In Eastern

Polynesia

Tahiti Feels the Copra Slump

Papeete, May 21

THE arrival of the United States cruiser, Chicago, on May 11, created somewhat of a stir in Papeete. She is the latest thing in war vessels and is now on her maiden voy age, during which many new features will be subjected to observation and experiment. She carries a complement of about 750 officers and men, also four planes, which, for some unknown rea son, were not permitted to fly and provide the expected treat for native inhabitants.

During the five days of the Chicago’s stay in port, Papeete recovered some thing of its erstwhile gaiety. The nat ives flocked into town from outlying districts and entered whole-heartedly into the prevailing mood of enjoyment,

which they invariably seem capable of doing in spite of hard times. Perhaps the most enjoyable of all the entertain marked upon the good behaviour of was the open air “bal publique” organ ised by the municipality of Papeete.

This commenced at about 8 p.m. and ended up, in true Papeete style, with wreaths and coffee at the morning market.

Though Tahiti is a wide-open place in the matter of liquor, everyone re marked upon the godo behaviour of the American “Gobs” ashore; indeed a case of downright drunkenness was extremely rare during the whole of their stay here. I fancy that our visitors will not easily forget the good time they had in Papeete, while, for our part, we have seldom had occasion to regret the departure of a visiting warship as sincerely as we do this one.

Low Copra Prices Cause Slump

A deadly dullness reigns along the Papeete waterfront, consequent ppon another drop in copra values. To-day’s price is 60 centimes per kilo on the beach, the equivalent of a little less than a £5 note per ton. Such a situ ation has been scarcely known before since copra entered the world’s mar kets as a stable commodity.

The Tahiti producers have been al ways fortunate in being able to sell locally at round £5 to £6 per ton below the London price, which left little or no margin for the merchants who took all the risk of weight shrinkage and price fluctuations. In fact, the buying of copra here has been so keen right along that the planters probably get a more favourable deal in Tahiti than in any other part of the Pacific. Out side islands with another freight to pay before their copra can reach the main lines of communication, must surely be in a bad way just now.

Prominent individuals interested in Island economics, as well as the Gov ernment, are greatly concerned over this copra situation, as indeed they may well be, seeing that everything here is practically dependent upon this one article of commerce. But no alternative crop has been yet discov ered that can be produced and ex ported at a profit. Obviously, with land values as high as they are in these islands, and labour charges four to eight times as much as in other tropical countries, we can scarcely hope to compete successfully on the world’s markets with places like Africa, India and Ceylon. New Zealand places a heavy duty against French fruit, and America will not allow it in at any price, so there is no chance whatever of a fruit industry being developed.

Tahiti’S Tourist Attractions

But Tahiti has some assets of greater potential value from an economic standpoint than its output of tropical products. It possesses a superb cli mate—for a tropical one the best in the world—is inhabited by a race of neople who are ready at any minute to drop whatever they may be en gaged upon and go skylarking, and can show an unequalled range of gorgeous and colourful scenery.

These are the assets that should be exploited if it is desired to improve our conditions in an economic sense.

But whether we should be any hanpier with thousands of tourists on the beach is an open question.

A party crossing: the Karawot River, New Britain, on the way to the Baining Mountains.

Block by courtesy of The Mission Review.