Island Fruit Production

Supplies to NZ Should Now Improve

PROSPECTS for better fruit supplies from the Islands were announced by Mr. Ross Fraser, acting director of the Internal Marketing Board (NZ) when he returned to the Dominion after his recent visit to the Cook Islands and Western Samoa.

Fifteen thousand cases of Island bana nas arrived in Auckland about the same time, to give substance to Mr. Fraser’s promise.

Many of the native growers are now replanting and weeding their plantations, he reported. Until recently they were engaged on defence work, the making of curios and other occupations more re munerative than fruit-growing. Only since the war moved further north has there been a resumption of planting operations.

Lack of shipping space had been a factor in limiting supplies of fruit to the New Zealand markets. When they were not sure of transport for their produce, native planters naturally had little incen tive to work for an overseas market. In other Cases, so badly had plantations been neglected, native themselves were short of supplies and bananas normally sent to the Dominion were being used for home consumption.

These remarks, Mr. Fraser said, applied fairly generally to all the Islands, includ ing Fiji, Tono-a. Samoa, Niue and the Cooks.

The engagement is announced of Miss Dulcie Robinson, Christchurch, NZ, and Lieyt. Jim Ashley, of Suva, Fiji.

Mr, James Beveridge Thomson, Resident Magistrate, Northern Rhodesia, has been appointed Puisne Judge for Fiji and the Western Pacific. Mr. Thomson, who was born in 1902, was educated at George Watson’s College and Edinburgh Univer sity. He joined the Colonial Service in 1926. He was called to the Bar in 1929.

Mr. A. H. Gaze, QBE. of Melbourne, has been re-elected chairman of the Austra lian and New Zealand Committee of the London Missionary Society.