FIJI NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 221, 17 September 1919, Page 11

FIJI NEWS.

ARRIVAL OF SUPPLIES. EFFECT OF AUSTRALIAN STRIKE. j (Special to "Star.") SUVA, September 9. The arrival of the s.e. Atua, on Thursday from Sydney was the signal of a remarkable demonstration of excitement and jubilation for several reasons. Fiji is dependent upon shipping for its very life. For some four months we had , been dependent upon limited monthly tonnage from New Zealand for supplies, and New Zealand herself was feeling the pinch of shortage of certain supplies because of the Australian strike. Further, Zealand could not supply sharps, - which is the main food of over GO,OOO Indians in Fiji. Nor could Tiee be obtained. In main lines of clothing and drapery our stores were cleaned out of many lines. In short, matters had reached a fairly serious position. We had had one Australian mail owing to the neglect of Sydney to forward our mails via New Zealand in the four months. So one can understand that business received a very severe jolt all round. \\ orst of all l , as showing how one thing dovetails into another, we were suffering very severely in our administration. Our new Governor is progressive, modern, enterprising, and we have i many things to do to put the colony in a sound condition. We need roads and 1 bridges very badly, we need intcrsular 1 service much more complete than we ■ have. We need a new wharf at Levuka, i and a new hospital in Suva, and we need 1 many other important things. All these i have the approval of his Excellency, but 'he cannot move without money. Here, ' then, is where the strike and such happen* \ ings hurt.

Our imports have fallen to an alarm- I ing extent. Of course, we recognise it • is temporary, but the pity is we cannot t overtake this loss of revenue. To illustrate my point, we find that ' up to June 30 for the six months, the ' decline in imports totalled the large figure of £110,748, representing a loss in duty of £24,D15. Of the exports sugar. \ had increased by 4.8G0 tons, and copra , ■by 4,474 tons. On the other hand, green . fruit exported had declined by £45,560 , to £32,449, as compared with £78,009 for , the similar period in 1918. Other ex- , ports ha<l declined by £9SB. The two > latter items were dependent upon Syd- > ] noy tonnage. So that it will be.seen ' 1 that between the influenza and quaran- ; tine regulations and the shipping strike jin Australia, Fiji had had quite a bad j time. j Suva is to have electric light, and the . • Municipal Council lias received tenders for the work, and already a site for the power-house is being prepared. When Jwe have the light installed a further attraction will be added to the capital of J the colony. j His Excellency has been busy in visit- : ing various parts of the colony lately, , and is evidently determined to know j everything about us at first hand. j Our new Colonial Secretary, Mr. T. E. (Fell, C.M.G., has arrived from the West Indies. He is a most capable and ener- : getic official, and is a keen sportsman of the best type. I Yet another failure to acclimatise rainbow trout has occurred, a shipment of yearlings obtained from Sydney having died on board s.s. Fiona ere they reached our shores. Another attempt will, however, be made to introduce this splendid sporting fish into our waters.