NEW HEBRIDES

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 February 1923, Page 2

NEW HEBRIDES

CONDOMINIUM UNSATISFACTORY.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) SYDNEY, February 22. Justice Devere, the Judical Commissioner for the New Hebriaes is visiting Sydney. Interviewed, he said that the condominium government of the group was far from satisfactory. He had been over e:ght months in the New Hebrides, and the Joint Court had not sat during that time, owing to the absence of the French Judge and the neutral President. There appears to b 0 no prospect of a sitting m the near future. ‘ In the meantime, many land claims are held in abeyance. It is impossible to grant titles, and freedom of sale and purchase of land is blocked.

The dual currency is also a serious drawback, owing to the disparity in the rate of exchange. Regarding the diminishing trade of the islands with Australia. Judge Dovere says that this is largely due to the French Government offering French citizens a considerable rebate on P 1 duce shipped to France and New Caledonia, whereas the British subject got no such considerable rebate. While declining to make a statement on the solution of the vexed question of the ownership of the islands, Judge Devere has indicated his view was that a partition of the group between the French and English was likely to have the best results.