Inflation In The Cooks

Prom Our Own Correspondent

Mangaia.

THE Polynesians of this island, who have, after a loti of disputation, secured a better price from the IMD for oranges exported to NZ, are beginning to discover the pitfalls that are hidden in the “blessing” of a Socialist government.

Although orange prices have risen, a proportionate increase in the prices of the store goods that the native planter buys, makes his triumph a somewhat dubious one.

The common tin of beef, which in 1930 was lid., is to-day 2/- at the beach.

In 1930, the planter got about 2/6 for a case of 200 oranges—the best, incident ally, in the market, and the longest keeping. The Mangaians, who have good memories, are now asking themselves if the “prosperity” they to-day enjoy is really that, in view of the fact that the gap between income and outgo remains just about the same!

Naturally, the laws of economics are as Greek to our uneducated folk. It is to be feared that the whole Cook group has some rather painful lessons to learn.

As things are going, in a few years we may expect the tin of beef to cost 10/and oranges to fetch £2O per case. Thus does “inflation” creep insidiously into island commerce.

Rear Admiral John Webster Wishart, who has just been promoted from Eh gineer-Captain in the Royal Australian Navy and given charge of the Naval establishment at Garden Island, Sydney, is a member of a Fijian pioneer family.

His father was the late John Wishart.