Have Territorians Any Rights?

Attitude of Commonwealth Attacked at Annual Meeting of Pacific Territories Association

rAT continual and dogged endeavour but paucity of achievement were the keynotes of the Pacific Territories Association’s second year of life was the opinion expressed in the Executive's re port at the second annual general meet ing of the Association in Sydney on June 27, 1944. The Executive believed that they had done everything possible to present the case of Territories’ residents to the Commonwealth authorities, and in such a way as to impress any reasonable individuals favourably. But the authori ties concerned, either from lack of interest or because of preconceived and ill-founded ideas, had refused to recognise that European residents in the New

Guinea Territories had any rights at all.

During the latter part of the year, the Executive felt that in the best interests of Territorians generally, it was best to concentrate on two major propositions to the Commonwealth Government although not, of course, to the exclusion of all else. These were: (1) The reintroduction of civil adminis tration in the Territories at the earliest possible moment compatible with the military situation. (2) The right of representation of European residents of the Terri tories in any discussions on post war policy and administration for

the Territories and of direct re presentation in such administration.

No success had been achieved in this direction to date —the reply to the first proposal being that the time was not ripe and that the Army was doing a good job; and to the second —merely letters of evasive official verbiage.

The Executive, in spite of all these failures, did not feel despondent or pessi mistic —but they did feel that push and stronger support for the Association and its objects was required from all quarters if Territorians were to gain any measure of justice now or in the future.

OTHER matters dealt with in the report, which was submitted by Mr.

C. A. M. Adelskold, were as follows:

Mining Industry

During the year the question of loss assessment and preservation of mining assets in the Territories was again taken up with the Government and a proposal made that qualified men be allowed to re turn to the Territories for these purposes; we were informed that the military authorities would not permit this.

Later, however, we were informed that a party would go forward to investigate losses sustained by mining interests, and the personnel approved included a repre sentative of this Association, Mr. J. W.

Hinks, mining representative on the Executive and chairman of the Mining Sub-Committee. This party is now in New Guinea.

Expropriated Properties

Negotiations have been proceeding with the Government for some time concerning its attitude in connection with the re habilitation of owners of properties in which the Custodian of Expropriated Pro perties has an interest. The negotiations so far have reached no finality, but a conference on the matter in the near future is expected.

Evacuees’ Gold

The question of payment for the parcels of gold taken over by the Administration of New Guinea upon the evacuation of miners in 1942 has been under considera tion throughout the year. Recently, the Department of the Army, after an in vestigation which has been going on for nearly two years, advised us that they now understood this gold had been des patched to Australia, consigned to the Bank of New South Wales. However, our inquiries still have failed to locate the gold or its proceeds, and the matter is being further investigated.

Pow And Internees

Your Executive has continued to watch this matter. Representations to the Government for the treatment of civilian internees and their dependents on the 1 same basis as prisoners of war so far have been unsuccessful, but the matter is not being allowed to rest. In May our secre tary, Mr. Adelskold, represented the PTA in Melbourne at a conference of interested organisations called together by the Aus tralian Red Cross. The Red Cross gave an assurance that the Society was looking after the interests of internees exactly as they were looking after prisoners of war. (A full report of the Red Cross conference was available to members at the PTA meeting.)

Copra Pool Payments

After lengthy negotiations the Govern ment agreed to make further advances against copra held by the Pool, but only in necessitous cases. We have again protested against this discrimination, claiming that all owners concerned are entitled to payment irrespective of their present financial position. So far this claim has not been approved.

Meantime, any member having a claim for copra in the Pool, and in necessitous circumstances, should make application to the Department of External Territories for an advance against copra delivered to the Pool.

War Damage Insurance

The assessment of war damage claims is being handled as expeditiously as possible by the War Damage Commission, and representatives of the Commission have been in both Territories during the past year, making inspections and in vestigations with a view to more ex peditious handling of claims. While still unable to obtain certain amendments to the War Damage Regulations, which we believe should be passed in fairness to residents of the Territories, the matter is being allowed to rest at the moment, and we hope that further consideration of the special claims of Territorial residents may be given when the assessment of claims is nearer completion.

