PROGRESS OF FIJI

Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1926, Page 4

PROGRESS OF FIJI

HOPEFUL PROSPECTS. EXPERIMENTS WITH COTTON. AUCKLAND, Jan. 2(5. “Trade conditions in the Fiji group during 1925 were quite good, the sugar crop, with the exception of one year, constituting about a record.” .said Sir Maynard Hedstrom, senior elected member of the Fiji Legislative Council, and managing director of Morris. Hedstrom. Ltd., who arrived in Auckland on holiday by the Tuftta tkis morning.

Sir .Maynard supplemented his observation by providing trade figures for to £2,000,(XX) and imports to £1,200,COO, making a total of about three and the year. The total exports amounted a half million pounds. The total amount of sugar exported was 91.000 tons, valued at £1.300,000, while 21.000 tons of eopnt, representing £500,000 went out of the islands.

Speaking generally of the island trade Sir Maynard said that owing to the excellent shipping facilities in existence Hip tendency was to deal mainly with. Groat Britain. On a great many lines the charge on Height, was less from London than it was from Auckland. “We have six vessels a year trading with Glasgow and Liverpool and four with Loudon,” said the visitor. ‘‘Thera is a preferential tariff 011 British goods, so wo are getting very little from foreign countries. As far as trade with. America is concerned, it. is falling off. The tariff acts as a big protection.” Three industries were in an interesting state at the present time, said Sir Maynard. The cotton industry was lining developed experimentally liv the Government, assisted by the British Cotton Growers’ Association. An expert had recently been imported from Australia and lie uas louring the islands picking out lavourable spots, while a grading and packing expert bad been employed for some time past. There was'a small production .of -sea Island cotton. the export last year was just a little over three lons, which showed that the industry wa.s still very in mil in its infancy. It wa.s. however, being developed as a peasant industry for Indians, as a means ol combating labour troubles. Pineapple experiments were also at an interesting stage. The Government had an agreement with a Canadian company, by which it was growing a small area ol Cayenne (tines, a variety not seen in this country, the crop would be ready about September of ibis year, when the Canadian company will send out a small plant and a representative to see how the limit compares with Hawaiian (tines. As tar as the dairying industry was concerned. Sir .Maynard said that it was bumpered to a certain extent by 1 llortage of cattle. Some bad been importing front New Zealand, including a few heifers, but mainly stud bulls, to help to build up the industry. “There is an opening in Fiji for a small number ot men interested in

dairying.” stated Sir Maynard. “ I here is a considerable area ot European laud available in the Xnvtia district, where a Canadian sawmill once existed. It was closed and the land cleared. The men would have to work on an export basis, because tbe local need is limited.” Speaking ol trade with New Zealand, Sir Maynard pointed out that there was so little lliat could be done between the Dominion and the islands. For instance, our Ilnur was useless in Lhc tropics. At the same time imports from Australia had fallen off relatively. Trade hail been transterrwd to (Jreat Britain because ol the good facilities offering.