Papuan Affairs

Natives’ Realisation of Position

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby, Sept. 8.

PAPUAN residents are very conscious of the world-wide slump. But there has been, to date, very little real hardship.

Plantations have been obliged to pass dividends and to make heavy calls on their reserves, but there have been no crashes.

Two of the local stores have reduced wages a little and have suffered a con siderable loss of trade owing to their inability to compete with the prices of goods imported direct by the consum er from Australia. But they are still going strong, and presumably they are doing well out of their more regular customers.

The public revenue shows consider able contraction, due in part to the reduction of the subsidy from the Com monwealth, but in greater measure to the falling off in Customs revenue. But civil service salaries have not been reduced and a primage tax of four oer cent, represents the sole additional burden on the public.

These conditions compare very fav ourably with those obtaining in any other part of the world, and the sense of restriction which is common to all residents in Papua is likely to do far more good than harm.

The character of the natives has changed very considerably in the more settled districts. Up till two years ago they were inclined to look upon their employers as possessed of unlimited wealth, with inexhaustible supplies of sugar, tobacco, money and other desir able commodities at their command.

It was a common occurrence for a native, paid off with £60 to £100 for his year’s work, to spend the whole of that amount within a day or two on a big feast for his relatives and friends.

Economy on the part of employers, and a wise restraint exercised by the Administration, have taught them that resources are not limitless, and that Dayment is not merely a matter of goodwill, but a fair consideration for value received in labour or in kind.