Papua-N. Guinea Under Review

Visiting Minister Promises Many Reforms and Clear-Cut Policy

NOT since Australia assumed control of New Guinea, over 30 years ago, has the Territory experienced anything like the visit in April of the Hon. P. C.

Spender, Australian Minister for Ex ternal Affairs and External Territories.

Mr. Spender arrived in Port Moresby on March 29, on his way back from an official visit to the Philippines; and he departed from Rabaul on April 13, to re turn to Australia via the Solomons, New Hebrides and New Caledonia; and, within that period, he visited nearly all the dis tricts of Papua and New Guinea by air, met hundreds of Europeans, Chinese and natives, talked frankly and informally with scores of them on Territories prob lems, and made a number of official statements in relation to the Administra tion of the Territory, and Australian policy on same, which cleared the air considerably.

In the past, the Australian Pacific Territories portfolio has been held by minor Ministers (except Mr. Ward) and those Ministers (including Mr. Ward) rarely visited the Territories and, when they did, all of them (including Mr.

Ward) never by any chance expressed an opinion concerning Territories affairs or gave any indication of policy.

In that respect, Mr. Spender’s visit has been notable and refreshing. He has re served one or two tricky matters for re ference to his Prime Minister and for Cabinet discussion; but in a broad general way, he has given Territories residents a clear indication of what the new Australian Government intends to do with the Territory.

A summary of Mr. Spender’s official announcements, made in several speeches and Press interviews, is published here under.

General Policy

AUSTRALIA does not regard New Guinea only as a Territory, with a limited interest for Australia, and from which Australia may shortly with draw. Australia must in all circum stances remain in New Guinea, and en courage the proper development of the Territories of Papua and New Guinea, because Papua and New Guinea serve a strategic purpose vital to Australia’s security.

Private enterprise will be encouraged to take a larger part in future develop ment. Australia’s obligations in relation to the Territories were such that Australia must in the future provide substantial sums for development; but, in order to assist the country towards self-support, the Government would give all reasonable encouragement to private enterprise,

operating under proper safeguards de signed to protect and advance native welfare.

Emphasising Australia’s interest in maintaining the security of Papua-New Guinea, the Minister said the Adminis tration would watch for any signs of Communist influence or infiltration, and he particularly asked all loyal ex-Service men to report to the Administration or to him personally anything they observed indicating Communist activity.

Future Administration

THE Minister, at the end of his tour, paid a high tribute to the District Officers and Patrol Officers, who were doing a splendid job in difficult and often dangerous circumstances.

“But,” he added, “I believe that the Territories are too big and their problems too urgent to have only one man dealing with them. There must in future be a greater delegation of authority from Can berra to the Administration in New Guinea; the men on the spot must have greater authority to deal with problems as they arise from day to day; the Gov ernment must clear the Administrative debris from the lines of communication which at present, in many ways, are un necessarily cluttered up.

“For their proper and more efficient government development, the Territories need greater freedom of action within the general policy laid down by Cabinet.

The Administration must be freed from a great deal of the red tape which at present encumbers it.”

The Minister said he was in favour of the appointment of a Deputy Adminis trator whose place would be in Raoaul (or whatever centre took the place of Rabaul); and he added that an early ap pointment was likely.

The Minister also expressed himself in favour of the establishment of local Dis trict Councils, to advise District Officers. (It will be remembered that local Dis trict Councils were one of the various Administrative reforms suggested to the then Minister for Territories in Sydney by the Pacific Territories Association at the end of the war; but the suggestion was ignored by Mr. Ward.)

Welfare of Natives

THE Minister said that while Australia was most conscious of its obligation to protect the natives, and help them to a higher standard of life, it was apparent that even the most advanced natives had a long way to go before they could govern themselves. The advance

ment of the natives and the economic development of the Territories would call for the expenditure by Australia of large sums of money.

“New Guinea,” he said, “quickly and desperately needs wharves, storage sheds and base, district and sub-district hos pitals.

“The European and native hospitals in these Territories have to be seen to be believed,” he added. “I regard them as a blot on our administration.”

“If we don’t work with the natives and develop these Territories, there are other nations prepared to take over that re sponsibility and that development,” he said, on another occasion.

“Australia is faced with a tremendous task- in lifting these native peoples— many of whom have never known any form of modern civilisation—to reason able standards of hygiene, education, technical aptitude and ethnological de velopment. It will be many decades be fore these people can take responsibility for their own government and protec tion.”

Referring to the large parts of Papua and New Guinea which are still officially “uncontrolled,” the Minister said the Government intended to greatly extend the area of control within the next five years.

European Settlement

WHEN referring to the need for the economic development of Papua and New Guinea, the Minister said that it would be in the best interests of Australian Security, and in the interests of the natives themselves, that more white people should be encouraged to settle in the Territories.

The Government would encourage private enterprise and the investment of Australian capital. He quoted the search for oil, now proceeding in Papua as an example of what private enterprise could do under Government encouragement.

