LORD HOWE ISLANDS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2091, 17 February 1920, Page 4

LORD HOWE ISLANDS.

PROSPEROUS COMMUNITY, . \ _ Mr W. C. Whit in*;, a resident of Lord Howe Island for the past 10 years, recently visited Sydney to give to'-tlie Herald some interesting particulars regarding- the progress of the islanders. He said that there had been a wonderful improvement since the control of the little community was placed in the hands of the New South Wales Government. Seven miles long, by three-quart-ers of a mile broad, Lord Howe Island, which is 48 hours' sail from Sydney, has two. mountains —Gower 2,800 ft. high, and ladybird 2,500 ft. The population is a round 100 —SO of each sex, and all whites. There are 22 families, and Mr Whiting says that everyone on the island Inis an interest in the principal industry—the cultivation and export of palm seed. With (ho demand greater than the supply, the palm seeyp industry is now a very profitable one. The only other export worth speaking about is the (sending of pigs to Sydney. Although there is little land under cultivation, the supply of maize is sufficient for all requirements. ..As much as 95 bushels to the acre are raised. Some fields have been worked 40 years without, manure. Potatoes (Irish) are plentiful at 0s per cwt. The average yield is 12cwt. to lewt. of seed. Beef is sold at 3d per lb. The resi- • dents comfort themselves with the thought - that they'can never be starved out. In addition to (he famous fishing grounds, there are the wild pigs and wild goats (o fall back upon. .Mr Whiling admitted that the conditions of life on Lord Howe Island are primitive. There arg no' shops, no stores, no boarding-hous-es, no churches, and no places-of amusement. Nor is there a resident doctor, . All legal disputes are submitted to and settled by the board in Sydney. On the principle of corn-' pensation, we are told‘that the climate of the island is very healthy. It is claimed that within the past 15 years no resident died under the age ’of 73. Mr Whiling, in connection with the Lord Howe Island vote against Conscription, said that the residents responded well to (lie call for soldiers when they were most needed. Every single man on the island went to the war. (hit of 50 male residents the island sent 10.