Caledonians

want more self-rule

New Caledonia Diary

With

Helen Rousseau

In Noumea

Noumea in July, in the island’s “mid-winter”, was marked by an excessive stream of hot air, but a significant reduction in smoke.

The city’s usual smoky red haze was eliminated from the beginning of the month, when a strike broke out at the Doniambo smelters of the Societe Le Nickel (SLN).

The rise in temperature and cur rents of hot air were provoked by the return of a Territorial Assembly mission from Paris, fol lowed by two motions for internal self-government (autonomie in terne).

Both autonomy motions were defeated, but not before providing some good newspaper copy and causing a further party split, re ducing the Union Caledonienne to a minority in the assembly.

Under the fervent French love of liberty and individualism, New Caledonia must be the only island in the Pacific where already one two-man party has split to form two one-man parties. By the latest divisions, the former 22-man majority was reduced to 12 sitting members. After the breakaway of four Melanesians to form the Union Multiraciale last year, the Union Caledonienne’s latest purge eliminated six European members from its ranks, including Assembly President Jean Leques. This left three European and nine Mela nesian UC members in the House.

The Gaullists hold 11 seats, while

the two one-man parties complete the total of 35 members.

The return of the assembly mission on July 2, after a four week visit to Paris, was quickly obscured by the breaking out of strikes that same day, at the Noumea smelters and on the waterfront. The dock workers were demanding a 20 per cent, wage rise, while the nickel workers were seeking to force the SLN to accept an arbitration com mission wage award, handed down after nine months of legal battle and recommending roughly a six per cent, payroll increase.

At the beginning of their five day strike, the dock workers were promptly faced with a battery of police and gendarmes, equipped with helmets. The nickel workers were confronted with what the SLN termed a “world nickel crisis” which, it claimed, made it impossible for the company to accept the arbitration award.

Some 4,000 workers then began a rolling strike at the smelters and inland ore-loading centres.

A week later, by July 9, produc tion was turned off in all three matte-producing blast furnaces and all 10 electric furnaces pro ducing ferro-nickel. Production loss was estimated at more than 1,000 tons a week.

The turning down of the furnaces in no way reduced the

temperature in Noumea, however, where the campaign over auto nomie interne was waging strong.

Speaking on the eve of July 14, the French national day, Governor Louis Verger told villagers at Pouembout, about 200 miles north of Noumea, that “New Caledonia is an integral part of the national territory and will remain for ever French”. The governor warned that “if France were not present, New Caledonia would not escape from foreign greed. I do not know . . . what foreign countries would prevail here but, what I am sure of is that this rich and attractive territory would not long remain without a master and that one would bitterly regret—but it would then be too late—(the presence of) France which is liberal, generous and impartial”.

The governor continued, “You know that New Caledonia faces a great destiny which, beyond the difficulties and problems which, unfortunately, we are experiencing today, will assure for everyone the future happiness and pros perity that they deserve”.

Meanwhile, the nickel workers and dockers had been joined by other unions in the public service and commerce sectors, all strug gling to maintain their purchasing power in face of rapidly-rising costs. While the governor strongly opposed the autonomists, his

second -in - command, Secretary - General Mr. Michel Levallois, waged the battle against the tide of inflation.

Addressing the Territorial Assembly in early July, Mr.

Levallois explained the efforts of the Administration to try to hold back the flood. The rising cost of imports from Australia and France was partly to blame, he said. In addition there had been heavy demand for labour and goods on the home market, coupled with a shortage of hous ing and land speculation.

Mr. Levallois spoke of land prices which had risen five times their value in two years, wages which had risen as much as 20 per cent, in 1970 and imported foodstuffs which had risen 55 per cent. The cost of living index has already risen 6 per cent, in the first half of this year and wages are adjusted accordingly each month, but workers claim this still does not maintain their buying power at an adequate level.

While the air in Noumea was likened to the disastrous times of Cyclone Colleen in 1969, the atmosphere was nevertheless pure and free of nickel dust, a good time for everyone to take a breather. This must have been especially appreciated by sports men, as they trained in the out doors for next month’s Games in Tahiti.

