Comm’C’L Traveller

Tonga’S Royal

Tugi Returns from USA With Varied Ideas

Suva, Oct. 25.

OOMEONE asked Tugi, Crown Prince of Tonga, if he had

enjoyed his tour. (He had just

arrived by plane on his way back from North America.) ‘T am not a tourist” he said, “I am a market investigator!”

AS everyone knows, Tugi is not only Queen Salote’s oldest son, and heir—he also is the Premier of the State. But, being also a thoughtful man of practical com monsense, he has made himself also the country’s chief economic ad viser. He has never been happy about Tonga’s economic set-up—its dependence upon one crop, coco nuts.

So, in America, he has been among some of the leading men in in dustry, studying markets, seeking information about things which his country could produce. Here are some of the ideas which he has brought back with him: Tuna fishing in Tongan waters for the American market: He has been with the Van Camp people in USA, and has studied the industry they have successfully established with Jap long-line fishermen in Pago Pago. Pago Pago is close to Tonga, and the Americans there will take tuna from anyone who can catch them. Tugi argues that, with tuition —and some help in acquir ing that queer, garfish-like bait used by the Japanese—the Tongans can catch sufficient tuna for the Pago Pago depot, in return for dollars, to appreciably affect Tonga’s income.

New uses for coconut ; Tugi brought back with him samples of two delicious confections, which have become popular in America— :oconut chips, which many prefer to potato chips; and coconut syrup, which is like honey, with a strong coconut flavour. Both are made, and luxuriously packed in Hawaii; and sell at astonishing prices. Tugi also insists that he can get, in the Western American market, a better price for Tongan copra than he ?ets under the British Ministry of r ood plan; and he already has asked vhat his chances are of getting free )f the MOF copra contract.

Macadamia nuts: These nuts (well known in parts of Queens and) are now being increasingly )roduced in Hawaii, and the Ameri cans prepare them and pack them n a way that makes them very >opular. The samples brought back >y Tugi were delicious: “and so,” ays the Royal commercial traveller.

“if they can be grown so success fully by Hawaii for America, why cannot they be grown by Tonga for Australia and New Zealand?” Why not, indeed?

Tugi also has some ideas about cocoa; but is warily studying the fact that practically every other South Pacific country lately has be come cocoa-conscious. There may be some danger of over supply. (Next to the table occupied by Tugi in the Grand Pacific Hotel, as he talked to his friends, was a table occupied by Mr. Paul Cadbury, head of the world-famous cocoa firm, now in the South Pacific on what he modestly described as an “ex ploratory” tour. As Tugi, next day, took off for Tonga, Mr. Cadbury left for Western Samoa.)