GILBERT ISLANDS.

Franklin Times, Volume XIX, Issue 40, 8 April 1929, Page 8

GILBERT ISLANDS.

"LIFE IS SANITY."

AN UNCORRUPTED PEOPLE. j Interesting particulars of life in the liftle known Gilbert Islands were given in Sydney the other day by a young wireless operator, Mr Ivor Johnson, when he arrived on three months' leave from his post at Tarawa. Already he is anxious to return, "for," he says, "life in the cities is madness; life in the Gilberts is sanity." For the Gilbert Islanders he has nothing but praise. They are still comparatively uncorrupted by white . civilisation. The population is increasing in the Gilbert Group, he says, while in oher groups it is decreasing at such a rate that extinction of the islanders is within measurable distance. The only menace, according to this observer, comes from the half-caste who learns to read Australian newspapers: absorbes the theory and practice of strikes;- and deems it his duty to spread disaffection among the natives. Again, according to the same observer, the missions, by persuading the natives to adopt European ideas, are virtually tempting the natives into committing suicide en masse. Copra is the chief commercial product of the islands. Two companies operate—one is Chinese and the other Australian. The natives work for about £2 a month, which is not cheap labour, as about a dozen natives do the work of one'white man. It is useless to attempt speeding up, for any ignorant white guilty of doing so would be told gently by any native whom he chided: "If you do not like my way of working, there are coconuts in the trees and fish in the sea. I can live without you, so I shall now leave you." Taxes are levied in the form of copra. A' Government ship calls at the various islands, and the natives pay their tribute in kind. A missionary ship comes along and collects donations in the [ form of copra, but the natives are gradually becoming less willing to pay what they regard as a second tax. The chief sport among the islanders is canoe racing. Recently the northern men of Taputeouea (A Gilbert Island) raced the southerners. As all racing crews are equally skilful, the races depend entirely upon the construction of the canoes. All the accumulated knowledge of centuries is packed into

the making of a racing canoe. In the race the northerners beat the southerners, and the tribal poet of the northerners made a song of which the following is a' rough translation: — You southerners can't build canoes, You can drink coconut milk. But when it comes to a race, You cannot build canoes! The song was so maddeningly rei-

crated by the winners that the southerners became seriously annoyed, collected knives and other weapons (guns arc taboo by Government decree) and a rough-and-tumble war began. AH the women and children took refuge in the mission stations. The war was just becoming interesting, and a few drops of blood had been shed, when the Government boat arrived for the tax copra. The war was immediately abandoned. Northerners and southerners fraternised In order to hurry enough copra on board to satisfy the tax collectors, and the schooner was hardly out of sight when the war began all over again. Before that; little difference of opinion was settled and armed force had to be sent from the wireless station. Mr Johnson added: "The keenness of these fellows in sport is almost as great as what I used to see in Melbourne at certain football matches, when squads of police had to be rushed on to the ground to quell the fighting."