Papuan Council.

Ceaseless Search for Revenue.

From Our Own Correspondent PT. MORESBY, August 1.

THE deliberations of the Legislative Council kept Port Moresby residents in a hush of awed expectancy from July 11 to 22. But the session ended peacefully, and even Mr. J. G. Nelsson, that genial and beloved old war-horse, found little to cavil at.

He objected to giving power to the Executive Council to appropriate annually from revenue, without refer ence to the Legislative Council, any deficit in the Superannuation Fund; but he was supported by only two of the other four non-official members, and his energy was wasted.

A number of Bills, all of minor im portance to the layman, were passed without adverse discussion, and the Estimates went through practically un criticised.

Discussion of the Appropriation Bill was quite free from controversy, and was saddened by the fear that the amount deducted last year from the Commonwealth Grant may not be restored.

W. S. Gilbert’s Mikado who, in his enthusiastic ambition “to make the punishment fit the crime” found his thoughts turning to “something humorous but lingering; boiling oil, or melted lead” would have been tickled by the suggestions of certain councillors as to methods by which revenue might be increased. A tax on salaries was visualised by one imaginative member; and this prompted another earnest legislator to propose deductions from Public Service salaries.

The heat engendered by the introduc tion of this controversial subject was dispelled by a humourist who wanted to impose income tax; and still another

law-giver wanted to gloat over the effects of additional primage.

But the general feeling of the meeting seemed to be that the patient’s strength was so far depleted that any of the suggested operations must terminate fatally.

The session ended with a feeling of satisfaction at the creditable manner in which Papua has got through what was probably the worst year in its history; and there is general confidence that the Administration is capable of facing, if even worse conditions in the future.

As a set-off to that confidence there exists the knowledge that continual paring-down of expenditure must sooner or later result in decreased efficiency: and if a part of the Commonwealth Grant is again withheld the effects can not but be serious. The Papuan Admin istration has built up, slowly and with ungrudged pains, a machine which functions admirably. But no machine yet invented can give out more power than is put into it. Without the force of adequate funds the machine is use less. Given that force, the Administra tion can be relied upon to transform it into efficient and economic motion.