The Price Spiral In

Fiji

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva. Nov. 9

of living note: The vendor of a J bundle of five dalo (taro) at a Suva market told a potential Fijian buyer that the price was 8/-, thus establishing a flew record for what is nominally a Fijian staple foodstuff but is very widely con sumed by other races as well.

After argument, the price was reduced to 7/6. This offer was also turned down, the Fijian commenting tersely that he had exactly 7/6 in his pocket to buy the entire evening meal for himself, his wife and three children.

At the fish market a vendor demanded, and was paid, 3/- for two 10 in. mullet and 4/- for a 12 in. saqa.

These examples, however anybody may try to explain away this sort of thing, are an indication of the continued trend winch, if not headed off, is going to produce an impossible situation in Suva in the near future.

Wages of PWD employees throughout faji have gone up again as a result of i big jump in the Indian cost of living index for the last quarter. The European index also went up but not to the same extent as the Indian.

At least two of the big firms have

recently made wage-increases with a notable absence of trumpet-blowing.

And all this comes at a time when the Government, the Civil Service and the Legislative Council are diplomatically haggling over Civil Service nay and con ditions.

A Fijian earning £3O a month (not many Fijians get anything like that) said the other day that, with a wife and five children, he is infinitely worse off than he was in 1930 with a wife, two children and (it looks incredible) only £4 a month.

He now pays an Indian £lO a month for an inadequate place to live in—a figure that is quite moderate in Suva these days —and is constantly worried by the fact that the children are fed mainly on white bread and similar stuff, simply because the price of Fijian dalo, fresh vegetables and meat has put anything like a proper diet out of reach.