THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 827, 4 October 1916, Page 8

THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS.

CAPTURING THE GERMAN COPRA TRADE. INTERSTATE COMMISSION OPENS IN SYDNEY. (Received October 4, 9 a.m.) SYDNEY, October 4. The Interstate Commission has commenced its inquiry into the question of British and Australian trade with the South Pacific Islands. The Chief Commissioner explained that the inquiry was the result of a Government request to investigate the copra trade with Australia and report as to whether it was desirable that special action should be taken with a view to increasing the Australian and British control of such trade. He read a cablegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, informing the Commonwealth Government that the New Zealand Government had made representations to the Home Government as to probable difficulties of successful competition after the war with the leading German firm, Deutsche Handels and Plantagen Gesellschaft doing business in the South Facific. The policy of the Commonwealth was to increase the control of Australian and British copra and other trades in the South Pacific, which previously had been in German hands. This would be equally achieved, whether the trade came to the Commonwealth or to any other part of the Empire. New Zealand had initiated certain inquiries into the copra trade in the Tongau Group, and it had been arranged between the Governments concerned that the Commonwealth should enjoy the co-operation of both the New Zealand Government and the High Commissioner in the Western Pacific. After reviewing the administration of the various islands, the Commissioner said he was not concerned with any question of readjustment of administration, which could only be undertaken by the Imperial Government in settling the terms of peace. The best the Commission could consider was the British island territory involved in its relation to the whole question of British and German trade. An important portion of the inquiry would be connected with shipping, banking, and ,postal and telegraphic communication. Possibly there might be a limited extent of interchange of labour between the islands. Mr Meek, managing director of Lever Brothers, gave evidence that the advantages the German shipping companies had in the way of copra freights prior to the war were largely due to the Government subsidy. The shipping of copra to Sydney from Tonga, via Auckland, had increased the freight 15/- a ton, but he thought the SydneyTonga line could be re-established after the war. There was great scope for the development of other island products beside copra, but the trouble would be to get sufficient labour. The Natives only worked to keep themselves. Indian labour had been mentioned, and the Fijian Government was negotiating with the Home Government for the establishment of a continuous Indian immigration policy. Speaking generally of the islands, Avitness thought that great development was not possible without introduced labour.