"Freedom" Under The Condominium

Condominium

(A Letter to the Editor) IHAVE no wish to enter into a contro versy on the vexed subject of New Hebrides administration, but I would suggest to my friend Captain Hilder that, perhaps, the impressions of an experi enced administrative officer who recently occupied almost all senior posts on the British side of the Condominium might be more reliable than those of a ship’s officer who some 10 years ago called, on occasion, at many ports in the group.

Might I, however, thank the Captain for generously admitting that the facts set out by me were correct, even if my con clusions do not agree with his own.

Actually, to my mind. Captain Hilder’s bright article and his cheerful admissions amount to a greater indictment of the Condominium system than my effort.

Captain Hilder, however, does make a great mistake when he assumes that as a “pompous public servant’’ I appear to be in favour of the introduction of more officials to this benighted group. On the contrary. I feel, that the Condominium system has resulted in far too much duplication of officialdom, with the natural result that stagnation has ensued.

I wonder if Captain Hilder can visu alise the state of affairs that would re sult if the ship he commands were run on similar lines two captains, two chief engineers, and every other post dunlicated. Certainly, there would be « lot of freedom on a ship like that, for everything would end in chaos.

No. Captain Hilder. what I want to see is this wretched Condominium system thrown into the discard: and. that be impossible, then a reduction in the number of officials and an increase in

their efficiency.

For instance, the number of Joint Regulations issued during the War years became so great that it was impossible for the average citizen to follow them or keep their purport in mind. Yet prose cutions for breach of these regulations were quite common, especially on the British side. The French mostly treated them with their usual levity.

I am .afraid that Captain Hilder is apt to confuse the freedom which, he says, existed in his own time, with the license which was apparent in my own This was especially rampant in the liquor trade; but, judging from my friend’s views on freedom he probably would have been delighted in the care-free way in which French operator, under the nose of authority, sold quantities of Australian spirits to American Gl’s at anything up to £7 a bottle! Those were the days of freedom, alright. Vive la Condominium!

I am etc.,

Alexander Rentoul.

Cremorne, Sydney, 26/9/46.