Moresby

The Month In

From Our Own Correspondent

Port Moresby. Dec. 18.

NEW Guinea personalities who re cently met in Moresby—at the local hotel—included the ever-young Syd.

Young, now a member of Island Indus tries, with headquarters at Lae; Richards, one-time Inspector of the Expro-Board and now with PCB; Jack Sedgers, of W .R. Carpenter & Co., Madang; “Blue”

Allan, returning from the RSL congress at Canberra; and Bert Perriman, making one of his periodical visits, for the WRC firm. It is marvellous how these “other siders” stick together. Even in Moresby’s everyday life there are two distinct social groups with apparently different in terests. One wonders if the barrier will break down under the proposed single administration of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea.” * * * A RECENT statement of the Native Labour Department -gave the aver age for unloading ships for the month of November, at Moresby, as 21.5 tons per working hour. This represents a considerable improvement upon recent figures. * * * PORT Moresby parents have sent a petition to the Minister for External Territories seeking financial assist ance to send their children to Australia for post-primary schooling which cannot under present conditions be provided locally. It is understood that the Ad ministration made a recommendation to Canberra in this matter months ago— without result.

ON present salaries, and with rapidly spiralling cost of living, the average parent finds it impossible—short of starving—to pay up to £l5O per annum for each child sent to boarding school in Australia. It is understood that this is one of the subjects listed by the local Public Service Association for discussion with the Minister during his visit in January. * * * THE ABC has announced that a new high-frequency radio transmitter is to be installed at 9PA, within a short time. The present station, which was taken over from the Army, has a very limited reception radius and the new station will be designed to cover the whole of the combined Territory. * * * A REVIVAL and extension of Boy Scout activities is promised, particularly among the native youth. Two groups have been formed at Hanuabada and a camp for instruction of native leaders is to be held during the New Year vacation. The local District Scout Com missioner is Mr, Norman White, solicitor of Port Moresby, and he is assisted by a representative committee forming a local Association.

Scouting has been a popular and effective interest for natives in Fiji and other Pacific Islands and its develop ment in Papua-New Guinea will be watched with interest. * * * Archdeacon romney gill, the longest-service representative of the Anglican Mission in Papua, whose hazardous adventures during the Jap occupation of the Buna area are re membered in these parts, passed through Moresby from his station on the Mamba recently. He went on to Australia for medical treatment.

He is a modest man of many talents and is highly respected by the European community and almost a legend to the natives whom he has served continuously for four decades. * * * I, , . , , N recent days, numerous children have been passing through Port Moresby on their way to their homes in different parts of the Territory, after attending school in Australia.

The Administration arranged for their reception and onward movement from Port Moresby, including cost of the latter.

This service is much appreciated by parents, particularly those in the remoter outposts. * * * ON a short visit to the Territory during December was Dr. Margaret Granger, wife of Mr. Bill Granger, head of Animal Husbandry Division of the De-

partment of Agriculture. Granger spent a year or so after the war with UNRRA in China. His present job is to re establish livestock, including pigs, in the Territory. He will specialise in breed ing locally, and already one establish ment for this purpose has been set up at Erap in the Markham Valley, „ * mHE proposed visit of Minister Ward has aroused much interest in the town T h e local branch of the ALP has made arrangements for a dinner in his honour and it is understood that this organisation has a long list of matters for discussion with him. One matter is the general dissatisfaction with the price control arrangements in the Territory, which fail to keep pace with the pro gressively rising cost of living, The local Public Service Association is also preparing a lengthy agenda.

It is rumoured that the Minister will make himself readily accessible to the general public and to enable this to be done he may not be domiciled at Gov ernment House during his visit.

A public meeting in the picture theatre • has been suggested, where Mr. Ward might address the assembled Europeans and answer questions of general interest. * * * THE number of Commonwealth depart ments and their personnel in the Territory is rapidly increasing. Civil Aviation Works and Housing. Meteoro logical Service, Shipping Directorate are amongst the recent arrivals, in force. In all of these cases, accommodation has to be found although a large number of Ad ministration personnel themselves are in adequately provided for, including at least 40 married men in the Port Moresby area alone who are eagerly seeking the opportunity to establish their homes.

If certain of these departments would concentrate on the local production of building material rather than sharing the limited amount of accommodation now available, the position would be eased.

