The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-07-23
The Diversions Of a Prime Minister
by Basil Thomson.
How Ex-Rev. Shirley w. Baker Ruled
KfnGdom-Final Expulsion from
the COuntry-AmusinE Conversation
with Native Minister OF Finance.

The following interesting and
highly instructive paper was read
by Prof. w. D. Alexander before
recent meeting of the Mission Chill
dren's Society:
'sThe Diversions OF Prime Minis
ter" by Basil Thomson, 1894, is the
title of a very entertaining book, one
of peculiar interest to us Hawaiians,
on account of the many curious par
allels that can be drawn between the
course of affairs in Hawaii and in
Tonga, as well as between the career
of ex Rev. Shirley Waldemar Baker,
Premier of Tonga, and that of Walter
Murray Gibson, Premier of Hawaii.
A few statements regarding the
little kingdom of Tonga may be in
place here. 1t consists of the islands
of Tongatabu and Ena, together with
the Haapai and Vavau groups, lying
between 15 degrees and % degrees
south of the equator, east of FIT and
south of Samoa. 1t contains the ac-
tive volcano of TOfua. The inhabit-
ants, who strongly resemble the Ha-
waiians, number about $4,000, and are
slowly diminishing, not 20 much from
a high death rate rs a low birth rate.
The principal export is copra, be-
sides which Vavau supplies oranges
for the Australian markets. The ex-
ports for 1891 amounted to $378,914
and the imports to $262,l17 The na--
tives' staff of life is the yam, supple
mented by the banana. The horses
originally introduced from New Zea-
land have destroyed nearly all the
breadfruit trees in Tonga, by tearing
off the bark as high up as they can
reach.
The people appear to have now
reached about the same stage of civili-
ZatiOn that the HaWaiianS had at
tanned during the 'forties.
Like other southern Polynesians,
the men generally wear the ''vala" or
kilt, trousers and shoes being reserved
for ceremonial occasions. The manu-
facture of tapa or "ngatu" is by no
means dying art as in these islands.
Kava drinking is still conducted with
all the ceremonial of the Olden time,
except that the roots are now pounded
on a fiat stone, instead of being
chewed by women, as formerly.
Although a constitution (Konisitu-
tone) was adopted under the influence
of the Wesleyan missionaries in 1862,
yet the feudal system still exists. A
commoner is still obliged to dismount
IIOu1 hO1So On hS0JIHS d CDIct VI
when passing his house, and
to make humble obeisance, "mOe-
moe" if on foot. To pass
though q village without "a girdle
around the waist or with tuEban on
the head is a gross breach of etiquette,
punishable by fine of dollar.
The present system of land tenure
comes very near Henry Georges
ideal, the poll tax being now consid-
cred as a laud tax or rent. Every tax
payer is entitled to an inalienable
on condition of regular pay
ment of taxes.
In 1891 Mr.. Thomson carried through
a law providing that the Government
should collect and pay over the rents
of the chiefs, so as to reserve the right
of granting allOtments and the power
of eviction. No foreigner can own
land in fee simple in Tonga, but he
can lease it from the Government.
The only foreigners in Tonga be
sides the missionaries are q few Aus
tralian and German traders, who buy
copra from the natives in exchange
for goods. Foreigners can claim the
right to be tried in Consular courts in
civil suits, and for offenses recognized
rs felonies and misdemeanOrs by Eng
glish law. The sale of liquor to ma
lives is forbidden, under heavy PEN
altits.
The great mass of the people are
Wesieyans, though there is Roman
Catholic mission in TOngatabu.
Mr.. Basil Thomson gives an anus
ing description of the "bolotu," or
night service, which he calls a "pious
0rgy," adding that it is "far more
than the orgies OF the
Salvation Army" It begins with COM
petitive choir singing, and later Oh
becomes an experience and confession
meeting of highly emotional type.
More amusing is his account of the
fakamisonaIi," or grand missionary
which reminds one OF the
US, d in some Hawaiian coun-
try churches, but in Tonga the en-
5husiasm is much greater, and liberal
bring down thuuders of
applause from the house. Probably
20 people in the world give more in
to their means for church
purposes than the TOngans.
There appears to be a good system
If common schools in the native lau-
yuage, aud high school or college at
which, strange to say;
urus out first-class shorthand report
rs in the TOngan language. Yet all
he government printing is done in
A auckland, y. T., and no lougan
seems TO have received an English
,ducatiOn.
The Tongans are a race of athletes,