FIJI INDUSTRIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 15, 19 January 1931, Page 5

FIJI INDUSTRIES.

BENEFIT BY EXCHANGE.

COPRA NOW WORTH £18. TRADE AGREEMENT SOUGHT. According to a Suva business man who arrived in Auckland yesterday, the Fijian Islands have no complaint about the prevailing exchange rates. "We find the new rates of great benefit to our ielands, because we are wholly a producing country,' , said Major C. Joske, who is a member of the linn of Messrs. Brown and Joeke, Limited.

''Taken on the 1929 figures," said Major Joske, "the imports on which we would have paid exchange through London were, valued at approximately £707,000. The balance of our imports

from New Zealand 'and Australia, on which we paid practically no exchange, totalled about £750,000. On the other hand, exports of approximately £1,392,000 would have been settled through London. The fact is that we paid exchange on roughly only half of our imports, but received the benefit of exchange on practically the whole lot. As a result, from a planter's point of view, although the London price of copra to-day is £14 10/ per ton, it is actually worth £18. Any adverse effect on the coet of living up until now has been counterbalanced by the fall in prices of merchandise overseas and the Fiji pound is purchasing just that value of goods. What Fiji, like New Zealand, needs is a reduction in the overhead costs, involved in the taxation imposed during the years of plenty."

Banana Production Reduced. It could be said, added Mr. Joske, that conditions in Fiji, largely owing to the sugar industry ' being" so well established, were much better than in other islands, and the pinch was not being felt so much. It was thought that the banana exports to New Zealand would remain at the present low figures for some time owing to the damage done by three hurricanes—two in December, 1929, and one towards the end of last November, which did great damage to plantations. It would probably "take two years for exports to get back to normal. However, the storms and the floods they created had done good in cleaning up old plantations and 'refreshing the soil.

lineapple growing had been started and it appeared that Fiji could orow pineapples equal to the best Hawaiian. The services of two experts from Hawaii has been obtained to initiate the canning operations. " •'• °

Relations With New Zealand. Fiji looked with affection towards New Zealand, and had done its best to arrange a good trade agreement with this Dominion. A special committee of the liji Legislative Council had been active for two years with this object, hoping for some finality in the matter. 'Wβ would welcome a visit from New Zealand representatives to discuss the problem, and I can assure you" con eluded Mr. Joske, "that the Colony would be glad to have such a delegation as its guests." B