FIJI.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 12567, 14 September 1908, Page 5

FIJI.

Its Trade and Prospects. The latest reports from the Governor of Fiji indicate that the colony is in a flourishing condition. The revenue for the last 10 years has been steadily increasing 1 , and in 1907 exceeded all previous records, showing an increase of ,£15,717 over that of the previous year. The surplus of revenue over expenditure for the same year amounted to .£22,990. The total trade in 1907 has been valued at .£1,524,971, as against ,£1,212,906 in 1905. The value of sugar exported in 1907 was greater by ,£255,622 than in 1906,- while the value of the copra crop in 1907 exceeded that of 1906 by .£39,105. The year 1907 was, therefore, one of exceptional prosperity, and, as the hurricane season has passed away without inflidting any great damage on the islands, the present year bids fair to eclipse in all-round prosperity the reputation of its predecessor. The present Governor, Sir Everdard im Thurn, proposes to inaugurate schemes for the further development of the colony, and among these may be mentioned the construction of a leper asylum, and the reconstruction of the prisons; the overhauling of the sanitation of Suva, and the reclamation of its foreshore; the construction of new roads across some of the islands. The subsidising of steamers, with a view to improved inter-island communication and communication with the outside world; the installation of wireless telegraphy stations, and a complete survey of the islands. The last undertaking appears ' to be desirable for ,the reasons given ,inj.his_ speech to the •Legislative Council reifently. Sir Everard im Thurn called attention to the enormous quantities of native owned and European owned land which still remains uncultivated, and neglected, and. strongly urged the desirability of making them immediately available for development. Turning to the subject of the colony's trade, it appears that at present about fourfifths of it is with the Australian colonies and New Zealand, anjj, as there is no direct communication with the United Kingdom, trad© with it necessarily passes through these colonies also. But, with £he adoption of improved means of communication and a fuller utilisation of surplus iatifls, the possibility exists of a very much greater expansion of trade than is attainable under present conditions. In addition to sugar, copra, and fruit, Fiji is capable of producing cotton and other fibres of excellent quality. Indeed, the cotton trade was a thriving one «p to the year 1882, after which the quantity exported gradually fell off, its place, apparently, being taken by fruit, for which a profitable and ready market was found in the Australian colonies. Judging, however, by the nature of the recent reports by the director of the Imperial Institute on samples of hemp received by him for examination from Fiji, this article of commerce may before long be expected to take a prominent place among the other industries of the colony. Sugar, fruit, and copra are, however, still the three staple exports of the colony, and when it is stated that while in 1875 (the year after annexation) the value of the sugar exported was only J3417, in 1907 it was .£602,820, another proof of the remarkable progress of Fiji is supplied.