Anger And Disappointment In The

Australian Territories

Servicemen's Protests in Lae and Rabaul

(Other articles on progress of Rehabilitation in Papua-New Guinea

on Pages 63, 64.)

REPORTS of economic confusion in the Australian Pacific Territories, and of the angry resentment of planters and traders against things that are being done —and not done—by the Australian Government—have reached us from several sources.

Some three months ago, when Colonel H. T. Allen and Mr. A. J. Gaskin were added to the Production Control Board, it was understood that their special task would be the rehabilitation of Territorians—and especially of returned servicemen. Canberra promised that no further War Disposals goods would be sold until the needs of both Administration and returning Territor ians had been fully met. It is claimed that the Government is not carrying out these undertakings.

The following statements are taken from various communications which reached us in the first ten days of August.

Servicemen's Meeting in Roboul

From Our Own Correspondent

Rabaul, Aug. 7.

A MEETING of indignant members of the Returned Servicemen’s League was held in Rabaul on August 6, and resolutions were passed alleging that the Government had not kept its promise, of March last, that Territorians should have first choice of goods sold by Common wealth Disposals in the Territories.

It was reported that large quantities of goods sold to “outside buyers” were awaiting shipment here; that local ser vicemen had lost confidence in the Com mission; and it was resolved to make im mediate strong protests to the Austra lian Government and the Federal Execu tive of the League, in Australia.

Radiograms sent to the Australian Prime Minister demanded an immediate inquiry.

Other statements made here are that about 40 small ships, urgently needed by planters and others for rehabilitation pur poses are lying in Rabaul Harbour, idle, useless and deteriorating, because the War Disposals Commission will not make them available for sale.

Trade tobacco costs us here to-day about 9/- per lb. Yet War Disposals sold 10,000 lb. of tobacco to a mission or ganisation for 5/3 per lb., and planters and traders were never advised that it was for sale.

Planters urgently need vehicles. Yet, while trucks have been sold to aliens, and others (at Lae) to southern buyers for ridiculous sums, War Disposals has done nothing to help planters with trucks, and still holds large numbers of trucks, as well as other useful equipment in short supply, in special parks around Gazelle Peninsula.

How They "Sell Ships" in Papua

Samarai, Julv 14.

ON a flying visit to Samarai, the Dis posals Commission’s representative accepted a cheque from Mr. G. Har rison for two boats, the “Teliai” and the “Hisiuabada.” Receint was to be for warded from Port Moresby. Mr. Harrison removed the boats and began to put them in order.

After some months he wrote asking about a receipt. He was informed that the “Teliai” had been bought by the Native Affairs Department.

More time passed, and now he has been instructed to hand the “Teliai” back at once and that, as a special favour, he can hold the “Hisiuabada” until it is re-valued.

The launch “Marek” was sold by the Disposals Commission to Mr. J. Wilkin son. The Provisional Government had

also taken it over. After numerous sig nals and visits to the Provisional heads, Mr. Wilkinson was allowed to take the boat over—in spite of the fact that the original owner had not been informed that it was available for disposal!

The launch “Una” was sold while lying on the beach at Sariba (near Samarai) for £25, to Mr. R. Bunting. Mr. Coleman and Mr. Izod (of the Labe Labe Saw mills) are still wondering what happened to their tender of £50.

Mr. Ernie Evenett of Samarai, pre-war, owned the lugger “Fairy.” The army, after the evacuation, took the boat over.

Mr. Evenett valued it at £600, but asked that it be handed back to him and not paid for. He was not paid for it, and the army used it for over three years, during which period maintenance work was done and it was in much the same condition as when handed over, except for lack of sails (quite an expensive item).

Mr. Evenett wanted it back, so he ap proached the Disposals Commission. He suggested that he be allowed to take the boat over and that some small recom pense be paid for the use of it by the army. He then offered Disposals what he had originally valued it at, but was laughed at. Disposals said they could sell it for £1,000, but they still wanted to pay him only the low valuation he had put on it. Now. he has the boat back, but he had to pay the Disposals Com mission £700 for it. Then the army paid him £600 for the boat, so he had paid the powers that be £100 and allowed them to use his boat for the whole period of the war for nothing, and he now has to refit it.

