Kwato Mission And Trading

Normanby Resident Returns to the Attack

Letter to the Editor

IT was with great interest that I read the letter by Mr. E. W. Harrison in your issue of May on the subject of Traders and Missions.

His criticism of Kwato was quite justi fied. I was within a mile of them when they were trading shovels, dishes and picks to the local natives in return for gold; and, further, I had made no less than four complaints to the magistrate at Samarai about illicit trading in gold by Kwato em ployees.

Further, previous to coming to Nor manby Island, I was at Bubuletta, in Milne Bay. when a Kwato native employee ar rived with scales and bought gold from the locals.

Mr. Harrison is to be commended for the manner in which he has expressed the views of the population in the Eastern end of the Territory, although, as he states, none have so far had the courage to take action.

Nothing has been published, so far, but the opinion of the general public is that some years ago Kwato broke away from the L.M.S. and formed themselves into a company under the name of Kwato Exten sion Incorporated which, as the latter word implies, was done in America.

For some unknown reason, although this

Company was clearly a trading concern, our benevolent government still continued to pay them a large subsidy every year, and also still granted them immunity from the Native Labor Ordinances and Regulations.

This grant is, we understand, given osten sibly for the purpose of conducting a technical school for natives at Kwato. The amount of the grant is a secret. Enquiries from officials at this end elicit the same reply: they don’t know how much or under what heading the grant is classified in the estimates.

This is a matter for the Federal Parlia ment to take up and ask this Administra tion why this registered Company is given a large grant every year and allowed all the privileges of a Mission Society, when it is well known that it is a trading con cern, and with the help of this grant and privileges is allowed to compete against Europeans who are struggling for a bare living these times. With the generous help of the government, and the privileges ac corded them, this Company can underquote any tradesman or traders in the Territory, and when it comes to scratching for a few weights for a bare living, the poor old fos sicker has no earthly chance against them.

That this advantage has been recognised by the manager of Kwato is shown by the very versatile business he is conducting.

It covers storekeeping, trading, carpenter ing, plumbing, boat builders, shipwrights, shop proprietors, tailors, printers, wharf lumping, and working and buying alluvial gold.

The ordinary man, to secure labor, has to give an order to a licensed recruiter, or else obtain a boat and do it himself. If the latter, he must obtain a boat complying with the regulations. He must not carry more than the registered tonnage allows.

He then has to sign the native on, which costs 7/-. He must pay the minimum wage of 10/- per month, supply a blanket, calico, plate and spoon, and mosquito net where necessary. Then the recruited native has to be given so many cubic feet of air space in the building approved by the govern ment; supply list of rations; all medicines; hospital fees 2/- a day; vitamins A to Z; and lastly, but not least, usually 20/- to send him home after his time has expired.

Persons exempt from the Ordinance can use any old boat they like, carry an un limited number on board, no question as to what wages or food are supplied, no sign fees, no hospital fees and, under these privileges, are evidently exempt from even vitamins considered so important by our C.M.O. for all natives in the employ of Europeans.

When one considers the state of the copra market, and the fact that trading is gener ally stagnant, it is a marvellous thing for this Company to maintain 17 Europeans and a large native staff on the small island of Kwato.

Mr. Harrison remarks, in reference to this Company’s activities in Milne Bay, that it was up to the local men to com plain. Perhaps they may have had the same treatment as I got when I complained.

I reported to the magistrate, twice verb ally and twice by letter, that Kwato natives were illegally buying gold for the manager of Kwato. I was told verbally that the matter would be looked into. My letters were ignored altogether. Further, I fol lowed this up and wrote to His Excellency about the unfair competition of this Corn

pany, and also asked the Samarai Chamber of Commerce to support me, which they did by interviewing the Governor in Samarai. The result I have not yet heard and have had no reply from the Governor.

I had to shift out of Milne Bay owing to the Kwato natives pegging all the ground; and on arrival at Normanby Island I find them here as well.

Two men just recently interviewed the Governor in Samarai and asked for some assistance to search for gold. They were told it was impossible, as if they were to get assistance everyone else would want the same. And yet here is this registered Company getting very considerable assist ance, and they are apparently using it in a feverish search for gold all over the Eastern end of the Territory.

The L.M.S. stronghold was in Milne Bay.

One could safely say that the whole of the population there were followers of what they term “Kwato Mission”: and they are still ardent followers. They do not know anything about Incorporated Companies, therefore an outsider has absolutely no chance of competing against a trading con cern mixed with the missionary business.

In my opinion, the manager of Kwato is not to blame for making all he can in a legitimate manner. I blame the lax atti tude of the government for allowing such things to happen. If they give a subsidy for technical purposes, it is up to them to see that the whole of that amount is spent on the business for which it is given. If it is, neither Mr. Harrison nor myself can complain. If it is not, then our complaints are justified.

I was always under the impression that all grants were subject to the Common wealth Audit Department. Is this Com pany also exempt from this? They cer

tainly appear exempt from all building re gulations. They have had the best allot ment in Samarai for the last 24 years, to my knowledge, lying idle, anyone else has to build within 12 months.

As the finding of gold is about the only thing that will save this country, it would not be a bad idea for the Governor to read what the Queensland Government are doing in assisting the unemployed to find it, and also the wonderful success which they are having. It would be surely more appro priate to assist Australians, out of work after years in this country, than to be so generous to a foreign Company—especially America, with their antagonistic attitude towards Britain over the war debts. The cost of sendings native medical students to Sydney to learn nothing, except more bad habits, would have equipped an expedition inland to look for gold.

There were a number in Samarai who were openly complaining about the unfair competition of Kwato. Now is the time to hop out in the open—let’s hear from them!

I am, etc.,

Reg. Fletcher.

Kwanaula, Normanby Island, Papua. 23/6/34.

Colonel Hooper, a Queensland school in spector, who has been inspecting the vari ous schools in Papua, left Port Moresby for Brisbane on his return by the Macdhui on October 17.

Mr. L. P. Armour, who has been ap pointed to take charge of the Shell Com pany’s depot at Suva, Fiji, left Sydney for the Colony in October. Formerly, he was in charge of the Shell depot at Townsville, Queensland.

A wireless comedian complains that there are very few new jokes. Listeners have always known that.