The Editor's Mailbag

Soul-Saving V Politics

While soul-saving should be kept apart from politics, it is understandable that Island primitives turn to those close to their hearth and home for help and

guidance.

This gives religious leaders a flattering awe-like power which places them (in the eys of primitives) in a higher position than governments or even Christ.

Unfortunately, it is not with the trust-in the-Lord that political problems may be solved.

Religious leaders cannot be expected to :ope with world intrigues as their Christian teaching of “turning the other :heek” puts them at a disadvantage when faced with worldly “eye for eye and for 1

;ooth the entire jaw”.

If New Hebrides churchmen aspire to he reins of political leadership, then, for the sake of the New Hebrides, they should ?e sent overseas for a few years to special idministrative schools to learn the art.

S. Tebula

ianto, '-lew Hebrides

... In New Hebrides

I agree completely with what my fellow Ider Mr Bob Hindle says in his letter to ou (PIM, March, p. 21).

Christians must take part in the political fe of their country. It heartened me also ) see many pastors, elders and laymen oing so. In fact, I believe our whole western civilisation is a result of Christian eople doing this very thing. The whole English political system is based around Christian principles, and many politicians ave been devout Christians. When 'hristian men and women are in politics nd they hold fast to Christian principles, lowing it by their politics, they should be known quantity. If a politician is a nown quantity you should expect certain lings from that person.

The point I am trying to make is that at resent in this country when certain chur hes are mentioned, people immediately lign that person with a certain political arty. This is the unfortunate part, even lough it may not be true.

If people in the New Hebrides kept their olitical alignments out of church wor iip, in time, people would stop aligning ;rtain churches with certain political par es and regardless of their political align

ment, they would feel free to come back inside the church. 1 say come back because, I feel in Vila particularly, a lot of people use this point as an excuse to say that they have been frightened of church

worship.

Let’s not give them an opportunity to have this excuse; then they are only deceiving themselves and it is then their responsibility to decide whether they really want to join in worship or not. I must say though, that I am sure, if they really made an attempt to join church life, the Session of PMC would make them most welcome, as would any other denomination in the New Hebrides.

To my mind it is the atmosphere of the church which is really very important. It should be that the church is open to all regardless of their political alignment.

This does not stop people taking part in the New Assembly. It should encourage them to do so. They should realise that just as they can come into Assembly re gardless of their political affiliation they should be able to come into church just the same.

Surely Christian people should not think that power in the church means power in politics too. I think this is very wrong and it is no small possibility that some expatriates have led New Hebrideans to think like this.

Christian leaders, looking for power in politics through their church affiliation, are making other people think they can do the same. They are often very disap pointed when they find it does not work out for them. A Christian does not go to church to worship in the hope that it will give that person more political power.

You go to church to worship a God of love, not a God of politics. A God of love is interested in the political welfare of his

people, but not wholly their political

welfare. He is interested in a person’s whole being, not just one part of it. A per son’s whole being is more than just his

political being.

I think Bob will realise the point I am trying to make. I am only too happy to continue this discussion through the pages of PIM or privately. I feel that the pages of PIM might let some New Hebrideans know just what goes through an ex patriate’s mind as he tries to live alongside the New Hebridean. I am sure we would both welcome any New Hebridean ideas on this subject. I personally would be in terested to hear some thoughts from

Letters

somebody as I have little opportunity to meet those who would no doubt have plenty to say on this subject. Any correspondence, through PIM or to me personally, would be most welcome.

David Burt

Santo, New Hebrides.

Frosty Fanmail

I read in the January, 1975, issue of PIM, (p. 13) about the letter you received from Alfred Berglund, Lappland, Sweden.

It is a pleasure informing you that there are more Swedes reading your excellent magazine. From time to time I borrow five or six copies of PIM from a Swedish friend living abroad who subscribes to it.

I am living 30 km from Stockholm, working as a standardisation officer at the Swedish Standards Institute in Stockholm.

I see in the Memento of the international standardisation organization (ISO) that no South Pacific country, except New Zealand and Australia, is a member of

Iso.

