Tailspins & Tiki Gods:The Authorities

The Colonial Government

Full Name: Établissements Français de l'Océanie (French Establishments in Oceania)

Capital: Papeete, Tahiti. (OOC: If you're asking a question about where to find [Western convention or amenity not in Port Cochere], it's probably in Papeete- courts, jails, the military, newspapers, all that business.)

Executive:

Governor: Frédéric Marie Jean Baptiste Chastenet de Géry [RL person.] Appointed March of 1937.

Administrators: (TBA). A notable difference between the French and British systems is that a "native" would generally not be allowed to serve in British administration, where all in French territory are considered citizens. (That is, you may find islanders in administrative support roles in French Polynesia, but not British holdings.)

Legislature:

Privy Council: Advisors to the Governor.

Advisory Council: This was, formerly, a body of representatives from the Islands. In 1903, it was changed to a purely advisory administrative group.

Policies

In principle, the goal of the Establishment government is to bring the benefits of French civilization to the area: religion, scientific progress, and so on. It mainly does this through the method of "Direct Rule".

Direct rule differs from the British method in a several major ways: British governors are allowed more leeway for decision than their French counterparts (who carry out instructions from, and answer to, Paris). And where the British foster relationships with 'native leaders' (Chieftains, and so on), the French system considers all residents of its territory to be French. Therefore there is no official acknowledgement of tribal life, native traditions, or local mores. (French is the only language spoken in school or court, as well.)

The policy also encourages assimilation, and association (with somewhat more social intermixing than in the British system). There is somewhat less stigma in the French system on "going native", for example, or taking a 'native bride'. This also means that local languages play no part in local governance. [IRL, Polynesian languages were not used in official documents or education until 1980.]

The state owns all land not privately owned, and all citizens owe service (just like French conscripts do at home).

In practice, the colonies are profitable. Aside from serving as a trans-pacific waystation (and, now, a source of tourism via air-travel), French Polynesia has plantations that are hugely profitable (copra, pineapples, coconuts, etc). Oceania's trade has recovered from the Great Depression- both imports and exports are at more than quadruple the figures for 1933.

Policy toward Port Cochere: Officially, a blind eye. Over the last century-or-so, the French have ignored a lot, in order to get a lot out of it. So long as the Mayor of Port Cochere is doing his job properly, there is typically little in the way of direct engagement.

Policy toward the Kamekame: The Kamekame have shrewdly played the Establishment's game, first by wrangling up a Protectorate status, then by "buying" their own lands with trade-goods in the late 1800s. No Kamekame have ever sat on the Council when it had powers, and they continue not to, now that it's advisory in nature. For its part, the Governor's office have tended to depict the Kamekame to the outside world as too remote and isolated to deal with.

(In theory, they could assemble troops to seize the lands, for example, but this would be costly on several levels, gain little that the French aren't already getting, and furthermore would upset a few Government apple carts: a lot of outside official attention would be turned to Ile Trouve (which is not what anyone wants), and the Republic would want an official explanation for why so many resources were needed.)

The Mayor's Office

(For more on the Mayor himself, see here: [[1]] )

Term: Administrators serve tours of 2 years (3, the first time), then return home for 3 months' leave. (They may serve multiple terms).

Like mayors in Metropolitan (ie, "France France") France, the Mayor of Port Cochere represents the State, manages a staff, and commands the local police authorities. Unlike Metropolitan French mayors, the Mayor of Port Cochere is an appointed position- he isn't elected.

Duties:

Aside from this, the Mayor has duties typical of any mayor- represent the State, post laws and local regulations, validate signatures and assign permits, act during emergencies, and so on.

The Mayor also directly commands the Municipal Police (and may have people put in custody if there's reason to suspect them of a crime), may conduct preliminary investigations, and (being a civil officer) may officiate marriages.

