Fiji Conditions

Lower Costs and Cheaper Labour

Exchange Helps

Australian Exporters

From Our Own Correspondent SUVA, September 2.

THE cost of living is decreasing in Suva, as elsewhere. Rice has fallen greatly in price. Whereas the planter paid somewhere about £22 a ton a little more than a year ago, it is to-day sold at £14 a ton for Aus tralian rice, and £16 for Rangoon.

The character of the Australian rice is somewhat different to that of Ran goon, and is not so popular amongst our Indian population. On the other hand, the Fijian, who likes to boil his rice into a glutinous mass, prefers the Australian variety.

It is really the exchange discount which prevails between Sydney and Suva which permits Australian rice to compete here. The Australian £ is worth only 16/6 in Suva, an odd state of affairs, but one of which Australian exporters have not been slow to take advantage.

Sharps also have come down in price considerably. This is a low-grade flour largely used by our Indian commun ity for making chupatties, which, with them, take the place of bread.

A bag weighing 120 lbs. was selling a year ago round about 21/-, and is sold to-day at about 14/- or less, since every small Indian importer is being credited by his Sydney agent with the benefit of the exchange.

Thus the reduction in wages, which has taken place, is not being so keenly felt. Casual labour round Suva is plentiful to-day at 2/6 a day, whilst the semi-skilled type get about 18/a week. Of course, they have to fend for themselves in regard to food and housing.

On a plantation, the copra cutter or the casual labourer receives 2/- a day and housing, but otherwise finds himself. Gangs of Fijian labour are signing on under 12 months’ contract for £10 per annum and found, as against £18 to £20 of a year ago.

Interinsular freights have been cut from 1/6 to 1/3 a bag by the subsidised B.P. steamer, but, in most cases, plant ers would experience little difficulty in securing freight at 1/- a bag.

The re-adjustment of present-day costs to present-day results is thus pro ceeding, but the process is a slow and painful one, both for employer and employed, and it speaks volumes for the good sense of the community that there has not been the slightest hint of labour troubles as a result.

In fact, Fiji is in as sound a condi tion as can be expected of any trop ical country these days, and if our worthy administrators will only realise the absolute necessity for refraining from increasing overhead costs of liv ing through the Customs House to any further degree, we shall pull through with flying colours.