Kwato Mission

And Trade

Hope of the Oxford Group Movement

Letter to the Editor.

SNOOPING around among broadcast and short wave, on the night of 20th July last, we were startled to hear the announcement “Mr. Russell Abel, of Kwato, will now tell us of the inter esting work in the dissemination amongst the local natives of the new cult, com monly called the O.G.M. (Oxford Group Movement); and of the astonishing changes made in village fife and customs.”

If we can believe Mr. Russell Abel the millenium has at last arrived in Papua; or, if not in the whole of the Territory, at least amongst the anthropophagi dwel ling in the vicinity of that much-boosted industrial mission.

Dwelling, as we do, in the Stygian darkness of the D’Entrecasteaux Group, where lying is a fine art, thieving a

science, and the pursuit of the other fel low’s wife about the only recreation left since the Government prohibited fighting, we can only conclude that either Mr. Rus sell Abel is a cheerful and fatuous opti mist, or aU we have ever known about brown brother in general, and the Papuan in particular for 30 years, has been just a bad dream.

That the new cult should have taken root at Kwato proves that the age of miracles is not past—either that, or we must accuse Mr. Abel of broadcasting an interesting and descriptive account of what is, at best, a passing and imperman ent phase of village life. If, twelve months from now, any vestige of the O.GM. can be found among the oily, greasy mass of “rascality” that inhabits Rogeia, and other islands adjacent, settlers in Papua will be considerably surprised, and it will then be time for Messrs. Abel and Baskett to exhibit a modicum of optimistic satis faction.

The Eastern Papuan possesses in full the capacity to be “all things to all men”.

He follows the line of least resistance,.or rather the practice of it; and keeps one side of his make-up for the Government:

one for the Mission; and one for “Tau badas” of the common or garden variety.

A brief conversation with any member oi these sections of the white community will bear this out, and show why they seldon can see eye to eye on any matter relating to the native.

The present propaganda from Kwato is quite understandable. It is an “Indus trial Mission’ , which, to be interpreted, is a Mission that usually spells business with a big B.

Kwato, as a Mission, through the years has been an immense power for good, especially so latterly, through its medical work and hospital. This phase of its activity recommends it to all unprejud iced persons; and it needs bolstering by neither fiction nor fairy-tales.

Kwato as a business and trading com pany is quite a different proposition. No ship-owner, boat-builder, engineer or trader can hope to compete with them.

Their student and other sources of cheap labour enable them to under-cut any competitor, and the financial standing and credit they possess as a Mission gives them the advantage where there is any trading opposition of any kind. What they lose on the swings of business they can recoup on the roundabouts of public subscriptions.

Small wonder then, that at the men tion of Kwato, local tradesmen begin to exhibit all the symptoms of an apoplectic attack, and make use of language usually described as “unparliamentary”.

However, for these unfortunate exiles there is hope at last. If the O.G.M. can so touch the black hearts of head-hunt ing cannibals as to enable them to climb the dizzy heights of moral rectitude, and. without difficulty, breathe the rarefied air of incorruptible virtue (accompanied of course by Messrs Russell Abel and Geoffrey Baskett), then surely the Move ment will also touch the flinty hearts of those who guide the business side of Kwato Extension, Inc., so that competi tion will be tempered with mercy, and a modicum of compassion will be extended to those settlers who dwell within the field of Kwato operations, and who have (unlike most Missionaries) to live by “the toil of their hands, and the sweat of their brows”.

At least, let us hope so.

I am, etc.

E. W. Harrison.

Sebulugomwa, Papua. 27/8/’3B.

Mr. L. V. Waterhouse, managing dir ector of Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd., sailed from Sydney for Port Moresby, Papua, by the “Maetsuycker” on September 24.

He connected with Guinea Airways air liner and flew across to the Morobe gold field, New Guinea.