FIJI NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 50, 28 February 1916, Page 2

FIJI NEWS.

GERMAN TRADERS IN FIJI. "EXPORT DUTY ON SUGAR. SUVA, February 17. In the Legislative Council, sitting in Suva, Fiji, on February 11th, the Hon. Scott '_'!Ihat in the opinion of this Council'early, steps should be taken to. prevent enemy traders carrying on business within the colony, and. if neces- : sary, special legislation should be passed to deal with the matter." After considerable discussion, in the course of - - which- the - Attorney -General laboured the "difference between naturalised and iinnaturahsed -Germans, and the • legal difficulties in tire way of taking drastic actioij, the .Acting-Governor agreed to receive the motion "as an expression of opinion from the elected side of the ..House,", and .to submit it to the Secre- , tary of State.for the_Colonies. "* •; : i-lxport duty on* sugar. " •-'-. TlTc bill -Imposing an -export duty of i 5/per ton on sugar, passed through' its -' final Stages at the sitting of the Legis"lative Council," Suva, Fiji, on the '11th instant. The duty, came into operation as frbhi' January Ist lasff.. In-the course of the de-BaTteouthe -oßl7£h"e~Hbn. Ken" r . for Ba) declared that the - -duty-would be-passed on to the planters, and it was a mistake to imagine that v» the planters .were .well-off. .Three-fifths of--the" planters oft* the southern side of the island, he said, were heavily in debt, . .and..lived upon . the.generosity of the- " SUgar-Cbmpffriy; who-made them a living allowance. Many, who started planting ten years, ago were to-day no better off .' than, .when; they Started. The general manager, of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, in the course of a commuhica..;t"on.w*.the Government,Jremarkcd in reference to the. continuation of the duty " of 2/6 per ton cane- to "the planters: : ."We.shalfc.pf-'epuraei take all the taxes '.-. weVngw. pay ."int'o_accou'nt in the matter." " A FIJI SOLDIER " ::"TChiet Ratu- : 'Sukuna. .who was .nicn-. --tiohed-ih dispatches .for.h's finecwork with the French "Foreign "L'egion;-in France, is returning, wounded, to Fiji next - month. Sukuna is a University-a-fine speaker. If. -the Government perceives its opportunity Sukuna will be a fine investment. ' v ' —' ' ""**