FORTUNATE HAWAII

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 110, 12 May 1931, Page 2

FORTUNATE HAWAII

“CHILD OF DOTING PARENTS.” COMPARISON WITH FIJI. V isitors to the Islands sometimes remark upon the comparatively undeveloped state of Fiji compared with Hawaii. Alajor C. B. Joske, of Suva, who is visiting Auckland, stated that the reason for the difference was obvious. “We remind such visitors,” he said, “that Hawaii is the one chile of wealthy and doting parents while Fiji is merely one of a large family and has had to fend for herself.” Speaking of the state of trade, Major Joske said that on top of the slump' in values, the Fiji Group has suffered five hurricanes inside of 15 months. These hurricanes had inflicted damage far greater in proportion than the Napier earthquake. Crops, however, recovered miraculously in the tropics and a study of the fats and oil markets made him confident that Fiji was now bumping along the bottom as far as prices wore concerned. “The Colony's finances are in good shape,” ho said. “We have turned an accumulated deficit in 1922 during the prosperous years of £243,000 into an accumulated surplus of £200,000, and when world costs-of-liying have re-adjusted them selves Fiji, like Now Zealand and all other primary-producing countries wfli see a renewal of prosperity.”