This is How it Appears to a Stranger

Condominium

a newcomer to the New rides, arriving at Port Vila before Christmas, 1955, and have seen nothing of the slands of the group. My wife decided to make our per ; home here, and from the : view of climate and beautiful idings, find it perfect in every newcomer, I came with a ;ely unbiassed mind. The ; of the Condominium was a me to me and outside any s experience. r, the Condominium appears ike an unruly child with two whom it plays one against er. Neither father will take Donsibility for the child’s mis ours. srhaps it could be called a ship with no dictator who approached. esult is that the people who the revenue have no voice iver in the budgeting of it, parently no expenditure has istified. As it has been put the people who have lived generations, property owners like, families born and bred th deep rooted love for their , and others who have chosen id their lives here are d by transients. Transients, the most part, have no in n the future of the New s and are counting the days ey leave. 2, this is a deplorable situar hy it has been tolerated for is beyond me. Why is there ncil of elected, responsible to decide upon matters of and public works, as in .her civilised community? It icerting to find a people be d as though they were the rimitive of humans, in as as they are allowed no ;, nor permitted to play a the ruling of their country, ite of affairs occurs within sdiction of two Democracies. : been told of the time when iecided to build a dry dock Vila. So far as I can gather, lot considered necessary to a marine architect or con reliance was put in the ser the Public Works, to whom iject seemed easy. There me costly not-very-dry-dock which cannot be drained it’s having a fresh water It is doubt f ul if it would be )ugh to permit the drawing p’s shaft, anyway. Result; f, amount unknown, is here a road tax on motor as is general in most 3. Most of the roads were r the Americans during the I hope they never see what ening to them. On fine rack roads, the jungle has

been allowed to encroach, leaving broken-down single tracks. Road maintenance consists, in the main, of throwing loose coral into holes in the surface with no binding material whatever.

The first rains wash it out again, or vehicles knock it out, then, after a few more springs have been broken, the procedure is repeated, and so on ad infinitum.

Should one own a radio one must have a Broadcasting Licence; it is hard to tell why, as there is no broadcasting service here. All pro

grammes heard are supplied by over seas stations.

The most intriguing situation I have come across so far is the great airfield mystery.

Until June, 1955, Qantas operated a flying-boat service to the New Hebrides. This was a year longer than they had intended to use flying boats on the service, as they had proved too costly. But they operated the extra year, anyhow, to enable the Condominium to repair the air field the Americans had made, just outside Vila.

This airfield is a full-size bomber strip, capable of handling any air traffic and is still putting out of cultivation a considerable area of two plantations.

The loss of revenue for one of the

tations since the war has been ervatlvely estimated at approxi ;ly £13,000. The American Gov lent paid compensation for the Df the property during the war. irtunately, the Americans did pay the compensation to the tation owners, vast tracts of e property had been ruined, but it to the French Government credit against Lease Lend. Now •Tench Government do not con they should pass on to the rs the compensation, as the Hebrides is not part of the ch Republic, but a Con nium. is fact they point out to the ation owners taut failed to do the Americans. e owners of the airfield are minded people but they natur feel they are entitled to a e deal. Even though they [ be inclined to leave the matter •mpensation in abeyance, they )t get a fair offer for the land the Condominium. For a ready airfield needing very little re and control, prices offered are )r the most inferior grazing ? necessity for an air service been brought home recently stunning force by the February strike in Australia. The main y ship, Tulagi, was unable to Sydney, and the Polynesie :d empty of cargo. Mails de~ —and this in 1956!—MARTIN IY.

Henry Scott, QC, of Suva, who een a patient in St. Vincent’s tal, Sydney, is reported to be ved in health and will probably i to Fiji shortly.