Enclosure
in Western Pacific despatch
Conf. (2) of 2nd May, 1941.
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PHOENIX
ISLANDS SETTLEMENT SCHEME
PROGRESS
REPORT JULY -
SEPTEMBER, 1940.
During the first part of
the three months
period ended on the 30th. September, the Officer-in-charge,
Phoenix Islands Settlement Scheme, was stationed in the Gilbert
Islands and practically the entire quarter was taken up, in one
way or another, with the selection and transport of settlers and
cargo. During this period, a total of seventy-six new settlers
and an estimated five hundred tons of cargo were handled. It was
hoped that one hundred and ten settlers would be transported but,
for some reason which appears to be partly connected with the
prospect of obtaining employment in the phosphate mines at Ocean
Island, nearly fifty persons who had been allotted passages from
the island of Nonouti decided, at the last minute, not to come to
the Phoenix Islands; and, without causing very considerable delay
and expense, it was not possible, at such short notice, to obtain
other settlers to take their places.
2. In carrying out the above
work, the m.v. "John
Bolton" was on charter for just under forty-five days at a total
cost (including rationing of passengers and other expenses) of
L1,613 - 3 - 11. This cost exceeds the estimate (thirty-five
days at a total cost of L1,149) by approximately L364. Weather
was excellent throughout the charter and the only unforeseen
delay was one of twelve hours at Sydney Island which, indirectly,
caused another delay of twelve hours at Gardner Island, where the
vessel arrived at night instead of early in the morning, as
planned. If the estimate of five hundred tons of cargo carried
is in anyway accurate, however, this (computed at the iniquitous
local rate of L3-15-0 per ton) just offsets the extra cost of the
charter, but the fact that only 78 passengers were carried, when
there was room for 110, makes this charter the most expensive one
to date.
3. At the close of the period
under review, the
total British population of the Phoenix Islands was 797, of which
662 persons are permanent settlers, 32 are working on Gardner
Island and have the option of taking up land and thirty-five are
Government employees and their families, not permanently resident
in the Phoenix Islands. The population is located as follows:
European
Population |
|
Canton
Island |
2 |
|
Native Population |
|
Canton Island |
3 |
|
European
Population |
|
Hull Island |
2 |
|
Native Population |
|
Hull Island |
370 |
|
Native Population |
|
Sydney Island |
302 |
|
European
Population |
|
Gardner Island |
1 |
|
Native Population |
|
Gardner Island |
69 |
(See Note) |
|
|
|
749 |
|
Note 1. 20 persons (eight
labourers and their
families) at present working at Gardner
Island are residents of Sydney Island and
are included in the total native population
of that Island - two other persons at Hull
Island are similarly residents of Sydney
Island. 22 persons, therefore, appear twice
- 2 -
in the above figures.
2. Six further residents
of the Phoenix Islands,
who are not included in the above totals, are at
the moment in the Gilbert Islands.
Sydney Island.
4. Twenty-eight new settlers,
all of them
relatives of persons already resident on the island, were landed
at Sydney Island at the beginning of August. It has already been
reported that the settlement of Sydney Island is virtually
completed and the only persons who can now be accomodated [sic] are
a
few relatives of settlers who are at present working at Ocean or
Fanning Islands. There is still a certain amount of unplanted
bush land on the island which has not yet been utilised - part
of this has been set aside as a timber producing area and, if
the remaining land cannot, at the present time, be planted with
coconuts, it is suggested that it should not be shared out
amongst the present population, as is, of course, the often
expressed hope of the people, but reserved by Government against
the time when the population has increased a little.
5. It was gratifying to note
that considerable
work had been carried out at Sydney Island during the absence
of a European Officer. This is in marked contrast to what
happened a year ago when the Officer-in-Charge was absent for
three months and returned to find that some people had not even
managed to summon up sufficient energy to complete their own
dwelling houses and augers well for the future of the Native
Government on the Island who would now appear to be exercising
a greater influence on the people. 6. Approximately thirty thousand
coconuts were
landed on Sydney Island at the beginning of September and
distributed amongst the population for planting purposes. In
the unlikely event of all these nuts germinating, the total
number of coconut trees on the island would be trebled. The
existing trees on the island are bearing well and there should
now be no difficulty in planting up the whole island.
