Leaseholders Are
p. 16 · Read in the full issue
Protected
War Regulation Applies to Papua and New Guinea
ALTHOUGH, through the kindness of officials in Canberra, a copy of National Security Regulations cover ing the Territories of New Guinea and Papua was in our hands early in August, we did not recognise the regulations as dealing with the vexed question of New Guinea mining leases.
There are, in New Guinea, hundreds of thousands of pounds invested in gold and plantation leases; and the leases impose upon their holders many obligations, including that of reasonably continuous occupation. With the evacuation, of course, the leaseholders could not dis charge their obligations, and there has been much anxiety on their account and many appeals to the Commonwealth Government, on their behalf, to do something to regularise the position.
This the Commonwealth Government now has done; but we may be pardoned if we did not immediately realise the full significance of this legal verbiage:— 34. — (1) Any lease or other interest in, or any licence, permit, right or authority in relation to, any land, or any licence, permit, right or authority in relation to any other matter, granted by the Crown or by the Administration of the Territory of Papua or the Territory of New Guinea and in force on the eleventh day of February, 1942, shall, of this Regu lation, be suspended, deemed to have been suspended as on and from that date, until a date to be fixed by the Minister by notice published in the Gazette. (2) The power given to the Minister by the last preceding sub-Regulation to fix a date for the termination of the suspension shall include power to fix a date for any particular case, or for cases of any particular class, determined according to circumstances. (3) During the period of suspension under this Regulation of any lease, interest, licence, permit, right or authority, the holder thereof shall have and may exercise the like powers of dealing with it as if it was not suspended but shall not be required to perform any obligations im posed on him in respect of the lease, interest, licence, permit, right or authority. (4) Upon the termination of the suspension, the lease, interest, licence, permit, right or authority shall revive and shall continue for a period equivalent to the period of the lease, interest, licence, permit, right or authority which was unexpired at the eleventh day of February, 1942.
Which means, in simple language, that mining or other leases are to be extended by a period equal to the period from February 11, 1942, to the date of re-occupation of the Territories (which will be notified by Gazette); and that, during that period, the leaseholders still will be the legal leaseholders, but they are released from all the obligations which the lease otherwise would impose upon them.
Mrs. Gabrielle Castex, who lived for some years in New Caledonia, died at Manly, on September 9.
Mr. L. Twyman, of the Unevangelised Fields Mission, Papua, is at present do ing “deputation” work in the Invercargill district (NZ).