The Editors' Mailbag

A Name For It

Sir, —Outside at this moment it is blowing like a mad woman accusing her drunken husband of infidelity.

The palms rock, the wind screams through all seams of the donga, the curtains flap in a devil’s dance, and I remain calm reading the latest delivery of the Pacific Islands Monthly.

Percy Chatterton’s column 1 always read avidly, as I like old Percy and his column contains most ly the element of truth. His discus sion on the derivation of names (March issue) leads me to contribute one.

George Scarlett was a lay pastor or brother for the Methodist Mission in this area. His job was mostly keep ing the small boats running. A maternity case on an outstation where few facilities existed was put on board George’s twenty-five footer to be rushed to Samarai. A native nurse was aboard. The child was born on the way.

Things were a little grim as the nurse called for hot water, as no facilities existed aboard for this, but most resourcefully, George held a pannikin under the cooling system of the engine and obtained the hot water, A native had to hang on to George’s feet as the act was per formed and George was rather a spent man by the time the signal of “all’s well” had been given. It was a boy.

I said to George, “What did they name it—George, after you?” He said, “No. His name is THORNY CROFT, after the engine!” What better name?

Lance H. Wilkinson.

Samarai, Papua.

Work Of Dr. Churchward

Sir, —In PIM, April, there is an obituary for Dr. C. M. Churchward.

At the time of his death in Suva Dr.

Churchward was working on the translation of the Old Testament into Rotuman, not Tongan as stated.

Dr. Churchward was doing this task on behalf of the Methodist Church in the area. However, the British and Foreign Bible Society had a real interest in his work owing to the fact that the society had been subsidising the work since Dr.

Churchward returned to Rotuma in

January, 1966. He continued to work on Rotuma until May, 1967, at which time he returned to Fiji and continued the work from there. During the two years he had translated the books of Genesis, Exodus, Ruth, Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, Jonah and Proverbs.

You might also like to know the following additional information con cerning translation work done by Dr.

Churchward. In 1930 the British and Foreign Bible Society published a re vision of the New Testament in Rotuman prepared by him. During 1959-61 he did a revision of the New Testament in Tongan. Work is at present being done on both the Tongan Old and New Testament, but other translators are engaged on this work.

(Mrs.) Helen B. Parsons,

For the Translation Department, British and Foreign Bible Society.

Canberra

Land Tenure Conversion

Sir, —Percy Chatterton (“To the Point”, PIM , March) is peddling “palpable nonsense” himself in im pliedly accusing the Administration of having “the obsession that you can’t have economic development without first converting communal land titles into individual ones”.

In recent years there has been a lot of native economic development.

Almost all of it, outside the land settlement schemes, has occurred on land held under customary title.

Obviously, you can have economic de velopment with any system of land tenure.

What has been said, and it is palpably true, is that the cultivation of permanent tree crops (the most common form of economic develop ment in P-NG) by natives on land held under customary tenure inhibits the emergence of the efficient in dividual farmer, makes for progressive fragmentation as the population in creases and individualism increases, and sets the stage for the appearance of the virtually landless class that Percy darkly suggests is the under lying policy motive of those advocat ing tenure conversion.

The current situation in any of the territory’s more advanced tribal areas forcibly brings home the fact that customary land tenure systems, evolved to meet the needs of primitive subsistence gardeners in an era when the population remained fairly static,

are fundamentally incompatible with sound commercial farming.

By sound commercial farming, I mean systems of agriculture that, subject to the usual hazards afflicting primary production, may be expected to give the farmer security of tenure, individual ownership of his equip ment and produce, access to credit, and a reasonable income.

These days, the virtues of com munal land ownership are not so apparent to the young Tolai who finds that his share of the extended family’s real estate equates to eight coconut palms and seven cocoa trees whose ownership is disputed by 27 kinsmen.

It is remarkable how ancients like Percy have managed to involve them selves in civilising the locals for 40odd years without ever considering the implications of the process. I suggest he could have filled his column more usefully by asking just what the Land Titles Commission, for all its Demarcation Committees, etc., has thus far achieved. How many individual titles have resulted from its expansive efforts?

“Kiap”

(name supplied) Port Moresby, Papua

That Smug Feeling

Sir, —I am enclosing a recent clip ping from the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal on the indepen dence of Nauru. Since you have covered this news item in several issues, we felt a bit “smug” to think we already knew something the Wall Street Journal didn’t.

We enjoy your publication thoroughly, and since on our last trip to the Pacific we sailed with Captain Stan Brown on the Maroro, it was particularly interesting to read the account of his underwater blast ing operations as described in the November issue.

(Mrs.) W. D. Edgerton.

Lombard Court, Davenport, lowa, USA.

Norfolk Island's "Progress"

Sir, —Criticism of Norfolk Island, by Mrs. Nancy Deans (PIM, Feb., p 36), has prompted me to endorse her remarks generally rearding conditions on that island, with emphasis on the method of garbage disposal.

Several weeks ago, I spent a fort night on Norfolk Island. I was im pressed by the tranquility and natural beauty of that unique little country and displeased by the efforts being made by the inhabitants to despoil it.

