New Guinea

Native Protest In

Alleged Government Threat to Seize Land

The following article which was dated “Rabaul, September 14,” and which carried startling headings, was published in “The Herald,” Melbourne, on September 14:— WHAT is probably the most serious native trouble the Administration has had to face since the native mutiny during the Wisdom-Page administration in 1929 has broken out, following an at tempt to seize a large area of ground which comprises coconut groves and food gardens owned by the Matupi village natives.

The Administration states that the ground is required for the erection of an aerodrome.

Matupi is a show village, situated two miles from Rabaul, and the inhabitants are reckoned to be the best educated and most advanced natives in the territory, comprising amongst them taxi-owners, printers, bookbinders and skilled trades men of every description.

Great secrecy was observed previous to the seizure when Government surveyors marked the area, and recently Matupi natives visiting their holdings were driven off by Government employees and threatened with imprisonment. Immedi ately the Matupi villagers held an in dignation meeting, at the conclusion of which hundreds of the inhabitants, in cluding men, women and children, marched to Rabaul to demand an ex planation.

Missions of every denomination and many white residents are strongly sup porting the native view, pointing out that another suitable site for an aerodrome can be found nearer to Rabaul. It is also recalled that Messrs. Ball and Wal stab, who have been conducting the negotiations for the Administration, came in for severe public criticism during the 1929 mutiny.

Natives throughout the district are clamouring for the return of the previous Administrator, General Griffiths, who, they state, treated them like human beings and not like “wild dogs.”

General Wisdom was for many years Administrator of New Guinea and re tired recently. Mr. H. Page is a pro minent official in the Administration. He is a brother of the Leader of the Country Party, Dr. Earle Page. Brigadier- General McNicoll, the present Adminis trator, was M.H.R, for Werriwa during the first Parliament of the Lyons adminis tration. He has a distinguished war record, and after the war he became Principal of the Presbyterian Ladies’

College at Goulburn.

Whether by accident or design, a strong body of native police in charge of a native sergeant, and armed with bayoneted service rifles, was drawn up on the Rabaul-Matupi Road, but, dis regarding them, the natives quietly pro ceeded to Rabaul and requested an inter view with the Administration. This was not granted, but later an official named Walstab visited Matupi and told the natives in the name of the Government that they must sell the ground. In reply a native spokesman bitterly denounced the bad faith of the McNicoll-Page Ad ministration, pointing out that the land seized was vitally necessary to the in habitants.

They recalled that previously the Gov ernment had seized a big area for a native hospital, promising that no more would be taken; nevertheless, shortly afterwards, another big area of coconut groves was seized for the erection of a racecourse; and, following this, a big area was taken to provide golf links. Should more land be seized the natives would face starvation.

Feeling is running very high, as the Matupi kanakas swear they will oppose force to force and the Government will only secure the ground “when every throat in the village has been cut.”

Another official named Ball is now endeavouring to persuade the villagers to give up the land peacefully.

EDITORIAL NOTE.—We have reprinted the above exactly as it was published. Pending some further information, we refrain from comment upon the merits of the situation. We refuse to believe that the Administrator has acted in the high handed manner described. The tenor of the article suggests that it was written by some one bitterly hostile to the Administration, and of a mischief making disposition.