New Guinea Natives?

What Shall We Do With Our New Guinea Natives?

Few men have had a wider experience of Buka-Bougainville natives than Paul Mason. As plantation manager, plan tation inspector and internationally famous and heavily-decorated Coast- Watcher, he has spent many years among the New Guinea folk, before, during and since the war. He has a warm regard for and understading of natives—his plan tations have always been noted for their “fair deal” —but he does not close his eyes to their faults and shortcomings.

AS everyone with any common sense knows, the welfare of this Terri tory depends on the welfare of the people in it. A country is only as great as the people, their resources and their industry are great.

What is the policy of our Administra tion? “To teach the natives to govern themselves in fifty years time,” the Ad ministrator once told the natives of Nagavisi. “But,” said the bewildered natives, among themselves, “we did that 10 years ago, and are mostly doing it to-day.”

I have been over most of Southern Bougainville in recent times. Many places had had no patrols since ANGAU days. Our District Services are tied to their offices, trying to catch up with the Paper War that is raging, and writing their own version of the progress in their areas. Like all successful “Paper Generals,” only the good they believe they have achieved is recorded.

Much money has been spent by the CRTS (Commonwealth Rehabilitation Training Scheme), and the Administra

tion, on native education, but I doubt if much more has been done—outside Aca demic Education—than would have been accomplished by Commerce, had they been allowed to train these natives.

I have had great difficulty in getting a truck driver, a carpenter and an engine attendant, besides the many trained natives necessary for plantation

work. Even copra-cutters cannot be ob tained. I have Hot Air Driers, but have been forced to build Ceylon Driers—so that husked half nuts can be dried, in stead of cut copra—and I find them much slower in production than Hot Air Driers.

Natives on a monthly (casual labour) basis do not learn plantation work, or any other work for that matter. Pre war experienced copra cutters are cut ting six times the amount of copra cut by new labourers (who will never learn). All green copra here is weighed, and so my records show the difference clearly and indisputably.

(Continued Next Page)

ALTHOUGH I have only employed casual labourers (who can leave without a moment’s notice), since opening up the plantation, this sort of employment is bad for young, single, natives. One has only to go into any village, which supplies this labour, to see its effect. A native does a month, or two, or even three months’ work. He returns home and loafs around until he gets bored, doing nothing, and then returns to

work, or is chased away by public opinion. He was not away long enough to earn enough to get married and settle down, but enough to be able to give a few presents round to stop public opinion forcing him to take up his role in village life.

I am referring only to unattached young, single men. For married men, established in village life, casual em ployment allows them to get away from

wives and home ties, for a month’s break and, perhaps, does both him and the community good.

Even a term of twelve months is not sufficient for a youngster to accrue suf ficient wealth to establish himself, with out considerable help from his people, in most native communities.

It is important for the well-being of the native, as well as for the economy of the Territory generally, that a boy of six teen be permitted to make a contract, with his guardian’s consent if necessary, for a three-years period. I do believe that it is bad for the already-settled married man to be taken away from village life for more than a year—that is, bad for the native community life. And, as I have said, the good of the Territory, generally, goes hand-in-hand with the people in it, and these communities have every right to be protected against them selves and against immediate commercial interests.

The Education, and Three Year Con tract, too, are most important. We are obliged to serve at a trade for a varying number of years. All professional men have to serve their term, to be able to graduate, and all skilled labour has to serve some form of apprenticeship. Yet we do not now allow a native to serve more than a year, and even discourage him from serving that long!

Young men who leave village life get good food, good discipline, and a training in our way of life; in other words, an “education” to take back to their own life and villages. I do not mean that this education in “good living” will be prac tised naturally, without due encourage ment, on their return. Practice shows that it is soon forgotten, without that en couragement.

ANOTHER important point that should be borne in mind by our Policy- Makers is: Australia should hang its head in shame over its treatment of the aboriginal! It is most important that our people—l am a Territorian—should be taught to be good citizens, self-re liant, and have a pride in themselves and in their work .Instead of this they are being taught to look to th a Admin's tration for “Free Everything.”

As we all know, the "Dole” demoralises European communities: and so do Free Issues and Services to natives. They, of course, require much heir and medical treatment, but they should feel that they are not getting it entirely fiee. I would suggest a direct tax.

Admittedly, when this Territcry again becomes self-supporting, and is no longer a burden on the Australian taxpayer, the natives, by their work, will contribute directly, and indirectly, to the Terri tory’s income. But this present insidious, unseen taxation does not place any of the burden, and encouragement, on those who are getting the free services. There fore, those services are not appreciated!

Further, a Head Tax. or some other such tax, would mean patrols, and not an office report written “through the D’st’ict Office window” —which is about all that the District Services see of native life these days.