Solomons’ Copra.

Reduction in Output.

From Our Own Correspondent.

TULAGI, April 30.

OUR Protectorate financial year, which ended on March 31, showed our year’s output of copra to be 21,209 tons, which was a fall of about 2,400 tons on the previous year.

This is mostly accounted for by the low price prevailing, which effectively cut off native production (about 3,000 tons).

Besides this, many plantations showed a reduced output, which is charged up to nut-fall. The cause of this, by the

way, has not yet been definitely ar rived at; though I understand that Mr.

Lever (our entomologist) is of opinion that want of fertiliser and cultivation is mostly to blame. But while this would be true up to a point, it is hard to believe that such huge reductions of output, which have taken place on a few of the plantations, can altogether be charged up to this cause.

Mr. Cqppjiut, who so largely feeds on sunlight and air, has been in existence and done his job for a large number of years, and many refuse to believe that he will suddenly “down tools” and go on strike unless he is given the dole, so to speak. Of course, he may have heard about Mr. Lang, in which case anything would be understandable.

Pests everywhere come and go, or, as Mr. Stevens was reported last night as having said at Canberra, “boils come to a head and break and leave the system cleaner.” So let us hope our coconut pest, together with Mr. Lang, is but a passing phase.