The Tongan Islands

Agenda for Forthcoming Parliamentary Session

From Our Own Correspondent.

Nukualofa, March 3.

SESSIONS of the Tongan Parliament —the opening by Her Majesty Queen Salote, the deliberations and the results —are of little or no interest to the outside world but, to the Tongan mind, are of paramount importance to the welfare of their Kingdom in the South Seas.

From their point of view, the 31st session, which commences in June, will be probably one of the most import ant since the Kingdom has had re sponsible government.

Establishment Of Cocoa

Industry.

Undoubtedly, the most pertinent question, which will be asked of the Executive, is: “What have you done about cocoa?”

The Council certainly did give an undertaking last session that it would push on with the establishment of this industry, but, as far as one can see, the only pushing that has been done is into some obscure file somewhere or other. On the face of it, the Council seems to have been remiss, and there may be justification if the Assembly does really get annoyed about it.

Marketing Of Bananas.

With bananas, a lot has been done in the way of planting, but the “House” will probably want to know if any workable scheme has been formulated to get the fruit onto a market. It is to be hoped that a satisfactory answer will be forthcoming, and that the end of the year will see the commence ment of regular shipments from our ports.

The method of storage on board ship is a matter which the Executive has perhaps considered. In past years, our bananas have been always packed in cases for export. The cost of these cases makes a considerable hole in whatever profits accrue. One reads that all consignments of bananas from Atlantic tropical ports to Great Brit ain are on the stem. (A circular, issued by the Empire Marketing Board, states that the total banana imports into the United Kingdom for the first week in December was “a quarter million bunches.”) Of course, the At lantic ships may be soecially construc ted for the transport of bunches, but the local grower would like to be sure of this, as the cost of these cases has, many a time, turned his profit into a loss.

As the little Kingdom is already “snowed under” with laws and regula tions, it is not anticipated that the Judiciary will dig up any more new ones this year, but the Pensions Bill, held over from last session, must come up again.

A particular clause in this Bill gives the native civil servant (and European) opportunity of temporary transfer to other colonial services and, as he still requires a considerable knowledge of the outside world to fit him for the higher responsible positions in his own Kingdom, this outstanding feature may

pull the Bill through the “House” without much opposition.

Discussion of public works will as suredly take up a lot of time if ru mour proves correct. Rightly so, too!

Why the Works Department has been pushing on with new road construction to the utter exclusion of the crying needs of existing roads, is a mystery.

It is apparent that if something is net done, and done quickly, the metalled roads, which we viewed with pride a few years ago, will disappear altogether.

The Government must, as a national urgent duty, revise its public works policy.

Allegations Against Native

Police.

Gossip from the “kava circle” says that the “left wing” intends attaching the police system which obtains in Tonga to-day. It is said this Parlia mentary party avers that the native policeman, instead of being a counter part of the time-honoured European “Bobby,” has been, with a promise of promotion, gradually developed into an insidious, and iparticularly irritating spy; that natives —outside of the Police Department—are encouraged to act as “stool pigeons” with promise of mone tary reward; that witnesses for the Crown are called from distant parts and held for days without means of sustenance, and without reimburse ment; that public meetings have been held by the police at which people have been exhorted to come forward and give evidence against any of their fel lows . . . and so on, ad lib. . . .

Whether the “stalwart force” is as bad as it is painted, remains to be seen. Such little troubles are generally exaggerated. But if any such abuses do exist, the Government has been remiss in not taking steps towards re organising its Police Department.

Education Matters.

The question of the methods em ployed in the teaching of the younger generation those 3 R’s (reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic) is said to be on the agenda. Quite recently, there was a revolt in the Government College against some ruling of the European Acting-Principal. He, probably remem bering the satisfactory results obtained by Napoleon with his “whiff of grape shot,” nipped the conflagration in the bud by promptly “firing” 64 of the most objectionable of his students and in so doing gained the deserved applause of his fellow men. Still, in justice to teachers and students, there must be an inquiry into the whole system.

For some years the College has been looked upon as more or less an incu bus, and it is stated that a certain ele ment in the “House” will propose the disbandment of the College and advo cate the improvement of the Primary Schools to a higher standard of effici ency, even if it means abolishing cer tain of the existing schools to attain the desired result. The idea seems sound enough, provided always that European teachers are an integral part of the Board of Control.

Drought Conditions Cause

Water Shortage.

The continuous dry spell has devel oped into what seems to be a first class representation of a drought, and the fruit trees are suffering in conse quence. It is reported that the few tanks and cisterns in the country dis tricts have run dry and that the na tives have had recourse to the brack ish well-water for all domestic pur poses.

It is evident that the Kingdom is insufficiently provided with cisterns, and the Parliament will urge the Exe cutive during the coming session to build more and obviate a recurrence of the present trouble.

It is worthy of mention though, that the Executive has decided to provide for the rationing of water from the main Government cistern in the follow ing somewhat extraordinary terms: Allowance to Ministers of the Crown, 100 gallons per week; other Europeans, 50 gallons; natives, 8 gallons.

Now, this decision of the Executive has fomented a brand new controversy.

Even if a Privy Councillor can vote himself a double salary, is he justified in assuming that he is entitled to drink twice as much, and bath twice as much, as the unfortunate proletar iat? Parliament might wax sarcastic in determining this, for one must re member, it is a Tongan fetish that all men are equal in the sight of God!

Did it happen to be a famine instead of a drought, would our stalwart Coun cillors enjoy a double issue of rations?

Hurricanes In The North.

Several times during the last three months the northern-most islands of our Kingdom have been getting a “dusting up’” with heavy blasts of wind.

From the extensive damage done in other Pacific Groups, it can be assum ed that our Niuafoou and Keppel Is lands have been on the fringe of several cyclonic storms.

From all reports, the damage done up north is not of a sensational nature, yet still sufficient to warrant the Gov

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ernment expending a few hundreds to put the affected districts back into their original habitable state.

Government Vessels Under

Going Repairs.

The two Government despatch ves sels are laid up for complete overhaul.

With a view to keeping the expenditure within the confines of the Kingdom, the necessary repairs are to be effected here by local mechanics with native labour. For the next three months, inter-island “trippers” will gain the ex perience of conditions that obtain on native cutters, and, it may be, they will then view with less disdain the ap pointments of the State vessels, when they are once again in commission.

Personal Items.

The Hon. Garfield Bagnall (Tonga Minister of Finance) and Mrs. Bagnall with their adopted son, have returned to the Kingdom. Apart from his official position, Mr. Bagnall is a keen agricul turist and has an excellent plantation on our main island.

It is a pleasure to report that Mr.

J. M. Masterton, our British Vice-Con sul, who, through illness, has been for some months past, unable to attend to his official and social duties, is now well on the road to recovery. Together with his Consular position, Mr, Master ton is well known as the popular presi dent of the Nukualofa Club.

Medical Superintendent L. A. An drews, of the Haapai district, has left on a well-earned six months’ vacation.

Probably the most popular medico that Haapai has ever had, he has, since his appointment, taken a serious in terest in an intensive warfare against the ubiquitous mosquito, and has done much to improve health conditions in our middle group.

We learn that Mr. J. Trotter, man ager of Burns. Philp’s Haapai branch, leaves us for the firm’s Levuka branch, in Fiji. A returned soldier, and one time education officer in the Tongan Civil Service, Mr. Trotter has for 10 years devoted himself to commercial interests in our group.