Labour Tragedy In Papua

New Guinea

Experienced Official Suggests a Remedy

By Alexander Rentoul, Formerly a Resident Magistrate in Papua

TO arrive in a busy administrative capi tal like Port Moresbv. at the height of its prosperity, and a few short months later to see that prosperity with er like grass before the blast of the Japanese menace, is a thing not to be forgotten.

In April, 1941. when returning from leave, it was my good fortune to receive orders from the then Administrator (the Hon. H. L. Murray) to relieve the Com missioner for Lands temporarily.

During my four months’ stay at the seat of Administration I had a close-up view of the busy scene around me. Never before had I noted such activity in the Territory. Commercial houses were work ing overtime: coastal ships were convey ing stores to plantations, and other centres, returning laden with copra, rub ber and trochus-shell. Three companies with large staffs were examining the in terior for oil, and on every hand pros perity was manifest.

In those splendid davs. thousands of natives were being emnloved on various activities, earning and spending their wages. Everybody seemed happy, and the Great War in the Western Hemisphere seemed far awav.

AT the end of the same year I returned to a tragic scene. The Japanese southwards thrust was in full swing.

Women and children, including my own wife, were being evacuated; everything seemed to be in the melting-pot.

Men asked each other what was going to happen next and nobody in the Ad ministration could tell them. Nobody seemed to know anything, and I could sense a total absence of leadership or guidance on the part of the military authority. Anarchy, in the form of un restricted looting on the part of the un trained militia, followed, and the com mercial life of Moresbv came to an end.

That was the last of decent administra tion in New Guinea. To-dav. a year after the end of the War, the position seems still tragic—especially to those who,

like myself, have given up the major por tion of their lives to the advancement of a great Territory. rERE is something sardonic in the fact that, after the tumult of the war years had ended, there should be reserved for the Territory the worst blow it had yet suffered, when the inex perienced military administration, before handing over the reins of office to the Provisional Government, assembled the large native labour force at different points and announced that, provided they did not wish to work for the new authority, their services were no longer required.

Those native labourers had been com pulsorily enrolled by -the Services during the War. They were naturally delighted at the prospect of this abrupt release, and were soon on their way to their village homes.

Had this operation been carried out with some skill and common sense, a proportion of this labour could have been transferred to the well-tried indenture system without hardship, and the transi tion would have been scarcely noticed Those transferred could at least have kept the wheels turning until fresh arrange ments had been made.

From what one can gather from various sources, the industrial life of Papua-New Guinea is at the moment in a state of paralysis. The lack of native labour, coupled with the increasing price of basic commodities, is bringing about such a condition of affairs that, unless steps are taken to remedy the situation, it will be soon apparent to the outside world that Australia has fallen down on the job.

SURELY administrators, missionaries,

and 'all those with the welfare of the natives at heart must, even grudgingly, admit that no tropical coun try can progress without the thrust of private enterprise, and a ready supply of native labour to produce exports for a waiting world; and that the progress of the natives is bound up with the progress of the territory.

Whether the natives of New Guinea would have been happier without the pre sence of the white man is a very moot point. Possibly, it was a mistake for us to impose our so-called civilisation upon these “children of the sun”; but, having done so, there can be for us no turning back.

In my own view, it is now as much the duty of the natives to work reasonably for the prosperity of their country as it is the duty of their white employers. That is an idea I would submit to many oppon ents.

It is true that money in itself does not mean so much to the native as it does to the white man, but the more civilised natives have many urgent uses for their money. Without cash, they can not pay the Government head tax, and gaol is the penalty for failure. Without cash, they cannot pay their mission dues, and so they suffer shame before their more fortunate brethren. Without means, they cannot purchase the tobacco and rice which make life for them so very much more worth while.

I feel certain that these urges would

bring forward a supply of native labour, if the problem were properly handled.

MIGHT I suggest that as a remedy for the present serious situation the clock be put back a few years, and the old ways taken up again. The Mur ray administration, whose achievements seem in danger of being forgotten, aidec* by only a paltry subsidy from the Com monwealth, built up a native policy that won the admiration of the Empire, • Would it not be well, then, to copy the old methods and abandon for the time being those grandiose schemes for native welfare, and make an immediate effort to get experienced natives back on the job by every lawful means?

I would suggest, as the first necessity, the creation of a body of skilled recruit ers, who know their natives. Not Govern ment officials, for even a suggestion by a patrol officer in my day was often in terpreted by a chief as a “Government order”; hence, compulsory labour would result instead of the voluntary labour re quired under the indentured system.

The value of propaganda amongst natives is not to be despised. Every out side officer should be instructed to use his influence in appealing to natives to do their bit for their country, pointing out the advantages that would accrue by so doing. Missionaries could help by sound advice to their congregations.

By such means the ground could be prepared for the recruiter, and much good might result. The employer, on his part, could provide improved conditions. fIIHERE are certain persons who are in- A dined to regard the licensed re cruiters with suspicion, and attribute to them all sorts of sinister motives.

To these critics I would recall the name of Captain L. Henderson, OBE. who gained renown during the war for his exploits with small ships. He is remem bered by me rather as the recruiter, who, when the panic of evacuation had emp tied Misima of its white population, ouietly returned to Cuthbert’s Misima Goldmine and. in his own boats, and at great personal risk, evacuated and re turned to their home villages the large body of recruits he had obtained for the mine in the days of peace, and for whom he felt personaHv responsible.

Recruiters of this type know the natives amongst whom they operate. They know the good and bad' bovs, and have too much regard for their own future success to bring in any boy against his will.

A supply of good native labour by ap proved means and a reduction in the price of basic commodities would soon bring about a state of affairs in which private industry would be heartened to further effort, while the natives would be enabled to earn the wages with which they could pay their taxes and Church fees, and purchase the tobacco and rice without which life to them must be a dreary affair.

The task should not be impossible and the need is great.