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What New Guinea Has been Doing

Letter to the Editor IN regard to your article on the Native Labour Problem in New Guinea, in the June number, it may interest you to know that New Guinea applied for Javanese labour last year and was re fused.

Only certain countries may apply for Javanese and (I believe) Tonkinese la bour —those countries where the practice of permitting such contracts of labour has become an established custom. There is no intention to extend the privilege to other countries.

On this refusal, the New Guinea Ad ministration applied to the Dutch au thorities for permission to recruit labour in Dutch New Guinea. This, again, was refused —and for the reason that they need all the labour they can command for their own enterprise.

Thereupon, New Guinea approached Papua for permission to recruit labour.

Again, they were turned down—and not unreasonably. It is suspected that it was with the object of removing this last restriction that certain New Guinea in terests supported the idea of amalga mation.

So, you see, the New Guinea Adminis tration really has done its best, and failed. This information is 0.K.. but for some reason which I do not understand it has been suppressed.

I am, etc.,

Rabaulite.

Sydney, July 1, 1939.