Progress and Plenty
pp. 154-155 · Read in the full issue
Plenty in N. Caledonia
From R. W. Robson, in Noumea.
REMARKABLE progress has been made in the past two or three years in changing Noumea from a shabby and dilapidated little Islands seaside township into a neat and
orderly Territory metropolis, with
pride in itself and faith in the future.
Modern buildings are going up in every street, and the repulsive, shack-like structures of last century are being removed. The local-born population is increasing rapidly, and astonishing things are being done in the subdivision, reading and building of new residential areas.
There is no pick-and-shovel technique to be seen. Instead, one sees everywhere modern machinery at work —bulldozers, electric cranes, road-graders, huge lorries, all that kind of thing. Gangs of men are cutting ditches and tunnels for an automatic telephone system. More gangs are doubling the installation through which Noumea receives its electric light and power from mountain streams.
Wages are fantastic. A competent typist, or a well-trained native fore man —any really worthwhile opera tive —gets from £lOO to £l5O Aus tralian per month. A high official’s wife told me she pays her Indo- Chinese married couple, (house servants) 11,000 francs (£7B Aust.) per month.
Costs are equally fantastic. The same lady pays £1 per dozen for eggs. A taxi from Anse Vata to the town (II miles) cost me 100 francs (14/3); lunch at the Hotel du Pacific (garnished eggs, leg of a chicken that was mature when Captain Paddon was here in 1850, and cheese, with a glass of beer) was 135 francs (20/-).
The poulation is as varied as ever. There are four communities (European, Tonkinese, Javanese and Melanesian) and, as they mix freely, there are other communities in between; but —in contrast with past decades —they all seem happy and well-fed, and getting their full share of this wave of prosperity.
NATURALLY, there is little sign of social discontent. But there are peculiar echoes of recent great events in Asia. There still are 2,000-3,000 Javanese here; but the majority who were left here by war time interruption of their labour indentures have now obeyed the call home of the Indonesian “republic”.
The wise ones resisted the instruc tion; and they now seem convinced
that they are a lot better off here than in Java.
Immediately after the surrender of Northern Vietnam (Tonkin) to the Reds, the local Tonkinese (4,000 maybe) celebrated; and a con siderable number lined up for early air transportation to their “libera ted” homeland. One or two plane loads have gone; but the enthusiasm for some reason now is trickling out of the remainder and a proportion of the remaining air reservations have been cancelled.
Present demands for labour cannot be met, and the outlook in that respect—with the Asiatics in clined to go home or, being unindentured, disinclined to labour —is not encouraging to enterprise. .Every available Melanesian pre pared to work is fully eVnployed at very high wages; but the majority of them (there are less than 40,000 altogether) prefer to live in their own villages, on their own land.
The drastic political change made a couple of years ago—under which semi-literate Melanesians were given a vote and permitted thus to domin ate the General Council —has had some social repercussions. The Melanesian voice in local admini stration is obviously embarrassing to the French Government, and one end result is dislocation in public works and stagnation in some directions. But nothing can be done about it. French high officialdom, under political Socialist domination In Paris, continues to make these decisions.
Therefore, while this present boom and evidence of prosperity and progress are most gratifying, one wonders where it will lead and whether it will last.
However, just as Australians are sure that their phenomenal social and administrative costs will be carried so long as the wool market holds, so New Caledonia believes that all will be well while the world wants its abundant metals.