Mission, Govt. Set-up

N. Zealand Should Inquire Into Niue’s Mission, Govt. Set-up NZ-ers Want Reprieve for Niue Murderers

CONSIDERABLE public contro versy developed in New Zealand both before and after the mid- December stay-of-execution which was granted to the three Niueans who murdered Resident Commis sioner C. H. W. Larsen last August.

Generally, the public, churches and newspapers do not want to see the Nieueans hanged and there has been severe criticism of the NZ Executive Council which, on the same occasion that it refused an appeal for leniency for the Islanders, reprieved from the death sentence, a woman murderer of Napier, NZ. who had killed two people for monetary gain.

Appeals on behalf of the Niueans are being organised by the Auck land Branch of the Howard League of Penal Reform. Associated with this body in a public meeting in Auckland were several Ministers of non-conformist churches, labour unions and the Communist Party.

The interest of this last organisa tion is in the usual Communist tongue-in-cheek, propaganda pat

tern taut is probably unfortunate for the appeal itself.

In a letter to an Auckland news paper, the Rev. M. S. Check, who w T as a London Missionary Society representative on the island until comparatively recently, said that unenlightened government policy was an indirect cause of the Larsen murder and that Islanders had

been treated too harshly—he citec cases of youths being gaoled for li months for stealing £l, three month, for being drunk; being fined £5 fo: improper language which mam Europeans use freely in public, am similar fines for playing poker— which the Niueans know European, play frequently.

He said that these fines were ou

all proportion to the average ue income of about £25 per annum.

Other newspaper readers (but in e minoriiy) have said, in effect, at the LMS church tried to play litics on Niue; that the late Re lent Commissioner was a just, pable and kind man and that the ueans were naturally violent, lese advocated a get-tough policy.

Government officials, in whose nds the final decision lies, “re se to comment.” rhe whole Larsen affair seems w to have passed from a matter simple justice to a matter of lotions. But sufficient has been id on both sides to make it de able for a searching official in iry into the whole of the NZ ad nistration of Niue. With the ex jtion of Mr. Check and the LMS tid they cannot be said to be un ised) the whole of the public lnicn expressed is uninformed on i subject of the Island. However, is obvious that some of the anders believe they have griev ces. They may well be imaginary evances, on our standards—but, at i same time, be very real to the jeans. And, as Mr. Check has nself stated that the LMS fre sntly clashed with the Govern nt over native policy, the role of ; Mission on Niue should also be en a public airing.

[?]In New Zealand from the Islands in cember were (left to right):— Mrs. R. Rex (centre) and children from [?]ae were met by Miss Emily Rex and

young friend.

Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Jensen met by members of their family at Auckland when they arrived by air on holiday.

Mr. and Mrs. L. O. Bish (right) and Lois, Norma and Robert, were met by Mr. Jack Beatty when they arrived from Suva per Tofua.