Residents

Vicious Taxes on NG Residents What Life is Like Under the New Order

ANEW GUINEA resident has given us the following extraordinary examples of the conditions under which Aus tralians are expected to live in that Ter ritory.

An Administration officer in New Guinea recently received from his rela tions m Sydney a parcel of Christmas gifts. There was no doubt they were Christmas gifts—they were all wrapped in special paper and carried labels. They included toys for the children. The offi cial was compelled by the Customs De partment there to pay duty on the lot.

A resident of New Guinea who re cently sent to his wife in Australia for a supply of shirts was forced to pay duty on the parcel.

Another man, resident in New Guinea, sent his binoculars down to Sydney for repair. When he received them back he was forced to pay £3 duty on them.

Residents of New Guinea are being forced to pay prices for esesntial food stuffs which are from 50 per cent, to 100 per cent, greater than the price paid for the same foodstuffs in Australia.

Apparently it is the policy of the Chif ley Government to tax these people ruth lessly because they presumably are not paying any Australian income tax. But New Guinea residents generally are very bitter about it—they ask: Is this or is it not an Australian Territory?