Another Demand For Reform

Reform.

Letter to the Editor.

AMONG the jumble of laws which have been amassed for the government of the Tongans there are some which are most unsuitable for a people in the stage of development of the Tongans to day. because they seem to make liars and thieves of them. Among these are: — 1. The Law whereby the Courts re fuse the hearing of claims for debt against policemen and gaol

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2. The law regarding the issue of distress warrants by shopkeepers and others against debtors; 3. The Law regarding adultery. 4. The land laws.

The first two punish the innocent and reward the guilty. With regard to adult ery, the only redress is divorce; but the moral development of the Tongan is such that they can forgive the offence, so long as the adulterer is punished.

The land laws are a constant worry to the masses, and they are so twisted about by each successive Chief Justice and Minister of Lands that the poor peo ple, who have to obey them, do not know where they stand. They suffer the loss of their allotments through the different people. One Chief Justice or Minister of Lands says one thing, the next says an other.

A revision of the whole batch of Ton gan laws should be made without fur ther delay, but the most pressing section are those touching land and titles there to, which are at present a hopeless jum ble. The situation might be eased if those in charge of land matters spent more time in planning laws for the pro tection and welfare of the people, instead of inventing and passing laws for getting more money out of them.

The disastrous effects of several laws passed by the present leaders of the Gov ernment are evident only when those laws are put into practice. For instance, the duty on outside packages of merchan dise, containers, etc., was slipped through Parliament as an amendment by altering a few words of the existing law; and it is doubtful whether anybody, except the Chief Justice and the Premier, knew that its effect would be the raising of fur ther duty to be passed on to the poor Tongan.

Since the establishment of the Con stitution in 1875, the last ten years hold the record for law-breaking. Why such a state of things exists should be better known to the Government than any body else, because they look upon the Police Courts, not as a corrective, but as a source of revenue.

With regard to the men who are sup posed to be the leaders of the Govern ment and the people, there is far too much Government time wasted, and far too much attention given to their own private interests, such as plantations, trading and church matters. It is so bad that people who have occasion to see these officials on Government business have to wait for hours, sometimes days, before they can transact their business.

There is a saying that some people are born to lead; but it does not apply to a single leader in the Government of Ton ga. If. as they say, they want Tonga to progress and the people to be contented, the best thing they could do would be to send their resignations to the Queen without further delay.

A change of Government, and the straightening out of the jumble of laws, are what Tonga needs badly, and at once.

I am, etc.,

Afuha’Amago,

Member of Legislative Assembly of Tonga.

Nukualofa, Peb. 9, 1938.