Solomons And New Hebrides

Series of Questions in House of Commons Produces on Outline of British Administrative Policy

From a Special Correspondent

London, Dec. 26.

DURING the past six weeks, Mr. John Parker, Labour MP for Dagenham, has asked a number of written questions in the House of Commons on matters concerning the New Hebrides and the Solomons. The questions were re ported neither in the press, nor in the BBC Pacific Service. The questions and the Minister’s answers, were as follow: What steps are being taken to abolish indentured labour in the British Solomon Islands; and what alternative source of labour is contemplated?

No such steps have yet been taken.

The possibility of replacing indentured labour with a system involving the settle ment of married labourers in villages is now being examined by the High Com missioner.

Will you give details of the amounts of copra produced and the amount ex ported from the British Solomons since the war, compared with the five years before the war?

Up to October 25, 963 tons of copra had been produced in the Protectorate and up to September 22, 554 tons had been exported. The average yearly ex ports of copra between 1936 and 1941 was 21,000 tons. Production is increasing and the current rate of 30 tons per week is expected to rise considerably.

What efforts are being made to increase copra production in the British Solomons through native and plantation enterprise; and to encourage co-operative produc tion and marketing?

The local Government is doing every thing possible to restore production and

to organise shipping facilities. Sanction has been given to the issue of interest free loans to assist the rehabilitation of the plantations, and in some cases, where owners have not yet returned to the Islands, arrangements are being made with Government encouragement for the Islanders to work the plantations on their own account, and, where possible, on a co-operative basis.

What steps are being taken to Improve transport facilities between the islands of the Western Pacific?

A ship was bought in 1946 to provide overseas communication for the British Solomon Islands, pending the resump tion of normal commercial shipping. Two naval craft have been acquired and the building of another craft is being nego tiated to augment the present fleet of small ships used for local inter-island traffic.

As regards the Gilbert and Ellice Is lands, two Army craft have been bought to facilitate copra trading, and the pos sibility of acquiring a ship combining cargo and passenger-carrying in a regu lar round-the-islands schedule is now be ing considered.

I¥7HAT steps are being taken to increase f? the production in the British Solo mons of alternative crops to copra, in particular rice and groundnuts; and what are the results to date of technical surveys financed through the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund?

The growing of food crops, including maize and tapioca, for local consumption, is a first priority, and as the result of

an official survey made this year, the Government has decided to launch a three-year demonstration scheme to grow groundnuts for export on a thousand acres farm in Guadalcanal, with rice and other crops included in a three-years rotation. Peasant production of these crops is also being encouraged.

Cocoa and bananas are alternative crops; but, on agricultural and other grounds, their introduction is not thought possible at present.

Of the two technical surveys so far financed from C. D. &' W. moneys, one was abandoned because of the war and the other, which is a survey of forest resources, is now in the report stage.

What steps are being taken to collect adequate vital statistics in the New Hebrides: and is information about the decline in the native population, particu larly in Malekula sufficient to throw light on the causes and nossible remedies of the decline?

Owing to the size of the various dis tricts of the Condominium, lack of trans

port and shortage of staff, it has only been possible to undertake the collection of vital statistics to some extent in the south and centre of the New Hebrides group. The 1910 figures of poulation are not considered reliable, but the probable decline in the native population of Male kula is attributable to severe mortality during recent years from epidemics of in fluenza and whooping-cough. In more settled areas the population is estimated to have increased during recent years.

When is it proposed to inaugurate a system of native administration in the New Hebrides comparable to that now being developed in the Solomon Islands?

I regret that it is not nossible to say if or when such a system of native ad ministration can be inaugurated in the New Hebrides. Such a step would, of course, require the consent of the French Government. I am, however, studying what steps can be taken to improve the existing system.

What development and welfare schemes are contemplated for the New Hebrides?

The New Hebrides are not eligible for assistance under the C. D. W. Act. In conjunction with the French authorities, we are constantly doing what we can to improve the conditions of the people.

WHAT change is contemplated in the present condominium svstem opera ting in the New Hebrides?

The question of future constitutional arangements for the New Hebrides is now under active review in my Depart ment. I am unable at nresent to make any further statement. Any alterations in the existing system would, of course, require the concurrence of the French Government.

How much British, French and native owned land in the New Hebrides is at present undeveloped; and what steps are

being taken to make this land available to native communities suffering from shortage of land?

It is impossible to provide an answer to the first part of the question as settled titles exist only in the Southern Islands and as there are no figures for developed and undeveloped areas. Native communities have been adequately pro vided for by the allocation to them under the Protocol of inalienable native re serves and by the placing in trust of a large extent of land by the missions; and there is no evidence that they are suf fering from a shortage of land.

What steps are being taken to improve educational facilities in the British Solomons and in the New Hebrides.

As regards the British Solomons, a Director of Education and an Inspectress of Schools ha*ve been recently appointed and are now conferring with Mission bodies to decide on a policy to co-ordi nate measures for educational progress.

In the New Hebrides, there has been some expansion in the activities of the Missions, who, on the British side, are entirely responsible for native education.

I will, however, consider, in consultation with the High Commissioner, what steps can be taken to improve the existing faci lities.

What acreage in the Solomon Islands is now under native co-operative produc tion; how many native marketing co operatives are now functioning; and what technical assistance in methods of co operative organisation is being given by the government?

There is no acreage under native co operative production, and there are no marketing co-operatives at present. The question whether a co-operative move ment could successfully be introduced is under consideration by the High Com missioner.

How many interest-free loans have been taken up by planters in the Solo mon Islands; how many European plan ters have returned since the war to re start their plantations; how many have not yet returned: what proportion of the acreage of European plantations is now under cultivation and what proportion of this acreage is now under native pro duction?

Two interest-free loans have been taken up and two are awaiting signature. Of the 24 planters who left, 11 have resumed operations and 3 have returned to work for Companies. About li per cent, of the European plantations are under cul tivation and of this 1£ per cent, some 2£ per cent is under native production.

WHAT steps are being taken in the New Hebrides to reduce the size of districts, and to increase transport facilities and staff, in order to make satisfactory administration pos sible?

Any change in the size and staffing of districts would require the consent of the French Authorities. I do not consider that the present time is opportune to formulate for their consideration pro posals to alter the existing arrangements.

As regards transport facilities, various vessels allocated to district staff have been unavoidably immobilised through supply and other difficulties, but some improvement is anticipated in 1948.

Do future changes in the Condominium system in the New Hebrides, now being considered, include the creation of a uni fied civil service.

No. But the present organisation of the public service in the New Hebrides will naturally-be included in the review which is being carried out.

What expenditure on health and edu cation services in the New Hebrides has

been made since the end of the war by the British authorities and how does this expenditure compare with that of the French authorities, and of missions, on such services.

The Minister replied as follows: (a) Expenditure on health in 1946 and 1947 British Authorities, £4,942.

French Authorities, £32,860.

British Missions, approx £20,000.

French Missions, nil. (b) Expenditure on education in 1946 and 1947 British Authorities. £578 French Authorities, £6,930.

British Missions, approx. £B.OOO.

French Missions. No figures available but only two mixed Primary Schools are concerned.

The above amounts are quoted in Aus tralian currency.