Solomon Islands
p. 79 · Read in the full issue
Conditions
Natives Much Healthier But Sullen Towards Europeans
“fTtHERE has been a remarkable advance X in the condition of the natives in the British Solomon Islands during the nast 20 years,” said Major H. S.
Robinson, Secretary of the Melanesian Mission, on his return to Sydney recently from a lengthy visit to the Group.
Major Robinson first visited these Islands in 1926, and then he saw an appalling amount of sickness. A great many of the natives suffered from terrible tropical ulcers. To-day the native people generally are not only very much more healthy, but they seem to have a much better spirit. Splendid work has been done on the medical side by all the estab lished missions, and by the Administra tion. The visitor was impressed with the organisation and enthusiasm of the Senior Medical Officer, Doctor Rutter, and his assistant, Doctor MacGregor.
It was impossible to exaggerate the value of the work being done by the Native Medical Practitioners. The only trouble there was that there were not nearly enough NMP’s.
The Administration has many problems on its hands and is doing good work in the circumstances; but it is gravely han dicapped by lack of labour, materials of all kinds and shipping. rE Administration had a special prob lem in the present attitude of the natives towards Enropeans and the
demand for labour. “Twenty years ago when I first visited the Solomons, and even later, in the 30’s, it was a pleasure to meet these people when one landed almost anywhere on an Island beach.
They would greet one eagerly, carry one’s bag gladly offer any service that they could to show that one was welcome and held in high esteem. To-day, in some places, they offer no welcome at all — they are withdrawn and sullen. This is all the result of conditions created by the Japanese invasion and the battles which followed; but I am hopeful that this sullenness will pass away, under the patience and understanding being shown by the Government.”
He found much Administrative activity at Honiara limited, however, by lack of labour and material but there was little doing at Tulagi, where there still is a radio station. Some European plan tations have recommenced the production of copra, but generally European industry awaits the re-establishment of transport and other facilities.
“As a visitor who is very conscious that I do not know all there is to be known, I got the impression that the local Ad ministration is obliged to refer, far too much, and too many minor things, to some higher authority perhaps Suva, or probably London. The average visitor would say that this is a mistake that those highly qualified and experienced men on the spot there are quite capable of dealing with all except major matters, and that they should be left alone to carry on the Administration without hin drance from Headquarters. I got a very good impression of the calibre of the majority of the officials in the Solomons —but I did feel that they are not being given sufficient authority in carrying out their local duties.
A GREAT deal of medical work remains to be done in this archipelago, said Major Robinson; and one of the most heartening things he had seen was the appearance of native women nurses, well qualified after four years of inten sive hospital training. This represented a very important advance it meant that the old native tabu, which pre vented native men from accepting mini stration at the hands of native women, was being broken down. The ultimate solution of the native health problem in the Solomons undoubtedly lay in the hands of the trained natives themselves —in the work of NMP’s and native hos pital nurses, in the villages.
The work of the missions is being gravely handicapped by increasing costs.
“The Melanesian Mission has been run ning the motor vessel ‘Southern Cross’ 24 hours per day, and 7 days a week, in an attempt to assist in the solution of the transport difficulties in this group,” said Major Robinson; “but I am afraid that we are going to find ourselves in trouble. Our income under present con ditions simply cannot cope with the ever increasing costs and that is a problem that is common to all BSI mission organi sations.”