The prevailing method of garbage disposal, which I deplore, astonished me. The rubbish discarded by the

ommunity is dumped over the cliff t Headstone Point (described to me s one of the beauty spots of the iland, which I agree it was, prior to ie advent of the rubbish tip) with le result that a great variety of ebris is deposited on the rocks below, nd into the sea. The immediate Icinity is littered with it, some of it oats over the adjacent area of ocean, nd, presumably, some of it is ulti lately deposited, by the tide, along ie coast from Rocky Point to Anson ay (to my mind, the best surfing sach on the island). No great nount of imagination is required ► visualise the resulting defacement f natural beauty if this extraordinary "actice is continued for an indefinite jriod. I noticed garbage littering ie attractive beach at Anson Bay, id it was not difficult to guess the iurce from which it arrived there.

Are Norfolk Islanders insensitive the obvious implications of this reat to the future aspect of the estem coastline of their homeland 'hich is the first impression of the land gained by visitors from Aus alia, as they pass over it at a low titude prior to landing)? Or do they nply not care about it? Possibly, ey are too pre-occupied with com ercial activity to be bothered about lything lacking a commercial flavour, hatever the reason, the effect does (thing to enhance the natural beauty this region of Norfolk Island, or eserve that beauty for posterity.

Surely the construction of an in icrator, for the disposal of com istible materials discarded by the blic, would not be beyond the re arces of the local economy? Further- Dre, it would appear practicable to I a pit for the disposal of non mbustible articles, which, when ed years later, could be covered th the earth removed from the pit.

To convey their garbage to a more nventional, and less disfiguring, ice of disposal, in lieu of the pre it arrangement, should not impose due hardship on the residents of diminutive country, which is eady abundantly equipped with )tor vehicles, and which, I fear, is grave danger of being further in fed with them, unless restrictions ; placed on their importation. 1 gained the impression that the linous shadow of “progress”, in ' form of the rat race, com- Tcialism, motor cars, motor cycles, ty-free stores and haphazard com rcial development, together with

the mushrooming growth of build ings of questionable architectural de sign and civic value, hangs heavily over beautiful little Norfolk Island, which, if the current trend of de velopment continues for long enough, the visitor of the future may not find too beautiful. Also, the conspicuous absence of wild life (which, I gathered, has coincided with the present era of “progress”), except for birds, which survive in limited numbers in the region between Ball Bay and Cascade Bay, was an obvious feature of the Norfolk Island landscape. Bird life is probably more profuse on adjacent, uninhabited Phillip Island and Nepean Island, which I did not visit, but I saw little evidence of it on Norfolk Island, which I explored thoroughly, except in the sparsely inhabited east coast area. Apparently the birds have not yet found this area uninhabitable. . 1 respectfully suggest, as an ignorant outsider who has ventured to mention some superficial im

pressions gained during a brief visit of two weeks’ duration, that Norfolk Islanders take effective steps to ensure the preservation of what remains of their unique heritage, the equivalent of which does not exist elsewhere, before it is ruthlessly obliterated by the steamroller of “progress” and irretrievably lost to posterity.

Little enough remains of what is beautiful and historical in the harsh, materialistic speed-obsessed world of today. It is to be hoped that beautiful Norfolk Island may survive as an oasis of peace and beauty.

This probably unwelcome criticism, which is humbly intended as con structive, and which, it is hoped, will not be considered presumptuous or in questionable taste, should not be interpreted as the opinion of one solitary, unrealistic, conservative eccentric. Conversations with a num ber of persons revealed that the abovementioned opinions are not peculiar to myself.

Incidentally, I greatly enjoyed my visit to Norfolk Island, which I hope to revisit some day. I appreciated the friendliness and hospitality of every one with whom I came in contact.

W. S. Hall.

North Sydney, NSW.

That Long-Swimming Turtle

Sir, —Although not an expert, the Leatherback turtle mentioned in PIM, March Tropicalities, and pictured on p. 115, appears to me to be very similar to a Luth (Dermochelys coriacea), which are not uncommon in the waters off the east coast of Bougainville; somewhat closer to Fiji than the waters of Malaysia or Bor neo.

These waters are not exactly teem ing with them, of course, but I know of three taken by plantation labour for food and have personally seen another two since the war.

N. C. Sandford.

Numa Numa Plantation, Bougainville. • PlM’s March story suggested that the Leatherback found (and re leased) on Fiji’s Vanua Leva pro bably swam from Malaysia. In view of Mr. Sandford’s comment, has any body else exact information?

Information Needed

On Shells

Sir, —Dr. Endean, of the University of Queensland, has suggested I con tact PIM in the hope that you may be able to assist this Department in one of its research programmes.

At present research is being con ducted on the crown-of-thorns star

ish, also called the spiny starfish, cientific name Acanthaster planci. A topulation explosion of this star sh has occurred recently on certain arts of the Great Barrier Reef. Since : feeds almost exclusively on living sef building corals this starfish has evastated coral growths on a few ;efs where it is in plague proportions.

