Thousands Of Tongan Tax

Payers In Default.

Urgent Need For Review of Financial System.

By A. Cowley.

IN order that the Tongan Treasurer shall receive, in full measure, all the credit due to his “Carefully Planned and Balanced” Budget, I purpose to sup ply the omission of “Our Own Correspon dent” by outlining the effect of its op eration on the trade, and the social, domestic and Church life of Tonga.

If Tonga has “definitely turned its back on old man Depression” the fact should be reflected in the Christmas trade. My file of papers record wonderful buying power throughout Australia and New Zealand, while in Great Britain it has been necessary to issue £25,000,000 worth of extra notes in order to meet the re quirements of Christmas trade. I turn to Tonga, and find: “The hand that sowed should reap not of its labour, The heart that grieved should profit not of mirth”.

I have personally visited every store in Nukualofa, with the question: “What sort of a Christmas have you had?” The replies without exaggerating may be summarised thus: “The worst Christmas for thirty years”.

The population of Tongatabu numbers 14,000 (men, women, and children).

Males number 7.200. All males over the age of 16 are subject to an annual tax of 36/- per annum. Judgment summon ses for non-payment of this tax were issued during the year to the number of thousands, many of which are still ly ing in the office unserved, because there is “no room” this Christmastide, not in the “Inn” but in the jail. Current gos sip says that many have voluntarily pre sented themselves to work out their tax, and have been requested to come later on, when the jail is less congested.

Unlike the “certain rich man” who en larged his barns, the Tongan Govern ment enlarges its jails. There are now

under construction, or already completed, three large houses to accommodate lar ger batches of prisoners. Their labour is to be utilised in beautifying the beach front; 36/- is only a trifling amount, but the iniquitous system of Court fees brings the tax to 52/-, and as this very bene ficent Government assess the value of their labour at 3d. per day, its liquida tion entails the labour of over half-a year.

From Tongatabu right through to Va vau, the majority of those subject to this tax are so poor that they cannot raise the small sum, the payment of which would save them from over 200 days of enforced labour.

Tongans love their Church and, in nor mal times, support it freely and liberally.

Prior to “carefully planned and balanc ed” budgets, appeals such as are contain ed in the following translation of a Ton gan letter were unnecessary, were un heard of, were unthinkable.

(Copy Of Translation).

Nukualofa, 26th November, 1937.

Re Church Matters.

Sir, —It was decided by Her Majesty and the Trustees of Kolofo’ou (branch of the Church) in order to assist the mission collections, that “classes” be formed. You and some other young men have been appointed to the class of which I am the leader, and we are anxious to ob tain £2O.

I have sent out two notices to call meet ings, but owing to several not responding there is still a shortage of members. Therefore I have apportioned as follows;—I., to subscribe .£6, 11., £2, 111., £l/10/-, IV., £l, which will make up the amount required. I have put you in No. 3. together with one of the College Tutors, for you to subscribe £l/10/- each.

It is to be earnestly hoped you will do this, for most undoubted good fortune and bless ings will follow in its train.

Kind regards, I am,

(Sgd.)

J. P. Togilava.

The collection realised some £620. and is sufficient to defray local outgoings. The European ministers and teachers have their salaries defrayed by the Australian, or N.S.W. Mission Board. This, in a little country which h,as a surplus of nearly £200,000, largely invested in Aus tralian war bonds.

I hold no brief for any of the “jar ring sects” so numerous here. My concern is for the Tongan. I have shown the con dition with “old man Depression” banish ed (sic). Before the year is far advanced famine will be stalking through the lit tle country, but it will still be prosper ous from your correspondent’s view point.

I have depicted Tonga, not the Treas ury. If credit is due to anyone for “care

ful planning” give it unstintingly. “Let justice be done, though the Heavens fall”.

The present condition of Tonga, the mis

ery, the distress, the poverty, is the logi cal sequence, the inevitable corollary of a “carefully planned and balanced” bud get, which,, in a year of disastrous hur ricane, filched from these defenceless people £17,534 more than was required for legitimate purposes.

EDITORIAL NOTE.—We may quote, in support of Mr. Cowley, some official figures made available to us on Febru ary 3, 1938. The number of summonses and commitment warrants on issue in Tongatabu only was 7721, and it was es timated that 6,000 of these related to non payment of poll-tax. On the same date, there were over 15,000 warrants on issue in the Group, but not executed, and about 12,000 of these were for non-pay ment of tax.

As there are only 6,000 Tongans liable to tax, it follows that there are very many of the 6,000 who have three or four summonses on issue against them.

A correspondent says: “The silly Meth odists in your State still collect from £l,OOO to £1,200 per annum, to pay Missionaries Lo keep these poor people quiet, under the most rapacious system of tax-gather ing I have ever seen”.