Lost By Default

Our Trade with N. Caledonia

Federal Government’S

Indifference

PROMINENCE was given by the newspapers recently to a state ment by M. Rene Contal (manager of the Societe le Nickel, of Paris), that high production costs in Aus tralia were driving away to Euro pean countries, trade from New Caledonia worth £500,000 per annum to the Commonwealth.

THESE figures are exaggerated. The total value of Australian exports to New Caledonia, for ten years past, has not averaged much more than £250,000 per annum.

It has ranged between £200,000 and £480,000 each year.

But this trade, nevertheless, is ex tremely valuable, and, as M. Contal has pointed out, the condition of some of it is precarious.

It is true that the nickel mines of New Caledonia are large consumers of coal, coke, machinery, and foodstuffs, and that Australia, whose mainland is only 800 miles from Noumea, is the natural market for the purchase of such commodities. In the past, the nickel producing corporation represented by M. Contal has spent £75,000 per annum in Australia on these goods.

M. Contol says that it now has been ascertained that the required goods can be imported from Europe, more cheaply

To Kill Mosquitoes

After 16 months’ work in the northern Islands, Mr. C. E. Pember ton, an entomologist, arrived in Sydney, en route to Honolulu, with about 250 mosquito-killing insects, with which he hopes to reduce Hawai’s pests. The insects are themselves a type of mosquito, but are not blood suckers; and in their larvae stage they devour the larva of the common mos quito. Mr. Pemberton secured his specimens in the forests of New Britain, about 10 miles from Rabaul.

than from Australia, and most of that £75,000 per annum, accordingly, is going elsewhere. Other nickel producers, it appears, are likely to follow the ex ample of the Societe le Nickel.

There is nothing new about this. It is only another chapter in the weari some, discouraging story of Australia’s trade connection with the Pacific. Here in the South Seas territories, right at Australia’s front door, is a market which each year buys nearly £4,000,000 worth of goods. This takes into ac count only the Islands nearest Aus tralia —going no further north than New Guinea, and no further east than Samoa. Australia sells in that market only about £1,900,000 worth of her com modities.

That trade has been held for Aus tralia, first, by her geographical position in proximity to the market; sec ond, because the Islands definitely want the goods which Australia has for sale; and, third, by the efficiency of big commercial institutions such as Burns Philp & Co. Ltd., Morris Hedstrom Ltd., W. R. Carpenter & Co. Ltd., Union S.S.

Co. Ltd.

Apart from the payment of a few shipping subsidies, the Australian Gov ernment has done nothing to foster the Islands connection. Actually, it has been held in spite of Australian official dom. If Australia set out to capture the South Pacific markets, she could sell to these communities three-quar ters of the £4,250,000 worth which they annually buy.

This French merchant has said, in emphatic fashion, that our com modities are too dear, and that trade worth anything up to a quar ter of a million sterling is going elsewhere. Has the Federal Govern ment said one word in reply or ex planation? Has it ordered a prompt investigation of the posi tion? It has not.

Yet anyone acquainted with the cir cumstances knows that that trade could be retained by Australia if real effort were made. The Government is preparing to send expensive commis sioners to seek trade for us in America, and The East, and Canada. It has virtually sacrificed Australia’s primary industries to the secondary industries, os part of its deliberate economic policy; yet when a very good market for our manufactured as well as our primary products shows signs of closing up, this Government displays not the slightest interest.

It is notified from Thursday Island that the ketch “Goodwill,” owned by Papuan Industries Ltd., is for sale.

There is no further need for her, be cause the Government has taken over all the interests of this company at Dogai, on Badu Island. Papuan In dustries Ltd is an industrial missionary organisation.