New Book Of Old Laws

New Guinea 1939-41

rpo hand from the Directorate of X Research and Civil Affairs, Austra lian Military Forces, volume XV of the “Laws of the Territory of New Guinea,” just issued.

This book, excellent enough in its own way, covers the period 1939-41, and one might well ask what is the point of it.

Civil Government was suspended in early 1942, some parts of the Territory are still under military administration, and those which are not, are rilled by the Papua-New Guinea Provisional Ad ministration which has a completely new set of laws of its own.

The Directorate has also compiled a complete consolidation of the laws of New Guinea up to the suspension of Civil Government in 1942, and this will be issued in 1946. They are at work on a similar consolidation for Papua, as well.

All this literary and statistical effort is at the expense of the Australian tax payer and the expense of Australian paper supplies. And with it all, present indications are that these works will have small interest for anyone, except as ancient history. But as they are compiled at the request of the Department of External Territories, perhaps even that theoretic body can foresee the day when an old-fashioned law or two will be of use in managing the liberated Fuzzy Wuzzy.

Major D. G. Kennedy, whose war service in BSI is well known, is at present in charge of the transfer and subsequent settlement of the Banabans from Ocean Island on the Island of Rabi, just north of Taveuni in the Fiji Group. Rabi was bought from the Fijians by the Western Pacific High Commission some time ago as a prospective home for the Ocean Islanders.