Called A

Manus, N. Guinea

Chaotic Junk Heap

OF all the New Guinea departments which attract criticism, none collects more than this curious monstrosity called Works and Housing.

It was brought into the Territory to carry out public works —one of Adminis trator Murray’s bright ideas, presumably —and now it seems to do what it likes.

It has a European personnel of over 1,000 in the Territories; it more or less influ ences a number of other departments; and it acknowledges no authority except its own Minister (Mr. Lemon) in Canberra.

The story of its activities in Manus is typical of what is said about it in other places.

On October 20, in Rabaul, PlM’s editor was told by an oflicial that W & H, at that date, had 268 European personnel in Manus, including women. No one could say what most of them were doing. At that date, there were 54 men waiting at Lorengau, literally doing nothing. No one knew why they were there. At Lombrum, there were about 100 men, sup posed to be constructing a naval base; but only the Jap. prisoners under their con trol were working. It took them eight months to build a bridge between Lom brum and Lorengau; and two months later they put up a notice to say the bridge was not safe.

Two days later, the following statement was made to us by a Manus resident,

Jsm:

DURING the two years W & H has been operating on Manus, many heads have fallen. But it would ap pear that a few useless ones still remain.

One was astounded to read in a recent publication that advertisements are still appearing for tradesmen for Manus.

Ihere have been more capable tradesmen m this island than any other part of the lerritory. But these men have left in iisgust because of the innumerable pin pricks and the bungling methods of the nen in charge of jobs..

At present there are qualified tradesmen )ccupied in extracting nails from timber -a job quite within the powers of any m-trained native. The natives, too, are eaving—they also are “fed-up” with the erratic changes of policy, bosses and jobs.

The fact that Pidgin is unknown to nost personnel of W & H is a serious landicap in their handling of natives.

At one stage, W & H had two ex cellent native Supervisors—thoroughly ex )erienced men—but since their hasty de )arture, their successors, men who have >een only here a short time, are just not n the race. RAN have an excellent sys em whereby personnel in charge of latives attend a school of Native Admin stration. W& H would be showing sense f they adopted a similar policy.

There is pressing need here for quali ied men possessing drive, initiative and he qualities of leadership—men who will id the place of its present atmosphere ‘f pettiness and backbiting, which is not onducive to good workmanship or good ellowship. One can only regret that the mooth running, well-equipped Manus of he American Occupation has reverted nto the chaotic junk-heap it is today.

Mr. Arthur (“Scotty”) Marett, who ame down to Sydney from Samarai, Eastern Papua, early in October to seek nedical attention, is at present a patient n Ward 14 at the Randwick Military lospital, Sydney. Prior to doing recruit ng work for Steamships Trading Comp ly for six months on the Eastern Coast 'f Papua, he was for some years in charge •f STC plantations in the Conflict Group, bout 70 miles eastwards from Samarai.