Gallantly Carrying On

New Caledonia

Gallantly Carrying On Trade and Industry

rE following statistics show the trade of New Caledonia in 1940; and also, by comparison with other years, the effect of the war upon the French colony’s commerce:—

Coffee Exported

193 9— Arabica , 640,326 kilos; Robusta, 582,937 kilos.; total, 1,223,263 kilos. .ol 9 i9r _Arabica ’ 243,314 kilos.; Robusta, 437,462 kilos; total, 680,776 kilos.

Cotton Exported

4939 29,666 kilos 1940 5,905 „

Copra Exported

1936 2,754,981 kilos 1937 2,760,225 „ 1938 2,945,152 „ 1939 3,289,897 „ 1940 1,081,084 „ In order to help copra producers the Administration (by a decree of October 3, 1940) allows 500 frs. per ton from the local budget funds. Then the nett pro fits, after the amount of 500 frs. advanced by the Colony has been deducted, will be distributed among all the planters. The defeated and, it is presumed, paralysed French Government did this in October, 1940. The undefeated and still comparatively prosperous Aus tralian Government is only now-nine months later—giving similar help to its coconut planters.

The value of minerals exported in 1940 was 158,819,000 francs. Details:—

The total value of raw produce exported during 1940 was 199,921,000 frs., of which the percentage of minerals is 79,94 per cent.

Population

On January 1, 1941, the number of foreign residents in New Caledonia was 1,439 (1,276 men and 163 women) repre senting 22 different nationalities, as against 1,477 in the year 1939. The num ber of Japanese in Noumea is shown as 316 men and 31 women, making a total of 347, as against 339 in 1939 (311 men and 28 women).

On December 31, 1940, the native population of New Caledonia and adja cent islands was 29,591. Previous years* J|s® 28,856 - 10 39 29,374 On December 31, 1940, the indentured Javanese and Tonkinese labourers in the colony numbered 11,203; while the free residents included: Tonkinese, 302; Java nese, 884; Indians, 45.

Tanning Industry

The New Caledonia Council of Ad ministration recently received a request from Monsieur Paul Boyer, schoolmaster, at Bourail. He has advocated, for years, the establishment of a tannery, and he asked for a subsidy of 40,000 frs. which would allow him to learn the tanning trade and to serve for a term with an Australian tanning establishment. The Council voted him 40,000 francs.

Mineral Exports In Kilos

T . , , 1940. 1939. 1938.

Nickel mattes . 8,500 9,000 8,000 Nickel ore . .. 73,881 38,634 23,319 Chrome ore .. 66,382 38,596 42,263 Iron ore ... 156,281 81,500 —

1940. 1939. ... , , (francs) (francs) Nickel mattes .. 107,162,000 112,673,000 Nickel ore .. .. 12,326,000 8,763,000 Chrome ore .. .. 37,484,000 22,882,000 Iron ore 2,847,000 1,128,000

Three new workers joined the staff of the Anglican Mission in Papua during the year, writes the Bishop of New Guinea in his Annual Report, 1940/41. They were: Rev. Vivian Redlich, from Rockhampton, Rev. Oliver Brady, from Victoria, and Miss Mavis Parkinson, a trained teacher from Brisbane. Departures from the Mission field in Papua included: Miss Margaret Gibbon (ill-health), Miss Dorothy Blake (married Rev. A. Shirley, of Brisbane), Miss Margaret Bechervaise

(after 26 years’ service), Miss Townson (after 18 years’ work), Rev. and Mrs.

W. T. Taylor (ill-health), and Rev.

H. A. D. Graham (illness).

Mr. Alfred Stewart, who had been living in retirement in Suva, Fiji, after having served for many years with Morris, Hedstrom, Ltd., died in the Colonial War Memorial Hospital early in July, aged 58. At one time he was engaged in trading in Tonga.

Mr. O. Rossiter, who has been on the Morobe Goldfield, New Guinea, since 1926, recently arrived in Sydney by liner from Salamaua. It is understood that he will not be returning to the Territory, Rev, Richard L. Crampton, an English clergyman who has been in charge of the Anglican Mission at Labasa, Fiji, for the past four years, recently married Miss Constance Chidell, of the Isle of Wight, in Suva Pro-Cathedral.