OCEAN ISLAND’S PHOSPHATES

Southland Times, Issue 23675, 25 November 1938, Page 7

OCEAN ISLAND’S PHOSPHATES

MR ERNEST NICHOL DESCRIBES VISIT OUTLOOK OF JAPANESE ON LIFE 4 A talk on the Far East and Ocean Island, where phosphates are obtained, was given by Mr Ernest Nichol, of Invercargill, to a combined meeting of branches of the Farmers Union in the Heddon Bush Hall. Mr E. Malcolm was chairman and also present 'was Mr G. R. Herron, organizer for the Southland provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. There was a big attendance, visitors being present from the Drummond, Oreti and Isla Bank branches. Mr Nichol first told of his visit to Ocean Island. The island was controlled by the New Zealand, Australian and British Governments, he said, and each took its requirements of phosphate and the surplus was sold. About 1,000,000 tons of . phosphate was sent away each year, but there was still plenty to last for another 100 years. The island was due north of New Zealand and was about six miles in circumference, with a reef 100 yards wide running round it. The deposits were not bird guano and the most likely theory for their existence was that they had been formed under the sea and had been thrown up by an earthquake. The island was up to date in many ways and had electric light, wireless and a small railway, but only one or two cars. Natives had been living there for centuries, but were dying out, Labour had to be imported from other islands and there were also many Chinese working there. The Chinese, natives and white people did not mix and each had their own hospital and even the store was divided into three compartments. Steamers coming for phosphate had to stand well out under full steam, unless the sea was very calm, which was seldom. The phosphate was taken out in lighters drawn by Diesel launches. These launches were very fast and when no steamers were to be. loaded the natives cruised round in the launches to keep the engines warm. It might appear that the natives would like this, but they would rather have their old canoes. The life of the natives was carried on in the usual way and they could not understand why the white people took the rock away. Arriving in Yokohama, Mr Nichol said there were 85 overseas steamers in port all anchored out in the harbour and to service them all the small craft under the sun were occupied. Hundreds of fishing junks travelling at about two miles an hour were pulling out to sea. He gave an impression of his first sight of a Japanese girl and said that although the dress of the Japanese women had been designed by the men to take away, the attraction of the women, they, nevertheless, were very picturesque in their quaint costumes. Woman’s main idea appeared to be to please man. He had seen women doing hard work laying foundations for buildings and women stripped to the waist coaling steamers with babies tied to their backs sound asleep. Women appeared to do all the work at the hotels, carrying heavy luggage and so on. One dare not help them with one’s luggage. They would not like it, TRAINS IN JAPAN Mr Nichol described a trip to Tokyo by .train. The return ticket was called a “come back ticket,” he said. There were no guards on the train but many attendants. The ticket was bought at one station and handed back at the destination. The trains were electric and travelled about 60 to 70 miles an hour. The railways were the same gauge as the New Zealand lines. Second class was almost as good as New Zealand’s first class and the first class was luxurious. The train was spotlessly clean and tourists were well catered for. In Tokyo the' trains ran overhead. Tokyo had a population of more than 6,000,000 and was very modern. There was not much of the old Japanese style about it It was wonderfully clean. Taxis were very cheap but prices varied a ToT and it was necessary to bargain with the driver. The taxis travelled at a tremendous speed and passed other cars on any side they liked. There appeared to be few traffic laws. The cars were nearly all American and fairly modern. It was very noticeable that there were very few old cars about. Speaking of geisha girls, Mr Nichol said that they were not exactly sold. A broker bought them from poor farmers for about £3O or £4O. The girls worked in cafes and were well treated. The day the girl paid off the loan she was free, but, although she got a wage, it was so small it was practically impossible for her to pay back the money. It was. hard to say that the girls were sold into captivity. They appeared to be very satisfied, but could not leave. Mr Nichol described an expedition of cormorant fishing. The birds would dive into the water and would come up with their pecks bulging with about five or six fish. The owner, would squeeze the fish out. ' All the birds were tied to the boat with a string and although they were all diving at once the strings never got tangled. The religion was mainly Buddhism and Shintoism and to see the people worship in the temples made one think there was really something in it. The Japanese did not like being beaten in anything and he gave instances to prove his statement. The Japanese said they would take China, that China was not an enemy and Japan was out to help China. The Japanese said they would take India and in 100 years’ time would be in Britain’s position. They considered themselves equal to anyone. The_ Japanese had a much different outlook in life fr’om that of a European. One thing that struck him was that kissing in pictures was prohibited, and yet boys and girls went swimming together and undressed in the one shed. Compared with Japan, China was very dirty. Everything was poured into the gutters and coolies were often seen sleeping there. One did not feel so safe travelling about in China as in Japan. Up country the train service was very bad and the timetable hopeless. Hong Kong, owned by Briatin, was heavily fortified. Britain had £240,000,000 invested in Japan and he would say it was very advisable to keep Singapore well fortified. LITTLE BUTTER EATEN When asked if there was a possibility of trade with China in butter. Mr Nicol said he had looked into the question when over there. There were about 400,000,000 people in China and if it were possible to get them even to smell butter it would be all right. However, very little butter was eaten, although there was a certain amount of New Zealand butter marketed there under the name, he thought, of Snow Flake. The chairman thanked the speaker on behalf of the Heddon Bush branch for the very interesting and educative talk, and said that meetings of this sort were of great value Mr J. Kincaid (Drummond). in thanking the Heddon Bush branch for its invitation, said it was very gratifying to know there were public-spirited men in Invercargill who would come,

out to the country and tell of their trips abroad. Mr J. A. Miller (Oreti), Mr lan Lindsay (Isla Bank) and Miss Fleming, president of the Heddon Bush branch of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, also expressed appreciation. Mr Herron said he had been anxious to see Heddon Bush have one of the first combined meetings and he was pleased that it had been a success and hoped it would be the forerunner of many such meetings. He emphasized the greater need than ever for the farmers to keep together and said he hoped that small differences would be cast aside in this effort.