Papua-N. Guinea
pp. 13-72 · Read in the full issue
Confusion, Unhappiness In
Industry Paralysed By Lack of Labour and Transport
INNUMERABLE communications from
non-official Europeans in Papua and New Guinea outline the same general story of conditions there. Summed up, the position appears to be -as follows: The Papua-New Guinea Provisional Administration, with an apparently endless staff and unlimited funds, is creating elaborate administrative mach inery and making vast plans for the future. But— The Administration’s plans—evidently as the result of Canberra policy—are concerned mostly with the natives and. to a great extent, ignore the needs of the Europeans, The Europeans are concerned mostly with production copra, rubber, gold, oil, etc. Anything that the Territories can produce can be sold most profitably.
But the Administration seems to give far more thought to the social and cul tural conditions of the natives, than to the need for encouraging profitable pro duction through European channels.
THERE is a great shortage of native labour, which has persisted ever since Mr. Ward, late in 1945 and early in 1946, cancelled all native labour contracts. One experienced observer in Port Moresby says; ‘With various kinds of officials arriving now in every plane, I am beginning to wonder whether there will be enough labour in the whole country to supply Administration needs.”
It is reported that 21 plantations in the Madang area of New Guinea, capable of producing 700 tons of copra a month, are idle now through lack of labour.
Generally speaking, all industrial enterprise in the Territories is paralysed through lack of labour.
Except for Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd, who have special resources, it is not expected that any of the goldmining concerns in New Guinea will get back into production until late in 1947.
Even if labour could be got, it is likely that industry generally would still be paralysed through lack of transport.
There are no small ships to carry on the usual coastal work. This is the result of another of the plans of Mr Ward of Canberra. Islands shipping, both inter-island and oversea, is to be a Government monopoly in future. No private owner can run vessels of more than 25 tons along the coast, for paid traffic: and no privately-owned vessel under 25 tons can carry any cargo or passengers except its own. The Admin istration has not supplied anything like enough boats.
There are large numbers of boats lying idle and unattended (and rapidly deteriorating) in the various ports, awaiting sale by the War Disposals Com mission.
SO little is being done for Europeans by the Administration that much local feeling and bitterness is engen dered. One report says that, of the 600 civilians in Port Moresby, about 400 are compelled to eat at hotels and messes, because of the lack of housing facilities.
Houses of poor quality cost at least £2,200. Tea is 4/4 per lb. butter 3/- per 1 lb tin.
Barracks, built by the PCB in Rabaul, give shelter to about 15 men. There is
ho other accommodation in Rabaul where, owing to lack of ships, many people are awaiting transport to their plantations.
Goods or the Territories are heavily taxed before leaving Australia. Before they enter the Territories, they pay another ad valorem tariff of 10 per cent.
Rations for natives cost three times what they did before the war.
Yet, while necessary goods are so heavily taxed, the Administration will not allow more than £22/10/ for the decreasing amount of copra produced. (It is shown elsewhere in this issue that the world value of copra is not less than £3O per ton, Australian f.0.b.) The same applies to Papuan rubber, for which the Administration pays 1/8 lb less than is being paid in USA for synthetic.
THE indifference of the Administration towards simple economic considera tion is shown by the fact that the Government coconut plantation of Sai baira, which last year produced 900 tons of copra, has not made one ton of copra for eight months. Yet the world is cry ing out for copra.
There is great activity in all distri buting business in the Territories — stores, freezers, bakeries, and so forth — but this is all based on the Australian funds which are being poured in through the Administration. This is economic lunacy, and cannot go on indefinitely.
The Administration’s concern for natives, in contrast with indifference towards Europeans, is shown by various incidents reported. Yule Island radioed that a native was seriously ill. An RAAF Catalina, with a crew of five men, was sent immediately, and brought the sick man to Port, where an ambulance was waiting. Most praiseworthy. But just about that time a man in New Guinea reported that Port Moresby was inclined to prevent the return to the Territory of his son, an old resident, who had lived most of his life in New Guinea, who had fought in the NGVR, but who is now condemned to a certain amount of hospital treatment.
Mr. Ward recently sent, direct from New Guinea, a former Labour politician and Minister, Mr. Arthur Blakely, who is now some sort of labour inspector.
He arrived in Lae to inquire about native labour conditions, to see whether an inquiry by a Royal Commission should not be recommended.
Mr. Blakely was no stranger. He was there before the Pacific War, and it is believed that his reports to Canberra created the impression among people of Mr. Ward’s viewpoint that drastic inter ference with native labour laws in New Guinea was desirable. Fortunately, in Lae, Inspector Blakely met some of the genuine old hands Mick Leahy, Spec Wharton, Bill Money, Dick Tebb, etc., and he was left in no doubt concerning the real state of native labour affairs in the Territories.
But we understand he did not report verbatim to Minister Ward.
PC Board Plan Collapses
THE most discouraging development of the month, however, has relation to the Production Control Board.
