Javanese Going

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Alarm In N. Calendonio

From Our Own Correspondent

Noumea, July 4.

ALTHOUGH Noumea tradesmen out of work number 102, including 38 truck drivers, New Caledonia is concerned at the departure homeward bound, with the approval of the Dutch administration, of most of the Javanese labour in the country.

M. Henri Lafleur, Caledonian represen tative in the French Senate in Paris, is leaving Noumea by air for Java to try and Induce the powers that be to re-authorise the recruitment of Dutch East Indies labour for Caledonian mines and agri culture.

Following the Dutch Government’s de cision, a ship was expected towards the end of June to repatriate 2,000 of the Javanese who had been the longest in the Colony, and whose Indentures had ex aired during the war. Last December the Javanese in Caledonia numbered 7,084. A second 2,000 of these is expected to leave ;his month (July).

Last October, the 5.327 Javanese in work vere employed in the following indus tries : Administrative services .. 250 Industry and mining .. .. 1534 Commerce 470 Agriculture and cattle ... 2083 Private employment .. .. 990 The number not in employment was ,757, mainly women and children.

The loss of these people, will have nost serious repercussions on agriculture ,nd industry.

“Bulletin de Commerce” (Noumea) ays: “The Javanese, who have become )art of our daily life, are perfectly happy lere. To make them out as exploited im nigrant labour is to give an absolutely alse impression of Caledonian colonisa ion. . . What is needed is to group the fforts of all for the common good, in stead of robbing us of arms whose co iperation is needed for the prosperity of he territory. The expected departure is ike a sword of Damocles suspended over mr head. To take awav our Javanese abour is purely and simply to rob us of iur livelihood: it is to prevent the Cale lonian economy from developing to its lue extent our natural resources; and it vill affect the wellbeing of all. It repre ents furthermore—and this must be ealised—a threat of general unemplov ient for the European population, in vitable consequence of the slowing down r the death of our chief productive ctivities. It is high time that certain tupid falsehoods were exposed or the onsequences will be incalcuable. In New Caledonia there is neither slavery, nor laves.”