REACHING OUT TO NEW FIELDS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2716, 10 March 1916, Page 7

REACHING OUT TO NEW FIELDS

4 SALVATION ARMY WORK A RECONNAISSANCE IN FIJI —i t Commissioner 11. C. Hodder, of tho Salvation Army, accompanied by Brigadier Bray, returned to New Zealand this week from Fiji by the Makura. In ilio 'course of ail interview, the Commissioner stated that so far the Army had not established itself in the group, and it was for the purpose of reconnoitring the ground with a veiw Co an extension of the Army's activities in that direction that lie had visited .Fiji, There were, in round numbers, about SU,OOO Fijians, -iO,UOO Indians, -JUUU whites, and a few Solomon Islanders and Sainoans in the groui> at present. The Anglican Church was established i.ti Suva, but concerned itself mostly with the white population, and did a little missionary work. A ltonian Catholic Church also existed in Suva, and its representatives worked for the whites and did some missionary work among the Fijian®.- The Methodists were working among the l''ijians, but did little amongst the Indians—nothing; in fact, to speak of. It was therefore quite evident that, both from spiritual and educational points of view, tho Indian population, which, as tho figures will.show, is roughly one-third of tho population of the group, is tlip most neglected. The authorities were doing nothing to educate their children, which was to be regretted. The Indian Workers. Commissioner Dodder found' that the Indian population was very dissatisfied, though they confessed that their Jiving conditions- were hotter in Fiji than ill India. One cause of dissatisfaction was the limited number of women (Indians), which created grave difficulties, particularly when tho white man came between them and their own kind. Shortly , before tliey arrived in Suva a white man had been murdered over some such trouble, and the guilty Indian was lying in the Suva gaol under sentence of doatli. Mr. Hodder had an interview with the governor of the gaol, and ascertained that out of 200 prisoners then under liis care two-thirds of them were.lndians, Only three inmates were white's. , The Commissioner also the Acting-Governor of Fiji (Mr. Hutson),- who said that ho appreciated the' good work that was done in other countries by the Salvation Army, and if it were decided to commence work in Fiji, lie hoped they would let him know in order that he ,ciuld assist them in making a start 011 ah amicable basis. -A Gall. , Personally he thought that there was a new field of activity for the Army in Fiji. The Inspector and Sub-Inspector of the Police -were of opinion that there was a need of somotliing more than was being done at present, particularly among tho Indian population, and only tho day before they arrived t-lieso officials liad, coincidentally, been wondering why the Salvation Aranv had never come to Fiji. They also thought tlmt there would be a great response from the Fijians. Nominally they were Christians ndw, but the numbc-r of genuinely..converted natives who led Christian lives was comparatively few. There were very sensible liquor laws in vogue as far as the Fijians and Indians were concerned. They were not allowed to purchaso drink at oil—they were all, in law, prohibited persons, and were not allowed to be out and about after II o'clock at night. 110 was sorry to say that he noticed a -few whites under tho influence of drink—there were wastrels in every community— and one could imagine the bad influence they had on tho native mind, still on the wliolo, drunkenness was very limited. Asked if the Army was to extend its activities to Fiji, Commissioner Hodder said that tho matter was still under consideration. Notliing would be done, however, until aftor the war, When they probably would commence operations there.