Cl Fruit

N.Z. Govt. Offers £35,000 Loan for Cool Storage Plant

From Our Own Correspondent

Rarotonga, Aug. 15.

August 3 an informal meeting of the Cook Islands Council and the Fruit Advisory Committee was held to discuss a loan of £35,000, free of interest for all time, which had been offered by the N.Z. Government for the purpose of erecting a cool storage plant in Raro tonga. Pending further details a definite decision was postponed.

Government control of the banana in dustry on similar lines to those govern ing the export of citrus fruit was also discussed and a decision postponed. In the interim, as a departure from the pre vailing system under which all bananas must be packed in the village sheds, 12 of the larger and more responsible native growers are to be permitted to pack on their own plantations. Many planters claim that transport of bananas in bunches over long distances is detrimen tal to their condition on arrival in New Zealand, At an earlier meeting of the Fruit Ad visory Committee, it was decided to cable to Australia regarding the purchase of 1.000 young Valencia orange trees for distribution among reliable local planters.

Bounty On Rats

The rat problem was also raised and it was agreed to restore the bounty of Id per dead rat. Old hands on the “beach” have memories of a time when certain enterprising persons, remembering that in French Oceania a similar bounty was being paid on receipt of rat ears, ar ranged with friends resident there to for ward them parcels of tails, neatly chopped to standard length and looking remark ably like packets of dried vanilla beans!

This “tail and ear” exchange did a brisk business until a suspicious Administration rather unkindly insisted on production of the whose corpse!

Resident Commissioner’S

Interest

The Resident Commissioner (Mr. S. J.

Smith) to whom the. credit for introduc ing “fruit control” is practically entirely due, has created something of a prece dent by making a point of establishing personal contact with individual growers in the various districts and also by his informal inspection of plantations. For this latter purpose, Mr. Smith has im ported a good riding horse, and by this means is now enabled to visit many an inland kainga and valley inaccessible to

the transport usually favoured by those in exalted positions.

Between Mr. Goodwin (Director of Agriculture) and the Resident Commis sioner, there is complete agreement and co-operation on the question of control.

This situation makes for general smooth running since on the former rests the practical, and on the latter the final, responsibility for the success of the whole system.

To raise funds for a British Antarctic expedition, 80 passengers will be taken on a world cruise at the end of this year in the schooner Westward. The voyage will be under sail the whole way and she will call at Easter Island, Pitcairn, Ta hiti, Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia.