to Peacetime Lethargy
pp. 37-38 · Read in the full issue
N. Caledonia Returning to Peacetime Lethargy Departure of the Troops
Prom a Special Correspondent FINANCIALLY, economically, we are not yet masters of our destiny—we must still submit to a regime of government by decree,” says Roger Gervolmo, recently-elected New Cale donian representative to the French National Assembly.
It has taken nearly a century for the Colony to have her own deputy in Paris.
The Colony argues that it should no longer have to pay the “depenses obliga toires” over which it had no control; while decisions taken by the French “high ups” and applied to all Colonies left out of account the island’s geo graph'cal position and the fact that this is the one French Colony suitable for European settlement. These are factors calling for special treatment.
New Caledonia is comparable to a French province, and her people have the qualities and the defects of the French. But as “mere colonials” they are unfortunately regarded by the “big shots” of the Rue Oudinot (in Paris) as ungovernable people, always dissatis fied and even would-be autonomists. The truth is that they wish to remain French, but they want to be treated the same as metropolitan Frenchmen and not as subjects insufficiently evolved to control their own affairs. Such are the argu ments of the Caledonian Party which backed M. Gervolino.
IN the New Caledonian elections held on October 21 for a representative to the French Constituent National Assembly in Paris, M. Gervolino, the Caledonian party’s candidate, won an absolute majority of 375. Voting was as follows:
The result is a victory for the demo cratic element which rallied the coun try in the dark days of 1940, the element which demands a larger share of self government and limitation of the powers of the Governor.
On the same day, the population voted on the question as to whether to keep or reject the French Constitution of 1875. Like the French, Caledonians showed themselves by a large majority (4,701 against 125) in favour of reject ing the Constitution of the Third Repub lic.
Jean Laubreaux, a New Caledonian member of the Resistance Movement in France, and at present an artillery lieu tenant in French occupied Germany, has been awarded the Croix de Guerre.
After an absence of over five years, Captain Jego, master of the New Cale donian nickel collier, “Notou,” sunk by a German raider in the South Pacific on August 16, 1940, has returned to Nou mea. The captain, member of an old Breton seafaring family, and highly respected by the seagoing fraternity in Sydney and Newcastle, as well as by his compatriots in the French Pacific, was for many months in German hands. rE French colony in the New Hebrides mourns the loss of Edmond Colar deau, one of their pioneers. He won the Croix de Guerre in Prance, 1918.
Thirty-two Caledonian sailors who played their part in the European cam paigns arrived in Noumea on October 14 by an American vessel. They had left Cherbourg on July 11.
Because New Caledonia is geographic ally so isolated from France, a campaign has been going on for the abandon ment of French exchange control. This would make for freer trade with Pacific countries, notably USA, Australia and New Zealand. It was announced, in December, that the franc of New Cale donia is to be rated higher, in sterling and dollar terms, than the franc of France.
Occasionally news arrives of New Caledonians living in Indo-China. From Saigon comes word that former Noumea magistrate Janvier and his wife and son are in good health in Saigon, where M. Janvier fills the office of Public Prose cutor. News has also been received of Henri Evelia, of the Bank of Indo china’s Saigon headquarters.
M. Goulet has found gold in associa tion with copper deposits in his “New Caledonia” mine at Moindah. Analysis, it is said, shows 33 grammes to the ton. 117TTH every departing American ves ff sel, Noumea is falling back into its old state of stagnation, and soon it seems possible that unemployment will
Noumean Bush Total Gervolino ... 1,419 1,830 3,249 Verges 1,142 819 1,961 Paladini 180 357 537
be rife. Many people, who saved money for a rainy day during the Yank in vasion, would like to emigrate to Aus tralia, but the Governor, M. Tallec, for bids their departure, only granting travel facilities to those sick people who doc tors consider cannot receive adequate medical treatment in the Colony. Some of these poor people are held up so long that they arrive in Sydney by the “Poly nesien” more dead than alive. The ban on travel is causing much resentment.
One recent ship, the “President Polk,” besides nurses and soldiers, took to America the last bevy of Caledonian brides, to the number of six. Prior to marriage to US soldiers they were Louise Martin, Simone Bacino, Marie Weiss, Georgette O’Connor, Simone Vilet, and Ronalde Barthelemy. At the end of October three more transports, the “Bosque,” “Darke” and “Lycoming,” took away further thousands of Americans, while three more, the “Young America,”
“Mormacdore” and “Albermarle,” were expected in November. Altogether 12,000 troops left within one month. The main US canteen has closed. Prices of all local commodities have fallen astronomi cally, and are still falling.
Dr. Rene Catala, an agricultural en gineer and correspondent of the Paris Natural History Museum, is touring the French Pacific and will report to the Colonial Scientific Research Department on questions relating to development.
Gangster activity is still rife in Noumea. One of the victims is a butcher, M. Montier. Entering his shop with a skeleton key, thieves broke into the safe, which they rifled of 200,000 francs.
To replace the old Magenta racecourse,
which the Americans turned into an air port, Noumea is to construct a new track at Anse Vata, close to the camp and beach area, and the magnificent church built by the American Army headquarters This should prove an ideal site.
There is talk of Pan-American Airways taking over the principal US Army office building here.
The Hotel Pacifique, in Noumea, best known “pub” or club in the Pacific dur ing the Solomons campaign, which was used as General Patch’s headquarters and subsequently as the American Army’s officers’ club, has been handed back to the French.
DISCONTENTED Javanese and Ton kinese coolie labourers, now freed from their onerous contracts, are deserting their employers and living in independence in Noumea and the bush, often in far from hygienic circumstances.
The French are complaining bitterly of control exercised by the Caledonian Ad ministration, and are urging that these released coolies should be forced to work to relieve the shortage of labour. But coolies are not the only Caledonian in haitants who prefer idleness to labour.
The fiduciary circulation in New Cale donia in mid-1945 amounted to 303,501,045 francs. Two years previously it was about 170,000,000.
There is rejoicing in Noumea at the purchase by the Colony of the American Army’s ice factory, a mile or two out of town. This should solve ths “probleme frigorifique,” improve the amenities of life for the inhabitants and make Noumea healthier to live in. The re frigeration capacity is about 2,000 cubic metres.