OPENING FOR N.Z.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 410, 20 December 1932, Page 4

OPENING FOR N.Z.

IMPRQVING TRad; tongan piremier point?' need for more reciprocity BANANAS FOR B(JTT£p "For the past twenty-five have been trading with New U said Prince Tugi, Premier 0f; and Prince Consort to Queem (Charlotte), to a" "Morning pc' presentative, and our trade aged £60,000 per year. Butnoi the exchange against us and f difference in Tongan and A© exchange the trade is going j, tralia." Prince Tugi and his son the( Prince Taufa'Ahau, are spaj month's holiday in Rotorua ad ing that time expect to see a deal of the land scbeme of ana Ngata for settling the Ha, their land. Speaking of Sir Af Prince Tugi remarked thatasj he could learn by reading, | the first and only one of the] Ministers to undertake the g of providing a sound settlen® eme for the native race fcufi anxious to see for himself (j. gres^ made. Reverting to the trade prdb'i ■ Tonga, Prince Tugi said pression was being felt in the Kingdom as well as in the xest world principally through tt that there was a problem fatj Tongans of finding a marketfe produce. The main product copra and bananas. The prices! copra had fallsn below costs c duction and the mainstay of ti; ers was the banana trade. Int] were exp'eriencing difficulty hi a market for they were limitsj quota in New Zealand which wa natural ontlet. E The quota is only 2400 to SliitB of bananas a month. I Tongan's Small TaxatJ Prince Tugi mentioned tbl Tongans are in a f ortunate c-l in regard to taxation. After « became 16 he had to payapB of £1 16/- per year and alsoil allotment of either 8/- or ti annum. That was the total -■ taxation he had to pay and m addition to this was the custorB which was the only indirectM levied. From the taxation thiisB all the funds for Governme J social servioes were found :B eountry had ended its financiB with a surplus. K

Reciprocity in Trade ■ Prince Tugi stressed the ha there waa a distinct openingiHj ciprocity in trade between « land and Tonga. There wasafl monthly steamer service rl from New Zealand to Fiji, SarH Tonga and there was plenhl mand for some of the New® products. For instance, there™ mand for tinned meat and Toe® for tinned meat ran into ahoa® a year. Then there was woolB was a population of 28,000 ■ and they required a certain fl of wool. This was an avenc® might be explored. Butter aLw it was rather high in price, "H more popular, but 21- per poi® it unobtainable to many of ® gans. K Tonga's Generosity I Tonga was one of the ® which asserted its own jnde® as a kingdom and declaredraB Germany during the Great® number of the Islanders we® with the New Zealanders tot® but it is of its internal eS® Tonga is most proud. TbH Kingdom contributed to all a® war fund and it is stated fl contribution per head was lar® any other eountry in the w® a small eountry this is con5®| very fine effort. K Supporting Home Indiist® Prince Tugi pointed out tta® at the moment smoking a t® land brand of tobacco andr® 1 that when in Wellington heb® to task one or two person'® j met in high circles who were® ) American leaf pointing out t® i were the reverse of patriofe® j that Tonga was practically® ! porting, with' the exceptioo® ; things that he had menti®® j that with a live trade with i® j land, both parties would b;® stantially. __ ®