Timber Revives

Kadavu

Importance

THE brief glory that was Kadav in the early 1870’s may revived and surpassed now ti the Kadavu Timber Company is operation on this very fertile isls of the Fiji Group.

It is expected that the operatii of the newly-formed timber cc pany (which has originated fn the old Fiji Kauri Timber Co., Nadarivatu) will have a f reaching influence not only u; the native people living on island, but also upon the gent trade of the Colony.

When the Governor, Sir Ron Garvey, on September 21, puller lever which set the saws biting i a large dakua salusalu log it not sufficient merely to visualisi as increasing the production local lumber, and thus reducing amount of timber imported s incidentally, contributing to a ni favourable trade balance.

The new mill will also contrilf in various ways to increased tr activity. The present logging e is to continue right across island and from it branch ro will push inland through the U area. This reading system make it possible to concent] bananas and other produce central shipping points avoiding; long sea haul around the islan With the development of ban production now proceeding ran at Kadavu it was proposed that Zealand banana ships should at the old port of Galoa to picl bananas, but after his visit to( new mill, the Governor const that Naikorokoro Bay, where mill is situated, would be a b« central shipping centre.

Burns Fhilp Ltd. will have tt vessels calling regularly Naikorokoro to take away tin.

This will give the island a re§ shipping centre in distinct com to the previous irregular se:j provided by cutters.

The fertile soil and equ climate of Kadavu is very suit for growing vegetables but ship costs and the uncertainty of i ping has always discoun attempts to develop the ship;c of produce from Kadavu to S Copra shipments will also facilitated.

Mr. Smith is manager secretary of the Company, came from Nadarivatu, tog? with the mill manager, Mr. : Bak and the head bushman,..j G. Peckham.

The Kadavu Timber Compar a joint enterprise of the Fiji I Timber Co., the Fiji owners oc

imber which is to be cut at ladavu, and the employees who ave come from Nadarivatu. All iree groups are represented on the card of Directors, the Fijians by nominee of the Native Land Trust ;oard.

The Fiji Kauri Timber Co. of adarivatu has given assurance that hen the other two groups are able ) take full control of the enterprise ley will withdraw and will sell leir shares to their co-partners.

Also with New Zealand vessels filing at Kadavu, it opens up the Dssibility of a produce trade with ew Zealand with tomatoes and th e r vegetables during the ominion’s winter months.

The kauri and other trees on the iland are said by the Managing Irector of the Company, Mr. W. . Goodsir, to be larger by about le-quarter than the timber cut at le old mill at Nadarivatu.

It is also possible that with mber so readily available a small lat-building industry might be set 3. Already the mill has become le centre for boat repair work, anana cases can also be turned at at the mill for banana ship ents.

Most of the credit for the new iterprise goes to the Managing irector, Mr. W. E. Goodsir who, nee 1924, has been associated with le Pin Kauri Timber Co. at adarivatu, from which the new ompany has developed.

Mr. M. H. Wilks, Chairman of irectors of the Kadavu Timber Co. so held a similar position with le old Comnany. The other rectors are Sir Hugh Ragg, Mr. r . O. Garnett (representing the ative Land Trust Board) and Mr. r alter Smith.

Kadavu is the Fiji island first ghted on the shipping route stween New Zealand or Australia id Fiji. It is large, high and rtile and when the first regular lipping connection between Aus alia and the United States was stablished in 1874, Galoa irbour was a port of call for •ovisioning, and for trans-ship ent of goods to New Zealand, owever, within a few years it was sing by-passed first in favour of mika and then Suva.

The Chief Justice of Tonga, Mr. istice Bont Hunter, who spent his cent leave in his home town (Syd )y), returned to Tonga in Sep mber. He will be a member of the ji Appeal Court, which is due to )ld a sitting in Fiji in October or ovember.

Amongst new arrivals at Apia, 'estern Samoa, was the new irector of Broadcasting, Mr. impbell Turner with family. His ife is a daughter of the well lown Apia hotel owner, Mrs. Aggie rey.