It will be remembered that, in April,
the Board was reconstituted, so that it comprised Mr Clarrie Archer, as chair man; Colonel H. T. Allen, QBE, as pro duction member; Mr. F. L. Mackenzie as finance member; and Mr. A. J. Gaskin, as commerce member. It appeared that these men—all ohJ Territorians. trusted by the great majority of civilians there —had had interviews with Minister Ward, and had been given to understand that they would be allowed to virtually take charge in the Territories of the numerous tasks connected with the re patriation of returned soldiers and the rehabilitation of Europeans generally. It seemed an excellent plan, and was cordi ally received by all classes. (For all the details, see May PIM.) That set-up lasted just three months.
In mid-August, Colonel Allen arrived in Sydney, and visited Canberra, and made no secret of the fact that he had re signed. He gave no details, but it was apparent that he had met with nothing but frustration and disapponitment.
Canberra reports that Colonel Allen is still a member of the Board. Colonel Allen says nothing—except that he has nothing to do with the Board. He has bought a property at Vunakanau, in the Toma district, on high country some 14 miles outside of Rabaul. There he will carry on planting and trading, together with an indenting business in Rabaul; and he expects to leave for Rabaul at the end of September. Colonel Allen, before he left for active service in 1939, was running a valuable gold-mine near Wau, and he would like to return there.
But, he says, lack of labour and trans port puts that out of the question for some time.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Mr MacKenzie was retiring from the Board in September, in order to rejoin the Commonwealth Bank; and that Mr Gaskin, disappointed and disheartened, wished to retire, but had been persuaded to carry on until the end of the year.
The Production Control Board, which was to have done so much for the re habilitation of the Territorians. has become a mere figurehead, an append age of Canberra attached to the Admin istration.
BECAUSE of members’ unwillingness to talk, it has been difficult to find the real causes of this quick collapse of what, in April, appeared to be the most promising Territories development of the post-war era.
It is probable that the nigger which upset the woodpile and ruined the PCB plan, was the War Disposals Commission —a mysterious Australian set-up which apparently has extraordinary powers, and so far has done as it pleases, irres pective of what Canberra wants.
It was War Disposals which created the original scandal —the wholesale dis persal at Lae and thereabouts of vast quantities of goods, which .would have been invaluable in assisting in the re habilitation of Territorians. They were sold with something approaching reck lessness, to anyone who came along — and anyone was usually some dealer from Australia.
The New Guinea Returned Soldiers, angry and indignant, obtained from Mr Ward, at Canberra, in March, 1946, an undertaking that such sales would cease, and that the Administration, and Terri •torians generally, would have first pref erence in all future sales. That was the basis of the PCB plan.
War Disposals, obviously jealous of PCB powers, ignored all requests, and went their own sweet way. All that the
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PCB wanted to do, to help in rehabilita tion, was obstructed. A large quantity of trade tobacco was sold to the Catholic Missions at 5/3 per pound, though the current price in Rabaul was double that.
An understanding that returned soldiers should have first choice of trucks for sale was ignored, and the Chinese were given first choice. Special facilities to
buy and ship goods were given to mysterious personages who came in by plane from Australia to Lae, and were flown around by the special plane of the War Disposals Commmission.
Colonel Allen, apparently, stood as much of it as he could; and then he departed, and made a personal report to Canberra. He had been on active service since 1939, and he was not going to waste the precious years on muddling and in trigue. Some day, he may be persuaded to tell his story.
IN August, the Rabaul Branch of the Returned Soldiers held an angry meeting and sent a long cablegram to the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Chif ley. They complained strongly that the promise given them in March was being ignored by the War Disposals Commis sion; that goods were being sold and shipped away; that “local returned men had lost all confidence in Disposal Com mission’s organisation, in view of recent irregular sales”; and that rehabilitation was being retarded owing to preference being given to certain organisations and to Asiatics.
This telegram brought quick action.
The two principal officers of the War Disposals Commission in Rabaul disap peared, and others put in their places.
Mr Ken McMullen, the highly respected District Officer at Rabaul, who appar ently had done his utmost to assist in the PCB plan, was transferred to Port Moresby, to act as liaison officer between the Administrator and the War Disposals people; Mr. J. H. McDonald, another sound man, was sent to be DO at Rabaul; and all sales at Rabaul, except motor transport, were suspended, pending fur ther inquiry.
The latest information from Rabaul is that the Returned Soldiers are now being treated well, and Asiatics and natives are no longer given preference over them.
There are indications in other direc tions that War Disposals control has been revised. For months, Chinese, Malays and natives have been running jeeps around Lae, while the European residents, unable to get motor vehicles, had to thumb rides around the widely scattered place. War Disposals have
suddenly reached out and taken over their jeeps, and the transport position seems to be changing very much.
BUT the whole situation remains un happy and chaotic —and will remain so until Canberra policy is altered, and native labour and inter-island trans port become available.
The appearance of young, arrogant, long-haired officials in the Administra tion service, described as “Socialistic disciples and convinced anthropologists,” is resented by the civilians who know and understand the country. One such gentleman has risen to a high place in a Department which has much to do with native labour; and to his influence is ascribed the fact that so few natives are offering themselves for labour.
The great majority of officials are of a fine type, and are held in high regard.
But there are many newcomers whom the “old hands” find intolerable, and whom they describe in most discourteous terms.