Sombre Outlook

For "An Earthly

Paradise"

• Trouble Comes to Wallis and Futuna Dependency.

From Fred Dunn in Noumea The French dependency of Wallis and Futuna is in a bad way, according to Mr. Jean Ber

trand, who represented the

French High Commissioner in

the Pacific at the opening of the dependency’s Territorial As sembly on Wallis Island in

April.

TN a speech to open the Assembly’s session, Mr. Bertrand said that the outlook for the future at Wallis and Futuna was “sombre”, and unless the people and chiefs fully supported a plan for development, “these islands, which one can now call an earthly paradise, will soon become a sad and pitiable under-developed country.”

Mr. Bertrand said that the popula tion of Wallis and Futuna (two island groups 120 miles apart, north-east of Fiji) was increasing at the rate of 3 per cent, a year.

In 25 years, Wallis Island, alone, would have a population of 14,000.

This meant that if work on food pro duction continued at the present pace, food in a few years would be short.

“At present, certain regions of Wallis cannot supply enough coco nuts for the population’s needs,” Mr.

Bertrand said.

Soil Erosion “As for Futuna, a considerable portion of the arable land is running into the sea.” (This was a reference to soil erosion).

Among works projected on Wallis and Futuna this year are the build ing of schools and roads, the develop ments of coffee plantations and water supplies, and the acquisition of a boat for communication between the two groups.

The cost of these projects will come from a budget of 22 million francs (£llO,OOO) —19 million francs of which is a subsidy provided by French taxpayers.

While the dependency’s Assembly was debating this budget and ponder

ing over Mr Bertrand’s ominous remarks, nine-tenths of the population of Wallis and many people on Futuna were down with influenza.

Among those lying ill was the former Bishop of Wallis, 80-years-old Monseigneur Alexandre Poncet.

Iwenty-tnree deaths—mainly among elderly people—occurred on Wallis Island between April 3 and April 17. in j annual mortality rate is 60 deaths) On April 27, a chartered DC-4 aircraft of the French airline TAI took emergency medical supplies from

Noumea to Futuna, dropping by parachute Earlier, the motor vessel / baran, which runs a service bel Noumea and Wallis and Futun; turned to Noumea with only tons of copra—the islands’ only s. of income, According to reports rea Noumea, the people of \ and Futuna are working less less and living in state of plete indifference. Many familie being helped by relatives livir Noumea.