Tears of the Moon - Di Morrissey [163]
I’m sorry I can’t be more positive but I am aware of the financial position of Star of the Sea and I’m very taken up with the running of the girls’ refuge here. It is rewarding work. There seem to be more girls in need at this time with so many of the young men going away and leaving broken hearts behind!
I hope you are well, give my best to Ahmed and the boys.
Olivia
Tyndall folded her letter and put it carefully in his desk drawer with her other correspondence. Damn you, Olivia, he thought. A polite formal note as always, signed with her neat signature, minus any expression of affection. He was hurt, too, that she didn’t want to be more involved with his idea. He just couldn’t see Olivia preoccupied with a home for wayward girls.
The local debate about Tyndall’s scheme soon came to a head. A meeting was called by the Master Pearlers’ Association at the Continental Hotel ‘for all interested parties’.
The dining room was packed with the master pearlers and their wives, leaders in the business community and, sitting in a row at the back, influential members of the Japanese business and pearling community.
There had been some mutterings among the executive about the presence of the Japanese but, after some discussion with Mr Takahashi who ran several stores in town, it was agreed they should be allowed to stay on the understanding that there might be some remarks which may be disrespectful to their community.
Mr Takahashi bowed and said he understood.
Once everyone was settled, the chairman of the association, Mr Bernard, rose behind the small table set at the front of the room, outlined what Tyndall had proposed and opened the subject for discussion. Several men jumped to their feet and speaker after speaker condemned the scheme.
Tyndall sat beside the chairman becoming increasingly angry until he could control himself no longer and leapt to his feet. ‘Poppycock! Cultured pearls are real pearls. They are no threat to natural pearls!’
Another pearler stood. ‘I’ve seen attempts at making pearls on Thursday Island and it’s a jolly tricky business and what they did get was of no value. I have seen some of the Jap pearls and they are of poor quality lustre. My concern is that if we use our oysters, which are far superior, then maybe we could produce pearls with a better nacre that would undermine our natural pearls.’
Tyndall jumped to his feet again. ‘That’s the point!’ he shouted. ‘We can make good pearls, ones with a decent lustre that will meet a market for those who can’t afford natural pearl!’
The arguments raged and Tyndall sank in his seat stony faced, disappointed at the little support he was getting and stunned by the lack of vision and understanding among his pearling colleagues. Mabel Metta gave him a smile of encouragement which he acknowledged with a shrug.
Debate moved on to the issue of how to control a cultured pearl industry if it did get started. It wasn’t long before someone said what almost everyone was thinking.
‘Sooner or later, and probably right from the word go, the Japs will control it,’ shouted a master pearler and there was a murmur of agreement from practically all the whites present. The speaker went on, ‘We’ve had enough trouble with the dummying operations of the Japanese. You can bet your life that they will be running any imitation pearl business, not us. So what’s in it for us? Nothing.’
There was a burst of applause.
From the back of the hall came a polite call. ‘Mr Chairman.’ It was Mr Takahashi. All heads swivelled around as the chairman acknowledged the call. Mr Takahashi bowed slightly to the chairman. ‘We have conducted our own discussions about this idea of Captain Tyndall and we are against the venture. We feel it will be bad for