FIJIAN CHIEFS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 September 1924, Page 8

FIJIAN CHIEFS.

A VISIT TO BRITAIN. An interesting group of three Fijian chiefs arrived, in Auckland recently by the Mamari, on their way to Suva after attending the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley. Ratu Jqni A. Rabiki and Ratu P. Veli have been on a deputation to the King on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of British afcu J- L. V. Sukuna, 8.A., has been acting as the Assistant Commissioner to Sir Mavnard Hedstrom at the Fiji Court. ‘ The Court attracted considerable attention, and was visited by over ten*thousand persons every week. The chief attraction i i e display was the tara, or native cloth, with which the walls were covered.

.The opinions of the chiefs regarding the New Zealand Court are interesting. 1 hey sa\ that the lack of arrangement is disappointment, and there is no scenic display such as is to be seen in the Courts of Canada op Australia. They consider the Indian Court to be like a vast bazaar, which is badly set up. One of the objects of the chiefs’ visit to England was to interview the Secretary of State for the Colonies with a view to obtaining the reorganisation of the Native Department in Fiji Mr Thomas was very sympathetic and it is probable that as a result of the intervmw a proper Native Department will be instituted, and that a Native Commissioner will represent the peonle m both the Legislative and Executive Councils of Fiji. In the course of a conversation with the chiefs the King said he was glad that British rule in Fiji had been appreciated from the time of Queen Viotoria. He was pleased to accept a tabun ot whales’ teeth as a token of the esteem of his people for their soveF is . Ma i est Y was surprised that til© chiefs visited hiixr wen vino*.Jv,|*i*Qp££p dress. He had expected see them wearing the native solu, or kilt. Ratu Rabiki informed him he was afraid that if they appeared in Piccadilly in solu they would be placed under arrest for obstructing the traffic. Ratu Veli was in England once before when he attended the coronation of the King. Ratu Rabiki* was • incessant in his activity during the war in raising funds for patriotic and for his valuable work was invested with the 0.8. E

The voungest member of the party is Ratu Sukuna. who was educated at Wanganui Collegiate School and Oxford University. He has had a distinguished career, and is a member of tlm Middle Temple. He was in England when the war broke out. but owing to some delav in being accepted for service, he crossed to France and joined the French Foreign Legion, in which he served for two years. He was severelv wounded, but. "recovered and later joined the British Forces. TMr Sukuna was the guest of ditgui gnished people in England, and beenm«a personal friend of the Prince o r Wales.