Fiji Penalised

Effect of Unjustified and Unjust: Customs Duties

THE way in which residents of Fiji are; being penalised because Fiji is ai British Colony is beginning to cause; restlessness and discontent.

Already, we have indicated that Fiji, through her exports, earns substantial quantities of dollars —and could earn more, if her copra were allowed to ga to the high-priced American market, in stead of being seized by Britain under the MOF contract.

The dollars that Fiji earns now are all grabbed for Britain—Fiji gets no bene fit from them.

Until recently, the adjoining French Colony of New Caledonia was in a similar position. France grabbed all the dollars earned by New Caledonia’s important metal industries. But New Caledonia’s representative in the French Chamber ol Deputies, M. Lafleur, for months, fought stubbornly against that system. Finally he succeeded; and New Caledonia maj now, if she wishes, use the dollars she earns for purchases in America.

If Fiji had a representative in the British Parliament, she could fight for e similar right.

HERE is another injustice. Fiji usei a great deal of cotton cloth. Britain forces Fiji to buy this from Britain by imposing a Customs tariff of 50 pei cent, on cotton goods of foreign manufac ture, as against 25 per cent, if British That might have been justified before th« war—after all, Fiji gets many benefit from British rule and protection—but since the war, the thing has become in defensible.

England does a huge business in con verting and finishing cotton piece goodl for other countries. If that cloth come: out to the South Pacific, it is rated a; part foreign, part English manufacture If the English percentage is not bij. enough, it goes in as “foreign” and if taxed accordingly.

Recently, some Italian-made shirtinj came out, after being pre-shrunk am vat-dyed in England. It was rated a predominantly foreign. The duty fj Australia was lid. instead of £d. pe yard but the Fiji importer had to paj no less than lid. per yard extra.

When the Fijian duties were arrange© there was plenty of cheap, low-grad British-made cotton goods available; s that, if the high tariff turned the Fii buyer off foreign lines, he could easil get what he wanted from Britain Further, the foreign goods were low ii price, and the 50 per cent, tax was no a heavy impost—perhaps 2d. per yard.

Today, owing to costly labour air shortage of raw materials, the Englis manufacturer no longer makes thos cheap lines. Lacking the British compe tition, foreign prices are much higher The Fiji buyer is forced to take eithfe the more expensive British lines, or pa? 50 per cent, tax on the foreign stuff. 1 other words, the Fiji consumer is no: compelled to pay a tax on his cotto goods of 9d. to 1/- per yard where, pre war, he rarely paid more than 2d.

The tariff, which places a cruel burde on the Fiji community, should be revise; in view of the changed conditions ; England.

NOTE: There is an important refereno to these taxes in our report (in this issuti of the Governor’s speech in the Fi' i Legislative Council last month. If tIJ proposed new copra tax had be«j adopted, the Cotton taxes would hat been reduced. But the Copra tax was m accepted.