Divided Opinion On Amalgamation

Committee Takes Evidence of Residents in New Guinea and Papua

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, June 16.

THE special committee (Messrs. F. W.

Eggleston, Leonard Murray and Orten Townsend) appointed by the Com monwealth Government to investigate the possibilities of amalgamating Papua and New Guinea first made a tour of the N.G. outports to gather evidence to give them a lead to work on in framing their recommendations for the Federal Cabinet.

They were not inundated with witnesses at the start. New Guinea folk seemed to have but a hazy idea of what was re quired of them, but gradually, as time wore on, the public came forward with a certain degree of interest. At Kavieng, Hon. W. E. Grose (president of the N.G.

Planters’ Association) gave his views on the subject, as also did Mr. Frank V. Saunders and a few other public minded citizens. Opinion was more or less divided: Amalgamation would be a good thing if it ensured so and so; or, it would not be a good thing because it meant so and so.

On June 5 the Committee returned to Rabaul from the outports and on that day received a delegation from the Public Service Association. Mr. P. J. Woodhill put forward the views held by the Asso ciation’s members. After considerable talk about the finances of the two terri tories, and their dissimilarity, examples were mentioned of the difference in the housing, superannuation, salaries and technical officers.

It was pointed out that New Guinea was the only one of the Australian Terri tories that had followed the example of European colonising nations in attempt ing to establish a high educational stand ard for its officers. It was also considered that since the Territories had been de veloped on different lines the Papuan Senior Officer (Resident Magistrate) could not cope with the work which a Senior Officer (District Officer) in the Mandated Territory had to perform, with out further training and experience.

Furthermore, the Council requested that the Committee consider making a recom mendation that a condition of proceeding with any scheme for amalgamation should be the holding of a full enquiry into the Public Service of both the Terri tories —their conditions, administration and future policy.

Another witness to come before the Committee was Hon. E. T. Brennan, chief medical officer. He described the work carried out by his department, stressing particularly the research work. He said there was not much interchange of data with Papua directly, but any liaison which existed between the two Territories was carried out through the Pacific Re lations conferences in Sydney. He said, after some hesitation, that he thought a combined administration of the two Terri tories could be run efficiently.

Capital Site

Referring to the matter of a new capi tal site, Dr. Brennan said that the urgent need for a transfer from Rabaul seemed to have been forgotten. Rabaul now, he declared, was not as healthy as it had been in pre-eruption days—this was due, to a great degree, to the more pronounced incidence of malaria. Lung and throat diseases also showed an increase. In his

opinion the Upper Ramu Plateau was an ideal situation for white residents; no tropical diseases were known there and the natives appeared to be of a very healthy type.

Hon. E. P, Holmes, M.L.C., provided the Committee with some facts and figures concerning the procedure adopted by in tending settlers in obtaining land. He thought the land policy was much the same in both Territories. There were a few areas of Administration land, but usually the settler selected the land he wished to purchase and then his appli cation came up for consideration by the Land Board; if it was found that the natives were willing to dispose of their land then that area became Admini stration land and was leased to the settler,

Difficulties Not Insuperable

Hon. G. G Hogan, Crown Law Officer, considered that the amalgamation of the Public Services would, for a time, give rise to difficulties, but not of such a nature as to prevent amalgamation if it were otherwise desirable. He was doubtful whether the probable advantages of a Commonweath Territorial Service would outweigh the disadvantages. In selecting: officers for the Service he thought this work should be carried out by a speci ally appointed Committee or by the Prime Minister’s Department, though promo tions should be made by the Administra tor-in-Council.

Evidence was also tendered by Mr. R.

E. P. Dwyer (Economic Botanist) and Mr. E. Taylor (Acting Director of District Services) who furnished information re garding the general routine in their de partments. Mr. Taylor stated that in his opinion the differences arising out of wages, taxation, indenture of women and the period of contracts of labourers

could be overcome in the event of amal gamation.

Mr. J. L. Froggatt (Acting Director of Agriculture) said he favoured the amal gamation for the purpose of technical experiments but, nevertheless, the same results could possibly be obtained without amalgamation. He gave details of the system of copra inspection and said that it cost the Administration about £3,000 a year to carry out the inspections. About 1 per cent of copra was destroyed as be ing unfit for shipment overseas.

The Government Secretary (Hon. H. H.

said he was opposed to a combined administration as he could see no advantage, but several disadvantages, in such a step. Any advantages arising out of closer liaison could be attained without amalgamation. Mr. Page referred to the difficulty of effecting personal contact over such a large area as comprised the two Territories. , <ir rvio Mr Gordon Thomas, Editor of The Rabaul Times”, stated that Papua had been very fortunate in having had as its chief executive officer one whose service

had been uninterrupted for over 30 years, New Guinea, he pointed out, had had no less than seven chief executives and had also passed through a period of military occupation. He favoured amalgamation providing it enabled the local admini strations to exercise greater initiative and self-determination, and lessened the autocratic supervision which is exercised at present from Canberra.

A Firm Administrator Needed

Mr. Thomas compared the initiative exercised by the German Administration

m pre-war days to the present state of affairs which was due, to a great extent to the more modern means of communi cation which have eliminated distance and isolation. Mr. Thomas urged that in the event of a combination of the two admini strations the man placed in charge should be a man with sufficient local knowledge and strength of character to shoulder the responsibilities which are justly his. and be free of political influences controlled by Australia.

Referring to the selection of a new capital site, Mr. Thomas pointed out that the Federal Government had given an assurance at a time when the people of Rabaul were suffering from the after effects of the eruption, and was therefore unwilling to make any alteration, but he suggested that Dr. Stehn, the Dutch vul canologist, should be requested to return to Rabaul in order to review the present situation, and also give assistance in the erection of the proposed vulcanological

observatory.

Hold A Referendum?

In answer to questions, he said that m the event of amalgamation the Ad ministrator should have a freer hand in the selection of staff, and be empowered to appoint local residents, particularly young men brought up in the country, who were desirous of joining the field staff. The people of both territories, he added, should have the opportunity of expressing their opinion regarding amal gamation, even to the extent of holding a referendum amongst the non-indigen ous population.