THE FUTURE OF TONGA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 216, 11 September 1911, Page 9

THE FUTURE OF TONGA.

TROUBLES OF THE ADMINISTRATION. AN APPEAL TO NEW ZEALAND. (By GORDON HUTCHISON.) Strange, indeed, are the happenings that go unrecorded, and frequently unnoticed, upon the outer fringe of Empire. Over the kingdom of Tonga Great Britain has protective treaty rights, and in ■the same bountiful islands New Zealand has very real interests to fo3ter. Even at this moment Tonga is on the threshold of a new epoch in its history, and the moulding of the future must affect British interests in the Pacific to no small extent, and our own trade appreciably. Yet the Parliament and Press of New Zealand seem to 'be listlessly unconcerned. For the past twelve months there has been a great deal of unrest among the Tongans, and latterly friction in the administrative circles. The seed of the troubles seem to have germinated shortly after the arrival in Nukualofa of the present British Consul (Mr. Teller Campbell). He had apparently come to the peaceful islands im'bucd with an idea of their future importance as a unit of Empire. He set out to galvanise into action the dormant energy of the hibernating islandcis, and thus induce them to develop the great potentialities of their fertile lands. The Tongan people, however, were well contented with their happy, lotus-eating life. Money was to them neither a means nor an object of existence; they had no wish to labour in 'bringing forth the latent wealth of their islands, or to enrich themselves—and others —with foreign gold.

It soon became obvious that the regulation, rules and restrictions the British Consul had been sowing broadcast, through the medium of a plastic native government, were being rudely ignored by the complacent, happy-go-lucky islanders. This apparently pricked the pride of the white "ruler"—for that is what he constituted himself and spurred him on to stronger measures; to impress on the Tongans that it was not enough in this progressive age to take only what the gods provide, and live at ease on tho gifts of Nature. It was from the lack of comprehension —or inclination—oll the part of the Tongan, and the lack of sympathy or understanding- —on the part of the Consul and his following that first estranged the two contending parties in what ha! now developed into a keen and resolute struggle to determine whether Tongans shalf rule their own land in their own way, or whether au independent native kingdom shall be ruled 'by white officials regardless of the personal rights of a free people, and in contravention of the treaty of friendship between Great Britain and Tonga. It would be quite useless to endeavour to explain nil the reasons for the present difficulties. It may, however, bo well to briefly mention one or two matters that have been most keenly resented hy both the native and white population. First came a copra ordinance, ipassed at the instillation of the , Consul, which provided for the destruction of ail copra that did not reach a certain standard of perfection. It should here ibe explained that tho quality of copra, is determined chiefly by t'he manner in which it is dried, and it rain happens to fall while the copia is exiposefl it will discolour, lose a proportion of its oil, and possibly become mouldy. Still copra as a commodity of trade 'has, in 'practically any state, a market value, be it good, had, or indifferent. It will, therefore, be understood that if a native's copra should get wet during the process of drying —and he has no facilities for guarding against that—it would in all probability be condemned by the Government inspector. Again, in parenthesis, it may be remarked that three out of the four present oopra "experts" were not residents for more than a few weeks in longa before their appointments were 'gazetted, and bad never previously seen copra in anj stage of its preparation for market. In other words, they arc incompetent off! cials. Perhaps a condemned parcel oi copra would be worth £lO or £l2 a ton to the producer, but that would be entirely lost simply because it would not -be up to the standard demanded by all "expert"; thus the time and labour of the native would be wasted. As an outcome of this ordinance—and its administration —the natives, or a large number of them, 'became "passive resisters," and refused to make any more copra, with the consequence that the export of the staple product of Tonga has .been seriously checked. •Next the Consul was responsible for the creation of several new departments of State and the appointment of numerous white officials. Result: For the last financial year practically the whole of the revenue derived from tho direct taxation cr£ the. natives was absorbed in "personal emoluments" to White officials. The climax, however, came with the closing of the Togama.'a Toga Kautaha—a native co-operative association —and t'he subsequent events incidental thereto, which 'have already been reported in these columns. It seems now quite certain that matters have arrived at such an acute stage that nothing snort of a constitutional change in the administration of tho island kingdom can bring about a permanent settlement of the troubles. Several solutions have been suggested'. It is stated on reliable authority that the British Consul has appealed to the : High Commissioner for the Western I Pacific to intervene and hoist the Union | Jack over Tonga. This course is strongly opposed, and ! with a unanimous voice, by the Tongan people, who are naturally jealous and rightly proud of their national life and institutions. The British residents also are firm in the belief that England would gain nothing by lowering tho Tongan flag for the mere sake of selfaggrandisement, or to "white-wash' an erring official. The whole country, with remarkably few exceptions, are opposed to any extension of Colonial Office rule. It has been a failure. As an alternative it is proposed that representations should he made to tho New Zealand Government with a view to negotiations being opened with the Imperial authorities to enable New Zealand to appoint, and be responsible for, a Resident Commissioner t.o take the place of the British Consul, without interfering with the constitution of the kingdom. i This appears to be quite a feasible solution to the present difficulties, and one that would doubtless be mutually beneficial 1 to Tonga and New Zealand. It would in no way impair Great Britain's treaty rights or prejudice the standing of the Empire in the Pacific. So far as we are concerned it would enable New 1 Zealand to give still further proof of our desire to share the great responsibilities I of Empire by relieving the Motherland [ from the cares of watching ovdr a dis-

