Thursday Island Topics
From Our Own Correspondent Government’s Attitude Towards Pearling Industry—Now Recognised that Asiatic Divers are Necessary— Medical Survey Proceeding
Thursday Island, Sept. 30.
THE intentions of the Federal Gov ernment in regard to the pearl shell industry have been explained by the Federal member for this district, Mr. G. W. Martens, M.P.. who has paid us a very welcome visit.
It had been reported that this new Labour Government was determined to
keep the industry for the whites, and push out the Asiatics; and the indus try, in consequence, has been in a jumpy and uncertain state for some time.
Your representative had the pleasure of a chat with Mr. Martens, and the latter gave the following assurances with regard to the industry.
“Of course,” said Mr. Martens, “we would like to see the pearling industry wholly in the hands of people of our own race, but that does not mean that we are seeking to im pose impossible conditions to that end.
“The Royal Commission on the shelling in dustry, presided over by Mr. Bamford, was strongly Labour in its personnel and sympa thies, and it came to a definite conclusion when it took evidence here in 1912. In spite
almost immediately and expects to be in Thursday Island towards the end of October.
Mr. Mocrhouse, B.Sc., a member of Dr. Young’s expedition to the Barrier Reef in 1929, has apparently been eat ing Wongais, for he has returned to his old haunts around these parts and is at present investigating the growth of pearl shell and other biological sub jects, at Murray Island.
Dr. Baldwin, Assistant Director of the Sydney School of Tropical Medi cine, is to make a complete survey of medical matters in Torres Straits and wall be conveyed from island to island by the Government ketch Melbidir.
While the main object is to investigate the various forms of tropical disease that exist in the Straits, the general health and hygiene of the natives will be looked into. It is many years since a similar medical survey was made, the last being by Dr. Brien before the war.
The Resident Magistrate of Daru (Papua) and his wife, Mr. and Mrs.
Woodward, are at present on leave and have gone as far afield as Col ombo. Captain Zimmer, who was A.R.M, of the same district, has been promoted to R.M.. and will, I am in formed, take up duties at Kerema after his leave.
Trochus Shell.
A rise in the price of trochus shell is announced, to-day’s local quotation being £63 per ton.
Neighbourly Daru.
Daru, the official seat of adminis tration for the Western Division of Papua, is almost as much in touch with Thursday Island as with its own metropolis of Moresby. When a resi dent of Daru sees no prospect of the desired “Trip South,” he finds busi ness to do in Thursday Island, where a daily newspaper, afternoon tea par ties, bridge and iced drinks make a pleasant change from a Papuan out station. In fact, it has been openly stated here that “T.I. is a paradise compared to Daru”; or, as some people would put it, “T.I. is a somewhat less unpleasant sort of hell.”
Daru is a great recruiting ground and supplies Thursday Island with, its collection of “New Guinea boys,” who, in reality the most communistic of all the races gathered here, are the last to adopt Bolshevik principles. In fact, the highest form of economic subtlety that the Kiwai boy is as yet capable of is to develop a headache two hours before his lugger is ready for the sea —and the mere suggestion of a visit to hos pital is often enough to cure that.
Daru is a place that has —temporarily at least —missed the bus. It was
of a strong desire to the contrary, the find ing was that Asiatic labour, especially as regards the actual diving, was essential to the industry. Before the present Government can reverse that verdict it must make sure that fundamental changes have occurred which could justify its taking such a step.
And it does not need a Royal Commission to prove that that has not yet come about.
“As far as the actual winning of the shell is concerned, we realise that methods must remain very much as they were. We are cer tainly introducing changes in the accessory operations of grading, packing and cart ing, by which we hope that white men may find employment, but even these must be re garded as experimentals. If they prove un workable they may be remitted. The Gov ernment is fully aware of the great value of the shelling industry in promoting local prosperity and in helping to adjust adverse trade balances abroad. For this reason alone we are not likely to hamper the Industry unduly.
“We are not alone in our wish to preserve pearling for white men. Some time ago a prominent Darwin pearler offered to fit out a boat and hand it over to any competent white team for purposes of pearling, with the remark that, if the white men of Aus tralia could work the industry successfully, the pearlers would prefer it so. Such an offer was genuine enough, but it failed for the want of white men with the necessary qualifications and local knowledge. Added to this is the disinclination to put up with con ditions which the Japanese diver and his crew regard as satisfactory.
“While our object is to introduce white labour where it can be done without burden ing the industry, we are prepared to give the nearler a fair deal and we expect the same from him.”
Personal Items.
A cable has been received from M.
Max Rabin, the well-known pearl buy
er, stating that he is leaving Paris
to have been the Texas of Papua, and was much in the public eye when the Oriomo Oil Co. started operations there in 1925—so much so that Thursday Island was beginning to feel quite apprehensive about the reputed coming prosperity of its neighbour across the Straits. However, no one has any illu sions of this sort about Daru at the present time, and the traders there are more likely to dream of boatloads of returned and very financial boys from Torres Straits (Daru gets the cream of the wages paid to Papuans in the pearling industry), than of oil derreks and American millionaires.
Typical Japanese Pearl Divers,
Thursday Island.
Some vessels of the pearling fleet at Thursday Island.