Solomon Islands

Discouraging New Enterprise In

(A Letter to the Editor)

RITISH Solomon Islands planters are still hammering away with r iew to drawing attention to their wances —but results, to date, have n nil. One wonders just what itehall intends for this neglected t of the British Empire—or if, ;ed, it intends anything. All indi ons, up to the present, point to a cy of sheer inanition: BSI, mtially rich, is evidently to be wed to wither on the vine.

SI needs new blood, new ideas, capital—but what, we ask cur es, is there in the Protectorate to ict any of these? And the answer nothing. is profitable to work existing tations at Ministry of Food prices it is not profitable to lay down coconut areas—and even if it ; profitable at present costs and ;s, the overwhelming advantages imilar activities in New Guinea Id compel any investor to spurn in favour of the Australian itory. le same disadvantages apply to ng. The Government Trade me, as it is known, came into I in 1946 when it became ob -5 that the big pre-war trading Janies of Burns Philp and W. R. enter would not recommence ng activities. The Scheme took a number of Quonset and igloo ings on Honiara waterfront and then have opened agencies on ■ islands and act as copra pur ng agents for the British dry of Food. The Trade Scheme a gap in the re-establishment anting, etc., after the war, but ier it should continue to ion along present lines is open ►ubt. :hough the Honiara stores con to be housed in shabby war buildings, the Government will illow any private individual to stores in opposition within the ined limits of the so-called opolitan” area. Any private lercial buildings in the township jniara have to comply with the building regulations as Suva— s, be built in brick or concrete, is, in many respects, un le for Guadalcanal, h the exception of Lever Bros., ie but the Trade Scheme has a s to export copra—which means planters must sell their copra

through this organisation or not at all. If the T.S. exercised a benevolent interest in the welfare of planters there might be some excuse for their continued experience but the purpose of the Trade Scheme is to make profits for the Government, and for nothing else. One instance of this was that for a long period they were charging 25/- per ton insurance against fire risk on stored copra for which they themselves were paying only 5/-. (Fairymead Sugar Co. more re

cently were given permission to buy copra.) Against all advice, the post-war capital of the BSIP was set up at.

Honiara on Guadalcanal instead of at the pre-war site of Tulagi. The part of the coast near Honiara is without protection from the sea, subject to earthquakes, and, since the big storm of January 1952, has been.

wnpletely without wharf facilities r overseas ships.

There are now no wharves left on jadalcanal and ships use Tulagi. dications are that, in spite of what ; Government planners intend, ilagi may yet become the com srcial centre, leaving Honiara to s Government. But these mixed licies are unlikely to attract com rcial enterprise which needs, above i good wharf and communication ilities. tfeavy income tax (with a sur irge added thereto) causes pros tive planters and others to look ance at the British Solomon inds as a field for investment, fhe grants made by the British vernment since the war have been ifficient to enable the Administra i to operate in the best interests the country or to make good the ages of war (no war-damage com sation was paid in BSIP) and the ninistration has been forced to ce good deficiencies in revenue by osing taxation. his state of affairs is in the nature a vicious circle—the commercial agricultural development of the P has been insufficient to justify e amounts being raised through tion, but with constantly recur deficits the BSIP has been com

pelled to take the line of least resistance and impose taxation to an extent that is prejudicial to the ultimate welfare of the country and the development of agriculture, and, in particular coconut planting.

Government policy should be aimed at fostering existing agri cultural activities and encouraging capital from outside the area to enter the industry and develop it further.

But so long as present policy con tinues no important development can take place and the production figures of pre-war days can never be achieved again. The European plant ing and trading community is dis contented. It is prepared to work existing plantations, but can find no

inducement to warrant expansion or new development.

So far as the natives are concerned.

Government attempts to stimulate native agriculture have been so un successful as to scarcely warrant any comment. Native produced copra to day is much less than it was in pre war days, and no other alternative cash crops have been introduced into the native economy.

I am, etc.,

Sorrowful Planter.

Honiara, BSI.

October 1, 1952.

Dip Narayan Singh, of Fiji, was sentenced to six months gaol pend ing deportation in Sydney on Dec. 1.