Tongas Finance.

Crown Prince As Athlete.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Nukualofa, Oct. 20.

ATONGAN Government Gazette, just published, discloses that the Gov ernment’s deficit for the year ending 30th June, 1932, was £6,762, shown as follows:

The detailed published statement in dicates that as the revenue of the little kingdom began to drop the Executive tightened up expenditure. The Tongan people can congratulate themselves on the Administration’s figures.

Included in the assets there is a noteworthy item of £140,275, repre senting £100,000 on fixed deposit with Sydney and Auckland banks and the balance invested in British and Colonial securities.

The inter-Collegiate Athletic Sports were held at the Government College grounds on the 24th September.

This is an annual event, when the selected of Tubou (Wesleyan) College meet the premier athletes from the State institution. On these occasions the partisans of both colleges take up distinctly community positions on the outskirts of the oval. The Wesleyan barrackers in deep blue and the State College supporters bearing brilliant favours of red give a wholesome colour effect and a kaleidoscopic back ground to oval green.

The day was perfect, and although the total of Tubou marks at the con clusion of events was 100 per cent, better than State numbers, there were some excellent individual efforts.

Undoubtedly, the most enthusiastic and popular win of the day was regis tered when the Crown Prince of Tonga, a lad of fourteen, cleared the bar in the pole vault at a height of 10 feet, beating all other competitors and in cidentally the previous Tongan record by 4 inches.

During the afternoon tea was serve to guests by the Government Collect officials.

The good-humoured “barracking,” in orthodox native fashion, that marked the day’s proceedings, added much to a delightful outing.

The “Waipahi,” which loaded bananas, on 14th October, was con siderably short of the Auckland buyers’ requirement of 5,000 cases. The main reasons given for the shortage are that copra is now so plentiful, and the fruit price of 1/6 per case so low, that natives simply will not take the trouble to cut for delivery. We learn that from the large Kolonga district alone only one grower contributed to wards this consignment. General opinion indicates that the Government can expect no improvement until they increase the price to growers to a reasonable figure.

£ Surplus, June, 1931 140,494 Revenue, 1931-2 57,224 £197,718 £ Expenditure, 1931-2 63,986 Surplus, June, 1932 . ., £197,718