Supply Of Native

Labour

Result Of World-wide Survey

The problem of a decreasing «upolv of native labour is present in New Guinea, Solomons, and other Territories, and is expected to apnear in others. The subject was dealt with in an article in this journal in June. The follow ing extract from a new book (“The Colonial Problem” —a re port by a study group of members of the Roval Institute of Inter national Affairs) has a direct bearing upon the subject.

THE “feeders” of labour supply are increase of population, decrease of disease, increase of efficiency, and labour-saving methods (including the use of machinery in agricultural and other operations, and the develop ment of communications to secure savings of labour and porterage); and labour recruited from other countries.

If the reservoir of labour—the general population—is deficient, the first and most important need is to secure demographic readjustment, by means of better farming, and thus better nutrition, improved education and social organisation in general.

Imported labour may be regarded as a last resort.

The provision of better implements for native producers has been fol lowed, for instance, in Cambodia, by a great increase in production. In plantation farming, the use of good labour-saving implements is not over looked, but progress would be more rapid if the native could be persuaded to treat the machine with proper re spect.

This difficulty is not serious in Africa. Malays soon become expert with machinery, and the Chinese labourer is quite good. There is cer tainly no more difficulty in teaching Asiatics the proper use of expensive machinery, than there was in teach ing the Russian peasant. The African needs time, but that he can become a capable mechanic is shown by the success with which the Nigerian and Belgian Congo railways are run by native engine-drivers and by native mechanics in the railway workshops.

M. de Wildemann, at successive International Conferences, has de fended with great force a thesis he laid down in 1923: that the develop ment of cultivation by and for the native, definitely assists the forma tion of a more efficient labour force, the stabilisation of the native family, the health and consequently the in crease of population (and labour supply). His arguments were at first received sceptically, though now they are increasingly supported at later meetings.

It is a common error to regard the

encouragement of native farming and the provision of labour for other pur poses as antithetical: They are com plementary.

In communities which are allowed to stagnate, and to be content with a subsistence standard of living, there will be no incentive to wage earning. A flourishing and progres sive native community, with increas ing wants, will find in wage-earning a welcome additional source of in come.

Mr. and Mrs. R. Siggins, arrived at Rabaul, New Guinea, recently by the “Montoro”. Mr. Siggins, who is well known among the older residents of T.N.G., has been appointed Chief Auditor.