Levuka.

Fate of Famous Port In Balance.

INTERESTING correspondence has ap peared recently in “The Fiji Times” from the pens of Mr. Edward Dun can, a well-known coconut planter, and Sir Maynard Hedstrom, managing director of Morris, Hedstrom Ltd., re garding the advisability of closing the port of Levuka.

The former has drawn the attention of the Government to the closing of the port as a means of effecting further economies in the administration of the colony. The trade of the old capital has dwindled, until last year only some £13,000 worth of merchandise was im ported through its Customs House.

Sir Maynard Hedstrom, in support of the retention of Levuka as a port of entry, points out it serves a very useful purpose to a considerable sec tion of the colony and the only justi fication for closing it would be a very substantial saving in expenditure. Le vuka, besides being a port of entry, is the centre of an important native pro vince, and he states that if it were closed as a port, it would be still neces sary to retain the District Commis sioner, Medical Officer, Police Officer and Postmaster. He adds that Levuka has suffered seriously from bad seasons and low prices of copra, but it has re covered from previous depressions and will recover from this one.