Administration

Missionary’S Views Of Nauru

From Our Brisbane Correspondent ACCORDING to the Rev. J. Robinson, a Congregational missionary on Nauru, none of the Australian Ad ministrative staff on the island can sneak the Nauruan language.

He was of the opinion that the Admin istration could not really know the natives when none of its representatives, including the Native Affairs’ Officer, could speak the language.

Although the language was difficult to learn, his wife spoke it well after being there a little over two years.

The Administration had done nothing to rehabilitate the Nauruans, he said.

There was not one organisation on Nauru sponsored by the Administration, which had sought in any way to do that. Schools had to a certain extent been re-organised, but not adequately.

Mr. Robinson said that a housing scheme for natives was operating on the island, but the British Phosphate Com mission had organised it, not the Aus tralian Administration.

Mr. A. W. Small is now in New Zealand on vacation leave, prior to retirement after 39 years’ service with the Govern ment of Fiji. He was appointed a clerk in the Native Department in 1910, and for the greater part of his service he has been connected with Fijian affairs.

He was, for a time, Fijian interpreter at the Supreme Court, and later ap pointed a member of the Board of Examiners in the Fijian language. For over two years he was responsible for the weekly Tuesday night broadcasts in Fijian from ZJV. Mr. Small served over seas in the 1914-18 war with the Second Fiji Reinforcements.