Tax On Fiji Gold

Former Missionary’s Plan To Assist Natives

HAVE natives any moral rights to a material share in the wealth won from their land? That was the question asked in an address recently in Melbourne by Rev. L. M. Thompson, who was a Metho dist missionary at Rewa, Fiji, for 15 years.

He urged that a tax should be levied on gold exported from Fiji and that the funds should be used solely for the benefit of the Fijians.

“Fiji was given freely by its people to. the British Crown,” he said, “and under it they have enjoyed peace and freedom. They have, however, many needs which have never been met, always on the plea of lack of funds. In the villages thousands of children have no adequate facilities for education, and much might be done to stop infant mortality. Is all the wealth of the Fiji goldfields to be taken away from the natives’ land by strangers? Will their needs go unrecognised and will they receive only the rewards of labour?”

Tihe suggestion of a gold tax was en dorsed by a Fijian native teacher, Inoke Thakautini, who is conducting a lecture tour of Victoria, under the auspices of the Methodist Overseas Mission.

“Though some 15,000 Fijian children are being educated,” he said, “there are more than 10,000 who are not. Many of them are girls, who cannot even read or write their own language. We want to teach them practical subjects—domestic arts and crafts, sewing, and first-aid —but many of them are being neglected because there is. not sufficient money. I hope my remarks' cause no trouble,” he added, “but one does, not like to see all the gold taken away and the natives left in poverty.”

Inoke Thakautini is himself a fine example of the response made by an in telligent Fijian to European culture. He could not speak a word of English at the age of 13 years; to-day, aged 28 years, he speaks the language with fluency.