Bad Results Of Pampering Solomons Natives

Four Serious Assaults. Labourers Insolent.

Punishment Is Not Adequate.

THERE is something seriously wrong in the British Solomon Islands, in the relationship between Europeans and natives.

There has been evidence of this for some time ; but we have hesitated to publish an alarmist view of conditions that may be capable of a less sensational explanation. However, in the last mail from the Solomons, we received no less than six different communications on the same subject—the growing insolence of the natives, and the growing frequency of their attacks on European women.

The position, as it has been presented to us, is summarised hereunder.

"WHY does your excellent journal make no mention of assaults upon white women in the Solomons?’ writes a planter. “To my knowledge four have taken place in this group during the past year. The only way this menace can be stamped out is by the use of the lash.

“A native recently assaulted a white resident’s wife at Tulagi, the seat of Government. He received five years’ imprisonment. Imprisonment is nothing to them—physical pain is the only thing they understand.

“Three months later, on September 26 my own wife was brutally assaulted, with criminal intent, by a native.”

Another correspondent, commenting on the Tulagi assault, says that it was a particularly bad case. The young wife was lying on a bed with her baby, and the native suddenly attacked her violently, was beaten off only after a sharp struggle, and renewed his attack.

We are informed that a few weeks ago, the drier on Lever Bros.’ plantation at Banika, Cape Marsh (Russell

Group) was burned. Certain natives were charged. One native practically admitted that he had poured kerosene upon the green copra and set fire to it.

This native was acquitted. The same native then charged the manager, Mr.

Hay, with assault. It appeared that, during the fire, there was some argu ment and the manager applied his boot, not too gently, to the native’s hindquarters. We have not heard the out come of his charge of assault; but it is a fact that, just before the last mail left the Solomons, another of Lever Bros.’ driers, that at Lunga (Guadal canal was burned down. It is not to be expected that Lever Bros.’ managers are going to sit down quietly under this kind of thing.

Here are extracts from a letter from a B.S.I. trader: “I caught my houseboy talking back at my wife, and, as the case clearly called for it, I issued summary justice on the spot by tanning his backside, as I would do with my own child. The boy complained to the Administration officer and I received an official letter which said, inter alia: ‘The native has no wish to prosecute, but has appealed to me with a view to putting a stop to these assaults. I am considering the suspension of his contracts and taking proceedings on his behalf.’

“Another resident’s wife had cause to make a boy do his work over several times. Then, when it was not properly done, owing to laziness or carelessness, she sharply scolded the native. The boy complained to the native labour official, and she received a letter that the native was ‘unduly harassed,’ and that proceedings would be taken if it

occurred again.”

Next to hand is a surprisingly out

spoken letter from a professional man, who knows the Solomons well, and is held there in high esteem. He is en tirely in accord with the view that commonsense and firmness must be shown in administering justice to the natives. He proceeds: “But some of the ‘small fella officials’ are very jealous of anything which would impinge on their petty little prerogatives. To the ordinary on looker —who is unfortunately the man who has to foot the bill —the cost of these stupid blunders is considerable.

“I have known a D.O. spend two days in hearing a simple adultery case, with which legally he had no right to in terfere, and which a slight caning would have settled for ever. We have all heard of the important Government official who travelled hundreds of miles to fine a trader a pound for some technical offence, only to find that the trader hadn’t a bean to pay up with.

The trip cost several hundreds of pounds. We could multiply such in stances, in which highly paid officials, in expensively-run Government ves sels, are sent from one end of the Protectorate to the other at a cost running into hundreds of pounds, to do some petty little persecuting stunt which would be better left undone.

“Most of the residents of the Pro tectorate —white and black —will most heartily subscribe to the opinions ex pressed in your paper by 'Planter and Trader’ concerning the Native Passes Regulation, and to your comments thereon. It is so silly that the natives themselves make a joke of the matter, and apparently intend to test this stupid and quite unjustifiable attempt to make serfs of them. Such a thing could not be suggested m any other place but Tulagi—except, of course, in cases of epidemics or conflict.’’

From another letter: “Some very stupid things are being done here, and are resented by Europeans and natives alike. Concerning the latest freak, the Native Passes Regulation, the natives themselves are holding meetings of protest. They point out, for instance, that if a sick man on the Island of Mono wants to go to hospital at Bilua, he must go first to Faisi, over 30 miles of bad sea, to pay 1/- for a pass! We hear that the members of the Advisory Council were not consulted and can suggest no reason fir this latest regu lation.”

The foregoing is all written from one point of view— which is not that ot the Administration. There may be an other side. Our correspondents all ask very urgently that “something be done.”

We do not think that anything fur ther is necessary at this stage. It is reported from Suva that the High Commissioner of the Western Pacific probably will examine the whole position in relation to the Solomons fit an early date. It is as well that prompt

action is being taken, because it is evi dent that the feelings of residents in the group are becoming so warm that a “boil-over” is threatened.

It is as well to remember, however, that the Europeans in this group, owing to the economic depression, are not in a kindly mood at present and are natu rally antagonistic to all men in “shel tered jobs”; and that the present Resi dent Commissioner has been confronted with peculiar difficulties. There was a distressing development in the mis sion field, which reacted very badly in the relationship between Europeans and natives. The R.C. has not been well treated regarding personnel, and a whole series of troubles, culminating in the Filose incident, did not make it any easier to carry out an effective native policy. Finally, it is to be re membered that the Solomons Protec torate is one of those isolated com munities where human spites and jealousies flourish, and bad temper's are often made worse by a bad climate.

Preparations are afoot to send a troupe of 20 Cook Island dancers and singers from Rarotonga to take part in the great Maori carnival, to be held at Waitangi, N.Z., early next year.