March Past On Ysabel

B.S.I. Plea for “Strong” Men.

(From a Special Correspondent.) How Sultan after Sultan with his pomp Abode his hour or two and went his way.

THE quotation from Omar has an aptness pertaining to the “March past of the D.O’s.” at the Govern ment station on Ysabel, B.S.I.P, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Miller, who have been here for the short period of five months, are off to England in October; and it remains to be seen who is next on the list.

Since 1918, we have had a remarkable succession of District Officers, begin ning with Mr. and Mrs. N. S. Heffer man, who put in the longest term—e.g., five years. After his transfer to Santa Cruz, we followed on with Messrs. H.

Macquarie, S. G. Masterman, Capt. Mid denway, P. Hubbard, E. D. Davies, J.

Studd, Capt. R. B. Hill, F. W. Fowler, L. Wright, F. B. Filose, S. G, Master man (again), and lastly, up to date, W. H. Miller.

In other districts, the D.O’s. have re mained on their stations, except dur ing furlough, for periods of 10 and 12 years, without transfer.

All these changes are not doing the natives of Ysabel any good. Each new man has different ideas regarding administration, discipline, etc., and the constant change of tactics is bewilder ing to the native mind. As each new man takes over, the chiefs of the vil lages bring along “trial” cases, to see which way the cat will jump and then base their behaviour accordingly for the rest of his short regime.

Ysabel is a big district, and it takes many months for a D.O. to become con versant with the whole island; and as no administrator can work up an interest in a place when he feels he is merely temporary, little is done.

Villages are neglected, and the sanitation system is a disgrace. Roads, which are most necessary on this open rock-bound coast, are negligible; a few native tracks now serve between villages.

The natives are becoming cheeky and indolent, and too apathetic to cook their copra or earn an honest penny. After the Filose affair, they boast that “They savvy sack” the “new Government,” if they don’t approve of him.

It will need a man with strong physical and moral courage to face the state of things here, and reinstate the power of the white man and, inci dentally, the Government, in the minds of the Ysabel natives.