FIJIAN INDIGNATION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 71, 17 December 1919, Page 7

FIJIAN INDIGNATION

PROFITEERING IN FLOUR ; AUSTRALIA MTNEW ZEALAND ' ASSAILED We in Fiji feel very much the unneighbourly acts of Australia and New Zealand in tho matter of difference in prices (writes tho Suva correspondent of tho Sydney "Daily Telegraph," under date of November 7). He continues;— Wo resent the fact that ive as a kindred; portion of the Empire are placed on a lower level than the German of Rsbaul by Australia and tho German of Samoa by New Zealand. We hear a great deal of the brotherly affection felt for Fiji by Australia and New Zealand, how we nro all fellow kinsmen, members of the one Empire, devotees of the one Motherland, living 'under the one flag. The whole atmosphere i.s flooded with platitudes and teare of affection. But whilo the voice is that of Jacob the hands are those of Esau. : It will come as a shock to our peoplo to know that all those who eat local, bread are helping to pay) off the Australian war debt at the rate of Id. a loaf,: and the war debt of New Zealand at the rate of }d. a loaf. Vet such is a fact.. The fact may be called by some other: name, but it'hurts just the same. The price to-day of flour from Australia is _£18 f.o.b. Sydney. That i.s what it costs the Fiji b'aker, plus freight and lauding charges. The Australian baker •(ian get all the flour lie wants at .£l3 10s. That is, J£s ss. less than tho Fiji baker can start baking at, or Id. per loaf on the Customs return of flour imported for the year. 1 . . The New Zealand baker gets his flour; at .£ls 10s.. while the Fiji man has to pav .£lB 7s. Gd. f.o.b. Auckland. As there is'a difference in freight tietweeu New Zcaiand and Australia of 12s. Od. a ton, the Fiji baker can land flour here from New Zealand at 20s. less than ho can from Australia. Australian wheat is very largely used in making the New Zealand 'flour. The Commonwealth Government is selling wheat for flour for local consumption at J!5 ss. less than wheat for exnorted flour. Tho millers, wo are informed, are. not the profitmak-' ers. If is actually the Government which is profiteering. While the Government i.s posing b.'fore (lie electors as the enemy of profiteering, it is a sinner of a bad type itself. We can understand Australia' selling wheat to foreign countries at a higher rate than locally, but we candidly cannot understand her attitude in talking platitudes, denouncing profiteering, proclaiming her comradeship for other |wrts of the Empire, her desire for a Customs union with Fiji, whilo all the time fhe is penalising the colony in tho most mercenary way possible—in a way which hits every man, woman and chili in Fiji. The same (adds the correspondent) applies in every way to New Zealand, which has camouflaged' her profiteering under the smug and evil term of a "bonus." Tho Fiji baking industry is suffering heavily from, this profiteering. Bread has risen, not by reason of ordinary yeast, but because of tho yeast of veiled hostility. So dear is breed that the natives who are at ordinary times largely bread eaters cannot afford it, and have fallen back on native foods. So, less Hour is required in Fiji, and the revenue is suffering. „ I an, glad lo sec that the Sydney chamber el' Commerce has taken the matter in hand. Such a big injustice is causing a veiv soie feeling in Fiji, where over a 111iill Ol' the whites are Australians.

' While pxcnvntiiiff a limwtone quarry nt ' South William, .Lvni'olnshiw, some workmen discovered. 2<iiii. holo'w'Vhe surface a nn-Mve stono' coftin coulairiiug i'he skele'tcin of what is believed to be :t woman ill' IheJiontan period. In-idc, where the I'i'ci TC'li'il. ii low "ails willi leather atinched wore who found with a Inwrncnt of Roman pottery underneath. The lid di' llio uoflin is 9Jin. thick, aJid is followed underneath to make mwo ia§Mto i space,.