Report'

Mr. Ward's Model

Village

Denial of P. Moresby Report'

rE Australian Minister for Territories has been making heavy weather of his model village for Papuans.. He announced in June, with complacency, that the village would cost £llB,OOO and that it would be equipped with modern amenities, such as electric light and sanitation.

There was laughter and criticism in the South Pacific.

Australians cursed. Thousands and tens of thousands of Australians, as a result of Socialist muddling in recent years, are living in hovels, without any amenities whatever.

Territorians jeered. They know what the average Papuan native will do with a “model village,” and they can name a score of directions in which £llB,OOO could be better spent.

The natives were unenthusiastic. They prefer to build their own houses, in ac cordance with their own wishes.

Mr. Ward and the “PIM”

ACCORDING to Hansard, the following incident occurred as soon as Parlia ment met: Mr. Beazley: I ask the Minister for External Territories whether, as the “Pacific Islands Monthly” has stated, £llB,OOO is to be expended on the erection of a native village in Papua. If so, what purpose will the village serve?

Mr. Ward: If the “Pacific Islands Monthly” has stated a fact, it has done so for the first time. The Department of External Territories has decided to expend £llB,OOO on the con struction of a native village in close proximity to Port Moresby. The Government was obliged to rehabilitate these natives, who had been dis turbed by military operation. Their old villages were destroyed, and we thought that, while we were on the job, we would do it well, and give them a model village. rE next development was the appear ance, in leading Australian dailies, of the following report, dated June 15, from a Port Moresby correspondent of the “PIM.” (It arrived just too late for the June “PIM." and was accordingly handed over to the Australian news papers.) A meeting of natives, representing all the councils and villages along the south Papuan coast, from Manumanu to Kera puna, was held here recently, at the Port Moresby village of Hanuabada. It was decided to send to Mr. Ward, the Aus tralian Minister for External Territories, by radio, a request that the present Ad ministrator be sent away immediately, and that “Young” Murray (the former Civil Administrator, Mr. Leonard Mur ray, as distinct from his uncle, the late Sir Hubert Murray) be sent back to Papua.

In addition, the meeting sent to Mr.

Ward, by air-mail, no less than 15 resolu tions. These include a denunciation of the Minister’s plan for building a model village here at a cost of £llB,OOO.

The natives say they prefer to build their own homes, so that they may own them themselves; whereas, if the Govern ment builds them, they will be owned by the Government, and the natives will be subject to all sorts of rules and regula tions.

It is believed that the meeting decided that if their requests are not met, all the natives employed bv the Administration in Port Moresby will go out on strike.

Discussion in Parliament OUR Canberra correspondent then re ported as follows, under date June 26: A “Pacific Islands Monthly” report from

Papua was discussed in the House of Representatives here to-day.

The report suggested that natives at Port Moresby might go on strike unless the Minister for External Territories (Mr.

Ward) agreed to certain requests made by them.

Mr. Ward was obviously worried and in the House this morning a “Dorothy Dix” brought the report into the limelight and thereby he was able to dispel some of the dark clouds. (A “Dorothy Dix” is the name given to the practice in Parlia ment of having a Government back bench member raise an issue to which a Minister has an already prepared answer.) Mr. Chambers (Lab., SA) per formed the useful function, in this case. He asked Mr. Ward if the “PIM” report were accurate.

Mr. Ward replied: “There is no truth in the report that certain demands were submitted to me by New Guinea- natives.

I had inquiries made into the matter.

The natives, however, have been greatly perturbed because they had some know ledge of a speech made by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Menzies) about the possibility of a change of Govern ment.”

Here, Mr. Menzies interjected: “Is it true that they call you brother?”

Mr. Ward ignored this and went on: “When the natives heard that there might be a change of Government, they decided to cease work. When I assured them that there was no possible danger that this Government would be disturbed, they decided to carry on.”

Radiogram From Port Moresby EVIDENTLY, Mr. Ward “assured” them to good purpose, because the next de velopment occurred on July 3, when Mr. Ward read to the Australian Parlia ment the following radiogram which he had received from Port Moresby.

“Have been requested to send you the following message: ‘Minister Ward, Mini ster of External Territories—Hanuabada people request definitely and happy look ing toward your beginning their village soon. Last night people said some pre war white people trying spoil our village construction. People do not want return old fashion Government—people want new Government to stay. (Signed), Gav era Arua, chairman village council; Rarua Tau, for Hanuabada village councillors.’ ”

Mr. Ward could not have had a more satisfactory message if he had referred the “PIM” report to Port Moresby and asked to have it “killed” by the bright lads of Hanuabada. But, of course, Mr.

Ward would not do a thing like that.

Accuracy of Reports THE foregoing details are published for general information.

We have no reason to question the good faith and accuracy of the Port Moresby correspondent who sent up the original report.

We have every reason to treat with sus picion the statements of any professional politician who is embarrassed by hostile criticism of his actions.

This month, the “PIM” concludes 16 years of continuous publication. Never, in that period, have we knowingly given pub licity to a lie, or deliberately distorted a fact. All that is published in this journal is published in the sincere belief that it is true.

Considerable damage was done to the Papeete wharves and harbour installa tions when the disastrous tidal waves of April 1 reached Tahiti. Hundreds of tons of cement are needed to repair the damage, but so far the French Govern ment has been able to purchase only 10 tons in New Zealand.