SOLOMON ISLANDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1833, 21 August 1913, Page 8

SOLOMON ISLANDS.

A CLERGYMAN'S ALLEGATIONS,

According, to the ]?ey. J, P. Go!die, wlio . has been chairman of Salomon • Islands Methodist District .since, its initiation in 1902, ami is visiting Sydnty, a state of exists there that 'is not creditable to British' riilo. "Soma or the stones I could Wli concerning the blunders of officials' in their dealings with natives would luvrtiSy be credited," ncmarkul Mr. Goldie in an interview last week. "There are 110 opon'courts," he said', "and it is almost hopeless for some of the unfortunate natives to cxpcct anything like justice-from certain of tho officials.-. Thaa tire some of tliß most, decern and unoffending natives sra-ving terms of imprisonment with hard labour without having undergone any trial; without the riglit' of appeal, and without any offence haviiig ton disclosed other than ■mere uneorfobcrated tittletattle of some favourite ot magistrate. While there are other rascals—favourites of officials—who are guilty of most atrocious oiimos."

The Ite-v. Mr, Go'.die said further, tli.it most ■arbitrary fnet'P.'oJs oUUiined men ;is tor as Kiiroftniiis were concerned, "Ikcentiy 1 v.v.s informed by a. while man concerned that ho had visited a Government station, and learned that lie had bnion fined i.5 lor stealing coconuts Ho asked lor particulars, bat was given none. All that (lie officials would tell him was that ;i lino had been imposed, and would luivo to I>3 puid, or he would be sent to gaol. , The punitive expeditions, Mr. Goldie declares, are sometimes «»tried out with a degree of cruelty that made tine's blood boil. In one' or two instances, at least, no genuine attempt had been made to capture tho actual perpetrators of a crime, but expeditions; led by young hot-heads had gono through, islands with tiro and sword, buirning and slaughtering indiscriminately. Villages hail been reduced to ruins, gardens destroyed, and the lives token of people who vera quite innocent of any oflence. Surely it was time in ti country where tho British flag ilew that u stop was put to tlieso barbarous practices.