Troubles, Too

Tonga Has Trading

From Our Own Correspondent

Nukualofa, Dec. 16.

THERE was outspoken satisfaction among Tongans when a European trader was fined £3 for selling goods to a Tongan for a higher price' than the law allows. This was only a mantle and wick for a kerosene lamp, which was sold for 4/- instead of 3/3—but far too much profiteering by merchants in the Kingdom is taking place, and is being ignored by those supposed to uphold the law. Customers fear to make complaints, because some merchant's do not hesitate to revenge themselves by refusing supplies to the complainants.

The most common form of unlawful profit-making is the imposition of condi tions on the sale of goods, practised mostly by small Indian retailers. At one time, when matches were scarce, they insisted on customers buying a loaf of bread with every box of matches. This practice was not confined to small traders. When cigarette papers were scarce and cigarette tobacco plentiful, one of the large firms here sold their cigarette papers only on condition that customers bought cigarette tobacco with every packet of papers purchased.

When he picked up a radio aerial wire which had fallen across a high tension electrical main at Samabula in Decem ber. Mr. William Broaderlaw, an employee of the Eltron Electrical Engineering Co. of Suva, was killed almost instantaneously.

The accident occurred when Mr. Broader law picked up one end of the wire with a pair of pliers. He was born at Apia, Western Samoa, about 21 years ago, but he lived in Fiji for most of his life.