Production Control Board

We regret to report that all efforts to secure direct representation of the pro ducers on this Board, controlling the planters in Papua, have been unsuccess ful. We have not been given any definite reason for this refusal —except that it was not considered necessary.

The Association was successful during the year in obtaining a reduction in the freight rate on copra from Port Moresby to Australia, and this reduction of £l/3/per ton has been passed on to the planters.

Complaints were received regarding the prices charged by the Copra Production Control Board for necessary goods, and the Association took this matter up on behalf of the planters. Later, price re ductions were made, which considerably reduced the production costs of copra and rubber. (As an example: the item wheat meal which was reduced in price from sd. per lb. to 3d. per lb.)

Affiliations

A pleasing feature of the year’s work has been the unanimous support of all kindred organisations. All bodies ap proached in the matter have affiliated, where their constitutions permitted, and all appointed representatives to the Exe cutive of this Association. Their assist ance has proved of very great value.

General

It is with deep regret that the Exe cutive has to report the death of the following: Mr. J. R. Clay—a member of the Executive since the inception of the Association; and Mr. D. R. Bertie- Honorary Solicitor to the Association.

A number of changes have taken place in the personnel of the Executive during the year as follows: Resignations: T. L. Sefton, H. Taylour, E. J. O’Donnell (Treasurer), and A. W.

Lussick (Auditor), who were replaced by G. Aumuller, G. Bellamy, G. A. Moore, and Robert Gillespie respectively.

Mr. C. I. H. Campbell was, early in the year, appointed to the Executive as re presentative of the North Solomon Islands planters, and his knowledge of this dis trict and the Territory of New Guinea generally has been of great help to the Executive.

Among many visitors to the Executive meetings were: Captain Kendall, Mrs. W.

M. Haslam, and Mrs. D. R. Booth, all of the Queensland New Guinea Association; Mr. Sullivan, of Thursday Island Associa tion, Captain Fitch, and Lieut.-Colonel

Mullaly.

Finances

The financial report was read by the treasurer, Mr. G. J. Moore, and disclosed a satisfactory position. Receipts for the year ending May 31, 1944, were £6OO/9/3 (including £164/13/3 balance from previous year). Expenditure for the same period was £354/18/9, leaving a credit balance of £245/10/6.

Election Of Officers

The following officers were elected un opposed: President, Mr. E. A. James; Vice-president, Mr. N. Nelson; Treasurer, Mr. G. J. Moore. Committee: Messrs. E.

V. O’Brien, G. Bellamy, R. A. Lawes (re presenting New Guinea); and Messrs. G.

E. Aumuller, J. W. Hinks, and E. J.

O’Donnell (representing Papua).

Discussion BOTH the general and financial reports were accepted with little or no com ment, and the meeting was thrown open to general business.

Practically the whole of the time at the disposal of the meeting was taken up in the discussion of a motion, moved by Mr.

R. A. Lawes, a full report' of which appears elsewhere in this issue.

Commander G. B. Nasmyth, who has been Harbourmaster at Suva, Fiji, for a considerable time, has received the im portant appointment of Port Captain at Gibraltar, and already has left for Europe. Captain Edward Harness, mem ber of a well-known Fiji family, has been appointed Acting Harbourmaster at Suva.

In 1940 and 1941, Captain Harness was master of the “Nimanoa,” the handsome* auxiliary yacht with which the Gilbert and Ellice Colony Administration main tained communications in the Group.

Captain and Mrs. Harness, a popular couple, lived at Tarawa, and they were there when the Japs struck in 1941. Mrs.

Harness got her child away to Fiji in November; but Captain Harness was with the “Nimanoa” in Tarawa when the Japs arrived in December. The officers deliber ately cast away the “Nimanoa” on the reef, to prevent her falling into enemy hands. Several weeks later, they escaped from Tarawa to the Southern Gilberts, in an open boat.