A Fantasy Of 1949

By Drb

IT was 1949. There was peace again in New Guinea; and District Officer Eric Hatt sat in his office at Wau. In a few minutes he would take his place on the bench of the District Court, and try the first case mider the new ordinance, recently passed by the Council of Anthro pologists and Missionaries at Canberra, who now made the laws of the Territory.

He opened the door that led to the bench; and Warrant-Officer of Police Ronald Sticks called “Silence!” The Dis trict Officer sat down, and announced that the District Court was open for business.

Warrant-Officer Sticks stood up, and read from a blue form.

“William Wallace Campbell stands charged that, at Edie Creek, on the seventh of October, 1949, he did use the word ‘boy’ when addressing a native, to the derogation of God’s Honour, and in disrespect for the natives of New Guinea, thereby contravening section Nine of the Equality of Races Ordinance, 1949.’ ”

Then, to the defendant (who sat, look ing puzzled, in his borrowed coat): "How doyou plead?”

Guilty, I suppose,” said the defendant.

But .”

The prosecutor silenced him with a gesture, moved over to the witne_ss-box.

I* P. U P the Bible and swore him self in.

“I am a Warrant-Officer of Police sta tioned at Wau,” he dictated slowly, while the District Officer’s pen raced across the P ? p e r A efore him - “°u the seventh day of October, I was walking down the Edie

Creek road past the defendant’s camp. I could see a native, whom I now know to Pe the native Narawal, in the defend ant’s kitchen. I heard the defendant call out, ‘Boy! Bring him kaikai.’ I heard the native reply ‘Yessir.’ I thereupon arrested the defendant and charged him.’’

The prosecutor signed his deposition and resumed his seat. Then he called to a police constable, who ushered in a native, and steered him into the witness box. Sticks warned the native that he must talk true to the Court, and then said: “Narawai, on affirmation, Your Worship,” to the bench.

But the native broke from the tradi tions of evidence for the prosecution "Me no- like Court,” he stated. “Master belong me good fellow. Him he no fight him me, him he give him plenty kaikai.

Good fellow master, now me no like Court.”

THE District Officer ceased writing and looked sternly at the witness.

“The witness, in the Court itself,” he said, “breaks Section Ten of the same Ordinance, in using the word ‘master,’ which tends to place the European- on a higher plane than the native. However, there is sufficient evidence to convict the defendant without the native’s evidence The Ordinance provides that the mini mum punishment for this offence is seven days’ imprisonment, and as this is the first offence under that Ordinance, the defendant is convicted and sentenced to serve a sentence of seven days in His Majesty’s Gaol at Wau.”

He paused for breath.

“The native Narawai, having committed a criminal offence in the Court itself, is summarily convicted and sentenced to imprisonment in His Majesty’s Gaol at Wau for seven days,” continued the Dis trict Officer.

Then Campbell spoke.

“Excuse me, Your Worship,” he said. “It is hard on the b , I mean, the native.

He didn’t mean any harm. He probably doesn’t even know what the law says he must use the word ‘European.’”

Narawai, standing in the Court, mut tered the word “Roopeen” to himself, and wondered what it meant.

“It is too late to do anything,” said the Warrant-Officer of Police. “The boy is already convicted and sentenced.”

He blanched, as the District Officer looked sternly at him.

“I’m sorry, Your Worship,” he muttered.

“Ronald Sticks,” said His Worship, ‘you used the word yourself. You are sum marily convicted and sentenced to be imprisoned in His Majesty’s Gaol at Wau for seven days. There is no alternative.

I have to enforce the law without fear or favour. The object of this Ordinance is to see that boys are not insulted ”

He stopped.

“Oh, hell! I’ve done it myself now! All right. Eric Augustus Hatt, you are sen tenced to be imprisoned in His Majesty’s Gaol at Wau for seven days. The Court is adjourned.”

He gathered up his papers.

“Come on, Bill. Come on, Ron. Come on, Narawai. Let’s all go to the calaboose Let’s be there first and get the best seats before everyone else is put in.”

Amongst Samoan soldiers recently home on leave from active overseas service were five Samoans who had enlisted in the Fijian Forces, and Private Richard McFall, and Private John Hancock, of the New Zealand Forces, and Sergeant Henry Krone, of the Fiji Defence Forces. All of them were guests of honour at enter tainments of the Apia Mothers’ Club when presentations were made them on behalf of the Club.