greatly benefit Western Samoa and im prove the mail, passenger and freight communications with Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, U.S.A. and Europe. It would also revive the tourist traffic and put Samoa again on the map.

EDITORIAL NOTE.—It is most surprising to learn that the New Zealand Government is en couraging the Matson Line to call at Apia, and take business away from British ships. It is true that Western Samoa’s shipping communica tion with Fiji, New Zealand and Australia are most unsatisfactory, and should be improved.

But surely the approach should be made to the Canadian-Pacific Line, whose regular mail steamers could easily call at Apia; and not to the Matson Line , which, most liberally subsidised and supported by the American Government, is conducting a merciless war against British ship ping in the South Pacific.