Condominium

Mission Head

Critical Of

PRINCIPAL of the Presbyterian Mission in the New Hebrides, Rev. E. J. Owen, had a few critical things to say about life in the New Hebrides when he was in Australia in December.

Speaking in St. John’s Church, Hobart, one Sunday, he said the British-French condominium gov ernment was a failure, and the French administration was not in terested in native welfare.

Australian Government sugges tions that New Hebrides natives should be taken to New Guinea for instruction in running their own co operatives had been turned down because the commissioners had failed to agree.

Mr, Owen said he thought native po-operatives were the only solution to the New Hebrides economic problems.

He said in some ways if it were not for the church the position vculd be impossible.

More than once, missionaries had mtered forbidden territory to pre /ent warring cannibals from slay ng and eating one another after cetitions to the authorities asking 'or action had failed.

On one occasion a missionary had Dleaded non-stop for 15 hours, inally persuading two fighting tribes :o drop their arms and to build ‘a house of eternal peace”.

Mr. Owen said Government action could long ago have wiped out cannibalism in the islands, but its ‘when in doubt, do nothing” policy lad allowed evil to survive. f Members of the Boys’ Brigade Tom many South Pacific Terri ;ories were meeting in Auckland in December-January for the celebra :ion of the 75th anniversary of the 3oys’ Brigade movement.