Native Constabulary

No More Barefoot Boys in P-NG Native Constabulary

TENDERS will shortly be called in Australia for the manufacture of 2,000 pairs of leather sandals for native policeboys in Papua-New Guinea.

The Department of Footwear at the Sydney Technical College has been en gaged for several months evolving a type and shape which they consider is ideal for the New Guinea native in his trop ical environment. The photograph here with gives a vague idea of the sandal produced by the Technical College and now approved by the Department of Ex ternal Territories, Canberra.

We have had the privilege of viewing the sample and can describe it thus: It is made of the heaviest, strongest chrome coloured leather seen this side of 1939.

The soles consist of a three-quarter inch thickness of solid leather, with a horse shoe built into the heel and the toe studded with two rows of square nails. The top, for strength, is in keeping. If sold retail, the leather in these shoes would push the price up to about £3/10/-. The weight of the sandals may be a little less than the weight of heavy army boots —but not much.

The native police of P-NG have gone barefoot for half a century, so, one feels, there should be an excellent reason why Authority feels it incumbent upon it now to force the lads into these close relatives of a wooden sabot. They will probably be fine for riding in a jeep, or making clonk ing noises around the police barracks, but patrolling is not altogether a lost art in New Guinea and when these sandals are caked with a few pounds of mountain mud they will be about as easy to get about in as a ball and chain. The Japs had the right idea when they took to the New Guinea jungles in canvas sneakers.

It may be argued that the sandals will prevent foot casualties, but if this is the reason for issuing them it might have been better to go the whole hog and pro duce regulation shoes. There is plenty of room at heels and toes for mud and leeches and other irritants to find their way in.

It seems that the Sydney Technical College was not so concerned with pro ducing something suitable for the native

environment so much as protecting the pocket of the Australian taxpayer. If built to sample, the first cost will be the only cost and our happy policeboy should

The Sample Sandal.

not only get a life-time of service from them but at the end of his allotted span will be able to hand them down to his children.