Fiji's Sugar and Pineapples

Pineapples

THE biggest employer of labour in Fiji, the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., Ltd,, reported as follows recently on labour conditions in the Colony:— “In Fiji, the conduct of the war has made considerable demands on our sup ply of Fijian and Indian labour, with the result that we are experiencing difficulty in obtaining sufficient manpower to carry on our operations efficiently. Added to this, our cane growers have now to pro duce more of their foodstuffs.

“Consequently, cane cultivation has suffered appreciably, and the area planted for the 1944 cane crop is, so far, much below the normal acreage, “The position of our pineapple project has not improved during the year, owing to lack of tinplate and shortage of labour. We have, however, bottled large quantities of juice, which has met with a ready demand in the Colony.”

Messrs. J. Beveridge and H. W. Bullen have been appointed lieutenants in the Solomon Islands Defence Force and Mr.

H. W. Bourne a second-lieutenant in the Solomon Islands Labour Corps.