New Fashions In

N. Guinea

How Civilisation Changes Native Manners

By Gordon Thomas

A FEW years ago the native of Blanche Bay, which includes the district sur rounding Rabaul, the capital of the Territory of New Guinea, would throw you a greeting on the road sounding like a hiccough: “u’uuu”—a peculiar ex clamation coming from deep down in the throat.

Only the older men now retain that salutation; the younger natives, absorb ing the white-man’s ways like blotting naper. have translated “Good morning”, “Good day”, “Good evening” or “Good night” into their own dialect, with the result that one now hears “Bona milana”, “Bona bung”, “Bona ravien” and “Bona marum”.

Dress and adornment are other indica tions of change. Twenty years ago. the native-about-town wore usually a short lavalava —or loincloth —reaching to the knee; sometimes a trifle higher; invari ably he wore a woven armlet of coloured native grasses, under which he tucked his pipe or pepper-stick. Wrapped in the folds of his lavalava about his waist, he would carry such valuables as betel-nut, tobacco and, tied in a corner, a shilling or two. There would be no body covering above the waist.

Now-a-days. the length of the lava lava has reached the ankles with a great majority; the armlet is discarded, and, in place, he invariably carries a small leaf basket with cigarette papers, tobacco, matches and betel-nut, and loose money.

Wherever he goes, whatever he does, the small basket is with him. It is so constructed that his arm may be thrust through the top portion, and it is carried on the upper arm, in the event of his having to use two hands.

On the slightest provocation, the young native of to-day dresses in shirt and tie, often of the finest material — high in price and loud in color. He sports a wristlet watch, often carries an um brella, and a modish belt is worn around his waist. One will even see some with their initials embroidered on the pockets of their silk shirts imported from Hong Kong.

Saturday morning is always a busy day at the local market, where vegetables, flowers, fruit and fowls are sold by native men and women who come from villages as far as twenty miles away. In the not so-long-ago, these natives would walk the distance, carrying their wares in baskets on their heads or backs. To-day, they arrive by motor-lorry or motor-boat, and native lorry-owners collect substan tial amounts in fares.

Motoring has become quite an import ant part of the town-bred natives’ recre ation. Late-model cars can be seen, every week-end, careering along the highways, bound for some distant plan tation where an evening’s gambling has been arranged, and not unknown are whisky and gin-drinking narties or, if those more expensive liquors are unat tainable, good old “pinkie” is introduced; methylated spirits and sarsaparilla.

The white man’s civilisation has brought with it its burdens, and a glance at the list of crimes in the District and Supreme Courts shows what education does for some sophisticated natives Forging of permits to be absent from

premises after the curfew is no uncommon offence; more daring pen-men have gone so far as to write and sign orders on firms for goods to be delivered to f muu nC lvi Ch< no™ S even keen forged, with the name of the servant’s master—and cashed by some unsuspecting storekeeper. Being in possession of and drinking intoxicating liquors has increased remarkably; while gambling has a decided hold upon a number of the young bloods.

There is a repercussion from this entertainment which often has disastrous effects. The players, not having the wherewithal to play, become petty thieves of their employers’ property, or even steal, among themselves, in order to have a “stake” to put in the ring.

Civilisation may have many advantages; education may possess many benefits; but both of them, in the hands of a still very primitive people who are actually only a jump from the stone-age.

have disadvantages and need very care ful watching to prevent their being abused.

At the moment , it is difficult to say whether their use or abuse is more fre cment H ' Major H. S. Robinson, general secret ary of the Melanesian Mission in Sydney, has been appointed to fill the vacancy on .the Council of the Pacific Islands the death of Captain Ar thur Middenway.

Mr. C. L. Schrader has been appointed draftsman and examiner in the Papuan Lands Department replacing Mr. H, Shelton-O’Reilly, who left the Territory recently on nine months’ leave prior to retirin S on superannuation, Messrs. R. M. Chapman, R. H. Strachan and G. A. Crapp, of the Suva branch of the Bank of N.S.W., Fiji, left the Colony recently to enlist in the A.IF