Surely there is some authority that can attack these matters at the proper place and straighten them out. Too many men acquired the art of “passing the buck” during their army career and are carry ing it on into civil life, with disastrous results.

This history could be continued. Suf fice to say that many boats were lost through the delay of the Disposals Com mission in taking action. Two in Milne Bay were completely destroyed, and many that are now under water could have been saved if action had been taken earlier.

Economic Confusion in Lae

From a Special Correspondent LAE, Aug. 6.

HERE are some sidelights on what the dear old Australian taxpayer is pay ing for, in New Guinea.

The Carpenter diesel-motored ship “Salamaua” left this week for Melbourne, after having been here so long that she had become part of the landscape. She

(Continued on Page 74)

was sent up here last February by the Government Directorate of Shipping (or whatever they call it) on a job that under private control would have taken about six weeks. Under Government direction, it has taken five months!

X heard the engineers talking the other day. They calculated that it cost the Australian taxpayers not less than £670 per day to run the “Salamaua.”

The “Salamaua’' had been here for some time, loading War Disposals goods bought by southern buyers (really needed for rehabilitation here) when the “Mon toro” arrived, and “Salamaua” had to lie out to make room. The unloading of the “Montoro” took several days. Natives with trucks (a number of them bought War Disposals trucks) were each paid £4 per day.

When the “Salamaua” returned to her berth, the native labourers had had enough. They announced that they would not work for less than 10/- per day. They were not paid this—so many of them returned to their villages.

It is reported here that the Luluais and Tultuls not long ago called upon the District Officer at Finschhaven, and told him they were desirous of turning in their caps (in other words, resigning their official positions) and wanted to work for £1 per day or £9 per month!

FEW people in Australian know—and I suppose most care less—that, while official native wages have been in creased from 8/- or 10/- to 15/- per month, the cost of nearly everything needed by the native has increased en

ormously/ For example;

One of the most shocking things I heard was the sale by War Disposals of axes at 1/- and 1/6 each, to Australian buyers for shipment south; while traders and planters here are forced to pay from 15/- to 20/- each for an exactly similar article.

War Disposals trucks were sold tc southern buyers for 30/- each. The natives willingly paid £BO for some of them. Of course, the natives just run them to a standstill and abandon them.

Now that there are some roads in the Territory, the trucks will be needed later by returning residents. Why could not they have been taken over by the Ad ministration, and held in a pool, and sold to Territorians as required? Instead, they were sold at 30/- each, before most people knew what was happening.

Lurid Language at Lae LAE, Aug. 7.

NEW GUlNEA—proverbially a land

where a man says what he thinks —never heard more lurid language than was employed when New Guinea men accepted the invitation of the Re gional and Repatriation Officer, Mr.

Locke, to meet him and hear his ex planation of the Rehabilitation Act.

They listened attentively; but when they realised that there was nothing in the Act for them, except perhaps one thing, but only for mainlanders. they opened up, and expressed their opinion of the Government in blistering words.

The official said that the Common wealth Bank could make them an ad

Old Present Price Price Tobacco, per lb .. . . .. 4/6 13/- Meat, per tin . .. 1/- 2/- Copra knives . .. /9 3/6 16in. knives . .. 4/- 10/- 1 axes , .. 5/- 15/-

vance ol up to £l,OOO on their agricul tural leases. , „ Voices: But where are the leases? When do we get some land?

The official said he was sorry—the Government had made no provision yet.

Men present—mostly mining men— pointed out that huge quantities of axes, knives, shovels, pickaxes and various equipment had been sold by the Govern ment to southern buyers, and refused to them Did he call that “rehabilitation”?

The official could only give reassur ances that these matters would be put right in time. He seemed embarrassed.

The men were very angry—but that did not prevent them saying some witty things, at the expense of the Govern ment. The outspoken ones were the miners. The planters probably thought the same things—but they are so com pletely at the mercy of the Administra tion officials and the politicians, these days, that they were not game to say them. Free soeech is a dead letter here now—except among people who have no thing to lose.

Finally, a large section of the audience by now thoroughly hostile—left the meeting. I was sorry for Mr. Locke.

He was being abused for the sins and omissions of his Canberra bosses.