SOLOMON ISLAND NATIVES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1671, 11 February 1913, Page 11

SOLOMON ISLAND NATIVES.

WHY THEY 4JIE DECREASING,

The gradual decreaso in the native population of. tho Solomon Islands is a matter of somo concern to planters in tho Paoiflc, and even now there is some difficulty in obtaining suitable boys. Dr. W. Thorold -Quaife, inodical officer to Messrs. Lover's Pacific Plantations, Limited, in tho Solomon Islands, who visited Sydney recently, statod what, in his opinion, was at least ono of the causes Tbr the decreaso in tho native population in the Solomons, in common with all tho othor islands of tho Pacific. It vraa difficult, he. eaid, to say exactly what wcro tho causes operating. Somo peoplo attributed tho decreaso that was going on in tho other islands to tlio introduction of foreign diseases, but that did not apply to tho Solomons, wlicro thero was comparatively little diseaso, and but little tuberculosis, which was the great.scourge among semi-civilieod peoplo. Ho thought tho reason for their dying ofE might be looked for in tho stoppage of their inter-tribal warfare, which naturally kept them in good fettle in times gone by. The natives did very littlo work •nowj consequently deterioration was tho result.