A NEW UNITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 12, 5 April 1927, Page 3

A NEW UNITY

PROGRESS IN SOLOMONS ANCESTRAL WORSHIP DYING “An extraordinary unity Is how apparent in place of the old differences, and new Solomon Islands are being established on the ruins of the old. ... I think if Bishop Patteson were to return to the Solomons to-day he would be struck by the great changes that have taken place.” To a meeting at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre last night, in honour of the centenary of the birth of John Coleridge Patteson, the martyr-bishop of Melanesia, Dr. C. E. Fox, who has been engaged in mission work in the Solomon Islands for over 20 years, gave an interesting review of the changes that have taken place since the coming of the white man. Dr. Fox said that a disintegrating effect had been brought about through the combined influence of the missionary, the trader and the Government official. When the missionary came to the islands the whole social life of the native was disturbed. The old belief in ancestral worship was dying and in some cases -was already dead. The breakdown of communism and its substitution by individualism and commercialism was due to the influence of the trader. Formerly the natives would help one another, now they required payment for everything they did. The Government official had removed the arbitrary powers of chiefs, thereby destroying their power. The Government taxes which he imposed had had the effect of disbanding the tribes, as when a native could not pay he was sent to some plantation. In return, the native had got little or nothing for his payments and dissatisfaction was becoming general among them. Further, European diseases had been introduced to the islands and that is the price paid by the native for his civilisation.

“On the other hand,” continued Dr. Fox, “there is the unifying work that is being carried out. One religion is taking the place of several religions. A universal language, pidgin English, has come into being, and one Government has been established over all the islands. “Everything is at present in the melting-pot. I believe that a newer, better Melanesia will arise from the old, and that in 25 years the natives will be infusing into our religion the enthusiasm they had for the old.” An urgent need for doctors and trained nurses for work in the New Hebrides was stressed by the Rev. R. Godfrey. His station was meeting with success and he could report general progress. The Rev. C. L. Mountfort described his work in the big island of Guadalcanal*, in the Solomon group, and said that a unique feature was the formation of a brotherhood of native converts, seven in number, who had banded together to reach the fierce natives in the interior of the island and bring religious teaching to men * ,7 ho would otherwise be inaccessible.