'Responsibility’
p. 30 · Read in the full issue
Dependants Of Rabaul
Victims
Ministers Squabble Over 'Responsibility’
IN the Australian Parliament, last month, Mr. T. W. White asked why the widows of public servants killed in New Guinea during the Japanese in vasion—there were some scores of them —were not getting the full repatriation benefits that had been promised to them.
Furniture grants and medical benefits were being withheld, and the Department of External Territories was blamed.
The Repatriation Minister (Mr. Bar nard) said that some difficulties had arisen in determining the joint respon sibility (he probably meant respective responsibilities—Ed.) of the Departments of Repatriation and External Territories; and he would make inquiries.
EDITORIAL NOTE—Which is typical of the way in which these people have been treated by the Australian Govern ment. Nearly four years have passed since Japan surrendered; yet the Austra lian Departments still are muddling around, trying to decide their “responsi bilities." It was this same Government— or its officials—which kept hundreds of men in Rabaul, to become prisoners of the Japs, and eventually to be killed in various ways-, when they might quite easily have been got away to safety on ships that were then available. That very black mark against Canberra is something which old New Guinea resi dents never will forget. The public servants among those men who thus were sacrificed died for their country, in exactly the same way as the uniformed servicemen; and their dependants are fully entitled to all pension and repatria tion benefits. Remembering the history of the disaster, it is a sickening thing now to hear this Repatriation Minister say so casually: “These people do receive some benefits. I am having another look at the matter ... to see if we can iron out the difficulties."
Mr. C. Normoyle, Jnr., (known to his friends as young Chris), elder son of Mr.
C Normoyle, the present Senior Inspector of Police. Rabaul, left Rabaul by air on July 8 to attend the Australian School of Pacific Administration in Sydney. He ar rived in the Territory with his parents at the age of two and had the early part of his schooling at the Rabaul School, and later at the Church of England Grammar School, Brisbane, It is interest ing to note that he is the second young Territorian to be accepted as a Cadet Patrol Officer, District Services-the first lad being the son of the present Director, Mr. J. H. Jones. Mr. Normoyle. Jnr., will be much missed in the sporting com munity of Rabaul.