Leg. Council

Farce

90-Minutes' Record in New Guinea

THE meeting of the New Guinea Legislative Council, held in Rabaul on April 2, occupied exactly 90 minutes; and, apart from a plea by Mr. Mullaly, concerning the copra posi tion, and a notable maiden speech by Mr. Taylour (both referred to else where) only formal business was done.

Yet Territories people want informa tion about all sorts of things—especially, how much is the Goldfields road going to cost, and where is the money com ing from.

“The road was not the only question of public interest which could have been discussed,” says the “Rabaul Times”.

“What of our new timber industry? Is there adequate control of our exported timber to ensure nothing but the best of New Guinea’s product being put on the Australian market? Is our aerial service, since the loss of the second ’plane, sufficient to cope with present requirements? Does the shipping short age require no expression of opinion by the Council to support the Administra tor’s representations in Canberra? Has the working of the Trust Fund of the Gold Tax been clarified to the tax payer? And the workings of the Native Labour Ordinance under war-time con ditions; are they satisfactory?”

But nothing of public interest was done or announced. The official mem bers, no matter how strongly they may feel, may not express themselves; and the non-official members evidently felt they were up against a blank wall.

What a farce this Legislative Council system is!

Mr. J. A. Moore, Inspector of Police in Fiji, arrived in Australia recently on long leave.