Nz After Pacific
pp. 33-34 · Read in the full issue
Trade
New Shipping and Air Lines Planned
ENERGETIC steps are being taken by various New Zeafand interests — mostly Auckland—to restore New Zealand's trade with the Pacific Islands.
The policy is to hold what now exists, and to regain trade lost over the last 20 years, mostly to Australia.
The Auckland Chamber of Commerce, early in October, on the motion of Mr.
H. J. Lichtenstein, set up a Pacific Islands Trade Committee to explore the possibilities of trade. The Chamber will also examine the implications of the South Seas Regional Commission, to be set up under the Anzac Agreement of 1944.
According to statements made in the NZ Parliament on September 25, the NZ Government is inquiring into the possi bility of giving the natives of the Cook Islands and Niue direct representation in the NZ Parliament.
At present, and for a long time past, the only regular scheduled shipping time tables between “outside countries” and the Central Pacific Islands are those provided by New Zealand the Union “Matua,” running monthly out of Auckland to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa; and the MV “Maui Pomare,” running regularly out of Wel lington to Western Samoa, Niue and Cook Islands.
A New Zealand shipping company, Northern Steamships, Ltd., has under consideration a plan for the establish ment of new lines out of Auckland to the Islands. The first of these —if the plan
New Airfield at Rarotonga—See article on this page.
matures would run from Auckland to Norfolk Island, New Caledonia and New Hebrides, back to Auckland.
Prior to World War I, many large vessels maintained a regular service out of Auckland to the Pacific Islands. One Union SS Co. Line, with the Tofua, Navua and Atua, connected Auckland with the Fijian, Tongan and Samoan ports, and Sydney; but nearly all that traffic dwindled away, in the interregnum be tween the wars.
AIR traffic is expected to play an im portant part in the rapid develop ment of trade and communications between New Zealand, Australia and the
Islands. Nothing has been heard of the ambitious British plan discussed some time ago; and it is believed that unfore seen circumstances have held up the early restoration of the Pan-American services, announced last August. But the New Zealanders are not asleep.
RNZAP Transport Squadrons now operate a regular schedule to islands of tne South Pacific area, carrying mails, freight, Government oificials and high priority passengers. / One each fortnight a Dakota leaves Whenuapai, New Zealand, and covers New Hebrides, Fiji, Tonga, American Samoa, Western Samoa, with a terminal at Rarotonga in the Cook Group.
This is an 8,000-miles round trip. It takes 10 days, including a two days’ lay over at Rarotonga, where a fine airstrip was constructed and opened earlier this year. Many of these islands have a close connection with New Zealand from a development viewpoint, and it is believed that this air service is opening up possi bilities for trade in future years.
A private aviation transport company, now established in New Zealand, Whites Aviation, Ltd., directed by Mr. Leon White, is showing keen interest in Paci fic Islands possibilities, and has done a good deal of exploratory work. Regular services, linking Auckland with New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Cook Islands, are visualised.