Depressing Picture in Solomons
pp. 15-16 · Read in the full issue
and New Hebrides
ALL the information from the Solomons serves but to em phasise the benighted and almost helpless condition of that huge archipelago. It is the least developed of all the large South Pacific groups; much of what little worldly wealth it had accumulated was destroyed in the Jap invasion; what little interest in it that was displayed by private enterprise was completely scotched by the British Socialist Administration of 1946-51; and there appear now to be no funds to assist the new Adminis tration in initiating and carrying on a policy of development.
The only industry established in the Group is represented by the coconut palm. The copra planters are so thoroughly tired of high taxation and Governmental inter ference with their operations that
they have challenged the Govern ment’s authority in two actions now before the courts.
BSI suffers—and will continue to suffer under three heavy handicaps provided by the British Socialist Government. Right after the war, the Administration’s attitude towards private trading enterprise (like that of Mr. “Eddie"
Ward in New Guinea in 1945-6) was so hostile that the big trading firms simply refused to reopen in the Solomons. The Government haughtily decided that it would run its own trading organisation; and, ever since, the Protectorate has ex perienced all the joys of what is euphemistically called the “Trade Scheme.” The Administration now would be very happy to abandon the field to the big traders; but
there is simply nothing in the mori bund Solomons to attract the old established companies.
Immediately the war was over, the Fiji gold interests, represented by the late Mr. Theodore, prepared to carry out a gold search on Guadalcanal on a big scale. Funds were allotted, and a preliminary party already was at work when the Socialist Administration rushed into force some new mining laws, to ensure that the Government would get the lion’s share of any gold recovered. Mr. Theodore went to London and personally saw the Socialist Secretary of State for the Colonies; and the latter high functionary—doubtless briefed by his opposite numbers in Canberra, who hated Mr. Theodore—took great pleasure in rejecting the appeal of the Fijian mining interests —and giving Mr. Theodore a kick in the teeth.
The prospecting plan was can celled immediately. Had it not been for that, in the opinion of sound judges, the gold industry would have been successfully established in Guadalcanal; and—as all our colonial history shows—that would have given “the Cinderella Terri tory” a tremendous lift along the road to the sound development of other industries.
The gold is still in Guadalcanal’s hills—and is likely to remain there.
Goldmining is always a gamble.
The non-Socialist Government would be very glad to encourage prospecting, and the offensive Socialist mining law has been re moved. But gold companies—like the planters who refuse to establish any new coconut groves—feel that there is another Socialist Adminis tration waiting just around the corner, and have no faith in the future.
The third great and continuing handicap is Honiara. BSl’s economy —past, present and future —moves primarily upon the water. BSI headquarters must be, above all things, a safe port, to accommodate every class of ship. Pre-war Tulagi conformed to that.
When it came to rebuilding Tulagi, the precious Socialist planners of London insisted on the removal of headquarters to Point Cruz—on the north coast of Guadal canal, open to much weather and especially the north-west gales— and the abandonment of Tulagi.
That wise man, Bishop Baddeley pf Melanesia (who had a big stake in the Solomons) as well as the commercial and shipping interests, fought to the last against the plan; out they were over-ridden, and Honiara was built, and the heaviest kind of handicap placed upon the transport system of a Territorv least able to bear it.
The tragic story of what Social ism did to the Solomons ended fittingly enough, with a visit of a Socialist Minister of State a babbling fool of a politician who
was supposed to make a personal examination of a difficult situation; but whose general conduct and de liverances are still a subject of hilarity among those who met him in BSI and elsewhere.
The British Government now has sent an exceptionally able man, in Mr, R. M. S. Stanley, to take charge of the Solomons and the British side of the New Hebrides —the con dition of which is even more lament able. He has gathered around him some lieutenants of good quality.
But the best builders can do little without material; and the only materials that will enable the British in the Solomons and New Hebrides to make real progress are (a) plenty of funds and (b) private enterprise with plenty of confidence.
Neither is in sight.
IN the old days, before the Pinks and the Reds turned “colonial ism” into a term of abhorrence and reproach, there was a well known slogan, Populate or Perish.
The Japanese Ambassador in Can berra used a phrase like it the other day, when pointing to empty North Australia and empty New Guinea, and reminding us that some place simply must be found somewhere for the surplus millions of crowded, hungry Asia. If noth ing more can be done with the great islands of the Solomons and New Hebrides than has been done with them in the last fifty years, they might as well be handed over to the insistent Japanese.
If there had been any real statesmanship loose in the South Pacific five years ago, the Solomons and the British side of New Hebrides would have been taken over by Australia; and both Terri tories now would have been benefit ing hugely from the £6,000,000 per annum which Australia is making available for Islands development, and from the mighty organisation of administrative officers and en thusiastic planners which Canberra —careless of cost —has turned loose upon Melanesia.
Instead, while all classes in New Guinea, including Chinese store keepers and native villagers, are to day wallowing in money, the un happy Solomons, next door, are shivering in the coldest of financial breezes, and trying in vain to per suade private enterprise to come in and function. A depressing picture!
The two officers of the P-NG Administration who were in the Auster plan which crashed at Vanimo on March 1, killing Flying Doctor Mclnerney, are now almost recovered. After a short spell in the Lae Hospital, Mr. George Wearne, ADO at Aitape, returned to light duty in the Sepik District, and Mr. Richard Skinner, ADO at Wewak, went back to duty shortly afterwards. Both had a miraculous escape.