Evening star., 1901-04-20
FJis and Tongas to Be Joined to New
Zealand,
FEDERATION 1000 MILES LONG
People Have Come Up From Can
nibaIism to Christianity.
WHO AND WHAT THEY ARE
Copyright. 1901. ry Frank C. Carrenter)

Copyright 1901. Iy Frank G. Ca-rPnter.)
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
WELLINGTON. New Zealand.
Before l begin my letters on the conti-
nent of Australia l want to tell You some
thing about the scheme which is now pro-
pcsed to federatt, New Zealand with the
Tonga and Fiji islands, making a great
colonial republic down here below the
equator under the protection of England
This republic will embrace hundreds of is
lands. 1t will extend almost two thousand
miles from north to south and it may be
the beginning of an island empire which
will include the greater part of the South
seas. The governments Of the various is
lands are now in correspondence. The lead
ing politicians Of New Zealand are pushing
the scheme and its adoption is being dis
cussed in the New Zealand parliament.
Premier Seddon is in favor of it and the
arrangement may be consummated within
the year.
The United States is especially interested
in the future Of some Of the islands. The
TOngaS are not far south of Samoa and
the Fills have recently formed a direct
connection with San Francisco by the new
line of steamships connecting SuVa and
I.cVuka. the chief cities of those islands. by
way of Hawaii. with San Francisco. There
is also a connection between the Samoan
is that the greater part of the trade will
fall into our hands.
American Trade With the Fills.
At the present time the Fiji Islands alone
are annually importing about s3,50oGOo
worth of goods. and a large part of this
already comes from the United States. We
are supplying them with timber. They buy
our coal oil. and our hardware brings the
highest price in their markets. The Amer
lean ak is the only kind a Fijian viii use
He likes it because it is light. sharp and
well tempered and he will buy it every
time in preference to German or an
English AK He likes American knives with
blades about fifteen inches long to clear
his fields and gather his bananas and CO.
coanuts, and he is also fond of our cheap
watches and clocks. l am told a good busi-
ness can be created there in knocked
down furniture and also in lOw-priced
pianos and organs. The people buy about
$4,000 worth of cottOnS yearly and there
is a demand for canned meats and flour.
Our merchants can learn all about the
markets by writing to the chambers of
commerce at Levuka and Suva, where they
will find banks at both places.
In CannibaI Days.
Our drunmers can be accommodated at
good hotels at either of these towns, and
they need not fear the meat brought on
the table, for cannibalism passed away
long before the English got possession of
the Fits. Indeed. the Fiji Islands are now
more advanced than parts OF the Philip
pines and their condition shows what
nation like ours can do with its colony at
Tutuila in Samoa and with the wilder
parts of the Philippines There are men
still living here in New Zealand who can
tell YOU stories of the days when the Fill
ans were the blOodthirstiest cannibals on
earth. They had human sacrifices, and
widows were expected to burn themselves