Hull Island.
7. Forty-two new settlers
were landed at Hull
Island during the quarter under review and the Ag. Administrative
Officer reports that a total of 84 blocks of planted land are still
available for settlement. Very large areas of unplanted
land are also still available on this island and, although much
of this is useless for growing coconuts and therefore for
allocation to settlers, there is little doubt that more good
unplanted land is available than will ever be needed for the children
and relatives of the present population.
8. Work on Hull Island during
the quarter consisted principally in
the construction of dwelling houses, a Native Court House, a new
road and the hospital.
- 3 -
Gardner Island.
9. Gardner Island, which
the Officer-in-Charge
of the Settlement Scheme has, up to the present, only been
able to visit for a total of thirty-six hours, has now become
the main centre of activity in the Phoenix Islands. The
labourers stationed on the island have worked well and planted
a large number of coconut trees but the island has not been
developed in any other way. During the quarter, work was
commenced on the construction of the skeleton of the Government
Station which has been so laid out as to be suitable for
enlargement at a latter date into the headquarters station for
the Phoenix Islands. Five houses for the Native Staff and a
Government Storeshed - the latter constructed out of materials
obtained from the demolition of the old labourers dwelling
houses at Hull Island - were completed and occupied before the
end of the quarter. Work was also commenced on
the rather
formidable task of clearing away the rooks and tree roots which
have to be removed before the Station site can be levelled.
Before the Foreman of Public Works left the island, a start was
also made on the construction of the Rest House which, it is
hoped, will be completed before the end of November. This
house is considerably more ambitious than that constructed at
Sydney Island and, although smaller, is modelled after the
Native Lands Commissioner's house on Beru Island. Nearly all
the necessary thatch and building materials for this, as well as
for all the other houses on the island, have, of course, to be
transported from the Gilbert Islands, since practically nothing
is available on Gardner and the other islands of the Phoenix
Group can only contribute a little coconut thatch. It is hoped
to furnish the main living room of the Rest House with furniture
constructed entirely from locally grown "kanawa" - a beautifully
marked wood which abounds on the island and is being cut to
waste as planting proceeds. All other furniture, with the
exception of a bed, four chars and sanitary fittings, is also
being made locally, although not necessarily from local timber.
General.
10. The health of settlers
in the Phoenix
Islands has been good throughout the quarter and the Native
Medical Practitioner, who is stationed at Hull Island but paid
short visits to the other two islands, reports that the
general standard of fitness is better than it was nine months
ago.
Steps are being taken to
endeavour to
counteract what appears to be a very heavy infant mortality
rate in the District. Four months ago, this appeared to be
well over fifty percent and it was reported that this was very
largely due to incorrect care of the infants by their mothers.
Women on each island were therefore encouraged to meet together
and form "Women's Committees" with a view towards helping one
another in baby welfare. One hundred copies of a book written
by Mrs. G.H. Eastman of the London Missionary Society were
purchased and distributed to these Committees, who now meet
twice a week to read and discuss the book together. When
present on the island, the Native Medical Practitioner attends
these meetings and endeavours to make sure that the women
really understand the context. In the absence of the
- 4 - Native Medical
Practitioner, this service is undertaken by
the local Hospital Dresser, although it is a matter for
regret that these natives do not seem to be much better
informed in these matters than the people whom they wish to
instruct. The period since the inception of the scheme has
only been four months and not, therefore, long enough to
discover whether the mothers will continue the good work when
the novelty has worn off, but, it has been reported from
Sydney Island that not a single child, whose mother has attended
these meetings, has died or even been seriously ill during this
period and attendance of children at the hospital for
immediate treatment of small disorders has increased considerably.
11. It was not found possible,
during the quarter,
to visit any islands of the District other than Hull, Sydney
and Gardner and no communication has been available with Canton Island.
(Sgd) Gerald B. Gallagher
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