Do You Remember?
p. 25 · Read in the full issue
From PIM of 20 Years ago.
A LOT of worthy people in the
Pacific Islands—and particu
larly the planting fraternity—
said that they were glad to see the end of 1933 which had been one of the most unhappy years in the eco nomic history of the Islands. Al though 1934 did not look any more promising, they felt that it could not be any worse. If conditions did become so, then they would have to go native and live off the country
in the approved style of Hollywood
fiction. These are some extracts from our issue of January, 1934; Rabaui’s famous Chinese hotel-keeper.
Ah Chee, died. We said that men all over the Pacific would remember the help given them by this big-hearted man— usually at a time when they were down on their luck, and spurned by other Europeans. Twenty years later, Ah Chee and his hotel—which later became the Cosmopolitan—are remembered by New Guinea old-timers. * “ ♦ We reported, once again, that the copra market had crashed. In mid-January of that year it had reached an all-time low in London of £7/12/6 —and further falls were expected. A Sydney merchant was confidently predicting that the next two years would be “the blackest in the industry’s history.” Blame was attributed mostly to over-production of whale-oil, peanut oil, and soya-bean oil—and cheap butter which was taking the place of margarine. This is one picture that has changed a lot in 20 years.
Price for copra, assessed in Rabaul for export purposes, was £4/13/1 per ton.
The NG Administration graciously decided that from November 1, 1933, no export duty would be levied on copra, when the price fell below £lO per ton in London.
The export tax had already been
gradually lowered from 25/- to 2/6 per ton. ♦ * ♦ Loud groans and moans were coming from Samoan cocoa producers also. They were being offered £l2/10/- per ton for their cocoa beans by some merchants, although we carefully pointed out that Sydney quotations were still £25 to £3O per ton. * * * But at the other end of the scale—our Rabaul Correspondent reported that the NG Administration had recently pur chased rice by tender at £B/8/9 per ton; and canned meat at 4/4tfc per dozen tins. ♦ * ♦ “A new government station is being started on the Sepik River (NG) about 40 miles from the mouth. This will do away with the old Marienberg station.
The new site is Angoram and was used during the German days as a depot.” * * * A letter from the Second officer of the S.S. Montoro (“Bill” Wilding, who is now skipper of BP’s Bulolo) said that two-fifths of the steamships subscriptions to the Royal Shipwreck Relief and Humane Society of NSW came from passengers who had travelled on the island ships Montoro, Macdhni, Mataram. and Morinda. The donations were made up of small percentages on race game winnings, daily runs and deck sports. * * * The Governor of Fiji, Sir Murchison Fletcher, planned a visit to New Zealand and Australia to discuss trade with Fiji —particularly the entry of bananas into Australia. ♦ * ♦ The trial of Mr. O. F. Nelson for his part in Western Samoan Mau activities, was suspended when he became ill and the Judge was taken to hospital with blood-poisoning.