Plan Attacked By a Practical Grower

Fiji Copra To Be Graded

THE Government of Fiji has decided that compulsory grading of copra grown in Fiji shall be brought into force as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made.

In appealing for the co-operation of merchants and producers in this import ant step the Government made some in teresting observations: — “Instructive methods of improving copra have been demonstrated by the Depart ment of Agriculture during the last three years; and a grading table, applicable to the needs of the local industry, has been devised and tried out in practice with satisfactory results.

“This grading-table is based on the salient characteristics associated with good and bad quality copra, namely, colour, cleanliness, condition, smell (free fatty acid) and dryness; and points, awarded according to a descending scale of excellence for each character, when summed up, indicate the quality of the sample.

“On the average the copra exported from Fiji is of poor quality, and a system of grading will therefore help materially in gaining a better reputation (and an improved price) for the product on the world’s markets.

“Moreover, though poor copra is still marketable, it is readily conceivable that as competition increases a time may come When sales of such a product may not be possible. Hence it is imperative that early steps should be taken to improve the grade of copra exported so that the coco nut industry, which is of great import ance to the Colony, may be maintained.

Furthermore, consistent improvement in the quality of the copra is not only asso ciated with better prices, but losses in manufacture, in storage, and in transit, are materially reduced, while arbitrations (generally affecting prices to the extent of two per cent, or more) can be largely eliminated.

“With a little additional care in manu facture and more attention paid to copra kilns in the wet zones, it is considered that local estates should be able to pro duce copra consistently as good as Rabaul copra, while an increasing percentage of native copra should also be of similar quality. In this connection it should be noted that if half the local production were up to Rabaul standard (at prices, say, 15/- per ton in advance of Fiji prices), some £12,000 additional would accrue annually to the producers in the Colony. In point of fact, during the last six months the average price of Rabaul copra has exceeded that of Fiji by over 17/ per ton sterling.

“Closely associated with the quality of copra in Fiji is the unique practice which has developed of selling ‘green copra’ to local storekeepers and estate managers, who dry the copra themselves for sale.

This practice has been abused in num erous ways in the past. It is the Govern ment’s intention that more frequent in spection of licensed buyers should be made so that improvements may gradu ally be effected in copra derived from this source.’’

Bonus For Good Copra

AS soon as the Government decision was announced, late in May, two representatives of the Coconut Planters’ Union, Ltd., (Mr. Edward Dun can and Major C. A. Brewster), expressed, in the “Fiji Times”, their pleasure that a reform the Union had long advocated had at last been decided upon. They made an interesting suggestion, however;— “It will be some years before the effect of compulsory grading is apparent in higher prices. In order to encourage the production of higher grade copra in the interim, the Union suggested in 1930 that a bonus should be paid by the Govern ment on higher grade copra. At that time, copra was round about £2O per ton, and the Union suggested that the funds for the bonus should be derived from a graduated export tax on low grade

copra. Copra is now round about £lO/£ll oer ton, and such a tax is impracticable.

However, the financial position of the Col'jny has changed very considerably over the last decade, and it is not un reasonable to suggest that such a bonus might be met from General Revenue.

“It is difficult to estimate the cost of such a bonus. If we assume that the bonus be 10/- per ton for first-quality copra, and that during the initial period not more than one quarter of the Colony’s production will qualify, then we arrive at a cost of £4,000. In a Colony which has a budget such as ours, £4,000 cannot be deemed excessive assistance to its oldest industry in time of need.

Is The Extra Price Per Ton

Worth While?

BUT the Government’s plan has not been unanimously praised. Mr. Percy McConnel, of Mt. Vernon Estate, Taveuni, writing in the “Fiji Times” opens up thus: — “Are we to be penalised by a few men living in offices and buyers of copra, and who desire to become dictators over the copra producers of this Colony? Do these gentlemen know anything about making copra? Have they ever made a ton of copra in their lives?”

