Do You Remember?

From PIM of 20 Years ago.

ALTHOUGH 15 years had passed since the end of the First World War, in a lot of respects the world of 1933 was still in

fluenced by that conflagration.

There were, however, counter irritants for the dweller in the Pacific the very sick copra

market, for example. Planters were

receiving about £5 per ton for it.

But gold-mining and public ser vants were keeping some of the Islands afloat financially.

These are some extracts from our issue of October, 1933: There was revived interest in develop ment of a Papuan sugar industry. The Papuan Sugar Corporation had taken over the interests of Sugar Lands, Ltd., in Coihngwood Bay. The Nevitt brothers were in London in the interests of sugar development at Sangara. And Tropicane, Ltd., was busy inspecting 15,000 acres at Sinapi. * * ♦ “The slave driver, domineering, reckless, quick on the draw, still snaps his snake whip over the backs of the brainless blacks down here where the sun burns holes in your hide. Of all the savage blacks who work this steaming island, at least 98 per cent, are bound by mortgage to a white, bound for three years during which time they have about as much freedom as a squirrel in a cage.”

This and a lot more appeared in a Canadian newspaper “Toronto Star” under the by-line of Gordon Sinclair, and datelined Wau and Port Moresby, From geographical and other faux pas it was evident that Gordon had never been in the Territory but it centainly riled Australian politicians who asked questions about him in the House. Those were the days when Australia was sensitive about the reactions of the League of Nations. * * * France had imposed a duty of 175 francs per ton on all foreign-produced copra entering the country. At the same time a bonus of 300 francs per ton was to be paid to all producers of copra in French territories. At the time, 60 francs was equal to the Australian £. There were loud cheers from French copra producers in the Pacific; groans from the rest.

The appointment was announced of Mr, J. C. Barley as Resident Commissioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony.

He had served in the Colonial Service in BSI since 1911. At the same time, Mr. A. F. Grimble, formerly G and E Resident Commissioner, was appointed Administrator of St. Vincent In the West Indies. He later became Sir Arthur Grimble and in 1952 wrote a book about his G & E experiences. (“Pattern of Islands’’). * * * In New Guinea the German Mission Ordinance of 1926 was repealed. This, in effect, reinvested in the German missions, the property that In 1920 had been re moved from their control and vested in the Administrator. The missions affected were the Marist Mission Society, Ltd., Catholic Mission of the Sacred Heart, Catholic Mission Society of the Holy Ghost, the Renish Missionary Society and the Labenzell Mission. * * * A trader from the BSI, holidaying in Sydney, said that cheap Japanese and Chinese goods were ousting British goods from Islands trade stores. He said that he had been offering khaki shorts made in China for 9/- per dozen and Japanese matches at 2/3 for a gross of boxes.

Those were the days! * * * A correspondent writing from Port Moresby said: “We hear so much about copra and rubber you would think that they are the only products of Papua . . .

Coffee has been grown successfully in the hills behind Moresby, and in the Northern Division three desiccated coconut factories have been carrying on produc tion in the Eastern and Central Division for some years ... In the last six months, 933 bags of coffee and 4,947 cases of desiccated coconut have been shipped.’’ (Papuan coffee was bringing lOVzd per lb in Australia). * * * Petrol was selling in Rabaul, NG, at 1/11 gallon. * * * The “Nairnbank” repatriated 22 Solomon Islander boys to their original island homes from Western Samoa where they had been working on former German plantations for from 20 to 28 years.

Their departure left only about 50 “Black-boys” in the Territory where once there had been thousands. The 22 left behind Samoan wives and about 50 children. There was much weeping and wailing as the ship left the wharf.