That "Walking

Stick" Legend.

Refuted By Sir H. Murray's Own Report.

Letter to the Editor, ISEE the much-worn cliche, “a man can walk through Papua with a walking stick”, has again raised its ancient head, in “Koi-Koi’s” letter in your journal in January, under the title “A Parody of Kipling”.

“Koi-Koi” boldly asserts: “This they do despite Sir Hubert Murray’s boast that one can walk from one end of Papua to the other with nothing more lethal than a walking stick”.

It may be of interest to your readers to note that this stupid boast has for many years past been attributed faceti ously to different governors of the Col onial Empire, at various times, in relation to the territories they administer, and is a much-worn joke that has become stale with repetition.

"It is evident that at no time has Sir Hubert Murray ever expressed such silly optimism, as can be seen in several An nual Reports of the territory, in which he makes reference to the phrase. Take the Annual Report for 1914/15: — “These outrages” (i.e., the murder of Ballot and Macintosh, and of four A.C.’s at Abau) “and particularly the murder of Macintosh, are a melancholy confirmation of what was said in the last Annual Report about the necessity for constant care, even in districts which may appear to be under control, and of the warning given against the silly op timism which boasts that ‘a man can walk through Papua with a walking stick’ ”.

Exception perhaps might also be taken

to another well-worn phrase appearing also in the same issue, namely. “Papua for the Papuans”, which another cor respondent declares to be an idealistic cry of the Papuan Government.

This is not and never has been a Government cry. It is no more than an old political slogan that was invented in England in the closing years of the last century, and adapted by the settlers of various colonies of the Empire for local use 20 or 30 years ago—chiefly by a section of the community who would have no rights, accorded to natives.

This and the walking stick cliche are both quite out of date. Whatever opinion

your correspondents may have of the Lieut.-Governor of Papua, at least they must agree that he is no fool; and one cannot easily imagine Sir Hubert Mur ray giving utterance to the senseless twaddle that your two correspondents have attributed to him in their letters in the January issue.

I am, etc.,

Momokani.

Pt. Moresby, 25/2/’SB.

Baula Kogaika, of Vavau, Tonga, is at present in Australia doing deputation work for the Methodist Church.