Tonga's Trade In
pp. 56-58 · Read in the full issue
1938 Imports and Exports Down
From Our Own Correspondent
Nukualofa, April 2.
rADE figures for the Kingdom of Tonga for the year 1938 have only just been published and they reveal a marked decrease in both imports and exports, compared with 1937. Imports were valued at £83,026 and exports at £86,196, bringing the total trade for the year to £168,222, which is nearly £133,000 less than the combined total for 1937.
Copra and bananas, the two main exports, both suffered during the year.
Though the production of copra rose about 150 tons —from 12,288 tons to 12,428 tons —the slump in price caused the value to drop from £158,133 to £79,799. Almost the whole of the copra went to the European market, only 260 tons being shipped to Mexico.
New Zealand is the only market for Tonga’s bananas and her quota system, whereby she also receives bananas from other Islands territories, particularly Samoa and the Cook Group, restricts the Kingdom’s exports. In 1938 10,825 cases worth £3,507 were sent to N.Z., compared with 13,715 cases valued at £4,128 shipped the previous year.
The following comparative figures show the copra and banana exports dur ing the past five years:—
During 1938, 27 vessels with a total tonnage of 57,736 tons entered Tongan ports. British tonnage is given as 37,715; Swedish, 18,238; and the remainder as Mexican and Japanese.
Miss Minnie Anderson, A Member
of the pioneer Anderson family who settled in Savu Savu, Fiji, in the early days of the Colony, coming from Nova Scotia, died at the end of March, aged 68. Her sister, Mrs. L. Lawrence, the last surviving member of the family, resides in Melbourne.
Mr. Frederick W. Purves, Of
Samarai, married MISS LILLIAN MAW SON at the Kwato Mission, Eastern Papua, on April 3. Mr. Cecil Abel per formed the ceremony.
Exports
Copra. Bananas.
Tons. Value. Cases.
Value. 1934 .. . . 10,154 £59,941 26,402 £6,906 1935 . . . . 12,039 79,003 29,793 8,352 1936 . . . . 11,899 105,078 25,928 7,373 1937 .. . . 12,288 158,133 13,715 4,125 1938 .. . . 12,428 79,799 10,825 3,507 The comparative table of imports over the past five years and the amount of duty collected reads as follows;-
Imports
Duty Value. Collected. 1934 .. .. £48,526 £8,352 1935 .. . . 68,782 12,281 1936 92,296 14,803 1937 .. .. 137,365 23,867 1938 . . . . 83,026 15,167 Australia retained her position as the chief supplier of goods to Tonga, as revealed in the following table showing the main countries of origin:— 1937 1938 Australia .. £36,678 £19,828 New Zealand 30,311 16,984 United Kingdom .. 21,306 15,555 Japan .. .. .. .. 20,009 7,675 U.S. America .. .. 10,914 7,116
Mr. R. R. Russell. Chief Police Magi strate, at Suva, Fiji, is now in Australia on furlough.
Dr. H. lan Hogbin, past president, and Princess Te Puea Herangi, C.8.E., of New Zealand, were elected vice-presi dents at the annual meeting of the Pacific Islands Club in Sydney.
Miss E. Twyford has returned to Salamo, Papua, where she is a nurse with the Methodist Mission hospital, after leave in Australia.
Mr. F. W. Hennings, a member of a pioneer family from Fiji, who has been treasurer of the Pacific Islands Club in Sydney for the past two years, has re signed that office, and Miss Ella Small, of the Mitchell Library staff, has been appointed. Mr. Hennings left for New Zealand on May 2, and will be absent from Sydney for about three months.