FIJI’S FRUIT TRADE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15782, 2 April 1919, Page 5

FIJI’S FRUIT TRADE.

IN A PRECARIOUS/STATE. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, April 1. “Conditions at Fiji are at present in anything but a promising state,” remarked a prominent Island fruit trader to-day, who has just returned to Auckland owing,to heavy losses suffered by shippers there lately. “It is doubtful whether any but the wealthiest firms will be able to continue shipping fruit. During last winter, several of the oldest shippers have had to give it best. The trouble in the first instance is due to the unsettled state of th eoountry owing to the epidemic and the consequent dearth of labour, which is a very serious problem now. Some years • ago natives were paid from 2s to 4s per day. Today, some of the natives receive as high as 11s per day with their food. The fact is that Fiji is in a very precarious position owing to the Indian Government blocking the importation of indentured labour. It is now estimated that within two years all the available indentured labour will have run 1 out, and what is going to happen then as far as planters of fruit is concerned no ofie knows. They have only the New Zealand market to rely on at present, and the last throe shipments landed here were a serious loss. The Australian market is practically closed owing to the epidemic necessitating, four days’ quarantine for each steamer before discharging cargo. This amounts to prohibition of the shipping of perishable fruit. One day in quarantine enforced upon an Island boat here has really been the cause of such heavy Tosses with bananas, and the restriction, in my opinion, is altogether unnecessary, as Fiii has been declared a clean port, and the Island is probably cmite free of flu,” Tbe trader in question is Mr Fraser, and he is leaving this week for Wellington to place before the authorities an urgent suggestion that the quarantine restrictions should not apply at least to the Island boat. Otherwise, it was doubtful whether shippers of Fiii would, take the risk of sending further supplies of fruit in the circumstances. THE COST OF LIVING}- ■|- , I." ■■■«—■ PROPOSAL BY ARBITRATION COURT. £Per United Press Association.) DUNEDIN, April 1. After hearing the application of the Farriers 7 Union for an increase in the wages under the War Regulations to-day, the President of the Arbitration Court said that, with regard to applications to meet the increased cost of living, the Court had in view the arranging of a basis of wages for different classes of workers, skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled, and then give a bonus to meet the increased cost of living and let that bonus vary up or down as the cost of living rose or fell, and date it for six months. The object was to introduce some sort of uniformity. He would get the Government Statistician to select two average periods of six months each. The Hon; Paid (representing several Unions) said that personally he would object to any system that would, prevent an increase in the basis of a wage. The President said it would not always be open to them to apply on a basis wage, but so long as there was an increase on the increased cost of living, a varying bonus would represent what they got in respect to that.