The Coolidge examiner., 1937-02-25

Prepared by National Geographic Society,"
Washington. d. C.-WNU Service.
II ORD HOWE Island, verdant
| spot of land in the Pacific
/ <east of Australia, where the
monopolistic sale of palm seed
has built an unusual social system,
believes in starting its neWlyWeds
off right. If young islander wishes
to marry and establish his oW
home, he notifies the board of con-
troll, which assigns him block OF
land on which to build home and
to use for gardens, pasturage, or
cultivation. Before erecting house,
however, he must submit plans
and particulars to the board for ap-
proval.
AS the land is made available
only on "permissive occupancy
basis, the islander legally has no
claim to it or to the buildings he
may erect thereon. This tenancy at
will, however, is not as severe as it
may sound, and the board has never
yet evicted a person!
The system of taxation is unique.
Non-islanders who stay on the island
for lengthy periods are obliged to
contribute at the rate of 5 pounds
(normally $3.50 per annum to the
island funds. Participants in t h e
palm seed industry pay no taxes
on property, but those who earn an
income from any other source than
the community fund are taxed by
the reduction of one share in eight
of their holdings for all earnings
over "a pounds.
Such income necessarily comes
from one of two sources-salary or
wages paid for labor or income from
invested capital. The latter is heavi-
lily taxed, on the theory that those
who have it do not need as much
as those who are wholly dependent
on the sale of the palm seeds. By
contributing thus, its recipients help
to equalize the incomes of all is
landers, and thus prevent any devel-
opment of classes who might be
called rich or poor.
So with the income from labor.
Since the amount of work on the
island for which wages might be
paid is small, few can share in it;
hence, those who do have work con-
tribute a portion of their wages to
the community fund.
Two Labor Conditions.
Human nature is veIy much the
same, however, on Lord Howe Is
land as it is elsewhere. Even in so
small and homogeneous a popula-
ton one finds at one extreme those
who are unambitious, if not ac-
tually lazy, and at the other those
who like to work to improve their
condition, and desire luXuries as
well as comforts. AS a consequence
two interesting and rather amusing
labor conditions have developed to
complicate the problem of the am
bilious.
The first concerns continuous Ia
Dor, what is often called service. "
Life on the island is so pleasant, Sc
relatively carefree, and so simple
that it does Lot require steady work
to live comfortably. Few, if any, is
landers are willing to engage in
work by the month or week. They
are not necessarily lazy; they just
don't care to be exploited by other
islanders for personal gain. Hence
the proprietors of the two lodging
houses, who must have service,
have to secure their help in Austria
liza. The labor problem is also COM
plicated by rats!
Somewhere around twenty years
ago a vessel was wrecked on Lord
Howe and rats came ashore, found
local conditions to their taste, and
multiplied excessively. Today they
are not only a nuisance but men,
ace, and the islanders wage relent-
less war upon them. Aiding in this
campaign are the dogs Of the is
land, a breed Of short-haired ter
rierS.
A bounty Of fourpence rat is
paid from the community fund; SO
many thousands of rats are killed
annually. Since the bounty is paid
from the community fund, it is not
subject to the income tax, and hence
becomes profitable side line. Some
diligent rat hunters turn over as
many as a thousand rats every
quarterly period.
Besides the income from palm
seeds, money comes to the island
with visitors from Australia or, very
rarely, from other parts of the out
side world. Such visitors are neces-
sarily limited in number, for there
is only one boat which visits Lord
Howe island regularly, the steamer
which plies between Sydney and
he New Hebrides. She is a little
essel of some 2,025 tons, with ac-
ommodations for about 40 passen-
ers, and many Of these are bound
n Norfolk island or the New Heb
deS.
May Have to Stay Five Weeks.
Moreover, this boat usually runs
Jut once in five weeks; hence visit