Solomon Islands

———♦——— Small Cargoes Arriving — Government Lifts Copra Export Duty

From Our Own Correspondent

Tulagi, Dec. 20.

REVENUE from imports into the Solomons had not been materially affected until the last Mataram arrived when, although it was the Christmas trip, there was a falling off of about 300 tons of general cargo. The next trip promises to be even worse.

The Government has earned the applause of all by lifting the 12/6 per ton export duty on copra, as from November 11 until the end of the financial year—March 31. This will cause a considerable loss in revenue.

An Unfounded Report.

Some ill-restrained and, it would seem, premature excitement was caused the other day, when some one or other gave the story a push that the Commonwealth intended to, or had imposed a most iniquitous tax on the finances of Island companies registered in Australia, whose produce did not pay an export duty in country of origin. A few, but not all of the larger company managers ran round in small circles and proposed, if the report were true, to ask the Government here to reimpose portion of the lately lifted export duty, and thus escape the reported tax. The mail brought no word of the iniquity, so the excited ones have had time to cool off.

Planters’ And Commercial

Association.

Our Solomon Islands Planters’ and Commercial Association still endeavours to struggle along, thanks to a few loyal spirits. The difficulties to a great extent are geographical, for it is not an easy matter to hold the interest and secure the unity of a small population so widely scattered. The main objects of the Association are to assist the Government in administering to the best advantage of all concerned; for, with the exception of the annual meeting of the Advisory Council, it is our only medium of laying before the Government our collective views; and efforts in this connection should be, and probably are, appreciated.

Up-To-Date Wharf Badly

Needed.

It is at last beginning to dawn upon some of us what a short-sighted blunder we made a few years ago, when we opposed, almost to a man, the Government’s proposal to build an up-todate wharf with adjoining storage to accommodate oversea vessels.

Just what our views were at the time is now lost in the clouds of incredibility. Oversea boats are now coming here thick and fast, and have to put up with antiquated and expensive methods of loading, all of which, of course, has to be paid for by the producer. Alas, our chances of remedying our colossal error are now, to say the least, very remote; but the fact stands that, so long as ships are required to take our produce away to the world’s markets, just so long is this improvement a burning necessity.

Norfolk Island exports to Australia during the year 1929-30 showed an increase compared with the previous 12 months, the value being £29,515 as against £26,877. Exports to New Zealand declined from £5,995 for 1928-29 to £2,595.

According to the Administrator’s report for the year 1929-30, the banana is still the only product regularly exported from Norfolk Island. There was a further small increase in the output during the year, 25,707 cases being sent away. ———