Chaos and Confusion in Industry

From a Special Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, Oct. 30.

CHAOS and confusion reign supreme in the districts around Port Moresby: and, I understand, condi tions are little better “over the hill” (Eastern and North-east Divisions) and in the Morobe district of New Guinea.

I am sending you a copy of the ten der communication made to the native labourers on the instructions of Minis ter Ward. Some poor fools evidently thought that the natives, on their side, would become all noble and broad minded, and sign on again under the conditions so affectionately broadcast by Mr. Ward.

But Black Brother didn’t waste five minutes. As soon as he was quite sure that his labour contracts were cancelled by the kindly Mr. Ward, he just packed up and left for home—over 90 per cent, of him. That applied to every industry, including coastal transport.

The result, as I have said, is chaos— and, for many of us, blue ruin. The new Provisional set-up has promised us new labourers. We are waiting to see what happens. Even if we get a lot of new, raw labour it will take months to train them.

Meanwhile, most of the rubber planta tions are closed down. Think of that, next time your precious Canberra Minis ters try to explain why you cannot have new tyres.

Within a few days after October 15, some 10,000 native labourers, on their way home, had gathered in Port Moresby—and, as we anticipated, troubles of all kinds developed. The worst were the tribal fights. Old hands would never have dreamed of bringing together these masses of men from tribes which have been hostile since the beginning of time; but our new rulers were blissfully un conscious of trouble. They soon woke up, however, and tried frantically to get the different people away on the coastal vessels. That was not easy—the con tract labourers on the little ships, like all other labourers, had decided to work no more.

Finally, I gather, the trouble was over come by the following means: • By despatching every small craft that could be manned, loaded to the gun wales with natives, irrespective of sea worthiness or adequacy of life-belts. • By using the “James Cook” to de liver natives to the eastern districts. • By making as many natives as pos sible walk home.

These home-going natives are not be ing paid until they reach the office of the DO nearest to their villages. When they are paid, the money will be of little use to them, because they cannot buy anything. Our “Gestapo”—the popular name for the Production Control Board —have created a great shortage of stores, and the supply of trade goods is very limited indeed.

The cost to the Administration of sending all these natives home, before the expiry of their contracts, must have been heavy. It is paid for out of the huge sum allotted in the Australian Bud get to Mr. Ward’s Department. I hope

you people in Australia will remember that when you are subscribing to the War Loan!

I CANNOT give you details of the posi tion on all the rubber estates, but I know of some. Mr. Gordon Mar shall, for instance, of Ogamobu Planta tion, in the Kikori district (where there always has been an abundance of labour) reports that he had 153 boys indentured.

When the contracts were cancelled, 36 engaged for one year at 15/-, seven ac cepted casual work —and the rest departed. When Mr. Marshall asked a leading boss-boy if he wanted a job else where, seeing 'he was leaving, he replied; “No—we have plenty of food in our vil lages, and plenty of money. You pav us our money, but we cannot buy any thing wit>- it is no good to us.”

Mr. Marshall adds that he does not expect any improvement in the position, so far as the Goaribari, Urama and Gopi districts are concerned for at least a year.

Much depends on the availability of trade goods.

Mr. G. A. Loudon, of the Eilogo Rubber Estate, seems to be in the best positon of any planter—but here is how he fared: He had 198 indentured labourers. Of these, 24 of his own “casuals” are re maining; 42 said they would re-sign on the new contracts; and 132 decided to return to their villages.

All the plantations of Steamship Trad ing Co. and associated concerns have been closed down.

Morroro Plantation (rubber) has closed down. Ouou Creek, a small coconut plan tation, is completely shut down.

Taking it by and large, I should say that Mr. Ward’s brilliant plan has re sulted in the cessation of about 75 per cent, of the limited plantation produc tion operations which the Military Ad ministration allowed us to commence dur ing the past 12 or 18 months You are aware, of course, that only a limited number of planters has been allowed back, anyway—and now they are being, for the most part, wiped out. What a set-up—and what an advertisement for Australia!