QUEER SIDE OF THINGS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4589, 23 July 1923, Page 4

QUEER SIDE OF THINGS.

EVENTS. (By Septimus.) It is a queer world. Some ten days ago I was slogging away in the office of the “Fiji Times” when a message came that there was a lady tp see me. I found it was a Miss Thorp, of Paeroa, who was making an island trip—the round trip via Samoa. It reminded me that the world is even smaller than 1 thought it was. It seemed, in fact, that Paeroa was temporarily on the Fiji map. And it is almost strange how warmly we rush to welcome people from the places we have lived in, even if it was for only a little while. Miss Thorp, has returned to Suva, after an unusually eventful trip to Samoa during which she had the singular good fortune to see a volcanic eruption at sea—an account of which I have to-day cabled to, the New Zealand papers. The crew of the wrecked American schooner Alert were also brought along by the Tofua, so that her trip was quite out of the ordinary. With six other New Zealanders Miss Thorp is staying at the Bungalow—the most homely place in Suva, and also the abode of one Septimus.

The controversy over* the dairying in Fiji,, as outlined by-Septimus, is still raging,-and.the writer is threatened* with all sorts of things. But, although it is almost regarded as bad form nowadays to be truthful, what was written stands, and cannot be altered by the production ■of facts. Fiction might do it, but nothing else. Meanwhile, I am hoping that the dairy farmers of the Hauraki Plains will not be induced to leave their land to experiment in the tropics. Before leaving New Zealand this time I was under the impression that the Dominion could do quite a large business with Fiji in all varieties of goods. Now I find that is practically impossible. The direct lino of steamers running to England have made a vast difference, enabling goods to be imported without all the extra charges and handling that, was occasioned when the most of the Fiji trade went to Australia. There are lines, however, in which reciprocal trade can be. increased. Fresh fruits from New Zealand, for instance, are always welcome. . Apples could be boosted. About a month ago we received nothing but Australian apples —small and miserable examples of what can be grown there. Then the embargo was lifted and in came a big consignment of New Zealand ones — absolutely glorious by comparison. Of coarse, there are plenty; of tropical fruits here, but the products' of the colder countries are more appreciated. New Zealand apples are, in fact, a godsend to us. Likewise the New Zealand butter.

Pictures of floods, horrible weather reports, and wild stories by tourists have given the impression here that times are bad in New Zealand. I believe that is only a yarn. They say they are bad here, but the people .seem to be doing all right—and some local government debentures were swallowed up in an instant. Bad times are often the tjesulr, of some depressed individual having had a bad run and advertising it. It’s the old story—think progress and you will get it; be depressed and you will depress everything within reach of you.