New Caledonia, with a delega tion of 240, promises to be one of the largest teams at these Fourth South Pacific Games. As athletes were being geared for the event, various overseas sportsmen continued to be received in the territory. Last month they in cluded boxers from the New Hebrides and a soccer team from New Zealand, with volleyball teams expected from Australia and Paris.

At the same time, five coun seillers techniques arrived from France to coach the Caledonians for Tahiti. These men were Messrs. Laurent for boxing, Joly (tennis), Juan (judo), Flechon (table tennis) and Mous sard (cycling). In the meantime, French swimming coach Francois Openheim had arrived to settle in Noumea, while the basketbailers were awaiting the return of New Zealand coach Ross Williams.

Caledonian sportsmen who have been competing in France also began arriving back in the terri tory in preparation for Tahiti, Among them were two cyclists, Alphonse Chevalier and Christian Thepinier, who spent two months training in France. Three boxers returned with the cyclists, after being coached at the Institut National des Sports and then boxing on the French Riviera.

They were Raymond Nebayes, Olivier Berlioz and Noel Kaoutche.

Caledonian swimmer Philippe Maillot also returned from his studies in France and is expected to accompany the team to Tahiti.

The runner Wejieme is also ex pected to fly back from France to participate in the Games, while one or two others are expected to return for the soccer team.

Two other Caledonian sportsmen have been competing in the French national teams in Europe: they are the Melanesian tennis player Wanaro N’Godrella and the discus thrower Arnojolt Beer.

Both competed in France before the 1969 South Pacific Games.

Some Caledonian sportsmen have felt embarrassed about the inclusion in their team of athletes who have spent so much time away from New Caledonia, playing international sport for so long. Others feel that the French drive for medals and the huge sums spent on sport make an un favourable impression beside the more modest means of some smaller territories. However, sporting officials here claim that the French keenness is contribut ing to the improvement of stan dards, and that the expensive stadiums and other facilities will last for generations. Certainly, the frequent movement of sportsmen around the Pacific is now provid ing a much wider field of friend ship for many otherwise isolated islanders.

As mentioned earlier, July saw some parts of Noumea closing down in industrial strife, but at the same time new activities were opening up on the other side of town.

Among these was the city’s first caravan park, which has now re ceived its first tenants, in a bid to help ease the housing crisis. Sixty two parking lots have been created, on a site at the sth Kilo-

metre out of town. It is hoped that this area will help ease the overcrowding in the camping ground at Anse Vata beach, originally intended for tourists, but actually accommodating many families on a semi-permanent basis, complete with TV sets and other amenities. In view of the housing crisis, one Noumea busi ness house had been offering park ing facilities in the suburb of Faubourg Blanchot for those buying its caravans.

The New Caledonian Museum also opened its doors in July, following the arrangement of its first permanent exhibits. It is now almost five years since the museum was erected, overlooking the Baie de la Moselle, on the edge of the city centre. Visitors will shortly be able to admire an interesting collection of handi crafts from all around the Pacific, including contributions made by visiting delegations at the time of the South Pacific Games in Noumea, December, 1966. The museum is not open weekends.

Another official opening last month was that of the Blaise Pascal College at Anse Vata. The 250 secondary-level boys and girls at this new Catholic school held a day of great festivities to wel come parents and friends to their classrooms, built in 10 blocks of prefabricated material, from New Zealand. Opening day activities reflected all the groups typically found in Noumean schools, with young people from the rest of the French Pacific (Wallis Islands and Tahiti, besides the New Hebrides), settlers from former French colonies in North Africa, such as Morocco, besides the French possessions in the Carib bean. Visitors to Caledonian high schools rarely fail to comment on the chic, sometimes startling dress of the youngsters, with girls these days appearing in the latest French styles from boots and midi dresses to pantsuits.

The recent college inauguration was attended by the new Arch bishop of Noumea, Monseigneur Eugene Klein, who has arrived from Papua New Guinea, to suc ceed Monseigneur Pierre Martin, who resigned from his post last year. The new nomination has caused surprise in both lay and ecclesiastical circles.