LIFE IN THE SOLOMONS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12508, 26 July 1926, Page 3

LIFE IN THE SOLOMONS

BISHOP MOLYNEUX’S ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATION PROMISED. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, July 25. *-T am pleased to say that the administration of the Solomon Islands is very satisfactory from the point of view of both white settlers and natives,” said Dr. F. M. Mo-lyneux, Assistant Bishop of Melanesia, who returned on furlough to Auckland by the Southern Cross on Saturday. There wac no doubt, he said, that the system of administration in the Solomons was far superior to that in the New Hebrides. The bishop said, there were undoubted opportunities for settlement in the islands. Planting was of course the only thing that Englishmen could take up with any hope for success, and then they would have to be prepared to face some years of hard work before they got any return pn their invested capital. Copra was the staple industry of the islands, but it appeared to him that other commodities could also he successfully grown. This would increase the activities of the planters, bring them profits in a shorter space of time, and generally add to the prosperity and enlightenment of the islands. Sugar, cotton, coffee, and various other tropical products could, he thought, be successfully grown for export. The islands produced tropical fruit in plenty and of an astonishing quality, but at present there seemed little hop© of marketing it. The trip to Sydney or Auckland was a long one, and until there was ,an improvement in facilities not much shipping could be done. However, there was sufficient inducement for enterprising men to settle in tne Melanesian Group, and in particular settlers were needed in the New Hebrides These islands were very fertile, and if the French found sxifficient in- j ducement to settle there surely Bri-* tishers should be able to follow. IMPORTANT STRATEGICALLY It appeared to him important that British interests should not be allowed to lag behind in this group, which In ! the future would prove important both commercially and strategicatty. A fault in the present system of administration was the recruiting of native labour, enid the Bishop. In order to obtain labourers for Government works recruiting vessels went around the islands, both in the Solomons and the New Hebrides, and, anchoring off the shore, fired gjin as a signal that they would recruit labour. The wages offered were attrncI tive to the natives, and the result was that some of the most beautiful and fertile islands were being sadly depleted. However, the new Resident Commissioner in the Solomon Islands was averse to the existing practice, and it was thought that steps might b© taken in the near future to improve the conditions of labour.