As Port Cochere is 'outside' many typical French administrative functions (due to "oversight" or actually due to oversight), roles that normally fall to a prefect or commissioner (issue of documents, immigration control/passports, etc) is handled at the mayoral level. He is, also, sometimes instructed to assist in finding wanted persons. (These are, of course, unusual situations. It is extremely unlikely that anyone would find a wanted fugitive in Port Cochere!)

HQ: The Mairie

The Mairie (Town Hall) is a broad two-story building in La Haut Ville. (Something like a version of this: [2]) ground floor of the Mairie (Town Hall) is offices, the top floor a residence.

Traditionally, the mayors of Port Cochere have attempted to make the top floor as much of a slice of home as possible. If one never unshuttered the windows, one might squint and think one was in France.

The lower floor is, simply, a series of offices, storerooms, and support areas (such as a kitchen).

The Staff

There is a small household staff (cooks, cleaners, etc), but what is generally meant here is the administrative staff: a small group of functionaries (both French-ethnic and of Islander ancestry) who handle many of the day-to-day bureaucratic functions of the office. Many of them have worked for several mayors.

Relations:

vs. the Colonial Government:

The job of Mayor of Port Cochere is possibly the Toughest Job In Show Biz, so to speak. There is typically a great deal of turnover.

It's basically a circuit-breaker: So long as things are running quietly, the Mayor is fine, although he has the issue of creatively non-noticing things while also keeping tabs on them unofficially. If, on the other hand, something major should go wrong, the mayor is basically there to take the fall for it. (He is, in essence, the 'pit boss' for the proverbial 'gambling' that the Governor would be shocked- shocked to find in his establishment.)

vs the Kamekame: The history of the island makes relations with the Kamekame, largely, a draw. The Kamekame come into town to work, then return home. The Mayoral government, largely, stays put and doesn't go into Kamekame territory without a very good reason.

vs the Legionnaires: Various mayors have set different tones with the Foreign Legion outpost uphill from the Maiorie. Some called on them early and often, others encouraged them to stay put. The current mayor favors the latter, assuming that not doing so would cause fewer 'ripples'.

vs the Port Authority: The Mayor himself outranks and has charge over the Port Authority. In practice, the Mayor's office and the Port Authority are often at cross-purposes.

vs. VIPs: The Mayor's office keeps tabs on VIPs, even when they take no official notice of them. Socially, the Mayor himself is considered a sort of local dignitary (hosting functions and such) among the residents of Le Haut Ville. Other VIPs simply wish not to be noticed, so the Mayor's office arranges for them not to be noticed [OOC: leading to a 'just-enough' game where they have to notice them to be certain they're not being noticed. ;)].

The Port Authority

The rather grand-sounding Port Authority is, at most times, no more than 5-10 people. If need be, they can call on the police- but this is seldom necessary.

They are responsible for regulating both interisland trade (still mostly sail-driven, though steamers up to 200-300 displacement tons are coming on the scene) and incoming ships from far away. (Luckily, most of these vessels do not require fuelling- Port Cochere being merely a “through port” on the way somewhere else.)

Being mainly concerned with the harbor and the lagoon, the Port Authority seldom moves out of La Bas Ville. There are actually painted wooden poles denoting the limits of the Authority’s beat on land.

Structure: The Capitaine de Port, Alaine St. Heler de Montaigne, may have up to 10 agents at any given time. They answer to him directly, and he answers (rather tenuously) to the Mayor’s Office.

“Daytime Business” (and standing policies)

Contact with out-villages: there are minor atolls that can sustain no more than 40-50 people. The Port Authority checks in on them every so often, on behalf of the Mayor or Governor, if the villages are otherwise not heard from. (If they are in a lazy mood, they pay someone else to ‘knock on the doors’.)

