For High Chief Ata

Investiture Held in Nuku'alofa For High Chief Ata

From Our Own Correspondent

Nuku’Alofa, Jan. 17

IN recognition of loyal and valuable service in the cause of the United Nations during the war years, and of faithful and lengthy service in the ad ministration of the Kingdom of Tonga, the O.H.E. was Recently conferred on the Premier of Tonga, the Hon. Ata. Sir Alexander Grantham, Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific, arrived in Nukualofa by air on January 16 to make the investiture per sonally.

High Chief Ata, now in his sixties, en tered the Tonga Civil Service near the beginning of the century after an edu cation at Topou College, Tonga, and Newington College, Sydney, where he was a noted footballer and cricketer. He was Minister of Police during World War I but resigned his portfolio in 1918 and did not re-enter public life until 1926 when he became Minister of Lands.

While he was Minister of Lands sev eral important land measures were passed, including the comprehensive Land Act of 1927. His commanding presence and great persuasive powers of oratory, for which Polynesian chiefs are noted, contributed toward the easy passage of these bills through Parliament.

Descended from warrior chiefs. High Chief Ata inherits admirable qualities of leadership which destined him to become the leading figure in the affairs of his country. And it was only natural that

Her Majesty Queen Salote should choose him as successor to the former Premier, the late Prince Consort Tungi, C.8.E., on the latter’s death in 1941.

Ata is a realist, his great strength of purpose and matter-of-fact, almost ab rupt, way of dealing with difficult situ ations well fitted him for the arduous task as head of State during the critical war period.

Ata is the hereditary High Chief of the Hihifo District, Tongatapu, renowned in the older days for the brave deeds of its warriors and the scene of famous battles in Tbngan history; and well known to present day tourists to Tonga as the home of thousands of flying foxes, which, according to tradition, have in habited the trees in the middle of Kol °vai, the chief town of the district, since time immemorial.

In tradition the Ata family is linked with the flying foxes. It is said that the death of every holder of the Ata title is always heralded by the appearance of a white flying fox amongst the colony of black flying foxes. There are many eye-witnesses still living who saw the white flying fox some days prior to the death of the last Ata. The old chief was apparently in the best of health, but when the white bird made its appear ance his people knew that his end was not far off and, accordingly, made pre parations for his funeral. Strange as it may seem, old Ata passed away two days later.

Figures issued in January by the Fiji Commissioner of Labour in relation to the cost of living of Indian workmen in the Colony, show that their cost of living since 1939. has risen by 89 per cent, in Suva, and by 106 per cent, in country districts.

A photograph of the late Flying-Officer Bryan Patrick Fraser, whose death was reported in January “PIM”. F/O Fraser was the son of Mr. and Mrs. R. D. Fraser, of Brisbane, and before he joined the RA AF was employed by the Bulolo Gold Dredging Company in New Guinea.

He was reported missing on operations over Germany in July, 1944, but it is only recently that his death has been confirmed.