YES, WE HAVE BANANAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 114, 15 May 1924, Page 9

YES, WE HAVE BANANAS.

BUT WILL CHOP THEM "UP*

S9l FIJI INCIDENT.

The importation, of bananas from the Islands seldom appears to be accomplished without a good deal of heartburning and irritation for one or more of the parties concerned. Details of a significant incident that occurred on the Upper Rewa River, in Vetilevu, the chief island of Fiji, were given to a "Star" representative to-day l>y Mr. Ernest Turner, of Turner and Growers, Ltd., who arrived in Auckland by the Tofua.

It appears that buyers are very Tβluetant to make extensive purchases of bananas in consequence of the very bad prices prevailing during the last few months, which culminated in heavy losses during the railway strike. The price offered to the natives was, however, in excess of recent prices, but was less than the price demanded. The contracting parties could not come to an agreement, and the natives on the T'pper Rewa River opened 1400 cases of fruit and chopped it to pieces rather than sell at a figure lower than they wanted. At several other big stations they refused to cut the bananas off the plants, with the Tesult that the shipment was considerably less than usual.

Mr. Turner remarked that the chopping up of the bananas was an unfortunate incident, although it had to be remembered that the district when this occurred had yielded a Tather poorer quality of fruit than was obtained elsewhere.

Another merchant commented upon the good condition in which the bananas arrived on this occasion, and regretted that the traders had not been able to send a larger consignment. He thought that an important factor in regard to the splendid condition of the cargo was the entire absence of copra. On a recent occasion he found the copra cargo on the Tofua -was so hot that he could scarcely bear to place his 'hand on some of it. The cooler weather, was, of course, beneficial, but he felt sure that the absence of the copra ought to be noted. In a recent shipment of bananas, which -were more or less "half "baked," a grower lost £250 on his lot of 600 cases.

The fact that the Tofua made a fast trip, 19 days instead of the usual 21, was the subject of comment among several of the merchants. They pointed out that the mail steamer was unloading bananas in Wellington on Tuesday, and here was the Tofua on Thursday. By the time she had made her next trip, if this speeding up were continued, her arrival with bananas would probably coincide with the arrival of the mail boat. The result would be that the market would fall absolutely flat, and there would be heavy losses that might have been avoided.

The four boilers were used on the Tofua, instead of three as is usual, and on the trip she has just completed she spent every night at sea, with one exception at Vavau, Tonga.