A recent rumour is that the PMG De partment of the Commonwealth will take over all local postal and tele-communi cations services. And no one apparently feels “het up” about this proposal although there is no complaint against the local postal services as they have (operated against great difficulties since the inception of the Provisional Administra tion. * * ♦ IT appears possible that the planners have finished their work in connection with the designing of the new town of Lae. No one seems to have seen the plans in their completed- form and no doubt there will be many anomalies and particular objections as well as the gen eral objection to the post-war emphasis on “planning.”

From all accounts, however, any planned rebuilding of Lae would be acceptable if it were carried out quickly for no one has been discovered who expresses satis faction with the shambles of a settlement that has grown up there since the war.

The citizens of Lae deserve much better in the way of living conditions; and the sooner these are provided, by planners, or anyone else, the better. • * * THE Anglican Bishop of New Guinea, the Rt. Rev. P. N. W. Strong, who had a pretty active time during the war, has been busy in Port Moresby the last few days. He has just returned from Australia and his engagements in cluded three baptisms and a confirmation service as well as the regular Sunday ser vices at St. Johns on the Hill, at which he officiated.

Prior to his hurried visit to Melbourne for an important episcopal gathering, he had spent two months in a village-to village tour of the Northern Division of Papua.

The Bishop will return to Samarai by the December “Montoro” but he will not have much time at his headquarters at Do gura before he will be off again, this time to the Lambeth Conference of Bishops in London. Archdeacon A. J. Thompson, much loved Anglican Mission represent ative at Samarai, will administer the affairs of the diocese during the absence of the bishop. * * * THE comments made by the Acting Director of District Services and Native Affairs, Mr. J. H. Jones, on his recent official visit to the Polynesian outliers off the New Ireland and Buka coasts, were interesting. He contrasted the happy and healthy conditions of the people of the Mortlocks and Tasmans

with those of the more sophisticated natives of parts of Papua and New Guinea.

The last European visit to the Mort locks —except for a couple of US Navy personnel cast up during the war and later rescued —was in 1939. There being no trade stores or other European in fluences on these islands, the people have reverted to their natural state and were thriving on the old-style fish and coconut economy. Of special significance was the increase in the population and the absence of any widespread disease.

The Japs left these people alone during the war. Perhaps their remoteness will allow them to be left alone to flourish for another few years at least.

THERE was no sign in Port Moresby of a revolution at the news' of the pro posed amalgamation of the two Territories. All the sighings and drear prognostications of a few “old hands” seem to have been worked out during the prolonged life of the “provisional” set-up.

Perhaps the news will enable the Euro peans of the Territory to settle down to a solider sense of security. It Is doubtful if the new arrangement will have any special effect upon the everyday life of tne individual—it is certainly too much to hope that it will influence the rapidly rising cost of living, or improve the sup ply position by providing a more reliable and regular overseas shipping service.

Whether there will be decentralisation through regional sub-capitals or control will continue to be from Port Moresby, is not known. But it would appear likely that Kopopo and Lae will assume more administrative importance than at present—and such a move would be uni versally applauded. * * * District officer j. taylor, of the Central Highlands, to which he now belongs by right of his pioneer patrols, was in Moresby in early December.

He has now gone off for a short break to Australia. Mr. Ivan Champion, As sistant Director of District Services and Native Affairs, has taken over his dis trict for the time being. ♦ ♦ * A PLANE load of European potatoes and cabbage came into the local market recently from the cool, fertile High lands. These- were eagerly sought by Moresby housewives who queued up for an hour or more to get their share. It is hoped that regular supplies will be forthcoming but flying conditions make any such arrangement uncertain and irregular and the vegetables expensive in consequence. A better plan to meet the needs of barren Moresby might be to transport tropical vegetables and fruit from Rabaul. As the regular Qantas freight is 1/- per pound, Moresby residents would find the buying more reasonable than the current rates for local produce on stuff imported from Australia. * * * THE latest issue of the Papua-New Guinea Government Gazette lists a wide range of new jobs to be filled. They

include dental officers, X-ray technicians, pathologists, librarians, storemen, district agricultural officers, and saw-doctors for the Forestry branch. Clerks appear to be required all the time and there is a con tinuous dearth of typists in the Admin istration, in spite of the employment of a large percentage of the married women of Moresby. * * * THE retirement has been announced, from the Chairmanship of the Methodist Mission of Papua, of the Rev. R. J. Andrew, who returned to the Territory after the war to help in re establishment. His temporary successor is the Rev. F. Grey, another old-timer who also came after the war although he had actually retired from the field a decade ago.