Buka-Bougainville Has Radio and Labour

Labour

From Our Own Correspondent

Buka Passage, Jan. 24.

OUR tele-radio set at Sohano has been on the blink again and, while out ward traffic was held up, attempts were made to receive the incoming messages on a private set. Over the past three years this has frequently occurred.

Surely an all-wise Department—if it can be pinned down —will see that the Dis trict Headquarters of an important dis trict are provided with the means of keeping in touch with the outside world.

Considerable annoyance and some dis tress has been caused to isolated people in the district to find that, when a Directorate vessel comes along a radio cannot be sent from the ship. Often a ship brings mail needing an urgent reply, or some important cargo has not been shipped. To send a radio from the land station means sending a native on a long journey by foot or by canoe. When the master of the ship, knowing the circum stances, tries to send a message the curt reply comes back: “Only ships’ business on the radio.” Inquiry in Rabaul revealed that the RTC were quite willing to re ceive messages, but had strict orders from one of the firms, acting as Agents for the Directorate ships, against it. This seems quite unnecessary. The matter has been taken up with a view to an alteration be ing made.

Recently the point arose at Sohano as to whether or not an NLT radio could be sent to a registered radio address or not.

The sender was advised that it could not and that ordinary rates were required in such a case. Inquiries at Rabaul show

that these radios, at 6/3 for 25 words can be sent to a registered address. Someone at the Rabaul end had not read the latest regulations! a n unusual incident hannenpri on th*

A „ th f

A Siv nf wn a |°' A very large scho ° of bomto became

stranded at low water on the reef which connects Jame and Petats Islands. There were many thousands of these fish high and dry and in the rock pools. Natives from nearby villages came with all the canoes they could muster and worked against time to collect the fish and smoke them for bartering purposes. When high water came again the fish were also getting a bit high and thousands drifted off and made a fine feast for the waiting sharks.

These fish are the meat of the islands dwellers and there were full bellies and contented smiles for days following the episode. Cases of the sort occur at long intervals on this coast.

The busiest man around Buka Passage

is the storekeeper, Wong You, who has a well-stocked store, has bought a couple of small plantations, also has others leased and is engaged in trading copra and trocas. His work-boat is constantly up and down the coast delivering goods and collecting trade. Two things that increase his popularity are the fine yearly calendars that he hands out, and also the fact that he holds a liquor licence.

That energetic man, Bishop Wade, has been reaching out since the war finished.

He bought largely from Americans and War Disposals at Torokina, thus enabling himself to re-establish his mission stations. He acquired water craft for his needs, and has imported a number of his own countrymen to fill the gaps caused by retirement of the older priests, and natives are beginning to learn all about the Star Spangled Banner, which cer tainly turned the tide in these parts.

The Bishop has also acquired Mabiri Plantation and Tearouki Plantation on the Bougainville coast.

The former has been leased to Wong You and the latter turned into a fine mission station. Complete with Quonset huts and other buildings. Tearouki also turns out copra. Now we hear that Bishop Wade has a ten-year lease of Nissan Plantation from Burns Philp and that should give him control of the Group. He has also interested himself in trying to get the natives of central Buka to" organise themselves into a co-operative band, to sell their copra collectively and run a trade store. But, if he can instil “co-operation” into these insular and conservative Buka people, then he is a better man than we are. However, we wish him luck!

INARMING OUT” of plantation areas . to village natives is a method of producing copra that is meeting with some success in Kieta area. Mr. J.

Ellis, of Arawa Plantation, probably has the best example of a happy arrangement, and both parties are pleased about it.

The method has been tried in Buka but not, up to date, with much success.

The natives joyfully enter into such an arrangement and begin operations, but when they discover that it means work of a continuous nature and that they are expected to honour their agreement, they fade away and are seen no more! They have got so used to War Damages, and such things, and think that “Farming out” is some sort of new “War Damage”!

The shock of realising that “hand outs” do not grow on bushes any more is too much for them. One strong and well populated village completed all arrange ments with a local planter to begin operations in the New Year. The date of commencing, the number of natives to toil in the vinevard, etc., was all arranged by the village heads, and news conveyed to the expectant planter. But nothing more eventuated and no explanation was vouchsafed to the planter. Under the present indulgent control this sort of thing continually happens and the natives have no sense of responsibility. The dis appointed planter, as the natives would remark, “been have ’im bad luck!”

To those of a speculative turn of mind, and a desire to work things out to a logical conclusion, the problem of the native labour supply in Buka and Bou gainville is an intriguing one. Here we have a district, closed to outside recruit ing, and with ample natives to handle all the work in their villages and on plantations, yet we have several good producing plantations not yet rehabili tated, and many others only part producing.

In order to get copra out the plantation owners have to engage labourers from Aitape and Wewak, which . are at the extreme north-west of New Guinea, while this district is at the extreme south-east

of the Territory. The natives come this long distance, by plane to Rabaul and ship to Bougainville and Buka, at most expensive rates, and often losing as much as two months of their 12 months’ in denture before reaching their destination.

Then, after the short period left, they have to be sent back to their mainland homes.