Recruiting In New Guinea

Official Muddle Over

THE native labour situation in Papua, New Guinea, becomes steadily worse.

Latest developments indicate that a crisis is developing between the three interests concerned—namely, the Can berra Administration, the Port Moresby or Provisional Administration (usually referred to as PA) and the Australian New Guinea Production Control Board (usually called PCB). Each is believed to be blaming the other for a breakdown of the Government-sponsored plan for getting native labour recruits.

The section of the Shipping Board re sponsible for the New Guinea is also in volved.

Generally speaking, the plantation in dustry, especially the region around Western New Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville, is crippled through lack of labour and transport. The planters can not get sufficient labour to work their plantations at anywhere near maximum, and they cannot get transport for the limited amount of copra they have been producing.

THIS situation naturally has given concern to the PCB. The PCB is directly responsible for supplying the necessary goods and labour to the plan tations, and for collecting and shipping the copra from the plantations.

It was finally decided that PCB should put this matter of recruiting on an or ganised basis, and should treat it as of supreme urgency. With the approval of Canberra and presumably the know ledge of PA —the PCB engaged Mr. E. D.

Robinson, in Sydney, as its chief re cruiter, supplied him lavishly with the money and goods, and sent him away to the Sepik district, where he is well and favourably known.

It was reported that the Sepik natives were anxious to “make paper” even although the paper covers a period of only one year. This is in contrast with native behaviour elsewhere in other words, there is throughout most of the Territory a reluctance on the part of the natives to enter into the new kind

of indentured contracts as planned by Minister Ward and his advisers.

Mr. rtobmson sent an encouraging re port from the Sepik district, he indi cated tnat he had about 100 labourers available for immediate shipment, and the prospects of more were very good.

As the labour situation in the region around Rabaul is desperate, the decided on extreme measures. The Board took the vesesl “Kelanoa” (Captain Browning) and sent her forthwith to the Sepik; and also proposed to charter a ouu-tons vessel to follow the “Kelanoa” and pick up the remainder of the urgently-needed recruits.

In taking this step, the PCB delib erately postponed the urgent work of picking up copra at plantations in New Britain, New Ireland and Bougainville.

The planters there were left without any means of getting supplies or shipping copra—and because they cannot ship their copra, they cannot get any advance against their produce in order to buy necessary supplies.

However, tne Board no doubt acted in what it decided was in the best interests of everyone—it was vitally urgent that recruits should be forthcoming.

The “Kelanoa” left Rabaul on Febru ary 10 and was expected to return wicn luu recruits late in February, The 30u tonner was to leave Rabaul in the last week of February to return to Rabaul with another lot of recruits early m March. umortunately for all concerned, it did not work out tnat way.

IT was learned in Rabaul late in Feb ruary that Captain Browning had re ported that, so far from getting luo recruits, as indicated by Mr. Robinson, he had shipped only 40 and prospects were not good.

Latest report in Rabaul is that the “Kelanoa” nas arrived at Lae (with or without recruits is not stated) and that Captain Browning has been called to Port Moresby to report at the Head Office of the PCB.

One report in Sydney is that there has been a severe clash between the officials of the Provisional Administration in the Sepik district, and the men who are try ing to organise and run this recruiting department of the PCB.

That is not an unlikely development.

It is known that some of the officials of the Provisional Administration are very deeply bitten by the “brown brother ’ bug, so actively propagated by Minister Ward, and are capable, in their youthful enthusiasm, of wrecking the PCB plans for a new labour supply.

Just what has happened or who is to blame is not known owing to the usual official reticence; but the facts remain that (1) the native labour situation has further deteriorated; and (2) all the planters in the area of which Rabaul is the centre are now desperately short of supplies and cannot get their produce to market.