Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-04-15

OF graceful movement aud Inc proper
tion. The women, when young, have
good forms, and some have really
pretty faces, but they soon lose their
| figures, and at middle age are wrinkled,
gross and rspulsiye.
Both sexes wear their hair long. 1t
is black and inclined TO De curly or
kinky. II is gummy and tied in tufts
cut into fantastic shapes, every man
and woman aiming to have his or her
hair as different in make up from the
other as possible. Even harder 10
eradicate than canuibalism was poly
gamy, and it is whispered that to this
day many OF the chiefs, nOminally very
good Christians, still secretly adhere,
in practice as we'll as belief, TO 4
plurality OF wives; but, then, is not the
same charge made against our own
Mormon elders in Utah?
Suchsoi the old Fjian customs as
we're found not to seriously interfere
with the progress of civilization have
been wisely retained, aud the heredl-
tary CHIEFS have been kept Ia authority.
The native local governments and the
methods OF land tenure might we'll De
regarded as models by the most ad-
vanced communists OF to-day.
The Ficians live under community
system All the islands are divided into
gals, which are re-divded iato mata-
gals. OF these gals or tribes there are
l4O, and of matagajis or families about
1000 residing in 1920 communes or
villages, Regarded as a colony, the
AL IL. 4 fr,f 81 v
or districts of about 10000 inhabitants
each. These numbers are very fairly
proportiOned to the provinces, SO that
the population Is very scattered over
the whole group. The provinces and
their subdivisions or tikinas are each
governed by an hereditary CHIEF, his
district being proportioned 20 his rank
The chiefs and the people are the
hereditary owners OF all the lands, oc-
cupiad and unoccuDied, and each user
Of land is taxed for that amount which
he takes To himself, for the time being,
trem the common domain. Continuity
of use by the same family, even for
generations, does not work to ALLEVIATE
tho land used, for among the Ftjians
there is not and never has been SUCH
thing as a fee simple title % realty.
The principle OF these people, and II
has existed as the chief of their laws,
is that land can only be owned by the
people in common; that It is theirs Ito
use for the benefit Of the common com
muniy or brotherhood, whether they be
full birthright members or only stran-
gers admitted 10 share In the benefit Tor
q time. or adopted into it for good, "
The aged, the crippled and the helpless
are supported from tae land taX-1Ot
as q charity, but as right.
The houses Of these people are eX-
aCtly suited 20 the climate, aud not q
few Europeans have adopted with ad-
vantage the same style OF architecture,
which is OF the beehive style, with roll
| ing mats about the sides. The Fijisns,
gay light-bearted people among
| themselves, live In towns or villages,
aud are particularly fond OF agriculture,
for which they show an intelligent
aptitude, readily adopting the appii-
auceS of the white man and falling In
VITA his methods. g There is not a town
OF village that has not its public school,
and 10 is rare 20 meet q native between
the ages Of 10 aud so who cannot read,
write aud cyuher Women, instead OF
being treated like slaves as in the past,
are now regarded with somewhat like
chivaIric respsct, aud instead Of doing
all the agricultural work they are ex-
smpt from labor i'm the fields. Person
al property Is sacred to the owners as
the product OF his own efforts, aud
many OF tue chiefs and their retainerS
have good bank accounts and are re-
garded as wealthy.
The political unit is the village.
Each of these is ruled by an hereditary
chiel-before Christianity title came
through the mother who is further
endorsed or appointed by tho district
council la addition TO the chief each
village has magistrate, with one or
more Constables, 10 enforce the law.
A garden aud farm overSeer, whose
duty 10 is to assess the taxes aud to see
that the land occupied by tenants Is
being used 20 the best advantage, Is
also an important officer. Representa-
tives from the villages meet Ia the dis
trict councils, aud these again elect
delegates TO the colonial council or
parliament. This splendid machinery,
it should be borne in mind, did not
come through the white man, but is OF
purely native aud spontaneous growth.
The communes keep open the roads and
bridges, provide public baths, see that
cleanliness is maintained in the villages
and support the schools, IN which all
take the greatest pride.
Nor are the FIjisns a race or lotus
eaters, dwelling lin summer isles OF
Eden sot in purple spheres OF sea-
they are the happieSt and the most in
dustrious people In the world. There
are no loafers in the villages. From
the lad OF twelve up 20 the old man,
all have their own plots Of ground set
apart from the common, and they work
them 10 the greatest advantage. Even
women, and many Of them not widows,
have their own particular gardens, pay
taxes for the use OF them, and are free
20 eniov the profits Of their own labor.
As a consequence OF this ready access
10 the land there are no poor people In
Fiji. and a beggar prompted TO solicit
through want OF iiie's necessities, is .
thing unknown.