Raiatea Builds In Tahiti

From Our Own Correspondent PAPEETE, April 2.

HERE and there about Papeete are colonies of Polynesians from distant islands —from Rimatara, Rurutu, the Cook Islands, the Tuamotu atolls, and from the several islands of the Leeward Group, the chief of which is Raiatea.

Each settlement has its meeting-house where its people assemble for Sunday evening service or week-day singing prac tice. The Leeward Island colony is by far the most numerous. There are con tinual comings and going between that archipelago and Tahiti.

Some of the other colonies have erected new meeting-houses. This has moved the Raiatea people to build a structure worthy of the ancient prestige of their island group. The new edifice will be of stone; the roof supports of iron-wood contributed by the people of Huahine; other interior woodwork of redwood from the old Rougier mansion.

The stately ceremony of laying the corner-stone was celebrated on March 23 by the Rev. Charles Vernier, Presiding Pastor of the Protestant Mission, in the presence of a large assemblage.

The new building, when completed a few months hence, will be the largest and most costly Fareputuputu Raa in the islands: a fitting memorial of the vener able aristocrat, Punuarii Taie, who for nearly half a century was the beloved patriarch and counsellor of the Raiatea community on Tahiti.