Taking

Beetles Are Taking The Gilt Off It!

WHEN Mr. H. Hunter, of Citrus Products, Ltd., Auckland, re turned from one of his periodical

visits to Fiji and Tonga in May, he told of some of the factors which are increasing the Company’s costs in the Islands.

With the high price of copra, Mr.

Hunter said, it is becoming increas ingly difficult to obtain labour for the harvesting of citrus crops. A native can now make sufficient money in a week from copra to

allow him to retire for the following fortnight. Thus, to obtain laboun at all for citrus work, wages have to be raised in proportion.

In addition, at Vavau (Tonga) the Company is further burdened by “beetle day”. According to a Government decree, all workers must! be allowed off work for one day each week—at the employer’s ex pense—to hunt the rhinoceros beetle,, which was introduced to Vavau fromi Samoa in a cargo of timber some: time ago.

“Beetle Day” is the gala day of the week—few beetles being dis turbed but all hands having a happy' kind of picnic in the country.

A plan to pay a bonus on allJ beetles caught was scotched when it; was discovered that, in Samoa, ai group of enterprising back-yardJ beetle-breeders had sprung into ex istence and were making excellent] money, as compared with the picnic hunters.

Mr. Norman White and Mr. Lionel!

Baker who have gone in for vegetable; farming at Wau, NG, have been; sending out large quantities of fresh vegetables to various coastal centres., In late May tons were despatched, by air—three tons to Manus for the; Navy and Air Force which are now regular customers for Wau farm pro duce.