The following is a copy of a letter received by the Chairman of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce from the Secretary of the Fijian Chamber relative to the opening up of a larger trade between the two Colonies :—

Chamber of Commerce, Levuka,

August 1st, 1881.

Sir,—I have the honour, by direction of the Committee of this Chamber, to notify you that your communication under date March 19th, addressed to Mr. F. W. Witham, was laid before the Chamber at its last general meeting.

The apparent neglect of the Chamber to notice it at an earlier date is solely due to the late serious illness of Mr. Witham, which prevented his laying it before them.

The Chamber is thoroughly alive to the importance of cultivating more extended business relations with your province and city, and as you will notice by the report contained in the Fiji Times of July 30th, a copy of which I send you, a sub-committee has been appointed to arrange for your receiving a set of samples which shall fittingly represent the products of this Colony.

I forward you by this mail a copy of the lately-published Customs returns for 1880, from which you will be able to see the extent and character of our import and export trade. I think you will admit that neither our buying or selling capacity is inconsiderable, of course keeping in view the fact that the community is not a large one, and that the Colony is as yet in its infancy. Within the past year there has been a page 7 large influx of imported capital, chiefly invested in sugar machinery and cane cultivation, and the effect of this will be to largely develop both the import and export lists as soon as the mills are in working order. It will therefore be of undoubted mutual advantage if the object we now have in view can be carried to a successful issue.

This matter very materially, in fact I may say entirely, depends upon the establishment of an adequate and regular monthly service connecting Dunedin and Levuka. In connection herewith, I would ask your perusal of the editorials contained in Fiji Times, July 2nd and 20th, copies of which I send you, and the position of affaire at present will at once be apparent to you.

In the important matter of fruit export, I may mention that when the A.S.N. Co.'s steamer Leemoon was first placed on the berth for Levuka, her cargo did not include more than 100 packages of fruit, chiefly bananas, value in freight say £6. At the present date the same export represents between £3000 and £4000 annually on the freight lists of the Company.

I have no doubt as to the commercial success which would attend the establishment of the service, and you will yourself see what prospect there would be of it receiving Government support if the matter could be laid before his Excellency the Governor in practicable form when the Estimates for the ensuing year are under discussion.

The Chamber will be most happy to receive from you any remark upon or suggestion affecting this matter, and all communications shall receive prompt attention. The samples will in all probability go forward by the September boat, as there will not be time enough to prepare them to catch the Cross, now shortly leaving.

Soliciting the favour of your reply at convenience,—I am, &c.,

T. H. Pritchard,

Secretary.