FRUIT FROM THE ISLANDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15504, 10 January 1914, Page 9

FRUIT FROM THE ISLANDS

NEW SHIPPING SERVICE.

A' TONGAN COMPLAINT.

EFFECT UPON TRADE.

The alteration which has taken place in the Union Steam Ship Company's Island service since the strike is causing the Tonpan authorities grave concern, and during his stay in Auckland Mr. Tuivakano, Premier of Tonga, intends to approach the company and urge a return to the old service. Formerly the Tofua and Atua were employed in a complete round Island service from Auckland to Sydney, the ports of call on the outward voyago from Auckland being in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji in that order, ar.d, on the inward voyage vice versa. These boats are now running a 28days' service, starting from Sydney, proceeding to Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, and returning to Australian ports. Thus the only New Zealand service to the Islands is that which is being carried out by the Moura, which sails from Auckland, visits Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji in that order, and returns to Auckland direct. This places Tonga some 20 days distant from Auckland.

" A continuance of this service will ruin oar large fruit trade," said Mr. Tuivakano, when interviewed. " Under the old arrangement we could ship our bananas at the throe ports, Nukualofa, Haapai, and Vavau, and have them in Auckland in good condition in four days. 'Hie long trip to Auckland via Samoa and Fiji offered us is much too long for bananas to keep and therefore the crop will be wasted, for Sydney is too far distant to allow us to use that market."

Mr. (}. Scott, who accompanies the Premier, gave some facts which show the importance of the matter. Eighteen months ago, he stated, a hurricane destroyed the banana plantations of Haapai, and last year those of Nukualofa suffered similarly, which reduced exportation considerably. Now, however, the plantations have been replanted on a very much larger scale and if these shipping arrangements are adhered to, he argues, it will not only mean poverty to many of the natives, but, also a great loss to Auckland. Some 75,000 to 80,000 packages of fruit are exported annually to Auckland, mainly by the European traders, who purchase the fruit from the natives for cash or trade. In this way a great deal of cash is circulated in the Islands with which the importations are bought.

Tho imports to Tonga, said Mr. Scott, amounted to a total of approximately £220,000 per annum and fully half, if not more, comes from New Zealand. Thus, anything that affects the spending power of the natives will affect the merchants of Auckland. The copra industry of tho Islands is extensive, this product being sold in Sydney, but a great deal of the money so derived is spent on New Zealand imports in addition to the return from the fruit exports to the Dominion.

Speaking on this subject, Mr. Scott said that he saw no reason wliv a market for copra should not be opened in New Zealand. Already the production was so large that New Zealand boats had at times to be used to bring part of it to Auckland for transhipment to Sydney, on account of the direct boats being unable to cope with it. Though the main fruit export from the Islands is bananas, oranges, stated to be the best in the Pacific, grow abundantly over the group, but, on account of the presence of the fruit-fly. the fruit cannot be exported. The New Zealand law permits the importation of oranges certified to have been grown one mile frpm a fly-infested orchard, but, according to the visitors, this provision is of no advantage, for the oranges grow all over th» Islands not being cultivated in orchards.

Tonga has a history very much akin to that of other groups of the Pacific. Fifty years ago its population was 50,000, but the measles scourge carried them off in thousands, and in 1900 the population was less than 20,000. Since then, hewever, » change for the better has taken place,' the population having increased to 25,000.