Concessions: If it’s ashore, it’s the Town’s problem, but if you’re a businessman who approaches ships directly (say, rowing up to the side and offering goods on the spot), the Port Authority ‘has a word’. They also “recommend” porters/stevedores/longshoremen for freighters. (The town has a separate authority for the Marketplace, however. This has the effect of making landing and using the Marketplace a more effective option, which helps the town as a whole)

Customs & Tariffs Inspections: Typical items-of-interest include firearms (without proper documentation), drugs (especially Opium- both the local Benevolent Society and the Port Authority put their heavy boots on regarding this), wild or domestic animals NOT in transit.

Harbormastering: The Port Authority rigorously controls where private vessels (aside from very small craft) go while in the lagoon. The recent introduction of seaplanes makes this VERY IMPORTANT. (The Capitaine de Port has expressed an interest in making a ‘landing strip’ area of the lagoon taboo to islander boating, but this so far seems unworkable. And development of a rudimentary air-traffic control system is in progress.)

Hiring:They ‘recommend’ lighters (locally-run shore boats) for people who haven’t brought their own, as well as recommending locals for dockside work. (Here, they work with the Wangguan Benevolent Association’s hiring hall system, as well as native and local groups with identifiable ‘representatives’.)

Mooring: The Port Authority is responsible for charging for mooring (cost depending on location and availability, as well as duration.)

Navigation: They do maintain channel markers, as needed.

Notices to Mariners: The Port Authority is partly responsible for issuing weather and surf advisories, among other things. (OOC: If a kraken started preying on local boats, they would be the ones to have to decide whether to warn everyone or if it would “Cause a Panic”, a la most monster movies. ;) )

The On-Ship Rule: Ships’ crews are confined to ship after nightfall. This actually does have a certain crime-preventing effect. (It’s hard to mug sailors by night when those sailors are on their boats, for example, and drunken brawls are kept to a minimum), but shop-owners complain that it’s restraining trade. “Liberty of the Town” can be arranged through the Port Authority, or via the Mayor’s Office.

Passports: They do typically inspect them. They do not, however, stamp them (though they do have, if need be, access to a lovely set: Papeete, Nuku Hiva, Tubuai, Uturoa…). THEY ARE AN OFF-THE BOOKS EXCEPTION to the law that requires all foreign visitors to go through Papeete first. (This was a draw for the film company- shorter trip than going to Tahiti, then out to the island.)

Pilotage: If you have a larger vessel and wish to NOT drop anchor outside the lagoon’s barrier reefs, the Port Authority will charge you to have a PA Pilot either taking the wheel of your vessel or watch over your shoulder.

Quarantine: They are authorized to call ‘quarantine’ on a ship. This usually involves consulting with Port Cochere’s town doctor. If an initial inspection shows rampant vermin (rats, bugs, etc), contagious illness, or is shown to carry insufficiently contained dangerous live cargo, that vessel may be quarantined for any amount of time. Alternately, a ‘restricted bill of health’ may allow the crew to unload onto a lighter without any further contact or disembarkation. (This is a big deal- through a combination of vigilance and dumb luck, Ile Trouve is almost completely clear of invasive species like rats, and managed to avoid the worst of the global influenza epidemic in 1918.)

Registry: They gladly keep books of what registered ships have passed through, per international maritime custom. (They do it so gladly that they keep more than one book!) They also ask to know where you’re going, as ports often do. They do know that almost any answer they get is likely to be a lie, however. They also keep an eye out for stolen or otherwise ‘commandeered’ vessels.[OOC: It is by no means a dealbreaker. (“Typical business” means you pay the ‘expediting’ fee) ]

The Safe Harbor Rule: “Any port in a storm” is a law of the sea. The Port Authority cannot, by custom, refuse entry during an emergency. (Some clever bastards sometime try to arrive DURING a storm, in order to obtain berthing they otherwise would not get. They are seldom up to any good. )

Shipping News: Using ships notices given by Mr. Kinney (Port Cochere’s young radioman), they know who is announced to be coming or going.

Tugboat: The Port Authority also runs the majestic Le Pot de Rouille, Port Cochere’s only tugboat. If you’re being towed in, this is the only game in town.

