Trade Booming

Conditions in South Pacific Islands

EXCEPT in New Guinea and Papua, which are under the blight of Aus tralian Socialism, production in all South Pacinc Territories, under the stimulus of high prices for copra, vege table oils, cohee, cocoa, vanilla beans, pearl shell, etc,, is increasing rapidly.

With funds thus made available, Islands merchants are buying eagerly abroad and, considering the worldwide shortage of goods, cargoes of surprising dimensions are being delivered in Islands ports.

Fiji, already getting big prices for copra and otner primary products, en joyed further good fortune in February wnen it was announced that Britain, re adjusting some of the rates fixed for essential commodities would pay an ad ditional £3/5/- per ton for Fiji sugar.

This is a gift to the Colony of over £750,000 per annum, in which all classes will share—especially the Indian cane growers.

As reported elsewhere, Western Samoa, selling cocoa beans and copra, is enjoy ing a remarkable boom.

ACORREPONDENT writes from Papeete: A good many freighters are calling at this port, and the size and variety oi their cargoes indicate that the export trade of Tahiti is very satisfactory.

The USS “Waitomo,” late in January, discharged no less than 5,000 tons of cargo in Papeete, and loaded 429 barrels of mother-of-pearl shell, a large quantity of vanilla beans, and a consignment of sharks’ livers —the latter an experimental shipment. The American steamer “Han nibal Hamlin” sailed in January for Mar seilles, after picking up here 3,000 tons of copra, vanilla beans, coconut oil and coconut fneal.

THE tragedy of the South Pacific at the present time is seen in Papua and New Guinea where Australian planters, handicapped by lack of trans port and labour, cannot get much ad vantage from the prevailing Islands boom. By the time the muddle created by the Australian socialist government is cleaned up the NG planters’ opportun ity for rehabilitation may have passed.