PACIFIC ISLANDS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10268, 21 June 1911, Page 3

PACIFIC ISLANDS.

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. EXPANSION OF~ FIJI TRADE (From the Age Special Correspondent.)

Tflie Jinking up of the Pacific Islands by means of radio-telegraphy has beeai advanced another stage by tJie installation of Marconi stations at Suva and Taviuni. Other stations will he opened in the Fiji group, a.nicl Samoa is ilikely to have a plant ere long. The Southern Hemisphere, and especially Oceania, is the scene of wireless, warfare (on a mild scale) amongst several of the leading system's. Now that Marconi ilia® been fortunate enough to get a footing in Fiji, it only remains with his company to keep the system up-to-date and the control of practically all the inter-island traffic is assured. American united stations are installed in most or all of the Sydney-Vancouver steamier®, and one isi also established at Honolulu. The Australasian Wireless (Telefunken) seems to have captured Australia and New Zealand, and tseveral .steamers are working under its system. British, men-o'-wars have the Navy system. It comprises a great deal of the Marconi apparatus, hut has a special piece of receiving gear called a "rejector," which- is very jealously guarded. Fro the number of systems ruling in these parts, it can easily be seen to what extent warfare an the ether is waged. Of course different wave-lengths> are used by the correspondents to a limited extent, but this is governed by Convention. The Fiji larger stations, although, installed for inter-island traffic chiefly, are at least "expected to work with Doubtless Bay and probably Sydney. "When the New Zealand and Australian high-power systems axe established, arrangements have heen made whereby the Suva i station can increase its range. Warships have 'been spoken in New Zea- j land water* already. ] The advancement of trade between Fiji and Australia has been fairly well indicated by the placing of a I fine twin screw steamer on the dir- i ect service by the Australian United S.S. Company. The vessel was specially built for the fruit and copra trade, and signalled her maiden trip by taking a record consignment of bananas—4B,ooo bunches and cevera! thousands of cases'. j It is understood that Suva oorir templates extending its progressive policy in other directions besides wireless and export®. Electric lighting, following on tlie recent establishment of an up-to-date Telephone Exchange, has been mooted, and it is expected that a scheme for the utilisation of water power for this purpose will eventually 'reach nnallity. Water is abundant fcr a hydro-electric scheme if a suitable waterfall could be located a short., distance from the mouth ,of one ot the local rivers. Copra is developing onto a very large and profitable industry. Some of the 'cocoanut plantations turn out a considerable- quantity of this commodity, from which, butter, soap, and several other articles of household utility are being manufactured, both inside and outside the colony. Copra has been as high, as £2l per ton, and £l6 is the usual figure. Rubber is not so promising, although, owing to the industry being in its experimental stage, reliable information as to the prospects of success or otherwise is scarcely to be expected. Sugar of course is the staple industry, and sufficient is probably manufactured to supply the Whole of Australasia. As an evidence of the prosperity of the place and the Union Steam Ship Company's confidence in its progress, the Company will shortly } have at the disposal of tourists a very fine new hostelry. Visitors are very poorly catered for in Suva, and this should meet the growing demand for accommodation as well as prove a decided acquisition to the . town from a picturesque point of view. The bulk of the .timber is from the Dominion, and the contract entrusted to a Dunedin man. The recent census proved there to be tsome 1500 whites in Suva, which is a considerable increase on last returns. . The total absence of facilities for getting to. places of interest and lack of information in the same direction % ■ are noticeable features from a Gbv- , eminent point of view. No Tourist j Department exists, and the- encow- J agementof this traffic is an unknown : quantity. . ■ > [ The (importation of coolie & is a characteristic feature of Fiji life and government. Three vessels, ; each with a complement of 750 to - 800. , males and females, arrive in Suva annualy. It is very much open to question whether Chinese would not make more desirable immigrants. The coolies are drafted to different plantations throughout the main islands, and on the completion, of their term of indenture usually settle down in the larger towns. Men and women work alike, and it does not say much for British regard for motherhood when coolie women are compelled to return to road-making, etc., 'after a two-weeks confinement.