New Tribes In
p. 39 · Read in the full issue
N. Guinea
Administration’s “Tenderness”
By “A Ramu Miner”
authorities, in closing the Ramu- Mount Hagen area, following upon the murder of the missionaries, are showing a tenderness for the natives which is not altogether approved by men who know this country.
This country has to be opened up. It is already being penetrated in all directions by prospectors; the gold is there and you cannot keep them out. It is no use dis playing too much tenderness towards the natives —if white men are to be safe these natives must be taught to respect white men, and the only thing the natives under stand is force.
No primitive natives in this world have ever been brought under control without an exhibition of power—Zulus, Maoris, Red Indians, and so on. In this country, Levien subdued the Buang natives, the Bulolo tribes were thoroughly thrashed, the Ger mans subdued the natives in Madang and Manus, and the Kukukukus are now tak ing it in the neck. This Ramu-Mt. Hagen country will not be made safe for white men until history has been repeated.
The Administration must realise that, with aerial freights at 2/6 per lb., it is necessary to buy all available foodstuffs from the local tribes. There are certain terms agreed upon in practice for the pur chase of food, and for the payment of carriers. It unfortunately has become a habit of officials to overpay these natives and, immediately this is done, the natives demand a new standard of pay.
Along comes another miner or pros pector, and the natives —say about 50 of them—shoulder his packs and off they go. usually accompanied by about 200 of their friends. At the end of the carry the white
man pays the usual rates. Immediately the natives become very ugly—l have seen it myself, several times. The white man does not realise that some foolish official has established a new standard of pay, and the natives do not understand the white man’s refusal to pay the higher rate. They cannot speak to each other, and explain, and so the natives hang around the camp until they are shooed away, angry and fermenting.
This is not an infrequent incident, and one is always liable to attack. A common precaution is to keep a primed plug in one’s pocket, close to the match box. The thing, of course, is harmless, compared with a Mills bomb, but it kicks up a lot of dust and makes a magnificent noise— quite enough to scare off the natives.
These officials who overpay natives are not being free with their own money. They think it nothing to make a gift of a common axe—but we miners have to pay 10/- freight on that axe.
EDITORIAL NOTE.—Here we have the same old controversy. This Ramu-Mount Hagen area of New Guinea was penetrated by white men for the first time within the last three years, and the very numerous natives are still as they were “in the beginning”—primitive and uncon trolled. The white men naturally want to go in and exploit the country’s natural wealth; and they cannot see why they should be prevented. The Administration, on the other hand, is seeking to observe that established international principle which says that a country belongs to the indigenous inhabitants, no matter how primitive they may be.
In time, no doubt, this new, rich country in New Guinea will be over-run by Europeans, just as the countries of the Zulus, Red Indians and Maoris were overrun. But, in the meantime, while “peaceful penetration” proceeds, it unques tionably is the duty of the Administration to pro tect the newly-discovered tribes in every possible way.
The Commonwealth Government is seeking applications for another batch of cadet appointments to the Public Service of New Guinea. About 30 cadets have been appointed since the system was in augurated in 1925, and the six original appointees are now Assistant District Officers, The system so far has operated very successfully.