The Editor's Mailbag

Hamburg In The Pacific

When I was returning from a scientific congress in Sydney last August, I got by chance in the plane a copy of PIM and so read the article “Sentimental journey to a Fiji Isle with a past” (PIM, Aug, p 73), from which I learned that my great-great grandfather Johan Cesar Godeffroy VI visited Fiji in 1866, On my way back to Europe I dropped into Fiji and Samoa to see the places where my ancestors invested so much interest and also much money.

I am very interested to get to know still more details on the Godeffroy firm’s role in the Pacific during the 19th century. I have collected quite a lot of material on this and I am going to do this systematically because I want to write an historical essay on the following topic: “The influence of the Hamburg commerce on the Pacific and what the South Seas’ memory still knows about it”.

I have got the impression that this question could be very interesting to look into. This has, to my know ledge, never been done until now.

I would be grateful for any lead to sources about the history of the firms J. C. Godeffroy and Son (later on DH & PG) and Harnsheim and Co, especially on their roles in the trade of groups outside Samoa like Tonga, Fiji, the Solomons and New Guinea. My address is: 1000 Berlin 41, Stubenrauchstrasse 9, West

Germany.

Stimulated by my report on the Pacific Room of the Nelson Memorial Library in Apia, my cousin, Carl Alfred Godeffroy of Hamburg has donated to the library two books on the history of Samoa in connection with J. C. Godeffroy and Son which were missing form the library’s col lecion.

Dr J. D. Hahn.

Berlin.

Fiji's Colourful Birds

I was a boarder and pupil at St Felix College, Suva, for four years 1922-25 and remember clearly Mr W. J. Belcher visiting the college on many occasions to show his bird paintings to the la e Rev Bro Malachy, one of the Marist teaching brothers.

We boarders had previews not only of Mr Belcher’s paintings but also Bro Malachy’s series of sketches and paintings of coloured reef fish, wild plants, flowers and trees of Fiji. The

two artists collaborated in their labour of love recording Fiji’s wonderful bird, fish and plant life.

I note from your book review Mr Belcher’s bird paintings are at the Fiji Museum. I wonder what hap pened to Bro Malachy’s sketches and paintings as it would be a shame if they were lost to posterity?

Incidentally, the late Bro Malachy was a man of many parts—apart from teaching us boys the three Rs he also taught us boxing, wrestling and weightlifting. He operated the college’s silent movies, and was a first-class magician who invented and tried out his new tricks in front of us. He would then get us to hold various objects and he would make sketches of the various stages of each trick to illustrate articles he wrote for magic magazines.

C. Sorensen.

Palm Beach, Queensland 4221.

Value Of A Financial Centre

To The New Hebrides

I am writing as a layman to set out points in the development of the New Hebrides as a financial centre. These are matters which could well be con sidered by all New Hebrideans and New Hebrides residents.

It has been suggested that the sub stantial increase in costs which has occurred in the New Hebrides has been caused entirely by this develop ment of the New Hebrides as a financial centre. But we only have to look at overseas territories to see that the rapid increase in inflation is by no means peculiar to the New Hebrides.

It is not likely, with our dependence on overseas imports, that we could isolate ourselves from this undesirable trend. Land prices have risen rapidly here; they have risen just as rapidly, and in some cases, more rapidly, in other territories.

It has also been suggested that the operation of a financial centre will create a bad image of the New Hebrides elsewhere. However in fluential financial concerns that are operating here may be, or, whatever the views of overseas governments, the control of operations here vests in the local administration. They are thus quite able to control the develop ment in the financial field by vetting companies wishing to set up here, and individuals who wish to reside here.

These controls appear to have been

Letters

effective in keeping out undesirable elements and I see no reason why they should be less effective as time progresses. Should loopholes emerge, they could be effectively blocked by regulations. In addition, certain guidelines are followed by inter nationally-sponsored trust companies and by the reputable firms of solicitors and accountants operating here. While they may assist in the legitimate avoidance of taxation, they are not prenared to assist in the evasion of tax for which individuals or companies are legally responsible.

With the growing number of vacancies for professional employ ment in the accountancy, legal and banking fields, employment possibili ties for New Hebrideans are con siderably enhanced subject to their obtaining the necessary educational standards. The demand for staff in these fields could, in fact, assist in achieving these higher standards.

The growth of the financial sector of the community also provides a larger market for agricultural produce and will provide a market for local light industries when these com mence, and it is at the moment pro viding considerable employment in the building and hotel industries and the commerce sector of the com munity. To summarise, these develop ments create movements of money, people and subsequent trade.

