risky road

Banana skin makes a risky road

New Caledonia Diary

With

Helen Rousseau

In Noumea

Caledonians, who’ve been skid ding along lately on a giant banana skin (an imported banana, no doubt, since local labour is too expensive to spend much time cultivating bananas), suddenly seem to have skidded right up against a wall. And since all the new walls in Noumea these days are mighty structures of steel and cement, it has been quite a stunning jolt for the French who had taken up posi tion on the front edge of the skin. Since it’s mostly Caledon ians who come in second place, however, there does not seem to have been much shock in this sector.

The expanding economy with rapid inflation in tow had been speeding ahead at a great pace.

However, it’s rather difficult to direct yourself on a banana skin at the best of times, but when you’re looking out for radar warnings from Paris, 20,000 kilo metres away, the game becomes even more difficult.

Just in case you’re wondering if all the Caledonians are left flat on their “derriere” at the foot of the wall, it must be explained

—no, local confidence is suffi cient to tide them over outside uncertainties. Construction on port, houses, roads and airport terminal continues rapidly. The pause in further massive develop ments may give folk a good chance for a breather.

Still, for the French, the ques tion remains: How could the Caledonian nickel workers keep up their strike for over a month and a half? Well, reply the Cale donians, how could Paris intro duce snap quotas on the Caledon ians’ ore exports to Japan last year (to favour the installation of big new smelting companies here) then announce a “world nickel crisis” this year and cut down on the expansion of the smelters.

The strike which began on July 2, after the Societe Le Nic kel rejected an Arbitration Com mission award, had found no solution even a month and a half later.

Banks report large withdrawals from savings accounts; shopkeep ers report a 20 per cent, drop m trading; some businessmen who had rushed out from France to

share in the “boom” are eithens packing up and going home oic spreading their investment pro-o grammes ahead more slowly tham anticipated.

The Territorial Assembly ha;B suddenly gained some prominn ence during the strike, tablingn motions for internal a motion for the Caledonian franc to be revalued (after beinjn devalued with the French framn in August, 1969, while the HebF ridean franc was not), togetheai with a motion to tax all fundbi being shipped out of the territory (including the fast-francs beinn made locally and sent back tt France). The monetary motiorru were still awaiting debate wheai the assembly went into recess ii mid-August, no doubt provokinni a sigh of relief in certaib quarters.

By this time it seemed that thh strike was no longer a matter o a few thousand francs. In tfciJ Territorial Assembly on Auguti: 5, Mr. George Chatenay, leadeb of the pro-Administration Unioi Democratique asserts that tttr strike is “political” and narmrr Mr. Jean-Pierre Aifa, leader <

the opposition Union Caledon ienne, as responsible, together with another unnamed person, for inciting the strikers. The Union Caledonienne has been one of the groups demanding internal self government (autonomie interne).

At St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Noumea it was suddenly noticed that overnight a memorial plaque had been mutilated. From the in scription “Mgr. Guillaume Douarre, first bishop of New Caledonia, gave this land to God and to France” the words “to France” had been erased.

During July, Governor Louis Verger had made two strong at tacks on the autonomists. On the second occasion, speaking at Lifou in the Loyalty Islands, he warned the islanders against ;hose who seek “to draw you nto certain separatist adventures.

'Jote well that, without the guid ng jurisdiction of France, the Jiverse ethnics in the territory un a strong risk of confronta ion and destruction. For the pro it of what young dictator, what ole party? Note well also that, f France were not present, New Caledonia would not always re gain without a foreign master nd that then, but it would be ao late, you would bitterly re ret the days of liberty, the days ►f justice.”

“I know,” he told the islanders, that you are real French people, know that you love France. She dll not disappoint you. I tell you lat all New Caledonia, the main ind and the islands, are an in- Jgral part of France.

“All together we shall make of the model territory in the acific.”

The governor’s next public ad ress was at Thio, where the men ere on strike at the SLN min is centre. Here on August 10, ic governor underlined the grav- V of the strike and of the prob ms the SLN are encountering i selling nickel on the world arket.

Referring to the new nickel ants promised for the SLN at oum in the north and for the

anadians (in COFIMPAC) in

ie south, the governor stated: far as Poum is concerned, 'oblems over Japanese finance ive reached a deadlock. Other oves are being made by the -N towards Europe and Amer

ica. We can only wait and hope.”

As for the COFIMPAC, “it is still hampered by two major ob stacles: the financial participation from SAMIPAC (French consor tium) and the definition of its mining leases.” Later an INCO spokesman in Noumea said it was expected that talks would resume in Paris, on a new basis, during September.

Meanwhile, for the first half of this year, the SLN produced 8,611 tons of matte and 19,706 tons of ferro-nickel in Noumea.

After that date, loss from the strike was estimated at 5,000 tons a month.

August was the final month of rivalry to see who would make the trip to the Tahiti Games in September. The overseas airlines were kept busy, flying sportsmen in and out to toughen up the Caledonians ready to defend the French colours.

In the space of one month, the Caledonian volleyballers played in Noumea against teams from Australia. The basketballers re ceived visiting teams from the New Hebrides. The Caledonian soccer men played in Noumea against teams from New Zealand and New South Wales, before the locals flew to Sydney to meet the Australians there. The rugby men flew to Auckland to play three matches against the New Zealanders, while teams of cycl ists and athletes flew up from New Zealand to compete against the locals in Noumea. In addi tion, a group of 14 Australian boxers flew in to match against the Caledonians.

The swimmers, being mostly high school students, were among the few sportsmen not to have encounters with overseas com petitors. Perhaps they were just as happy to stay at home, how ever, as Mr. Jacques Mouren’s CNC club was able to train this winter in a pool heated to 77 de grees. At the last moment Marie- Jose Kersaudy was persuaded not to abandon competitive swim ming and was to be among the 18 Caledonian swimmers in Tahiti.

An imported sport which is much appreciated by the Cale donians began its short annual season in August when the first of the race meetings were held

inland and at the Anse Vata “hip podrome” in Noumea. Most of the horses have English names, since they are brought in from Australia and New Zealand, with the jockeys coming from Aus tralia for the season. One very French touch, however, is the champagne offered in the stables after a victory, with often a taste even for the winning horse.

At the SPC, some 70 scientists and Island delegates were appro priately welcomed under clear skies (no nickel dust during the strike) to discuss problems of pollution and the conservation of nature.

From September 21, the 11th annual South Pacific Conference will be held in Noumea, with Islanders and metropolitan powers from around the region discuss ing the commission’s million dol lar work programme for 1972.

No less than 11 professional of ficers have left the SPC since last year’s conference in Suva, and with at least four more men leaving by the end of the year there remain several posts to be filled, including that of secretary general.

As many traces of old Noumea are rapidly giving way to tall buildings of concrete and steel, a well-known Noumea wine mer chant has given up his his toric premises to be restored as a beer-hall, with terraces over looking the Rue de Sebastopol and central park (Place des Cocotiers).

For almost 20 years, Mr. Lucien Catalan had been carrying on a family wine business, which was originally started in 1886. Now the underground cellars are to be transformed into a gastronomic restaurant and a nightclub. The beer hall will operate on the ground floor, overlooking what is now a fashionable upper part of town. The old building is being restored to reveal its high pitch roof, lined with wooden tiles crafted last century in Australia.

Hubert Villaret, formerly manager of a Tahiti hotel, is helping to plan the new centre which he says will open later this year, from 7 a.m. to midnight, thus joining the interesting new round of “clubs” and “pubs” (pronounced cloobs and poobs), which the French are opening in Noumea.