Norfolk Island Bananas

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 168, 12 April 1935, Page 13

Norfolk Island Bananas

Sir, —Referring to ‘-D.N.K.’s’’ letter: While the politicians of New Zealand and Australia argue over potatoes and oranges poor little Norfolk Island is forgotten. The excuse that New Zealand is already over-supplied by its dependencies won’t wash. If true, why has the New Zealand Government allotted for 1935 114,800 cases of bananas to Fiji, which is not a dependency? It is interesting to note that of this quantity 28,700 cases, 25 per cent., have been allocated by the Fijian authorities to foreign races, 20 per cent, of whom are Chinese growers. There are, or were until recently, 200 New Zealanders on Norfolk Island out of a total population of 1200. To say the least, it strikes one as strange that foreigners in Fiji should be given preference over these stranded New Zealanders. At the present time it is doubtful if Norfolk Island c'ould supply 1000 cases per month —lB.OOO per annum —yet New Zealand is content to take 28,700 cases grown in Fiji by foreign races. New Zealand has always been in close touch with Norfolk Island, particularly so when the Alelanesian Alission had its headquarters there. Geographically, Norfolk Island could be more conveniently administered from New Zealand than from Australia. —I am, etc., D.L. Wellington, April 10.