“Nighttime Business”

If the Mayor’s office represents the high-end “intrigue” end of Port Cochere’s business, the Port Authority represents pure piratical instinct.

Additional Fees: While it is subsidized by the French government (represented in the person of His Honor the Mayor), the Port Authority nonetheless (off the record) extracts ‘fees for special procedures’ (for things likewise off-the-record). The most profitable fee the Authority uses is a ‘bypass’. Basically, for a fee, one need not bother oneself with the fine details. Port Liberty is sometimes sold, either for a fee or for a refundable security.

Obviously, this is only done within limits, otherwise nobody would use the harbor at all. Thus, all ‘fees’ must be justifiable to someone (ie, no straight up graft), and they must be taken in moderation (“Part of doing business”). The Port Authority does (per the old saw) “stay bought”, typically, and they know when to stop squeezing the stone.

They also keep the “surface tension” going. By making it prohibitive for smugglers or other demimondaines to just barge into the port, they encourage them to ‘transfer’ to light transport on out-islands, making it possible to say “we didn’t know!”. Since affordable anonymity is Ile Trouve’s most profitable industry, setting the price just-so is important.

“Hiring Fees” (ie kickbacks): In exchange for ‘primary recommendation’ in hiring, the Port Authority tends to want a “Finder’s Fee”. Bas Ville is chock full of be crewmen whose hitch is over for one reason or another (“They left without me.” “I wonder WHY, hm?”), drifters, stowaways, renegade islanders no longer welcome at home, even refugees (though they’d have to be really stubborn refugees to be way out here.) This can make hiring a nightmare. While the Port Authority does show favoritism in ‘recommendations’, it at least imposes as sense of order.

“Reading”: Members of the Port Authority have a knack for telling what’s on a ship and where it’s likely to go. (If you know the fuel-efficiencies of a ship and its fuel-load, you can find out where it’s going. Since ships rarely carry more ballast than they need to, a ship claiming to go a short distance while clearly loaded to go a long way (or vice versa) is of note. This information can then be ‘sold’ (to interested parties) or ‘sold back’ (to the owners of the ship in question). )

Relations:

vs the Mayor’s Office: There’s always been a bit of a turf war between the two bureauxs. The Mayor’s office is charged with validating documents, which sometimes bumps into the Port Authority’s “checking your papers”, for example. [OOC: The main difference is that while the Mayor’s office might be obstructionist while flexing their bureaucratic muscles or illustrating a larger point, the Port Authority is mainly just looking to ‘expedite things’.]

vs the Police: The Port Authority is fairly ginger about calling in the Municipals. They are not about to ask the Legionnaires to get involved, either. However, if they do see a crime committed that falls in either’s territory, they will call them immediately (theft, for example, or assaulting a Port Authority official.)

vs. The Navy: The French Navy is based at Papeete. While the Port Authority may technically call the Navy in for certain things, this ruins certain gentlemen’s agreements. (That is, the French naval officer will ask what is going on, not take “well, you know…” for an answer, and will log whatever he is told, accurately.)

vs. VIPs: Generally speaking, VIPs will be sized up on arrival. Exceptionally wealthy high-rollers tend to get “hands off” treatment, after initial contact. (Herr Zoransky for example.)

The Police

All French colonial law-enforcement attempts to model itself on the “home” model exercised in France. Port Cochere is no exception- though certain concessions have been made to Port Cochere’s unique situation.

At one point- due to the nature of the unique position of the Kamekame natives, vis a vis the town, it was considered to adopt a modified version of the Cercle system adopted in French West Africa, with appointed chieftains and so on. This plan did not survive contact (or lack thereof) with the Kamekame.

Therefore, an attempt was made to model the local forces on ones from Home.

-When role of the Gendarmerie nationale (that is, detached military-police responsible for public safety), this duty sometimes falls to the Legion Etrangere unit stationed at the fort overlooking town.

