Good Old Days
p. 131 · Read in the full issue
You could scarcely blame John Vuicu, Tolai, Native Mem ber of the P-NG Legislative Council, if occasionally he, too, sighs for the “good old days” before civilisation, and demo cratic institutions for the furtherance of law and order.
A stretch of quiet jungle with a shady kapiak tree, an ade quate supply of betel-nut and tobacco, with only the age-old but interesting problems of wives and pigs to settle, must have appeared Utopian in re trospect to John when fas told during the evidence at the Navuneram inquiry ), a scream ing native exhorted his fellow non-taxpayers to “Kill John Vuia, because he helped to make the tax laws”.
Undoubtedly the decision to invite natives to observe Legco , in action has merit, if only to show how little voice John Vuia, MLC, would have in framing a law already cut and dried by an all-powerful Canberra. —G.