AFFAIRS IN TONGA.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 June 1921, Page 4

AFFAIRS IN TONGA.

EXPORTS GOING TO AMERICA. DUE TO LACK OF STEAMERS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright Received June 29, 5J5 p.m. Sydney, June 29. The Premier of Tonga is visiting Australia on a health tour. Questioned as to the likelihood of I» land federation he said Tongans remain independent people; they vtare quite satisfied and did not want any, form of federation or commonweaithj When visiting Suva recently he was informed that the Fijian movement was to secure the Federation of all the British islands in the Western Pacific, but the Tongan Government had no desire to discuss the question. Referring to the diversion of Tongan trade from Australia to America, the Premier said all the copra, which was the chief export, was now sent to America because the 'Union Company declared they had no vessels available for the Tongan trade since the war. They would prefer to send to Australia, but there was no option. Before the war they wfcre able to send fruit to New Zealand by direct steamer to Auckland, but now tlie Union Company sent the steamer round Fiji to Tonga, which made the journey too long for fruit shipments. German traders resident in Tonga before the war had been allowed to resume business, but no further Germans were allowed to come in.— Aub.-N.Z. Cable Assn.