CO885-(25-26) — Page 494

463.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

9

C.O.

Reference :-

885/25

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

36

Statement showing Percentage of Total Trade,

United Kingdom

New South Wales

New Zealand

Victoria

Canada

Hong Kong

Other British Possessions

India

Foreign Countries.

United States of America Japan

Total

Other foreign countries

Total

:

6.8

27.4

407

3.4

10.4

1.7

04

0.2

91.0

7.6

13

0.1

9.0

As in the case of imports, a portion of the exports, viz., copra, was exported to enemy countries before the outbreak of war, either directly or through British Possessions, although this is not shown in the official returns, the shipments from Fiji having been made direct to Australia or New Zealand, thence consigned to Germany. In 1913 the value of imports from Germany was returned as £17,440, and of exports to Germany as £492. The percentage of trade of the This, however, is, for the reasons Colony with Germany was returned as 0·7. stated above, not a strictly correct return, as it does not show what was the value of the indirect trade of Germany with Fiji.

4. While there is ample scope for an extensive development and increase of the agricultural products of the Colony, any large increase in the Colony's export trade will be dependent, first, on the supply of labour suited to agricultural work in the tropics, which must be obtained from outside the Colony, viz., from India or else- where; and, secondly, on the measure of support and encouragement to be granted to the Colony by the United Kingdom, by His Majesty's Dominions, and India, and by the countries of our Allies. The Colony requires better steamship communica- tion with the United Kingdom and with India, and lower rates of freight. At present we are almost entirely dependent on shipments through Sydney, and the rates of freight from that port to Fiji are very high.

5. The special circumstances affecting this Colony's interests are briefly stated above. In addition we offer the following further observations. The export trade generally, and that in connexion with the Colony's chief article of export, namely, sugar, is at present almost entirely dependent on the markets offering in Australia and New Zealand. A portion of the export trade in this commodity with Canada already receives the rebate of Customs duty granted by that Dominion to products of the British Empire. Fiji should, in our opinion, support the policy of imposing either a countervailing duty on imports having their origin in places outside of the British Empire, or in places not being the possessions of our Allies, if such policy be adopted as an Empire measure of self-support, or similar reciprocal treatment may be secured by granting a special rebate of Customs duty, however small, in respect of products imported into the Colony which have their origin in those portions of the Empire which have adopted that policy, and also in respect of products having their origin in the possessions of our Allies if a similar policy be adopted in those countries. This question may, however, have to be considered from a fresh standpoint by this Colony if the Commonwealth of Australia and the Dominion of New Zealand decline to follow the policy referred to, even though it be adopted by other portions of the Empire. Fiji is too dependent on these Dominions, and may not be in a position to maintain a special Customs tariff against the products of these countries.

6. We have not overlooked the fact that the revenue of this Colony is very largely dependent on Customs duties. We venture to think, however, that, subject to the reservation made at the end of the preceding paragraph, a rebate of Customs duty should be granted by imposing and collecting a higher rate of Customs duty on goods imported having their origin in places outside of the British Empire or outside of the countries being possessions of our Allies.

The

37

import Customs duties to be imposed on goods imported from places within the British Empire or from the countries of our Allies may be at the rates now levied, the general Customs duty being increased to the amount of the rebate to be granted in the cases referred to.

7. This Colony is not dependent on any product of countries which are at present at war with the British Empire and our Allies, and we see no reason why the importation of goods the product of those countries should not be absolutely prohibited for a specific period after the conclusion of the War. It is conceivable that Germany, who in the past used to be a very large purchaser of copra, may retaliate, but we consider that that objection should be waived. In order, however, that the market for that commodity should not become severely restricted, we trust that His Majesty's Government will see its way to take steps to stimulate, as far as possible, by some means, all industries hitherto conducted by Germany in connexion with the raw product of copra, so as to offer ready and unrestricted markets in the United Kingdom for that commodity which is produced within the Empire. We also venture to record our opinion that, unless the British manu- facturer generally will elect to drop to a great extent his conservative methods, and to ascertain the class of goods marketable in various portions of the British Empire, and to undertake to supply such goods to meet the special wants of natives and others, a policy on which Germany had, in a very great measure, built up a large export trade, not only with the islands in the Pacific, but all over the world, the proposed policy of self-support within the British Empire is likely to prove unsuccessful. In our opinon, entire success is only likely to be achieved by combined action on the part of British manufacturers to ascertain, by means of travelling agents, the exact details as to the class of goods required in the different portions of the Empire, and for the manufacturers to then set themselves to produce such articles at a price to compete with foreign manufactures.

EYRE HUTSON,

His Excellency

The Governor, Suva.

Suva, Fiji,

17th January, 1917.

11047

(No. 25.)

SIR,

Chairman.

A. MONTGOMERIE,

Acting Receiver-General.

H. M. SCOTT,

President, Suva Chamber of

Commerce.

J. M. HEDSTROM.

G. B. SHERIDAN,

•

No. 10.

FIJI.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 28th February, 1917.)

Government House, Suva, Fiji,

26th January, 1917.

IN continuation of my despatch No. 14, of the 22nd instant,* on the subject of the question of the commercial and industrial policy to be adopted by the Allied Governments after the War, I have the honour to forward a copy of a letter from the General Manager of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Limited, submitting the considered decision of the Directors of that company on that question as affecting the producers of sugar in the colony.

I have, &c.,

* No. 9.

BICKHAM ESCOTT,

Governor.