THE TRADE OF TONGA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 126, 28 May 1918, Page 9

THE TRADE OF TONGA.

OTW ZEALAND r.00D." HEAD THE LIST. . (From Onr Own rorrespondent.^ XTKUALOFA, May 17. The recently-issued statement of the trade and navigation of the Kingdom of Tonga for the year ended December 31. 1917, should have more than passing interest f° r Auckland business men. The report disclose? thr fact that of the stole of the import trade of the kingdom one-half of the importations were from the port of Auckland. Australia also had a big share in the trade. hat in point of value was £16.000 odd behind the shipments from New Zealand. Xhe leadinz figures for the period are as under: — New Zenla nd £30.3.1(1 Australia 43.365 ■ Fiji c.260 America 3.633 England. Samoa, and Japan benefited for lesser amounts. The trade of New Zealand with tlie p-oup was £34.000 better t'.ian the transactions of the previous year, whilst Australia showed an increased trade to the extent of £2.3.000. For many years past. New Zealand has been the main source of supply for Tonga, and a trade comparison with Australians business, with the kingdom is enlightening. Year. New Zealand. Australia. IPOS £43.00:: i.U.Oflr, 1909 118.805 r>1.425 : 1910 75.1H0 44.33S 1911 SS.ffiCi 53.870 1912 S2.S2K r>0.044 . 1913 41.717 20.44:: i 1914 .TB,:an a»,906 1 1915 49.K18 41.135 1916 25.089 15.731 ISI7 59.530 4rt.3ti."i Total trade for 10 years £572.051 £357.:'.r>2 A glance will show that for the period 1913 to 1916 there was a considerable falling-off in trade. This was due to Jisisirous hurricanes, which seriously affected the copra industry—the backion* of the trade of the kinsdorn. During those years of depression Tonga ivas unable to produce copra in large quantities, and the parcels that did come to land were not of the best quality. The falling-off in production Itfeamc alarming, and trade conditions were so deplorable that several of the smaller traders were forced out of business. The years were lean, and money was tight. As an instance it might be noted that whereas in 1909 some 14,824 tons of copra were exported, at a value of £203.1500. in 1010 the output had shrunk to 17.~>4 tons, valued at £23,300. The total value of the exports for 1910 was but 4"*~\320. ■which was indeed a small amount to be distributed amongst a population of under 24,000 people. Out of that sum was paid the poll-taxes, amounting to something like £10,000. The position is now more encouraging. In the nut fields there is great activity, and the golden fruit of the cocoanut rapidly being converted into the marketable product, copra. Trade U decidedly on the uptrend, the Government finances arc much more buoyant than heretofore, and. generally. the outlook is bright, great is tile output of copra that the "trouble- now i- to find storage accommodation for the large supplies coming to hand. The urgent need i= for .ships to lift the products of thecountiy to the outside markets. Up tiD now our shipments have been very satisfactory, and there is every hope that there will he sufficient tonnage available in the near future to meet the demands of the shippers who. by the way, are quite confident that all is well in this matter. The competition amongst buyers is very keen.

The total value of tlie import* of the Kingdom for the year was H 114.200. the leading lines being: Drapery. £30.----303; meats, €14.131: flour. +;710] : preserved fisl'. €S4S9: sugar. *;37-"'4:. and j biscuits. £2.32.". Tn addition to er«o<ls | imported, specie to tlie value of £2fl.boo| was brought into the country by local business firms for the purposes of copra tuying. EXPORT RETURNS. A review of the export* returns clearly shows that the copra industry is the mainstay of the country, for over U2oO tons was shipped during the year at a value eet down at £122,333, which is tut a little over £3000 short of the total export value for all classes of produce. Years ago the fruit industry was of some importance. In 11108 green fruit valued at £14,157 was shipped to Xew Zealand markets, but since that period there has been a steady decline in the trade, one reason being the attitude of the Xew Zealand Government in placing a restriction Upon fruit troin Tonga Wause of the prevalence of t'ne fruit fly. Shipping troubles also arose. With the languishing of tlie fruit trade there came the good news of the srreatlv enhanced value in tlie Home markets of copra. The keen activity of buyers to make heavy- shipments was the spur Thich created a flourishing industry. ', As a consequence, but little attention Ta s given to fruit-growing for export purposes. In I!U7 there were but .142 cases of green fruit exported at the insignificant value of C 53. And this trade used to be regarded as a five-figure trade, the distributing centre bcin'g Auckland. There really should be some eli'ort snade to again encourage such a valuable industry in a country where the industries are lew. Tonga roll produce oranges, bananas, and pineapples e<|iial to the best, and can sliiii them ill large quantities. There is nmple labour available in the group it properly directed, and a ready market to hand for all the fruit the island can produce above what W needed for local "consumption. Xcv Zealand can take all t!u> fruit that longa can send. It i> certain that with the eradication of the fruit By pest, and a surety of full shipments.' transport difficulties would disappear. With Ken Zealand enjoying, relatively speaking, encii a large measure of ~uppo;-t from ionga. it i 5 n nt reasonable tn suppose that that country would pbice obstacle- » the way of her smaller neighbour, Rather should it be that New Zealand *ould lend a hand to bind closer her «ade relations with Tonga.