Norfolk Is. Carries On

'P'CONOMIC conditions in Norfolk Is land have been receiving attention lately.

At one time Norfolk Island sold very large quantities of fruit to New Zealand.

Then New Zealand put an embargo on Australian fruit and as Norfolk Island is an Australian territory the embargo applied to N. 1., and the trade with New Zealand was killed. Australia appealed to the New Zealand Government, point ing out that mainland conditions do not apply to N. 1., but New Zealand, being em barrassed with the need for absorbing oranges and bananas from the Cook Is lands and Samoa, left the ban on Nor folk Is.

When the new Labour Government came into power in New Zealand an appeal was made by Australia against the ban; and the matter is now under consideration.

Recently it has been suggested that N.I. should be taken from Australia and placed under New Zealand control. It was pointed out that there is no market for N.I. produce in Australia, but that New Zealand always will take oranges and bananas.

Norfolk Island, having been desperately up against it in recent years, has found other means of carrying on. A butter in dustry has been established, which pro duces 5001 b. of butter every week; and there has been a remarkable extension of the business of growing passion fruit.

Mr. G. A. Flack, who operates a chain of grocery stores in the Manly district of Sydney, has established a factory in Nor folk Is. for the canning of passion fruit, which grows luxuriantly there; and it ap pears as if this new industry will flour ish.

Hon. P. F. Boyd, Postmaster-General in Fiji since 1928, has been transferred to Northern Rhodesia as Postmaster of that Colony. He left Suva by the Niagara on July 24.

Mr. Franz Stehr, an old identity of New Guinea, died after a short illness in Nama nula Hospital at the end of July, aged 84.

Mr. Stehr first went to the territory from Samoa in 1898; prior to that he had been living in Tonga. For some years he and his wife conducted the Tivoli Hotel at Apia.