THE COOK ISLANDS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 30, 6 February 1933, Page 5

THE COOK ISLANDS

DECEEASE IN TRADE

LOW PRICES FOR FRUIT.

.THE ORANGE POSITION Conditions throughout the Cook Islands continue to remain satisfactory, said Judge H. F. Ayson, Resident Commissioner, who arrived to-day by; "the Makura. . Interviewed by a "Post" representative, .Judge Ayson said that in common with other countries trade contlitions in the Cook Islands were not good, but the inhabitants were happy and contented and realised that New Zealand- was doing its best under adverse circumstances. For the year ended 31st. December, exports totalled ■& 73,409, and imports £63,585. This was a decrease of £6536 and £5675 respectively on the 1931 figures,- while compared with, the figures, for 1930. the decrease was £30,029 in exports and :£. 39,883 in imports. . v -~... "The drop in. trade will.be realised .when it is known that in normal times the trade of the Cook Islands is about 4225,000," said. Judge Ayson. "The decreased trade is partly due to the low prices which have been prevailing for fruit and copra, which are the staple exports, and partly to the fact that the usual cargo service from Auckland ■during the orange season was replaced .vy occasional calls by trans-Pacific tfargo steamers. This was due to the dumping of Australian oranges into New Zealand. "Last year -growers received extremely . low prices for their fruit. Oranges returned to the grower an average of. 2s.a case of approximately ten dozen or 2d a dozen. Heavy freights and other charges (the box alone costs 2s-6d, and freight is 4s a case) increase the cost to the consumer in New ZeaJand. THE EMBARGO ON ATJSTBALIAN TSUIT. "There is no need for the New Zealand public to feel any alarm in regard to scarcity of oranges on account of the embargo placed on Australian fruit, as the Cook Islands can. easily meet all demands with, oranges that are much superior either to the Australian or Californian-grown ones. New Zealand's importation of oranges from .the Cook Islands, Australia, and California has never exceeded 300,000 cases a: year; Inßarotonga alone, a recent census ofiorange trees showed that we can export well over 400,000 cases during the season, and in addition the f -«uiL lslands caa export at least 100.000 cases a year." , .'.Judge Ayson .concluded by sayin<r that :_health conditions were satisfac? Tory in the islands, and steady progress ivas-being made in education.