A Contrast in Colonisation

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1163, 6 December 1904, Page 2

A Contrast in Colonisation

How Germany Seal 1 ; Us

The othoi' morning som>) now ideai on tho relative cap icity of the British mid German method ot colonisation in tho tro-i picil Pacific woro githered by a Welling, ton Post representative in ilin course of a conversation with tho ll«v. J, A. Crump, of tho Australian Methodist Mistionary Society, who hns just returned from Now Brittin after olcvm year/ libotir thoro. In the courso of his mission work which oxtended over the Bismarck Archipelago, Air. Crump became familiar with tho work nl'Germuiohmisilion, and being also familiar with British New Guinea, which is limit r tho control of the Australian Coimnonwonhh, he wis nb!c to contrast tho remit of German activity in New Britain with tho apathy of tho Brithish methods.

" I am a Britisher all through," he said, , " and 1 hate to say it, hut the Germans have ' licked' us very badly. It 13 a shame to boast ot British skill in colonisation and run down our Gorman friends. It is a great mistake to say tho Gormans. oanuot coloniso. In tho olovon years of my sojourn in tho Archipelago, (hero has been enormous development, Both in New Britain and German New Guinea (hero aro thousands of acres of planta--1 tions which aro returning great profits to tho people and tho Government. Tho avthoritios nro encouraging land settlement, and allow the purchase of fond from tho datives. This land—!as good as any in tho world—can bo had Tory chonp, and tho climate is all that oan be desired. Yot when young uion go to Now Guinea to take up land they meet with tho very smallest enooiu'agemem." Mr Crump wont on to say that British Now Guinea' to-day shows no improvement on its condition eleven years ego, It is still stagnant, with thousands of valuable acres lying waste, and nothing hits boon done to.de-. velop its vast resourcos—both agriculttir>>l and mineral. As an instanco of tho productiveness of the soil, Mr Crump mentioned ' that he took .£l2O worth of yams from 2| acres I It is urgently necessary that the Commonwealth should set about develop* mont in real earnest. A man who took up land with £M would be rich in ten yoars. Rurotonga was mentioned, and Mr Crump thinks that tho Cook Islands havonot been a brilliant success. "I think the Government has its hamh full in looking after tho colony itself" Tho mission work is progressing very favourably in tho group, and the Gorman authorities gave' tho missionaries every assistance. There aro fivo white Methodist missionaries, aiid the past 11 years' work has qpndmplod tho number of adhornnts. Tho only other denomination engaged in missionary work in Now Britain is the Roman Catholic Church. It was in this group, by 1 ho way, that Iho uppalling lunssßcru of Catholic missionaries took placo some months ago. There is no danger now, says Mr. Crump, and the massacre was tho outcome of personal linger on tho part of a few natives. Tho returned missionary was farming in Marlborough before he entered' into church work. He liked tho work in tho islands, but is glad to got back to Now Zealand. Ho is at present on furlough, and may stay in New Zealand for good if ho obtains a church. In.about a month ho will start on a lecturing tour throng!) tho colony, arriving in Welling- ■ ■ ton again in February.