The Editors' Maillag
pp. 63-65 · Read in the full issue
Trouble In Tahiti
"Not Far Off"
Sir, —I agree wholeheartedly with ustralian author George Farwell’s edicfion of political trouble in ihiti, ( PIM, Oct., p. 51).
I’ve spent the last five months in e major groups of French Poly sia, avoiding most Europeans and tempting to ascertain the true com tion of the natives. Prior to this spent a year and a half in all the uthern Pacific groups east of New Liinea, also having a “look-see”, and □s can compare and judge varying nditions somewhat more objectively an the average two-week tourist.
Political trouble there is bound to i in Tahiti and I suggest it will be the not too distant future. The cal Assembly voted strongly ainst the sending of the French >reign Legion here, saying in their
final message to Paris, which Governor Grimald made them tone down, that they didn’t want to be forced to receive a military unit with the history of violence of the Legionaires.
They were, in due course, told that only two battalions would be stationed on them and they were forced to accept that as a final decision, re gardless of their wishes.
Tahiti, what with the Legion, regu lar troops, the French naval contin gent and the locally-recruited militia, now looks like an armed camp.
Naturally, the resentment caused by the first rape case in Tahiti, virtual confiscation of land for military uses, inflation, and a surplus of well-paid young men over girls, plus natural ramifications, is bound to spread to all Europeans ( popaa ) and is rapidly doing so.
Fights, a certain sullenness, and the realisation of racial differentiation and discrimination, plus the not too ill-founded feeling that, in reality, it is the Tahitian who is footing the bill, are commonly observed in many conversations.
It has also been mooted by in dividuals, who, to my knowledge, are both reputable and on the inside cir cuit politically, that, starting next year, the French plan—whether the Polynesians like it or not—to trans port 30,000 Algerian refugees to these islands and settle them.
Confiscation Of Land This means more effective land confiscation throughout the groups, and although 30,000 bodies are not a great number, it is a percentage rather above one-third of the total local population. It is all too possible that these refugees are types who haven‘t been able to make a go of it in France, and why they should be expected to do better here escapes this observer. Even if they all wore haloes, it’s still not their country.
The informed and educated Tahi tians, of whom there are quite a number, are in such a state of despair as to be apathetic, and when recourse to the United Nations Committee is mentioned, they just don’t believe it would do them any good.
It is my opinion that next to Fiji, French Polynesia is the most nearly ready for true self-government of all the groups in the Pacific. In reality, it is more so since the racial set-up in Fiji does not exist here, and
ithough standards in health do not qual those of Fiji, education is per iaps better.
The usual French system of econo aic centralisation has resulted in ioorer living standards in the outer slands, with a consequent drain of aanpower to Tahiti. The situation is lefinitely poor, not to say bad, as far s that aspect is concerned.
As author Farwell mentions, in lation is rife and, in consequence, lousing, diet and other necessities uffer. It is no wonder that the •eople, who, after all, make these dands different from non-Pacific icean islands, are not increasing at an cceptably high rate.
I am certain that I shan’t be here /hen the blow-up comes, but it is . real pity that something can’t be >r isn’t done to help these fine, in digent, handsome and hardworking ieople achieve a better fate than /hat is apparently in store for them.
Papeete, 'ahiti.
A. M. Gammell.
Lokrs Bure
Sir, —In Tropicalities in your )ctober issue you said that the bure un by the Fijian Ratu Meli Loki /as open for entertainment every ■aturday night. I am sorry to say his is not so.
My wife and I have just returned rom a holiday trip in the MV Chungking and we were in Suva on Saturday, October 10.
Also seeing in the local paper that ,oki’s bure was open every Saturday ight, a party of ship’s officers and •urselves hired two taxis and drove o the bure about 8.30 p.m.
All was in darkness, and, on mak ag inquiries, we were told it was *nly open when a tourist ship was a port, and only then if a party /as arranged through Hunt’s tourist gency in Suva.
I would like to add that this gency is very pleasant and efficient a arranging tours and the drivers upplied are of a very high standard.
labaul, 4ew Guinea.