FIJI NEWS

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 112, 13 May 1902, Page 3

FIJI NEWS

The Western Pacific '"Herald" says: "'The jear 1900 was an exceptionally good year for copra, being- £44,330 more than in 1901. We are sorry to notice that the item of green fruit is on the decline, and it is to be hoped that with the new areas coining- into bearing- this most important export will again be on the mend. With the absence of hurricanes also we must look for a larg-e increase in cocoanut plantations and their products. Sug-ar must undoubtedly increase. That o'oes without saying when we remember the new plantations now being- opened up at Lautoka and elsewhere. The statement of asset's and liabilities of the colony shows nn excess of assets oi- .£41,492. There is an item oi' £47,(189 standing to the credit of Return Passages Fund, and this will no doubt be of interest to our planting- community. embracing us it does the amounts paid in b}' employers for the return passages of their lnbour, and other receipts incidental to the labour question. A source of taxation which mig-ht be reduced is postage. The post office is now a good payingl concern, and the Executive would be conferring1 a great boon on the whole community if they would reduce the inter-island postage on letters and newspapers to one penny and a halfpenny respectively. The increase in postal matter would more than compensate for the reduction."

During a heavy thunderstorm at Uewa River lately a curious phenomenon was observed on the Navuso Estate. The lig-htning- struck a field of sugar cane, and all the plants in that particular block, to the extent of a square chain, wer» completely kPiled by the electricity. Such an occui'rence has not been reported before.