Sunshine Cruise

Six Members on a Sunshine Cruise Opportunities for New Guinea Hospitality

THE following inconspicuous paragraph appeared in the Sydney newspapers on June 5: “Interest in New Guinea problems has led Mr. J. T. Jennings, M.P., (leader), and Messrs. A. Lane, McClelland, Price, Stacey, and Nairn, members of the Commonwealth Parliament, to sail by the Macdhui next week to spend about two weeks in the Territory on an unofficial investigation.

The Administrator, General McNicol, will give them facilities.”

On behalf of the residents of New Guinea, we can only hope for the best; but we fear the worst —and that is, that these six worthy Parliamentarians are merely following the ways of their kind all the world over.

Solemnly assuring the respectful reporters that they are “to spend two weeks on an unofficial investigation in the Territory,” they actually are going to enjoy a sunshine cruise to the Islands, thus escaping the depth of the Australian winter.

The information they will gather in two weeks will be worse than useless. Tropical administration is a job for trained experts, and has no relation whatever to the accursed system which gives us Party Governments, professional politicians, and “democratic” Parliaments. What can they know of New Guinea who only the New Guinea ports know? What can they learn in a fortnight, running round on the Macdhui?

They will have a hundred conflicting tales poured into their ears, and they necessarily will get their views of New Guinea affairs from odd angles. They will return to Canberra to pose asauthorities on the Pacific —the shorter their stay in the Islands, the more confidently do such tourists advance their opinions!—and they probably will make themselves a well meaning nuisance to the Administrators of New Guinea and Papua.

However, they travel as Parliamentarians —with the usual substantial transport concessions, no doubt —and we hope they will have a pleasant trip.

New Guinea hospitality is famous: and, if our friends there only will rise to the occasion, and keep this little band of kindly gentlemen more or less under the influence of Messrs. Tooth and Toohey during the two weeks’ visitation —it is a fine old Islands custom —they will be doing the Territories a real service.

The foregoing is written sorrowfully, rather than offensively. This writer, on about seven different occasions, has had opportunities for seeing the results of Parliamentary jaunts to the Islands, from both Australia and New Zealand, and is of opinion that such things should be forcibly suppressed.—R.W.R.

WAU, June 7. —It is reported here that a party of six politicians (U.A.P. and Country Party) will visit us by the June Macdhui, and that another party (Lang-Labour members) will follow on the Montoro. Help!