“Fiji Bananas!”

A Pitt Street Incident

“Best Fiji bananas! Eighteenpence a dozen! Here you are!”

A thin man in a grey suit stopped and eyed the fruit-barrow. Then he eyed the barrow-man.

“ ’Ave some Fiji bananas, boss?” said that unrepentant individual.

“Who says they are Fiji bananas?” demanded the man in grey, “I do. They’re just landed. Got ’em meself at the fruit markets this morn in’ ” replied the fruit-seller, belliger ently.

“You’re a liar!” said the man in grey.

“Those are not Fiji bananas. There are no Fiji bananas coming into Sydney now.”

“Wot the ’ell do you know about it?” demanded the barrowman.

“I know all about it,” snapped the man in grey. “My name is Hennings, and I come from Suva and I have a good deal to do with the banana trade; and if you don’t stop selling that stuff as Fiji bananas I’ll get the police after you.

“Oh, all right, ’ave it your own way,” growled the barrow-man.

And as Mr. F. W. Hennings went on up Pitt Street, with the pleasant con sciousness of a good deed well done, he was pursued by a defiant shout of; “’Ere you are! Guinea gold bananas!

Only a bob a dozen!”

The little incident was related by Mr. Hennings himself to The Pacific Islands Monthly.

It is a fact that, although the Aus tralian tariff oversea bananas and the absence of direct shipping have cut the Fijian bananas almost entirely out of the Australian market, one may find fruit-sellers in Sydney any day offering “Fiji bananas” at sixpence per dozen the average price.

The explanation, of course, is that the older generation of banana-eaters know that the South Sea Islands pro duct has a delicacv and flavour that are absent from the Australian-grown article, and they are willing to pay 50 per cent, more for the South Seas pro duct. Unfortunately, there is little difference in appearance between the Australian and the Fiji article; with the result that unscrupulous sellers are guilty of the trickery described above.

The Fijian banana has been off the Australian market for some years now, as a result of the tariff, and the special qualities of the fruit are un known to tthe younger generations here. This is a circumstance deplored by Fijian banana-growers, who still hope that the Australian trade may be restored.

In the meantime, an opinion worthy of consideration P that held by many people—namely, that Fijian bananas could be sold profitably in Australia, in spite of the tariff, by well-organised sales effort and publicity, simply be cause a large section of fruit-eaters are prepared to pay more for good quality bananas.

The exchange position at present is an obstacle to an effort of that kind.

If Fiji is to be represented at Ottawa, she should, by a little tariff bargaining, try to make a better arrangement with Australia.