FRENCH OCEANIA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2989, 29 September 1919, Page 2

FRENCH OCEANIA.

INFLUENCE OF PANAMA CANAL. About 120 miles north-east of Tahiti is the little island of Makatea; It is of upheaval coral formation. Its height averages 200 feet above the level of the surrounding ocean, and the area is about six miles by four. Its wealth is not in its tropical products, but iu its soil, for it contains immense deposits of phosphate rock, and these are being dug ofit and sent away in thousands of tons at a time. M. Emile Mailing, engineer of the French Phosphates Company of Oceania, in the course of an interview, gave some interesting details, not only on the character of the island,. bub also of the position occupied by Franco in the Pacific. Makatea, where he is stationed, has probably 100 years of work iu sight at the present rate of excavation and export. When the deposits were being worked before the war the production was 100,090 tons per annum, and it was sent to Australia and to New ZeaMiuid, 35,000 tons yearly, as well as to other countries. The demand for phosphates was, of course, permanent. I lie supply was the problem. To Tahiti the Island of Makatea is now of great commercial importance, for Papeete is its nearest- “city, and supplies are drawn from it. But the standing of France in the Pacific is now of greater importancethan it has ever been before, not only by reason of the establishments f rancaise de I’Oceanic being, as it were, astride the route from and to Australia •and New Zealand via Panama; lull because of the increasing demand lor all vegetable oils, of which copra is a valuable derivation. The Society, or iahitian Group, and all other islands within the jurisdiction are now showing some return to France tor the, many years of effort and the large expenditure of money upon their administration. The imports are now 8,000,000 francs, the exports 11,500.01)0 a credit balance to tin. “establishments” of 3,500,000. The demand is great, for all the islands can produce phosphates, copra, vanilla, pearl-shell, pearls. AVith regard

to pearls, ho instanced a recent sale in the Low Acrlhpelago of a pearl of £IOOO. The demand for products of tropical culture, too, is now greater than the supply. Labor is short in .the French islands. At Makatea there are natives, also Japanese, at work on the phosphate deposits. The Japanese, according to M. Marling, are excellent workers. In Tahiti there are Chinese, who are patterns of industry. They not only have a strong grip on the market. gardening industry, but some of them are well established as retailers and merchants. M.'Marting feels convinced that international interest will be focussed more than ever it has been before upon the Pacific, and New Zealand was specially concerned. The development, of trade between Australia and New Zealand, and the Pacific coasts of Canada, and the United States in any case, would undoubtedly have greatly developed. This was apparent long- before the war, but the Panama Canal had brought the Pacific neater to Europe, and its isolation existed no more. But lor the fact that labor is all too insufficient, there was, he held, nothing to arrest the great development of the Pacific. The future rested upon the facilities for obtaining sufficient and efficient labor. The islanders of the Pacific, speaking generally, are not really lazy, but they have no real need to work hard. They work well enough when they want anything. That want being satisfied, they rest awhile. The other sources of labor supply are China and Japan, and India. So far as the French possessions in the Pacific are concerned, M. iMarting thought that other French colonies, Annum, for instance, could bo drawn upon for labor in tho future. It was quite a mistake } he pointed out, to describe labor required in plantations, or on Makatoa, for instance, tations, or on Makatla, for instance, as cheap labor. Whatever it might have been in the past, it was not cheap now. The generally higher standard ol livijig had- influenced the islanders, and those who had served as soldiers had acquired a taste of European living. Labor being scarce, it had become relatively dear. In Tahiti, and the other French possessions in tho Pacific the natives arc regarded by the State as cqtial in every respect with the French, and they observe much the same standard of living to the limit of their means, as the French and other Europeans. • The trend of both the native labor and that imported is upwards, in the groups where it is employed. The supply being much below the demand, naturally, more wages are asked for and obtained. There was noticeable among the native labourers in tho 1 acific Islands a desire for a higher, and yet higher standard of living, .as represented by the acquisition of luxuries that the native could, and did get along very well without, and was none the less happy, and that not so very many years ago. M. Marting has great confidence; m the future importance of the Pacific. Ho would describe it as about to begin a new phase of its history. It would become,-.ho believed, more like a compact colony, and not a mere agglomeration of islands under the French flag. The French Government would appear to take this view of the future,-for it had prepared plans, and adopted.a scheme for greatly improving the shipping accommodation at tlie Port of ’Papeete, and providing all modern coaling and other appliances, m order that it may be thoroughly equipped as ‘ a port of call for modern ocean Fners.