Oct.  1,  1896, J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
281 
should  be  availed  of  to  regulate  the  markets  in 
so  far  as  consignments  from  tliis  colony  are 
concerned  in  their  respective  circuits,  by  Fiji 
shippers  consigning  tlie  whole  of  the  fruit  to  their 
charge.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  tliat,  while 
only  a fair  price  is  what  is  aimed  at  bj’'  tbe.se 
e.xtra-precautions  regulatiiu''  shipments,  if  they 
are  neglected  the  1 it  would  be  better  that  there 
was  no  fruit  trade  in  so  far  as  Fiji  be  concei  ncd. 
Make  no  mistake,  as  soon  as  a single  bunch 
goes  into  the  market  more  than  it  can  consume, 
then  the  market  becomes  at  once  demoralised — 
hence  uniuolitable.  Ami  it  were  well  in  the  in- 
terest of  tlie  industry  that  tlie  colony  is  once 
more  endeavouring  to  build  up,  without  it  is  to 
be  of  an  ephemeral  character,  that  the  producers 
and  exporters  meet  together  ami  form  some  kind 
of  a co-operative  combination  in  Suva,  in  order 
that  they  may  regulate  ship'inents  on  some  busi- 
ness lines.  . We  are  aware,  of  course,  that  ell'orts 
in  this  direction  have  been  made  before,  ami 
that  success  has  not  been  aclueveil  ; had  it  been 
otherwise  the  decline  in  our  former  fruit  enter- 
prises would  not  have  occurred.  Possibly  too 
much  has  been  aimed  at,  and  hence  the  failure. 
Nevertheless,  like  errors  may  he  avoided  on  tliis 
occasion,  and  the  industry,  as  it  presents  itself 
at  this  time,  is  so  much  the  richer  in  that  it  is 
fortified  with  those  results  already  ascertained — 
and  paid  for.  As  the  matter  stands  at  present 
we  have  indicated  that  the  trade  to  he  recon- 
structed on  a permanent  basis  requires  to  he 
regulated  at  the  port  of  shipment  and  the  port 
of  delivery,  and  the  sooner  this  is  accomidished 
the  better  it  will  be  for  those  more  particu- 
larly interested  before  the  volume  of  hiisine.ss 
attains  jiroportions  that  will  materially  hamper 
the  position.  Now  is  the  time,  while  shipments 
are  curtailed,  to  formulate  future  proceedings. 
Legislative  or  otherwise.  We  mention  legis- 
lative, because  in  the  interest  of  the  in- 
dustry the  suggested  meeting  of  producers 
and  shippers  may  deem  it  .advisable  to  ask 
the  Government  to  provide  the  funds  neces- 
sary to  the  appointment  of  supervising  ageats  in 
the  colonies — and  this  would  pos.si hi y entail  a small 
export  duty  on  each  bunch  or  case  of  fruit. 
As  regards  the  regulation  of  the  shipments  .at 
this  end,  the  ex])enses  should  be  no  more  than 
each  shipper  could  well  atlbrd  to  liquidate  out 
of  his  private  pocket.  Were  tlie  system  adopted 
that  all  fruit  luit  on  board  sliij) — never  mind  by 
whom  appraised  on  a general  average  principle 
according  to  grade  of  fruit  which  might  foi'  mnveni- 
ence  sake  be  gr.aded  in  the  colonies)  and  tlie 
whole  shipment  dealt  with  as  one  venture,  there 
would  be  little  100m  for  dissatisfaction  on  the 
part  of  any  shipper,  as  the  proceeds  of  the  whole 
cargo  would  be  divided  according  to  its  grade. 
If  an  exporter  sent  second-class  fruit,  he  would 
only  receive  account  sales  for  second-class  fruit 
— and  so  on.  Either  some  such  plan  as  here  sug- 
gested must  be  .adopted  or  the  fruit  industry 
has  a much  harder  e.xperience  to  undergo  before 
success  is  attained. 
Further  remarks  on  this  subject  are  held  over 
for  another  opportunity. — Fiji  Times,  Sept.  5. 
