Administration

Strong Criticism Of Solomons

Indifference Towards Plight of the Displaced Planters

From a private letter from Lieut. Leslie F. Gill, an old BSI planter, who rendered notable service during the Pacific war. fITHERE is little hopeful news that can X be told to the displaced planters and traders of the British Solomons, who for several years have been eating out their hearts in exile in Australia and elsewhere. When questioned regarding war damage compensation, or rehabilita tion policy, the invariable official reply is: “There is no oolicy.’’ And we are supposed to be satisfied with that!

Why is there not a policy? Ample time has elapsed in which to formulate one —since the Japanese invasion, in fact.

It was solely due to Colonial Office flat footedness and lack of foresight that the overseas British Colonies and Depen dencies were caught without a war damage insurance scheme similar to those operating in Britain, Australia, and the Australian-controlled islands. The same official ineptitude which let us down in the first place now expects us to rot and languish while it plays around with gran diose schemes for the dim future.

The official attitude is cold-bloodedly legalistic: “You have no contract, so you have no legal claim.” No moral obliga tion seems to be felt at all. We and our problem are to be written off, apparently.

THE High Commissioner says he wel comes criticism When asked re cently about rehabilitation he ans wered that more important countries must come first.

What countries? Apart from Malaya

and Hong Kong, which of the Colonial Office’s proteges has been more war ravaged than the Solomons?

We learn in the press that the wealthy Malayan interests have a scheme to re habilitate themselves; that the British Government guarantees to protect the interests of the small Malayan producers; that the Siamese Government has pro mised to pay for war damage suffered by British interests in Siam—all of which takes care of a considerable liability in that important area.

What of the British Solomons? The amount involved here is a bagatelle— probably less than a million , sterling— about two hours’ cost to Great Britain of running the war. But to many of the settlers in the British Solomons it is a matter of life and death; of justice and fair play; principles for which we fought the war.

IT cannot be entirely a question of money. Money is being poured out like water in the Solomons to-day, in Governmental expenditure and schemes in which it would be wise to defer, or limit, outlay until costs fell to a more normal level, and the post-war outlook was more clearly discernible.

I refer particularly to the expenditure on the new capital, engineering work shops, sawmill, roads and bridges motorised equiment and vehicles, and a great outlay for vessels for District Ad ministration —all of whicn are being bought at the top of the market, by an Administration whose personnel are of wartime vintage, and who are conse

quently sublimely ignorant of our normal needs and our capacity to bear the re current expenditure that such public works and services will entail.

We displaced settlers maintain that a large portion of the above expenditure would have been more profitably and equitably employed in re-establishing us and restarting tne plantation industry.

The Administration must face the bald fact that the copra industry is the basis of this country’s economy, Commonsense should dictate its early re-establishment while the price for copra is still highly profitable. First things first. Get our basic industry operating immediately, thereby helping to rehabilitate natives and whites alike, and providing an ever increasing revenue for the Government.

Gold, timber, and agricultural develop ment schemes of a more or less nebulous nature may well be left to fall into step behind the copra industry, and to gradu ally develop as the country recovers.

WE old-timers stand appalled at the orgy of Governmental expenditure in the Solomons compared with pre-war days. We feel that 'we are the victims of High Policy.

The fall of Malaya marked the end of an era in British Colonial Administra tion. Arraigned before the court of world opinion for not having done enough for the native peoples in its care, the British Government is now frantically spending money in the over seas Dependencies in a belated effort to justify its holding of such countries.

In pre-war days, when we were solvent, we were starved for funds to aid our development. Now that we are bank rupt, hundreds of thousands of pounds are being rapidly spent in hastily con ceived schemes. Ail in the name of PROGRESS. The idea seems to be to spend a lot of money as quickly as pos sible —for window dressing and face sav

■reas°ns..

The principal recommendation for an object oi expendituie seems to be tticit it must be new. That is PROGRESS. The past must be ignored, apparently. Yet true progress is usually a matter of has tening siowly under cautious and expertenced guidance not rushing into schemes ? P U a P V rrin eXPenditUre Under lnex P enencea leaaersnip. * MIDST the welter of new Ideas and plans for spending thousands of n ° thmg “ heard of P ]ans fo \ reimbursing the natives lor personal losses suffered during the occupation and A/ri™?* 10 ?;. J.- . . . , Many of the natives sustained heavy losses, particularly • the natives of the Western Solomons. Their houses were looted, possessions stolen, and their gardens despoiled—not so much by the Japanese wh 9 were not so numerous, as b y i he Americans and New Zealanders.

The natives said that they were very scared when the Japanese first invaded; but when the Nips did not harass them unduly, they became adjusted, though still watchful and actively hostile. When the liberating forces swarmed in, the natives were jubilant then became fa a r r dens ag a a nS S The nativesunderetrod P thenecessity for and were ohilosoohic about the desfaction tLff coconut eroves to make roads airfields and defence areas Thev S ’ H a S™. s ’ f retired before the storm But they did

having thefr gardens ra"theta pos-'

sessions taken, and followed into their new fastnesses by Servicemen.

The stealing of their canoes and the raiding of their gardens imperilled the native food supply. These were ungenerous and thougntiess actions on the part of well-fed troops to a friendly, brave, and helpful people—already underfed as a result of the Japanese invasion.

Nevertheless, they continued to fight the Japs and to help us 100 per cent.

I would make it clear that the above is a record of what occurred only during the first stage of the liberation—the combat period. Subsequently, the troops, USA and NZ, were generous to a fault to the natives and won their hearts.

But that did not replace the lost pos sessions, canoes, sewing machines, boats, clothing hiiilriinp’ iron

Surefy

that job is up to us at present, and for several months x\. past, surplus war material is hpine

disposK b 7 the “can Gov?

ernment in the Solomons. A thousand

rehabmtltton ’“SnSSSTSS betas’ so?d

cheaply, dumped into the sea, or burned: The waste of valuable building material, foodstuffs, equipment and other articles makes bleed the hearts of natives and whites alike. Because of the lack of cash they are missing the chance of a lifetime, Simply because the Government has no policy, and is making no payments for war damage compensation, m addition, at such a time, the Gov ernment in its wisdom has seen nt to col iect Customs duty on articles purchased from the Americans, Surely the Govern ment could have been more generous and waived its doubtful rights to such an onerous impost on a war-ravaged com munity. The Americans are generous and want to help us but the Government steps in and exacts its pound of flesh.

The Government itself, and the mis sions’ are rea P in 8 a rich harvest in gifts and cheap material: medical stores, jeeps, trucks ’ lumber ’ tools ’ foodstuffs, etc. For tunately> some of the missions have large funds in hand, subscribed by the over seas c h urc h es f or rehabilitation, so are « advantage of present opportunities, But the ruined, or half-ruined, planters can °my stand on the sidelines and look on hungrily, knowing that soon the golden opportunity will have gone for ever, A more far-seeing Government would have acquired a stock-pile of many of these items, and reserved them for sale to the exiled planters upon their return, A small loan would have financed the deal, the Government being recouped principal and interest on resale. It would have been a sound investment. As it is, the goods, as I have said, have been burned or dumped into the ocean, Governments, apparently, are good only at spending. When it comes to taking advantage of a heaven-sent opportunity

they seem totally lacking in ordinary business acumen and foresight—or think only of themselves.