N, Caledonia

Cannot

Find Labour

Special Committee Can Provide No

Solution to Problem That is Now

Common in All Pacific

Territories NEW CALEDONIAN coffee planters and cattle men are becoming more and more concerned about the lack of labour now that the Javanese and Indo-Chinese are refusing work and clamouring to return to their native lands.

It is noticeable that the Javanese in Noumea are taking to vices, including over-indulgence in drink, from which they were previously free. A group of Chinese in the bush recently fell foul of the authorities for flying the Red flag without the Tricolor.

A permanent committee has been ap pointed to consider and recommend on the labour question. They report: • To bring out Poles, Czechs and Italians would be expensive. But the Governor has been asked to continue to obtain information as to possibilities in this quarter; • Labour recruiting in Java —impossible under present revolutionary con ditions; • Portuguese Timor is an importer of Javanese labour —so nothing doing there; • Indo-China —likewise nothing doing there; and the same in Tonkin until the political situation has been cleared up; • Korea —nothing doing while Rus sian and US troops are in occupation; • China Proper not favoured because

where Chinese go they stick, and take over commerce as in Tahiti; • On the whole, the cheapest kind of European peasant immigration would be preferred.

From one quarter comes a suggestion that the country should encourage the introduction of orphans from Europe.

New Caledonia planters, of course, are not alone in having labour problems.

Every tropical territory which hitherto produced cheaply is now faced with higher production costs and a poor lab our market.

The only solution at the present time appears to be the introduction of mach ines to take the place of unwilling men as much as possible.