Ng Natives As

Employers

And Some Reflections!

Letter to the Editor BEFORE splashing his sensational story across the front page of Bris bane’s “Courier” the newly-arrived ex-Irishguardsman residing at Lae should have faced facts.

What if a native did offer a European a job at £2 a day? Even that is better than the average wage-plug gets from his employer in New Guinea. And, did not a European marry a lass from Han uabada recently?

Haven’t the natives at Lae been robbed by unscrupulous whites who bought CDC vehicles at a song, and sold to the un sophisticated at enormous profits? What’s

the difference between selling a rami to a native at a trade store, and actually work ing for him? The man who sells the rami relies on the native for his bread and butter —as the majority of people in Papua-New Guinea are doing to this very day.

Is not the greater portion of ex-guards man’s income derived directly or indir ectly from natives? Has he never carted a bag of rice, a case of meat, furniture or building material for a European who is engaged directly or indirectly by the Administration?

I’ve heard this “white man’s prestige” stuff over and over again from “old timers,” planters, traders and miners alike; but it didn’t concern them when their personal boys had to piggy-back them home when they were too drunk to walk! And who has not heard of the flirtations of white man-brown woman?

Is the first man in the Territory or the first man in any District working for Europeans? Not on your life! They are working solely in the interests of the native.

Profits from native trade alone would have sufficed “Steamships” to pay a div idend—l 2 months ago they were peeling £1,500 a day off the boys, in quite leg itimite trading. If that was their daily turnover, what must BP’s and others’ have been! mHERE’S a type of Europepan who con- J. demns the native at every turn— and then calmly peels the silver from him without a blush. What of the trade stores?

Does ex-Guardsman know that the Ad ministration is literally working for the native by encouraging him to commence trade stores of his own —is that not the beginning of general trading? Soon they will have stores like the Chinese had in various parts of New Guinea before the war, where any European could get a fair deal. They didn’t worry about the White Australian Policy as long as they could get a bargain. If the whites won’t finance the natives the Chinese soon will —it wasn’t the Europeans before the war who had all the money!

These reflections hurt, I know, but we must keep abreast of the times; and, it we cannot absorb the New Order, there’s only one thing—walk out.

“Ex-guardsman” will get a helping hand wherever he goes throughout New Guinea, and he should do well—if one Irish Guardsman isn’t worth ten niggers, 111 go east! He needn’t be afraid of competition. Even the most advanced Papuan natives hadn’t the elementary business instinct to insure a vessel worth hundreds of pounds, and when it was burnt to water’s level they lost all.

While a generous Australian Govern ment continues to distribute largesse throughout the Territory for the sole benefit of natives—and it looks as though we’ll have another ten years of it —everyone has a chance of cashing in on some silver, and having a good time later on.

Let’s make hay while the sun shines!

I am, etc.,

Laura Bada

New Guinea. 24/6/47.

A number of Government o facers stationed in Port Moresby took the round trip on the July “Malaita, to Samarai, Rabaul and back. Mr. Justice Phillips accompanied by Mrs. Phillips), and Mr.

W. Watkins, Legal Officer, went to Rabaul to conduct sittings of the Supreme Court.

Mr W. C. Groves, Director of Education, inspected his Rabaul organisation; Mrs.

Groves also made the trip. Mr. lan Macdonald, New Guinea representative of the Department of Post-War Recon struction, also took this opportunity to visit the old New Guinea capital.