Mr. McConnel wants to know how planters are going to take the steps neces sary to improve copra, under adverse markets, bad weather and high labour costs. He urges that, instead, steps be taken to induce the Imperial Government to control the combines which have their murderous clutch on the throats of the copra-producers.

“All by-products made from the milling of copra are still being sold at the same

profitable prices as when copra was £3O a ton, because these huge combines are making 100 to 200 per cent, profit from producers at present low prices on copra”, says Mr. McConnel. “ Oil cake still keeps up in price and is sold to the dairy far mers for cattle feed at £8 to £B/15/- a ton in Sydney—now, what about the oil, that is made into margarine, glycerine, shaving soap, tooth paste and scented soaps—if worked out they carry 100 per cent, profit.”

All of which is perfectly true. Mr.

McConnel says that copra-producers, scattered all over the world, cannot fight the combines, and that that is a job for the Government. The fact is, the com bine is international, and now so powerful that it can defy even a combination of Governments. Actually, it is a good ex ample of the kind of evil that is under mining the democratic nations, and which therefore is threatening the very struc ture of European civilisation.

Mr. McConnel argues that the differ ence between smoke-cured and hot-air (Rabaul) copra, 15/- per ton, does not cover the extra cost of making hot-air copra. “If we, in this Colony, took six days to dry our hot-air copra, we should soon be bankrupt.” And he proceeds:— “Major Brewster says over the air that dark and black copra is no good. Yet on the 11th inst., Melbourne tells us smoke dried was worth £lO/2/6, sun-dried £lO/7/6 and hot-air £ll/5/-. Kiln-dried copra takes 30/- to £2 a ton more to produce than smoked, so where does the economic service come in by producing whole copra?

“Only men who have had a life ex perience and worked labour, and not book

worms, should be asked their opinion on grading.”

Finally, on the subject of what should be done with Fiji’s copra production, Mr.

McConnel is emphatic: “Fiji should have its own oil-mill, founded by the Agricultural Department —oil crushed and shipped away in 40 gall, drums, and the oil can be sold at £B/15/per ton—and every planter in time could be a shareholder and receive monthly cheques, the same as the dairy farmer, and so much, according to the percentage of his oil. So, if the copra was of poor standard he would still get so much per ton of oil for his produce. This scheme would double the value of our copra in this Colony.”

Among the employees of the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., Ltd., who returned to Fiji from Australia by the June “Niagara” were: Mr. and Mrs. B. S. Jones (Lautoka), Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Trewenack (Lautoka), Mr. M. E. K. Adams (Penang), Mr. E. M.

Farrar (Nausori), Mr. and Mrs. D. G. F.

Watson (Lautoka), Mr. and Mrs. S. O.

Parker (Rarawai), Mr. G. R. Day (Nausori), Mr. and Mrs. W. Greenwood (Lautoka), Mr. C. B. Mathews (Labasa). and Mr. and Mrs. M. A. Mumford (Lautoka).

Captain Charles Mill Menmuir, who was well-known in the Pacific 25 years ago, died in Sydney recently at the age of 75.

Associated with Lever Bros., he spent 20 years in and about the Islands as master of various trading vessels. Subsequently, he transferred to the British Cable Ser vice and for a number of years was in command of the “Tangaroa”, connecting between Honolulu and Panning Island.

Mr H. Harrison, mill manager for Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines N.L., at Tavua. is at present on long leave in the United Kingdom. ..

Mr. A. Ahearn, an employee of Gold Mines of Papua, at M Inland, Pa pua. arrived in Sydney m mid-June by the “Macdhui” on three months fur lough.

Captain E. C. Vider, master of the New Guinea Administration’s schooner Eros , reached Sydney from Rabaul by the “Malaita” on June 17, on a holiday. He has been in the Western Pacific for 20 years. Mr. Vider said that one of his re cent tasks was to land a party of three white and 24 native police in the Kunua district, on the west coast of Bougain ville Island, to search for a native murd erer. The native knew he was being hunted, and the party searched for three weeks, in heavy country, without success.