Three Millions For
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
Papua-New Guinea
Cost To Australia of Socialist Policy In Territories
IN the year ended June 30, 1948, the Australian Government spent on the Territories of Papua and New Guinea approximately £2,300,000 out of Austra lian funds —that is, over and above the sums earned in the Territories by local taxation.
This year, it is proposed to spend just on £3,000,000 on the Territories, also out of Australian funds.
These figures emerge from a close examination of the Australian Estimates submitted in September by the Austra lian Treasurer, in presenting his Budget.
The figures are startling—but they are not new. Again and again, since the Ed-Wardian era commenced in New Guinea and Papua, the “PIM” has pointed out that, whereas in 1920-1940 the Australian Pacific Territories, with the encouragement of private enterprise, were practically self-supporting, under Socialist conditions they represent an in creasingly heavy drain upon the Austra lian taxpayers.
The following table shows the ex penditure proposed, and, for comparison, the amounts spent under the same heads in 1947-48:
Restoration of Plantations, Roads, etc 80,000 50,711 Library Services 1,000 1,343 Survey of Agric. Potentialities with Brit, Overseas Food Corporation (3) 30,000 Aust.-NG Production Board (3) 100,000 Grant to Administration, Dis posals Equipment 26,824 Public Service Classification Investigation 158 New Vessels for Coastal Services, Papua-NG (4) . . 100,000 South Pacific Commission .. 14,000 18,361 Conveyance of Mails, Aust.- New Guinea (5) ? 38,015 New Guinea Civil War Pensions and Education Benefits 23,500 23,301 Native Training and recon struction, Papua-NG (6) . 100,000 75,564 (1) This is all brought together as “grant to Administration towards expenses, including native welfare, development, war damage and reconstruction.” (2) No explanation or details. (3) Intriguing—but no explanation. (4) Evidently, plans are afoot to provide vessels for coastal and inter-island work—and not before time. No details. (5) This is now lumped in with payments to contractors in domestic air services, £606,000. A new grant, £32,000, for “payment to mail con tractor, Australia-Pacific Islands,” is not ex plained: but it is additional to the New Guinea air-mail subsidy. The former regular annual grant of £12,000 for conveyance of mails by sea to the Islands, has been cut out. (6) No details of what is proposed. £130,000 was appropriated in 1947-48, but only £75,564 was spent. This £lOO,OOO is in addition to the grant of £2,500,000.
It is noted that £403,450 was paid for “American surplus property at Manus Island and elsewhere.”
This outpouring of Australian tax payers’ money, on behalf of the Terri tories, does not matter very much while the Australian Socialist Government is engaged in an orgy of wasteful expendi ture. Two or three million pounds scarcely count, against a total dissipa tion of overburdened taxpayers’ funds running into scores of millions.
But what will happen when the Aus tralian taxpayers rebel —as they surely will? The whole Papua-New Guinea economy will have adjusted itself to an annual Australian subsidy of around £2,500,000 —and then that subsidy is withdrawn. What then?
Maybe, by 1952, or thereabouts, they will be burning Mr. Ward in effigy on the green slopes of Konedobu!
Proposed Expended , in 1948-49 1947-48 Territories Dept.— Salaries 86,900 25,164 Casual Employees 23.100 19,607 Extra Duty Pay 2,000 2,592 Travelling Expenses 1,500 1,246 Incidental ... 5,343 6,500 Department’s Total 70,000 53,952 Grant to Cover Miscellaneous Services in Papua and NG (1) Interest on Loans, etc., Papua 4,630 4,533 Interest on Loans, etc.. NG 2,830 2,725 Printing of Territories Laws 10,000 11,793 Anthropology Chair, Sydney University 1.750 1,750 School of Pacific Administration 16.000 10.225 Payments on Behalf of Former Administration (2) 22,250 22,243