Magazine Section

Territories' Talk-Talk

By "Tolala"

THE New Guinea youngster who answered the Call of the Wild last month in a Sydney suburb, and brought his parents and the police out to scour the country, reminds me of a native houseboy brought to Sydney years ago from Rabaul by an Island matron.

This was before New Guinea “boys” had become so sophisticated.

The lad was missing one evening, when the moon was near the full; police were notified and a search instituted.

Eventually the lad was found perched on the ridge of the suburban roof, among the chimney pots, twanging his jewsharp and singing to the stars.

The same lad, on his return to Rabaul, was asked his impressions of ihe Big Smoke. He was not so enthusiastic as his questioner expected. “Sitini he all right,” admitted the youth grudgingly, “das all he no got betel-nut, he no got kau-kau. No, too much plurry hurry up!”

And he was about right, too. ♦ ♦ ♦ THERE’S talk of a night-club being opened up to put a bit of pep in Can berra night-life. Vi and Jack Comb — well-known Islands folk—are behind the move. They run Barton House, in the Federal Capital, and are making a good job of it. It was Jack Comb who orig inally started the Wunawutung caravan serai, along the North Coast, out from Rabaul. Jack was also the Big Noise in the Kupei gold strike, near Kieta, in the late ’2o’s. ♦ * ♦ P>ORT MORESBY got some bad publi city in a Sydney paper recently when two unidentified females from Innis fail (Q.), who’d spent a few months up north, let their hair down over prevail ing conditions in the Territories’ capi tal. They said: • Hundreds of girls there now. • No shipping or housing. • Shortage of essential foods. • No drainage. “Everything just runs downhill.” • No picture shows; no entertain ments. • Most whites own jeeps, bought for £5.

A lot of which sounds a bit screwy to me. * * ♦ THE documentary film “Native Earth” —first of the National Film’s pro ductions and sponsored by the Ex ternal Territories Department—is proof of what can be done with a movie camera in the Territories. Apart from its pronounced EdWardian propaganda, it is a good film and shows what could have been done years ago if it had not been for the stupid government embargo on cine-cameras in general. * ♦ • A SYDNEY evening paper, which sup ports Labor, recently quoted Eddie Ward as pointing out the good work the War Damage Commission and PCB were doing for “former residents of Aus tralian external territories.” Says Eddie; “Unfortunately, two major diffi culties have retarded the speedy re turn of plantations to full produc tion —inadequate shipping and insuf ficient native labor.”

Seems as though Eddie is at last realising what major difficulties have

arisen out of his New Guinea New Deal.

So now what happens? ♦ * * REPORTS from various Island centres tell of the revival of the disturbing Cargo Cult fanaticism. This may be the forerunner of serious trouble if it is not nipped in the bud.

It is to be hoped that there will be no kid-glove policy when and if these out breaks occur. There is a greater unity amongst the natives now than there was in the days when the fanaticism ran riot in Buka, Aitape and Namatanai, in the pre-war days. Therefore, there is a greater danger now—especially, as before the war, they had little or no contact

with half-baked Commos in the Army, who have undoubtedly been sowing seeds of Redness amongst the “boong” and “Fuzzy Wuzzies” whom they met in the army. * ♦ * MUCH advertised are the Disposals Commission’s sales at Lae and Rabaul on 21st and 27th November, but most of the gear does not appeal to the ordinary planter who has little use for bucket loaders, pneumatic tools, mobile laundry plants and cafetaria equipment. Many items may be useful for some of the big mining companies.

Sales at Darwin offered more suitable articles for the small NG man, such as blankets, calico, agricultural implements and clothing.

CDC stresses the point that NG sales are of “particular interest to Muni cipal and Shire Councils, road-making contractors, hotel and cafe proprietors and garage owners.” Once again the old residents get the bird. ♦ * ♦ AN echo from the NEI was heard re cently at Thursday Island, according to a Brisbane report. Because they had fought for the island during the war, TI natives claim it now belongs to them, with the result they are adopting a belligerent attitude towards Euro peans, who are becoming apprehensive.

This native urge for independence is quietly spreading and, incidentally, can be found as one of the underlying reasons for the Cargo Cult fanaticism.

The Atlantic Charter certainly started something. • * ♦ F. H. MOY, of the old District Services staff in NG, has been appointed Dir ector of Native Affairs in the NT to relieve E. W. P. Chinnery, who is retir ing. “Chin” has had a long spin, looking after the welfare of natives and study ing their idiosyncracies Fred Archer, of Buka, has been an inmate of a military hospital for some weeks, having an overhaul and general repairs.

He has been discharged and is visiting relatives in Victoria before returning to NG. . . . Mrs. Lorna Hosking has been visiting friends in Sydney and Bowral.

She returned to her home in Adelaide at the beginning of the month. . . . Bill Lillicrappe, well-known in the Aitape district before the war, is down in the Big Smoke on leave from managing a rubber concern in Papua. . . . Twenty six years ago Bert Perriman laid the foundation for the WRC firm in Rabaul.

He is repeating history there now.