Maybe Later—Not

Yet!

NG Public Service Strength About the Same as Pre-war

Pt. Moresby, Sept. 13 PAPUA-NEW GUINEA residents who are apt to become agitated at what they believe is a greatly increased public service, will be surprised to know that, according to official figures, the public service strength is about 650. That figure is certainly no larger than the pre-war total of public servants from Papua and New Guinea combined.

Or it is no larger—yet. When the new administrative set-up gets into going order and is fully staffed it can be ex pected that the numbers will be largely increased.

At present the available staff is actu ally far too small to cope with re-estab lishment and the erection of even the framework of the sweeping “new order” plans. Possibly the jaundiced Territorian who believes hundreds of bureaucrats blossom where ten sufficed before is given that impression because of the larger concentration of men in the main centres, many of them in transit to other parts of the territory.

Such key departments as Health are very much understaffed, for the simple reason that the salaries and conditions offered by the Government are not cal culated to encourage capable men to leave civilisation. The Government evi dently believes that a missionising zeal should compensate men for small sal aries, high cost of living, isolation, bad housing and indifferent food. Come the depression—perhaps. But certainly not yet.

MEDICAL officers are being offered about £BOO, but they have no right of private practice. It is hoped even tually there will be about 40 medical officers in the two territories. At pre sent, there are about 10.

Medical assistants are resigning almost as frequently as new appointments are made. Appointees are frequently men who have had no previous experience of even elementary medical work, and have to be trained before they are of any assistance in the raw New Guinea bush.

Other departments are experiencing similar staff troubles.

IN an attempt to solve the staff prob lem, the administration has encour aged servicemen to take their dis charges in New Guinea and join the service. Many have availed themselves of the opportunity, as men who have not sufficient points for discharge in Aus tralia are accepted for discharge in the Territory if they will join the Adminis tration. Many of these work for a few months and then resign, either to go South or to go into more lucrative work in the Territories.

The Administration is finding that it is one thing to make extensive plans; another thing to find men who are pre pared, not to talk, but to do the hard, bullocking work that is necessary to get anything moving in the New Guinea territories to-day.

Three former residents of Fiji are reported to be attached to the Allied Control Commission in Germany. They are Sir Owen Corrie (former Chief Justice), Col. J. P. Magrane, and Mr. C.

M. Teulon (formerly of Public Works'*.