MASTER OF ATOLL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17608, 26 October 1931, Page 12

MASTER OF ATOLL

300 SUBJECTS SYDNEY, Oct. U. Mr. W. L. Carson, who sailed by tho Tanda to-day on his way home to his atoll in the South Sea Islands, holds more jobs than the Pooh Bub of the “Mikado.” The Fead Group. . consisting of 55 small islands, is 230 miles north-east of Babaul, and has a population of , 300 nativos, three white people—Mr. Carson, his wife and infant son. Being the only white man, Mr. Carson holds the offices of pastor, magistrate, coroner, Premier, Leader of,the Opposition, Minister of Health, doctor, dentist, and a hundred and one other important positions. Ships call at the islands about every three or four months to bring stores and take away copra and troehus shell, but, apart from Ibis, no other contact is made with civilisation. • Two hundred of the natives work for Mr. Carson, while the remainder fish, eat and loaf about. King of his little domain, ho looks after the health of his people, marries them, buries them, and sees that they icomhut themselves in an exemplary manner. When ho first went to the island the natives were a wild crew, and indulged in cannibalism and general slaughter. Tho natives who work on the plantation are Polynesians, but the others are a mixture of Malay, and are well over 6ft. tall. These refuse to work,' preferring to fish, gather nuts, fruit and coconuts, and laze about. Mr. Carson brought one of his dnskv subjects to' Sydney with him to look after the baby.