The Editor's Mailbag

Glen Wrights Samoa

Sir, —Please allow me to express vigorous and disgusted dissent from some of the statements appearing in the article by Glen Wright in your May issue (p. 28). Let me at the outset explain that I speak from a background of residence in Western Samoa—Upolu and Savai’i, not only Apia—for the best part of 20 years.

I do not know Glen Wright and none of my Samoan friends to whom I have referred knows of him either.

Accordingly, I am unaware from what source he has developed the objectionably erroneous ideas he has expressed on the subject of Samoan chiefs and their customs.

In the first place his use of the word “tribe” stamps the stranger from overseas. The Samoan matai is not the ruler of a tribe. He is the head of a family, or ’ aiga . It is absurd to say that the matais “have created, and forced their tribes to approve, scores of new matais, some only 10 years old”. Normally the power of appointing a person to a matai title—the pule —is vested in what is known as the aiga potopoto; that is to say, the whole family in its widest sense.

No matai can force an appointment on his family. He has no authority to do anything of the sort. If he were to attempt to do so, any mem ber of the family could appeal to the Land and Titles Court which would put the matter right without fuss or delay.

During the whole period of my residence in Samoa I have never heard the preposterous story that children of 10 were appointed to matai titles. The matai is in duty bound to take care of the family under his charge. An impossible task for a child of 10, surely; particularly in a community where great respect is accorded to age.

Glen Wright is also wrong in saying that the government has made it illegal to confer a title on anyone under 21. The provision in the Electoral Act 1963, which your correspondent perhaps had in mind, is to the effect that the qualification of an elector is that he should be a matai and of or over 21 years of age before he can vote.

As to the Pacific droit du seigneur, that of “taking first choice of the women both in and out of marriage”, which your correspondent asserts is a

self-assumed right of the matais, this is an atrocious slander on the whole of the race. There is simply no foundation in fact for this statement. 1 can think of no source of such a theory except a disordered imagina tion.

Your correspondent goes on to say “this runs counter to the Christian sex code to which all subscribe”. Let me make it abundantly clear that a Samoan observes his own codes of conduct much more faithfully than does the average European. Or American, for that matter.

There are many other points in your correspondent’s diatribe upon which I should like to comment, but I do not wish to make this letter so long that you would find it unsuitable for publication. What I am anxious to do is to remove some of the mud with which the Samoan chiefs have been bespattered in your article.

Malu O Tiafau.

Suva, Eiji.

"A Pity" About The Zero

Sir, —After reading the fate of the “Kavieng Zero” {PIM, June, p. 42), it’s a pity that this aircraft was not left on the airfield at Kavieng, where at least it would have been available to public view for a few years yet. Instead it is now in pieces and looks like it is going to finish up in the melting pot.

What benefit will the Kavieng people get from Port Moresby’s Wirraway? It makes one wonder on what authority the Papua-New Guinea War Memorial Trust works.

Allan Bovelt.

Essendon, Victoria 3040, Australia.

AND THE AUTHOR SAYS . . .

Sir, —Received the June edition of PIM and thought your presentation of my views on the “Kavieng Zero” was just great.

Although nothing is certain as yet the “Zero” may be going to Canberra for display in the Australian War Museum shortly, and I will keep you informed on this. You might like to include it in a later edition of PIM, if everything works out OK.

The main reason I am writing to you is to ask if it would be possible for you to send me an original photograph of the print of the

Japanese “Zero” aircraft shown on display at Rabaul that was included in the article on the “Kavieng Zero”?

I wrote to the Rabaul Lions Club more than once, several months ago requesting a photo of this “Zero”, but they never replied.

Thomas B. King.

East Preston, Victoria 3072 Australia. • The photograph has been sent to Mr. King. — Ed.

The Papuan Kiap

Sir, —During my 17 years in Papua- New Guinea, I have met only a couple of times the Rev. Percy Chatterton, as I have been living generally in much more primitive areas than Port Moresby. I have much respect for that old missionary, but less for the politician (or the columnist).

However, without approving the statement of your reader from Suva, “We are sick ... of Percy Chatterton, moralising and missionising” {PIM, Mar., p. 52), I have often felt that “To the Point” reflects more the psychology of the former coastal London Missionary Society pastor and now the Port Moresby MHA than the real problems of Papua-New Guinea.

I understand that for the Rev.

Chatterton, Port Moresby, where he spent more than 50 years of his life, is, sentimentally, the main place in the territory. In fact, it is only an artificial “white capital”, and I would suggest, the economic “parasite” of the productive areas in New Guinea.

