Banana Pool In Fiji

To Meet New Zealand's New Conditions

IN order to conserve their interests, and to cut out much wasteful expen diture caused by overlapping, the members of the Fiji Banana Associa tion, led by their president. Major C. A.

Brewster, and with the valuable co-op eration of the Director of Agriculture, Dr. H. W. Jack, and his assistant, Mr.

A. B. Ackland, have formed an export pool. It is hoped that in this way the interests of banana-growers and ship pers will be conserved.

For several years, Fiji has been per mitted to supply to New Zealand a cer tain quota of New Zealand’s banana re quirements; and the method followed was for individual shippers in Fiji to export their quotas to independent fruit agents in New Zealand—so that a healthy rivalry existed at both ends.

Last year, however, the Socialist Gov

ernment of New Zealand virtually took control of all fruit importations, and became the sole buyer of bananas exported from Fiji to New Zealand. The removal of the element of competition disorganised the production and export of Fiji bananas, and it soon became evident, both to the administrative officials and the shipping firms, that much closer organisation was necessary.

The banana shippers now have decided to pool all bananas purchased, and to share the fruit in agreed percentages.

In this way the boundaries of the present buying areas can be so adjusted as to provide transport with more economic

loads, and thus reduce overhead ex penses for the benefit, not only of the shipper, but of the native producers. All who contribute to the pool will get a fair share of the business, n j s a ver y interesting example of the far-reaching repercussions of a so cialist administration. When there was healthy competition among buyers in New Zealand, there was healthy indiy idualism among growers and shippers in Fiji. When the New Zealand Govern ment forced all the banana imports through the one channel, the Fiji inter ests found it equally necessary to pro vide one channel only for all exports.

Mrs. H. F. Ayson, wife of the Resident Commissioner of the Cook Islands, arrived in Rarotonga from N.Z. by the “Matua at the end of May.

N.G e %tston e |ria^arai T p\Tua n ’te f expected to arrive in Australia in July.

Makers f m rroiinnd and P c Priestley, of AW.A. Ltd., returned to Sydney in June from Willis Island, having served their term at the radio station there.

Rev. Eric Ure, of the London Missionary Society at Port Moresby, Papua, arrived in Australia early this month to do deputation work in Victoria.