Outline Of The General Plan
pp. 8-9 · Read in the full issue
The following article, by Mr. R. W. Robson, editor of the “Pacific Islands Monthly”, in the “Sydney Morning Herald” of February 3, gives an outline of the general position which exists now in relation to the two Territories:— THERE are indications that the Com monwealth Government, actuated mainly by defence considerations, will press on with its plan to amalgamate the administrations of the Australian Terri tory of Papua and the Mandated Terri tory of New Guinea.
When the Cabinet meets in Hobart this month it probably will be asked to ap point a committee of three, who will work out all details of how the amalgamation plan should be made effective, in rela tion to the following matters:— I.—The different conditions, especially in regard to appointment and superannu ation, of the two Public Services; 2.—The fact that Papua has to exercise stringent economy in administration, and frequently receive financial assistance from Australia, while New Guinea, de riving rich revenues from the gold indus try, usually shows a surplus; 3. —A defence organisation, based on Australia, now is necessary in these Pacific territories; but cannot be developed in New Guinea, owing to the terms of the Mandate; 4.—Owing to scientific reports, it has been decided finally to remove New Guinea’s administrative headquarters from Rabaul, and this provides an oppor tunity of selecting a place suitable as a headquarters establishment for both territories; s.—ln view of defence needs—also in deference to the principle that nowadays no nation can indefinitely hold colonis able territory and make no use of it—it is important that development and settle ment be accelerated in Papua and New Guinea; 6. —It is necessary that the strengthen ing of Papua, in a military sense, and the encouragement of the search for oil in Papua and New Guinea be co-ordin ated with a general plan in relation to those territories.
A Difficult Task
Thus, a highly important task is pro posed for the new committee, which will be selected with great care. It is intended that, of the three members, one will come from Papua, one from the Mandated Territory, while the third will be an in dependent chairman, with experience and
expert knowledge of tropical admini stration.
It is assumed in view of the new devel opment—i.e., the amalgamation plan— that the rival recommendations of a capital site in New Guinea (Lae, recom mended by the Griffiths Committee; Salamaua, selected by Mr. Hughes; Wan, strongly urged by the Miners’ Association) have been placed to one side. Also noth ing has been heard for some time of the plan to build a road between Salamaua and the New Guinea goldfields towns, at a cost of £150,000. But this may be due to the discovery, by expert engineers, that the cost of the road would be nearer £250,000 than the £150,000 estimated in characteristically hasty fashion by Mr.
Hughes.
The New Guinea Administrator, Sir Walter McNicoll, publicly has expressed approval of the amalgamation plan, and he has been recently in consultation with the Minister and Canberra officials. But it is known that the Lieutenant-Governor of Papua, Sir Hubert Murray, has defin itely withheld endorsement of the pro posal until a good deal more information is available.
Risk Of Confusion
Sir Hubert’s attitude has caused some surprise among those who remember that, in 1919, when a Commission advised the Commonwealth Government concerning
the kind of government to be introduced in New Guinea, it was Sir Hubert Murray who put in a minority report, in favour of one administrative organisation for the two Territories.
Sir Hubert will be in Australia shortly, and is completely capable of explaining and defending his present position. Prob ably, however, it will be found that this wise and experienced administrator is not opposed to amalgamation, but is sus picious of the plan because, if there is not complete understanding in regard to two or three vital matters, amalgama tion may lead to serious confusion and loss. It is likely that at least three as pects of the proposal are causing him con cern —namely, the differences (as com pared with Papua) in the New Guinea service, built up since 1919; the eagerness of the big industrial enterprises in the Mandated Territory, where native labour is increasingly scarce, to recruit labour in Papua; and the imperative need, in any re-arrangement to guard the Papuan native policy, to which Sir Hubert has de voted 30 years of his life, and which is the most creditable thing in Australia’s record of Pacific administration.
Interests Of Natives
It should be explained, perhaps, that the greatest problem in these well-popu lated territories is that of easing the im pact upon the social and cultural organi sation of a stone-age people, of the in evitable penetration of European civilisa tion. Where this impact is uncontrolled, primitive races lose their spirit and viril ity, and perish, as has been proved in a dozen nearby island groups. But in Papua, under patient and skilled admini stration, the change-over from stone to steel, from fighting and famine to peace and plenty, has been and is being carried out in such a way that tribal organisa tions and vital statistics have been scar cely disturbed. Sir Hubert Murray is be lieved to be of the opinion that, prior to amalgamation, residents of both terri tories should be consulted; and that, in any event, there should be a preparatory, or halfway, stage.