New Guinea's Native Delegates

To SP Conference In Fiji

From a Special Correspondent

ALTHOUGH some full Papuans will at tend the South Pacific Conference as delegates, Aisoli Salin, is the only native-born representative from the former Mandated Territory of New Guinea. The two other delegates from New Guinea are of mixed blood—Waiau, who had a New Ireland mother and a Chinese father, and George Kasi of mixed Manus and Caroline Island descent.

Waiau is a Customs clerk; George Kasi, an Administration clerk in Rabaul. All three delegates from the New Guinea Territory attended the pre-war Malaguna School, which is a tribute to an Adminis tration venture that turned out some really first-class lads.

However, it looks as though the three may have been selected not so much for their intelligence as for their pleasing de meanor and general character, and the belief that on their return to New Guinea they will not turn revolutionary or make for the highways and byways preaching the gospel of Yali!

AISOLI SALIN was born in the tiny village of Tatau, in the remote Tabar Islands, District of New Ireland, Papua-New Guinea. He is 37.

Fitted out in tailor-made white clothes, he will look immaculate and dignified —a violent contrast to his kinsfolk, who, in their native state, prefer a small piece of cheap calico tucked around the loins.

Salin is an Educational Assistant at Ad ministration’s District School, Utu, near Kavieng, New Ireland.

As an infant he attended the Methodist Mission School in his native village, and when he was about 10 years of age the then District Officer, New Ireland (Mr. J,

Walstab), sent him to the Government School at Kokopo, near Rabaul. There Salin came under the eye of Mr. W. C.

Groves (now Director of Education,

Papua-New Guinea), who was the sole teacher.

From the Kokopo experiment came the New Guinea-famed Malaguna Native School, Rabaul, of which Mr. Groves was headmaster. Salin attended, and in the final examinations of 1926, he and a Manus boy named Lue, topped the school.

The then Director of District Services and Native Affairs (Mr. H. C. Cardew) sent them to Australia for two years further study.

Salin is devoted to Mr. Groves and his

family. One of his children, Wilma, is named after a young daughter of Mr.

Groves, who died. He was very much at tached to young Murray Groves, who has now attained high academic honours.

Salin was a teacher for three years at Nordup School, Rabaul, where he assisted Mr. Groves to translate the Tabar Island language into English. Between 1934 and 1940 he was a clerk with the Department of Public Health, Kavieng.

About the time of the Japanese landing in New Ireland he assisted to evacuate sick native patients from the Native Hos pieal, Kavieng, to Lemakot, about 40 miles on the main highway to Namatanai. He then speedily took a canoe from Lossu to Tabar Islands, where he stayed until the Japs were ousted from New Ireland.

He was specially attached to the un fortunate Mr. Con Page, that romantic