The Spirit Of Revolt

Passes

Jottings on the July Session of Papua’s Legislative Council

From a Special Correspondent.

Port Moresby, August 2.

TIME was when the sessions of the Legislative Council of Papua cheered our drooping spirits with the certainty that wordy warfare would be waged remorse lessly. We looked forward to the forceful speeches with which some of our non official members would maintain their right to criticise and condemn. We knew that, in the seclusion of the Council Chamber, our champions would contend, with em phatic speech and compelling gesture, for the opposition’s privilege of scornful inter jection; and that, ignoring the repressed exasperation of the Government forces, they would maintain the noble principle of protest against the persecution of an oppressed people.

But of late a tragic change has taken place. Last year we were astounded to learn that on several questions our repre sentatives so far forgot themselves as to vote with the official members; and that the nearest approach to sensation occurred when one non-official member asked that some point might be explained to him.

It was a severe blow. We felt that the depression had got us. We were losing our proud spirit of resistance, and sinking to the deplorable level of a people that cravenly condones the actions of its Government.

This year we hoped for better things.

Rubber was paying; copra showed some slight tendency to rise; and Australian stockbrokers were doing well ,out of our alleged gold mines. There were several Bills to be introduced with titles as provo cative as one could wish. The forceful in fluence of our local press was used to ginger up our representatives to a proper spirit of revolt, and the Samarai contingent appeared satisfactorily warlike.

It was perfect fighting weather when the session opened on July 25, bright and cool, with a fresh breeze blowing from the south-east, and carrying to the Council Chamber the faint drone of peaceful snores from some over-worked department. The Hon. Arthur Jewell was absent on a trip to Europe; so was Mr. G. W. Guttridge, who has left Papua to solve its own troubles, and whose place was taken by Mr. T. L. Nevitt, a well-known resident of long standing, primed by his manv friends with suggestions as to fighting tactics. Mr.

A. H. Bunting was there, of course, from Samarai: and with him was Mr. J. G.

Nelsson, the veteran of many verbal battles, the dauntless hero who has spoken so many moving words about cattle-ticks, and ticks, and cattle.

The Printers and Newspapers Ordinance, giving wider discretionary powers to judges of the Central Court, got through easily. So did an amendment to the Mining Act (Queensland adopted). There was a little discussion of the Sogeri road, and our champions licked their dry lips at the introduction of a Bill to amend the Liquor Ordinance. However, there was little of interest in the Bill, though its pleasant sounding title seemed to instil a sense of good-fellowship in the breasts of the non officials, which carried them over the inter vening week-end.

So far all was peaceful; and the rest of the session was to be even worse. An Appropriation Bill was passed without opposition, and the Estimates were barely discussed. Obviously our men were rattled; and from that point they appear to have made no effort to preserve the sacred tradi tion of obstruction. Even an amendment to the Transactions with Natives Ordin ance was permitted to go through quietly.

There was no piquancy in the discussion of a Mining Grant. When the Government announced that an agricultural expert was to be engaged for the benefit of planters, not one of the non-officials had the spirit to object; and Mr. Nevitt went so far as to consent to assist the Government in selecting a suitable man.

The final blow fell when discussion was introduced of our mail contract service— up-to-date a humourously unilateral arrangement which permits a subsidised mail steamer to run four weeks late (or is it five?) on her schedule without penalty. Then indeed we felt that all was lost: that we were not only defeated, but crushed. For Mr. Nelsson, the reliable old war-horse, the one sturdy hope of all who are truly “agin the Gov’mint,” the indomit able, truculent and universally beloved champion of the Opposition, made a little speech on the proposed new contract.

Not in exposure of the nefarious inten tions of the official members. Not as a belated effort to vindicate his reputation.

But designed, as he himself admitted, “to strengthen the hands of the Government!”

And on this regretable note of peace and goodwill, the session ended.