Native Labour In

N. Guinea

Comprehensive Report May be Useful Some Day

ONE cannot even guess at the shape of the future administration of New Guinea. First, the Japanese have to be thrown out. Second, the military administration must be removed —and military folk, in quasi-civil tropical jobs take some digging-out!—and then the planting, mining, trading and transport industries must be re-established. So, at this stage, little is to -be gained by dis cussing special aspects of the past administration.

For purposes of record, however, we make some reference to the report of the Native Labour Commission.

As is well known, native labour con ditions in New Guinea, during the past decade, had been the subject of much iqqo' P Finall V. on October 27, iyoy, the Administrator set up a Com mission (“to inquire into all aspects of the native labour system”) comprising Messrs. R. Melrose (Director of District Services), Gerald Hogan (Crown Law Officer), W H. Carpenter (managing director in New Guinea of W R Car penter & Co.), W. S. Hore-Lacy (planter), merit? 1 "' H ’ C ' Hosking (Medical Depart • Commission took some time on the job, but the inquiry was made with great thoroughness; and the Reports, produced in September, 1941, contain most valu able data—sufficient to enable a new native labour policy to be soundly based, the preparation of the Report was so delayed by war conditions that Dr.

Hosking and Mr. Hore-Lacy (who in the meantime had had to leave the Terri tory) prepared in Australia a separate but not a conflicting Report.

Unfortunateiy, before the Reports could be distributed and properly studied the Japs struck and New Guinea had to be abandoned.

The Report submitted by Messrs. Mel rose, Hogan and Carpenter contained 50 pages of closely-typed material, but un fortunately without a summary of recom mendations. A quick glance through their carefully-reasoned arguments in dicates that they recommend:— Women should not be recruited as in dentured workers and encouraged to form “plantation villages”, but wives should be allowed, to a greater extent, to accompany indentured labourers.

A system of indenture must continue, and the retention of the present recruit ing system is favoured, with some adjustments.

Recruiting by Government, and the allotment of zones to professional re cruiters, are not favoured.

Recruiting areas should be considerably widened, and not more than one-third of eligible males in such areas should be taken.

Attempts to remove the provision that natives must be returned to their villages after 4 h years’ continuous service are described as “astonishing and regrettable” —the provision is regarded as “a potent means of preventing the disintegration of native community life”.

In view of the very bad transport conditions surrounding the return to their villages of time-expired labourers —and, frequently, the movements of re cruits —it is recommended that the Government take responsibility for transport of native labourers, and that native labourers be carried only on vessels specially licensed for such trans port.

These Commissioners are against em ployers being authorised to impose corporal punishment, but recommend better gaol facilities and a system of whipping for delinquents under 16.

Stricter supervision of the feeding of labourers is urged. Dietary scales should be revised and enforced.

An easing of the system by which small employers are required to deposit large sums in “deferred wages” is re commended.

Dr. Hosking and Mr. Hore-Lacy con clude their 25-pages Report with a use ful summary of their recommendations, as follows: Wives of labourers should accompany their husbands.

Steps should be taken to arrange for the introduction of immigrant labour for indenture on plantations.

Steps should be taken to reduce infant mortality.

Government repatriation of time

expired labourers and payment of half deferred wages at destination.

More assistance to recruiters, and abolish Section 12 (3).

Assistant recruiter’s licences should be issued.

Recommendations for Government and Mission recruiting.

Encourage idea of work amongst natives. 6 Further investigation of uncensured areas.

Alteration in wage scale for natives employed in mining.

Alteration in guarantee for miners’ labourers.

Suggested scheme of native technical education.

Encouragement of peasant agriculture Highland natives should not be brought into malarious country.

Encouragement of job contract system.

Casual labour should be retained with safeguards.

The age for corporal punishment should be raised to 18.

Adoption of “fit ratio” for purposes of determining when to close villages to recruiting.

Free hospital treatment for maternity cases; free NAB to recruiters.