Sharp Criticism Of British Policy

In Solomons

Anglo-African Officials Ignore Small Planters and Traders

By Leslie F. Gill, an old BSI Planter

AT its October, 1945 meeting, the British Solomon Islands Advisory Council voiced a popular protest when it criticised the Administration for not having convened the Council since November, 1941.

For four of the most vital years in the history of the Protectorate this commu nity of Europeans and Natives was disen franchised: Unnecessarily so, because two of the three non-official members were present in the Group and available throughout that period. There were capablle men available to take the place of the third, who at considerable public expense was brought from Australia to attend the Meeting. This gentleman had been absent from the Group for nearly four years, so had no knowledge of the greatly changed conditions which had resulted from the ravages of war in the Solomons.

Never was a Resident Commissioner more in need of advice than during the 1941-45 interregnum. That official, newly arrived from Africa, was surrounded by a group of (a) young administrative officers, some of whom were newly arrived youths; (b) others now full blown District Commissioners, were mere cadets in 1941; and (c) an official or two of the Old Guard of Tulagi, whose knowledge of the Solomons, outside of the Central area, was practically nil ► supplemented as his chief factotum by a New Zealand major of no tropical ex perience whatsoever, who arrived during the war, and who has since returned to NZ.

That is the set-up which ran the Solomons in the blackest years of its history. Valuable and very experienced officials were available; but, like several experienced civilians, they, apparently, were ignored. rE Resident Commissioner stated in Council —or implied that he and the High Commissioner had “con

saltations with representatives of non official opinion.” That may have been so as regards the Missions, and Big Busi ness, but it certainly was not true as regards the generality of the commercial interests and planters, who were con sistently ignored. (Incidentally, when will Governments learn that Missions and the major companies do not neces sarily represent all the interests in the Group? They certainly do not speak for the small companies, planters, and traders about half the planting and commercial interests in the Solomons.

This important section claims the right to be heard on all occasions. They are tired of being excluded.) It would be difficult to imagine a more exculsive and self-sufficient set-up than the above inexperienced official coterie.

It was the GOVERNMENT, and it KNEW.

Early in the piece, it conveyed the im pression that it neither wanted nor wel comed advice or information. In the province of Native Administration the general attitude to the experienced Old- Timers of these new officials was: “That is no concern of yours. We, heaven-sent appointees of the sublime Colonial Office, automatically know everything, and we are right, because we are the GOVERN MENT ... so please mind your own business.”

To which the writer, on one occasion, retorted to a Government fledging; “Pardon me, I am a citizen of long standing in this country, and would re mind you that in a British country the Administration of Justice is the concern of everyone, and not the prerogative of a privileged few,”

I told that officer and others that, when the military rule gave way to a civilian regime, they would find a very critical and lively interest taken by the public in their official actions.

PERHAPS, it might have been different had there been a High Commissioner of experience to guide and counsel the almost-new Regime in the Solomons.

But in the period under discussion there occurred two changes of High Commis sioners both from Africa.

We are becoming very tired of Africa — “Africa all over!” Africa is the spiritual home of our Senior Officials and the hoped-for Mecca of the Juniors.

Speaking to one of the District Com missioners on the question of why the natives turn to the Missions and the Old Timers instead of to the Government, I attributed, it to the fact that the natives regarded the officials as birds of passage, resting here temporarily on their flight from or to Africa.

The Official scornfully replied; “Who wants to spend his life in this dump?”

To which I rejoined; “Precisely! The missionaries and the planters wish nothing better than that, and the natives, who are not fools, recognise the fact and appreciate us accordingly ... as the natives of Papua did Governor Murray and his Officials.” mo those of us present in the Solomons I during those years of war, it seemed as if the Government was seizing the opportunity presented by the absence from the Group of the majority of the civilians and missionaries, and the gag ging of others by military regulations and

the censorship, to rush through a far reaching programme of great importance.

We gained the impression that the Administration was using its wartime powers and freedom from criticism to

present a fait accompli to the Non-Offi cial community when it returned after the war; for it was during that period that the extravagant, grandiose programme was launched, which so staggered the Advisory Council at its October meeting.

Some of the items:— (1) The new capital at Honiara. (2) New scheme of District Adminis tration; increase of personnel; provision of three motor ships at £17,000 each, plus other vessels for District use bought at inflated war prices. (3) Creation, or expansion, of Native Affairs; Native Councils, etc. (4) New agricultural policy and Rice Scheme. (5) Native Trading Scheme, operated by Government. (6) New Forestry policy. (7) Government Machine Shop, and Slipway. (8) Government Saw Mill. (9) A projected colossal expansion of the Medical Department.

All to be built and operated by Govern ment. Tremendous expenditure on busi ness ventures in the hands of the veriest amateurs imaginable. All mostly un necessary ... at that time.

The future good government of the Solomons calls for the strengthening of the Advisory Council by the substitution of Elected Non-Official Members for Members nominated by the Resident Commissioner.

The nominee system of selection is a menace and undemocratic, because it is open to possible abuse by an official who could nominate "Yes-Men," or those personally or socially acceptable to him, and who would be most unlikelv to nominate nersons who might prove active critics of his policies, even though such persons were the most courageous, experienced, and capable, from the viewpoint of public interest.

Mr. Kum Wing March, a well-known leader of the Chinese community in Fiji, has gone by air on a visit to China, via Australia and Singapore.