NEWS FROM FIJI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19474, 2 November 1926, Page 6

NEWS FROM FIJI.

AN EX-SOLDI ER'S DEATH. [FROM OUll OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] SUVA, Oct. 23. A sad death occurred last week .on Nasoli Estate, up the Rewa River, owned by Mr. A. H. Witherow, when the manager, Mr. J. Willoughby Aston Moggridge, passed away. Deceased had served with distinction through the Boer War, and also the native rebellion which followed it, receiving the medals and ribbons for Orange Free State, Cape Colony, Defence of Ladysmith, and Elandslaagte. He married in Natal, but his wife died, leaving two sons and a daughter. Later he married in Fiji the sister of the wellknown author, Mr. Gilbert Frankau. He joined the Australian Artillery in 1914, and served in Gallipoli and right through the war. He also financed two others to go to the front. a A private listening-in set in Stiva has been hearing London recently, as relayed from Auckland, very clearly. On Saturday the owner had 80 native students from a provincial school to a hearing, when they heard a parody by four bands of "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More." The natives were greatly impressed by the performance. The Fiji Department of Agriculture has decided to start cleaning up the neglected and abandoned plantations along the Rewa River. In January extra inspectors are to be appointed, and the work should make a great improvement in the Fiji fruit.

At the Methodist Mission Synod last week deputations rwere admitted from the League against Liquor and from the Indian Reform League," when speeches were made in favour of prohibition being applied it! the colony. The Indian delegates strongly affirmed the need of prohibition as so many of their countrymen were becoming addicted to the use of spirits. The meeting reaffirmed the need of prohibition in Fiji. The finances of the municipality of Suva are in a healthy state. At the last meeting of the council the Mayor announced that while the electricity account showed a debit or overdraft of over £SOOO in 1924, it is now in credit to the extent of over £3OO. As the sewerage loan account is to be funded in July next, th* council obtained authority from the Governor to pay off the loan all the amount of sinking fund accumulated. The council also decided to add another £IOOO from general revenue to help to reduce.the loan total. The Governor has informed the Mayor that he sees no objection to the council being allowed to borrow another £20,000 with which to thoroughly make all the chief streets of Suva with tarred macadam, and also to erect a building as an addition to the Carnegie Library, in which to shelter the Suva Museum and the Tourist Bureau, and effect other local improvements of a permanent nature. The third session of the Country Convention was held during Show Week. Jt was attended by representatives from Savu Savu and other country centres, as well as by planters resident in Suva. A resolution was passed declaring it advisable that the Levunna Committee—which has done splendid work in destroying the dreaded moth—should be reconctituted as a permanent Cocoanut Com-, mittae to conduct scientific research and" work generally for the benefit of the cocoanut industry. The convention also agreed that it was necessary that the copra industry should be safeguarded by new legislation making grading compulsory, and generally making inspection strict, as is done in Western Samoa. The large losses of cocoanuts by rats and flying foxes came in for much discussion, and it was agreed to ask the Government to help the settlers exterminate these pests.