Tongan Newsletter

NUKU’ALOFA, January 2.

ARRANGEMENTS were recently con cluded between the Governments of New Zealand and Tonga for recipro cal income tax relief between the two countries.

Under the new plan, income derived in Tonga by a New Zealand resident will be exempt from income tax in New Zealand, although it will still be liable for Social Security charge. Prior to the agreement, Income thus derived was taxable in both countries.

On the other hand, any income derived by a resident of Tonga, irrespective of nationality, from and subject to taxation in any Commonwealth country, or the Republics of India and Eire, is exempt from taxation in Tonga.

A survey of timber resources was recently made on the island of ’Ena !>y the Agricultural Department. It was found that 12,480 acres were in forest and that about 24,000 super feet of millable ;imber was available in each acre; total imount of timber available was estimated it not less than 34,000,000 super feet.

The Department is now planting young ,rees on those portions of the island iccupied by grass and guava. More than 9,000 trees have already been planted, nd the species include a type of Cedar imilar to the famous Cedars of Lebanon, ■he trees should become millable timber rithin 20 to 30 years.

Residents of Nuku’alofa saw smoke and team rising from the direction of olcanic Falcon Island on December 23. ■ying 45 miles to the north-west of luku’alofa, the island appears and isappears periodically. It has gained the ickname of “Jack-in-the-Box” Island.

Queen Salote, with retinue, sailed for ta’apai on December 28 to spend New ear there. She was expected to return > Nuku’alofa for the opening of Parlia lent on January 24.

Senior Tutor at Tupou College, the Rev. au Faupula, returned to Tonga by the ecember “Tofua” after some months of eputation work in Australia. Also on le “Tofua” was the Rev. ’lsikeli Hau’ofa, sturning after serving four years on Methodist Mission stations in Papua.

Passengers on the “Aoniu”, which re irned to Nuku’alofa on December 5, eluded the Judge of the Supreme Court, r • Justice Hunter; the Civil Service ilaries Revision Commissioner, Mr. R. . Ramage, CMG; and the Secretary to ie Government, Mr. K. R. Bain, who id accompanied Mr. Ramage on his sits to Ha’apai and Vava’u.

Clerk to the Legislative Assembly and ibinet, Siosaia P. Vaea, is now holiday g in New Zealand on a six month ication leave. Also on leave in New saland is the Senior Inspector of Police id Mrs. Tevita F. Hama.

The Government despatch vessel “Hifo a” left in December for its annual 'erhaul in Auckland. On board were veral lepers and also gifts of mats, tapa oth, coconut oil and native foodstuffs om Queen Salote and the women of >nga for the Makogai Leper Settlement Fiji.

December was generally a dry month r Tonga. Those rains which fell at e beginning and end of the month were blessing to the yam crops and to iku’alofa’s depleted water supply.