Tragi-Comedy Of Government

In Tonga

Letter to the Editor

IF there were anything in the nature of reality about the Tongan Legislative Assembly it would play an important part in the government of these islands. Un happily it plays no real part, because its peculiar constitution debars it from doing so.

The orgy of expenditure in which the Tongan Government has indulged during recent years could not have happened if the Legislative Assembly had ever been able to make its voice heard and felt in those directions for which it really should exist. Measures are brought forward for enactment by it which are already cut and dried before they are discussed and, owing to the composition of that assem bly, are forced through after a mock debate.

The principle of elective representation of the people is a mockery. In a House of 22 members, eight are permanent officials in the service and pay of the Go vernment, seven are chiefs whose inter ests are with the Government, and who in reality are nominated by it, and the remaining seven are elected by the people for three-year periods. Fifteen members representing the Government, and seven members representing the people. The Government calls the tune, but the people pay the piper.

During about 15 years the Tongan Gov ernment has gone through approximately £1,000,000 sterling. What have they to show for it beyond a new post office, a few miles of roads, private residences for civil servants, and the “Hifofua” m/v?

The bulk of it has gone in personal emolu ments to which they have helped them selves with a lavish hand.

In addition to very generous salaries there are allowances of all sorts for all sorts of reasons, and some for no reason.

House allowance, benzine allowance, tra velling allowance, and even an allowance for winding up the village clock! There was a bonus added to salaries to make up for extra cost of living during the war and, although the cost of living has come down tremendously, it has never been taken off. From one of the most equable climates in the world, persons in the Go vernment service must be given 4½ months’ leave every three years on full pay, and with passages paid both for the civil servant and his wife. Both the white members of the “Cabinet” are away on leave now. After having successfully passed away a sufficient number of years they are put on pension.

All these things the Tongan people pay for. They maintain this frightful racket.

Why? Because they have 7 votes against 15.

Some years ago, a suggestion was actually made to start a Civil Servants’

Protection Association, but what they were going to protect themselves against

nobody has the slightest conception, unless they were about to form a firm and solid phalanx against having any more pamperings and concessions thrust upon them!

The Police Force retains its form, an other constable having qualified for three years’ gaol for embezzling Government monies, thus following the road already taken by others. When it is remembered that the members of this force have a special law applying to them which gives them immunity from paying their debts to the stores, they are rather ungrateful (to say the least) to rob the Government that has so protected them. But the Government, having aided them to side track their obligations to the commercial people (who have at all times received scant consideration) should hardly com plain if the policemen extend the principle of dishonesty to those who have made themselves a party to it —viz., the Gov ernment itself.

This is only a sidelight on the Police Force. It is fantastic in its entirety. The Darktown Fire Brigade is nothing to it.

The motor ship “Hifofua” is the Gov ernment despatch vessel acquired for the purpose of taking officials up to the Haa pai and Vavau groups. Bought at an outrageous price, and maintained at great expense, this vessel has cost the tax payers thousands of pounds. She has lain idle for a far longer time than she has ever run. Badly engined to start with, she has been a constant source of waste. For inefficiency in the Govern ment service this vessel must be awarded the palm—no light distinction.

Only for a brief period in her career has she even been anywhere near her planned itinerary. At the moment of

writing she has been idle in the harbour here for nearly 12 months, with the cap tain and engineer each drawing £37/10/per month, and others in proportion. It is not surprising that she is reported to have had over £40,000 paid out on her, and has earned £7000. What should her future be? Only to be sold or scrapped.

All this is great comedy to those who can see the joke, if it were not so tragic for the 28,000 people of Tonga. You can envisage them, naked to the waist, with a split coconut in one hand and a knife in the other, gouging out the flesh of the nut for sale as green copra. When they have filled a large sack with it they might get two shillings for it, inclusive of the labour, gathering, cutting and mar keting. By this means, they keep going the comedy above described; bananas bring very little.

Can it, by any stretch of imagination, be called reasonable to levy taxes for a revenue of £60,000 from a country whose total income falls short of it? Has not the time obviously arrived to increase the number of the people’s representa tives in the Legislative Assembly? Or, better still, to run the toy kingdom by an impartial Commission?

I am, etc.,

Theban.

Nukualofa, 23/3/’34.