Policy

N.G. Native Affairs

Another Demand For Revision

To the Editor.

Sir, —The miner and others take all the risks—the Administration no risk whatever.

During recent months, a prospector named Baum, with several of his boys, was killed by the kanakas, on the Watut River. Two brothers, M. and P.

Leahy, were attacked before daylight, but owing to one of their boys giving warning they were able to beat the natives off and give a good account of themselves. Pilot Trist crashed somewhere about the Watut, and he and his plane were lost.

In the first case the Administration sent out a patrol, to enquire into the matter. All the patrol did was to capture six monkeys (small boys). The excuse made was that they intended to teach the monkeys “pidgin” and so find out all about it. Now, why did they not capture six men instead of monkeys—men would be much easier to catch? Did the patrol not go as far as the village of the murderers?

If not, why not? Why were the monkeys put in calaboose and, because they escaped, hunted all over the country? They have since recap tured four of them, and so the mat ter will end.

Anyone who knows the native knows that punishment should be meted out to them as soon as pos sible after they have done anything wrong—not long afterwards. The boys say, “Kanaka he kill master and plenty boy, gobberment he no fight them, gobberment he nothing.”

In the second case the brothers Leahy were awakened by one of their boys calling out, “Master, kanaka he come.” This enabled them to seize their arms and open fire. Daylight showed that they had given a good account of themselves. But, owing to their wounds, they had to go to Salamaua as soon as possible. It is their intention to go back and give the natives a few kindly words of advice. They are the kind of boys who will do it, and they have the best wishes of all miners and recruit ers. Here, the Administration did nothing but close the district for min ing and recruiting, instead of supply ing all miners and recruiters with ammunition. They could have got the matter settled for good, without any cost to themselves.

It makes one wonder what sort of Administration we have, as far as native affairs are concerned. The League of Nations cannot be claimed as a shelter. During the Samoan trouble, the Chairman of the Council is reported to have stated: “In my country we have a way of dealing with people who do not pay their taxes,” thus showing that he did not agree with our milksop method of treating the native. If the Adminis tration is from Australia, then it must be from that class of people who knit sox and make underclothing for the poor dear native to wear.

Is it not time that the administra tion of native affairs should be placed in the hands of men who have had outside and independent knowledge of the native, before taking up the administration of natives, and then given a free hand to work. It must be remembered that recruiters and all others who visit native villages must make friends with the native. As they must have about 10 boys to carry their own gear and supplies, they must depend upon the native villages for their boys’ food. There are cases where miners have gone to villages and recruited labour where a couple of weeks before the Kiap and his police boys had been chased out with spears.

The administrative official has no chance to study the native, and never will. The native knows that he is an official, and acts accordingly. If he goes to a village, the native knows that he is coming and the place is all nice and clean.

Some years ago I went to a village on the south coast, and noticed that for miles before I got there the road was broomed. On my arrival, the Luluai nearly cried, as he had heard that it was the Kiap that was coming, so had got his boys and Marys out on the job.

The same thing applies to the mis sions. The boys wear the lap-lap of religion when the missionary is about, and so are seen as very good boys only. That noted missionery, the Rev.

Mr. Carey, says: “You cannot make a Christian out of a native until you civilise him first —and that is impos sible, for the wildest native in the bush, be he man or woman, is better than he who has mixed with the white race, for he copies all the vices of the white man, but not one of his virtues.”

No one can deny the truth of that statement. Every boy in calaboose belongs to a mission of some sort.

A few weeks back a recruiter, R.

O’Sullivan, called at a village on the Markham to obtain carriers, but the Luluai said that the Kiap had told him that he was not to let any miners or recruiters have carriers, or allow any of his boys to be recruited. If this is correct, then the matter wants looking into. If the Luluai was lying

—which is more likely then the Kiap should interview him. Still, it shows that the prestige of the Admin istration, as far as the native is con cerned, is “Gobberment, he nothing.” —Yours faithfully,

A. Le Breton Mount

Wau, Salamaua.