Is Worse

New Hebrides Are Angry

Pandemonium Is Worse Confounded

Recent low prices for New Hebrides copra have affected planters and traders there where it hurts most. Neither have their tempers been improved by recent increases in import duties, or by the advice from the Gov ernment that planters should try to weather the present economic crisis by cutting down on expenses.

A NUMBER of New Hebrides residents have written to us, pointing out that in the Condominium where there are no local newspapers —except Government run news-sheets —non-official residents can “howl their heads off’ about grievances, and not the slightest notice is taken of them.

One resident has sent us a copy of an open letter that was signed by 60 prominent French and British planters, traders and businessmen and sent to all members of the Advisory Council before it met at the begin ning of December.

The letter says (in part): We, the undersigned, have been noti fied that Government Import Tax on many non-luxury commodities has been raised again. This time in most cases by per cent.

In view of the fact that the New [Hebrides, especially Santo and its de pendent islands, is suffering an acute depression because of low values of our main exports, your decision to increase Import Taxes at this stage can only be classed ... as ill-timed . . .

It must be evident, even to civil ser vants, that when the going is tough one has to economise; to cut down on over head. You, Gentlemen, appear to think that the solution to your problem of re plenishing Government coffers, made ■empty by 10 years of uncontrolled over spending in the cause of invalid, political ideas, and in support of an evergrowing unnecessary army of Condominium officials, is to increase taxes. This of course, is a typical bureaucratic "solution" and speaks extremely poorly for the mentality and intelligence of the bureau crats concerned . . .

Why cannot the Government cut down on their overhead expenses? Why cannot the ever-growing army of civil servants be reduced? Why must so much money

be spent so unnecessarily with so much abandon?

Right up until late in December, no official reply seems to have been made—which, in view of the circum stances, perhaps is not surprising. As one correspondent put it, it was “an apparent waste of good ink and autographs. No strong-man has yet risen to save us from tyranny”.

Another reader, commenting on the present situation, says that the present seven European and seven native members of the Council are just a “bunch of school-boys” doing what their masters —the French and British Resident Commissioners —tell them to do. Of the seven native members, he claims that only one has the “faintest idea what is going on”.

This Makes Them Boil Another reader writes that “the Condominium government is going full blast for the ‘brown brother idea’, at the moment. Both admini strations are falling over themselves to please the natives, even though there is no pressure from the New Hebrideans for any reforms of any sort. This pandering to natives even goes to the length of “throwing cock tail parties for them”, although up until the end of 1961 it was illegal for New Hebrideans to drink intoxicants. (See next column).

But probably what makes Euro pean settlers in the NH boil over

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most is Government expenditure. At a time of economic crisis, the estimated expenditure for 1962 has been upped by £60,000 to £760,000, and 59 per cent, of this will go on salaries, housing, leave, furniture, etc., for government servants. About 78 per cent, of all Condominium officials [there are, in effect, in the NH, three administrations —French, British and Condominium] are alleged to be French and these are paid, in comparison with British rates, fantastic salaries. The Condominium Chief of the Agricultural Service, for example, is paid £A870 per month, plus house, furniture, leave privileges, etc. —or so our informants allege.

Another reader says that the Public Works Department cost the Con dominium £220,000 last year and the money mostly went in building and refitting government officials’ houses, etc. . . . “In 1961, the Condominium taxpayer provided the British District Agent at Santo with a house that cost £55.000, and in 1962 a similar house is to be provided for the French District Agent in Santo. . . .

At present there are five government ships, chasing around the Group attending to the wants of the natives, and there is another on order at a cost of £25,000.” [Figures quoted are as supplied; they seem extraordinary —Ed.] This man claims that it costs £23 to ship a ton of copra from Santo* NH, to Marseilles £ls for Messageries Maritimes, in freight* and the rest in taxes and wharfage.

He claims that Philippines ships that call at Santo to pick up copra for South America charge only $lO ton for freight. “Altogether”, he concludes, “the Condominium is now really living up to its name of ‘Pandemonium.’ ” [The above constitute a fraction of the accusations levelled at the Con-, dominium Government in letters re ceived this month. But if even half of those we have published are correct, the French and British settlers have got ample reason to kick. In times of boom the economy of this backward group can barely support the three-headed monster of New Hebrides administration; in times of economic stringency, as at present, it is an intolerable burden.

Perhaps the NH would be better off if President Soekarno “liberated” them, too.]