Gold!
p. 26 · Read in the full issue
Industry Saves Fiji From Embarrassment
WHAT the—at first! —despised gold in dustry has done for Fiji in a few short years is clearly shown in the Colony’s trade figures for the opening six months of 1938.
There have been considerable reduc tions in the value of several other ex ports—notably copra and sugar—but, as a result of th,e activity at Loloma and Emperor mines, on the Tavua field, and at Mt. Kasi, gold exports, which for the same period last year were worth £67,000 have skyrocketed to £343,000 Without gold, which has moved up into first place on the exports list, Fiji’s ap parent trade position for the first half of the vear would have presented a different picture to the usual rising-trade motif that has characterised trade figures dur ing the last half dozen years.
Bananas, enjoying a fair market in New Zealand,have risen slightly; but trochus shell exports have been cut in half, ow ing to the muddled international situation in the East. Details for the two compar ative periods of six months are as fol lows: —
1937. 1938. £ £ Total Imports .. . . . . 837,597 864,890 Total Exports . . . . 727,615
Exports
874,041 1937. 1938.
Sugar, Tons .. .. . . . . 29,479 31,121 ,, Value .. .. .. £301.225 £287,976 Copra, Tons .. .. . . . . 14.945 15,263 „ Value . . . . £235,157 £140,278 Bananas, Cases .. .. .. 71,052 70,351 ,. Bunches . . . . 8,956 9,420 ,, Value .. .. .. £32,848 £35,678 Molasses, Tons . . . . 7,843 7,857 „ Value . . .. . £7,843 £7.857 Gold. Ounces . . . 8,609 44,518 ,, Value .. .. .. .. £67,266 £343,324 Trochus, Tons .. ... 101 52 „ Value . .. . £8,954 £3,602 Other, Value ,. .. .. £74,322 £55,326