Its only known predator is the ’umpet or triton shell, Charonia itonis. It is considered that the ;moval of trumpet shells by shell Electors may be responsible for the lormous increase in numbers of the ■own-of-thorns starfish. Both trumpet lells and crown-of-thorns starfish :cur on coral reefs throughout the idian and West Pacific Oceans. To Jtermine if a definite relationship dsts between the two it is neces iry that information be obtained om other areas apart from the reat Barrier Reef.

Therefore I would like to place in >ur journal a request for informa -3n on these two animals. I am irticularly interested in obtaining formation on their present abund ice and also on the numbers of umpet shells collected over the ist 10 to 20 years.

G. G. T. Harrison,

Chief Inspector of Fisheries, spartment of Harbours d Marine, Iward St., ■isbane, Queensland. • Can anyone help?

In Defence Of The Vavauns

Sir, —As a papalangi who has lived Vavau for almost 20 years, I nnot let the derogatory remarks of a ck Dolphin's Oliver Peak (PIM, >ril, p. 14), pass without comment, seems to me both unfair and un ntlemanly of him to brand the ivau people as thieving nuisances ;rely because he encountered a few the less desirable sort. It has been ' observation that Tongans—in rnmon with the rest of mankind— hibit the full range of vice and tue. Some are good, and some ' bad, as people are everywhere.

Like Mr. Peak, I am an American d a Californian. Honesty compels however, to point out that when lived in California I would never ve thought of going out without -king up securely. When I was ing to be away for any length of ie, I called the police and asked :m to patrol my house during my sence to ward off housebreakers (a

practice which is still followed by members of my family and friends who live in California).

Here, my home is on the shores of Vavau’s harbour and it is reason ably full of “blankets, books, pillows and ashtrays”—items which Mr Peak accuses his Tongan visitors ol trying to pilfer. I have never lost any of them—and that, in spite ol the fact that my door is rarely locked and the nearest policeman is over a mile away, across the harbour. Cer tainly that says something for the general level of honesty of the Vavau people.

It has also been my observatior that yachtsmen come in all the standard variations of human be haviour. Over the years, I’ve mel many interesting ones and made some valued friends, but there were others I couldn’t help wishing had nevei come to Vavau.

All too many of them regard all Pacific Islanders as happy childrer who like nothing better than taking free offerings of fruit and flowers tc visiting yachtsmen. They graciously beckon them on board, take the fruil and the flowers—and whatever else in the way of local crafts they car get for nothing. And then, wher those same natives look with curiosity at something on the yachl or ask if they have an old shirt tc spare, accuse them of being beggars and nuisances.

Most yachtsmen and other visitors to Vavau have found the people, as I have, full of charm and of high personal integrity. I did not meet Mr, Peak when he was here, but 1 can’t help wondering what sort of man he is and what the Vavau people who visited Black Dolphin though of him.

Patricia Matheson.

Vavau, Tonga.

Viwa Query Settled

Sir, —I wish to clear up the dis cussion on the height above sea-level of Viwa (Fiji) begun in PIM in April (p. 49).

The Department of Lands, Mines and Surveys carried out a survey of this island in 1961, resulting in a con toured tracing being prepared at a scale of 1: 12, 672. This indicates a small area on the central eastern side to be above 50 ft in height (highest point not shown). Approximately a third of the island is above 25 ft.

Viwa is actually a group of islands, and until recently its location and de tails have been somewhat of a mystery. The latitude and longitude given by the Admiralty matches the position of Nanuyanuya Island and

the reference to six feet above sea level” would probably apply to most of the group except Viwa itself.

Viwa’s shape is certainly not circular, being miles long (NE-SW) and about mile wide. Its area is 1,148 acres. I have seen the aerial photo graphs covering the island to verify the above information.

Ross F. Duberal.

geological Surveys, Suva, Fiji.

College Wants Books

Sir, —Students at the Pacific Theo logical College, Suva, study the his tory, sociology and anthropology of the Pacific area, and soon will be Joing so to Stage 111. The college is jnly two years old, but is built with an eye to future development and :ollaboration with the University of he South Pacific. Its library is air :onditioned, and so will preserve aooks for a posterity that willl re gard it as an important depository >f books, not only on theology, but dso on Pacific studies.

There may be small but valuable ibraries in the homes of older people n the Islands that are in danger of >eing broken up when their owners etire or die. It might give such •eople great satisfaction if they were o will their collections to this new entral library, located as it is in a own where future scholars will con ;regate, knowing that their books rill be esteemed, cared for, and used or many years to come.

George A. F. Knight,

Principal ’acific Theological College, Suva

Fiji Unions

Sir, —Your Suva correspondent, iscussing the Transport Workers’

Inion (April, p. 19), says the “union ; operating under aegis of Fiji’s ead i n g trade unionist, Mr. fohammed Ramzan, secretary of the 'rade Union Congress”. I wish to oint out that the union is not operat ig under the aegis of Mr. Ramzam r anybody else other than the nion’s own officials—although no oubt the union is affiliated to the ongress of which Mr. Ramzan is le secretary.

Atyendra Pratap Sharma.

reneral president, ransport Workers’ Union of Fiji, iadi. J ’