"Pandemonium"
p. 46 · Read in the full issue
Condominium As
Former Missionary Is Bitterly Critical
SEVERE criticism of the condition of the New Hebrides under the Con dominium is expressed by a Presby terian Minister, the Rev. T. E. Riddle, of Takapuna, Auckland, who recently re visited the group after an absence of 27 years.
“Known officially as the Condominium and locally as the ‘Pandemonium’, this system of control has had 30 years to show what it could do”, said Mr. Riddle, to the “New Zealand Herald”, “but a Government that works through British Courts for British Residents, French Courts for the French, a joint Court with several neutral nationals as its Judges, public prosecflTTors and advocates, besides resident commissioners of both nations, has too many spring traps in the way of national jealousies and international red tape to allow any considerable de gree of executive drive, or of judicial efficiency.
“British traders, planters and mission aries have only one opinion about the Condominium, and especially about the British end of it, and that is that it has let them down badly. Plahters complain that nothing has ever been done to improve planting. Even now there are no grafted fruit trees in the islands, and no improved cotton, sugarcane or rice has been introduced.
“Hurricanes have been frequent of late years, and one British settler in parti cular has had heavy losses. All he re ceived from the British authorities was
a letter of sympathy, whereas his French neighbour was given financial aid by his Government.
“Copra is the main trade of the is lands and adverse tariffs and vested in-
terests in England so control the price that the trading steamers in the group can offer £9 a ton to the French for cop ra, £8 to the natives and only £7 to the British.
“So deadly has this discrimination
against the British become that British trading firms have one by one become French or have floated subsidiary trad ing companies registered in France. Brit ish traders and planters are being forced out, and it is hard to find any construc tive efforts to prevent other British in terests from going the same way.
“It is startling to find that in the 30 years the Condominium has been estab lished the British part of it has not spent one penny for education either of British children or of the natives”, continued Mr. Riddle. “The various mis sionary societies supply all the education there is in the group. In welfare work the British Condominium is equally ne glectful”.
Mr. Riddle, although criticising the administration of the groun under dis trict agents, said local officials would probably act energetically if left to them selves, but the Colonial Office appeared to have forgotten that it had obligations to the settlers and natives of New Heb rides.