We may be sometimes interested in the troubles of the Hanuabadans (so dear to the heart of Mr. Chatter ton, MHA) and, in general of the urban local workers, more or less de-tribalised, and also by the romantic and lethargic life in the Motuan villages, but, compared with more than two million New Guineans, their national importance is very limited.

Now, according to Percy Chatter tons “To the Point” {PIM, May, p. 50) the future of the young Papuans, mostly his former pupils, or pupils’ sons, is to become the Kiaps of the Highlands.

So, because their parents have been unable to develop fishing ventures (except in Yule Island, with the assistance of a European busi nessman), timber industries, rice growing, during several generations, they must be sent to “colonise” (after the Australian patrol officers) the hard working “Chimbus,” who, in 20

Letters

years only, responded spectacularly to European influence.

Would you see the indolent Sicilians running Italy, or the Corsicans monopolising the French Govern ment?

For social harmony in the future New Guinea (according to Percy Chatterton’s own suggestion of a federal system), it is better to have Chimbu kiaps for Chimbu farmers, Tolai kiaps for Tolai planters, etc.,, and reserve the bright boys from Hanuabada or Hula, for the Papuan beach patrols.

It is well known that sophisticated native administrators are often more arrogant and authoritarian to their primitive brothers than former white officers. It is the case today in Liberia, where the “elite” of Mon rovia dominate the tribes of the bush, and the S2O million palace of the African president is surrounded by slums. .

By the way, in the New Guinea Quarterly of October, 1968, local writer criticised strongly the “Kiaps Institution”, in an anti-European article. But why would coastal Papuans aspire to take the place of the Australian officers, in the ad ministration of New Guinea? Is it because their skin colour is closer to the colour of the “Caucasians”.

That could be called “neo-colomal ism” at the UN.

Our students of political science at the University of Papua-New Guinea probably ignore that the “Kiap system” exists in very civilised countries. In France, since Napoleon, the departments and subdivisions, have been administered by “Prefets (corresponding to our DC’s) and “Sous-Prefets” (ADC’s) appointed by the government.

These public servants have the same responsibilities, more or less, as our kiaps: co-ordination of ad ministrative departments, powers of police, etc. They are assisted by elected local councils.

I suggest Mr. Chatterton find for his friends jobs for the urgent economic development of their own area, instead of specialising in the white collar branch. The sea, tour ism, copra, the forests, are still offer ing many opportunities for courage ous Motuans, Makeos, Keremas, etc.

But the 900,000 do not need bureaucratic parasites “im ported” from the sleepy coast or islands.

It is well, incidentally, that, among our Ministerial Members, the pro ductive districts of the territory are represented by perhaps unsophistic ated, but certainly powerful native Highlands personalities. Some call them conservative because they are more interested in agriculture and roads than in inter-racial polemics.

John Huon.

Goroka, New Guinea.

Santa Cruz Airfield

Sir, —It was with interest and amusement that 1 read Don Marsh’s article on the Kitefishers of Santa Cruz {PIM, May, p. 85).

I feel that I must reassure your readers that the proposed airfield will never take jumbo jets filled with tourists being strangled to death by the sheer weight of their cameras.

The airfield we have just started building is a modest one and will be only 3,400 ft long. As the air field crosses a peninsular from coast to coast it will never be practical to extend it for even small jets.

We are a small team of Royal Engineers attached to the Public Works Department as supervisors and technical control for this airfield and a number of other tasks. Santa Cruz is certainly an interesting “oasis in the competitive sphere,” but I hope that by our contribution to much needed progress and prosperity for the Santa Cruz Islands we are not labelled barbarians.

(Major) M. G. HUNTER.

Honiara, British Solomons.

Building Better Babies

Sir, —I enjoyed reading your PIM very much, especially the news from home. I am a Tongan and I have been here five years. I married to an Australian and we have three children, two sons and a baby daughter 5i months old. Last Satur day our daughter won the Ball Hills Presbyterian Church Baby Show.

There were 60 babies. She won her own section and also was the grand Champion Baby of the Show. The babies were judged by cleaness, health and the rest of it according to the Baby Book. Our baby got 97 points out of 100. We are very happy and so exciting about it, and I can’t think of a better way of letting my family, relations and friends know about it, but to ask you to put it in your magazine.

(Mrs.) R. Hiddleston

(Elema Te’ao before married) Stafford, Brisbane, Qld.