Judicial System In

New Guinea

And a Ministerial “Reply”

THE following appeared in “The Age,"

Melbourne, a couple of months ago: Complaints made by a resident of New Guinea in a letter to “The Age” regard ing the ill-treatment of natives by whites, and the inadequate punishment imposed by the judiciary were put before the Minister in Charge of Territories (Sir G.

Pearce). The Minister made an immediate investigation by radioing to the Administration of New Guinea, and latter made the following statement; — “The Administration is particularly zealous in dealing with the welfare of natives, and takes appropriate action in any case of alleged ill-treatment. I have the fullest confidence in the ability and impartiality of the judiciary of the territory, and the Administration takes every care to ensure the submission to the courts of adequate evidence.”

Referring to a complaint that there was no jury system in the territory, the Minister said that the appointment of jurors would not affect the extent of any sentence, inasmuch as the function of a jury was to decide whether, on the evidence submitted, the accused person was guilty or not guilty. The actual sentence was then determined by the judge in accordance with the provisions of the law of the territory. The institution of the jury system in New Guinea has received consideration from time to time, but it had been decided that in the existing condition of the territory a jury system would not be warranted.

The Minister added that with one exception persons who had been charged during the last four years with the illtreatment of natives in New Guinea were not employed by the Administration.

Captain Kendrick, who recently had been carrying out investigations in the auriferous country near the Brown River, 150 miles from Port Moresby, arrived in Sydney from Papua by the Montoro in May. After consulting with the principals of a syndicate which is interested in the gold prospects of Papua, he will return to the territory at the end of June.