Fiji’S Black

Markets

Price-Control Wilts Under Fantastic Demand

PRICE Control came into operation in the Colony of Fiji in September, 1939; and, out of it, has grown a flourishing black-market.

Mr. Aidney, Controller of Prices in the Colony, admits its existence; but main tains that this is a state which is com mon to-day in all countries which have an artificial restriction on the ordinary operations of the markets —he quotes particularly Australia and New Zealand.

But Fiji, owing to its economic sys tem, its dependence on overseas imports, and the influx of thousands of overseas troops—all plentifully supplied with money—appears to have developed some thing in the black-market line that so far surpasses anything Australia has experienced.

Furthermore, there have been remark ably few prosecutions for black-market ing in Fiji; presumably if one wants eggs badly enough to pay 9/- per dozen for them, one is not going to slay the golden goose that lays them. And, as a natural corollary, it must be assumed that the vast majority of people in Fiji are pre pared to pay any price if they can get what they want.

OFFICIAL causes of the present egg famine in the colony are: The season —eggs are always short at this time of the year and supplies are not coming forward from New Zealand and Australia as formerly; the tremendous increase in the population of Fiji, and the scores of restaurants that have sprung up all over the place, which do a large business in supplying meals to the troops; and shortage of fowl feed. Imported grain has been unprocurable, bran and pollard have been off the market for some time, local maize has been in short supply be cause of the American demand for green corn and because of labour shortages— the price has risen from 14/- per bag to 25/- to 30/-.

Rice is another commodity that is re ported to be selling at exorbitant prices.

Local supplies are insufficient and imported rice is practically unobtainable.

Here, too, transactions are made in hun dreds of scattered places, and it is almost impossible to police the price-fixing order

concerning it.

Foodstuffs, clothing, motor accessories, liquor—especially liquor—are reported to be selling at fantastic prices. It is alleged that almost anything can be bought in the town of Suva if one is prepared to pay enough for it. It is said, also, that Americans have been known to pay as much as 16/- or £1 for an ordinary culinary fowl.

Yet, in spite of protests from the Fiji newspapers and howls from the very few people who cannot or will not subscribe to such bare-faced robbery, nothing is done about it. Perhaps nothing can be done about it until the cause of black

markets—namely, shortage of supplies

and large spending power—no longer exists.

There is much wisdom in the state ment of a contributor to the Fiji “Times”: “It is not the big business firms who overcharge a halfpenny on a box of matches, but the bootmaker, tailor, draper and small shopkeeper who are fostering an inflation period that will never be deflated.”