Citrus Season Was Good

THE Resident Commissioner re ported at the 1956 meeting of the Cook Islands Legislative Council that “in the season just finished, Rarotonga exported over 52,000 cases of citrus fruit, the highest quantity for 26 years.”

If this figure does relate only to Rarotonga Island’s production, and not to the entire Southern Group exports, it is good indeed, as there was a decline in total exports in the 1955 season of about 16,000 cases on the previous year’s shipments of 55,000 cases.

In 1955, Rarotonga alone produced 28,000 cases, which was 11,000 cases lower than in the previous year.

It is interesting to note, however, that the citrus “master plan,” pub lished in the 1945 annual report, set expected total production for 1955 at 88,000 cases (which is a good deal in excess of the 39,000 cases actually shipped), and for 1956, 108,000 cases if the “master plan” is realised.

IF Filimone K. Wainiqolo, a student of the Central Medical School, Suva, Fiji, has been selected by the Special Committee appointed by the Macuata Provincial Council to receive the Macuata Overseas Scholarship. Filimone proposes to go to New Zealand to study

medicine at Otago University, Dunedin.

FI Mr. Roy MacGregor, of Madang, another New Guinea old-timer, is planning an early retirement South.

He has sold his trading business in Madang, and now is consolida ting his planting interests. At present, he is residing in Madang,

and managing his own and soi other plantations. t The alarming increase of people mostly natives —before the courts charges of drunkenness in Noum is causing some concern. Fr< January to December, 1956, t total number was 360, an incres of 236 over the same period in 19