An Expensive

Large Families Are An Expensive Indian Luxury Now Cost-of-Living Figures Skyrocket

rHE rising cost of living in Fiji is indicated bj the record leap in the cost-of-living index igure of Indian workmen during he quarter ended in September.

The index figure for Suva rose by 8 points to 251 and for the rest of fiti Levu to 283. (The base figure, aken to represent the cost-of-living lefore the war, is 100).

The increased cost of food —bread, harps, rice, dhall, condiments, anned mutton and onions—is aostly responsible. Some of these oods are imported from Australia, nd reflect the inflationary spiral i that country, but some of them re Fiji-grown.

Onions previously 7id per pound ose to 1/3 and accounted for five oints of the rise. Onions are an nportant item in the Indian diet nd cannot be grown locally.

Onions in Sydney, incidentally, rere 2/6 per pound in October).

In Suva imported rice rose by 2d er pound to 9d (the equivalent of bout £B3 Fijian per ton) and local

torekepeers immediately raised the

rice of locally-grown rice to the ime figure.

It seems utterly fantastic that >cally grown rice should cost any iing like this amount and prob bly production costs are but a 'action of the sum for which it is fid retail.

It seems unlikely, however, that nder present methods of cultiva on, the production of local rice in be much increased. It is grown, >r the most part, in small home ead patches and suitable land for le growing of this crop is by no leans unlmited. With the rapidly 'owing Indian population it is a lathematical certainty that they ill have to depend more and more i imported rice.

To date there is no indication lat the Indians of Fiji have taken ly heed of Sir Brian Freeston’s arning of a couple of years ago iat they must limit their families if ley wish to survive.- But as they now have got to the age of being unable to produce lough to eat and as the cost of iported foodstuffs continues to iral, they probably will be forced something of the sort out of eer economic necessity.

Mr. Jack Ponting has established radio repair shop in Madang, 3. He is operating in a room at e rear of the Picture Theatre.