More Ships For Cook Is.?

WHEN New Zealand’s External Affairs Minister Webb made the round trip on the new Tofua in January, one purpose was to collect first-hand information on the shipping requirements of the Groups visited.

Mr. Webb hopes to induce the Union Co. to extend the Tofua ser vice to the Cooks. The latter now must depend on the Government owned, unprofitable Maui Pomare.

The Cook Islands people could increase production of citrus fruits, but Mr. Webb admits they must first be guaranteed shipping; while the ship operators are not interested in the Cook Islands unless guaran teed regular cargoes.

A New Zealand group with ex perience in Islands trade is in terested in the idea of taking over the Maui Pomare on a subsidy basis, and is confident that it could not only save the taxpayer a lot of money but also do well for itself.

Although this would ease the bur den of the NZ taxpayer, it would not provide any improvement in the tonnage available for fruit export.