A most interesting standardisation sub ject is standardisation of test methods for water and air. Water and air pollution is

generally a very interesting and important

subject in today’s world, and it has oc curred to me that very little is written in PIM about risks of pollution of water and air in the South Pacific area as a result of industrial development, tourism and, not to forget, the exploration of the bottom of the sea.

I am well aware of the absolute need of the development and creation of different parts of the economy in order to make possible a survival of the South Pacific Islands, but still there is not much meaning in short-term solutions producing

an unacceptable physical environment.

A few years ago I corresponded with a Swede who sailed in a little boat from Sweden to New Zealand. He worked some months as a teacher in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. In 1966 I almost asked for em ployment at Tarawa radio station (I am ilso a radio operator), but family reasons stopped me that time. It thus seems

possible for Europeans to get employment

n the South Pacific, although I guess there s a trend toward “Island employments for slanders”. Am I right? Anyhow, it would >e interesting to get some information on he need of standardisation, environment )rotection and telecommunication ad ninistration in the South Pacific area.

Best wishes from a still frosty Sweden.

Hans Goransson

:/- SIS, Box 3295, MO3 66 Stockholm

Anti-French!

One is saddened by repeated, often un founded, anti-French jottings in your magazine.

Re “Church politics” (PIM, March, p. 35) it was written that the French had not prepared Kanaks for independence: no doctors, lawyers, etc.

The writer’s 60-year-old French friends can remember when they sat side by side in schools with native children in New Caledonia. Nothing prevented Kanak students from outshining the French had they been keen enough. Both colours were given equal, free education.

The French are among the most democratic of all nations and have never entertained the colour-bar. It would be untruthful to deny this.

Last para of the above article, regarding New Hebrides: “all government affairs were decided by the French and the New Hebrideans were just ignored”. Once again an unfair ‘attack’ on the French.

Please remind all your readers that this is a Condominium all matters concerning these islands must be decided by both governments as decreed by the Protocol.

On page 34 of the March issue, “New Hebrideans lack of citizenship privileges” is not quite clear. Local natives have their natural freedom, do what they like when they like and only work when they are prepared to do so. They can obtain per mits for overseas travels just as Europeans, without Passports, are issued with similar permits.

As for “low wages”, New Hebrideans have always received Ear higher wages than any others in the Pacific except New Caledonia because of the nickel. The main local industry is copra which, at present, is produced at a loss but harvested as much as possible to maintain clean properties.

When the market rises, natives cut their own copra but only enough to purchase immediate requirements without extra ef fort to help save for a rainy day.

With regard to “unfair distribution of lands”, these islands are under-populated and there are thousands of miles of fertile bushlands waiting to be cleared and developed. It appears that no-one is in terested; too much work involved.

Obviously, some ringleaders would prefer to reclaim properties cleared and planted by Europeans (assisted by im ported labour in the past), quite forgetting that a certain amount of good management is required.

Some Church leaders who have sud

denly become budding politicians could

do a lot more Christian good for their people by helping to develop the vast amount of virgin lands rather than preach discontent away from pulpits. Surely this country could blossom forth in peace and

harmony by industrious actions rather than fault-finding words.

E. Kati

Luganville, Santo

Excuse Blushes!

Bless you, and your whole staff, for

publishing, editing and filling RIM with

all the news about the Pacific!

Because shipping between Australia and Holland seems to be rare (?), I received the issues of September, October, Novem ber and December simultaneously. They arrived in a period of real cold, snowy,

frosty, somewhat dreary, wintry weather,

and they brought with them a whiff of the blue Pacific, and all the beautiful islands, and the people that live there.

It is disappointing, and rather amazing, how little the European press publishes about what happens in the Pacific. So,

without PIM, I would never nave known what happened in Nauru at the meeting of the SPC; nor would I have known the problems around that Commission (of which I am convinced it will recover); nor would I have known that my good friend, Dr Macu Salato, had been appointed as Secretary-General (and what an excellent choice that seems to be!) Surely for an “ailing body” like the SPC, a doctor can be expected to give the right treatment, and to administer the “life-saving” in

jections!

