NAURU CHIEFS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18759, 12 January 1923, Page 8

NAURU CHIEFS

PRAISE FOR AUSTRALIA.

(From Con Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, January 3. An unusual document has been forwarded to the Prime Minister—a memorandum from tho native chiefs of Nauru, expressing appreciation of the treatment of the natives under British and Australian rule in tho terms of the mandate.

The memorandum is written in the Nauruan language, and was adopted at a gathering of all tho tribes on the island. “We have far greater freedom now than we had under German rule,” the memorandum states. “It is doubtful, indeed, from what wo read, whether the people of other small countries, such os ours, enjoy equal freedom. ’ The memorandum continues: “We hoar that statements are being mode by persons in authority that the interests of the Nauruans are not so well looked after by the British Administration as they were under German rule, and the fact' that Chinese are being employed to work the phosphate deposits on the island is said to be detrimental to tho Nauruans generally. We, tho head chief and chiefs of tho island, speaking for and on the behalf of our people, wish you to let tho rulers of the nations know that we have no fault to find with the present Administration. On the contrary, we are grateful for all that the Administration has done to advance our interests, and, more than all, we are grateful to tho League of Nations tor placing us under the protection of so great a nation as the British Empire. “Under German rule our lands were taken from us, and handed over to the Phosphate Company without our consent being first obtained, or without any compensation being paid to us. That we were paid a royalty of 5 pfennigs (halfpenny) per ton on all phosphate shipped is true; but we are sure that all reasonable people will admit that such a payment was ridiculously inadequate, and we are well aware that at the time tho Phosphate Company was making an ' immense profit from the sale of our phosphate. We have all alopg contended that the act of the Gcrmah Government in granting a concession to any company, without our consent, to exploit phosphate on the land of which we are the owners, was unjust and tyrannical. However, the present Administration has changed all that. “With regard to tho British Administration generally, wo wish to say to the world that the whole trend of the administration is to improve our social and moral welfare, and, whilst to some of us some of the legislation may appear irritation, yet we all recognise it is for our common good. We feel that the Administration is gradually and surely improving our conditions. Compulsory education and subsidising the mission schools, so ns to obtain the best result. Sanitation law have been passed, and our island is now in a clean and healthy state. The curfew restrictions have been removed, and, in a measure, self-government has been granted to the chiefs. For all this we fra deeply grateful, and our great wish is not only that wo shall continue under the protection of Great Britain, but that in the near future wo shall form part and parcel of that great Empire.”