May Go
pp. 18-19 · Read in the full issue
Indian Workmen May Go To N. Caledonia
CONSIDERABLE interest ha i
been aroused in Fiji and else where by the proposal, recently made by the New Caledonia Gov ernment to the Governor of Fiji Sir Ronald Garvey, that Indian workmen should go to New Cale donia for a term of three years to work plantations and nickel mines On one hand the scheme offerr a solution to New Caledonia’s acutf post-war labour shortage; and on the other, may be a temporary solution to Fiji’s growing Indian population problem.
The Governor told the Fiji Legis-; lative Council in November that tlu conditions of employment appear favourable and that Indians going there would probably earn morr than they would in Fiji and b* able, therefore, to accumulate funds with which to set themselves; up on their return to the Colony* Accommodation would be supplied and in the case of agricultural workers, they probably could take their wives although workers in the nickel mines could not.
On the temination of their enj gagement they would be permittee to take back all the money whicM they had saved. Fares would b«( paid both ways.
By mid-December, although their had been a great deal of discussion about the proposal in Fiji, there was no clear indication as to how the Indians would react.
There is no suggestion, in tha details so far released, that tha Indians would be permitted to re? main in New Caledonia, and like the Indd-Chinese of the New Hebrides, ultimately be accepted an French citizens and allowed tic acquire property. They evident!:! would have to return to Fiji afte:s three years and, if as indicated) they returned with a considerable amount of cash, the basic problem of the Indians in Fiji—that is, theii inability to acquire land which ii all permanently secured to thr Fijians—is likely to be aggravates rather than solved.
Response to the offer will inr dicate just how large is the pool oo surplus labour (if any) in Fiji. II there are few takers, it will mean that the ambition of the Fijii Indian is still tied to the acquisii; tion of a personal stake in thr country and that economic pressun is not yet such that it drives mere away from the Colony simply as i means of earning a livelihood.
Extraordinary Australian
Reaction
A YEAR ago when New Caledonia, proposed introducing Japanesa; as labourers there was an outtj
;ry from Australia on the grounds hat it was morally wrong to plant in Asiatic pocket so close to her acred shores.
To a much lesser degree there las been similar comment on the atest proposal. Douglas Wilkie, writing in the Sun News Pictorial, f Melbourne, sees it as an un worthy deal between London and ‘aris and calls it the creation of a gully-trap of rancor, right at the loor of an Australia whose national urvival depends on reconciling a tomogeneous racial and cultural ociety to friendship with Asia.”
He goes on to say that it is no olution of India’s over-population iroblem to have a new colony of weated labour planted in Noumea, ny more than France’s chronic tnancial crisis can be solved by ra ising obsolete colonial forms on a •acific Island, where the inhabit nts have much more in common ith Australia than with Franca.
He overlooks the fact that the ndians are apparently not to be ermitted to stay in New Cale onia. And even if they were, it r ould be hard to see what greater anger there would be for Aus :alia in a small colony of Fiji ndians in New Caledonia than lere is in the same Fiji-Indians, ith a great many more, already jtablished in Fiji. Wilkie confuses idians with Fiji-Indians.
How long New Caledonia is going ) tolerate Australia’s interference i her means of settling her labour roblems remains to be seen, but as is solution to the whole problem :r. Wilkie suggests that Australia ly New Caledonia “before it goes ie way of Fiji.”
Australia already seems to have ?r fair share of problems in run ng New Guinea to the satisfac an of the Australian newspapers id the United Nations Trustee lip Council without adding further sponsibilities to the Department Territories—even supposing that le land-loving French could be ;rsuaded to part with this piece Territory.