April 
2. ii 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
665 
POSITION AND PROSPECTS OP FIJI. 
Sir Arthur Gordon receives credit or the 
reverso amongst many of his fellow countrymen, 
for having declared that tho Fijian Archipelago, 
with its generally rich soil and wonderfully fine 
climate, was "no place for the white man." Sir 
Arthur's anxiety was to prevent the black man 
being ousted from his heritage by the more 
energetic and enterprising race, and his policy was 
directed towards this end. Tha object was doubtless 
benevolent, whatever may be thought of some 
of the details, especially the Hystem of revenuo being 
paid in kind and the conservation of tho powers, so 
frequently and grossly abused, of tho native chiefs, 
the highest in rank significantly named " Builds." 
Mr. Leadingham, tho retiring Chairman of the 
Chamber of Commerce, differs so essentially from 
Sir Arthur Gordon's views, that he believes Fiji 
to be a country not only for tho white director of 
labour but for the white labouring farmer. His 
review is so interesting, and on the whole so 
hopeful after long and sad depression, that we 
cannot help making a rather long quotation from the 
Fiji Timet : — 
Tho deep depression which still casts its gloom 
over the land, fias already loft sad memorials in 
tho numerous foreclosures that have taken place. 
Our whito population has very sensibly decreased 
in the past twelve months. The markets for our 
raw produots during the same period have been 
very unsatisfactory. For some time back, money 
■ has not beon available for industrial enterprises, 
and tho result has been that the colony has passed 
through the most trying year wo have experi- 
enced since its foundation. Although the records 
of the Insolvent Court show several failures, thoy are, 
ns a rule, comparatively insignificant, and wo may, 
therefore, I think, congratulate ourselves that wo 
havo passed through the ordeal so well. We have 
good reason for believing that tho prospects of the 
colony for this year will considerably improve. We 
see with great pleasure the sharp advance in the prioe 
of our staple product — sugar. « * # 
The planter, as well as the business man, enters 
upon the now year with every confidence that the 
results of 1888 will show a vast improvement on 
thoso of 1887. A closo estimate of the total output 
for the season 1887 and 1886, gives in round 
numbers 18,000 tons, shewing an increase on 
tho former season of fully 6,000 tons. With even 
an advance in present prices of from 15 to 20 
per cent, wc should soon kind a very great expansion in 
this important industry. Large areas of rich sugar 
lands aro available all over the principal islands; 
with our beautiful climato, and virgin soil — rich 
to an extraordinary degree, and our labour laws 
regulated on the lines of common souse, there 
must bo a grand future for this country ; a country 
so richly endowed by nature must prosper, and the 
deep depression which we havo felt so long has, no 
doubt, been intensified by the pernicious legislation of 
the past. Our Government, however, have for 
some timo back shown a disposition to amend the 
mistakes of tho past. Wo gratefully recognise their 
efforts in this direction ; lot them bo continued 
and extended ; let the success of the struggling 
planter and settler be their especial care ; let set- 
tlement on the waste lands of tho colony bo 
encouraged. Government should endeavor to direct 
hero a portion of the groat stream of emigration 
to this colony that llows out of Europe every year. 
We havo room hero at once for 10,000 small far- 
mers ; land is abundant and cheap ; labor can 
be equally so. The returns from a proper cultiva- 
tion of the soil hero will far exceed in valuo the 
returns from similar ventures in tho Australian 
colonics. Farming iu tho colonics, as most of 
M 
you know, is notoriously a poor speculation. I have 
no hesitation in :<aying that a practical farmer, 
with his family to help him, and a small capital 
wherewith to commence opera! ions, will improve his 
position infinitely beyond what he could hope to 
do with equal resources in the colonies. Settle 
such men on a hundred and fifty or two hundred 
acres of land, let them supplement their own by 
tho help of local labor, and let them plant maiae, 
peanuts, fruit, coffee, tea, Ac, end, in the vicin- 
ity of sugar-mills— cane, and I venturo to say 
that in the course of three or four years tho 
settler's position will be an eneviable one. That 
is what the country needs — population ; without 
population no country can become of importance. 
The people are the source of all wealth ; let it 
be the aim of our Government then to plant 
settlers all over the islands. The country is ad- 
mirably adapted for European settlement ; for nine 
months in the year Europeans can work and do 
work out of doors without inconvenience ; then 
assist and encourage such settlers in every possible 
way and the result would soon be seen in an 
overflowing treasury and an enormous increase in 
the trade and commerce of the colony. 
Copra. — The product still next in importance to 
sugar, is copra, but the palms are now only re- 
covering from the effects of the hurricane of 1886. 
The exports for the past twelve months will show 
a great falling off compared with that of former 
years, but promises of an abundant yield is to be 
seen on all lands. As this product is a great 
sourco of wealth to the Fijians, we may fairly 
expect to see a considerable revival of trade with 
the natives. 
Tea.— This, as you know has now passed the 
experimental stage. The industry promises to be 
one of the most remunerative and safe investments 
that capitalists can put their money into. Fiji tea 
is held in very high estimation iu the colonial 
markets. The reports from the only two estates at 
present yielding, are most encouraging. In connec- 
tion with this industry I am reminded of the sad 
ntclligenco received last mail from England of tha 
death of Mr. James E. Mason, c. H. o., tho gentle- 
man who started the first tea estate in Fiji, now 
known as the " Alpha Estate." Alpha tea is justly 
celebrated not only in Fiji, but in the Australian 
colonies. * In desiring to pay a slight tribute of 
respect to the memory of the man who was tho 
pioneer tea-planter of Fiji, I am sure you will 
agree with mo that Mr. Mason was the stamp of 
a colonist who would do honour to any colony ; 
he was full of energy and enterprise, and a most 
intelligent man ; he did good work for the colony 
as its Commissioner at tho Indian and Colonial 
Exhibition, work that entailed great labor and great 
expense and which, I fear, was but very inadequately 
recognised or rowarded. 
Collee.— Passing from tea to colleo it is much 
to be regretted that this industry has not boeu 
moro generally developed. Tho low prices ruling 
for tho past few years, and the fear of l^af-dis- 
ease, no doubt had a deterrent effect, and to 
this causo may be ascribed tho limited area ou 
which coffee was attempted to bo grown. Now 
that the price has jumpc.l f 10111 fid to t'.d up to 
Is and Is Id for the raw bean, there should bo a 
strong inducements for the tmall planter to devoto 
a portion of his energies to cultivate this produco 
in suitable localities. 
Pecho-domor.— Tho returns for tho year I>s7 ar e 
not yet available, but I have uo doubt that th 0 
export figures will show a considerable advane 0 
'All credit to it-* fipi-riuteudvut and wo bvli.vn 
pirt ..iMi.r, Mr. Arthur Stephens, a Ceylon planter 
— Eb. V. A. 
