Conference On Indentured

Labour System

Australian Territories Representatives Urge That Reforms be Slow and Gradual

PERSONS interested in native labour in the Australian Pacific Territories conferred in Sydney on December 1 and 2, at the invitation of the Australian Minister for External Territories (Mr.

Ward). The following received an official invitation to attend: Mr. J. R. Halligan, Secretary, Department of External Territories.

Mr. H. L. Murray, CBE, Administrator of Papua.

Mr. E. W. P. Chinnery, Commonwealth Adviser on Native Matters.

Mr. R. Melrose, Director of District Services and Native Affairs, New Guinea.

Lieut.-Colonel E. Taylor, MBE, Assistant Director of District Services and Native Affairs.

Lieut.-Colonel .1. C. Mullaly, OBE, MLC, New Guinea.

Mr. A. J. Bretag, MLC, New 7 Guinea.

Mr. T. Nevitt, MLC, Papua.

Mr. G. E. Aumuller, MLC, Papua.

Professor A. P. Elkin, anthropologist.

Lieut.-Colonel H. lan Hogbin, anthropologist.

Representative of the Methodist Overeas Missions.

Representative of the Methodist Missionary Society of NZ.

Representative of the Australian Board of Missions.

Representative of the Lutheran Missions.

Representative of the Roman Catholic Missions.

Representative of the Australasian Union of Seventh Day Adventists.

Representative of the London Missionary Society.

Representative of the Pacific Territories Association.

Representative of the Papuan and New Guinea Miners and Workers’ Union.

Representative of the Pacific Islands Natives’

Welfare Association.

Representative of the New Guinea Planters’

Association.

Representative of the New Guinea ALP.

Representative of New Guinea Miners’ Associa tion.

Representative of Papuan Planters’ Association. rE proceedings were not open to the press—no one can guess why. No official report—beyond a few vague generalities by the Minister—was issued.

Australian public opinion is singularly ill informed on this subject—and evidently it is the Minister’s intention to keep it so.

Also, it was a remarkable thing—and typical of all that is done by the Aus tralian Government—that not one of the big employers of native labour (Burns Philp & Co., Bulolo Gold Dredging, Ltd , W. R. Carpenter & Co., Ltd., Steamships Trading Co., Ltd., New Guinea Goldfields, Ltd.) was invited to attend. Apparently, their viewpoint is not wanted—because they are big and powerful, they are re garded as the natural enemies of the natives, and of the Administration, and of Mr. Ward.

But if Mr. Ward imagined that his hand-picked conference would bow to his cooing, and accept his instructions, he was due for disillusionment.

Mr. Ward opened the proceedings with a fmt accompli—he said that he and Mr.

Beasley already had announced, as the pohcy of their Government, the abolition of the indentured labour system as soon a ?, Practicable. The conference was in vited to accept that fact, and say what should be done about it.

The conference did not approve of im mediate abolition. Two or three mis sionaries and anthropologists were for a clean sweep; but all the other gentlemen (including most of the missionaries) who really know and understand the Terri tones, insisted that immediate abolition would lead to confusion and economic disaster, and would do the natives them selves great disservice, m

r E following summarised report of the conference was submitted to the Pacific Territories Association by the president (Mr. James) at the quarterly meeting on December 5: “The Minister informed the conference that the Government had definitely de cided that the indentured system of labour was to be abolished as soon as practicable, and he invited conference to discuss what steps should be taken to give effect to this decision and what system of labour should take its place. The opinions of this Association were put before confer ence in the following statement: “ ‘The Pacific Territories Association, comprising a considerable proportion of European settlers of the Territories of New Guinea and Papua, decided some little while ago that its main objectives were two: and as both of them have a distinct bearing on the subject of native labour, and in order to make our position quite clear, I will quote them: (1) Civil administration should be re stored in Papua immediately and in successive areas of New Guinea as soon as they cease to be areas of military operations. It is considered the return of civil administration and civilian settlers to the Territories is in the best interests of the native inhabitants, the European settlers, and Australia. (2) The principles upon which the policy of former civil administration in these Territories was based, in regard to the government and treatment of the native inhabitants, should in no manner be changed, at least until some time after civilian administration has resumed. It is believed that this is essential for the benefit of the natives, so that they may quickly be divorced from the mode of life enforced by war time control, and that any violent changes other than reversion to pre war conditions would be inimical to their present interests and future developments.

“ ‘The Association is definitely opposed to the abolition of the contract system of native labour; but does not deny the possibility of improvement in the adminis trative policy for the governing of the native inhabitants.

“ ‘Nevertheless, we are strongly of the opinion that this is not the time to make any changes in the system of native administration. Let normal civilian ad ministration resume, permit the natives to recover from the shocks and disruption caused by war conditions—with its des truction of property, forced labour and rapidly changing conditions—and then, and not until then, consider any neces sary alterations in the policy of native administration in the light of conditions then existing, and with the advice sof those competent by knowledge and prac tical experience to express authoritative opinion.

“ ‘The Association feels very strongly on this point, and asks that it be given care ful consideration before any planning of post-war conditions for the natives of New Guinea and Papua is contemplated.

“ ‘However, as this conference appears primarily to be dealing with the question of contract labour, and I have clearly stated the Association’s opposition to its abandonment, I should briefly state our reasons for this attitude.

“ ‘These Territories cannot survive with

out settlement and development; settle ment and development cannot proceed without laboui.; and we believe this settlement cannot continue to-day with out labour engaged under the contract system as was in vogue in the Territories pre-war.

“ ‘Casual labour is quite unworkable, commercially, owing to the present stage of the natives’ development, with their total lack of any sense of responsibility.

“ ‘Why have we indentures for Euro pean youths starting work? For exactly the same reason as with these natives who, I maintain, are comparable as to mentality with the average European in his teens.’

“These opinions,” proceeded Mr. James, “met with no little support. Many matters were discussed at length and numbers of tentative suggestions were given consideration. But a summary of the majority opinion of the representatives is covered by the following points: The indentured system must eventually be abolished entirely.

No date can now be fixed for this, but it should not be done hurriedly, nor would its sudden abolition be in the best interests of either natives or em ployers.

There must be a transitional period dur ing which contract labour should be continued with progressive modi fications.

There should be a widening of the pro visions and encouragement for the employment of non-contract labour.

Modifications of the existing contract system to be given early consideration to include: the modification of penal sanctions under the contract system; reduction of the maximum term of contract and total service, including re-engagement; stricter control of numbers recruited from different dis tricts having regard to their labour potential; better transport facilities for native labourers, and repatriation by Government exclusively; greater edu cational facilities for natives, especially in the direction of assisting them to obtain employment other than under the contract system.”

Mr, James explained that the confer ence had no power—it was merely advisory. A full report of its discussions would be submitted to the Australian Government.