Tonga’s Troubles
p. 11 · Read in the full issue
Food Shortage Follows Drought
REPORTS from several sources indi cate that economic conditions in Tonga are serious.
An exceedingly severe drought, extend ing over six months, broke on March 28 and there since has been copious rain: but. in the meantime, the Tongans are without their usual crops of yams and other foods, and are dependent upon im ports of rice and Australian flour, which have been in short supply, but of which large quantities are needed.
The Government is still pressing the neople for payment of taxes and one au thority calculates that half the taxpayers in the kingdom (7,000 in a population of 34,000) are in default and being threat ened with gaol. One critic points out that it is proposed to increase the poll tax from 36/- to 41/- per annum, while the Government is making no effort to reduce the expensive civil service, which is held to be overloaded with Europeans.