Too Many Gilbertese
p. 23 · Read in the full issue
High Commissioner Examines G & E Problems
SOME of the oustanding difficul ties of the administration of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony were briefly outlined by the British High Commissioner of the We c tern Pacific (Sir Robert Stanley, KBE) in May, at the conclusion of a tour of both groups.
The two chief problems are over population, and insufficiency of communications.
Several years ago, the Adminis tration began to transfer popula tion from the Gilberts to the small Phoenix archipelago; but Sir Robert reports that the “settlements in the Phoenix Islands have not, owing to unfavourable climatic conditions, in all cases fulfilled their promise.”
He says fresh outlets must be found for those who “have failed to se cure the sustenance they need, and also to provide for increased popu lation where natural resources may become insufficient.” Except that he says that something drastic is to be done with the lands of absentee landlords, which have been left idle and unproductive, he does not in dicate how the population problem is to be met.
Except for the expression of a hope “that shipping requirements can be given high priority in the Colony’s development programme,” the High Commissioner does not say how the Colony’s communications can be improved. He reports that available shipping is “inadequate and unsuitable.”
Commerce in the Colony is now run wholly by the Colony Whole sale Society, which is Government controlled. PIM recently pointed out that the Gilbertese producers were paid a very low price for their copra, while the Society appeared to make very large profits. Sir Robert says he was met with re quests for a revision of the copra prices paid. He has pointed out that while the costs of copra col lection are high, such costs are mainly charged by the local co operative societies: and that there is a regular deduction from returns for the maintenance of a Copra Price Stabilisation Fund. (Even with these points acknowledged, however, the price paid the pro ducers seems very low, in compari son with rates elsewhere.) Sir Robert indicated that higher rates might be paid if the shipping situa tion improves.
The High Commissioner was pleased with the progress being made in rebuilding the famous King George V School at Tarawa; in the reconstruction of Colony head quarters on Bairiki atoll (Tarawa); and in plans for a new hospital to be built soon on Bikenibeu atoll (Tarawa).