Old Conditions and New Theories in N. Guinea

Letter to the Editor

rjIHE “PIM” for October gives the name X of yet another pioneer who has gone to join the great majority. I well remember Les Joubert, both on his first trip to the Lakekamu, in partnership with Gus Nelsson, and his return, when he, with Gus, transferred their liquor licence to my room in Port Moresby. I should, however, think that his real pioneering days were in BNG when he started up around Buna, as partner with Ernie Oates. In all, he had three part ners—Oates, Nelsson and Pryke.

The issue now received indicates the great troubles the ex-residents of New Guinea are beset with, and it seems to be a case of begging “Solomon with all his wisdom” to come back to earth and assist in trying to unravel the mess these “La Poupa” Ministers are piling up.

The system of contract labour was about as fair as any system, and, with the native being sure of his £6 at the end of a year, plus a passage back to his nearest home port, there did not ap pear to be anything further to be done.

The worker signed the contract of his own free will, while the NLO, which in sisted on NLI being permitted to ques tion any worker, without the manager or overseer being present, was, I think, about as open a contract as possible. To regiment the worker, 90 per cent, of whom can’t read or write, and insist that they become members of a trade union, is only asking for very serious trouble, and once labour troubles start in New Guinea, the few hot-heads 'who do read and write will cause more trouble for the Commonwealth than even Mr. Ward could understand.

In my travels I have worked, addi tionally to Papuan, Kroo boys and Hausas on the West Coast of Africa, Chinese and Solomon Islanders in Samoa, Matabelelanders and Mashonas in Rhodesia, and the various races such as Malayans, Telegus, Tamils and Malays in the FMS; but I pass the credit to British New Guinea. The living condi tions were superior to any of the others, not excepting the Chinese conditions in British Samoa. 11TE all know that something must be ▼ T done to arrange conditions in the New World which—we hope— will emerge from the awful wreck brought about by the latest march of the twin devils, Hitler and Hirohito, but —let the

alterations be gentle, and allow these folk who have put their all into New Guinea to return, and as soon as the> feel their feet and know how their future is to be worked out, then ask some responsible man from the Common wealth to draw up, aided by the resi dents, a system of labour conditions which will be acceptable to all. But to pursue the policy, such as is contained in the various published articles, will only end in disaster, and cause more un rest than there is in Java.

Personally, I think some sort of im migration scheme should be con sidered, as there are millions of acres available for settlement which could be turned into productiveness by selected coloured races.

The trouble, however, is that the Aus tralians seem to think New Guinea may be a competitor in their field of pro duce, and therefore think they should keep their fingers on the whole terri tory, forgetting that the standards of living are so vastly different, and that in ordinary labouring work, it took (1908-1915) 11 boys one day to clear one acre of land, when in Australia some men boasted of being able to clear one acre per day themselves. The cost per boy per day at that period was 1/6 all in, so that the labour costs were 16/6 per acre. In NSW, I believe the white worker would get £1 for the same job.

Anyway, the men who have spent so many years in the country should be welcomed back and it is to them Mr.

Ward should appeal for advice as to the future conditions of the worker, and not to some of those folk whose knowledge of the country is encircled by the war years.

I am, etc.,

“Toaguba.”

Sydney, 2/12/1945.

Major E. B. Ayris, 1914-18 veteran, who fought his World War II on little ships around the New Guinea coasts, has finished a spell on a New South Wales sheep station, and is now kicking his heels on a comfortable beach in Sydney, while he awaits the restoration of che New Guinea gold industry and his old job. He was on the NGG staff in Wau until the international .argument com menced.