New Hebrides Natives Not To Be Exploited

Chronicle (Levin), 9 November 1948, Page 3

New Hebrides Natives Not To Be Exploited

Press Assoeiatton )

. A. (Per

WELLINGTON, Nov.. 8. ' The growth'in the isuands of the New Hebrides, of intense ideals of iiatioixalisui, coupled with violent reaetion agaiiist exploitation by traders and planters was described to the Presbyteriau- General Assembly today by the missions seeretary, Mr. L. W. Murray, who has just returned from a tour of the area. Mr. Murray was outlining' the reasons' behind. chureh , reorganisatiou in the' ' New' Hebrides and the founding on July I, of a iiative Presbyteriau^.Ghfif cL. » : , !. h:lL He said the Jou Fruin movemeufc * in the Isl&ud of Tanna-and hqstile . outbreaks in 1940 and 1942, represented a resurgence of na.tive ' superstitioii' and heathenism and also reaetion against; exploitation by -traders and -planters. ' ' The Jlcsident..' Gommissioner tdld me that| jvitMnl 24 lijdurs ' the entire population tui'hed agAmst the white . people,' ' , he said^ Tjxere .was a plot tb mass'aere all ^tfee Vliite people on the island. This movoment had not reached sucli a stage in the other islands but there was a trace of similar things on Espiritu Santo and though there was no evidence of i't elsewhere, they had no eertainty of knowing exactly what was going on in the lives of all the people. There 'w-ere large areas in the islands wliere mission work had been negeected and where visitors were recei'ved with a rebuke. There were other areas whereeannibalism was still praetised. These were sonie of the problems faeed bythe new island chureh Which would' need the assistanee of the parent body in New Zealand for many' years ; to come. : • , ' • ; "If1 there should be a surgihg * up or

the i:dea of nationalism in these islands, with a desire by their peoples to govern their own affairs, it might be an advantage that the chureh should also be under the control of its own people," said - Mr. Murray. The Assembly approved a recotnmendation rejoicing in the establishment of the, new chureh and assured it of the deep interest and earnest prayers of the Pres'byterian Chureh of New Zealand