THE TONGAN TROUBLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12758, 7 January 1905, Page 6

THE TONGAN TROUBLE.

INTERVIEW WITH A RESIDENT.

VIEWS ON THE SITUATION.

A Herald reporter had an interesting chat yesterday, on the political situation in Tonga, with Mr. J. M. Mastertou, who has been residing in Tonga for the past 14 months with a relative who is a minister of the Free Church in the- group.

Asked what view he held on the latest turn of Tongau affairs, Mr. Masterton said ho thought the High Commissioner had acted hastily in. deporting the Prime Minister without trial, which seemed to him to be against, the Constitution of Tonga agreed to by Great Britain.

" But apparently tho King of Tonga consented to the 'deportation?'' ,

" Yes," replied Mr. Masterton, " that is the estrange part of it. Jiosateki has been about 50 years in the service of the Tongan Government; tie has several times asked the King to be allowed to resign, but the King has always refused to accept his resignation. When told that his Prime Minister had been dismissed, and asked what he had to say, the King merely said: 'It is hard for me to say anything; there is nothing I can say.' Perhaps he was frightened, for the copy of the Fiji Times then in circulation said the King was to bo the next, deportation." "What about tho state of the Treasury, and the alienation of landsV"

'Well," said Mr. Masterton, with a smile, "if Premiers are to be deported merely because of a deficiency in the Treasury, we might have to deport a good many colonial Treasurers. As to alienation "of lands, nothing has been discovered to support the charge that the Premier alienated Tongan land to foreigners, and I believe Jiosateki in now without any means.'' "Do you think the native Administration is ever likely to do any good;'' "No; if it is to be interfered with it should be destroyed altogether. To take away one. native Premier and put another in his place is only beginning the same old trouble, over again. Jiosateki. who has beep, deported, was really the only strong native in public life in Tonga, and the present changes are nor, likely to lead to any pacification. Some of the new appointments are very unfortunate, and are likely to cause friction. Two of them are former officials who wore dismissed by the Tongan Government, and have now apparently been reinstated."' "The appointments are made by the High Commissioner':'' " Yes. but he has only recently arrived from Home, and knows nothing himself about the men he has appointed. He has taken the advice of Mr. Hamilton Hunter, C.M.G., the British Resident. Much of the trouble has been owing to a. long series of misunderstandings between Mr. Hamilton Hunter and the King ami his Premier. There ii» no doubt- that this is a. complete defeat of the King and his Administration."

"Is the old Church trouble (still prominent in Tonga':" "Oh, yes, the whole thing resolves itself into another of Tonga's interminable Church disputes. Church squabbles permeate everything in Tonga. Jiosateki is a Free Churchman, and the new Premier, Fatafehi, is a YVesleyan. The new appointments are mostly Wesleyans. and there is no doubt this is a Free Church defeat."

'"Were they recommended by a Wesleyan, then?'' " No. Mr. Hamilton Hunter is an Anglican." " How far are the white residents of Tonga interested in the dispute':" "Oh, they are interested as traders, and they now stand to get their accounts paid. The Tongau Government owe a good deal to white traders, and as the High Commissioner proposes to advance money to the Ton gun Treasury, they will get their accounts paid. From that point of view it is satisfactory to the white traders." " Ami the natives as a whole; how do they take it?" "Oh, very calmly. They are much attached to their own Hag. but so long ad tho Hag is not interfered with the changes will not matter much to them."

And what do you suggest is the remedy for tho trouble in Tonga?" "1 think the fairest way to investigate the whole matter would be the appointment of a Royal Commission." Closing tho interview, Mr. Masterton said he thought the natives of Tonga weiv being demoralised by the tin restricted selling of drink. Any native could get, drink at the hotel or the stores. A Western Pacific Order-in-Council made it a criminal offence to supply drink to a native of Tonga, but it, had apparently been overlooked. It ought to bo brought into force at once.