MAN WHO MANAGES GREENLAND.

Waikato Times, Volume 88, Issue 13488, 19 May 1917, Page 4 (Supplement)

MAN WHO MANAGES GREENLAND.

Th,- almost Ctopian stale of affairs in Greenland, wlieie theie are no taxes, no infectious disease*, and no political parties, was revealed in the course ot a case in the I'n/e Court recently, which arose out of the seizure by the British authorities of a cargo of Greenland tish in tlie Danish steamship Godhaah. The Crown asked tor the condemnation of the lisli on the ground that it had an enemy destination ; hut the Danish Government claimed the cargo on the ground that it was consigned to Denmark from Greenland, which was a Danish Crown colony, ami that the !i h was expo] tod to Denmark under a-sin,inces which had been entered into with the British Government that the cargo should not he re-ex-ported.

The Governor of Greenland, .Mr Jan Dangard Jensen, giving evidence regarding the ownership o| Greenland fish, salt! that the Danish Government exercised all the rights of trade in Greenland, ami purchased all the produce, skin, oil, and fish. He himself, lie added, was in complete control of this business, and some people might. call lyni the general manager. "In what part, of this great and chilly territory do you liver" asked the judge, Sir Samuel Evans.

The •'general manager" explained that lie did not live in Greenland at all y but governed the colony and managed its trade from Copenhagen. After Mr .Jensen had explained that as "general manager" lie directed all matters in Greenland except the Church and education, and had under him a commercial manager who attended specially to the sale of the products sent home to Denmark from Greenland—the population, lie said, \\a> not sufficiently developed tomanage its own affairs - Sir Samuel Evans asked whether the physical characteristics of the Colony corresponded to "Greenland's icy mountains" in the hymn. The "general manager." who seemed interested, said he had never heard of l lie hymn or sonj;; but Mr Roche, K.C., who appeared for the Danish Government, remarked: "Ah. ves; I believe it was written bv John Wesley." "Xo, no," interjected Mr R. A. Wright, i'ho appeared for the Crown. "It was by an Indian bishop." (Mr Wriirht was right. The hymn was written by l>r richer, Bishop of Calcutta, i

This discussion led the Judge to ask how Greenland managed for bishops.

The Governor said they had found they could do without bishops. The> had dean-, who were under an archbishop, hut the archbishop, he added, did not live in Greenland, and never went then-. "Oli. he's an absentee." remarked the Judge, who then asked: "Have vou anv taxes-"

. "No, and we have no disease or illness." replied the Governor. "There are no catching diseases. The people live a simple, honest life, and catch fish, seals, and blue foxes for their skins."

This happy land, he added, had two newspapers, but they were only published once a month, and there were no political parties.

After the "general manager" had eiveii some evidence regarding the dealings in fish between Denmark and Germain - —he said he knew nothing about .'U.Oflu tons of fish said to have crone from Denmark to Germany by a single route during September and October IflHl the case was adjourned for a month.