Quality and Ships

The Ways Of A

Modern Prince

Tugi Plans for Copra Quality and Ships

OUR old friend, Prince Tugi, Premier of Tonga and Heir Apparent to the throne, is getting a reputation among merchants and shippers as the Bad Boy of the Pacific. He is taking a line of his own, in copra and in shipping, of which some people do not approve.

As everyone knows, the Ministry of Food contract, under which all British South Pacific producers get for their copra a price that is better than world price, comes to an end in 1957. Copra producers are looking thoughtfully into the future.

Tugi, always planning for his little kingdom, decided to prepare for the day when the MOF contract ends. He arranged that, out of the 16,000 tons or so of copra which Tonga produces each year, there should be released to him between 2,000 and 3,000 tons, which he might dispose of as he likes.

Efforts now are being made by the Tonga Government to sell this copra under some sort of regular contract, either in Western Canada and United States, or in some Central American country like

Venezuela. Great care is being taken with this copra—it is to be of the highest attainable grade.

However, in those places to-day, the ruling price is at least £5 per ton under the MOP price.

“But, Tugi,” protest his merchant friends, “you are going to make a loss of from £lO,OOO to £20,000

each year—that is the differ between what you can get from MOF contract for this deta< copra, and what you will get j America. And you will have the bother of arranging shipp “I say it is worth it,” argues Tongan aristocrat, gently.

“At present, under the 1

ract, there is only a small jin of a few shillings between and bad copra. Consequently, growers are careless —it nearly s bad copra. When the MOF *act ends, we all will simply ct the world price for very copra—that is sure. But if, in meantime, we can establish a ; for Tongan copra, based on ry good quality, we shall get uch higher price after the act expires, for all our pro on. I think it is worth risking £lO,OOO or nnore per annum, for the sake of the future.”

Two Little Ships

CRE is a much livelier interest i the Prince’s shipping plans. . large proportion of the goods i go to Tonga from Europe America are transhipped in and the Tongans have ed, for years, that they pay lighly for freight for Suva alofa, and too high for ing services generally.

Tugi now has ordered two one 500 tons and one a little sr, to maintain a goods and iger service between Tonga djacent ports—especially Suva Auckland. The little ships, of ;, will maintain services within kingdom’s widely-scattered )elago. shipping men tell him, ly, that he will soon learn lots shipping—about the costs of ing ships, and keeping the sober and respectful, and the le problems of maintenance lese tropical Islands ports. ;r to pay all the companies’ is, and finish, and so dodge eadaches,” they say.

Tugi, incurable optimist, his wide and friendly smile, ays he thinks he can make shipping plan economically He seems to be putting his in the technical skill and r of a number of young ns who are undergoing ig-