TONGAN OFFICIALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23362, 30 November 1937, Page 7

TONGAN OFFICIALS

BOUND FOR AUSTRALIA COPRA TRADE DEPRESSED s (Special ro Daily I'imes) AUCKLAND, Nov. 29. Two important figures in the Tongan Government arrived at Auckland by the Matua. They were M" Akauola, Governor of Vavau, and Mr Ata, Minister of Lands for Tonga. They transhipped to the Awatea and left later for Sydney on holiday trips. Mr Ata is accompanied by his nine-year-old son, who is to be educated in Australia. Both officials discussed the depressing effect on trade caused by the lower copra price. During the past month the decline had been from £8 a ton to £6 15s, and, although it had been a gradual business, the industry was already feeling the severe losses. It was a pity, they said, that such an influence should be felt at a time when great forward strides were being made with the development of an improved drying process on the copra plantations, by which it was hoped to eliminate the sale of green copra.

Reference was made to the destruction caused among banana plantations in the southern groups by a hurricane which occurred last year, and it was stated that the fruit was only beginning to return to the market. The quantity was still restricted, as indicated by the fact that of the cargo of 23,000 cases of bananas 800 cases were from Vavau and only 90 from the more southerly situated areas.