REMOTE ISLANDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21765, 3 April 1934, Page 11

REMOTE ISLANDS

PLIGHT OF SEYCHELLES REPORT BY COMMISSIONER [from our ow:: correspondent] DURBAN, Feb. 20 A complaint that the 101 islands of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean have no steamroller is one of the features of a report on the colony drawn up by Mr. T. Eeid, late of the Ceylon Civil Service, who was appointed by the British Colonial Secretary as Commissioner to inquire into the financial situation of the islands. Neither, he adds, have the Government offices a duplicating machine. Various reforms are advocated by Mr. lieid. He recommends that the islands, which since 1905 have had a Governor at the bead of the executive, should in future be administered by a Commissioner lent from another colony. Since Mr. Eeid signed his report a new Governor lias been appointed to Seychelles. Seychellois, Mr. Reid considers, should be employed in public offices wherever possible, instead of British officials, with a lower scale of pay* This, he estimates, should result in a saving of about 30,000 rupees (£2250) annually. Since 1929, expenditure in the islands has exceeded revenue, but the investigation made "fails to reveal any great extravagance on the part of the Government." The total immediate net savings recommended amount to 55,748 rupees on a present revenue of about 650,000 rupees. Mr. Eeid emphasises that the Budget should be balanced by retrenchment and not by subsidies from the Mother Country, Finally, he deplores that the Seychelles are a "one industry" colony, the inhabitants devoting themselves almost entirely to the cultivation of coconuts. Not only, he declares, have the Seychellois put all-their eggs into one basket, but the standard of coconut culti\ ation is ".shocking." He urges the development of other industries.