TONGAN TRADE

Otago Witness, Issue 3512, 5 July 1921, Page 19

TONGAN TRADE

NO VESSELS AVAILABLE. SYDNEY, June 29. The T ‘remier of Tonga is visiting A us tralia on a health tour. Questioned a* t<

the likelihood of an Island Federation, he said that the Tongans said they would regain their independence. The people there were quite satisfied and did not want any form of federation or commonwealth. When visiting Suva recently he was informed that there was a Fijian, movement to secure the federation of all the British islands in the Western Pacific. The Tongan Government had no desire *o cfiscuss the question. Referring to the diversion of the Tongan trade from Australia to America, ha said that all the copra, which was tha chief export, was now sent to America, because the Union Company declared it had had no vessels available for the Tongan trade since the war. They would prefer t-o send their exports to Ans tralia, but there was no option. Before the war they were able to 6end fruit to New Zealand by direct steamer to Auckland. Now the. Union Company sent a- steamer round Tiji to Tonga, which made the journey too long for fruit shipments. The German traders resident at Tonga before the war had been allowed to resume business, but- no further Germans were '.flowed to come in.