Papua N. Guinea

Union

Bill Before Australian Parliament This Month

THE Bill to provide for an administra tive 'union of Papua and New Guinea, and approve the Trustee ship Agreement for the former Mandated Territory of New Guinea, will be debated by the Australian Parliament soon—per haps before the end of September.

The Bill, which was introduced and read a first time on June 17, has had a good deal of study in recent weeks, and the debate upon it is likely to be inter esting.

The proposals were reviewed at the meeting of the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations in July, and the Council’s report is not altogether friendly, This is likely to be before the Australian Parliament at the same time as the Bill.

The Bill was explained in detail in the July issue of the “PIM.”

Trusteeship Council THE Trusteeship Council of the United Nations, on August 4, completed its report on New Guinea, for presen tation to the General Assembly, and for mally adopted it by 8 to 1.

The report called upon Australia to give New Guinea natives more schools, more chance of self-government, better medi cal facilities, a larger share of economic benefits. The council recommended caution on the Commonwealth Govern ment’s proposal for an administrative union of New Guinea and Papua, lest New Guinea should lose its separate identity.

An Australian representative at UNO, Mr. W. D. Forsyth, said the report con tained several errors, distortions and omissions.

“The report in several places gives a wrong impression,’’ Mr. Forsyth said. “As an example, the report states—incorrectly —the amount the Commonwealth Gov ernment has paid to New Guinea natives as compensation for war damage. It then goes on to make it appear that the Com monwealth Government is denying natives’ claims.

“The Commonwealth Government’s report on New Guinea, however, clearly shows that the Government has paid claims up to the date of the report, and is reckoning on paying an infinitely greater sum as claims are assessed.

“The report also gives a very incom plete indication of the contents of the Commonwealth Government’s bill for an administrative union of New Guinea and Papua.”