Papua Government

May Await Return of Dr. Evatt

ALTHOUGH three months have passed since the Australian Minister for Territories announced that civil administration would be restored to Papua and the Morobe section of the Mandated Territory by means of a “Pro visional Government,” nothing further has been done.

General expectation is that nothing will be done until the Australian Attorney- General (Dr. Evatt) returns from San Francisco, probably in June. It is sug gested that Dr. Evatt’s plan of basing a two-territories “provisional” administra tion upon National Security Regulations has been found impracticable under con stitutional law.

Most other moves for the re-establish ment of civil life in the liberated Terri tories now await Canberra’s decisions.

The first development, presumably, will be the apointment of a Civil Administra tor Some people think that Canberra now will reject Mr. Leonard Murray, be cause of the Barry Report. But an analysis of the Barry Report shows that main criticism of Mr. Murray was based on the allegation that, early in 1942, he was ultra-scrupulous in trying to carry out the wishes of Canberra, and in refus ing to move until he had instructions from Canberra. Canberra can scarcely be expected to punish Mr. Murray on that account.

However, Canberra never has been famed for fine distinctions of that kind.

If Canberra wants to be rid of Mr.

Murray, the Barry Report supplies the excuse. The wishes of Papuan civilians —which apparently are strongly in favour of Mr. Murray’s appointment—probably would not count.

Native Labour Ordinance.

PROMULGATION of the new Native Labour Ordinance can be expected, as soon as the new Government takes shape. All the scientific and ad ministrative experts (including Mr. Halh gan, Mr. Leonard Murray, Dr. lan Hog bin, Mr. Melrose, and leading Terri tories officials) met the Minister in Can berra late in May in conference on the Ordinance. But there were no ecijnomic experts there, nor any representatives of Territories trade and industry. Probably, if they had appeared, Mr. Ward would have bitten them.