LONE WHITE MAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23121, 20 August 1938, Page 12

LONE WHITE MAN

ELLICE ISLANDS POST SUPERVISOR OF NATIVES NEW ZEALAND-BORN OFFICIAL [from OUR OW>- correspondent] SYDNEY, August 13 The New Zealand-born Administrator of the Ellice Islands, Mr. Donald G. Kennedy, is the only white man among about 4300 natives, and speaks English so seldom that he finds difficulty in becoming fluent again on returning to civilisation. Mr. Kennedy arrived in Sydney this week on his way to Oxford University to continue his studies in anthropology for a year. "It is a little bewildering to be among so many white people again, said Mr. Kennedy in an interview. '-'I find that I talk English with some difficulty—especially small talk. It generally takes me about six weeks to become perfectly fluent again. I have under my care about 4300 natives scattered over nine islands. There is a mail three times a year. When the Burns-Phil p ship calls I have a chance to talk to the captain and mate. Then once a year a sloop calls from. New Zealand/That is a great occasion for me. Also the Government steamer from Fiji calls occasionally. "The natives have been trained to look after their own affairs, under mj general supervision. For example, there are native clergymen, native magistrates and lawyers, native school teachers. When any matter is beyond their comprehension or jurisdiction 1 deal with it direct, but otherwise i watch over their work. It is an interesting experiment in native authority and it is working out well." Mr. Kennedy has been in the JUiice islands for 15 years. He author of "Culture of Vaitupu; Ellice Islands." When he completes his year of study he will return to his outpost for another term. He is going Oxford on a Carnegie fellowship.