Having lived in the New Hebrides till last May, I was, of course very much in terested in the outcome of first the Municipal elections, and afterwards the elections for the Representative Assembly; needless to say that I read the articles by Messrs Joffick, Curtis anc), iCalkoa with

great interest, and I am looking forward to the coming issues, to learn how things have further developed in the con dominium.

It was a joy to read your so-complete coverage of the celebrations of in dependence in Papua New Guinea; and of the “century-celebrations” in Tonga. In both countries I have spent many happy hours, and it is good to read about them.

And so I could go on and on, because there practically are no items in PIM which do not interest me.

Please keep up the good work! And when, hopefully, I can return to the South Pacific, I know that I shall be fully “in the picture” about what has happened, and is happening, there, thanks to your priceless

monthly.

Looking out (while typing this) over snow-covered fields, under a gloomy sky, is it surprising that I am terribly nostalgic about the Pacific?

And yet I am grateful for PIM for having increased that nostalgia. . .thank you all for all the good work!

H. M. C. Poortman

(former WHO-consultant) Ermelo Holland

Norway Calls

I am 29 years old, stamp collector, living in Norway, Scandinavia. I am very interested in the Pacific area to learn about all the Islands and the people living there.

Tne Norwegian people know very little about the Pacific, (except Mr Thor Heyer dal (KON-TIKI). If you mention names like Nauru, Niue, Norfolk I, Tokelau Islands etc to a Norwegian, I think that ?9.9% of the people don’t know where in he world these places are situated.

Anyone from The Pacific who wants a aen-friend in Norway? I shall be most jrateful if you will publish my desire, Sir.

Rolf Vindal

/ardenlra 29a,

9-3200 Sandefjord,

Norway.

Sanitation

The environmental problems con fonting all the Islands are accelerating at i rapid pace, and the time has come to eriously consider the proper direction to ake for the ultimate benefit of all.

At one time, the advent of the flush oilet was the ultimate in progress. Today he enormous use of fresh water to carry iway human wastes, plus soaring costs of ewer and waste treatment plants are mrealistic burdens to contend with.

The ecological effect is devastating vherever a septic tank, with cesspool or

leaching field, is used and the ground water contaminated. In installations where a sewerage disposal plant is used for primary treatment only, the ocean is con taminated. If secondary treatment facilities are added, the sludge removal becomes a problem.

The principal costs, as well as operating and maintenance costs, for a centrally located treatment plant are becoming prohibitive. . .more so in the Islands than mainland areas.

Luckily, some alternatives to the flush toilet do exist, alternatives which could allow for decentralisation of waste disposal and would keep body wastes out of the water supply. Among the disposal methods now in limited use in various parts of the world are two methods suitable for Island use: the composting and the biological systems. Both of these systems do away with the need for sewers and centralised treatment plants.

The clivus multrum organic waste treat ment system is a system completely self contained for the treatment of organic household wastes. It places toilet and kit chen wastes into an environment where

they decompose slowly by composting,

producing a humus which.can be returned directly to the soil. Multrum uses no water, no energy and no chemicals of any kind. It is not connected to sewers as it has no liquid effluent. It has no moving parts, so requires virtually no maintenance.

Capacity ranges from 2-3 people for the small unit and 10-12 for the large unit.

Clivus multrum means literally “inclining compost room”.

The biological system replaces the usual septic tank with cesspool or leaching field.

A barrier is placed between the surroun ding soil and the biological tank. The lower area around the tank is filled with gravel and the upper area with sand. All of this material is within the sealed-in area. Consequently, this is a closed system and allows no effluent to pass into the ground waters. This system, being based upon evaporation of the liquids drained from the tank, has to have, in areas of high precipitation, a canopy. The use of a canopy reduces the size of the evapotran spiration bed by a large degree, due to the exclusion of precipitation and an increase in surface temperature generated from solar radiation through the canopy, thus increasing the rate of evaporation.

Traditional disposal methods are clearly a problem which must be reduced or eliminated. Present systems will create greater pollution as the expanding population makes increasing demands on a finite water supply and on ecologically limited processes for final disposal. The subject is not a pleasant one, but the sooner it is given serious thought, the bet ter off we will all be.

Leif V. Gustafson

(Deputy Director of Public Works) American Samoa