Legislative Council

New Guinea’s Useless Legislative Council How the Pleadings of Practical Men Are Consistently Ignored

THE Mandated Territory of New Guinea (Australian) is one of the biggest tropical territories in the world. Within it are a few Europeans, anything up to one million natives, enormous quantities of mineral, forest and agricultural wealth, and vast, undeveloped regions, at almost all altitudes up to 8,000 feet, crying out for experimental development.

The Europeans are mostly Australians, game for any kind of pioneering enterprise; but they are given no encouragement.

The Australian authority knows that, in view of the North Pacific strategical situation, the undeveloped and unpopulated condition of New Guinea is a real and growing danger; but the Australian Government is dawdling along to-day, as it has dawdled for 20 years, doing nothing to put life into its N.G.

Administration.

In New Guinea there is all the machinery for good adminis tration. There is an excellent public service—which, lacking leadership, is uninspired and unenthusiastic. There is an Execu tive Council of experienced men—but no evidence that the Administrator ever gives them any real work to do.

There is a Legislative Council, comprising departmental heads and picked men from the non-official classes; and that this Council is at once a farce and a tragedy was demonstrated on April 22, when the Council held its half-yearly meeting.

There was only one Bill submitted outside of routine business; and when, one after the other, the very earnest non-official members brought forward matters for discussion, they were virtually suppressed by the official members—who, whatever they think, must take their cue from the Administrator.

Mr. A. J. Bretag insisted on directing attention to the stub born, prolonged strike of miners on the Morobe goldfield, whereby most valuable production, and irreplaceable Territory revenues, are being lost. He begged for a highly-qualified man as arbitra tor, to settle the dispute.

Officialdom heard him out blandly, and smothered him.

Mr. Harold Taylour, who knows the vast upland resources of mainland New Guinea like his own back garden, urged developmental plans and activities—co-ordination of Australian enterprise with Administrative ability in road-construction and agriculture, and an obligation upon the big trading and mining companies to contribute towards an important national work.

Officialdom was bored and unencouraging.

Mr. J. C. Mullaly begged for more energy and more enlighten ment regarding plans for helping the copra industry; and Mr.

Harry Adams argued that someone in authority (he suggested the Chief Auditor) should make a report to the Council, each year, on the Territory’s finances and general condition —something which would be really helpful to the Council.

Officialdom purred soothingly.

And so the meeting of the Legislative Council, which could be a most effective instrument of constructive progress, ended— as they all end—in an atmosphere of official boredom and non official bafflement.