Mr. Ward Defends His Administration

Accuses Big Companies of Exploitation—Describes How They Are to be Controlled

Resentment of the fact that the planters of Papua had appealed to the Prime Minister of Britain, and that a section of the Pacific Territories’

Association had tried to appeal to Great Britain and the United States against Australia’s oppressive rule in Papua and New Guinea, was expressed in strong terms by the Australian Minister for Ex ternal Territories (Mr. E. J. Ward) on November 28, when he addressed members of the Pacific Islands’ Society in Sydney.

Mr. Ward spoke for an hour about his administration in Papua and New Guinea, which he explained and defended. He indicated that the keystone of the Aus tralian Government’s policy was to pro tect the natives against exploitation by the white men, and protect planters and miners and other “small” Europeans against exploitation by the big com panies.

It was not true, he said, that the Aus tralian Government was lacking in con sideration for the white settlers who nad pioneered the Territories. What the Gov ernment was resolved to do was to pre vent the Territories being any longer a happy hunting-ground for the big com panies, owned by absentee shareholder:;, who got big profits out of the Terri tories and suffered none fo the hardships of life there. The GOTernment would lay down conditions which would give the natives some hope for the future.

He admitted he had little practical knowledge of the country, but he had had many discussions with people who did know New Guinea. He had conferred with missionaries (for whom he had nothing but commendation) and planters and old settlers and they had framed a policy which would give the Territories steady and orderly development, as com pared with the haphazard and unordered development which they had known in the past. The natives had no recognised protectors in the old set-up; they would have protection in the new. The people who had to do the work would receive their adequate reward.

He defended the principle of trustee ship, as enunciated by Australia at San Francisco, and he added that the an nouncement of Australia’s plan for pro tecting and training the natives had evi dently alarmed the interests which, in the past, had consistently exploited the natives. “Not only natives—there were many planters and settlers being ruth lessly exploited by the great companies, which had a throttle-hold on the Ter ritories,” said the Minister. “We are going to protect these people.”

AS an instance of how the natives were ill-treated, he said, it had been found that many natives employed in the goldmines of New Guinea had be come “dusted,” and had returned to their villages to die, victims of the white man’s greed. The Government not only would see that they had a sufficient wage in future, but that they got the full benefit of industrial compensation.

Maybe the natives did not require the full wage to which they were entitled— they might have no use for the money; but in that event the Government would take the surplus of wages from the em ployers, on behalf of the natives, and would use the money for the benefit of the natives in hospitals, and so forth.

No longer would the employers be allowed to batten on the native labourers, and pay them low-wages, because the natives

“had no use for the money.” The em ployers would pay the full wages. rE Government would develop the Territories, as quickly as possible. A Director of Education would be ap pointed very shortly. They had appointed, as Administrator, a man who was famous for his knowledge of agricultural develop ment. Already, Directors of Agriculture and of Health, had been appointed. The present Administration had to be pro visional, until the future of the Man

dated Territory was decided. As soon as they could recruit additional men for the Public Service, the Provisional Civil Ad ministration would be extended all over New Guinea. Large numbers of young men were needed for these services—a much bigger Public Service was planned than had been known in the past. They would be advertising for patrol officers at an early date.

The indentured labour system would be abolished in five years, it was hoped.

The Government’s action in terminating all the old contracts on October 15 had been criticised, and most urgent appeals had been made to the Governn*ent to hold its hand, for awhile. But the Government refused. Our soldiers were being alloweu to go home, after years of war; the Gov

eminent was determined that the natives should have the same post-war privilege, and return to their villages, if they wished. He had been told repeatedly that the natives themselves did not ob ject to indentured labour that they would sign on again and again. Well, this was the test. Would the natives demon strate their liking for the contract sys tem by signing on again after October 15?

Most of them had gone home—but he was sure the position would readjust itself presently. mHE Government was determined to X provide a good road, from the MarkH&m in to Wau. But the esti mated cost of maintenance was £45,000 per annum. As freight when flown in cost £l9 per ton, and as the same stuff by road would cost £8 or £9 per ton, he thought the mining companies should pay something towards the cost of maintain ing the road; and he was to meet the miners’ representatives at an early date, to discuss the amount they would con tribute for road maintenance.

Steps were being taken to permit the oil prospecting companies to resume their search for oil early in the New Year.

With regard to the development of the timber industry Ih the Territories, it had been decided, after much consideration, to allow the return of those people who had timber permits, and were operating mills.

But no timber could be cut for export— for the present, and until the needs of the Territories had been met, all timber cut in the Territories would be used there.