On occasion, they have done “Search and Rescue” missions in the countryside and coastal areas, such game-warden work as the island requires, crowd control and bodyguarding, securing the Port during emergencies, acting as an honor guard for dignitaries, and (of course) acting as Military Police amongst their own.

In deference to local wishes, the Legion command tends not to perform investigative functions, unless directly ordered to by the Governor (not the Mayor). They perform the other duties when requested by the Mayor, whom they file reports to for the duration. They generally arrive as armed and in uniform, as if they were on regular Legion business.

-La Sûreté (France’s crack National Police force) have a few officers in the Territory, but none stationed at Ile Trouve itself.

(They tend to be assigned to larger cities, and would only really have a detective visit if there was a major crime in Port Cochere that the Territorial Government felt required investigation. There is not much chance of the Territorial Government having major crime in Port Cochere that they wanted to be investigated.)

-This leaves the Polices Municipales, the police force that most Port Cochere residents see on average. The local Brigade of officers answers directly to the Mayor. While they technically share “rural guard” duties, if something requires forest ranger or ‘game warden’ duties, he gives it to the Legionnaires, owing to the delicacy of the Kamekame situation. Neither do they have investigative powers.

This leaves the Municipals as old-fashioned thieftakers. They break up fights, tell drunks and other disorderly people to go home, stop thefts and assaults, and provide assistance as needed. (If there were cars on Ile Trouve, they would ticket them, that sort of thing.) They have certain broadly-interpreted “good order” duties, and are supposed to help out in (for instance) disasters, but generally they stick to the basics: Patrolling and arresting. They wear a uniform (including a half-cape) and a baton. They do not typically carry firearms, though special circumstances may apply.

One thing that makes the local French colonial system different than the British colonial system is that the French system makes no differentiation between ‘subject’ and ‘native’- if an Islander is qualified to serve in the Municipals, they do. There is no ‘auxiliary’ or ‘tribal’ police force.

Also, all French citizens are considered eligible for national service, including colonial French. A great many Ile Trouveiens have taken the option of patrolling rather than, say, laying a road. (This is carefully tiptoed around in the case of the Kamekame, who are (diplomatically) assumed to ‘tend to their own law enforcement whilst on their private lands.’, due to a historical Protectorate status).

Police Powers

French law does not presume innocence, it presumes guilt. There is a right to silence, but they don’t need to remind you of it. Police may ask anyone to identify themselves, and hold unidentified people (even arrest them for resisting). They can question anyone about a case, search and seize property (during the day), detain suspects for up to a day without access to a lawyer for most of it.

Courts

The French Polynesian judicial system features a Court of First Instance, a Court of Appeal, and a Court of Administrative Law (which also handles things like business disputes). These are all located in Papeete, a fair distance away. If a case is not resolved locally (“Pay the fine, and don’t do it again”, for instance), the suspect is held until such time as he can be transported to court.

Jail/Punishment

There is a small jail here (maybe five or six old cells in a sun-blasted stone blockhouse), mainly used for holding prior to a prisoner transfer. Things tend to be “handled locally”, instead. French Polynesia has three prisons, none of which are near here. Rumor has it that the worst are still, unofficially, sent to the old penal colony at New Caledonia.

Generally speaking, there is a local distaste for jail-time- many of the French colonist’s forebears were sent to the island as Penal Colonists, so the idea just sits wrong. Fines and “alternate punishment” are favored as a result. Public execution (often by guillotine) is still common in France in this era- it’s an “arrow in the quiver”- but it has not been applied here for ages.

Le Deuxieme Bureau

The Second Bureau is France’s national intelligence agency. There are no apparent 2eme Bureau agents in Port Cochere, or on Ile Trouve as a whole. Neither the Mayor nor the Governor has ever contacted anyone from the Bureau. (It is left as an exercise for the reader to figure out exactly what use spies could be in Port Cochere.)

Firefighting

What firefighting exists in Port Cochere is on the volunteer "sand-and-water bucket chain" model.