In  our  last  article  we  suggested  that  the 
rough  handling  of  bananas  had  much  to  do  in 
contributing  to  the  undoing  of  past  ventures ; 
that  where  profits  were  wont  to  be  looked  for- 
ward to  the  actual  result  in  very  many  in- 
stances was  ruinous,  alike  to  individual  as  to 
the  industry  as  a whole.  Hough  handlnig 
yed  its  part  and  is  largely  responsible  for 
collapse  that  followed  after  the  zenith  year 
— 1892.  The  rough  and  tumble  of  that  yea 
brought  the  climax  to  a trade  that  should  other- 
wise have  been  a remunerative  and  jierma- 
nent  industry;  in  i»lace  of  which  planiations 
were  abinidoned,  the  service  of  numbers  of  vessels 
and  em))Ioyees  w;is  dispensed  with,  trade  rest- 
ricted, and  the  large  ocean  steamers  engaged  in 
the  transport  w'ere  replaced  by  smaller  ones  or 
altogether  willulr.awn,  the  Colony’s  revenue 
sullered  a shrinkage  .and  altogether  the  country 
lost  prestige.  This  is  only  a modified  sketch 
of  the  past.  What  are  the  conditions  to  be 
obseived  in  connection  with  this  industry  for 
the  future?  The  same  errors  are  surely  not  to 
be  again  repeated.  The  whole  history  in  con- 
nection with  the  fruit  industry  the  world 
over,  instructs  ns  that  good  v.arieties  of  fruit 
carefully  giown,  tenderly  handled  and  forwarded 
to  market  in  good  condition,  will  always  com- 
mand a imrchaser.  It  will  be  well,  then,  to 
bear  this  in  mind  in  all  future  tran.sactions. 
As  a rule  the  ordinary  citizen  has  a good  deal 
of  respect  for  what  is  termed  vested  interests 
— why,  we  have  never  bothered  ourselves  to 
undeistand.  Even  the  publican,  when  the 
proliibitionists,  who  surround  him,  are  of 
opinion  that  the  air  w’ould  be  purer  by  the 
closing  of  it,  it  may  be  The  White  Lion 
or  the  Honest  Lawyer,  is  up  in  arms  at 
once  with  “ No  ! You  don’t  respect  my  vested 
interests,  please.”  And  the  landlord  is  generally 
)>retty  safe  behind  his  banievof  vested  interests. 
Nevertheless,  we  w'ould  like  to  know  what  the 
vestC'l  interests  of  the  Sydney  fruit  merchant 
comprise,  an  I by  what  right  he  insists  on  receiv- 
ing b.inanas  in  naked  bunches  in  place  of  well- 
lirotected  cases.  If  it  be  because  it  has  been 
the  cusiom  to  so  receive  the  fruit  it  must  have 
originated  in  our  past  carelessne.ss  in  having 
■forwarded  it  to  him  in  an  unprotected  con- 
'diliori.  Notwithstamlig  this  barriercry  of  “Cus- 
tom ! Custom  ! ” it  is  quite  time  that  the  prac- 
tice w'as  iliscontinued,  more  especially  as  we  are 
aware  that  so  .soon  as  the  Sydney  dealer  re- 
ceives the  fruit,  a large  portion  of  it  is  at  once 
put  up  in  cases  for  country  customers.  In  fact 
the  work  that  ought  to  have  been  performed 
on  the  plantation  is  done  in  Siolncy.  This  is 
one  of  the  anomalies  in  connection  with  the  tr.adc 
that  rei[uires  attention.  The  fruit  is  grown  in 
Fiji,  carried  iierhaps  a mile  to  the  river  or  beach, 
put  on  board  some  small  craft,  then  into  the 
larger  stream,  carried  to  Sydney,  put  on 
the  whaif  there,  then  transferred  to  cart, 
ilumped  down  in  a store,  and  then — the  pack- 
ing process  commences.  And  at  who.se  cost 
is  all  this  d.amage  entailed  to  the  fruit  en  route 
ilebited  but  to  the  |)roducer — and  the  middle  man 
benelits  by  the  transaction.  Had  the  fruit  been 
jiacked  on  the  plantation  no  w'.aste  or  destruc- 
tion would  have  entailed,  and  the  interests  of 
the  producer  and  consumer  would  have  been 
conserved.  Possibly,  and  we  have  our  doubts 
about  it,  it  might  serve  the  interests  of  a few' 
jieople  in  Fiji  to  so  send  their  pi'oduce  to  market, 
Imt  that  the  pr.actice  should  be  longer 
continued  as  a general  custom  is  very  much  to 
be  deprecated.  After  all,  the  o'ty  of  Sydney, 
nPAFMi-QQ  essay  describing  a really 
ULMI  IiLOOi  genuine  Cure  for  Deafness, 
Kinging  in  Ears,  A'C.,  no  matter  how-  severe  or  long- 
standing, will  be  sent  post  free. — Artificial  Ear- 
drums and  similar  appliances  entirely  superseded. 
Ad(lre.ss  'rHOM.AS  KE.MPE,  VlCTOKi-V  Cham- 
ijiuts,  19,  Southampton  lIuir.oiNOS,  Holboen 
London, 
