Dependants of Territories Civil

Servants

THE following is from the official report of the House of Representa tives, Canberra, on February 25: Mr. Anthony: I desire to address to the Prime Minister a question relating to the position of the dependants of officials of the New Guinea and Papua Administrations who have been com pelled, as the result of the Japanese invasion, to leave those territories. Many of the members of those Administrations have joined the New Guinea Voluntary Defence Forces, and some of their dependants, who are at present in Aus tralia, are practically destitute because of the insufficient provision for making payments to them. Will the Prime Min ister take immediate action to place the payments to those dependants upon a satisfactory basis?

Mr. Curtin: That matter has been receiving attention and action has been taken in some instances—those which have come to the notice of the Treasurer.

The whole matter has been looked at as one deserving of, not only sympathetic consideration, but also urgent considera tion.