Hides Expedition Still Held Up

Some Angles of Very Strange Situation

'J’HE Hides expedition to Central Papua has been held up at Port Moresby since the first week in August. It has not yet been abandoned; but, if it is not abandoned, it is probable that the equipment will be stored, and the enterprise postponed for a considerable time.

MR. JACK HIDES resigned from the Papuan service in June. Immediately thereafter, a company called Investors Ltd. was formed, with shareholders com prising the leading commercial and finan cial men of Sydney. Its nominal capital was £16,000; and it is understood to have subscribed £12,000.

Mr. Hides organised, for Investors Ltd., one of the best-equipped expeditions that ever went to Papua. Its purpose was to seek gold in the “Papuan Wonderland,” discovered by Mr. Hides in 1935 when he led the Government expedition into the unknown territory.

Nothing was said, at the time, or in the official reports, or in Mr. Hides’s book, about the presence of gold in this country; but Mr. Hides informed Investors Ltd. that he had located a goldfield in that region, somewhere near the border of Papua and the Mandated Territory.

Before Mr. Hides sailed for Papua, early in August, there were indications that the Administration was not in sympathy with the enterprise. About the time he sailed, the Administration took the unexpected and unprecedented course of declaring the northern portion of the Central and Western Divisions an "uncontrolled area” and absolutely closed therefore to all Europeans, That ban has operated ever since. Mr. Hides, since August 9, has been sitting on the beach at Port Moresby, twiddling his thumbs.

In the meantime, there have been appeals to Port Moresby, to Canberra, and to the Lieut.-Governor (Sir Hubert Mur ray), who returned from England at the end of August. But, however anxious Governments and persons might be to assist the influential Investors Ltd., and Mr. Hides, the fact remained that the official attitude was one hundred per cent, correct —namely: Mr. Hides obtained his information about gold while a Government servant, leading a Government party, and all his data belonged to the Government. There fore, he must expect criticism when he left the service, and sold his information to a private company.

Mr. Hides, in lectures and articles repeatedly urged that the “Wonderland” people be protected from European con tact, and allowed to live unspoiled as long as possible. This is what the Government is trying to do.

Mr. Hides, in spite of every care, was forced to shoot many natives before he could extricate his exploring party. It was reasonable to suppose that, if his gold-search party was allowed into the same country, it would be compelled to kill many more people. That was why the Government decided to keep out all expeditions, until this huge native popu lation could be brought under control.

Mr. Hides, as the organiser of the expedition, should have had a clear understanding with the authorities in Canberra and Papua, before sailing for Port Moresby.

Against that, it has been urged: That the Government, on all previous occasions, has encouraged and assisted expeditions designed to open up Papua and develop its primary resources. On this occasion, it has been unhelpful and apparently unfriendly.

That the decision to close the “Won derland” area was influenced, to some extent, by resentment of Hides’s action in leaving the service in such circum stances, and by jealousy of Hides and his fame, which has been noticeable in cer tain sections of the service since early in 1935.

That certain circumstances attending the closing of the area, and the fact that the special Ordinance was made rigid (no provision is made for the issuing of a permit by the Lieut.-Governor or Minister —the area remains closed until another Ordinance is passed by the Council) sug gest that the decision to close the area was dictated or influenced by strong feeling.

That this “Wonderland” area cannot remain closed for very long—commercial penetration is inevitable—and that the Government should co-operate with such a well-financed and well-equipped expe dition, led by an experienced man like Mr. Hides. Concessions have been made by the Papuan Government to companies (some definitely “wild cat” in character) formed to produce gold, sisal hemp, sugar, paper, timber, etc.; why should such an uncompromising attitude be adopted towards Investors Ltd.?

That the Government put a ban upon the “Wonderland” country, where Hides was going, but put no ban upon the country west of the Strickland River, which is being penetrated by other expeditions, and which is equally uncon trolled.