Is New Guinea Foreign, or British?

British?

Letter to the Editor rIS may seem a silly question. But I am craving a little of your space to ... air a very big grievance we have with a certain gentleman in Sydney—or his Department—who deals with all these permits for exportation of goods.

If you were an importer here, repre senting many clients in a place where communication these days is once in six weeks, and where each word of a radio message costs a shilling, and when goods were ordered they are wanted by the first vessel, and they are ordered because they are a necessity and not a luxury, you would realise the position.

When one sends orders to Sydney in plenty of time for them to be shipped, knowing that the goods ordered are Aus tralian-made, and that the supply is there, would you expect to receive in place of the goods, umpteen memos as such: “We regret that the Permit has not yet reached us” or “We are still try ing to get a Permit”. Another is: “The Department states that all supplies have been taken over by the Government”. (When we get that reply we also note on the ship’s manifest umpteen of the same item shipped from Brisbane!).

I could waste columns in detailing how all this red tape is wound round goods that are urgently wanted here. Recently, I was informed by a representative of one of the big gold mining companies who indented for a very important part of their electrical equipment, that thev received, instead of the article required, the following question: “Is this wanted for new work or for a repair?” And we get a boat every six weeks!

I am not saying the Department is not a necessity. But what we all say is: “Is New Guinea, for trade purposes, regarded as part of Australia, and British, or are we to be treated as a foreign country?”

Why any Permits at all, if these goods can be purchased in Australia by any person requiring them? Let us have our commodities on the vessels in quick time, instead of having to wait months, even if we can get them in that period.

We have been informed that the Department is also acting as a sort of a-dog-in-the-manger, inasmuch that it is forcing warehouses to hold stocks and, if enquiries are made for these articles, they are to inform those interested that they have none or are sold out.

The whole system of Permits wants investigation, and the sooner the better.

Even if Permits can be obtained, why should it take such a long time for the Permit to issue and shipping facilities be missed?

I am, etc.,

“Fed-Up Digger”.

Madang, 12/10/40.

EDITORIAL NOTE: The thing of which our correspondent complains is typical of the conditions produced in Australia by bureaucracy, when war clothes it with new powers. We had it in 1914-18, and it seems to be worse now.

Here and there, there are good, hard working, understanding officials, who do not spare themselves in an effort to co operate with commerce and keep the country going. But the majority are pin headed little jacks-in-office, who will work no more than 9 to 5, five days a week, and who seem to take an evil delight in applying their accursed “regu lations” for the confusion and embarrass ment of the non-official classes. We shall bring this Permit farce under the notice of the Minister for Australian Pacific Territories —when there is one.