Norfolk Is.

An Optimist On

By Vernon Wheatley

BECAUSE nearly everything that can be produced on fertile Norfolk Island can be grown also in Aus ;ralia, and because NI has no votes and Australia is ruled by politicians, NI has >ecome the Cinderella of the Pacific rerritories. A lonely place—noted mainly or economic stagnation.

To give some credit where credit is due, lowever, one may comment on the Aus ralian Government’s plans to erect a nodern tourist hotel for NI. This hotel nay alter the Island’s whole economy.

I use the word “may” deliberately. A ourist hotel is not sufficient. No tourist, iving in the proposed modern hotel, rould put up with the lack of amenities finch now distinguish NI.

The roads are deplorable—simply be ause the Administration has only limited imds and lacks suitable road-forming lachinery. There also is a lack of labour, aused by the Administration’s failure to ay wages comparable, shall we say, with hose of the Department of Works and lousing now in operation here.

Vehicle owners, particularly the taxi rivers, comment with intense feeling on ne state of the roads.. Their main prries consist of broken springs, bent e-rods and general steering troubles, heir repairs are costly, as most of the r eighty replacements have to be air •eighted in.

It is no use having a modern hotel if e lack the services to go with it. Emily ay is a lovely little spot. The Bay is le only all-weather bathing beach, but sadly lacks shelter trees, and one misses le kiosk, found on mainland beaches, here one can have a cup of tea or a fid drink.

The tourist may enjoy excellent fishing t many spots around the coast; but there no organised service whereby one can ay to be taken on a launch for a day’s jort on the deep-sea fishing grounds.

HHE Island’s scenery and climate may L attract the tourist, but the average tourist wants more than climate and :enery. He wants service—better roads, sign-post or two to show him on his ay, and, if he desires liquor, a less zarre way of obtaining it. If he wants bottle of old and bold, to-day, he has i make his way down to the Bond Store >pen on Fridays for a few hours only), icure his bottle and retire to his room i drink furtively. (All this, I hear imoured, will be changed when the hotel erected. It is said that the Bond Store ill be transferred to the hotel.) The easiest way to get brandy here to have a “chit” from some aged per »n. One local identity obtained brandy ir some years on the “strength” of his Jar old granny—who had been deceased ►me twenty years!

N the past, industry in NI has been more or less an initial optimistic hope, rapidly followed bv disillusion ed and degeneration. The passion uit pulp factory faded to a ghostly ladow of its former self because of— • Lack of support, as time passed. • Too few cultivated areas of fruit. • Too much reliance on wild crops, which were the food of the parrots. • Lack of a suitable scheme to en courage the growers and workers. A bonus scheme would have kept the ball rolling.

The butter factory went to the wall be luse of crippling mechanical break

downs, and lack of high-cream-content herds, coupled with deteriorating pasturage and other minor set-backs.

The fishing industry folded up when the boats were lost through wreckage.

The lemon juice scheme gave way be cause of various factors. Some genius discovered that the artificial product was cheaper than the genuine article, (continued on Page 83)

The new whaling company has not had inch luck, to date. The “hoodoo” which itended the Company’s operations in the )48 season seems to be with them in 149. They recently lost their tug boat, hich vanished beneath the waves. The Prospects in the banana business were isy for a while. Then the chicanery of ie merchants made itself felt. Then .me the embargo Growers walked off ie land simply because they had no ternative.

All is not lost, for someone with vision ay regenerate any of these industries.

J It is true that the butter factory is ing brought into operation once more, id we hope it will relieve NI of its esent shortage. That is, if some bright ark with no ethics does not buy the oduce at inflated prices and ship it /ay to Vila or Suva. Export is a good ing—but not when exportation leaves e population desperately short. The irion call attending the projected reening of the butter factory is: “We’ll able to export.’’ We hope they can — ter the public here has been served.

There are opportunities here for a proessive man or firm. The advantages s; No taxes; freedom from crippling d niggling rules, regulations, pronun- .tions, controls and what-have-you.

The disadvantages are: Lack of transrt—air to NZ once a week, air to Aus- •vice °fs Ce sk a etchv— We anchor ge for lacr electrlcity P We have 'jjeen Dmised an early electricity supply, and b Government proposes to operate a )dern ship on this run. Perhaps, when 3 Government hotel is in operation, the ■ services will be increased,