NEW HEBRIDES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 230, 22 June 1908, Page 10

NEW HEBRIDES.

THE JOINT ADMINISTRATION. ' Views of m. noufflard. Mons. Nouli'lard, formerly of French .West Africa, who has been appointed to tho position of the' first French Political Resident Commissioner in tile New Hebrides group, under tho terms of the. now Convention, left Sydney last week by tho French mail steamer Oceanien, in continuation of his journey from Marseilles to Noumea. On arrival, at Now Caledonia ho will embark for Port Vila, tho principal port in tho Now Hebrides. M. Noufflard lauded at Melbourne when tho Oceanien called there on the way round to Sydnoy, and iu discussing his now duties remarked:—

"A great many points havo been settled on paper, and now wo arc going to try and put them into practice. I mean to say that a law has been written bv tho Powers, and now wo hayo to establish a court to administer it. My commission is to prepare for tho French judge, who is to sit. in tho court .with tho English Judge. You know that tlicro is to bo a third Judge—an arbitrator. .He will bo a Spaniard. Why a Spaniard? Because Spain has absolutely no interests in tho Now Hebrides. Those lands belong either to France or to England. . , "Tho chief work of the Court, now that the liquor and arms question has been solved, and when no longer can tiio handy taunt bo flung at certain ships that they are a cross between an arsenal and a distillery, will bo tho settlement of land disputes. With divided authority and no law ihero has in the past been a sort of ownership without complete titlo. The condominium will rectify that. And with a Spanish Judge as arbitrator in the Court the. decisions cannot bo tinged with partiality or bias. Nothing' moro can bo said about this Court now, because. that. is all that, has been decided. Igo now to Port Vila, and when I get into touch with my English colloague, together we'will decide upon proposals for submission to our respective Governments, including proposals as to the nomination of these Judges. "There are many details which the English Resident and myself will have first to agree upon. It should not be difficult. I mean to say, that now we havo the entente ; cordialo wo should understand cach other better) and know that we .are working for a common good. ' "You might say that I am'partly English," said M. Noufflard, "I mean to,say, that whilo I was born in Franco, and while my father was a Frenchman, my mother was the daughter of Sir Charles Halle,' who ma'clo his home in England, where my' mother was reared. I have often, heard the great pianist talk of Australia."

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. One of tlio Presbyterian missionaries in the Now Hebrides,- writing recently from Fala Island, declared: —"Tho drink question, although not giving as much trouble and anxiety as in past years, is by no, moans at an end. ; Facilities for getting drink from tho Fronch aro as great as,over; Tlio strict measures taken last year by Captain D'Oyley to prevent 'illegal cargoes, of liquor from being brought from Australia have been effective in tho case of British vessels, but very largo quantities 'are still brought from Noumea l in French vessels." Another missionary' at Vila, discussing tho liquor traffic, says': —"The convention has brought us ono thing which has been greatly dosired —a joint regulation to regulate the importation and manufacture of intoxicating liquors in tho New Hebrides. The fact that this regulation was the first fruits of the convention, being dated. two days aftor Proclamation Day, will go a long way to creato a feoling of confidence and hope in tho dual government amongst all classcs throughout the group. _ Another regulation of ■ general interest which . will be of groat service, both in aiding to enforce the pro-, hibition as to tb6:.:importation. of intoxicating . litjuor and in. { affording a much-neede.d guarantee for' tho' security of the public hei'.lth, is that of the same" dato N , entitled a joint regulation to establish a ' port of entry (io., Vila) in the New-Hebrides. ■