Nauruan Cat Among
p. 27 · Read in the full issue
The Pigeons
By Stuart Inder
The showdown talks held in Canberra in April to decide /hether the Nauruans will achieve their aim of independence •y next January, and/or ownership of the rich phosphate de posits, put the cat among the pigeons properly. And there are lore ruffled feathers to come.
IE talks were between Nauru’s three trusteeship powers—Aus a, Britain and New Zealand—led the secretary of the Australian artment of Territories, Mr. G. wick Smith; and a Nauruan dele an led by Head Chief Hammer oburt, and including the mans’ economic advisers, he April talks, which discussed >phate only, lasted about a fort t and then adjourned to early , when the parties will also iss independence. But the two lets are vitally connected.
Hard view
he Nauruans in April took the I view and threw overboard their proposals of last year that the sh Phosphate Commissioners, work the Nauruan phosphate on ilf of the three governments, ild act as the Nauruans’ managing its and continue to operate the stry for them for a fat fee. istead they proposed they take possession, establish their own man Phosphate Corporation to ace the BPC, and buy the BPC’s 1 Nauruan assets. Present BPC would be re-engaged, and the ner governments would be guaran a regular phosphate supply at than the world price, he details of the Nauruan Cor ition were planned many months by the Nauruans and their
economic advisers, but they took the partners by surprise. The partners saw clearly enough in April that if they handed over the phosphate they might just as well give the Nauruans independence, for the Nauruans would have a richer economy than say, independent Western Samoa or the self-governing Cook Islands.
Thus, upon the decision of the partners on this question of phos phate ownership will depend the result of the May talks on Nauru’s freedom. The partners could, of course, hold up the independence talks.
The Nauruans also in April drove a hard bargain on phosphate royalties for 1966-67. They are being paid 17/6 a ton for 1965-66.
Two years ago the Nauruans pro posed that they should get 35/- a ton for 1966-67, a figure which made the partners’ hair stand on end, but in April the partners offered to pay just that amount. But then Hammer Deßoburt wouldn’t accept it—he held out for 45/-! He explained that the extra 10/- was to meet the needs of housing and water on Nauru, which really were a Government re sponsibility, he said. The talks reached no decision on the figure.
It is a measure of Hammer Deßoburt’s toughness that it was he who first decided to ask for 45/-.
To some of his associates the request didn’t seem entirely wise, but a closer
look at the figures showed that on a payout of 45/- the BPC would still make a very handsome profit.
The Nauruans also continue to press for rehabilitation of the one third of the island which has been mined. “The rehabilitation of Nauru [in the long term] will be an arduous and costly process,” said DeRoburt at the end of the April talks, “and we will need all the money we can get, even if the partner governments do accept their share of rehabilitation costs.”
What now? At the resumed talks in May the Nauruans will no doubt come up with a draft constitution to show the partner governments how they intend to manage independence.
Work on it is being done by Pro fessor I. W. Davidson, Professor of Pacific History at the Australian National University, who presumably won’t make any final decisions until he visits Nauru.
A Nauru constitution probably would look something like Western Samoa’s. Nauru would be an inde pendent State linked by a treaty of friendship with Australia; with a President (obviously Hammer De- Roburt), a Legislative Council, as it has now, and three or four ministers in charge of key depart ments.
By wedding the American and British systems, which would seem to suit the Nauruan environment, it would not be necessary for the ministers to be elected by popular vote. Expatriates with administrative experience could be used if necessary.
With the huge returns from phos phate there would be no need for any grants from the partner govern ments.
If the Nauruans do not achieve their objectives at the resumed May talks then they plan to put on the pressure when the UN Trusteeship Council meets soon. • See, also, "New Nauruan Post for Mr. Leydin", p. 30.