That was because there was much build ing to be done there, and the costs —if outside material had to be depended on —were enormous.

Tenders had been called for 24 tem porary dwellings in Port Moresby—tem porary, because until the future of the Mandated Territory was decided, they did not know whether they should have two administrative centres, or one, or where they would be —and the lowest quote was very close to £50,000. This example served to show that the cost of reconstruction in the Territories was going to be enormous.

It was hoped to soundly establish the timber industry and that, when local needs were met, large quantities of Terri tories timber would be available for the Australian market.

The overland telephones established by the fighting services were too costly to maintain, and would be abandoned; but communication would be kept up with radiophones, which would connect local telephone services with one another.

AN efficient transport system would be provided. They had entered into an agreement with the three Territories’ shipping companies to operate the Gov ernment ships—and it was intended that those ships should get the bulk of the Territories’ trade. No ship of more than 25 tons could compete in those waters against Government ships unless it had a Government licence.

There was some doubt whether the Gov ernment had the right to operate air ways in Australia; but in the Territories the Government had complete sovereignty and could operate services if it wished.

But if it ceuld not operate in Australia, it might not wish to operate in New Guinea, and in that event the air services would be privately operated.

It was now intended that native trade stores should be operated by private per sons for profit; but the Government would exercise strict control over them, more especially in regard to the chief lines in demand by natives.

IN response to Mr, Ward’s invitation, a number of members asked questions and made comments.

One member pointed out gently to the Minister that there was very little under ground mining in the Morotae field, and therefore, it was impossible that natives could have suffered to any extent from “dusting.”

Mrs Tex. Thomas asked why Mr. Ward should have addressed the Pacific Islands Society, which consisted mostly of people with only cultural interests in the Islands as a whole, and did not address the Pacific Territories’ Association, which

consisted entirely of “evacuees” whose in terests were wholly in their homeland of New Guinea. She described her experi ences as a pioneer, and declared that she and most other New Guinea settlers strongly resented the Minister’s descrip tion of them as exploiters.

Another woman member expressed the hope that all those additional public ser vants who were to be sent to the Terri tories would be carefully selected so that, under the new regime, there would be fewer square pegs in round holes.

Mr. R. W. Robson said that the Terri torial’ reaction against Australian mis government, expressed in their appeals and proposed appeals to Britain and the United States, was understandable and completely justified by events. The PTA, in Australia, suffering many grievances, had made appeal after appeal to the Department, the Minister, and the Prime Minister, but could get no interviews, no explanations, and no reassurances. Fin ally, in utter despair, they had proposed an appeal to Britain and the United States, to remove them from the cruel and oppressive administration of Australia.

The planters of Papua, after being en couraged by Canberra to re-establish their plantations, were suddenly deprived by Canberra of all their native labour, under Mr. Ward’s plan of native labour reform. The planters did not object so much to the new laws, as they did to the manner of their introduction, which was cruel and callous in the extreme. That was when they appealed to Britain. What else could they do—Canberra was quite indifferent to their plight?

Mr. R. A. Laws pointed out that various large sums had been earmarked already from the goldfields revenues for reading purposes—especially a portion of the gold royalty. Did the Minister propose to ignore all the gold royalties collected for the road, and impose further new taxa tion of the gold-mining community on the excuse that it was needed for road maintenance?

Mrs. Allen Innes described the good relations that always had existed between indentured native workers and European employers who understood the country.

The employers protected and trained and cleaned up the natives while the natives developed affection and loyalty for their employers. There was no exploitation in any shape or form. On the contrary, with the natives in their present stage of development* that was the only effective way of bringing them along from abso lutely primitive to better standards of life. rE Minister said that his only in formation about “dusting” was a report by a Mr. Arthur Blakeley, who said that many natives had been perma nently injured in this way. He did not regard all settlers as exploiters—far from it —his criticisms were levelled mostly at big companies with many absentee share holders.

Replying to the questions about the PTA, the & Minister at first said that he could not distinguish one Islands’ organi sation from another—there seemed to be several. But, replying to Mr. Robson, he declared that he had never left a PTA appeal unanswered, and he had never refused to meet the PTA—but “the Asso ciation might have done better for itself if it had couched its communications to him in a little more respectful language.”

He declared that the criticisms of his policy were not based on facts or reason, but on prejudice against the Australian Labour Government.

He said that what had not been done in relation to building a road—the matter referred to by Mr. Laws—had nothing to do with his administration. The blame, if any, lay with another Government.