Advisory Body

Madang Forms Own Advisory Body Hopes to Co-operate With Local Administration

BY reforming the pre-war organisation known as the Madang and Distirct Progressive Association, tho residents of Madang. New Guinea, have constituted a sort of unofficial Advisory Council to the local Administration.

As well as the usual office-bearers, the Association will have a representative of each of the three missions which function in the District and a representative of the Native Affairs Department to be appointed by the District Officer.

At a meeting held in Madang on August 7. the chair was taken by Mr.

B. G. Hall, who was a prominent official of the organisation before the war. He gave the assembly a rough outline of the pre-war activities of the body, pointing out that although efforts were made then to assist and co-operate with the Admin istration on civil matters, this offer met with practically no response. However, with a New Order functioning in the Territory, citizens could, perhaps, assume that their civic rights as citizens would receive a little more consideration.

Mr. Hall then called upon the District Officer. Mr. J. K. McCarthy, to address the meeting, and state as far as possible his interpretation of the Government’s policy, as far as the private individual was concerned.

Mr. McCarthy outlined the fundamental design of his Administration, and then stated that he was prepared to co-operate with the Association, and seek their ad vice on public matters, so far as was

consistent with the Administration policy as laid down for him by higher authority.

Officers elected were as follows; Pre sident, Mr. B. G. Hall: vice-president, Mr.

W. Cahill; secretary, Mr. F. James; assistant-secretary, Mr. R. Wiedenhofer; treasurer, Mr. R. Wiedenhofer; committee, Sister J. Jones, Mr. W. Wright, Mr. T.

Warburton, Mr. R. Chugg, and Mr. G. E.

Bliss. There would also be represent atives from the RC Mission, SDA Mission, Lutheran Mission, the Native Affairs’

Dept., and the Chinese community.

The meeting was not attended by any representatives of the Missions but it was expected that they would show the necessary interest in civic affairs, as missions played a large part in the economic life of the Territory.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr.

Hall thanked Mr. McCarthy for his offer of co-operation and assured him that the efforts of the citizens would be directed towards community good.