While it is true that a large volume of funds tends to pass through the financial institutions, it is already evident that substantial funds are accruing here for local investment.

These could well provide the finance needed for development of agricul ture, the hotel industry and light in dustry.

Certain of the financial institutions operating here already have ex perience in other developing terri tories, where it has been found neces sary to adapt from rather more sophisticated security requirements in order that funds can be lent to meet local needs. This can be done by means of loans on the security of crops, particularly if a marketing in dustry exists, and also by financing co-operative developments. We should be grateful that monies that would otherwise not come are being attracted to the New Hebrides.

The import duties, licensing and registration fees payable by com panies in the New Hebrides (even alter allowing for the costs of col

lection) provide a substantial net in come to the New Hebrides, thus also assisting in developments which bene fit not only the financial community but also the New Hebrides generally. 1 feel that a word of caution is advisable. Although the members of the financial sector are all here in the hope of eventual profit, the majority of them have, in some cases after some years of operation, seen no profits arise. Should we be tempted to levy fees which are too substantial it is possible that not only would we drive away existing business, but also frighten away new business which could produce future revenue and more important, future employment opportunities for New Hebrideans.

R. U. Paul.

Tanna, New Hebrides.

Getting It Straight

Since admiring your interesting cover showing a typical Gilbertese canoe (PIM, Aug) I have been waiting for someone to set the record straight, but it seems to have been left to me.

The canoe is on Tarawa lagoon and the village depicted in the back ground is Bikenibeu, not Bairiki.

B. M. A. Hynes.

Bikenibeu, Tarawa,

Geic.

Your article in the November PIM (p 30) covering the opening of the Port of Refuge Hotel was of great interest.

However, Mr Sindan is really Mr Don Sundin and more important to me, is that the “wrong place, wrong way round airfield,” although unfor tunate, was constructed by British engineers.

The present airstrip, constructed by Messrs D. G. Sundin & Co, under contract to the Government of Tonga, was both designed and supervised by British engineers and financed by a British aid grant.

C. L. Wilford,

8.A.C., Eng., M.I.C.E.

Director of Works.

Govt Works Dept, Nukualofa.

Pim Warms The Great Lakes

This is in the nature of a “fan letter”—most unusual for me—and a request that you assure I continue to receive Pacific Islands Monthly during 1973.

Frankly, I’d feel that I had lost an old friend if PIM did not arrive here regularly. Living in the Great Lakes country, I find the magazine especially warming in our bitter winter months.

Having made about 10 trips to the

Pacific on newspaper assignments in the past four years, twice to your wonderful Australia, I’ve found PIM to be the best source of current events in that vast area of the world.

And, quite honestly, I occasionally purloin an item to make my own travel columns appear more erudite. (Our circulation is 850,000).

With appreciation and good wishes, I am, Devotedly yours. . . .

Earl Dowdy.

Travel Editor, Detroit News, Detroit, USA.

Werd Spelin

The trouble with spelling words as they sound (Chatterton, PIM, Dec, p 43) is: who is going to decide — yew, yer mite, or meh?

SR—2, anyway, should surely be the elimination of gh:- If you want to be thurrer, It isn’t enuff To slou the thing off with a koff.

If you think the thing throo You will see this, althoe To teach it will surely be tuff. .

Put it ort to be tort.

Tom Hepworth

Pigeon Island

Bsip

Rls In Sydney

I wonder if readers interested in Robert Louis Stevenson are aware there is tucked away in J. D. Pringle’s book On Second Thoughts (Angus & Robertson, 1971) a 25-page chapter entitled RLS in Sydney, which is a good account of Stevenson’s four visits to Sydney.

Stevenson was prone to colds and ‘flu in Sydney’s climate, as a result of which he made up his mind during his second visit to settle in Samoa.

Pringle errs throughout by citing or implying 1893 as the year Steven son died. It was December of the following year. I have drawn this to the attention of the publishers who have said that 1894 will appear in subsequent editions of the book.

Pringle points out that RLS was quite vain about his appearance and liked having his photograph taken. He has also thrown light on the oft used photograph of the Stevenson family. Pringle says that in 1949 a Mr Val Waller, who was working for Freeman’s Studio in George St, Syd ney, found the now famous family photograph in the studio files. It was dated 1891, but this must be an error since neither Belle nor Fanny was in Sydney with Stevenson during his third visit in 1891. The only time all four were in Sydney together was during the fourth visit in 1893.

John Milne

Bali, Indonesia