N. Caledonia’s Population

Census Shows 5,000 Increase Many Europeans in Noumea

From Our Own Correspondent.

Noumea, Nov. 4.

THE figures, as a result of the cen sus taken on July 1 last, are now available and show an increase since the last census, taken in 1926, of 5,289 and a total population in the Colony of 57,165, made up of 17,215 whites, 11,448 coloured indentured labourers and 28,502 indigenous na tives.

Most of the increase can be attribut ed to the large influx during the last few years of coloured indentured la bour. It is quite likely that in view of the slackening off of industry gen

erally these figures will show some what of a decrease in the future.

The local native population has re mained at about the same figure for the past 30 years, but in the last 25 years the penal element (whites only) has been reduced from 8,000 to 623, with a steady reduction at each of the five-yearly census dates.

A satisfactory feature to note is that the free white population is in creasing at the rate of nearly 1,000 persons per census period of five years.

The population of the town of Nou mea is over 12,000, of which nearly 8,000 are whites and the remainder Javanese, Tonkinese and New Heb ridian and local natives.

These figures show an increase for the capital of 2,000 inhabitants since the last census in 1926, of which in crease approximately one-third is white and two-thirds coloured. In these figures is included a total of 1,000 inhabitants at Nouville, which is the old convict settlement across the bay, formerly known as Ile Nou.

Giant Sugar Cane, 25 feet from the ground to leaves, growing in village of Kwaibwaga, Kiriwina, Trobriand Islands (east of Papua). The photograph shows native food-houses, full of yams; and in the foreground, in the white suit, a Methodist native teacher.

Photo. by A. J. Vogan.