Territories Talk-Talk
pp. 17-18 · Read in the full issue
By "Tolala"
LAST month I mentioned NG’s potenti alities as a tea-growing country, de pendent upon labour and transport.
I met an old Indian tea-planter the other day and he smiled cynically at the sug gestion. He gave me some tea-picking figures, based on his own experiences in India—pre-war, of course. Pickers, usually females—who, he said, are the best workers —pick 20 lbs. of green tea a day, which is equivalent to 5 lbs. of the finished article; and for this each picker received sd. (five-pence) a day. Out of this sum they clothed and fed themselves. This was only the picking expense. Highest wholesale price realised for this com modity was 1/4 a lb.
Can you see that wage being paid in NG? I can’t.
Incidentally, the adviser to the Inter national Tea Market Expansion Board (Sir Percival Griffiths) is reported as say ing that before long the world would have more tea than it wanted: and, to cope with this situation, the Board would have to intensify the campaign for ex panding the market. • * * EXECUTIVES of an old Rabaul Institu tion —the Agnes Wisdom Library— got into a huddle recently at the NG Women’s Club in Sydney to decide the library’s future activities. It seems that all libraries in the Territories are novtf “nationalised,” and the suggestion that an Agnes Library Wing should be established to perpetuate a name held dear to old Territorians was not wel comed by officialdom, unless it were open for the use of literate natives. AW Library executives did not appreciate this string being attached to acceptance of their offer. Hence, a bottle-neck. It appears to me that natives’ amenities are well catered for by the Administration without insisting on private European in stitutions sharing in this work. * ♦ * WATTIE HEYDON was a well-known plantation manager in TNG before the War. He was on Varzin, in the Kokopo district, for some time, and im mediately before the kite went up he was on Tanga Island, for WRC, Wattie was numbered, with many others, among those who disappeared after the invasion in ’42. His brother, H. Heydon—who is, in cidentally, secretary of the NSW Cricket Association—would like to contact anyone who knew Wattie during the last few months prior to the invasion. ♦ * * LITTLE wonder that South Africa is refusing to allow its old mandated territories to come under the new Trusteeship Committee of UNO. The Transvaal Nationalist Congress recently included the following subjects on its agenda:
• Old-age pensions for natives should be discontinued. • Too much public money was being spent on education of natives. • Native telegraph messengers should not be allowed to deliver telegrams to the homes of Europeans, The colour-bar appears to be rising in that neck of the woods —and about the only place in the British Commonwealth where that is happening. ♦ * ♦ AS a contrast to this attitude, radio listeners recently heard the aborigine tenor, Harold Blair, deliver a plea for his race in a pleasing, well-educated voice. His singing shows what can be accomplished with proper training. But anyone who has heard native choirs sing ing in the Territories realises the perfect harmony they attain —it seems a natural gift to them.
Old Rabaulites will remember the Matupi village choir, under the baton of one Tami, which gave some fine render ings at a native arts and crafts concert, sponsored by the old Administrator, the late Tom Griffiths, back in ’34. The “Hallelujah Chorus,’’ and a selection from “The Messiah” were included in their pro gramme. They trained from gramophone records. They would go over in a big way if they toured Australia. * * ♦ SOLOMON ISLAND “cargo cults” are making the headlines in the “New York Times.” Writes its corre spondent from Guadalcanal: “Natives be
lieve that a convoy of ships is on its way to the islands, laden with the fruits of the modern world, to enable them to fill their leaf huts with refrigerators and other comforts, including motor cars.”
Next thing we’ll hear of will be that some eccentric millionaire will load a ship with such a cargo and wander through then thT d fat d «r& We, ££ Malaita to Aitape and back again. ‘ CANBERRA message at the beginning of last month mentioned that Federal Cabinet had authorised the Shipping Board to build two 3,000-tons
diesel cargo vessels for the Territories.
The design will be the “D Class” adapted to the special requirements of P-NG.
“D,” according to most Territorians, stands for Delay, where P-NG government transport is concerned. * * * THE co-operative society scheme amongst natives in NG has been re ceiving some publicity of late, as thought it were some brand-new blue print from a Canberra office. The co operative spirit, carried out in a practical form, has long been the basis of most native trading and marketing in both Territories, so the principles will be noth
ing new to black brother. With Govern ment red-tape, however, it may become a trifle confusing to the simple producer of copra.
There was, for a while, a flourishing co-operative store in Rabaul. run for the Military during the First World War: and, later, a New Guinea Producers’ Co operative Society was registered by some local planters, but never got working pro perly before the Second War threw a spanner in the works. * * * THERE is a lengthy survey of Rabaul, its past glory and dismal future in the Sydney “Bulletin” (24/11/48), by a NG writer. Possible future eruptions inspire the writer’s cynicism, but he puts forward quite a good case. He forgets to mention, however, the lack of present precautions in the form of systematic yulcanological observations, which the Administration should adopt for the safety of the natives, even if not for the mental comfort of the non-native population Dr
Fisher—forward, please!
* * * BITS and Pieces: Gone to their rest: George Wilkinson, of Menangle Park, who was in the Kavieng dis trict some years ago in the District Ser vices Dept. In the First War he served with' the 33rd Bn., AIF; wounded at Messines in 1917. . . Wilfred Clarence Sparks, of Bankstown. on November 9, formerly of Port Moresby. . . Ernest John (“Tom”) Ifould, of Church Point and formerly of Boram plantation, at Wewak.
Tom was a well-known NG identity from the days in 1922, when he was a schooner skipper for the Exproboard. Later, his home at Boram was a popular rendezvous for the Wewak miners. . . Ernst Paatzsch, after repeated reports of his death during the past few years, was called away on November 17. He died in the Manly Dis trict Hospital. Arrived in NG back in 1911 as book-keeper for the Hernsheim Company. In later years, he was associ ated with the late G. Furter. in Rabaul. . . . May they all rest peacefully!
“Kassa” Townsend, previously a TNG DO, now attached to UNO in New York, was in Sydney recently. . . Another Townsend—Wing Commander W. E., of Moree, and CO of the RAAF at PM at one time—has been posted for duty with the Defence Department. Washing ton, USA. He commanded No. 22 Souadron in NG during the War. . . Nor folk Island PO opened a new issue in June, 1947. Up to June this year sale of postage stamps there netted £17,357. When does Papua-NG get its own individual stamp issue? . . . R. Hall-Best, a recent victim of Terrorist shootings in Malaya, was a well-known goldfields identity. . .
Photographer Gibson (he used to be Gov ernment Printer in PM) was about Syd ney this month. . . Other NG and Papuan identities seen around Sydney town were Jack Allen, from Gilalun plantation, in the Kokopo district; Vic Pennefather, from Tokua. in the same area, who has ideas of staying down in definitely. Cyril Doyle is looking after the Tokua coconuts. . . Father McEncroe, from PM, on his way over to WA. . . Bob Bunting, from Samarai, looking the pic ture of health. . . Reg. Clancy, from Kimadan plantation, in New Ireland, snatching a spot of leave.
After many months of delay, Fijian and Polynesian Methodist missionaries and their • families —31 of them alto gether—have been able to return to their homes. They have given years of service in Papua. For some time these people were held up in Madang, NG; then in Queensland: but the last group of seven was scheduled to leave for Suva on December 1.