NEW HEBRIDES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 22 February 1923, Page 7

NEW HEBRIDES.

UNSATISFACTORY ADMINISTRATION.

BY CABLE—""EESS ASSOCII.'\3 7 -COPYBIGHT Received Feb. 22, 12.45 p m . SYDNEY. Feb. 22. Mr Justice de Vere, Judicial Commissioner for the New Hebrides is visiting Sydney. Interviewed, he said the condominium governmejij of the group was far from satisfactory. He had been over eight months in~the New Hebrides,, and the joint count had not sat during that time owing to the absence of the French judge and the neutral president, and there appears to be no prospect of a sitting in the near future. Meantime many claims are Jield in .abeyance, and it is impossible to grant titles for freedom of sale and purchase of land. The duel 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 de Vere says that this is largely, due to the trench Government offering French citizens a considerable rebate on produce shipped to France and New Caledonia, whereas the British subject got no such consideration in rebates. While declining to make statements on a solution of the vexed question of the ownership of the islands, Judge de Vere in_ dicated his Views thai the apportioning of the group between the French and English would be likely to have the best .results.—Aus.-'N.Z. Cable Assn.