tent group of islands from which flhe herself derives practically no trade and has little interest beyond holding them for strategic purposes There are in addition several material reasons why New Zealand should become Eiore closely identified with the kingdom of Tonga. The group—a valuable and •important one—is the nearest of all thl; South Sea Islands to New Zealand; we control more than half the trade of the group; we are in regular and direct steamer Icommuniicatlton; and as our trade with Tofaga is fast increasing—it has nearly doubled in the last five, years —we should foster it. The benefits Tonga Would derive from closer union with New Zealand would be many; but her people place foremost among them the securing of a "public conscience" through the Press, and a court of appeal in the Parliament when troubles arise and there are wrongs to be redressed. The Tongans do not ask favours; tliey ask for freedom and justice. They are now looking to New Zealand as their friend.in need, and as neighbours we should help them through their troubles. MERCHANT TRADERS' VIEWS. "N.Z. REPRESENTATIVE NOT WANTED." Interviewed on the subject of the Tongan trouble and the recent law case, Toga ma'a Toga Kautaha v. the British Consul and two English officials of the Tongan Government, Capt. W. Ross, of the Auckland firm of Tyndnll and Ross, who has been engaged In the Tongan trade for 35 years, aud who has more commercial interest in Tonga than anyone else in New Zealand, made some interesting remarks concerning the matter. "I am greatly surprised," ho said, '"tst sonie of tUe rash statements that have been made against the British Consul by certain people to the Press during the last few days. As a Tongan merchant i consider that the result of the decision of the Court will give a fillip to legitimate commerce, end traders do not consider it as having upset the equilibrium of 'trade. I think it is a great mistake on the part of the King of Tonga in taking the advice of a solicitor instead of that of his proper adviser, the Consul, whose position is for that purpose. Through this misguided step lie (the King of Tonga) has given the Imperial Government tlio excuse to annexe Tonga.

In regard to the suggestion that n representative of the New Zealand Government should replace the Consul 1 can tell you that would not do at all, I know every important chief and have been told by thein that they Would fight to the last rather than that should occur. They felt that the present system was strong and safe, and the trouble that is occurring at present is only from such people who have exploited the Kautaha in the interests of a few chiefs. The body of the people a7n quite content, and my own experience of the Dominion's administration of the island Nine and other islands has been such as to make me dubious of a similar trial in a larger group. The traders are quite satisfied also, under the present administration, and since the High Commissioner deported the native Prime Minister, and put the British Consul in his place, the merchants have had the protection they never had before.