35
Imports.
Value.
£135,552
£400,133
133,908
34,546
37,939
41,523
6,757
6,518
Total
£661,324
HIS EXCELLENCY,
34.
Enclosure 4 in No. 9.
THE Committee appointed by Your Excellency, to consider and report on the special position of Fiji with regard to the Imperial Government's commer- cial and industrial policy which it has been proposed should be adopted on the conclusion of the War, has the honour to report as follows:-
2. The recommendations of the Economic Conference of the Allies, so far as they are likely to bear on this Colony, and which form the subject of the special reference to the Commercial and Industrial Policy Committee referred to in the Secretary of State's circular despatch of the 25th September, 1916, are contained in the proposal that the Allies may have recourse to Customs duties or prohibi- tions of a temporary or permanent character, or to adopt measures for facilitating mutual trade relations by the establishment of rapid sea transport services at low rates.
The Secretary of State has intimated that at a conference representative of the United Kingdom, the Dominions, and India, which it has been decided to convene, it may devolve on him to secure consideration of any special circum- stances affecting the interests of any particular Colony.
3. We have confined our attention to considerations connected with the trade of Fiji, and we have the honour to offer the following statements and recommendations. The statistics relating to the trade of the Colony for the year 1916 have not yet been completed, but the following figures are of interest. total trade for the year reached the unprecedented figure of £2,985,606.
Sugar Copra
Bananas
Exports.
Tons. 120,528
13,489
Value.
£255,913
Bunches.
1,851,829
The
Country.
United Kingdom
British Possessions. New South Wales New Zealand Victoria Canada India
Hong Kong
Other British Possessions
Foreign Countries. United States of America China
Japan
France
Sweden
Hawaii
Other foreign countries
Total
The following statistics have been taken from the "Blue book" being the latest complete tabulated information available:-
for 1915,
The total value of imports for 1915 amounted to £880,308. The total value
of exports was £1,474,192. In the value of imports is included specie to the value
of £44,038, so that the value of ordinary imports was £836,270.
The amount of Customs duties levied on imports in 1915 was £145,527, which
amount constitutes the main source of revenue of the Colony.
The principal items of export are sugar, copra, and green fruit (bananas chiefly). The quantities and total value of these products are as follows:-
467
£48,685
1,648 11,464
382
1,171
2,216
2,904
£68,470
It is not possible to state what portion of the imports from the United Kingdom and from British Possessions before the War had its origin in enemy countries; but it is known that a substantial portion of hardware, glass, cutlery, sewing machines, had such origin. The Germans, particularly, were alive to the necessity of producing sewing machines, knives, cutlasses, and other articles of a cheap class which were readily saleable to natives, who prefer that class of goods to the more expensive and durable class of British manufacture. Such goods came to Fiji through the Dominions, and even from the United Kingdom, where they were admitted without restriction.
Country.
Sugar Copra
Green fruit
Tons. 85,563 15,238
Value. £1,065,463
233,959 120,741
The value of other and minor products exported amounted to £52,945. These
were as follows:-
United Kingdom
British Possessions.
New South Wales
New Zealand
Victoria Canada
Hong Kong
Other British Possessions
Sici or trocas shell
£27,438
Molasses
7,591
Rubber (para)
8,484
Böche de mer.
3,200
Maise
2,690
Hides and pelts
2,283,
Live stock
1,233
Wool
1,180
The bulk of the Colony's trade is with Australia and New Zealand. The following statements indicate to what extent the trade is conducted with other countries:→→→→t,
1
Exports.
Total
Foreign Countries.
United States of America
Japan
France
Other foreign countries
Total
:
Value.
£24,254
£221,378 821,402
45,184 205,548 3,392 453
£1,208,012
£130,831 20,109
709 187
£151,926
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
T
3
C.O.
885/25
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON