Well-known Planter Challenges

Mission Chief

Letter to the Editor PAPUAN and New Guinea people are somewhat surprised by the “S.M.

Herald” interview with Rev. John W. Burton (December 27).

The sub-heading states “Missionaries want system changed.” The article goes on to say that “the National Missionary Council of Australia believe that the in denture system of native labour should be abolished.”

I do not know when or under what con ditions this National Missionary Council was elected, but I very much doubt that it had any mandate from the general body of missionaries to justify such a statement. All the evidence is to the contrary—as demonstrated by the state ments of prominent missionaries of long experience.

It is well-known to me that, even within

Mr, Burton’s own church, a prominent head of a mission group, who has had very many years’ experience in Mela nesia, and who has achieved great success in that field, is definitely opposed to Mr.

Burton’s views, and that Mr. Burton is well aware of that fact. How then does he square his conscience with what he says, and what he leaves unsaid, the re sult of which tends to mislead the public on the realities of the case?

Mr. Burton has exhibited a very unfair attitude in allowing to go unchallenged the aspersions that have been cast, from time to time, upon the white officials and inhabitants of Papua and New Guinea regarding the treatment of natives. He knows as well as I do that, except for the very small minority that exists in every community, the people of our Islands Territories treat their native employees with paternal care—not only because it is economically politic to do so, but from their natural sense of justice. Only on very rare occasions had the Government to employ penalties against employers for breaches of the Native Labour Regu lations, which are administered by of

ficials with every regard for native interest and welfare.

The church tells us that sins of omis sion can be as great as sins of com mission; in my opinion, Mr. Burton is guilty on both counts. A sense of justice urged Mr. Leonard Murray, Administrator of Papua, to write to “Sydney Morning Herald” to correct these wrong impres sions, but Mr. Burton apparently has not considered himself called upon to do so, although he knows quite well that a wrong impression is being created in the minds of the public.

Under the heading, “Commission’s Views,” Mr. Burton said that a Com mission appointed said various things (vide paragraphs 1 to 4 of his letter) all tending to favour Mr. Burton’s special propaganda. I know of no such state ment by any Commission. But I do know that, just prior to the war, a Commission specially appointed by the Commonwealth Government, after taking evidence in all parts of the Territories, unanimously re commended that the indenture system be continued as the only practical means pf ensuring a satisfactory labour supply, having regard to the requirements of the Territories, and native mentality as it now is and is likely to be for some con siderable period.

I think it will be found that the re commendations of that Commission, to gether with the weight of opinion ex pressed at the recent conference, in favour of a continuation of the system (with certain minor amendments) will be given consideration by the Government in deciding the policy for the immediate future. The recent conference was against any limitation of the period of

continuation to five years, as suggested by Mr, Burton.

Unfortunately, the press was excluded from that conference. The public has not been informed of what transpired.

This makes it distinctly unfair for Mr Burton to continue to attempt to mislead the public. It would be much better for him to accept the situation as it is, and to endeavour to co-operate in the re habilitation of the Islands Territories with due regard to the rights and in terests of all parties concerned, and of the future political and military exi gencies of the Pacific in general and of Australia’s immediate neighbourhood in particular.

I am, etc.,

C. I. H. Campbell.

Sydney, 6/1/45.