The Co. had spent millions of pounds on the search. He could find no justifica tion for the charge frequently made in Australia that private enterprise con sistently exploited the natives in New Guinea.

Discussing possibilities of development, the Minister said he was giving close at tention to the idea of encouraging Soldier Settlement. He agreed with those who suggested that preference should be given to ex-Servicemen over non-British resid ents, in the purchase or lease of Expro priation Board properties.

The Minister said that the Government would give attention to timber and agri cultural leases, and a policy in relation to them would be announced soon.

In a subsequent newspaper interview, he said that private enterprise would be encouraged to develop New Guinea tim ber resources, in accordance with plans now being made.

(Continued on Page 105)

State Shipping Control Abolished

THE Minister acted quickly in regard to the sea transport position in Papua and New Guinea, which had reached chaotic conditions and was re tarding copra production.

Strong representations were made to Mr. Spender by local businessmen as soon as he arrived in Port Moresby and the following day he announced that all restrictions, which had prevented private ships from competing with Government ships in Papua and New Guinea waters, were to be removed as from March 31 (Except in special cases the Australian Socialist Government would not allow any privately-owned vessels of more than 25 tons to engage in freight-carrying for other than the owners.) Present indications are that the Gov ernment-owned fleet of coastal ships in Papua and New Guinea will carry on for the present, in competition with privately-owned ships, pending a decision by the Federal Government in regard to Government-owned shipping generally The Minister said that while privateiy owned small ships would now be free to ply for hire and charter, he would pre sently review the operations of the Ter ritories Directorate of Shipping, with a view to improving the present Islands ser vice.

Native Labour Contract

MANY representations regarding the operation of the native contract . labour system were made to the Minister, and he took the opportunity of ibtaming all possible information on this ; homy subject, to guide the Federal Gov jmment in formulating a policy decision n relation thereto.

The Minister, in a statement in Rabaul,

said that he expected that a policy on the native labour contract system would be announced within two months. He also indicated that he personally was in favour of an extension of the present limit of one year in the native labour contracts.

Manus

HAVING visited Manus, and inspected the huge naval and air base con structed there by the Americans

and abandoned by them after consulta tion with the Australian Socialist Gov ernment, and since taken over by the Australian Navy, Mr. Spender described the place as “a tremendous harbour littered with abandoned equipment.”

He added that of the 13,000 natives on Manus it seemed to him that more were receiving attention in the native hos pitals there than were working.

(Continued on Page 106)

Future of Rabaul

REFERRING to the future of Rabaul, the Minister said that it was clear that the administrative centre for that portion of the combined Territories —in order to be safe from risk of damage by the volcanoes, and to provide a place Of securitv for the Administration records and laboratories —would have to be re moved from Rabaul to a new site.

He said that the new site had not yet been decided upon; but it was imperative that a decision be made soon and work commenced upon the construction of the new town.

Plans For Defence

EMPHASISING the strategic import ance of the Papua-New Guinea area, the Minister referred to the speed with which the Japanese occupied these Territories in 1942, and the menace thereby created to the security of Aus tralia.

He said that as part of plans for the defence of Papua-New Guinea, he was in favour of the immediate formation of a military unit, similar to the pre-war New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, with its own Territories administration. He was also in favour of assistance being given for the maintenance of rifle clubs.

“Overtime Racket”

IN the course of an address in Sydney on his return from New Guinea, the Minister said that while there were many people in the Territories doing a splendid job of work “there are some, I regret to say, who are not doing such good jobs. Indeed, I came to the conclu sion that among some people up there overtime had become a racket.”

Mr. Spender gave no details—but ap parently he has been looking behind the scenes in New Guinea.

Minister s Annual Visit

MR. SPENDER said he would try to visit the Territories at least once a year “to see the extent to which the Government's policy is being carried out, to make contact with the people, both Europeans and native leaders.

“We are confronted with the difficulty of manpower and materials, also the fact that some people don’t work as much as they should,” he said, in Port Moresby.

“One of the things that impressed me is what a little imagination and zeal can do, as in the reconstruction of Hanu abada. Mr. D. J. Sullivan, who is in charge of the project, is to be congratu lated on his capacity, drive and imagina tion. If that was reflected everywhere there would be a better picture in the Territory to-day.”

Mr. Spender disclosed that 21 years ago Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd. had offered to build a secondary school at Bulolo at cost, but the Labor Government had rejected the offer.

He said he had “a few ideas” about lowering the cost of living in the Terri tory but would not express them until he had more information.

Buka’s Disappointment

SOHANO, April 12.

ALTHOUGH a visit to this area by the Minister was originally planned for April 12, it was cut out at the last moment, and the public disappointment was acute.

The largest number of Europeans ever seen here, and many natives, assembled to meet the Minister. Very special pre parations were made for the occasion, and many district residents dropped everything and in many cases travelled long distances to the rendezvous. The breakdown in arrangements also was un fortunate from the viewpoint of the dis trict’s prestige in native eyes.