NO NATIONAL DEBT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 881, 27 January 1930, Page 8

NO NATIONAL DEBT

TONGA HAS A SURPLUS OF £140,000 HAPPY, CONTENTED RACE The richest little kingdom in th 4 world is Tonga. With no natioiS debt and a credit balance of more th%* £ 140,000, Tongans lead a care-fre* life. The Hon. J. D. Wall, AuditorGeneral of Tonga, and a member of the Cabinet which wields the destioy of the Tongan group, told this to a Sun man today. Before being appointed to Tonga, Mr. Wall, who is in the service q£ the British Colonial Office, was for many years in tbe West He is now visiting Auckland. The head of the Tongan Government is Queen Salote (Charlotte), who was educated at the Diocesan Girls* School in Auckland. She succeeded to the throne in 1919 when she was about IS years of age. She is married to one of the leading chiefs of the group, who is officially recognised as the Prince Consort. The method of government is simple. The queen is the head and is also president of the Privy Council, composed of members of the Cabinet appointed by her. The Privy Council is the principal body and Cabinet deals with all land questions. Then there is the Legislative Council, which is elective, seven members representing the people, and seven representing the Tongan nobles, while members of the Cabinet are ex-officio members. The British Consul acts as adviser to the Government of the islands, which are under the protection of Britain. There is a head tax of 36s a year on every Tongan male of 16 or over, but every youth, on attaining that age, receives 8i acres of land as g farm and almost half an acre of property in the town as a residential sit* Nukualofa is the capital of tbe group on the island of Tongataba, The Haapai and Vavau groups and two northern islands are administered from there. Should the head tax not be paid by a certain date the offender is sued. Then he is distrained upon and if bi has no goods, is sent to prison. There is a population of about 25,066 natives and 2,000 Europeans in tfe# islands, and copra is the chief industry. Though there are picture shows the talkie has not yet arrived. Bowliqg, tennis and golf afford ample amusement for the w'hite population. The Tongans vote an allowance of £ 2,000 a year for their queen to keep up the dignity of her position and entertain distinguished visitors from overseas. Crime of any kind is very rare and the natives are a pleasant and sympathetic race. They are mostly Wesleyans by faith. More than 150 motor vehicles ape owned in the islands, the roads being formed of coral and bitumen. “A pleasant, equable climate and d happy, industrious race of peopie makes life worth living down there,* said Mr. Wall.