Raluana Proclamation?

What Happened to the Threatened Raluana Proclamation?

IT is now seven months since the Raluana affair, at a native village near Kokopo, New Britain, resulted in a native school teacher, Tuvi, assaulting the Dis trict Commissioner, Mr. J. K.

McCarthy.

It will be remembered that what led up to the assault was the an nouncement by Mr. McCarthy to the 1,400 people assembled in the Raluana school-grounds, that there was shortly to be a proclamation whereby the Raluana Village group would become part of the area under the Vunamami Village Council.

Most of the Tolais (the natives of the Eastern end of New Britain) have accepted the village-council system which has always been de scribed as voluntary, but the natives of Raluana held aloof, levied their own taxes and did what they liked with them. This caused discontent amongst the other Tolais who had conformed to the system.

Tuvi got four months’ gaol for his assault on McCarthy but completed his sentence some time ago. It was remarked that during the visit of the Governor-General of Australia to New Britain recently he plugged the advantages of the village council system when addressing the natives, and that Tuvi listened

without giving any sign whether he agreed, or not.

Are the Raluana natives still out side the village-council system? And what happened to the proclama tion which Mr. McCarthy, on May 21, told the Raluana natives would soon be made in order to gather them Into the fold?

J, Mr - N. H. Taylor, Director of New Zealand Soils Bureau, is at present visiting Fiji in connection with the Colony’s soil survey.